Survival Hunter DPS Gear and Best in Slot — 12.1

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Welcome to our Gear and BiS Page for Survival Hunter for Midnight Season 2. Check this page to learn everything you need to know about gearing a Survival Hunter, including the BiS Gear from all sources, Raiding, and Mythic+, information on the best Trinkets, Tier Sets, and much more.

The Midnight Expansion brought a major stat squish, reducing the stats and numbers of virtually everything in the game, including Item Levels and the stats on gear.

Upgrading gear in Midnight continues to use the Crest system which lets you increase the item level of gear along tracks that relate to where you obtained the item, with harder content dropping gear that can be upgraded to higher Item Levels. For more information, read up on our dedicated page on how the gearing system works and what has changed in the Midnight expansion.

Be Careful With Early Crafts!

Many Embellishments and cantrips on items from the Venomous Abyss were changed less than 24 hrs before the beginning of Season 2, and as such many recommendations are now in flux and have to be re-evaluated. Due to these changes, we highly recommend to hold off on crafting an item on Day 1. Unless you don't mind the recrafting cost or potentially crafting a slightly suboptimal item early on, it might be worth waiting for a few days until things have settled.

Make sure to check back to see if this warning has been removed.

OverallMythic+Raid

This list contains the best gear in every slot for Season 2 of Midnight, from all sources.

There are many different setups that perform within the margin of error. This one chooses as many Raid items as possible, since they are easier to obtain than hoping for the right Mythic+ item from your Great Vault. Mythic+ items are chosen when there is no equally strong Raid alternative. This list is not the end-all-be-all list where any item that is not listed is far behind this specific selection.

This list is by no means a replacement for simming yourself. Depending on your previous Great Vault choices and the gear you have available, your BiS gear might look different in some spots than the below list.

FAQWhich Items Do I Use in the Catalyst?

The Catalyst now keeps the secondary stats and any passive effects of the item you Catalyze, so what you put in matters more than which slot you use to complete the set. Mastery is what you want most, then Critical Strike and Haste.

Do not hold the set bonus back over this. Two weeks without your 4-piece costs far more than slightly wrong secondaries, and you can Catalyze a better item later in the season.

These are the best items to Catalyze:

• Helmet: no need, the set piece drops straight off Twin Fangs
• Shoulders: Soulslither Spaulders from Coiled Altar
• Chest: Awoken Dreadfang Cuirass from Ula'tek
• Gloves: Sepulchral Construct's Gloves from King's Rest
• Legs: Cuisses of the Uncoiled Union from Coiled Altar

FAQWhat to Get From The Great Vault?

Take the Nebulous Voidcore almost every week. The exception is when the Vault offers the last thing you wanted from a boss or dungeon, because taking it there means you never have to bonus roll that source again.

A Voidcore bonus rolls one raid boss or one Mythic+ dungeon and gives you something you have not rolled from it before. Heroic raid bosses and Mythic+ give 1/6 Myth, Mythic raid bosses give 6/6 Myth, and late-raid bosses give 9/6.

Two things make this stronger than it looks. The item level is decided when you spend the Voidcore rather than when you take it, so you can sit on one until you have a Mythic boss worth rolling on. And gear you take out of the Vault stays in the bonus roll pool, so a piece you were going to replace anyway can cost you a roll later.

The bosses worth rolling on are listed under Nebulous Voidcores further down this page.

TCTwo-Handed and Dual Wield Weapons

Survival is not locked to either weapon type in Season 2. Our Overall and Raid lists use a two-handed weapon, and our Mythic+ BiS List uses dual-wield. The primary reason that 2H is better this Tier is the presence of very uniquely strong two-handed weapons such as Maze-roa, Warlord's Fury. Without this factor, 2H and DW setups perform similarly.

Without that one weapon, the two setups sim within a fraction of a percent of each other in both raid and Mythic+, so equip the best weapons you have based on iLvl and Stats, rather than chase a particular type.

BiS List	What we use	Benefit over the other setup
Overall and Raid	Two-handed, Maze-roa, Warlord's Fury	0.9% better than Dual Wield
Mythic+	Dual wield, two Sharpened Lightwood Slasher	0.2% better than 2-Handed

Survival Hunter

1.1.

