Havoc Demon Hunter DPS Gear and Best in Slot — The War Within (Season 1)

Last updated on Sep 09, 2024 at 18:00 by Wordup 58 comments
General Information

On this page, you will find the best gear and best in slot items for your Havoc Demon Hunter in World of Warcraft The War Within (Season 1).

1.

Gearing an Havoc Demon Hunter

Welcome to our Gear and BiS Page for Havoc Demon Hunter for The War Within. Check this page to learn everything you need to know about gearing an Havoc Demon Hunter, including the BiS Gear from all sources, Raiding, and Mythic+, information on the best Trinkets, Tier Sets, and much more.

For discussion and information on Stats specifically, check out our Stats page below.

2.

BiS Gear for Havoc Demon Hunter

Season 1 BiS List Nerub-ar Palace BiS List Mythic+ BiS List
3.

Havoc Demon Hunter Season 1 BiS List

This list contains the Best in Slot Gear for Season 1 of The War Within. Items from all sources including Raids, Mythic+, Delves, The Great Vault and Crafting are included here.

Slot Item Source/Note
Main Hand Void Reaper's Warp Blade Icon Void Reaper's Warp Blade (639) Nexus Princess Ky'vezaNerub-ar Palace
Off Hand Everforged Warglaive Icon Everforged Warglaive (636) Crafted — Blacksmithing
Alternatives Coral-Edged Crescent Icon Coral-Edged Crescent (639) Great Vault / Siege of Boralus
Helm Impalers of the Hypogeal Nemesis Icon Impalers of the Hypogeal Nemesis (639) Silken Court / Matrix Catalyst / Great Vault
Neck Locket of Broken Memories Icon Locket of Broken Memories (639) Rasha'nanNerub-ar Palace
Shoulder War-Mantle of the Hypogeal Nemesis Icon War-Mantle of the Hypogeal Nemesis (639) Rasha'nan / Matrix Catalyst / Great Vault
Cloak Wings of Shattered Sorrow Icon Wings of Shattered Sorrow (639) Rasha'nanNerub-ar Palace
Chest Chestguard of the Hypogeal Nemesis Icon Chestguard of the Hypogeal Nemesis (639) Broodtwister Ovi'nax / Matrix Catalyst / Great Vault
Bracers Unbreakable Beetlebane Bindings Icon Unbreakable Beetlebane Bindings (639) Great Vault / Ara-Kara, City of Echoes
Gloves Rune-Branded Grasps Icon Rune-Branded Grasps (639) Crafted — Leatherworking
Belt Shadow Congregant's Belt Icon Shadow Congregant's Belt (639) Great Vault / The Dawnbreaker
Legs Pantaloons of the Hypogeal Nemesis Icon Pantaloons of the Hypogeal Nemesis (639) Nexus Princess Ky'veza / Matrix Catalyst / Great Vault
Boots Whisperer's Echoing Steps Icon Whisperer's Echoing Steps (639) Great Vault / City of Threads
Ring #1 Seal of the Poisoned Pact Icon Seal of the Poisoned Pact (639) Queen Ansurek — Nerub-ar Palace
Ring #2 Band of the Roving Scalawag Icon Band of the Roving Scalawag (639) Great Vault / Siege of Boralus
Trinket #1 Ara-Kara Sacbrood Icon Ara-Kara Sacbrood (639) Great Vault / Ara-Kara, City of Echoes
Trinket #2 Skardyn's Grace Icon Skardyn's Grace (639) Great Vault / Grim Batol
Alternative Void Reaper's Contract Icon Void Reaper's Contract (639) Nexus Princess Ky'vezaNerub-ar Palace
3.

Nerub-ar Palace BiS List for Havoc Demon Hunter

Below is a list of the ideal pieces that can be found in each slot from the first raid, Nerub-ar Palace. Bear in mind this is a recommendation of gear to look out for to fill in holes in your gearset, not a strict recommendation of what you should always wear in raids.

