Survival Hunter DPS Spec, Builds, Talents, and Pet Talents — Dragonflight 10.0.7

Last updated on Mar 20, 2023 at 14:16 by Azortharion 24 comments
General Information

On this page, you will find out the best talents for each tier for your Survival Hunter in World of Warcraft — Dragonflight 10.0.7. We also have default talent lists for various types of content, such as raiding or Mythic+. If you play with Warmode on, we have your PvP talents covered as well.

If you were looking for WotLK Classic content, please refer to our WotLK Classic Survival Hunter talents.

1.

Dragonflight Talent Explanations for Survival Hunter

On our Spells page below, you can see a full explanation of every ability and Talent for Survival Hunter. We recommend checking it out to familiarize yourself before studying the build below!

2.

Best Dragonflight Raiding Talent Build for Survival Hunter

This talent setup is mostly single-target focused, but has acceptable cleave as well and will work for most raid encounters.

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

3.

Best AoE and Mythic+ Talents for Survival Hunter

This is our recommended build for encounters with cleave and intermittent AoE, as well as Mythic+ dungeons.

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

3.1.

Utility Talents

Survival's Spec Tree has two very useful "utility"-oriented talents in Lunge Icon Lunge and Aspect of the Eagle Icon Aspect of the Eagle. Both can be a substantial DPS increase as it allows you to continue your primary rotation from range when you need to.

The best talent to drop one (or both) of to get these Talents is Sharp Edges Icon Sharp Edges. It is hard to give a general recommendation about whether to do so, but you should pay attention to whether you are missing out on attacks due to being out of range and choose accordingly.

4.

Alternative Viable Builds

For single-target, there is not a lot of playstyle variation within the build, without losing a ton of damage. The core of the spec remains the same with all alternative builds.

In AoE scenarios and Mythic+, you can drop a point of Sharp Edges Icon Sharp Edges to pick up Fury of the Eagle Icon Fury of the Eagle. This will do less damage overall, especially on single-target, but has a very different, melee-focused, bursty playstyle that you might prefer.

5.

Best Talent Build Explanations for Survival Hunters

Note that we do not explain EVERY talent in the tree on this page. We only explain ones that are part of our optimal builds for single-target and AoE. For full details and explanations of every Talent, please visit our Spells page via the button below.

5.1.

Survival Hunter Class Tree Rationale and Explanations

5.1.1.

Row 1-4

  • Kill Shot Icon Kill Shot is a strong DPS button and a mandatory pick.
  • Posthaste Icon Posthaste is essential as one of our strongest mobility talents.
  • Improved Kill Shot Icon Improved Kill Shot is a passive, powerful increase to our Kill Shot Icon Kill Shot's damage.
  • Counter Shot Icon Counter Shot is our main interrupt.
  • Natural Mending Icon Natural Mending provides incredible CDR to Exhilaration Icon Exhilaration and is a must-pick for survivability. If you are not using Exhilaration Icon Exhilaration very liberally, you can get away with dropping a point here for other utility.
  • Tar Trap Icon Tar Trap is not great, but it leads us on a path to better talents, as we need to get to the left side of the tree later on.
  • Survival of the Fittest Icon Survival of the Fittest is a strong defensive for both one-shots and powerful DoTs.
5.1.2.

Row 5-7

  • Tranquilizing Shot Icon Tranquilizing Shot is useful for many scenarios and leads us to better talents on the left side of the tree.
  • Nature's Endurance Icon Nature's Endurance is a must-pick if you can get it, as it doubles the damage reduction of Survival of the Fittest Icon Survival of the Fittest.
  • Born To Be Wild Icon Born To Be Wild is a solid pick for lower Turtle and Cheetah cooldowns, making it strong for both survivability and mobility.
  • Improved Tranquilizing Shot Icon Improved Tranquilizing Shot is a bit of an incentive to Tranquilizing Shot Icon Tranquilizing Shot when we can, and leads us nicely to the left side of the tree, which becomes important.
  • Intimidation Icon Intimidation is hugely useful for add control in Mythic+ and some Raiding scenarios.
  • Binding Shot Icon Binding Shot/Scatter Shot Icon Scatter Shot are both viable options in this choice node and are necessary to pick up other essential Talents. For most Mythic+, we recommend Binding Shot Icon Binding Shot, but Scatter Shot Icon Scatter Shot can be used as a single-target cast stopper, similar to Intimidation Icon Intimidation.
  • Rejuvenating Wind Icon Rejuvenating Wind increases our maximum health and gives our Exhilaration Icon Exhilaration some extra power, which can be useful or weak depending on how liberal you are with Exhilaration Icon Exhilaration usage. This is mandatory for the maximum HP.
  • Camouflage Icon Camouflage is useful for skips and out-of-combat self-healing in Mythic+. Still, practically useless for Raiding.
  • Hunter's Avoidance Icon Hunter's Avoidance is a much-needed boost to our survivability on unavoidable mechanics.
  • Pathfinding Icon Pathfinding is a solid boost to movement speed, but you can drop a point here to pick up other utility as needed.
5.1.3.

Row 5-7

  • Keen Eyesight Icon Keen Eyesight is a strong DPS increase and is a mandatory pick.
  • Master Marksman Icon Master Marksman is a strong DPS increase and is a mandatory pick.
  • Serrated Shots Icon Serrated Shots affects Serpent Sting Icon Serpent Sting, making it worth using.
  • Arctic Bola Icon Arctic Bola is a bit of a DPS increase, and we pick it at the lack of other options.
  • Serpent Sting Icon Serpent Sting is not actually used as an ability, but we need it to get to the hugely important talent below.
  • Death Chakram Icon Death Chakram introduces a mini-cooldown to our rotation, enhancing our burst a little and focuses on amplifying other damage, even though it does not do a ton of damage on its own.
  • Explosive Shot Icon Explosive Shot is incredible for AoE paired with the Ranger Icon Ranger Talent.
  • Poison Injection Icon Poison Injection has incredible synergy with our Viper's Venom Icon Viper's Venom Talent that we talk about later, and is a free, high DPS increase.
5.2.

