Beast Mastery Hunter leveling guide

Beast Mastery is the fastest way to level a Hunter in Classic Era. Your pet holds the enemy while you shoot, and talents like Unleashed Fury, Ferocity and Frenzy make it hit much harder. Bestial Wrath at level 40 turns the pet into a killer for 18 seconds. You kill enemies without taking much damage and rarely need to rest.

Strengths and weaknesses

• The pet holds enemies, so you take almost no damage.
• Very little downtime: Spirit Bond heals you and the pet between fights.
• Bestial Wrath and Intimidation give burst and control.
• Weak when the pet dies, and an enemy standing next to you is inside your minimum range.

Talents by level

Level 10 to 30

• Improved Aspect of the Hawk 5/5 and Endurance Training 5/5.
• Unleashed Fury 5/5 and Bestial Swiftness.
• Ferocity 5/5 at level 30.

Level 31 to 40

• Intimidation, Spirit Bond 2/2 and Bestial Discipline 1/2.
• Frenzy 5/5, then Bestial Wrath at level 40.

Level 41 to 60

• In Marksmanship: Efficiency 5/5, Lethal Shots 5/5, Aimed Shot and Hawk Eye 3/3.
• Improved Arcane Shot 1/5 and Mortal Shots 5/5, for 20 points in Marksmanship.

Rotation

One enemy

• Send the pet first and wait until it has the enemy’s attention.
• Hunter’s Mark, Serpent Sting and Arcane Shot, with Auto Shot in between. Aspect of the Hawk stays on.
• Keep the pet fed: a happy pet deals full damage.

Two enemies

• Let the pet hold one enemy and shoot the same one, then pick up the second.
• Lay a Freezing Trap before the pull, or use Feign Death from level 30 to leave combat and lay one then.
• Intimidation stuns an enemy that turns to you.

Staying alive

• Mend Pet keeps the pet alive, and Bestial Wrath turns a fight that goes wrong.
• Wing Clip and step back when an enemy stands next to you, then shoot again.
• Feign Death ends the fight, and Aspect of the Cheetah from level 20 helps you run.

Leveling route

Level	Alliance	Horde
1-12	Dun Morogh, Teldrassil	Durotar, Mulgore
12-20	Westfall, Loch Modan, Darkshore	The Barrens, Silverpine Forest
20-30	Redridge Mountains, Duskwood, Wetlands	The Barrens, Hillsbrad Foothills, Thousand Needles
30-40	Stranglethorn Vale, Arathi Highlands, Desolace	Stranglethorn Vale, Arathi Highlands, Desolace
40-50	Tanaris, Feralas, The Hinterlands	Tanaris, Feralas, The Hinterlands
50-60	Un’Goro Crater, Felwood, Western Plaguelands, Winterspring	Un’Goro Crater, Felwood, Western Plaguelands, Winterspring

Dungeons worth the detour: Scarlet Monastery from level 30 to 40, Zul’Farrak around 45 and Blackrock Depths from 52.

Stats, weapons and tradeskills

• Agility first, then Hit and Crit. Intellect keeps your mana up for shots and stings.
• A slow bow, crossbow or gun hits harder with every shot, and a quiver or ammo pouch makes you shoot faster.
• Enchants: Agility on the gloves, and a scope on the ranged weapon.
• Tradeskills: Skinning with Leatherworking for leather and, from level 40, mail armor. Or Mining with Engineering for scopes and ammunition.