WoW Forever Survival Hunter Guide (1-60) - Talents, Rotations & More

Basics

• Auto Shot: free damage, and it keeps firing while you're at range. Each shot has a 0.5 sec wind-up where you have to stand still
• Swing timers: ranged and melee have separate timers, so you can weave melee hits in between shots
• Weapon damage: Raptor Strike, Mongoose Bite and Strider Kick all hit with your main-hand weapon, so slow and big makes every one of them hit harder
• The dead zone: melee is 0–5 yd and ranged starts at 8 yd. In between you can't shoot or melee
• Hunter's Mark: mark your target before you pull. Expose Prey only procs on your marked target
• Mongoose Bite: lights up after a dodge, or from Expose Prey. Use it whenever it's lit
• One Aspect, one Sting: only one Aspect on you, and one of your Stings per target. Aspect of the Hawk for weaving, Aspect of the Beast for full melee
• Traps: usable in combat and placed at your feet. 30 sec cooldown, one Fire and one Frost trap active at a time

Melee weave

1. Fire your instant shots: Multi-Shot, Serpent Sting, Arcane Shot
2. Let Auto Shot go off, now you have a free window
3. Step in: Raptor Strike → Mongoose Bite if it lights up → Immolation Trap (optional) → Strider Kick
4. Use Strider Kick's +30% speed to get back out, then shoot until Raptor Strike is ready again

Don't clip Auto Shot: get back out before it's ready. Your pet holds aggro, so stepping in is safe

Mana

• Shots, melee abilities and traps all cost mana. Resourcefulness makes traps and melee abilities 30% cheaper (60% at 2/2)
• Mana Regen kicks in 5 sec after your last cast

Your pet

• Control: use Assist in 99% of situations. Move To is great to pull a mob somewhere else while you loot objective
• Growl: on auto-cast while solo, off in dungeons so you don't steal threat from your tank
• Mend Pet: between pulls, or in combat when it's low. Never let it die
• Abilities: leave most of them on auto-cast to dump pet focus, they do a lot of damage
• Happiness: keep it green with Feed Pet using food that matches its level and diet. Happy deals 125% damage, unhappy only 75%
• Loyalty: from Rebellious up to Best Friend. Higher loyalty means more training points
• Scaling: your pet gets 100% of your crit (racials included), 10% of your attack power, 30% of your armor and +2 HP per point of your Stamina. It gets no buffs from other players

Best pets

• Wolf for Survival: Furious Howl gives you and your party +13 up to +84 melee attack power. 1 min buff on a 30 sec cooldown, so it's always up. Survival lives in melee, so this is my pick
• Cat for damage: +10% damage and fast attacks, but squishier
• Tank: Kresh, lvl 20 elite turtle in Wailing Caverns. Best armor in the game and Shell Shield
• PvP: Dreadmaw Croc, Crocolisk, lvl 9-11 in Durotar. Dismember cuts the enemy's healing by 25%
• Honorable mention: Broken Tooth, lvl 37 rare cat in the Badlands. Swings every 1.0 sec, the fastest cat in Forever

Rotation by level

Levels 1–9

• Aspect of the Monkey on from level 4
• Hunter's Mark (6) → pull with Auto Shot → Serpent Sting → Arcane Shot → Raptor Strike when it reaches you

Levels 10–19

• Unlock the pet ASAP, with a quest at your hunter trainer
• Swap to Aspect of the Hawk once you get your pet
• Hunter's Mark → pet in → Auto Shot → Serpent Sting → Arcane Shot → step in for Raptor Strike right after an Auto Shot → back out
• At 16 you get Mongoose Bite and Immolation Trap, your first real weave tools
• Grab a slow two-hander, check Gear

Levels 20–29

• Keep your two-hander: one slow, big weapon means every melee ability hits harder
• Single target: Hunter's Mark → pet in → Aimed Shot → Serpent Sting → Arcane Shot → weave: Raptor Strike → Mongoose Bite if lit → Immolation Trap → back out
• 2+ targets: Multi-Shot right after an Auto Shot
• Aspect of the Cheetah (20) between pulls and for kiting. Taking damage dazes you, so swap back when the fight starts
• At 26 save Rapid Fire for bosses, elites and tough pulls. It now speeds up melee too

Levels 30–39

• At 30 you get Strider Kick and Aspect of the Beast
• Weave: Auto Shot → step in Raptor Strike → Mongoose Bite if lit → Immolation Trap (optional) → Strider Kick out → Auto Shot
• 2+ targets: Multi-Shot and Explosive Trap (34) when you step in

Levels 40+: 2H Weave

• Stay in Aspect of the Hawk, Auto Shot is still your biggest single damage source
• Pull: Hunter's Mark → pet in → Aimed Shot → Serpent Sting (optional) → Arcane Shot
• Weave: Auto Shot fires → step in Raptor Strike → Mongoose Bite if lit → Immolation Trap (optional) → Strider Kick out → Auto Shot
• 2+ targets: Multi-Shot after Auto Shot, Explosive Trap instead of Immolation
• Don't clip Auto Shot: if you're late getting back out, you lose a shot
• Rapid Fire on elites and bosses

Always: keep Hunter's Mark up, track the creature type you're fighting, and keep your pet fed and healthy.

For Survival your melee weapon matters most: Raptor Strike, Mongoose Bite and Strider Kick all hit with your main-hand weapon, so a slow, hard-hitting one makes every hit count. Your bow still matters if you weave. From level 40 you can wear mail. Your stats scale to your pet too, so every upgrade makes it stronger as well. For which stats to look for, check Stat Priority.

