Elixirs and Flasks for Hunters
“Dear BRK, my guild just started running Karazhan and I’ve been told to bring two elixirs to the raid from now on. I thought I could only use one at a time? Do they stack somehow? I should know this! Don’t embarrass me, please use this name: Noobert”
Noobert, it’s OK. For the non-alchemist, potions can be a little confusing, not to mention expensive. Here’s the scoop.
There are two types of elixirs: Battle and Guardian. You may quaff one of each and they will not interfere with each other. This is what your raid leader is asking you to do; bring one stack of a Battle elixir and one stack of a Guardian elixir.
What are some examples of Battle elixirs?
Elixir of Major Agility
Elixir of the Mongoose
Elixir of Major Strength
Elixir of Brute Force
Onslaught Elixir
We’re going to recommend you bring a great big bag of Elixir of Major Agility potions. Well, if you’re a Marksman hunter, you might prefer the Onslaught, that’s fine.
Now you get to bring a Guardian Elixir, too. Here are some of your choices:
Elixir of Draenic Wisdom
Elixir of Major Mageblood
Elixir of Major Fortitude
Elixir of Ironskin
Elixir of Major Defense
So which of these are you going to obtain? We really like the Major Magesblood potion because it stacks with Aspect of the Viper and Superior Mana Oil. However, if you’ve got a mana battery - a shadow priest - in your party, you may not need extra mana-regeneration.
If this is the case, you can really just go with whatever floats your boat or is easily available. Both the Major Fortitude and Draenic Wisdom potions are helpful. We aren’t going to frown if you choose one over the other.
Then there are these things known as Flasks. A flask counts as both a Battle and a Guardian elixir; you cannot gain the benefits from an elixir while you’re under the effect of a flask. Also, you can only quaff one flask at a time.
What’s cool about flasks is that their effects last for two hours and persist through death! Woohoo!
What flasks should a hunter look for? Marksman hunters may go crazy for Flask of Relentless Assault if they can get their greedy mitts on them. Most other hunters are going to eschew the other alchemist-made flasks as the elixirs are more potent for our DPS-butts.
Unless, that is, you’re running in the Blade’s Edge Mountains Plateaus or Gruul’s Lair. In this case, you’re going to want to get some Unstable Flasks. We don’t go anywhere in that part of Outland without an Unstable Flask of the Bandit coursing though our veins. Tremendous stuff, we love it!
A final note. If you need your guild alchemist to make these things for you, he’ll probably ask you to bring some herb-mats and they’re not usually cheap. But what they might forget to tell you is to bring the Imbued Vials. Don’t ask them to pay for ‘em or use their stash. They’re easy to find and when you drop the vials in the Trade Window, it shows you care.
Good alchemist-karma; keep it up.
Rytze on 16 Dec 2007 at 3:25 pm #
Very nice and helpfull guid. lvl 68 at the moment and already preparing my enchants etc. this will help me with my first steps in kara
/cheer!
Euripedes on 16 Dec 2007 at 4:06 pm #
Unstable Flask of the Awesome, imo.
Anonymous on 16 Dec 2007 at 4:53 pm #
If your guild is JUST starting in kara, and you’re wiping… A LOT… and you’re more of a casual-raiding guild (ie 3 nights a week or so). Hit up Flask of Chromatic Wonder or Flask of Relentless Assault - either one works great… the Chromatic Wonder will just give you a little extra of everything to look forward to - some health, some AP, some crit - not a lot of each, just enough.
Mera on 16 Dec 2007 at 5:47 pm #
To qualify, unstable flasks only work in BEM and Gruul’s lair? Why would you go anywhere else in the outlands with one?
Galoheart on 16 Dec 2007 at 7:07 pm #
As a Master Alchemist and specialize in Elixir Mastery I say BRK did a great job explaining and covering both Elixirs and Flasks for Hunters yet applicable in use to all class in general in use.
Elixir of Mageblood is very good for mana regen if your frequently low on mana without a support class to help you regen mana. It can often be more expensive to make due to obtaining mats.
