Hunter

Leveling

The fan guide places the first pet quest at level 10. Follow your trainer’s current instructions, then practice sending, recalling and reviving the pet. Pull toward a clear area and watch mana and ammunition as well as the pet’s health. A pet chasing a fleeing enemy can lead you into another pack.

Wowhead’s Beast Mastery guide identifies Endurance Training, Pathfinding and Improved Revive Pet as flexible early choices. Its rotation heading mistakenly mentions Burning Crusade despite being on the Forever page; consult the current Forever tooltip rather than using that heading as version evidence.

Beast Mastery playstyle

Beast Mastery coordinates ranged attacks with a pet. Wowhead describes pet stat scaling and Summon Hawk as a talent; its guide reports that Hawk and Arcane Shot share a cooldown. Select the pet for the task and keep it alive, on the intended target and out of unpulled packs. In dungeons disable Growl while the tank holds the enemy, then review the setting when returning to solo play.

For a single target, the Forever guide uses Hunter’s Mark and the shots and pet abilities available to your build; a talented Summon Hawk competes with Arcane Shot for its shared cooldown. For a pack, choose whether the trap is needed for control before using a damage trap. If the pet loses its target or runs into a hazard, recall it and redirect it after the tank establishes control.

Marksmanship playstyle

Marksmanship emphasizes shots from a clear, stable position and can provide Trueshot Aura when talented. Wowhead describes Lone Wolf as a petless option. Review whether your particular build uses a pet; a petless raid example is not a universal instruction for leveling or every group.

Start with a safe line of sight and choose a position where a longer shot can finish. The Forever guide uses Hunter’s Mark and, when talented, Trueshot Aura; Aimed Shot and Multi-Shot share a cooldown, so choose according to whether there is one intended target or several. If a controlled enemy is close to the pack, hold Multi-Shot and ask the tank to separate it.

Survival playstyle

Survival can be built around melee attacks and traps, with hybrid ranged/melee play also described by current guides; do not assume it is exclusively ranged. Wowhead identifies Expose Prey as a way a talented build can create Mongoose Bite opportunities. Compare melee weapons as well as your ranged weapon for the attacks you actually use.

For a melee Survival build, use the melee attacks and trap choices your talents enable, keeping Hunter’s Mark on the relevant target where appropriate. Multiple enemies make trap placement and the shared trap cooldown more consequential: agree on the control target before using a damaging trap. If a cast needs stopping, arrange a real interrupt with the party; Strider Kick does not perform that job. The guide also names Viper Sting and Tranquilizing Shot as encounter-dependent utility when learned.

Version notes

On November 6, Blizzard announced Hunter pet durability changes planned for November 10. That was a plan on the November 8 review date, not proof the later tuning had already been applied.

Sources were reviewed on November 8, 2026. Guide observations are not independent live-game validation; later hotfixes and current tooltips take precedence.

Gear and professions

Skinning and Leatherworking can turn gathered hides into equipment; Herbalism and Alchemy offer consumables instead. Check recipes and market prices before investing.

For a shooting build, a new ranged weapon’s damage per second is a useful comparison. If your Survival setup relies on melee, compare the melee weapons too. Check whether a piece helps your own attacks or the pet-focused plan before selling the previous item; no class flag alone guarantees proficiency or availability.

Forever First Aid also makes healing potions; check its recipes and materials when preparing supplies. The related profession guides link directly to crafting and gathering information.

Class tools

The class spell and class-only item collections below update with published records. The talent calculator, Ability Levels and Gear Planner links on this page retain your class. Check current in-game tooltips: the linked fan guides describe a changing version and some observations originate in beta.