Hunter specialization

Survival Hunter in WoW Forever

Close-range attacks and traps.

  • Your role: Melee damage
  • Advice for every level to 60
  • Class notes checked

Your character

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Choose the level you are playing now. The playbook and gear rankings update to match.

Level 40 · Damage in a group

How to play dungeons at level 40

Your combat loop

Press the first one that is ready.

Survival’s own loop, from level 10. Before that every Hunter plays the same loop.

Own loop from: Survival level 10Marksmanship level 25Beast Mastery never

In this model, Beast Mastery’s loop does 11% more with Survival’s talents at this level. This is Survival’s own loop, the one its talents are built for.

Keep up:

Half of each fight you shoot, as the enemy runs in and whenever it is out of melee range: Auto Shot with Aimed Shot, Arcane Shot and Serpent Sting. The shares below are of your melee damage.

  1. Rapid Fire Cooldown · every 5 min

    Use it whenever it is ready, every 300 sec. It raises the rest.

  2. Raptor Strike Rank 6 Every 6 sec

    Use it whenever it is ready, every 6 sec.

    9% of your damage
  3. Strider Kick Every 8 sec

    Use it whenever it is ready, every 8 sec.

    14% of your damage
  4. Mongoose Bite Rank 2 When it lights up

    Use it when Expose Prey makes it ready.

    14% of your damage
  5. Auto attack All the time

    Your weapon swings on its own. Stay in melee range.

    62% of your damage

The first 30 seconds

When to press each one from the pull. The blue line under a press is the global cooldown (1.5 sec) or cast it holds: nothing else on the global cooldown can go until it ends, so of two that are ready together the higher one goes first. Rapid Fire and Raptor Strike are off the global cooldown, so they have no line and go alongside.

In the gaps
Mongoose Bite
All the time
Auto attack

How MaxDPS works this out

Talents at level 40

31 points at level 40: the first at level 10, then one every level.

The MaxDPS build at this level, in the game’s talent frame. Click a talent to learn it and right click to unlearn it, as in the game.

Talents
Unspent Talents
Point order: when each point goes in
  1. Improved Tracking 5/5 · levels 10–14 +3.1% damage
  2. Savage Strikes 2/2 · levels 15–16 +0.8% damage
  3. Survivalist 5/5 · levels 17–19 and 23–24 not counted here
  4. Surefooted 3/3 · levels 20–22 +3.8% damage
  5. Predator's Edge 5/5 · levels 25–29 +3.8% damage
  6. Strider Kick 1/1 · level 30 +5.9% damage
  7. Expose Prey 2/2 · levels 31–32 +5.3% damage
  8. Resourcefulness 2/2 · levels 33–34 +0.5% damage
  9. Lightning Reflexes 5/5 · levels 35–39 +5% damage
  10. Lacerating Strikes 1/1 · level 40 +1.4% damage

Every Hunter talent

Preliminary item rankings · Dungeons

Survival Hunter gear rankings

Melee and ranged weaving; two-hand or dual-wield · Level 40 · Calculated defaults

Hunt list
Show gear for

Head 201 items · Updating…

Where it comes from
Auction prices from

Materials: . Each reagent counts at the lower of a vendor’s price and its lowest buyout.

Key stats show the stats behind the three largest score contributions, as the game tooltip states them; open an item’s details for every value and source.

Head items with imported stats, weighted scores and acquisition sources.
Rank Item Score (pts) Where to get it Actions
1 in this filtered list
Guise of Battle Mail · iLvl 45 · Req. 40 · Dungeon drop Key stats: 17 Agility12 Stamina222 Armor
19.80
Riding WolfNPC drop · 1.2%
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 17 × 1 = 17.00 pts
  • Stamina: 12 × 0.1795 = 2.15 pts
  • Armor: 222 × 0.0029 = 0.64 pts

