Marksmanship Hunter DPS Easy Mode — Season 4

This build is optimal for single-target scenarios. Given the huge cost of going for AoE builds as Marksmanship, you will be playing this most of the time in Raid.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy Export String' button to import the best build directly into your game!

This is our recommended build for AoE scenarios. This works well for AoE Fights in Raids, as well as Mythic+.

On fights with just 3-4 consistent targets, like Primal Council, use Heavy Ammo.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy Export String' button to import the best build directly into your game!

The goal of Marksmanship is simply to cast as many Aimed Shots and Rapid Fires as possible. To do this, you need to cast them on cooldown. Aimed Shot costs 35 Focus, while Rapid Fire generates it. Aside from this, you will need to regulate your Focus, making sure never to cap it, by using Arcane Shot as a spender and Steady Shot as a builder.

The basic rotation of Marksmanship is best summarized as a priority system. On every global, you simply want to cast the highest priority spell, if its condition is met:

1. Above all, cast Rapid Fire off cooldown.
2. Use Death Chakram and Volley on cooldown. Macro Salvo into Volley. Always use these abilities together, in this order. Think of it as one button.
3. Use Kill Shot on cooldown. It will randomly proc due to the Deathblow Talent, so make sure to react to those procs!
4. Use Explosive Shot on cooldown, if chosen.
5. Activate Trueshot on cooldown, or when it suits the situation.
6. Spend Precise Shots procs (which come from Aimed Shot) on Arcane Shot.
7. Use Aimed Shot. Do not ever let it reach 2 charges if you can help it. Your goal is to always keep it on cooldown.
8. When you have more than 55 Focus and all of your abilities are on cooldown, spend excess Focus with Arcane Shot.
9. Use Steady Shot when you have nothing else to do, and you have less than 55 Focus.

There is only one extra thing you need to worry about for Marksmanship on AoE, and that is Trick Shots. This is a buff activated by Multi-Shot that causes your next Rapid Fire or Aimed Shot. It is extremely important to ensure this buff is active for all of your Aimed Shots and Rapid Fires. Note that Volley activates Trick Shots for 6 continuous seconds. This means that in a "Volley Window", you can fit 3 or even 4 AoE'ing spells without having to activate Multi-Shot for them!

Thanks to our Set Bonus, whenever you Rapid Fire during Trick Shots, you activate a Volley granting another 6 seconds of Trick Shots, and so on. This means that particularly during your cooldowns, you do not have to worry about Multi-Shot at all.

Outside of cooldowns, you can usually do Multi-Shot, into Rapid Fire and Aimed Shot, thanks to the Rapid Fire triggering a Trick Shots that will benefit the Aimed Shot.

Exhilaration is your primary self-heal and it has a rather short cooldown thanks to the Natural Mending Talent. Use this when you drop below 50% HP to help out your Healer!

Aspect of the Turtle is your immunity. It can be used to completely negate the damage and effects of most spells targeted on you. Use it if you are assigned to, or in a pinch if you worry that an upcoming mechanic will kill you!

Survival of the Fittest is our most powerful defensive besides Turtle, a 40% damage reduction thanks to Nature's Endurance. Use it to reduce damage taken from hard-hitting mechanics. Remember that this ability is only good if you use it before heavy damage! Do not use it in a panic after taking a lot of damage.

Feign Death is a very unique Hunter ability. It can be used to drop aggro and combat, and it can also be used to stop casts on you — mobs will usually stop casting mid-cast if you appear to be dead!

This is just some of the key utility of Marksmanship Hunter. We highly recommend checking out the fully detailed Spell Glossary page below to see everything explained in detail.