Public Service Announcement: Hunter Traps in Dungeons.

[Xenion]

To clarify a few common misconceptions about hunter CC in dungeons to all non-hunters out there.
This is a serious issue, people are ignorant of how traps work and its causing problems.



First, a few quick facts:

- Traps are NOT instant, wait before you SEE the mob in a block of ice before you pull.
- Traps can be resisted, be ready to aggro the mob if the trap fails, its not the hunter's fault its shitty game mechanics.
- Its nearly impossible to trap a moving target, wait for the hunter to trap the mob first, then let the other CC'ers do their thing, THEN pull.
- Traps break when the mob takes damage, if you're close to the trapped mob, do NOT AoE!
- There is a cooldown on traps, if one breaks don't expect the mob to be re-trapped.



And most importantly, if there is an alternative to hunter CC, use it.
Traps are an outdated and broken mechanic, unless absolutely necessary try to avoid using it.

[Viradiance]

- Traps can be resisted, be ready to aggro the mob if the trap fails, its not the hunter's fault its shitty game mechanics.

Clearly, you need more spell pwnetration.

[Cairm]

I didn't knew it could be resisted.....It is spell, and hunter aren't spell hit capped.

But other then that, it can't be as bad as hex/bind element for CC.... I prefer your hutner trap over my 2 shaman CC's that randomly break without damages....

[Spl4sh3r]

- Its nearly impossible to trap a moving target, wait for the hunter to trap the mob first, then let the other CC'ers do their thing, THEN pull.

I guess you weren't around Pre-Wrath where we had to pull the mob into the trap. We even got Distraction Shot to taunt the mob.

[Zamien]

And why can't Hunters of today use the disctracting shot, trap infront of them self anymore? This way the tank actually get aggro from all mobs and are not that dependent of missdirects after the pull. It does feel like a much better CC! Then you can make sure that the CC'd mob is not within the group and with the risk of CC breakage due to aoe.

Of course this is only valid for melee mobs.

[Kudos]

I found myself in demand when Cata first came out, as Survival Hunters have 2 CC's. Yes, Wyvern Sting only lasts 30 seconds, but it made it alot easier for the healer and tank to have 30 seconds of 1 less mob beating on them.
That being said, I can't recall having any of my traps 'miss' due to 'hit' yet.

[Eleri]

And why can't Hunters of today use the disctracting shot, trap infront of them self anymore? This way the tank actually get aggro from all mobs and are not that dependent of missdirects after the pull. It does feel like a much better CC! Then you can make sure that the CC'd mob is not within the group and with the risk of CC breakage due to aoe.

Of course this is only valid for melee mobs.

Quality of life. We're there to do dps, not dance with our trap target like we're back in heroic Shattered Halls. CC shouldn't be difficult for us when it's fire-and-forget for so many other classes. Additionally, most of the most dangerous mobs--i.e. the ones that you want to CC--are casters.

It's far less difficult for the tank to simply let us launch the trap, then stand just short of the group and drop their AoE there--Death and Decay, Consecration, Swipe, Thunderclap--as the remaining mobs come streaming after the hunter. Every tank I've spoken to prefers this. I've even seen hunters who prefer the old-school method get kicked for not using Trap Launcher.

It's just a fact of life: initiating the CC pull with Trap Launcher is easier for everyone.

---------- Post added 2011-01-04 at 06:17 AM ----------

That being said, I can't recall having any of my traps 'miss' due to 'hit' yet.

I'm with you. I've done a ton of dungeons on my hunter since Cata hit, and I've never seen a resisted trap. Some mobs are immune, but they're rather unquestionably immune if you have any form of scrolling combat text, even the built-in Blizzard version. You'd think in a month straight of at least two heroics a day and CC on almost every trash pack, if resists were possible I'd have seen one by now.

[shokter]

Since you brought it up...does the trap launcher share cd with normal traps?

OT: As a tank I am absolutely loving survival hunters for CC (and damage of course). The trap launcher is absolutely the best CC pull out there due to the delay in the launch shot and the actual trap pull. If you want to use 2 combat activating CCs (trap and sheep for example) it really helps to time it so they go off at more or less the same time.

