Hunter PvP Guides for Cataclysm Classic

When it comes to competitive PvP in Cataclysm, Hunters are absolutely dominant. Thanks to the unique combination of short cooldown burst and some of the strongest crowd control in the game, Hunters are prevalent in the S-tier arena compositions throughout the expansion. Pair any melee with a Hunter and you've got a deadly cleave that is hard to contend with.

Marksmanship specifically is going to be on top the entirety of Cataclysm. This is thanks to Marksmanship's damage profile, having an interrupt, and the powerful crowd control at a Hunter's disposal thanks to the extra cooldown of Readiness on top of your baseline ability to pet swap. Hunters can set up near lethal burst with an incredibly short cooldown, meaning every CC chain is threatening lethal damage to the enemy team.

Unfortunately, neither Beast Mastery or Survival are able to compete with Marksmanship when it comes to PvP. For this guide, we will be focusing entirely on Marksmanship.

If you are interested in learning more about a variety of Arena compositions featuring a Hunter and its relative strength in PvP, please consult our guides on them below.

Macros and Addons are incredibly important in PvP, where quick decisions need to be complemented with instantaneous action. Macros are a powerful tool, enabling you to preform several actions in a fraction of the time and thought. Addons take this to a whole other level, with some programs just outright automating timers, announcements, and all of the information that you need to win in arena.