Overall Best in Slot

Skulking Viper's Weeping Fangs Helm

Twin Fangs Empowered Hex of Leeching

Skulking Viper's Hidepiercers Hands

Catalyst from King's Rest

Aqirbane Reliquary Neck

Ula'tek

Farstrider's Trophy Belt Waist

Crafted by Leatherworking

Jaws of the Skulking Viper Shoulders

Catalyst from Coiled Altar Silvermoon's Mending

Skulking Viper's Coiled Legwraps Legs

Catalyst from Coiled Altar Forest Hunter's

Silken Voodoo Drape Cloak

Coiled Altar

Ferocious Scaleboots Feet

Sszorak Shaladrassil's Roots

Skulking Viper's Scuteplate Chest

Catalyst from Ula'tek Mark of the Worldsoul

Sickening Signet of Atroxus Ring

Voidscar Arena Eyes of the Eagle

Shirt

Vile Alchemist's Band Ring

Vashnik Eyes of the Eagle

Tabard

Voracious Heart of Ula'tek Trinket

Ula'tek

Farstrider's Plated Bracers Bracers

Crafted by Leatherworking

Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique Trinket

Coiled Altar

Maze-roa, Warlord's Fury Main Hand

Coiled Altar Berserker's Rage

Off Hand

This list contains the best gear in every slot for Season 2 of Midnight, from Midnight Season 2 Mythic+. This is aimed at people who do not intend to engage much with Raid content.

There are many different setups that perform within the margin of error. This list is not the end-all-be-all list where any item that is not listed is far behind this specific selection.

This list is by no means a replacement for simming yourself. Depending on your previous Great Vault choices and the gear you have available, your BiS gear might look different in some spots than the below list.

FAQWhich Items Do I Use in the Catalyst?

The Catalyst now keeps the secondary stats and any passive effects of the item you Catalyze, so what you put in matters more than which slot you use to complete the set. Mastery is what you want most, then Critical Strike and Haste.

Do not hold the set bonus back over this. Two weeks without your 4-piece costs far more than slightly wrong secondaries, and you can Catalyze a better item later in the season.

These are the best dungeon drops to Catalyze:

• Helmet: Sethraliss' Fanged Helm from Temple of Sethraliss
• Shoulders: Spaulders of Prime Emperor from King's Rest
• Chest: Manipulator's Vest from Voidscar Arena
• Gloves: Sepulchral Construct's Gloves from King's Rest
• Legs: Legguards of the Awakening Brood from Temple of Sethraliss

TipsWhich Dungeons Should I Farm?

If you have limited time to play the game, we recommend farming the following dungeons:

• Murder Row: BiS Neck, Ring and Trinket
• The Blinding Vale: BiS Cloak and Trinket
• Altar of Fangs: BiS Weapon
• Temple of Sethraliss: BiS Boots
• Voidscar Arena: BiS Ring

Survival Hunter

1.2.

Best Gear from Mythic+

Skulking Viper's Weeping Fangs Helm

Catalyst from Temple of Sethraliss Empowered Hex of Leeching

Skulking Viper's Hidepiercers Hands

Catalyst from King's Rest

Pendant of Malefic Fury Neck

Murder Row

Farstrider's Trophy Belt Waist

Crafted by Leatherworking

Jaws of the Skulking Viper Shoulders

Catalyst from King's Rest Silvermoon's Mending

Skulking Viper's Coiled Legwraps Legs

Catalyst from Temple of Sethraliss Forest Hunter's

Bloodthorn Burnous Cloak

The Blinding Vale

Sabatons of Coruscating Energy Feet

Temple of Sethraliss Shaladrassil's Roots

Skulking Viper's Scuteplate Chest

Catalyst from Voidscar Arena Mark of the Worldsoul

Sickening Signet of Atroxus Ring

Voidscar Arena Eyes of the Eagle

Shirt

Signet of Snarling Servitude Ring

Murder Row Eyes of the Eagle

Tabard

Lightspire Core Trinket

The Blinding Vale

Farstrider's Plated Bracers Bracers

Crafted by Leatherworking

Freightrunner's Flask Trinket

Murder Row

Sharpened Lightwood Slasher Main Hand

Altar of Fangs Berserker's Rage

Sharpened Lightwood Slasher Off Hand

Altar of Fangs Berserker's Rage

This list contains the best gear in every slot for Season 2 of Midnight, from the Midnight Season 2 Raids. It is very similar to our Overall BiS List, since that is biased towards Raid Gear as well, but in this case, absolutely no Mythic+ items are included.

There are many different setups that perform within the margin of error. This list is not the end-all-be-all list where any item that is not listed is far behind this specific selection.

This list is by no means a replacement for simming yourself. Depending on your previous Great Vault choices and the gear you have available, your BiS gear might look different in some spots than the below list.

FAQWhich Items Do I Use in the Catalyst?

The Catalyst now keeps the secondary stats and any passive effects of the item you Catalyze, so what you put in matters more than which slot you use to complete the set. Mastery is what you want most, then Critical Strike and Haste.