As a dedicated Alchemist and full practicing Alchemist I would say check your alchemist to see what they can make if you use allot or need special potions or elixirs. If you need flasks as them if they have the skill to make them in your guild or if you have a good friend thats a alchemist whether in your guild or not do ask them if you know you buy or use allot of X elixir. As BRK say and I agree bring your own “Vails” as they are not cheap for alchemist to buy, so bring your own IF your using your own mats or you will be charged for them in the price of buying Elixirs.
A good tip I would say with a good Alchemist in getting elixirs or maybe getting free elixirs sometimes and over time is to have a GoTo Alchemist to get stuff from especially one that can craft all the stuff you need. Their service is not free and expect to be paid for service rendered. However in doing personal service for customers as a alchemist if I have a good customer say a Hunter that buys regularly I often will throw him or her a one, two or a few extra pots or elixirs that I know is usefull to him at no charge as a gift for being a good customer. That is for being a good customer and personal attention. I do that for a lot of my customers and they keep buying from me and I return the favor as well. Just don’t be a jerk and expect to get things for free being a jerk. I’ll go out my way to make flasks for people that need special flasks. You won’t always see flasks you need on AH it don’t mean people can’t make. Putting lots of expensive to make flasks on AH to sell is not always good when they don’t sell. So just ask your guild alchemist or a good Reputable friend you know as a supplier to get what you may need. Be on good terms with them and I’m sure they will be keen to fix you up with what you need or tell you what works well.
Great post BRK. Will use it as a guide link from my site to it also.
Freejack on 16 Dec 2007 at 9:47 pm #
Will stat food stack on top of elixirs?
e.g. Elixir of Major Agility & Warp Burgers
Bremm on 16 Dec 2007 at 10:08 pm #
@Freejack Yes food & elixirs stack
@BRK *cheer* for mentioning the vials. My elixir specced priest is all the time making potions for people who don’t supply their own vials because I’m nice that way. But please guys, supply your own vials. Especially if you’re asking a guildie to do it for you. The only other thing I’d add, is I think that some of the elixirs you listed may be world drops. If so, you’ll have a harder time finding someone who can make them.
d on 16 Dec 2007 at 10:24 pm #
There’s a good deal of consumables out there for a BM hunter. Since my hunter is only an alt, I prefer to use major agility/draenic potion and warp burgers/grilled mudfish. I also just got the Spicy Hot Talbuk recipe that gives +20 hit rating which is very nice if you’re not already capped. For longer fights, you can even bring some Superior Mana Oil to put on your weapon to increase mana regeneration, the mats are pretty cheap and all enchanters should be able to create them for you.
Now my main is a holy priest and even though we only raid 3 nights/week I still need quite a few flasks, pots, food and oils on an average week so if you have more than one lvl 70 character and one of them is a raiding character, I strongly suggest you make one of them an herbalist and a cook/fisher, saves a lot of money.
Doomilias on 17 Dec 2007 at 8:28 am #
what…no mention of fel mana pots? cmon, youre addicted!
Grimbert on 17 Dec 2007 at 8:56 am #
Fel Mana Potions are also nice, but with the mats of the Super Mana Potion having changed, getting those aren’t that hard anymore, where as the fel mana potion requires 2 nightmare vine = lots of time spent in SMV.
Actually I’ll ask people to consider using Major Mageblood potions over Draenic Wisdom, especially for bossfights.
Draenic wisdom = 450mana some some more regen (but as that’s only working out of combat, I won’t include it here).
Major Mageblood = 16mp5. In combat as well as out.
This means after 29 x 5 seconds = 145s = 2m25s you will have more mana regained with that than you gain with draenic wisdom.
So if your boss fights last for more than 2 and a half minute, you’d be better of with the Major Mageblood.
And with a little bit smaller mana pool, you’ll sooner end up in the “fun” section of your mana pool, with regards to Aspect of the Viper. AotV regens alot more mana if you’re between 0-25% than if you’re 75-100%.
I usually start up a bossfight with Aspect of the Hawk up, swap to Viper when I’m below 50% mana, and with that aspects regen+Major Mageblood+Superior Mana Oil, the last 50% mana goes on forever.
