Beast Mastery or Survival for CM Gold, especially Trash!

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

Hey guys, I've spoken with a lot of people in game and elsewhere who continue to claim that any of the three specs are the proper for CM, but I feel the answers are based on a misunderstanding of the question.
I'd like to make it perfectly clear:

I leveled a hunter solely to do CMs and boosts with it last expansion, and despite knowing very little about the class I was able to play Survival to an incredible level for AOE.
I firmly believe that as a DPS, your focus should be building for trash, as good AOE dps allows things to be MUCH more comfortable for the tank and healer, where as on bosses even the best DPS won't effect the time the same amount.

My question is as follows:
Can you help me understand what is better for CM gold and Carry-style trash pulls?
I have tried BM with Beast Cleave and it seemed really good for certain pulls, but unless all the mobs are on top of each other, I feel its AOE potential is lower than Survival.

When I play Survival, it seems like my initial burst AOE is lower, but I can't help but shake the feeling that its going to equal to greater DPS just because I can put up serpent spread and bank on it carrying the pack no matter where the mobs are.

Asides on this topic include talent choices:
I am trying Steady Focus for BM as well as Adaptation as it increases the pet damage.
For Survival I am trying Thrill and Exotic Munitions for the fire dmg.

I'd love some rationale as well as your individual experiences if possible.
Thanks!

[Skygoneblue]

I think you pretty much nailed it with the shortcoming of BM being that everything needs to be stacked, and that Survival can still hit them all. As far as burst goes, if Explosive Trap, Multi Shot, 90 talent isn't enough, then I think you're carrying two other bad dps with you.

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

I think you pretty much nailed it with the shortcoming of BM being that everything needs to be stacked, and that Survival can still hit them all. As far as burst goes, if Explosive Trap, Multi Shot, 90 talent isn't enough, then I think you're carrying two other bad dps with you.

Perhaps you are right. So to summarize your opinions, it would be that both specs have the same quality, and neither is superior unless everything is stacked all the time?

[Tehterokkar]

I personally can't play SV without Focusing Shot, the focus demand is just too great and it always makes me uncomfortable when I don't have enough focus for everything(especially annoying on 3-4 target cleaves).

That being said, there are only a few encounters where Focusing Shot is poor in CMs(off the top of my head, First boss in UBRS and bridge boss in BMSM).

Personally I got my Gold CMs done before SV buffs, so I was BM for all dungeons and bosses with talent setup: SF/BS/Barr/Adap.

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

I personally can't play SV without Focusing Shot, the focus demand is just too great and it always makes me uncomfortable when I don't have enough focus for everything(especially annoying on 3-4 target cleaves).

That being said, there are only a few encounters where Focusing Shot is poor in CMs(off the top of my head, First boss in UBRS and bridge boss in BMSM).

Personally I got my Gold CMs done before SV buffs, so I was BM for all dungeons and bosses with talent setup: SF/BS/Barr/Adap.

Thanks for the input.
That was mostly my issue, a lot of serious hunters got theirs done before all the changes!

I think ultimately I'll be sticking with BM. The output on trash just seems better for my play style.

[Lordbrutus]

i'm realm first on 6/8 CMs in my server, i've tested all 3 specs and i can say 99% sure that SV is out of the question for CM

MM burst for boss
BM AoE burst for big trash pulls

[Deleted]

i'm realm first on 6/8 CMs in my server, i've tested all 3 specs and i can say 99% sure that SV is out of the question for CM

MM burst for boss
BM AoE burst for big trash pulls

I agree! SV, allthough beeing outperformed by bm on trash pulls and by mm on boss fights, gives you the best overall results.

[Noruego]

I agree! SV, allthough beeing outperformed by bm on trash pulls and by mm on boss fights, gives you the best overall results.

Shame you can't use two specs in cms then yeh? Oh wait.

[eschatological]

I'm pretty sure you can change spec once in a CM. I haven't done them since the launch, and I never had to (as a tank) but I feel like our hunter said you could switch once per CM.

Also, I feel like SV's burst potential might not be too horrible with the buff to SrS. Each multishot and multishot MS will proc a tick of SrS instantly, and those hit for a truck these days. On top of that, each one of those SrS ticks can MS, including the ones which procced off the multishot MS. Once you can stack MS in BRF gear, a MS SV build with ToTH and FS might be really viable for trash pulls.

[Ichifails]

I agree! SV, allthough beeing outperformed by bm on trash pulls and by mm on boss fights, gives you the best overall results.

You are supposed to change specs as a hunter. Maybe some other class but no one cares about anything except the golden Forst Mage/Hunter/Destro lock trio.

[Keny]

BM Trash MM bosses, easily done.
for BM had Mastery+haste gear, for MM had Crit+Multi gear.

[Drkmalice]

I have done all gold cms this expac as MM and as Surv with no issues.

BM is only suggested if going for really good times if you want realm 1sts etc.

[Dossou]

100% BM

You can play Surv or MM if you're doing baby back bitch pulls and not going for good times, but BM will instantly pull ahead the second you start moving faster than 1min under gold.

Of course it depends on your group comp, if you don't have a mage/ww/lock in your group you may want to consider playing Surv or MM just to comp some single target damage.

In short, BM is the best overall spec but you won't be making a mistake playing the other 2 if you're just going for golds.

- - - Updated - - -

BM Trash MM bosses, easily done.
for BM had Mastery+haste gear, for MM had Crit+Multi gear.

common misconception

on pulls <40 seconds, crit>haste for BM, so you usually want crit/mastery gear. If you're going to be aoeing for 4-6 mins like the default sim timer, haste is better but not for CMs.

[Schismev]

100% BM

You can play Surv or MM if you're doing baby back bitch pulls and not going for good times, but BM will instantly pull ahead the second you start moving faster than 1min under gold.

Of course it depends on your group comp, if you don't have a mage/ww/lock in your group you may want to consider playing Surv or MM just to comp some single target damage.

In short, BM is the best overall spec but you won't be making a mistake playing the other 2 if you're just going for golds.

- - - Updated - - -



common misconception

on pulls <40 seconds, crit>haste for BM, so you usually want crit/mastery gear. If you're going to be aoeing for 4-6 mins like the default sim timer, haste is better but not for CMs.

Bad Dossou, go back to your cage!