Do not hold the set bonus back over this. Two weeks without your 4-piece costs far more than slightly wrong secondaries, and you can Catalyze a better item later in the season.

These are the best raid drops to Catalyze. A Mythic+ item can beat any of them if you run keys as well:

• Helmet: no need, the set piece drops straight off Twin Fangs
• Shoulders: Soulslither Spaulders from Coiled Altar
• Chest: Awoken Dreadfang Cuirass from Ula'tek
• Gloves: Grips of Swirling Fury from Nymrissa Wavecaller
• Legs: Cuisses of the Uncoiled Union from Coiled Altar

TipsWhich Raid-Items Do I Want Most?

If you need to submit a list of highly-important items to your raid leader, or simply want to focus on the most important bosses and items, we have you covered!

• Maze-roa, Warlord's Fury from Coiled Altar: BiS Weapon, paired with Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique for the set bonus.
• Aqirbane Reliquary from Ula'tek: BiS Neck, and Venomcursed. Most specs want it, so expect competition.
• Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique from Coiled Altar: BiS Trinket.
• Voracious Heart of Ula'tek from Ula'tek: BiS Trinket.
• Gebbo's Bottomless Bag from Lost Explorers: Nearly BiS, far easier to obtain.
• Alluring Bubbleband from Nymrissa Wavecaller: BiS Ring.
• Vile Alchemist's Band from Vashnik: BiS Ring.

Survival Hunter

1.3.

Best Gear from Raid

Skulking Viper's Weeping Fangs Helm

Twin Fangs Empowered Hex of Leeching

Skulking Viper's Hidepiercers Hands

Catalyst from Nymrissa Wavecaller

Aqirbane Reliquary Neck

Ula'tek

Farstrider's Trophy Belt Waist

Crafted by Leatherworking

Jaws of the Skulking Viper Shoulders

Catalyst from Coiled Altar Silvermoon's Mending

Skulking Viper's Coiled Legwraps Legs

Catalyst from Coiled Altar Forest Hunter's

Silken Voodoo Drape Cloak

Coiled Altar

Ferocious Scaleboots Feet

Sszorak Shaladrassil's Roots

Skulking Viper's Scuteplate Chest

Catalyst from Ula'tek Mark of the Worldsoul

Alluring Bubbleband Ring

Nymrissa Wavecaller Eyes of the Eagle

Shirt

Vile Alchemist's Band Ring

Vashnik Eyes of the Eagle

Tabard

Voracious Heart of Ula'tek Trinket

Ula'tek

Farstrider's Plated Bracers Bracers

Crafted by Leatherworking

Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique Trinket

Coiled Altar

Maze-roa, Warlord's Fury Main Hand

Coiled Altar Berserker's Rage

Off Hand

Itemization

Enchants and Stat Priority

Looking to optimize your character? Check out our Enchant and Stat Priority guides for more information!

EnchantsStats

As Survival, our optimal setup is Voracious Heart of Ula'tek paired with Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique. Use the Heart with Takedown when possible, but do not hold it for more than 20 seconds to do so.

Gebbo's Bottomless Bag is much easier to obtain and it is nearly as good in Mythic+, but on single-target it is about 2% behind the Heart.

Survival Hunter Trinkets

Optimal - Voracious Heart of Ula'tek + Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique

There are quite a few other valuable trinkets out there, so make sure to click on our ranking chart to see if they are worth equipping. Note that you do not want to have more than 1 on-use Trinket. You can almost think of the "On-Use" Trinkets ranked as being separate from the others.

Click for Survival Hunter Trinket Rankings

Ranking	Trinkets
S Tier	Voracious Heart of Ula'tek: On-Use Zul'jin's Guillotine Technique Keeper's Seething Core
A Tier	Lightspire Core Gebbo's Bottomless Bag Freightrunner's Flask: On-Use
B Tier	Font of Venomous Rage: On-Use Tattered Amani War Banner: On-Use Vile Vial of Volatile Venom: On-Use Void Execution Mandate: On-Use Lustrous Golden Plumage: On-Use Sapling of the Dawnroot Darkmoon Dominion: Hunt Vashnik's Sanguine Rancor
C Tier	Resonant Bellowstone
D Tier	Ruby Whelp Shell Tiny Electromental in a Jar

• Nebulous Voidcore is a new currency that can be used to "Bonus Roll" on certain dungeons and items. Using it will guarantee a drop from that source, but the item you get is random. However, you are protected from repeats. Use this enough times on a boss or dungeon, and you are guaranteed your desired item.

You get them from Great Vault by passing on its item rewards, which needs three reward slots unlocked, and they only start showing up from the second week of the season onwards. From the eighth week you also get one extra at no cost, from Orin Straylight, who stands beside the Catalyst in Silvermoon.

