Marksmanship Hunter PvP Useful Macros — The War Within (Season 1)

Last updated on Sep 09, 2024 at 18:00 by Slo 22 comments

Macros are crucial to be successful in PvP. They allow players to use abilities on enemies without having to target them. This helps increase overall damage/healing and general awareness in the arena. Here are a few macros that all Marksmanship Hunters can benefit from.

This page is part of our Marksmanship Hunter PvP Guide.

1.

Notes:

1.1.

Mouseover, exists

You will see that many of the macros below will cast at a mouseover if they exist. This will enable you to quickly cast on targets that are not your target without having to focus them or keybind three separate @arena1 to @arena3 macros. This is useful for utility spells such as Tranquilizing Shot Icon Tranquilizing Shot, Concussive Shot Icon Concussive Shot, Scare Beast Icon Scare Beast, but it is also useful for your DPS rotation. You want to be unpredictable and quick when you change targets, and having the option of casting at someone by mousing over their frame will help with this.

Having the [@mouseover,exists] clause in your spells like Arcane Shot Icon Arcane Shot, Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot and Kill Shot Icon Kill Shot will also be extremely useful for killing Psyfiend Icon Psyfiends, totems and pets.

1.2.

Stopcasting

You will also see that some macros include /stopcasting. This is so that you can still cast the spell while casting Steady Shot Icon Steady Shot or standing still, casting Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot.

For example, if you did not have this line on your Macro for Exhilaration Icon Exhilaration and were already casting a Steady Shot Icon Steady Shot, you would not be able to cast Exhilaration Icon Exhilaration without pressing escape to cancel the cast or a separate stopcasting macro.

I strongly recommend you include /stopcasting in the macros for your defensive cooldowns.

1.3.

Known

This macro clause is very useful because of how the talent system works. You can use the phrase [Known: ] with a spell ID (you can find these on Wowhead) so that a macro will cast a different spell or show a different tooltip based on your selected talents. It's a nice way to avoid having to redo your action bars when changing talents.

You can use the spell ID or type the spell name. There is a limit of 255 characters to a macro, so if it is a longer macro, you will want to use the spell IDs rather than typing the name of the spell.

1.4.

Cursor

You will see that some of the macros below for targetted reticle spells (eg Volley Icon Volley, Freezing Trap Icon Freezing Trap, Tar Trap Icon Tar Trap and Flare Icon Flare) are cast [@cursor]. This casts the spell immediately at the location of your mouse. This cuts down on the delay when casting a spell because you only press the button once (instead of pressing the button, aiming, then left-clicking to confirm).

As hunter is one of the very few classes that require precise aiming (and timing) with launching traps, you will find that using @cursor will make it much easier to land those important crowd control abilities on time.

1.5.

Cancelaura Aspect of the Turtle

Aspect of the Turtle Icon Aspect of the Turtle is a great defensive, but you aren't able to attack during it. Most of the time, you will want to cancel Aspect of the Turtle Icon Aspect of the Turtle before it ends so you can start using your next attack or crowd control. You will see that some of the macros below will also cancel Aspect of the Turtle Icon Aspect of the Turtle when pressed.

1.6.

Cancel Spell Queue

This is a little bit more obscure, but in World of Warcraft, there is a built-in latency adjustment known as the "spell queue window." This will allow you to queue up a spell before your character can cast it (e.g., during the global cooldown).

Without going into too much detail (you can google spell queue window if you want to find out more), without the line /cancelqueuedspell in your Macro, it is possible that you will already have a spell queued up that would be used instead of the spell you decided to cast at the last moment.

Including /cqs or /cancelqueuedspell in your Macro will clear any queued spell and ensure that the spell in your Macro will be cast instantly.

2.

Damage Rotation

2.1.

Aimed shot

  • #showtooltip aimed shot
  • /cancelaura aspect of the turtle
  • /use [@mouseover,exists][] aimed Shot; aimed shot

This Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot macro does a couple of things:

  1. Removes Aspect of the Turtle Icon Aspect of the Turtle (so you don't have to bind cancelaura Aspect of the Turtle Icon Aspect of the Turtle separately).
  2. Casts Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot at your mouseover if they exist (this allows you to swap targets without it being obvious to the other team or to kill totems and Psyfiend Icon Psyfiends quickly).
  3. Casts Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot at your target if you are not mousing over an enemy nameplate or frame.
2.2.

