“Dear BRK, I’m supposed to be doing a SL (my first) run with my guild this weekend to get my first key frag. I was wondering if you have any hints/suggestions on how to handle the pulls, bosses, etc. Taudok & Jynx”

First off, don’t you love how hunters sign with their own name and their pet’s name? We sure do!

Shadow Lab (Non-Heroic) For Hunters, by BRK

First room, burn stuff down using trinkets, Bestial Wrath, whatever. Establish your dominance as the top DPS class. If you can make the rest of the party comment in party-chat with, “D@mn, you do some serious damage, don’t you!” all the better. You’re looking for ‘god-like awe’ but ‘respect’ is acceptable.

Big Honkin Demons. Teach the party how Misdirection works. Make the tank stand back in the curved hallway and bring him the BHDs one at a time on a silver platter. When the party is feared, you’ll all stay in the tunnel and not aggro anything else.

First Boss, Ambassador Hellmaw. Crank on Aspect of the Wild for nature protection. Do not use Bestial Wrath as you’ll resist the fears, grab aggro and die. Save Misdirection for when your healer grabs aggro coming out of a fear session. No drops for you here, be sure to pout heavily.

The Big Pull Room. Chain trapping time, so keep the party up-to-date on the fact that you have your mob. If you’re Survival spec, it’s Double Trap Time and possibly Wyvern Sting Time. Your crowd-control abilities are more important than your DPS in this room, so excel at it. Do not break sheep at any cost. Do not break your own traps or we’ll pull your Hunter License.

Use Misdirection to pull the Big Ugly Demon-Chick to your tank again, especially the one on the right-side of the room. She’s a very tough pull. Once you clear the left side, put your tank over in the bleachers over there. You need to get to the little hill in the back of the right-hand side of the room. When the BUDC is close to you and between the 6-pack and the 3-pack by the tent, Misdirect and shoot. She’ll run over to your tank and not disturb anybody else. Do not Body Pull the 6-pack as you run back to the fight; take your time and stick close to the wall.

Second Boss, Blackheart the Inciter. Frankly, if your party has bad luck here no amount of gear or planning will save you. Save your Misdirection for a post-fear tank-can’t-get-aggro situation. Place a Freezing Trap at the feet of your healer so when a fear session starts, you’ll trap your healer and she won’t be able to waste mana. No drops for you here either, more heavy pouting required.

Trash mobs to Vorpil require chain trapping. Keep your mob trapped away from the main tank and you’ll be fine.

Third Boss, Grandmaster Vorpil. There are many strategies to this fight that work. Our favorite is to stand on the ledge to the left of Vorpil, put the tank in the corner there, Misdirect Vorpil onto him and burn Vorpil down PDQ. You can tank-pull him up and down the corridor but massive DPS in that corner is easier and faster, in our opinion. Vorpil drops a blue 65dps gun you’ll love. Ours in in the bank, shiny and polished.

Trash to Murmur, more chain trapping, nothing new.

Fourth Boss, Murmur. This is a tank-healer fight, you’re not going to be responsible for a wipe or ultimate success. DPS from range, send your pet in but pull him out before the Murmur’s wind attacks. Some leave their tank on Murmur through the sonic booms and just heal him, other pull the tank and send him back. Regardless, you’re just gonna stand there and fire until he dies or you all wipe.

Murmur drops the Sonic Spear, one of the two best hunter melee weapons outside of Karazhan. This is why you’re here, so be sure to Need the thing and report anybody who tries to ninja it to BRK.

Got your own tips and tricks? Comment away.