Obviously, the straightforward answer to this question is to use the Voidcores on the best upgrade that you have not yet gotten. This is unique to your character, but we will offer a list of some of the most important items for Survival Hunter, with the goal being that you can just go down the list and chase the #1 thing you see that you do not already have.

Bonus Rolling for an item you may get from an upcoming raid boss can be a bad idea, depending on how you value "power now" versus "power later".

Generally speaking, your best bet is to roll Ula'tek on Heroic. It has several high-impact BiS items, so even if you do not roll your BiS weapon right away, you will still get good value out of your roll.

Voidcore (Bonus Roll) Priority

1. Ula'tek for Abyssal Broodfiend's Bardiche, Awoken Dreadfang Cuirass, Aqirbane Reliquary, and Voracious Heart of Ula'tek
2. At this point, it has been many weeks of the Season and your gear will be all over the place. I recommend using Raidbots Droptimizer to sim your optimal bonus rolls.

You can have two Embellishments, which are special effects that come from crafted gear. The armor pair is the better longer-term play, since it is your actual BiS and a crafted Weapon gets replaced by a Mythic Track drop sooner or later. Crafting the Weapon first is still a real option if you want the power in week 1, and the Weapon is worth around 8% more damage than the Mythic+ Weapon you are likely to start the season with.

• Blood Knight's Impetus or Aln'hara Pikestaff with Hunter's Ritual Stone, Crafted with Thalassian Missive of the Peerless for Haste/Mastery. Which exact weapon you choose is purely down to flavor; they are identical.
• Farstrider's Trophy Belt or Farstrider's Plated Bracers with Arcanoweave Lining, Crafted with Thalassian Missive of the Peerless for Crit/Mastery. Take the Belt if you are gaining Item Level on the Craft and the Bracers if you are losing it.
• The second armor piece, which is usually around week 4. If you crafted the Weapon first, you have most likely replaced it with Abyssal Broodfiend's Bardiche or another Mythic Weapon by then, and the Embellishment slot it was using is free again for this piece.

Crafting Farstrider's Reinforced Faulds is a good short-term armor craft, and a permanent one if you are never going to kill Coiled Altar on Mythic for the 344 Legs.

You should ideally sim the optimal stats to craft for your particular character, but Crit/Mastery is most likely your best option with a Thalassian Missive of the Peerless.

For more information about crafting gear you can visit our Professions page.

Helmets, Belts and Bracers can drop with a socket, and you can also add one yourself with Miasmic Jewelbinder. It costs six Thalassian Token of Merit, the currency Great Vault gives you for passing on its rewards. You get six of them directly as long as you have three reward slots unlocked.

Save them for pieces you do not expect to replace, so Mythic items or your two crafted slots, since a crafted Belt or Bracer cannot get a socket any other way.

You will be able to upgrade your items via Crests such as Myth Mistcrest. Once you have upgraded a slot to a certain item level, upgrading other items of that slot to that item level is free.

When you upgrade with Crests, you should think of it as upgrading slots and not items.

Since Crests are a limited resource, you will want to obtain the highest item-level possible before upgrading a given slot, as this means you will spend fewer Crests on that slot in total. If you are at all capable of doing a +10 Dungeon, for example, it would be a VERY bad idea to upgrade an item from a +9 Dungeon, because you just wasted 20 Crests that could have been saved by just farming the slot on a +10.

We see a ton of players, even at a high level, mess up their upgrade priorities and upgrade prematurely. Getting this right will put you far ahead of most players.

Below is the slot priority you should upgrade your items in. If you ever want to deviate from this, you should have a very good reason.

Survival Hunter Crest Upgrade Priority

Weapon → Trinkets → Helmet/Chest/Legs → Shoulder/Gloves/Belt/Boots → Rings/Neck → Cloak/Bracer

Note that exceptions are possible, such as special items that have more Item Level scaling than their slot would imply.

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 recommendations for gear and 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!

Optimization

Simulations and Tools

For further reading on how to truly maximize your character's potential, check out our guide on Raidbots!

Go to Guide

Azortharion

Guide Author

Follow Azortharion

This guide has been written by Azortharion, a full-timer Hunter Guidewriter, Theorycrafter, Content Creator, and top player since 2014 who is widely considered one of the best PvE Hunters in the world. He is an accomplished player with hundreds of top parses across all Hunter specs. He is the Head Admin of Trueshot Lodge, the official Hunter Class Discord. You can find him on his stream on Twitch and his channel on YouTube. He also has his own, personal Discord server where you can freely ask him any Hunter questions you may have!

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