Arcane shot

  • #showtooltip arcane shot
  • /cancelaura Aspect of the Turtle
  • /stopmacro [channeling:Rapid Fire]
  • /cast [@mouseover,exists][@target]Arcane Shot; arcane shot

This Arcane Shot Icon Arcane Shot macro does a couple of things:

  1. Cancels Aspect of the Turtle Icon Aspect of the Turtle
  2. Does not cast Arcane Shot Icon Arcane Shot if you are channeling Rapid Fire Icon Rapid Fire (Rapid Fire does much more damage than Arcane Shot, so it is never worth ending the cast early for an arcane shot)
  3. Casts Arcane Shot Icon Arcane Shot at your mouseover if they exist (this allows you to swap targets without it being obvious to the other team or to quickly kill totems and Psyfiend Icon Psyfiends).
  4. Casts Arcane Shot Icon Arcane Shot at your target if you are not currently mousing over an enemy nameplate or frame.
2.3.

Aimed Shot focus

  • /cast [@focus] aimed shot

This simple Macro will cast Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot at your focus target. If you're using the Macro above for Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot; you don't technically need this, but it is more convenient to use this Macro when you want the spell to be cast at your focus target so you do not need to mouseover them.

2.4.

Trueshot

  • #showtooltip Trueshot
  • /use Forged Aspirant's Badge of Ferocity
  • /use Forged Gladiator's Badge of Ferocity
  • /cast Blood Fury(Racial)
  • /cast Trueshot

This is a simple macro that uses off-global cooldown temporary damage buffs (trinkets and racial ability if orc) when you begin bursting with Trueshot.

Even if Trueshot is not available, you can press this Macro whenever you are bursting to use any of your off-global cooldown stat buffs that are available.

2.5.

Kill shot

  • #showtooltip kill shot
  • /cancelqueuedspell
  • /stopcasting
  • /cancelaura aspect of the turtle
  • /Cast [@mouseover, exists, harm] kill shot; kill shot

This Macro will stop any queued spells or spells that you are casting, and immediately cast Kill Shot Icon Kill Shot.

As with the macros above, it will cast at your mouseover if they exist and otherwise will cast on your target.

2.6.

Steady shot

  • #showtooltip steady shot
  • #showtooltip steady shot
  • /stopmacro [channeling:Rapid Fire]
  • /cast [@mouseover,harm][@target]steady Shot;steady shot

This Macro will cast Steady Shot Icon Steady Shot at your mouseover if they exist and otherwise will cast Steady Shot Icon Steady Shot on your target.

You might want to Steady Shot Icon Steady Shot something you are not targetting with the PvP talent Consecutive Concussion Icon Consecutive Concussion. Using this Macro, you will be able to cast Steady Shot Icon Steady Shots on a player, even if you are not targetting them, to extend Concussive Shot Icon Concussive Shot and stun them if you Steady Shot Icon Steady Shot three times.

This Macro will not do anything if you are already channeling Rapid Fire Icon Rapid Fire (so that you cannot accidentally clip the end of a Rapid Fire Icon Rapid Fire cast).

2.7.

Volley with Salvo

  • #showtooltip Volley
  • /cast Salvo
  • /use Forged Gladiator's Badge of Ferocity
  • /cast [@cursor] volley

This macro will instantly cast Salvo Icon Salvo and Volley Icon Volley where your cursor is. Use this when you are bursting.

If your stat buff trinket is available, it will also use that. Volley is an important damage cooldown, and you will get more value from the stat buff if it is active during Volley.

3.

Defensives

3.1.

Camouflage

  • /run SetCVar("SoftTargetInteract", 0)
  • /run SetCVar("SoftTargetEnemyRange", 0)
  • /run SetCVar("SoftTargetFriendRange", 0)
  • /cast !camouflage

This macro will cast Camouflage Icon Camouflage (and will not cancel Camouflage Icon Camouflage if you accidentally press the Macro twice!)

The Macro will also change some "CVar" values. Without going into detail, this solves a bug introduced in Dragonflight that would make your Macro'd spells cast at your target instead of the target that your Macro specifies.

By having the corrections on a macro with Camouflage Icon Camouflage, you know they will be fixed at the start of every game.

3.2.

Aspect of the Turtle

  • #showtooltip aspect of the turtle
  • /stopcasting
  • /stopcasting
  • /cast !aspect of the turtle

This Macro will stop casting any spell and cast Aspect of the Turtle Icon Aspect of the Turtle.

This macro will not cancel Aspect of the Turtle Icon Aspect of the Turtle if you press it multiple times.

3.3.

Exhilaration

  • #showtooltip exhilaration
  • /stopcasting
  • /cast Exhilaration

This Macro will stop casting any spells and cast Exhilaration Icon Exhilaration.

3.4.

Feign Death (and mark pet as star)

  • #showtooltip
  • /stopcasting
  • /cancelaura feign death
  • /cast !feign death
  • /stopattack
  • /run local t="Pet" if 1~=GetRaidTargetIndex(t) then SetRaidTarget(t, 1) end

This macro will cast Feign Death Icon Feign Death and stop your character from attacking.