A note on this : Your mana/fel mana potion strategy should be aimed at either keeping you with hawk or viper up.
If you want to keep Hawk up, take your mana pot as soon as you lack 2k-2500′ish mana. If you have swapped to Viper allready, do not use mana pots untill you’re below 25%, otherwise you’ll lose out on the big regens from Viper.
Grimbert on 17 Dec 2007 at 9:00 am #
Regarding food buffs :
Are you below 110 hitrating? +Hit food
Other than that : +agi food.
20agi = 0.5% crit and 20 rap = atleast 3dps only from the rap(including shotrotation, I know 14rap = 1 dps), and you’ll get around the same from the crit, but it’s dependent on your normal dps and current crit rating.
Max on 17 Dec 2007 at 10:13 am #
Another great Elixir is Fel Strength Elixir if you don’t mind the -stamina
Guy on 17 Dec 2007 at 11:41 am #
I bring my mats to the same guy every week to make my flasks and whatnot, and he never procs.
EVER.
not for me.
For my fiancee’ friends, other guildies, sure, but not me.
poop.
Guy on 17 Dec 2007 at 11:43 am #
oh, and don’t forget:
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=32901
pelides on 17 Dec 2007 at 11:57 am #
And if you’re an alchemist hunter, don’t forget to bring plenty of Mad Alchemists Potions. The proc on them is random, but many times I’ve wound up with an Onslaught Elixir buff from it and it stacks with any flasks or elixirs you already have up.
Langalore, Totemicrage (Duskwood) on 17 Dec 2007 at 2:51 pm #
I wrote that anonymous up there about the flask of chromatic wonder (forgot to write my name in that spot there).
Another suggestion regarding alechemists and using one regularly… My guild has a couple of pot spec alchies and a couple of elixir spec alchies - we usually have 1 of each at every raid, so it’s really nice. Just have your goto alchemists in your guild and you’re all set. I tip them every once in a while by giving them some free food or some free mats to make elixirs for themselves, but usually don’t. Maybe I’m a bad man for not tipping… but if they’re on the same run with me, and they’re my guildies, we’re all working together.
Bob the goat on 18 Dec 2007 at 9:25 am #
Bah, 37 is t-shirt weather.
Someone on 18 Dec 2007 at 8:08 pm #
Nice. I’ve been absent as I forgot to update the rss feed (think there wasn’t one ready when I first looked into the new site!).
And if I were not too busy, I’d be doing some math on whether 10 agility is really better than 0.91 % more crit… (Elixir of Major Agility vs. Elixir of the Mongoose). But I *am* extra busy now, so I’ll leave it to BRK to do some math and show us all the advantages of each Elixir depending on how much crit/ap/agil/whatever you have…
Daic on 19 Dec 2007 at 12:58 am #
Was wondering about the mana oil, does it stack if dual wielding?
pelides on 25 Jan 2008 at 2:26 pm #
If you’re an alchemist, I cannot recommend Mad Alchemist’s Potion enough. Sometimes it’s proc is stingy, but sometimes it will buff me with Stoneskin, Fel Strength, Onslaught, another Major Agility… I keep about 5 stacks on me at every raid and will change aspects really fast just to drain enough mana to allow me to take the pot on the chance that I get a buff proc.
pelides on 25 Jan 2008 at 2:27 pm #
@daic
Yes it does!
danvinyard on 28 Jan 2008 at 3:57 pm #
I would add this for the majority of hunters out there, regardless of spec, fel mana potion is the beats. http://thottbot.com/i31677
It seems to have been made specifically for hunters, and in long boss fights like on gruul in gruul’s, Prince, SSC, and others it can really turn the tide. For BM hunters i would say this is imperative for it allows a large degree of mana regen without turning off the ever important aspect of the hawk (which you love for its procs). Keep in mind, proper knowledge of a boss fight is necessary to learn the timing of potions, it is a skill much in the same way that knowing when to bust your CD trinkets, rapid fire, and possible blood lust is a skill. I personally enjoy destroying gruul and ending the fight with almost no mana, but never having had to change my shot rotation in the slightest thanks to these mana pots