Survival Hunter

[CParker1987]

So I am considering dusting off my hunter to play VERY casually. I am interested in Survival as the melee spec seems interesting. I keep seeing all this hate for the spec. Anyone who plays the spec, what's the points about the spec that sold you to it?

[Okacz]

I'm playing this spec, mostly pugging or doing easier content with guild, 5/7 HC nightmare atm.

The spec is a blast to play if you can live with its frustrating parts. All your abilities hit pretty hard, so you don't have the "pendulum effect" as much as with some specs that do a quick burst and then no damage for a minute. Your burst phases tho are pretty interesting, and require some planning ahead, making you choose cooldowns you will use during MB spam phases, while keeping all your other stuff (like Lacerate) up. Gameplay wise it's definitely up there as the best hunter spec for me.

Theme wise - just great. Pretty much something I wanted for a hunter for quite some time. It's a, well, survivor spec, with many contraptions and spear based abilities to fit the theme. Fighting alongside your pet is fun as well, even tho only one ability really represents that (and you only have a choice between 3 pets if you want to play REALLY optimally, carrion bird/hippo/scorpid).

When it comes to viability - well, SV isn't bad, but MM right now does everything simply better. I don't think Blizzard will also allow it to even become better than MM, which kind of bothers me -I like to race in dps with others - but in the long run, I'd rather play a fun spec and do medicore damage than great damage with boring spec.

Worst thing tho are the stats and talents. Right now there is only 1 talent build that even makes sense, other talents in rows are simply stupid. Some, like Spitting Cobra, are head-scratchingly pointless - a focus-regenerating tool in a spec that has just the right amount of focus to do what it has to do? Statwise, we are at the worst position. Versatility is first, which means all our stats suck. Our Mastery, stat that was invented as the ultimate tuning knob, is dead last, doing almost NOTHING for the spec. With stat distribution like that, the further into expansion we go, the worse we will be, and the only salvation will be small bandaid hotfixes.

So, if you want a cool spec that actually feels like an oldschool (but melee) hunter, traps, various abilities to weave in and less RNG than others, and don't care as much about cutting edge DPS, go for it. Damage isn't even bad, if you play well you will never feel like a burden to the group - unless it's cutting edge mythic raid, or Mythic+15, where every bit counts.

[Deleted]

I've been in love with hunter since I started raiding back in Cata. Always been BM hunter but the spec didn't fit my playstyle anymore. I tried beta with the conclusion that BM and MM weren't my fit so I tried survival and fell in love again. Somehow people say the class is underperforming, but I'm always topping damage (except for DH's) in the same ilvl range. And next week, almost all of our abilities get buffed, which is a plus.
Downside is managing stacks of Mongoose Bite, if you mess this up with your Artifact Ability, your dps gets about halved. Besides that, a very solid choice in melee damage.
Edit: low survivability, only regen health once in 2 minutes or by killing an enemy, which doesn't come in handy when fighting a boss.

-Schutterke, 856 Survival Hunter, Draenor EU

[CParker1987]

you only have a choice between 3 pets if you want to play REALLY optimally, carrion bird/hippo/scorpid.

Awesome... yea since im going to only play him casually, im not that worried about it. Now why only those three pets? And if that is the case, does the iron juggernaut count as scorpid or mech?

[DeicideUH]

Awesome... yea since im going to only play him casually, im not that worried about it. Now why only those three pets? And if that is the case, does the iron juggernaut count as scorpid or mech?

Because these pets have an ability that apply Mortal Wounds (reduced healing) on the target. And, for some reason (bug?), this skill has a chance to proc a Mongoose Bite charge, so it actually benefits from your Mastery. Other pets either don't have a special skill, or have one that does not proc MB charges.

[Cherrytie]

Question. I consider playing SV as off spec. Its Flanking Strike in the normal PvE rotation? I see mixed rotations in logs

[Rosinante]

Awesome... yea since im going to only play him casually, im not that worried about it. Now why only those three pets? And if that is the case, does the iron juggernaut count as scorpid or mech?

Because of the Bloody Screech (The Carrion Bird screeches, causing Mortal Wounds on the target.) ability that it's a aditional chance to proc MB.
Hippos and Scorpids also have this ability with a diferent name.

And no, the mechanics pets don't have this ability.

- - - Updated - - -

Question. I consider playing SV as off spec. Its Flanking Strike in the normal PvE rotation? I see mixed rotations in logs

It's your focus spender when you have nothing else to do.

[Deleted]

actually u can play it like azors guids says it, or u can play it with an 20% haste softcap wich u should reach and use Flanking Strike on cd without delaying explosivetrap or dragonfire granate, but than u also should get 33%-43% crit to get above the 53% mark with Flanking Strike and ur other abilities while ur Aspect of the Eagle is up and after that Vers.

[Okacz]

It's your focus spender when you have nothing else to do.

Actually I've been thinking about this ability. Guides say it's pretty much last in priority list (okay, RS is, but who even uses that), even after Throwing Axes. However, after the buff it hits like truck, and it actually does make Hunters Companion proc quite a bit. Throwing Axes might do a bit more DPS/Focus (for whatever that's worth), but less FS = less MB in every scenario. And with the damage it is dealing it seems like a good ability to press as soon as you can, in this case absolutely before Throwing Axes, sometimes even before Explosive Trap (Mongoose Fury falling off, so you fish up a quick MB).

[Rosinante]

It's a really valid point.
When using the Eagle Aspect and you run out of MB stacks, i think it's worth for the chance of get a MB proc. Sometimes i get two in a second.

[DeicideUH]

Personally, I've ignored the guides and made Flanking Strike priority above any other focus spender. I'm not a top player, I don't know how much DPS I'm losing or geting with this choice, but it's undeniable that it helps recover MB stacks quickly, and it hits like a truck. If I'm lucky, I am able to get 5-6 stacks of Mongoose Fury even between uses of FotE/AotE.

With the buff to Animal Instincts coming soon, I think the Animal Instincts/Aspect of the Beast talent combo may make a rotation based around Flanking Strike much more interesting. But again, don't know how well it will fare in DPS.