Hunters, how do you handle aspects in raid boss fights?

[Granpa]

Sorry if this may sound like a silly question but I just started playing my Hunter again after some time and I see that now we have an Aspect of the Viper which is a great way to regain mana while leveling. I also notice that using Aspect of the Hawk we do great damage but run out of mana fairly quickly. So with that in mind, how do you guys handle the different aspects for a typical ICC raid boss?

Do you start off with Aspect of the Hawk and do as much burst damage as possible until you're out of mana, then switch to aspect of the viper, then back? Do you gear for mana regen or some other stat instead? Do you just use aspect of the viper until the boss gets below 35% or something then switch to Hawk?

I'm curious how does this work exactly. Thanks for taking the time to answer. My only other mana-using toon is my lock and we just life-tap for mana, so I'm really curious to hear how hunters do it.

[Seymourbutz]

Usually in my 10/25 man raids, other classes have mana regen buffs, so I usually don't have to worry about Mana.

Plus you can talent into mana regen.

[jtroia]

During raids I usually have dragonhawk up the entire time because there is almost always a replenishment up.

[Daginni]

Dragonhawk on all the time. Viper for a few secs for mana.

BM Raiding however, you change to Beast when you pop BW.

[Rellekk]

what is this 'aspect of viper' you speak of?

[ElAmigo]

their mana runs out fairly quickly without any type of replenishment but with buffs like replenishment and wisdom they do fine and they do even much better when there is a paladin there judging wisdom

[Chrysia]

See the above, but in the rare occasion that you DO run low on mana in raid, hit your big shots, switch to viper, steady about 4 or 5 times until the big shots are off CD, and switch back. The mana cost of steady shot is so low it's actually a mana gain to use it with viper, unlike the other shots. That usually pushes me back up to 1/3 to 1/2 mana in that short time, and now I can go back to slamming the boss.

[Vongimi]

Dragonhawk on all the time. Viper for a few secs for mana.

BM Raiding however, you change to Beast when you pop BW.

Dont think that 2nd part is true anymore. When I spreadsheeted it there turned out to be less dps when switching to beast during BW. Probably due to gear scaling.

[Chrysia]

Dont think that 2nd part is true anymore. When I spreadsheeted it there turned out to be less dps when switching to beast during BW. Probably due to gear scaling.

The real question, who raids as BM? I can understand a really casual guild, maybe, but raiding as BM is very very sub-par DPS. Play as you like, but I can't see you getting far until the buff is way up there unless the rest of the guild is carrying you.

[Fraudy]

There's actually an add-on I found(Spell Flash) that flashes the spells you should cast next (including aspects). It's really helpful because you're not so focused on if you're spells are still on cooldown and when it's a good to time switch aspects. And yes I know it's kind of a nooby Add-on but whatever.

[Granpa]

Ah thanks for the replies guys. I wasn't aware of there being an "aspect of the dragonhawk".. it's been a really long time since I played my hunter. ;D

[Chrysia]

Ah thanks for the replies guys. I wasn't aware of there being an "aspect of the dragonhawk".. it's been a really long time since I played my hunter. ;D

Dragonhawk is a spell you get at 80. It combines Hawk and Monkey into one Aspect.

[Värgen]

Almost every hunter raids as Markmanship. They have a talent called Rapid recuperation which gives you 4% of mana every 3 sec for the duration of Rapid Fire, which is on a 3 minute CD when it's talented. You also use Readiness, which finishes off any cooldowns on your abilities.

This is an example on how I start on a boss fight:
Pop Rapid - Chimera Shot - Aimed shot - pop Readiness, Chimera Shot - Aimed Shot - Serpent Sting - Steady Shot until Rapid Fire goes out then pop it again.

Seeing as Readiness and Rapid fire is on a 3 min CD, you almost never run out of mana even without Judgement of Wisdom from Paladin or even Replenishment.

You can also set Viper Sting on a boss if it has mana and you are running low, and with the effect from Chimera Shot, it gives back a pretty decent amount of mana. (depends on targets mana pool)

Here is a tip when you're leveling (I assume you level as BM unless you have sweet lvl 70 gear or something on you char). Just use Aspect of the Hawk/Dragonhawk as much as you can. Pop Aspect of the Viper before you mount up, or even when you run to a mob that is far away. You can get in a tic or two before you switch back again.

Also just use Aimed shot and steady shot when you get them if you don't have them already. Don't use Serpent Sting or even Arcane shot, they both deal little damage and cost a fair amount of mana. You want to kill mobs fast and efficient, not run out of mana for every 5th mob you kill.

[Kiea]

There is not much management in 25man raids, because as a hunter you would get a lot of mana regeneration buffs, but a trick on some boss fights is, you can use Aspect of the Viper during phase changes and such, on the lich king, I always switch to viper to dps the shambling when we run to the ice, then change back to dragonhawk.

You can do the same on Sindragosas ice tombs in air phase.

[Antisocial]

In the few cases where you need to go into viper you know it will happen eventually, atleast in high end raiding. for LK HC for example I know I will go oom if I dont fit in 3-4 steadyshots so I try fitting them in after aimed->chimeara when I have no trinket procs up.

[Irony]

I got a ret pally judging wisdom, so I don't go oom.

[Herecius]

If you've got the paladins to do it, have one judge wisdom. Judging wisdom is so potent that you don't need any mana regen talents at all if there's a pali doing it, I believe. If you do have to go into viper though, make sure it isn't for an aimed/chimera, and is only during steady shots.

[Ferledon]

JoW gives about 3x the mana of replenishment over the course of a fight for us hunters =)

[Purplenv]

The real question, who raids as BM? I can understand a really casual guild, maybe, but raiding as BM is very very sub-par DPS. Play as you like, but I can't see you getting far until the buff is way up there unless the rest of the guild is carrying you.

The guild I am in is 11/12 HM ICC25, and regularly has 2 hunters rolling as BM, for every fight short of BQL.

In fact, the two BM hunters were top DPS on our PP HM kill.
Considering the mechanics of that fight specifically, BM raiding is extremely powerful.

[AvA-LaND]

What are these aspects you speak of, I only play with sekret hardmoad enaged with Aspect of the Harlem Globetrotters!