Slot Item Source/Note
Main Hand Void Reaper's Warp Blade Icon Void Reaper's Warp Blade Nexus Princess Ky'vezaNerub-ar Palace
Off Hand Predator's Feasthooks Icon Predator's Feasthooks Rasha'nanNerub-ar Palace
Helm Impalers of the Hypogeal Nemesis Icon Impalers of the Hypogeal Nemesis Silken CourtNerub-ar Palace
Neck Locket of Broken Memories Icon Locket of Broken Memories Rasha'nanNerub-ar Palace
Shoulder War-Mantle of the Hypogeal Nemesis Icon War-Mantle of the Hypogeal Nemesis Rasha'nanNerub-ar Palace
Cloak Wings of Shattered Sorrow Icon Wings of Shattered Sorrow Rasha'nanNerub-ar Palace
Chest Chestguard of the Hypogeal Nemesis Icon Chestguard of the Hypogeal Nemesis Broodtwister Ovi'naxNerub-ar Palace
Bracers Polluted Spectre's Wraps Icon Polluted Spectre's Wraps The Bloodbound HorrorNerub-ar Palace
Gloves Thousand-Scar Impalers Icon Thousand-Scar Impalers Silken CourtNerub-ar Palace
Belt Behemoth's Eroded Cinch Icon Behemoth's Eroded Cinch Rasha'nanNerub-ar Palace
Legs Pantaloons of the Hypogeal Nemesis Icon Pantaloons of the Hypogeal Nemesis Nexus Princess Ky'vezaNerub-ar Palace
Boots Chitin-Spiked Jackboots Icon Chitin-Spiked Jackboots SikranNerub-ar Palace
Ring #1 Seal of the Poisoned Pact Icon Seal of the Poisoned Pact Queen Ansurek — Nerub-ar Palace
Ring #2 Writhing Ringworm Icon Writhing Ringworm Broodtwister Ovi'naxNerub-ar Palace
Trinket #1 Void Reaper's Contract Icon Void Reaper's Contract Nexus Princess Ky'vezaNerub-ar Palace
Trinket #2 Ovi'nax's Mercurial Egg Icon Ovi'nax's Mercurial Egg Broodtwister Ovi'nax in Heroic Nerub-ar Palace
Trinket Alt Mad Queen's Mandate Icon Mad Queen's Mandate Queen Ansurek in Heroic Nerub-ar Palace
3.

Mythic+ BiS List for Havoc Demon Hunter

Below is a list of the ideal pieces that can be found in each slot from Season 1 of Mythic+ in The War Within. These are recommendations for pieces in each slot to look out for when farming gear upgrades, not a strict recommendation on what you should always be wearing in Mythic+.

Slot Item Source/Note
Weapons Coral-Edged Crescent Icon Coral-Edged Crescent Siege of Boralus
Alternative Skardyn Mercybringer Icon Skardyn Mercybringer The Stonevault
Helm Guise of the Construct Icon Guise of the Construct The Stonevault
Neck Trailspinner Pendant Icon Trailspinner Pendant Mists of Tirna Scithe
Shoulder Whispering Umbral Mantle Icon Whispering Umbral Mantle The Stonevault
Cloak Troggstitched Drape Icon Troggstitched Drape Grim Batol
Chest Vest of Misshapen Hides Icon Vest of Misshapen Hides Grim Batol
Bracers Unbreakable Beetlebane Bindings Icon Unbreakable Beetlebane Bindings Ara-Kara, City of Echoes
Gloves Gorebound Stranglers Icon Gorebound Stranglers City of Threads
Belt Shadow Congregant's Belt Icon Shadow Congregant's Belt The Dawnbreaker
Legs Gauzewoven Legguards Icon Gauzewoven Legguards Ara-Kara, City of Echoes
Boots Whisperer's Echoing Steps Icon Whisperer's Echoing Steps City of Threads
Ring #1 Band of the Roving Scalawag Icon Band of the Roving Scalawag Siege of Boralus
Ring #2 Devout Zealot's Ring Icon Devout Zealot's Ring The Dawnbreaker
Trinket #1 Ara-Kara Sacbrood Icon Ara-Kara Sacbrood Ara-Kara, City of Echoes
Trinket #2 Skardyn's Grace Icon Skardyn's Grace Grim Batol
Trinket Alt Empowering Crystal of Anub'ikkaj Icon Empowering Crystal of Anub'ikkaj The Dawnbreaker
3.

