Hello roleplayers!
I am working on a hunter for SL on a RP realm, currently Alliance but will faction change to Horde in the weekend.
Im still very unsure about which race to pick however. I do know i want it to fit the lore best as possible.
Candidates are; Belf, NBelf, Pandaran and Vulpera.
Bloodelves are rich in hunter lore, having farstriders and rangers. But their armour and weapon clipping is legendary.
The others however, I’m unsure about.
I know the Nightborne have 1 huntress in the legion classhall… but does 1 npc validate there being more?
There’s more than just one. It’s worth remembering that hunter NPC’s who you have to avoid walk around Suramar with owls and various rune sabers.
The other thing worth remembering is that it isn’t a stretch to think any race can pick up a bow, or a gun, and learn to wield it in an effective manner, while also being nice to animals. That’s what being a hunter is. You tame things, and you shoot people, realistically.
Blood elves have the farstriders, nightborne were originally night elves which means they have a rich history of being in tune with nature, trolls and orc make fine hunters as well.
I think the bigger question would boil down to which racial history you enjoy more. Would you rather your hunter have a history of elven grace, or befriending the wolves of orcish lands, etc, etc. The list goes on.
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I think it is also worth considering which flavor of hunter that you enjoy. I would say that different races with different backgrounds lend themselves more to different roles.
Are you wanting your character to be the pinnacle of marksmanship, who can land a shot between their foes eyes at a thousand paces? (Belf, Nelf)
Are you wanting your character to be a rugged frontier type, wandering the wilderness, living off the land and shunning most large settlements? (Vulpera, Pandaren)
P.S. When in doubt, I tend to look at what transmogs look best on what race to help me decide.
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Thanks for your input you two!
I’m still looking for some more background for the vulpera and pandaran though.
I think the Shado-pan had hunters. did the other factions do, too?
-edit-
After reading about much pandaran stuff, Order of the Cloud Serpents also seems like a good start for a hunter. Shame we can’t tame those serpents. but keeping one as mount could work.
Which leaves us with Vulpera being the only unknown.
As for Vulpera, there is little on them and for not unrealistic reasons. They’re just new.
As others have said, anyone can really pick up a bow or gun and get really good with it. With that said however, something about Vulpera doesn’t really scream marksman or sniper to me. Not in the way Elves do with their grace, trolls with their guerilla/ambush tactics, or Orcs and Goblins with their more industrial weapons.
They feel, to me, a Survival or Beast Master type hunter. Which really is kinda one in the same when it comes down to RP. The primary difference is if you’re some sort of beast specialist, taming the wild desert creatures, or a survivalist who might use tamed animals, but are a little more of a live off the land, hunt the wild, set you traps, type of person. The desert is a harsh place to live. Knowing how to survive is critical.
Also kinda comes down to if you even want to be ranged? Does your character even want to use a bow or a gun? Personally, both seem a little out of place for Vulpera. Crossbow feels a bit more like them, but thats it. A melee hunter feels Vulpera-y
What really matters at that point too is play style, but even then it doesnt matter too much cause you can always switch specs for RP (I guess that goes for Marks too).
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This will be a BM hunter. thank you for your input. I agree they dont seem like the same type of hunter as the elves are which is totally fine. And if only crossbows weren’t so darn huge…
There are some tiny ones. I’ve fiddled with them on my hunters. Funny enough, mine are an Orc, Highmountain, and Blood Elf. So large crossbows fit well for two of the three.
I think maybe my vulpera got a gun from a goblin buddy. I cant seem to be able to work with crossbows. XD
So now that I semi-sorted out all races… I still gotta choose.
WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!
Pretty much the only noteworthy lore hunters are Horde. the top in that list would be Rexxar and until recently, Sylvannas herself along with Nathanos who in the Classic era had two Hound Pets in the style of a Legion-era Beastmaster.
Night Elves however had a significant role in creating the Order of the Hidden Path and their influence is seen in the Order’s lodge at Highmountain.
The other Windrunner sisters might be Hunters and Tyrande used to have Hunter qualities herself until her recent Night Warrior transfiguration. But no one on the Alliance really has the Hunter cache of Rexxar and Sylvannas. And Shandris Feathermoon boasts enough of her own archery skills to put her in that list as a Marksman Hunter who went with the “No Pet” option.
But every race has people who hunt so there’s no such thing as a race choice that “breaks lore”. There’s certainly nothing wrong with your choices since I have Hunters in both of the first two.
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Just make one of each. Problem solved! 
Though it may not be a bad idea to take a few hours to make each, if not just play around with customization, and feel them out. Try the wowhead model viewer to come up with ideas, transmogs, etc. See what fits.
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Hunters are about as open to interpretation as Warriors, honestly.
It’s survialist skills, animal taming and marksmanship. Any of the races can become proficient in those skills if they put the time in.
Some races have more Hunter specific lore; the Sin’Dorei Farstriders and Bronzebeard Mountaineers spring to mind. But really balls in your court as to the why your character prefers the wilderness.
My own undead Hunter is a gunslinging bandit from Westfall. Essentially he’s a cowboy. He’s good all the aforementioned skills because in life he was frequently on the run from the law.
Balls in your court for w/e you want to do with them.
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I already have a ton of hunters XD
Undead MM, Vulpera BM I used for heritage (based on my cat) Void Elf BM that’s my current main, Goblin MM, MechaGnome BM… and a bunch of others below lvl 100 xD
I’m good at hunters… 
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For my two biased cents… a Pandaren Hunter who first got their start with guns repurposing an old fireworks launcher fighting alongside a yak, Tushan, or any lf the many beasts of Pandaria could work.
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