Hello!
I’m not a huge fan of alts, so usually I only have 1 or 2 maxed characters. I also like to be very versatile. I main monk, and am looking for an alt class. Things I’m looking for:
1 (most important). ranged dps spec
2. Fast paced playstyle
3. Strong PvP option
4. Strong in 1v1 / open world WM
5. Stealth would be cool
I hear MM is alright in M+ and raids, and survival seems pretty viable in PvP, fast paced, and good at roaming solo. Is hunter a good choice for my alt?
The only hunter spec that even to a degree covers all of the above criteria/preferences, is Beast Mastery.
All 3 of the hunter specs are fairly equal on the performance part in PvE(raids).
Counting things other than flat damage output capabilities:
BM is fairly good for M+.
MM falls behind slightly.
SV falls behind a bit as well, much due to the competition of other melee specs. And what they can bring.
SV sees some use in PvP.
MM, less so.
BM is better than MM but has some backsides to it as well.
If you want more info for PvP other than this, I’m not the guy to ask^^
Like I said above, the spec that fits all your criteria the most, is Beast Mastery(BM).
SV does pretty well too in most areas. The biggest problem there is that it has to compete with a lot of other melee specs.
Thanks for the info! To be clear, I’d be up for playing all 3 specs, but I don’t like the idea of BM very much. I’ve never been huge on my damage coming from pets.
Seems like you are looking for the old survival spec.
That spec fit the criteria very well idd. Or well, for some, it depended on what expansion we were in^^
But hey…any chance to promote the return of the old SV spec!
Survival is where it’s at. Ton of fun and very versatile.
BM is kind of a Faceroll spec comparatively.
MM is just SS, but Bm and Survival have different types of Aoes. BM has more passive Aoe and Survival has more direct aoe.
Im gearing up my assassination rogue for fear of losing survival next xpack. Venoms and bleeds are my favorite damage flavor. Sadly I am not a fan of being forced into DW daggers. I like being able to carry around a good old 2 hander and jumping around the battle field inflicting dots upon my foes. Having ranged options to poke around and then jump in for massive burst is a blast.
But I definately feel for the old school survival hunters. MoP survival was a blast and black arrow or whatever it was called was a neat little dot. I just wish bogged down by weapon choices. OG hunter with the dead space inbetween your effective bow and melee was awesome.
As for live survival is where the fun is. BM has its moments. And MM is fun if you like seeing those big numbers cross the screen. Survival is where its at though. 3x latent poison and make your enemies go BOOM.
Literally point 1 of the post and labelled as “most important”: ranged DPS spec. Very low effort post, even for you.
You have to give him some credit as it does fit everything else.
Damage from pet is not automatic… it’s no different then casting abilities… other than your pet has to be in range. Pet AI & pathing are a different topic.
MM is horrible in pvp. Maybe random bgs if you stick with a group and no one notices you.
BM is better in M+.
MM has higher potential dps in raids, but my sims give MM 1k higher dps than BM (not enough for me to change).
BM far out performs MM in world questing and open world PvP.
SV: no clue… I don’t play melee hunter. My (fury) warrior outperforms SV by quite a bit and is a very fun spec. Lots of fast button pushes like BM.
Who asked you Boopples?!?
You want the most fun and versatile Hunter spec, that’s Survival. Sounds like the OP would dig Lonewolf MM, my second favorite Hunter playstyle ever.
The OP asked everyone, actually.
“Fun” is subjective and given that SV remains a very unpopular spec it is evident that most Hunters do not find it to be the most fun spec. “Versatile” is objectively wrong given it’s a melee spec and faces many inherent penalties for being melee.
Wait till you hear about Lone Wolf SV, which existed during WoD (the last time the spec was any good and liked by most Hunters).
It sort of does yeah.
Though, when the most important part(in his/her mind) is not something he/she can get via that spec, then it might deter him/her from picking that spec.
I would always recommend trying out a new spec yourself as…noone else can really tell you if you should play a spec or not due to it being/not being fun to play.
Fun is subjective.
The only things the rest of us can help with, is to provide details about the ups and downs with particular specs. We can mention performance.
But we cannot say whether you will think that a particular spec is fun or not(in your mind).
100% this. And dont count a spec completely out. Some of the most fun I have had in the game was when I broke down and played specs that I had been biased to for a long long time. Hunter as a class being one of those. I spent 8 years telling myself and everyone I played with I would never play hunter. Then MOP came around and I rolled survival. I have loved hunter ever since then. Ranged or melee doesnt even matter. The dots and the pets and the traps have me sold.
That said I am totally down for hunters getting a true ranged dot spec back. But since playing melee survival I would be sad if it went away. The dynamics of that spec feel great imo.
At the end of the day dont let whether you use a bow or a sword be the reason you dont try a spec. And with changing specs being free there is no reason to not try all of the specs. They each have their own flavor. They each have their own stigma attached to them. Personally I am not nearly as impressed with BM as most hunters are. I dont find all that much joy in playing a ranged spec that is limited more by the pet AI than the players ability to grow. If your pet can’t reach the target for some reason then it honestly doesnt matter if you are the best mechanical player in the game you become a fish out of water. BM is great for those fights and pulls when you need to be 99% focused on the ground particals and can only devote 1% of your brains power to your rotation. When raid leading I think BM is about the best spec in the game. Your dps just doesnt suffer from micromanaging other aspects of the game like it would with other specs.
Now that I am at a point where I cant raid due to work staffing issues I have rerolled alliance and am enjoying the maddness that is survival. Also having gone from horde to alliance I can also say that should play an impact on what people want to play. Since the mass exodus of try hards to the horde getting groups for everything is way easier on alliance. Which I am infinately more greatful for now that I have releveled and trying to catch up in gear.
Edit since I ranted: TLDR- dont knock any spec until you try it. its free to change and at cap you are sure to be suprized what you learn you liked that you were really against initially.
<3
It should stay.
The only thing that was done wrong at the time when they gave us melee SV, was that they decided to axe old SV to make way for the new playstyle.
The playstyle itself, with a focus on melee-combat, I’m not against, even in the slightest. I might not like melee-combat myself but that’s beside the point.
A lot of players do like it.
Agreed.
I do like playing with pets, especially while out in the open world but also when doing e.g. content. But I would prefer not to rely so much on pets as BM does(baseline).
Which is also why IMO, the old SV was the best ranged option we had. Sure, everything wasn’t perfect with it. But it’s main focus was those ranged DoTs.
In the later expansions, most pet related stuff was optional.
Again, I want to stress how the above is just my opinion. I know many who hated the DoTs of SV while they preferred the heavy-hitter focus of MM.
Fun is subjective.
I find bm the most fun, survival is a neat side project but nothing stellar.
I should have clarified. His post was very helpful, I meant I wanted the class to have a ranged dps option, and also a fun fast paced option. If those come with two different specs thats ok with me. I’m big on playing the class and not a spec.
Thanks everyone for your helpful insight! I think I am going to choose hunter and play mostly survival/MM. Probably survival for leveling and pvp, MM for raids. From what you’ve all said about BM difficulty, it should be a fun Work-From-Home spec 
Last question: how is gearing between the 3 specs? Aside from having 2 weapons, can I get away with one set of gear for all 3 specs?
Thanks again 
I played LW RSV …it sucked. It was just a bad version of MM, like RSV was for most of its existence.
MSV is easily the most complicated Hunter spec at the moment. And being melee, with ranged abilities is exactly what makes it the most versatile.
Keep hating on MSV Boopples, we all get a good laugh out of your anger.
Nothing wrong with enjoying BM. I just find it to be a very uncomplicated spec.