Best Trinkets for Havoc Demon Hunter in The War Within Season 1

4.

Havoc Demon Hunter Trinket Tier Lists

Raiding Trinket Tier List Mythic+ Trinket Tier List
5.

Raiding Trinket Tier List for Havoc Demon Hunter

This Trinket Tier List mostly focuses on single-target throughput, as raid encounters are mostly decided by your boss damage. Generally, Havoc tends to prefer trinkets that deal direct damage due to Know Your Enemy Icon Know Your Enemy or on-use options that empower Metamorphosis Icon Metamorphosis. I would broadly recommend simpler trinkets you do not have to think about too much unless it performs significantly better.

4.1.

S-Tier

  • Skardyn's Grace Icon Skardyn's Grace — lines up perfectly with Metamorphosis Icon Metamorphosis.
  • Ara-Kara Sacbrood Icon Ara-Kara Sacbrood
  • Void Reaper's Contract Icon Void Reaper's Contract
4.1.

A-Tier

  • Empowering Crystal of Anub'ikkaj Icon Empowering Crystal of Anub'ikkaj
  • Mad Queen's Mandate Icon Mad Queen's Mandate — relies a bit on Crit RNG and is slightly awkward to use, but deals a lot for Havoc specifically.
  • Ovi'nax's Mercurial Egg Icon Ovi'nax's Mercurial Egg
  • Dead-Eye Spyglass Icon Dead-Eye Spyglass — really only usable in situations where you never target swap or are forced off target.
  • Spelunker's Waning Candle Icon Spelunker's Waning Candle — assuming you can share this with another melee, it provides a lot of extra value.
4.1.

B-Tier

  • Treacherous Transmitter Icon Treacherous Transmitter — using this effect consistently is very difficult, especially with Havoc's complex opener. I would generally avoid it.
  • Bottled Flayedwing Toxin Icon Bottled Flayedwing Toxin
  • Sikran's Endless Arsenal Icon Sikran's Endless Arsenal
  • Twin Fang Instruments Icon Twin Fang Instruments
4.1.

C-Tier

  • Harvester's Edict Icon Harvester's Edict
  • Quickwick Candlestick Icon Quickwick Candlestick — while this lines up with Metamorphosis Icon Metamorphosis, we already gain a lot of Haste from the effect.
  • Mistcaller Ocarina Icon Mistcaller Ocarina — does buff others, but inconsistent and may hit when they are not even committing real damage. Do not overthink it.
4.1.

D-Tier

  • Overclocked Gear-a-Rang Launcher Icon Overclocked Gear-a-Rang Launcher
  • Imperfect Ascendancy Serum Icon Imperfect Ascendancy Serum
  • Detachable Fang Icon Detachable Fang
  • Everburning Lantern Icon Everburning Lantern
  • Abyssal Trap Icon Abyssal Trap
  • Concoction: Kiss of Death Icon Concoction: Kiss of Death
  • Scroll of Momentum Icon Scroll of Momentum
  • Shadow-Binding Ritual Knife Icon Shadow-Binding Ritual Knife
5.

Mythic+ Trinket Tier List for Havoc Demon Hunter

This Trinket Tier List has a more broad scope, looking for trinkets that have flexibility without extra conditions to get value out of them. This is due to Mythic+ being more fluid and needing general-use items rather than extremely specialized options. I would broadly recommend simpler stat trinkets you do not have to think about too much unless they perform significantly better.

4.1.

S-Tier

  • Skardyn's Grace Icon Skardyn's Grace — lines up perfectly with Metamorphosis Icon Metamorphosis.
  • Ara-Kara Sacbrood Icon Ara-Kara Sacbrood
4.1.

A-Tier

  • Empowering Crystal of Anub'ikkaj Icon Empowering Crystal of Anub'ikkaj
  • Void Reaper's Contract Icon Void Reaper's Contract
  • Ovi'nax's Mercurial Egg Icon Ovi'nax's Mercurial Egg
  • Spelunker's Waning Candle Icon Spelunker's Waning Candle — assuming you can share this with other melee, it provides a lot of extra value.
4.1.