Edit: I haven't noticed any get resisted, but I have seen a hunter FD immediately after the trap sprung, which seemed to break it. Also I should clarify I am loving ALL hunters for their traps, but surv moreso because of the 2nd CC in wyv sting.

[Ieft]

back in my day there was no fancy trap launcher and you had to occasionally trap casters

[Deleted]

Since you brought it up...does the trap launcher share cd with normal traps?

No, the trap launcher got no cd, just the diff traps.

[Aknot]

Hooboy....

Yeah I remember having to (AFTER the pull) Concus my target, run up to him Scatter Shot it in the face then lay a trap. All making sure he was far enough away from the group. If not after the Concus I need to kite a bit then Scatter Shot.... We did this up hill... in the snow.

Trap Launcher..... MULTIPLE traps active...... you Hunters now a days have it easy.

[Eleri]

Since you brought it up...does the trap launcher share cd with normal traps?

All traps can be launched, but all traps share a cooldown with all other traps of their element. If you launch any ice trap (block or slick), you can't use another for ~24-30 seconds, depending on talents. Same with Explosive/Immolation traps (which also share a CD with Black Arrow as Surv) on a separate "fire trap" cooldown. Snake Trap, being the only "nature trap," has a third cooldown all to itself.

Launcher is a separate ability with no cooldown; its only cost is 20 focus. If a trap is off cooldown, it can be launched.

Edit: I haven't noticed any get resisted, but I have seen a hunter FD immediately after the trap sprung, which seemed to break it.

If the hunter is the only person on the group's aggro table when he feigns, it behaves like your group wiped; everything resets. He shouldn't be feigning so quickly.

[Wythel]

And most importantly, if there is an alternative to hunter CC, use it.
Traps are an outdated and broken mechanic, unless absolutely necessary try to avoid using it.

Please delete.
Hunter trap is incredible and reliable, it can be use on anything, can multi CC and since launcher, when used with more than one neuron it's the smarter CC ever made.
Did i mention it doesn't even need to change target ?

[blizzardcashshop]

good hunters are good at trapping, average hunters are not

it comes with experience, you can drop the trap at your feet, turn your goddamn pet's taunt off and distracting shot the SQUARE right to the trap

[Qprah]

I didn't knew it could be resisted.....It is spell, and hunter aren't spell hit capped.

But other then that, it can't be as bad as hex/bind element for CC.... I prefer your hutner trap over my 2 shaman CC's that randomly break without damages....

I hear that! Hex is worse because it cant be spammed like Bind, but still I hate it when it happens. When it doesn't randomly break its one of the strongest CC, but it does break early randomly for no reason.

All of my heroic runs that involve a hunter usually have the hunter pull with the trap. Once we see the trap hit the ground on the target's feet, the rest of us run in and cast followed by the tank taunting/avengersshield/heroicthrow/fairiefire/icytouch/deathgripping the one or two targets left uncontrolled.

[Elguappo]

Quality of life. We're there to do dps, not dance with our trap target like we're back in heroic Shattered Halls. CC shouldn't be difficult for us when it's fire-and-forget for so many other classes. Additionally, most of the most dangerous mobs--i.e. the ones that you want to CC--are casters.

It's far less difficult for the tank to simply let us launch the trap, then stand just short of the group and drop their AoE there--Death and Decay, Consecration, Swipe, Thunderclap--as the remaining mobs come streaming after the hunter. Every tank I've spoken to prefers this. I've even seen hunters who prefer the old-school method get kicked for not using Trap Launcher.

It's just a fact of life: initiating the CC pull with Trap Launcher is easier for everyone.

---------- Post added 2011-01-04 at 06:17 AM ----------



I'm with you. I've done a ton of dungeons on my hunter since Cata hit, and I've never seen a resisted trap. Some mobs are immune, but they're rather unquestionably immune if you have any form of scrolling combat text, even the built-in Blizzard version. You'd think in a month straight of at least two heroics a day and CC on almost every trash pack, if resists were possible I'd have seen one by now.

bad hunter is bad. Using distracting shot is difficult? News to me. I used to trap two at a time in BC. and top DPS charts in BM spec. L2hunter

[Mystile]

I must say of all forms of CC in game atm, my favorites are *gasp* hunter's traps! With mind control, roots, hex, and glyphed fear close behind. Why traps? Simple, the hunter will shoot his trap, when the arrow flies, everyone else casts their cc (aren't they all pretty much a 2 second cast now?) the trap will "freeze" right as the other CCs hit the other mobs. What happens next? You deal with 1-2 mobs instead of 4-6, the healer loves everyone, the tank doesn't rage over noobs, the dps have less desire to aoe and thus, no cc is broken, no one dies, we live happy, we collect epics (blues rather).