Rare

2 sources

Riding WolfNPC drop · 1.2%
Twilight GruntNPC drop · 0.8%
2 in this filtered list
Warden's Wizard Hat Leather · iLvl 45 · Req. 40 · Other drop Key stats: 13 Agility11 Stamina99 Armor
15.26
Wastewander ScofflawNPC drop · 0.2% · Tanaris · also from 68 other creatures
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 13 × 1 = 13.00 pts
  • Stamina: 11 × 0.1795 = 1.97 pts
  • Armor: 99 × 0.0029 = 0.29 pts

Uncommon

69 sources

Wastewander ScofflawNPC drop · 0.2% · Tanaris · also from 68 other creatures
Sergeant BlyNPC drop · 0.1% · Zul'Farrak
Creeping SludgeNPC drop · 0.1% · Maraudon
Sandfury Witch DoctorNPC drop · 0.1% · Zul'Farrak
Putridus SatyrNPC drop · <0.1% · Maraudon
Deeprot TanglerNPC drop · <0.1% · Maraudon
Sandfury Soul EaterNPC drop · <0.1% · Zul'Farrak
Barbed LasherNPC drop · <0.1% · Maraudon
Sandfury ShadowhunterNPC drop · <0.1% · Zul'Farrak
Sandfury Blood DrinkerNPC drop · <0.1% · Zul'Farrak
All 69 sources
3 in this filtered list
Guard's Chain Helm Mail · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Crafted Key stats: 12 Agility11 Stamina177 Armor
14.49
Materials about

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 12 × 1 = 12.00 pts
  • Stamina: 11 × 0.1795 = 1.97 pts
  • Armor: 177 × 0.0029 = 0.51 pts

Rare

Source

4 in this filtered list
War Handler's Gaze Leather · iLvl 45 · Req. 40 · Other drop Key stats: 11 Agility17 Stamina109 Armor
14.37
War Handler AshkaNPC drop · 31%

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 11 × 1 = 11.00 pts
  • Stamina: 17 × 0.1795 = 3.05 pts
  • Armor: 109 × 0.0029 = 0.32 pts

Rare

Source

War Handler AshkaNPC drop · 31%
5 in this filtered list
Nightscape Headband Leather · iLvl 41 · Req. 36 · Crafted Key stats: 12 Agility11 Stamina91 Armor
14.24
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house Materials about

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 12 × 1 = 12.00 pts
  • Stamina: 11 × 0.1795 = 1.97 pts
  • Armor: 91 × 0.0029 = 0.26 pts

Uncommon

Source

6 in this filtered list
Expert Goldminer's Helmet Leather · iLvl 40 · Req. 35 · Other drop Key stats: 7 Agility1.1% Expertise8 Stamina
13.85
Digmaster ShovelphlangeNPC drop · 100% · Badlands
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 7 × 1 = 7.00 pts
  • Expertise: 11 rating (1.1%) × 0.4661 = 5.13 pts
  • Stamina: 8 × 0.1795 = 1.44 pts
  • Armor: 99 × 0.0029 = 0.29 pts

Rare

Source

Digmaster ShovelphlangeNPC drop · 100% · Badlands
7 in this filtered list
White Bandit Mask Cloth · iLvl 43 · Req. 38 · Crafted Key stats: 11 Agility11 Strength46 Armor
13.77
TailoringCrafted
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house Materials about

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 11 × 1 = 11.00 pts
  • Strength: 11 × 0.2397 = 2.64 pts
  • Armor: 46 × 0.0029 = 0.13 pts

Uncommon

Source

TailoringCrafted
8 in this filtered list
Skullsplitter Helm Mail · iLvl 43 · Req. 38 · Other drop Key stats: 11 Agility12 Stamina196 Armor
13.72
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 11 × 1 = 11.00 pts
  • Stamina: 12 × 0.1795 = 2.15 pts
  • Armor: 196 × 0.0029 = 0.57 pts

Uncommon

9 in this filtered list
Hawkeye's Helm Leather · iLvl 40 · Req. 35 · Other drop Key stats: 11 Agility8 Stamina4 Strength
13.66
Shadowshard SmasherNPC drop · 1.2% · Desolace
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 11 × 1 = 11.00 pts
  • Stamina: 8 × 0.1795 = 1.44 pts
  • Strength: 4 × 0.2397 = 0.96 pts
  • Armor: 90 × 0.0029 = 0.26 pts