B-Tier

  • Mad Queen's Mandate Icon Mad Queen's Mandate — relies a bit on Crit RNG and is slightly awkward to use. Gains extra value if you can kill off a target with it.
  • Treacherous Transmitter Icon Treacherous Transmitter — using this effect consistently is very difficult, especially with Havoc's complex opener. I would generally avoid it.
  • Bottled Flayedwing Toxin Icon Bottled Flayedwing Toxin
  • Sikran's Endless Arsenal Icon Sikran's Endless Arsenal
  • Twin Fang Instruments Icon Twin Fang Instruments
4.1.

C-Tier

  • Dead-Eye Spyglass Icon Dead-Eye Spyglass — not realistically usable due to the nature of pulls in Mythic+.
  • Harvester's Edict Icon Harvester's Edict
  • Quickwick Candlestick Icon Quickwick Candlestick — while this lines up with Metamorphosis Icon Metamorphosis, we already gain a lot of Haste from the effect.
  • Mistcaller Ocarina Icon Mistcaller Ocarina — does buff others, but inconsistent and may hit when they are not even committing real damage. Do not overthink it.
4.1.

D-Tier

  • Abyssal Trap Icon Abyssal Trap — this does have potential with stacked uncapped AoE, but it is very hard to pull off, so currently not recommended.
  • Overclocked Gear-a-Rang Launcher Icon Overclocked Gear-a-Rang Launcher
  • Imperfect Ascendancy Serum Icon Imperfect Ascendancy Serum
  • Detachable Fang Icon Detachable Fang
  • Everburning Lantern Icon Everburning Lantern
  • Concoction: Kiss of Death Icon Concoction: Kiss of Death
  • Scroll of Momentum Icon Scroll of Momentum
  • Shadow-Binding Ritual Knife Icon Shadow-Binding Ritual Knife
5.

Best Crafted Items for Havoc Demon Hunter

Crafted gear for Havoc in Season 1 of The War Within is not as valuable as before with the reduced power of Embellishments, but there is one slightly above the rest that, fortunately, only goes on weapons — Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension Icon Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension. This makes picking your first craft very easy, and it's even a Nerubian enchant that can be doubled up with Writhing Armor Banding Icon Writhing Armor Banding!

You should ideally sim the optimal stats to craft for your particular character, but Critical Strike and Mastery is most likely your best option with an Algari Missive of the Peerless Icon Algari Missive of the Peerless.

5.1.

Best Crafting Order for Havoc Demon Hunter

  1. First, craft weapon Everforged Warglaive Icon Everforged Warglaive with a Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension Icon Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension applied.
  2. Next, craft an off-piece and apply Writhing Armor Banding Icon Writhing Armor Banding to double the effect — Any will do but Rune-Branded Grasps Icon Rune-Branded Grasps provide better stats than the other best options.
  3. Alternatively, you can opt into using Dawnthread Lining Icon Dawnthread Lining for the passive Critical Strike, as it performs only slightly worse but does not require you to invest in a weapon if you so wish.
  4. After this, you are done with priority crafts and embellishments and can use sims to determine your best piece to upgrade with item level. Generally, it is a good idea to look for Rings and Necks as good options are very contested amongst other classes.

Note that any Agility one-handed weapon can be crafted, meaning you have a choice between Everforged Warglaive Icon Everforged Warglaive, Charged Slicer Icon Charged Slicer, Charged Facesmasher Icon Charged Facesmasher or Everforged Longsword Icon Everforged Longsword. The choice is purely cosmetic and does not affect performance. This also comes with the advantage of having a weapon early at the most important time of progression and then having the option to swap it to your off-hand when you eventually pick up a higher item-level option.

Disclaimer: While Season 1 is now upon us, as you may have seen, Embellishment tuning is quite rough. These recommendations are my best estimate with what we have, but it is entirely possible things change, or something has been missed, so bear that in mind when committing your Spark of Omens Icon Spark of Omens.

6.