The Macro will also mark a star raid icon on your pet. It is useful to have a raid marker on your pet to make it easier to track the pet's position. Having the Macro on a spell that you use often means the raid mark will be applied even if you only summon the pet midway through a game.

Note that this Macro will only mark your pet while inside arena if you are the party leader, but you can press it outside of the arena if you aren't the party leader, and unless you swap pets, the mark will stay.

3.5.

Roar of Sacrifice self

  • /stopcasting
  • /cast [@player] Roar of Sacrifice

This Macro will stop any spell casts, and use Roar of Sacrifice Icon Roar of Sacrifice on yourself.

4.

Crowd control

4.1.

Freezing Trap

  • /cancelqueuedspell
  • /cast [mod:alt,@player][@cursor] Freezing trap

This macro will cast Freezing Trap Icon Freezing Trap on your cursor if pressed without any modifier.

If you press alt while pressing the Macro, the trap will be dropped immediately (and activate immediately with no travel time) at your feet.

I highly recommend that you have a Freezing Trap Icon Freezing Trap [@player] macro like this. It is significantly easier and more reliable to land traps by standing on a healer and using the [@player] Freezing Trap Icon Freezing Trap.

4.2.

Scatter Shot (or Bursting Shot if talented)

  • #showtooltip [known:scatter shot]scatter shot;[known:bursting shot]bursting shot
  • /cancelqueuedspell
  • /stopcasting
  • /cancelaura aspect of the turtle
  • /Cast [@mouseover, exists, harm] scatter shot; scatter shot
  • /cast [known:bursting shot]bursting shot

This macro will cast Scatter Shot Icon Scatter Shot at your mouseover if they exist which is useful in BGs or world PvP to CC off-targets or to crowd-control a pet (e.g., to stop a Warlock's Succubus Seduction Icon Seduction cast without targetting it).

The Macro will cast Scatter Shot Icon Scatter Shot at your target if you aren't mousing over an enemy.

If you have Bursting Shot Icon Bursting Shot talented instead of Scatter Shot Icon Scatter Shot, it will cast Bursting Shot Icon Bursting Shot.

4.3.

High Explosive Trap (or Implosive Trap if talented)

  • #showtooltip [known:Implosive Trap] Implosive Trap; [known:High Explosive Trap] High Explosive Trap
  • /cancelqueuedspell
  • /stopcasting
  • /cast [known:Implosive Trap] Implosive Trap
  • /cast [known:High Explosive Trap] High Explosive Trap

This macro toggles between High Explosive Trap Icon High Explosive Trap and Implosive Trap Icon Implosive Trap, depending on which one you have talented.

Note that sometimes (e.g., when knocking an enemy into a Freezing Trap using a High Explosive Trap) you need to be very precise with the High Explosive Trap placement, which is why I do not recommend using @cursor for this trap.

4.4.

Chimaeral Sting (alt to cast on focus)

  • #showtooltip Chimaeral Sting(PvP Talent)
  • /cast [mod:alt,@focus,harm,nodead] [@mouseover,harm,nodead] [] Chimaeral Sting(PvP Talent)

This Macro will cast Chimaeral Sting Icon Chimaeral Sting on your mouseover if selected, your target if you don't have a mouseover, or your focus target if you press alt at the same time as the Macro.

I recommend also having a macro like this for utility spells such as Concussive Shot Icon Concussive Shot and Tranquilizing Shot Icon Tranquilizing Shot.

4.5.

Counter shot arena 1-3

  • #showtooltip Counter Shot
  • /stopcasting
  • /cast [@arena1] Counter Shot

This Macro will Counter Shot Icon Counter Shot the first member of the enemy arena team (highest unit frame on your UI).

You want three of these macros, one for each of the three members of the enemy team, [@arena1], [@arena2], and [@arena3], respectively.

You will also want those three macros with Counter Shot Icon Counter Shot replaced by Intimidation Icon Intimidation, and another of these three macros for Scatter Shot Icon Scatter Shot (it's nice to have with Concussive Shot Icon Concussive Shot too if you have the keybind space).

5.

Pet utility

5.1.

Command Pet (Master's Call, Fortitude of the Bear)

  • #showtooltip command pet
  • /cast [@target, help] [@player] command pet

This will cast your pet's active ability (Master's Call Icon Master's Call or Fortitude of the Bear Icon Fortitude of the Bear).

If you have a friendly target and a cunning pet, it will cast Master's Call Icon Master's Call on your target (useful in BGs/world content), and if your target is not friendly, it will cast on yourself.

5.2.