Uncommon

49 sources

Shadowshard SmasherNPC drop · 1.2% · Desolace
Skeletal SummonerNPC drop · 0.2% · Razorfen Downs
Rock BorerNPC drop · 0.2% · Desolace
Maraudine MarauderNPC drop · 0.2% · Desolace
Dread RipperNPC drop · 0.1% · Desolace
Freezing SpiritNPC drop · 0.1% · Razorfen Downs
Boneflayer GhoulNPC drop · 0.1% · Razorfen Downs
Thorn Eater GhoulNPC drop · <0.1% · Razorfen Downs
Ambereye BasiliskNPC drop · <0.1% · Desolace
All 49 sources
10 in this filtered list
Raging Berserker's Helm Mail · iLvl 42 · Req. 37 · Dungeon drop Key stats: 1.0% Critical strike13 Strength8 Stamina
12.61
HerodNPC drop · 33% · Scarlet Monastery

Score breakdown

  • Critical strike: 14 rating (1.0%) × 0.5314 = 7.44 pts
  • Strength: 13 × 0.2397 = 3.12 pts
  • Stamina: 8 × 0.1795 = 1.44 pts
  • Armor: 213 × 0.0029 = 0.62 pts

Rare

Source

HerodNPC drop · 33% · Scarlet Monastery
11 in this filtered list
Brawler's Leather Helm Leather · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Dungeon drop Key stats: 10 Agility13 Stamina84 Armor
12.58
Materials about

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 10 × 1 = 10.00 pts
  • Stamina: 13 × 0.1795 = 2.33 pts
  • Armor: 84 × 0.0029 = 0.24 pts

Rare

17 sources

GelihastNPC drop · <0.1% · Blackfathom Deeps
RoogugNPC drop · <0.1% · Razorfen Kraul
Lorgus JettNPC drop · <0.1% · Blackfathom Deeps
Charlga RazorflankNPC drop · <0.1% · Razorfen Kraul
IronspineNPC drop · <0.1% · Scarlet Monastery
Aggem ThorncurseNPC drop · <0.1% · Razorfen Kraul
Aku'maiNPC drop · <0.1% · Blackfathom Deeps
Dextren WardNPC drop · <0.1% · Stormwind Stockade
All 17 sources
12 in this filtered list
Chief Brigadier Coif Mail · iLvl 39 · Req. 34 · Other drop Key stats: 10 Agility11 Stamina184 Armor
12.51
Chasm CrawlerNPC drop · 1.2%
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 10 × 1 = 10.00 pts
  • Stamina: 11 × 0.1795 = 1.97 pts
  • Armor: 184 × 0.0029 = 0.53 pts

Uncommon

112 sources

Chasm CrawlerNPC drop · 1.2%
Large Iron Bound ChestObject loot · 0.7%
Large Solid ChestObject loot · 0.7%
Hoard of the Black DragonflightContainer loot · 0.6%
Strong Iron LockboxContainer loot · 0.5%
Champion of the DeepNPC drop · 0.5%
Sorrow SpinnerNPC drop · 0.3% · Swamp of Sorrows
Saltseer MurdererNPC drop · 0.2%
Stonevault SeerNPC drop · 0.2% · Badlands
All 112 sources
13 in this filtered list
Guard's Silvered Chain Helm Mail · iLvl 25 · Req. 20 · Crafted Key stats: 10 Agility9 Stamina163 Armor
12.09
Materials about

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 10 × 1 = 10.00 pts
  • Stamina: 9 × 0.1795 = 1.62 pts
  • Armor: 163 × 0.0029 = 0.47 pts

Rare

Source

14 in this filtered list
Cloaked Hood Leather · iLvl 38 · Req. 33 · Other drop Key stats: 10 Agility10 Stamina86 Armor
12.04
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 10 × 1 = 10.00 pts
  • Stamina: 10 × 0.1795 = 1.80 pts
  • Armor: 86 × 0.0029 = 0.25 pts