Survival Hunter Spec Tree Rationale and Explanations

5.2.1.

Row 1-4

  • Raptor Strike Icon Raptor Strike is one of our core abilities, and mandatory to progress.
  • Wildfire Bomb Icon Wildfire Bomb and Tip of the Spear Icon Tip of the Spear are also fundamental to our spec and are necessary to continue.
  • Ferocity Icon Ferocity is a solid, flat DPS increase.
  • Harpoon Icon Harpoon is a bit of utility and a damage increase, all in one, via the talent that it leads to.
  • Bloodseeker Icon Bloodseeker is a substantial, flat DPS increase.
  • Aspect of the Eagle Icon Aspect of the Eagle is not strictly included in our builds, but in the Utility Talents section above, we discuss its usage. It can be a DPS increase for encounters where you are forced out of melee at particular intervals.
  • Terms of Engagement Icon Terms of Engagement adds a DPS component to Harpoon Icon Harpoon.
5.2.2.

Row 5-7

5.2.3.

Row 8-10

  • Wildfire Infusion Icon Wildfire Infusion is useful to all builds, as there is nearly always something you can use the special effects for, whether you are on single-target or AoE.
  • Quick Shot Icon Quick Shot is a bit of flat DPS.
  • Coordinated Assault Icon Coordinated Assault is our main cooldown used for AoE and Cleave Scenarios. Paired with other talents, this becomes extremely powerful for cleave.
  • Fury of the Eagle Icon Fury of the Eagle can be used in Mythic+ and represents a burstier playstyle.
  • Ranger Icon Ranger is nearly always useful as it buffs several valuable abilities for us.
  • Coordinated Kill Icon Coordinated Kill amplifies our Coordinated Assault Icon Coordinated Assault AoE cooldown and leads to another powerful talent.
  • Spearhead Icon Spearhead is the main cooldown of our single-target build, giving us significant burst on a relatively short cooldown.
  • Birds of Prey Icon Birds of Prey is an immensely powerful cleave talent.
  • Deadly Duo Icon Deadly Duo pairs with Spearhead Icon Spearhead to extend and empower it, making it immensely powerful for single-target builds.
6.

Mythic+

Mythic+ can potentially require a mix of certain AoE and Single-Target talents, depending on affixes and other variables. If you want advice that is specific to Mythic+, you should check out our page below.

7.

How To Use Survival Hunter Talents

Some talents will require you to play in a particular way to get the most out of them. You can find more information on how your rotation will look after selecting your talents on our rotation page below.

8.

Best Pet for Survival Hunter in Dragonflight

Firstly, it is important to note that all pets do the same damage. They only differ in their utility and occasionally defensive capabilities.

For Raiding and Mythic+, we recommend using a Ferocity Pet for the 10% Leech, and Primal Rage Icon Primal Rage. The specific family does not matter much, but you may consider a Mortal Wounds pet such as a Carrion Bird, Ravager, Scorpid, or Wasp, as reducing the healing of an enemy is the same as increasing your damage against it!

Cunning Pets provide a movement speed bonus, trading in defensive passives for mobility. This is useful when you are farming old, trivial content.

You can see a list of all pet families and their special abilities on the Spells Summary page of this guide.

9.

Survival Hunter Dragonflight PvP Talents

War Mode offers several benefits for you in the open world.

  • PvP talents enabled in the outdoor world.
  • At least 10% increase in World Quest rewards at maximum level.
  • 10% more experience gained while leveling.
  • Earn Conquest Points which can reward gear every week.

With the benefits of enabling War Mode for leveling and PvE content, it is recommended to enable the feature to maximize your leveling and rewards at maximum level. However, you will make yourself available for open world PvP, and the possibility to be "ganked" while leveling or doing World Quests exists.

10.

PvP Talents (War Mode) for Survival Hunter

In this section, we will rank the PvP talents best for leveling and doing solo / small group PvE content. Below is a ranking of all PvP Talents for Survival Hunter

10.1.

Best PvP Talents for Survival Hunter

  1. Survival Tactics Icon Survival Tactics is useful for avoiding powerful casts from mobs and other players, and lets you regularly clear debuffs.
  2. Mending Bandage Icon Mending Bandage is a potent out-of-combat heal that also clears lingering debuffs.
  3. Hunting Pack Icon Hunting Pack is a valuable speed increase for leveling and open world content.

You can consider the other options to be essentially down to preference.

For details on how to play in Survival Hunter PvP, please visit our Survival Hunter PvP page.

11.

Pet Talents

Pets do not have talent trees. Instead, different types of pet belong to one of three difference specs: Ferocity, Tenacity, and Cunning.

Each specialisation grants your pet a few specific abilities. Currently, there is no DPS difference between the different pet specs. The only differences are in utility.

12.

Changelog

  • 20 Mar. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 24 Jan. 2023: Updated the recommended M+ build.
  • 08 Jan. 2023: Updated the recommendation status of Lunge, and re-checked Talents for correctness in light of recent buffs.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 29 Oct. 2022: Updated the recommended low-target AoE Venthyr build further.
  • 27 Oct. 2022: Updated the recommended low-target AoE build and fixed an issue with the string.
  • 26 Oct. 2022: Added a Kyrian-based Talent Build that emphasizes strong burst, primarily for high-target Mythic+ keys.
  • 24 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
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