Command Pet (to Master's Call partner)

  • #showtooltip command pet
  • /cleartarget
  • /target party1
  • /cast [known:Master's Call,@party1,exists] Master's Call
  • /targetlasttarget

This will cast Master's Call Icon Master's Call on your party member. You need this Macro for both party1 and party2 to remove important roots and snares (for example, Mass Entanglement Icon Mass Entanglement and Solar Beam Icon Solar Beam from a Balance Druid).

This will show the tooltip of the active ability from your pet's family (Master's Call Icon Master's Call or Fortitude of the Bear Icon Fortitude of the Bear).

This Macro will not use your command pet ability unless you are using a Cunning pet with Master's Call Icon Master's Call. This means that if you accidentally press the Macro trying to use Master's Call Icon Master's Call on your teammate while having a Tenacity or Ferocity pet, you will not waste your pet ability.

This macro is not formatted as /cast [@party1] to avoid a rare bug where your pet can automatically use Master's Call Icon Master's Call on the wrong target.

5.3.

Pet attack

  • #showtooltip Freezing Trap
  • /petattack [@target]
  • /cast dash
  • /petattack [@target]
  • /startattack [@target]
  • /petautocaston savage rend

This Macro will command your pet to attack your target and use their sprint ability if available.

You can change the #showtooltip to whatever spell you want to track the cooldown of (this is a way to show the cooldown of a spell on your action bar when the Macro doesn't have a specific ability to show the icon or cooldown of).

5.4.

Pet Follow

  • #showtooltip Freezing Trap
  • /petfollow

This Macro will command your pet to follow you.

You can change the #showtooltip to whatever spell you want to track the cooldown of.

5.5.

Pet Move to

  • #showtooltip Freezing Trap
  • /petmoveto
  • /stay

This Macro will command your pet to move to a specific location.

You can change the #showtooltip to whatever spell you want to track the cooldown of.

6.

Fancy macros

6.1.

Camouflage during combat macro

  • #showtooltip Camouflage
  • /stopcasting
  • /petpassive
  • /petfollow
  • /stopattack
  • /use [pet]Play Dead;[pet]Wake Up
  • /cast !Feign Death
  • /cast !Camouflage

This Macro will make it easier to cast Camouflage Icon Camouflage during combat. If you do not have a pet out, and Feign Death Icon Feign Death is on cooldown, it will work every time (although damage over time effects will break Camouflage Icon Camouflage!)

If you have a pet out, it will put them on passive and cast Play Dead Icon Play Dead (the pet equivalent of Feign Death Icon Feign Death) so your pet will not keep you in combat. If you have put your pet on passive and it has not been attacked for two seconds before pressing this Macro, you will go into Camouflage Icon Camouflage when you press it.

If you use this Macro and you're still in combat (but you aren't getting hit), you can run around a pillar and keep pressing it to enter Camouflage Icon Camouflage.

6.2.

Aimed shot enemy pet macro

  • #showtooltip
  • /cast [@arenapet1] aimed shot
  • /cast [@arenapet2] aimed shot
  • /cast [@arenapet3] aimed shot

This macro will cast Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot at a pet on the enemy team.

Use this when you know a hunter will Feign Death Icon Feign Death or line of sight your aimed shot cast so that you still force the Feign Death Icon Feign Death, but your damage isn't wasted because the Aimed Shot Icon Aimed Shot still hits their pet.

6.3.

Taunt enemy pet macro

  • #showtooltip dismiss pet
  • /cast dismiss pet
  • /cast [@arenapet1, exists] growl; [@arenapet2, exists] growl; [@arenapet3, exists] growl

This Macro will command your pet to taunt enemy pets. You can put it on your action bars where Dismiss Pet Icon Dismiss Pet is, which means you can use your existing Dismiss Pet Icon Dismiss Pet keybind to taunt enemy pets.

7.

Changelog

  • 09 Sep. 2024: Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 21 Aug. 2024: Updated for The War Within launch.
  • 23 Jul. 2024: Updated for The War Within.
  • 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 22 Apr. 2024: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 4.
  • 20 Mar. 2024: Reviewed for patch 10.2.6.
  • 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for patch 10.2.5.
  • 19 Nov. 2023: Added some explanations.
  • 06 Nov. 2023: Reviewed for patch 10.2
  • 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed for patch 10.1.7 with minor tweaks.
  • 10 Jul. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5
  • 27 Jun. 2023: Guide re-written.
  • 09 May 2023: Updated for Dragonflight Patch 10.1.
  • 30 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 22 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 31 May 2022: Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 28 Feb. 2022: Page reviewed and approved for Patch 9.2.
  • 10 Nov. 2021: Reviewed for Patch 9.1.5.
  • 06 Jul. 2021: Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
  • 15 Oct. 2020: Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch (9.0.1)
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