Two-handers

• 11: Alliance Balanced Fighting Stick (WANTED: Hogger) · Horde Quarter Staff (vendor)
• 15: Alliance Piercing Axe (Red Silk Bandanas, The Deadmines) · Horde Segmented Spider Leg (Witherfang, Ruins of Lordaeron)
• 17: Impaling Harpoon (Captain Greenskin, The Deadmines)
• 26: Strike of the Hydra (Aku'mai, Blackfathom Deeps)
• 29: Felbough Arm (Fel Ancient, Dalaran)
• 38: Alliance Bonebiter (quest In the Name of the Light, Scarlet Monastery)
• 42: Grimlok's Charge (Grimlok, Uldaman)
• 53: Bear Poking Stick (vendor Dala Fairmaw, Mount Hyjal)
• 56: Enchanted Azsharite Felbane Staff (alternative, quest Enchanted Azsharite Fel Weaponry, Stranglethorn Vale)
• 58: Arcanite Reaper (Blacksmithing, BoE so you can buy it). The final one, slowest and hardest hitting

Dual wield

Learn Dual Wield at 20. Slow, big weapon in the main hand (all your melee abilities use it), fast one in the off hand for more swings, so more Expose Prey and Deadly Aspects procs.

Main hand

• 18: Alliance Buzz Saw (Sneed's Shredder, The Deadmines)
• 20: Horde Wingblade (quest Leaders of the Fang, Wailing Caverns)
• 25: Alliance Hamhock's Cleaver (Hamhock, The Stockade)
• 28: Horde Outlaw Sabre (quest Baron Aquanis, Ashenvale)
• 30: Alliance Pronged Reaver (Charlga Razorflank, Razorfen Kraul)
• 40: Mithril Claws (Blacksmithing, BoE). Fist weapons need training at a weapon master
• 48: Horde Force of the Hippogryph (quest Weapons of Spirit, Feralas)
• 51: Blazing Rapier (Blacksmithing, BoE) · Lord General's Sword (General Angerforge, Blackrock Depths)
• 58: Bagh Nakh (Blacksmithing, BoE)

Off hand

• 20: Butcher's Cleaver (Razorclaw the Butcher, Shadowfang Keep)
• 30: Bloody Brass Knuckles (Interrogator Vishas, Scarlet Monastery)
• 36: Mithril Shortsword (Blacksmithing, BoE)
• 38: Coldrage Dagger (Amnennar the Coldbringer, Razorfen Downs) · Horde Silent Hunter (quest Call to Arms, Arathi Highlands)
• 42: Gahz'rilla Fang (Gahz'rilla, Zul'Farrak)
• 43: Horde Tok'kar's Murloc Shanker (quest Threat From the Sea, Swamp of Sorrows)
• 46: Ebon Shiv (Blacksmithing, BoE)
• 58: Heartseeker (Blacksmithing, BoE)

Ranged weapons 1–14

• 1: Polished Shortbow (vendor, both factions)
• 3: Hornwood Recurve Bow (vendor, both factions)
• 6–7: Alliance Militia Bow (quest chain Rare Books, Elwynn Forest) · Horde Kolkar Bow (Lost in the Shadows, Durotar)
• 9: Horde Hickory Shortbow (Securing the Lines, Durotar)
• 11: Fine Shortbow (vendor, Bind on Equip)
• 13–14: Alliance Calibrated Blunderbuss (Old Ironforge Incursion, Hall of Thanes) · Horde Barbaric Crossbow (Oggleflint, Ragefire Chasm)

Ranged weapons 15–30

• 19: Venomstrike (Lord Serpentis, Wailing Caverns)
• 22: Naga Heartpiercer (Lady Sarevess, Blackfathom Deeps) · Horde alternative Alliance Outrunner Bow (Aean Swiftriver, rare elite in The Barrens. Horde only, he is friendly to Alliance)
• 23: Fallenroot Longbow (Lorgus Jett, Blackfathom Deeps)
• 26: Alliance Concealed Hand Crossbow (Bazil Thredd, The Stockade) · Horde Gravespike Repeater (Atrexis the Grave Knight, Dalaran)
• 28: Golemsight Long Gun (Relic Guardian, Excavation Site in Wetlands)

Ranged weapons 31–60

• 32: Quilboar Blaster (Razorfen Kraul quest: The Crone of the Kraul for Alliance, A Vengeful Fate for Horde)
• 34: Spellsever Crossbow (Arcanist Doan, Scarlet Monastery). Keep it until 42
• 41: Master Hunter's Bow, no dungeons? Quest Big Game Hunter in Stranglethorn Vale
• 43: Truthseeker's Bow (quest Greater Friend of the Library)
• 48: Megashot Rifle (Tinkerer Gizlock, Maraudon)
• 51: Verdant Keeper's Aim (alternative, quest Corruption of Earth and Seed, Maraudon)
• 54: Blackcrow (Shadow Hunter Vosh'gajin, Blackrock Spire). Keep it to 60
• 56: Smokey's Explosive Launcher, no dungeons? Quest When Smokey Sings, I Get Violent, Eastern Plaguelands
• Engineers: Dark Iron Rifle (50) and Flawless Arcanite Rifle (56) beat Megashot and Blackcrow

Ammo

• Ammo still costs gold: restock every time you're in town
• A quiver (arrows) or ammo pouch (bullets) gives faster attack speed. Upgrade for more slots
• Vendor ammo is fine while leveling: Rough Arrow / Light Shot, Razor Arrow / Solid Shot at 25, Jagged Arrow / Accurate Slugs at 40, Ice Threaded at 51
• Crafted ammo from Engineers is stronger if you're swimming in gold. At 60: Swiftfeather Arrow and Swiftstrike Shot