PTR Survivalist Build and a Treat

BRK » 15 April 2007 » In Patch, Spells, Talents »

BRK loaded the PTR software and tried out the Beastmaster build he has advocated since WoW 2 was released. The 41/20/0 build has been improved with the addition of Cobra Reflexes as more pet crits will cause Frenzy and Ferocious Inspiration procs. Very very nice for both pet, hunter, and party.

BRK has not seen Avoidance in action, but 50% reduction in AOE damage sounds incredible. We’d love to hear from someone who runs Mechanar or Botanica as a BM-spec with Avoidance.

Now, the other Big Thing in which we were interested was trying a Survivalist build. So we trained as a 0/20/41 with Readiness and Wyvern Sting, 3/3 in Expose Weakness for the 100% proc-on-crit, and 2/2 in Survival Instincts for the -4% damage taken and +4% increased RAP. You can see the results from the respec in the pic above.

BRK’s new agility of 576 makes us weep with happiness, but the loss of 50 DPS - ignoring the loss in pet dps - would have to be overcome by the rest of the party. However this build is quite interesting for instances with its much better crowd control: longer-lasting and less-resistable traps and Wyvern Sting. Also, a much better party buff with Expose Weakness looks tasty. Look, 25% of 576 agility is 144 attack power for all party members, which is more than Hunter’s Mark.

Will BRK try the Survivalist build? Undoubtedly. Will he take a big hit in DPS? Undoubtedly. Will he be a bigger help with his crowd-control abilities? That’s what we’re going to determine.

Now, there is one other thing that really tickled our toes, and that’s the new glow-effect for the Savagery enchant. It’s just gorgeous.


Do you have an experience with your Hunter on the PTR? Let us know!

Patch, Spells, Talents | April 15, 2007

Comments

10 Responses to “PTR Survivalist Build and a Treat”

  1. Markus "LAKE" Berglund on April 15th, 2007 9:38 pm

    And a crit below 22%? Isn´t that where the 50 DPS is supposed to be compensated? The crits aren´t marked in your paperdoll-DPS, but it sounds a bit low…

  2. Damh on April 15th, 2007 11:46 pm

    I’m just measuring the tool-tip damage when I say -50dps. The crits will help, the higher RAP with Arcane Shot will help, etc.

    Actually, I’d like to see the difference with my Ornate Khorium Rifle, to. It’s a 3.0 speed and its crits would be much more…

    Isn’t this what we love, though? :)

  3. Azerick123 on April 16th, 2007 2:26 am

    I tried Survivalist before the patch and i found that if you spend the xtra time and money to take some attack power bonuses away and go for straight agility IE agi enchant instead of savagry and assult enchants, and agi gems instead of ap gems i had over 600 agi and a crit rate of 30% so with LoTp and master tactitian proc i had a 45% crit rate

  4. Tanuviel on April 16th, 2007 1:29 pm

    Not a hunter expert, but I would love to team up with a Survivalist Spec Hunter 0/20/41 for instancing. The CC potential seems very appealing, in particular with the much improved trapping and Wyvern Sting. That should really makes up for the loss in AP/DPS.

  5. Anonymous on April 16th, 2007 7:23 pm

    well…i can only claim to be an expert on one class, and its not a hunter. but, i can definately respect a small reduction in dps for the security that some of the other survilalist abilities bring to a party, ESPECIALLY once you get into heroics…where high amounts of dps are less important than strong strategies and crowd control.

    …and i may be a bit biased, as that party buff just pwns…

    -doom

  6. Misfit on April 16th, 2007 10:21 pm

    I “took one for the team” and speced from a 41/20/0 BM build into a 0/20/41 Survival build about a month ago and my guild loves me for it. Hunter traps were considered second rate by most of the guild leaders, but now my traps are the last thing that gets taken down (even after the sheeps!).
    In all honesty, I have a lot of fun with my CC build and even developed some new CC techniques that still blow peoples mind in PUG’s. It uses my pet as an OT, Readiness and Wyvern Sting. I trap one, send my pet on another and sting a third. Once the sting goes up I pop Readiness, sick my pet on that one and sting the one my pet was on. All while still keeping one trapped. I have only done this a handeful of times (even have a macro for it), but every time I have done it, people are just thoroughly impressed with the amount of utility I bring to the group.
    Of course that utility comes at a price (gimped DPS), but I would actually rather contribute a solid CC than top the DPS meters.

    - Misfit

  7. Misfit on April 16th, 2007 11:49 pm

    Damh, any word on the new pet talents?

    My toon hasn’t been copied to the PTR yet, so I figured I should be impatient and get the info from you. :)

    - Misfit

  8. Damh on April 17th, 2007 10:55 am

    Cobra Reflexes is a Must for Beastmaster hunters for the 2x crit procs.

    Avoidance is a Must for the BM Raider to try, but its long-term usefulness is yet to be determined.

  9. Dave on April 17th, 2007 8:42 pm

    What aboute the new Mend Pet stuff? What does it tick for now, and what is the mana cost?

  10. Jadenq on April 12th, 2008 9:01 pm

    Survivalist here. 5-10 mans i can keep up and out dps most BM’s but in 25 mans its back to EW FTW, dps goes down. In my guild the BM’s in 25 mans r busting out 1000+ dps on boss fights and I cant get over 850 but with EW up 80% of the fight and me having crits go off literally left and right I really got nothing to complain about……Agility is at 775 and I am aiming to get it above 800. Bad thing is and really sucks is that most points for pet have to go into stam and armor cause they sure dont stay alive like they used to.

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