[Aljaser]

To clarify a few common misconceptions about hunter CC in dungeons to all non-hunters out there.
This is a serious issue, people are ignorant of how traps work and its causing problems.



First, a few quick facts:

- Traps are NOT instant, wait before you SEE the mob in a block of ice before you pull.

With you so far...

- Traps can be resisted, be ready to aggro the mob if the trap fails, its not the hunter's fault its shitty game mechanics.

The hell aren't you survival specced? Survival is not only top DPS by a huge margin, it doesn't have to worry about resists.

- Its nearly impossible to trap a moving target, wait for the hunter to trap the mob first, then let the other CC'ers do their thing, THEN pull.

Or summed up in a much nicer fashion, Let the hunter pull.

- Traps break when the mob takes damage, if you're close to the trapped mob, do NOT AoE!

Fair enough, though this should be solved by letting the hunter pull.

- There is a cooldown on traps, if one breaks don't expect the mob to be re-trapped.

Son, there is a 24 second cooldown on traps. Do you understand how much better that is then at any previous point of CC, when the trap duration was shorter than the cooldown? If the trap breaks due to anything but a DOT, distracting shot away from the crown, Wyvern sting, kite for 6 seconds, retrap.

Yes, it's harder to do than other classes, but the cooldown isn't nearly as big an issue as trap placement. The fact that trap launcher invokes a GCD and cannot be macroed and the fact that it's ground target instead of mob target are MUCH bigger issues than the cooldown.

And most importantly, if there is an alternative to hunter CC, use it.
Traps are an outdated and broken mechanic, unless absolutely necessary try to avoid using it.

Now this is just foolish.

[Inaru]

To clarify a few common misconceptions about hunter CC in dungeons to all non-hunters out there.
This is a serious issue, people are ignorant of how traps work and its causing problems.



First, a few quick facts:

- Traps are NOT instant, wait before you SEE the mob in a block of ice before you pull.
- Traps can be resisted, be ready to aggro the mob if the trap fails, its not the hunter's fault its shitty game mechanics.
- Its nearly impossible to trap a moving target, wait for the hunter to trap the mob first, then let the other CC'ers do their thing, THEN pull.
- Traps break when the mob takes damage, if you're close to the trapped mob, do NOT AoE!
- There is a cooldown on traps, if one breaks don't expect the mob to be re-trapped.



And most importantly, if there is an alternative to hunter CC, use it.
Traps are an outdated and broken mechanic, unless absolutely necessary try to avoid using it.

A few common misconceptions about this post, directed to someone still learning his class :

First, a few quick responses

- Yes, Traps aren't instant but they don't need to be the first CC before you pull
- Traps can be resisted yes but I've done countless Heroics this expansion and haven't seen one yet
- It's actually very easy to trap a moving target since all specs have Scatter Shot now, not to mention Distracting Shot, Conc
- Trap can break to AoE, yes probably the only viable statement here, but also very duh
- There is a cool down on traps, don't expect it to be trapped sure but you forget CC can merely be the distance between you and a mob, alot of us refer to that as "Kiting" then the CD is complete!



Traps aren't broken and using the term "Outdated" is out of place, seeing as how all the CC in the game is still in place.
Honestly I just see this as a warning post, if your grouped with Zeonar, don't have him trap.

[Nasser]

And most importantly, if there is an alternative to hunter CC, use it.
Traps are an outdated and broken mechanic, unless absolutely necessary try to avoid using it.

It's not a broken mechanic, it's just iffy due to difficulty and lack of experience for trapping a moving target; I usually have better alternatives in the form of extremely reliable guildies, however some PuG hunters won't take it lightly if you ignore their CC (and I don't think any half decent player feels nice when his CC is uterrly and completely ignored by a good chunk of tanks out there *cough* Paladins have Repetance *cough*).