"Simming" Yourself as a Havoc Demon Hunter

Throughout this page and elsewhere in our guide, we regularly refer to the importance of simming yourself on Raidbots. This is because every character is unique, and each gear piece you have access to can change what is best right now for you.

While we do offer generic sim charts and recommendations for Trinkets, these are not complete replacements for simming yourself. The only way to truly optimize your character to that degree is by making use of the tools available!

If you are new to simming and Raidbots, check out our detailed guide below.

7.

Best Gear Upgrades for Havoc Demon Hunter

As you complete endgame content in The War Within, you will gather upgrade crests such as Gilded Harbinger Crest Icon Gilded Harbinger Crest that can be used to upgrade your items. Once you have upgraded a slot to a particular item level, any other item in that slot can be upgraded without a Crest cost.

As Crests are a limited resource and capped early on in the season, ideally, you will want to obtain the highest item-level possible before committing any crests to upgrade it, as this will save you upgrades in the long run. If you are capable of completing higher Mythic+ dungeons, it is generally a good idea to wait until you have the slot maxed out with free upgrades first.

Below is a general slot priority you should upgrade your items in.

  1. Weapons
  2. Trinkets
  3. Helm/Chest/Legs
  4. Shoulders/Gloves/Belt/Boots
  5. Rings and Necks
  6. Cloaks and Bracers

Note that exceptions are possible, such as special items that have additional procs attached to them like Seal of the Poisoned Pact Icon Seal of the Poisoned Pact.

8.

The War Within Season 1 Tier Set for Havoc Demon Hunter

The first Tier Set of The War Within, the Husk of the Hypogeal Nemesis, consists of 5 items that provide unique bonuses upon equipping 2 and 4 pieces from the set:

  • Demon Hunter Havoc Season 1 2pc Icon Demon Hunter Havoc Season 1 2pcBlade Dance Icon Blade Dance / Death Sweep Icon Death Sweep deals 20% increased damage
  • Demon Hunter Havoc Season 1 4pc Icon Demon Hunter Havoc Season 1 4pcChaos Strike Icon Chaos Strike / Annihilation Icon Annihilation damage increased by 12%, and has a 25% chance to reset the cooldown of Blade Dance Icon Blade Dance and reduce the Fury cost of your next cast by 30%

The Havoc set bonus is relatively strong for a Season 1 set, providing flat damage to our Fury spenders and giving us increased access Blade Dance Icon Blade Dance, though it is fairly RNG as to whether this overlaps with good moments. You should ideally get this bonus as early as possible, and You can use the Matrix Catalyst to convert regular items (from Mythic+ or Raid) into Tier Items.

You only need 4 pieces to maximize the set bonus, so we recommend dropping the Gloves or Shoulders in favor of an alternative with more Critical Strike if possible. Check the BiS List for more information.

10.

Changelog

  • 09 Sep. 2024: Updated with Season 1 BiS lists.
  • 21 Aug. 2024: Updated for The War Within.
  • 23 Jul. 2024: Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 22 Apr. 2024: Updated for Season 4.
  • 21 Mar. 2024: Slight shuffle of trinket recommendations, but content remains the same for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5, highlighted Ashes of the Embersoul as an alternative.
  • 27 Nov. 2023: Added Augury to ideal trinkets.
  • 07 Nov. 2023: Updated to remove Sporecloak recommendation, switched to Blue Silk/Toxic Thorn options.
  • 06 Nov. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 04 Sep. 2023: Added BiS lists for Patch 10.1.7 and restructured page.
  • 10 Jul. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.1.5 to clean up Trinket and Crafting sections, and add Dawn of the Infinite items.
  • 25 May 2023: Added Timewalking section, cleaned up original Trinket recommendations.
  • 09 May 2023: Updated for Trinket changes.
  • 01 May 2023: Updated for Patch 10.1 and Season 2 release with new gear recommendations.
  • 24 Mar. 2023: Updated for Primordial Gemstones hotfixes.
  • 22 Mar. 2023: Updated to account for Primordial Gemstone buffs.
  • 20 Mar. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.0.7 with Annulet information.
  • 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Updated to Gear Page Format.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 24 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight Pre-Patch.
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