Uncommon

Source

15 in this filtered list
Adventurer's Pith Helmet Leather · iLvl 37 · Req. 32 · Dungeon drop Key stats: 9 Agility14 Stamina94 Armor
11.79
Ancient TreasureObject loot · 0.1% · Uldaman
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 9 × 1 = 9.00 pts
  • Stamina: 14 × 0.1795 = 2.51 pts
  • Armor: 94 × 0.0029 = 0.27 pts

Rare

14 sources

Ancient TreasureObject loot · 0.1% · Uldaman
Shadowforge Relic HunterNPC drop · <0.1% · Uldaman
Shadowforge GeologistNPC drop · <0.1% · Uldaman
Shadowforge RuffianNPC drop · <0.1% · Badlands
Shadowforge DiggerNPC drop · <0.1%
Stonevault FlameweaverNPC drop · <0.1% · Uldaman
Stonevault RockchewerNPC drop · <0.1% · Uldaman
Stonevault MaulerNPC drop · <0.1% · Uldaman
Earthen SculptorNPC drop · <0.1% · Uldaman
Stonevault BrawlerNPC drop · <0.1% · Uldaman
All 14 sources
16 in this filtered list
Barbaric Iron Helm Mail · iLvl 35 · Req. 30 · Crafted Key stats: 9 Agility9 Strength173 Armor
11.66
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house Materials about

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 9 × 1 = 9.00 pts
  • Strength: 9 × 0.2397 = 2.16 pts
  • Armor: 173 × 0.0029 = 0.50 pts

Uncommon

Source

17 in this filtered list
Gnomish Goggles Cloth · iLvl 42 · Req. 37* · Crafted · Profession required Key stats: 9 Agility9 Stamina45 Armor
10.75
EngineeringCrafted
Materials about

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 9 × 1 = 9.00 pts
  • Stamina: 9 × 0.1795 = 1.62 pts
  • Armor: 45 × 0.0029 = 0.13 pts

Uncommon · Profession required — check item requirements

Source

EngineeringCrafted
18 in this filtered list
Spirit Hunter Headdress Leather · iLvl 37 · Req. 32* · Quest · Horde only Key stats: 10 Agility85 Armor
10.25
FrostmawQuest reward · Thunder Bluff

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 10 × 1 = 10.00 pts
  • Armor: 85 × 0.0029 = 0.25 pts

Uncommon

Source

FrostmawQuest reward · Thunder Bluff
19 in this filtered list
Brawler's Leather Hood Leather · iLvl 25 · Req. 20 · Crafted Key stats: 8 Agility10 Stamina76 Armor
10.02
Materials about

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 8 × 1 = 8.00 pts
  • Stamina: 10 × 0.1795 = 1.80 pts
  • Armor: 76 × 0.0029 = 0.22 pts

Rare

Source

20 in this filtered list
Humbert's Helm Leather · iLvl 30 · Req. 25 · Other drop Key stats: 7 Agility8 Stamina76 Armor
8.66
Alliance: Horde: None on the auction house

Score breakdown

  • Agility: 7 × 1 = 7.00 pts
  • Stamina: 8 × 0.1795 = 1.44 pts
  • Armor: 76 × 0.0029 = 0.22 pts

Uncommon

Source

Item stats from the WoW Forever game files; sources from data collected from the live game. Auction prices are the lowest buyout on the Americas · Normal auction houses, read from Blizzard every hour; pick another region or ruleset under Filters. Which house is which ruleset is not confirmed yet (why).

New in Forever

Ranged tools and melee options

Aimed Shot is baseline at level 20. Careful Aim adds attack power from your Intellect. Hunters dual-wield from level 20; Survival’s Predator’s Edge talent raises off-hand damage, or it can weave with a two-hander. Check your talents before following a melee-only rotation.

Set your level on this page: its abilities, talents and gear rankings follow these changes. Recheck your weapon and saved items. Scores are weighted points, not DPS.

Every Hunter ability by level
View list