Marksmanship Hunter DPS Easy Mode

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HomepageWorld of WarcraftClassesMarksmanship HunterEasy Mode

Last updated on Jun 13, 2017 at 13:39 by Azortharion 846 comments

This section is intended for players who are new to the game or class, have no intentions of raiding Mythic difficulty, or simply want a more straightforward way to play their specialization without being overwhelmed by the numerous priorities and active abilities that need to be taken into consideration for optimal play.

1. The Basics

Marksmanship is a very versatile specialization, though it generally only has one talent build that is considered best in nearly all situations. Its strengths are mostly centered around AoE damage, so it is a very powerful spec for dungeons.

2. Talent Choice

The talents listed below are selected either for ease of use, or for more a more simple to understand gameplay style. Whilst in a number of cases there are alternatives on the tree that will provide more if played well, they create much more room to play incorrectly and reduce your performance. Due to this, treat this as a starting point and a primer.

Level 15: Lone Wolf
Level 30: Lock and Load most of the time. True Aim if you almost never swap targets.
Level 45: Posthaste
Level 60: Patient Sniper single-target. Explosive Shot most AoE.
Level 75: Binding Shot
Level 90: Volley
Level 100: Trick Shot

3. Stat Choice

Currently, you will want to prioritize secondary stats as follows:

Mastery;
Critical Strike;
Haste;
Versatility.

Haste, Critical Strike, and Versatility are all fairly close in value, and their values will shift around based on how much you have of each of them. As long as you maximize Mastery and Crit, you are generally well off. Focus on playing, not stats!

4. Basic Rotation

Cast Marked Shot when it is available (after casting Arcane Shot when it is glowing). Try to cast it at 70 focus or above (delaying it is okay).
Cast Windburst, Explosive Shot and Piercing Shot on cooldown if you have picked these talents. Use Explosive Shot best by tapping the button twice in melee range.
Cast Aimed Shot when Vulnerable is active on the target.
Cast Arcane Shot when it glows.
Spam Arcane Shot while waiting for procs, and to get Focus.
Cast Aimed Shot if you are about to focus cap.

If you always cast Marked Shot on 70 focus like we recommend, you can follow this up with one Arcane Shot Icon Arcane Shot, followed by 2 Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shots, which is optimal. When using Icon Windburst which also refreshes Vulnerable, do the same, but cast 2 Arcane Shots instead of just 1.

About Our Author

This guide has been written by Azortharion, the main theorycrafter of the spec. He is also an accomplished player who raids in Solaris. You can also watch his stream on Twitch.

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