Hey Blizzard and fellow hunters,
I’m ßurning from Faerlina-US, currently the #3 ranked Marksman Hunter in Mogu’shan Vaults. I’ve pushed this spec to its ceiling, and I’m here to show not just tell why Marks needs a buff.
Blizzard has stated that class balance is a priority in Season of Discovery and MoP Classic. But if Marks is “balanced,” then the numbers must be lying because they paint a very different picture.
Let’s compare my parses to Shaonná, the #3 ranked Survival Hunter from Gehennas-EU. Same rank, same raid tier, same difficulty. The difference? Survival is miles ahead.
DPS Comparison: Marks vs Survival (Rank 3)
| Boss | Marks (ßurning) | Survival (Shaonná) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Guard | 97,646.8 | 159,440.1 | +61,793.3 |
| Feng the Accursed | 92,554.7 | 106,430.3 | +13,875.6 |
| Gara’jal the Spiritbinder | 100,679.3 | 122,607.5 | +21,928.2 |
| Spirit Kings | 77,959.9 | 97,288.2 | +19,328.3 |
| Elegon | 101,282.4 | 137,111.5 | +35,829.1 |
| Will of the Emperor | 77,643.8 | 83,868.3 | +6,224.5 |
Total DPS Gap Across All Bosses:
+159,979.0 in favor of Survival.
This isn’t a gear issue. This isn’t a skill issue. This is a tuning issue. I’ve optimized every aspect of my Marks build, and I’m still trailing by six figures in total damage.
If Blizzard were to buff Aimed Shot by 20% and Chimera Shot by 15%, it would significantly close the DPS gap between Marksman and Survival Hunters—especially in single-target encounters where Marks is supposed to shine but currently lags far behind.
Let’s run a rough estimate using your current top parses:
Hypothetical Impact of Buffs
| Boss | Current DPS | Estimated DPS After Buffs | Survival DPS | New Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Guard | 97,646.8 | ~117,000–122,000 | 159,440.1 | ~37K–42K |
| Feng the Accursed | 92,554.7 | ~110,000 | 106,430.3 | Marks leads |
| Gara’jal the Spiritbinder | 100,679.3 | ~118,000 | 122,607.5 | ~4K |
| Spirit Kings | 77,959.9 | ~93,000 | 97,288.2 | ~4K |
| Elegon | 101,282.4 | ~120,000 | 137,111.5 | ~17K |
| Will of the Emperor | 77,643.8 | ~93,000 | 83,868.3 | Marks leads |
Total DPS Gap After Buffs:
Reduced from +159,979 to ~+60,000 or less, depending on encounter mechanics and uptime.
Why These Buffs Make Sense:
- Aimed Shot is the signature hard-hitting ability of Marks, but it currently doesn’t scale well with gear or crit. A 20% buff restores its identity as a powerful nuke.
- Chimera Shot is central to the rotation and utility. A 15% buff boosts Marks’ sustained damage without breaking burst windows.
- These changes would allow Marks to compete on single-target fights and hold its own in AoE, without overtaking Survival’s strengths.
Alternative: Nerf Survival
If Blizzard prefers not to buff Marks directly, they could:
- Reduce Explosive Shot damage by 10–15%
- Tone down Serpent Sting scaling
- Limit passive synergy from talents like Lock and Load
But frankly, buffing Marks is the cleaner fix. It preserves spec diversity and avoids punishing Survival players who enjoy their playstyle.
Now before people come in crying about Hunter T14 2pc will make it crazy!
| Boss | Current DPS | Estimated DPS After Buffs | Survival DPS | New Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Guard | 97,646.8 | ~125,000–130,000 | 159,440.1 | ~29K–34K |
| Feng the Accursed | 92,554.7 | ~115,000 | 106,430.3 | Marks leads |
| Gara’jal the Spiritbinder | 100,679.3 | ~125,000 | 122,607.5 | Marks leads |
| Spirit Kings | 77,959.9 | ~95,000 | 97,288.2 | ~2K |
| Elegon | 101,282.4 | ~125,000 | 137,111.5 | ~12K |
| Will of the Emperor | 77,643.8 | ~95,000 | 83,868.3 | Marks leads |
Its not crazy to ask for these changes!