Survival Hunter leveling guide
Survival is the toughest Hunter spec and the one groups like to bring for Expose Weakness, which adds attack power for everyone who hits the enemy. Lightning Reflexes adds a lot of Agility, Deterrence and Counterattack save you when an enemy reaches you, and Readiness resets all your cooldowns at once. It levels a little slower than Beast Mastery, but it is very forgiving.
Strengths and weaknesses
- Survivalist, Deterrence and Readiness make you hard to kill.
- Lightning Reflexes and Expose Weakness give strong scaling with Agility.
- Wyvern Sting and traps give a lot of control.
- The pet gets no talents, so it holds enemies less well than with Beast Mastery.
Talents by level
At level 60
- In Survival: Humanoid Slaying 3/3, Savage Strikes 2/2, Deflection 5/5, Survivalist 5/5, Deterrence, Surefooted 3/3, Survival Instincts 2/2 and Killer Instinct 3/3.
- Counterattack, Lightning Reflexes 5/5, Expose Weakness 3/3, Wyvern Sting, Thrill of the Hunt 1/3, Master Tactician 5/5 and Readiness, for 41 points.
- In Marksmanship: Lethal Shots 5/5 and Efficiency 5/5.
Level 61 to 70
- Aimed Shot, Rapid Killing 2/2 and Go for the Throat 2/2.
- Mortal Shots 5/5, for 20 points in Marksmanship.
Rotation
One enemy
- Send the pet, cast Hunter’s Mark, then Serpent Sting and Arcane Shot.
- Steady Shot from level 62 after each auto shot, and Kill Command from level 66 after a critical strike.
- Raptor Strike and Mongoose Bite if the enemy reaches you, then Wing Clip and step back.
Two enemies
- Wyvern Sting puts one enemy to sleep, so you can kill the other first.
- Freezing Trap on an extra enemy, and Readiness to lay a second trap at once.
Staying alive
- Deterrence when you are hit hard, and Counterattack after a parry.
- Feign Death ends a fight that goes wrong, and Readiness resets it for a second use.
- Snake Trap from level 68 and Misdirection from level 70 keep enemies on the pet.
Leveling route
| Level | Alliance | Horde |
|---|---|---|
| 60-62 | Hellfire Peninsula (Honor Hold) | Hellfire Peninsula (Thrallmar) |
| 62-64 | Zangarmarsh (Telredor) | Zangarmarsh (Zabra’jin) |
| 64-65 | Terokkar Forest (Allerian Stronghold) | Terokkar Forest (Stonebreaker Hold) |
| 65-67 | Nagrand (Telaar) | Nagrand (Garadar) |
| 67-68 | Blade’s Edge Mountains (Sylvanaar) | Blade’s Edge Mountains (Thunderlord Stronghold) |
| 68-70 | Netherstorm (Area 52), Shadowmoon Valley (Wildhammer Stronghold) | Netherstorm (Area 52), Shadowmoon Valley (Shadowmoon Village) |
Dungeons worth the detour: Hellfire Ramparts and The Blood Furnace from level 60, The Slave Pens and The Underbog around 62, and Mana-Tombs and Auchenai Crypts from 64.
Stats, weapons and tradeskills
- Agility first, since Lightning Reflexes and Expose Weakness make it stronger, then Hit and Crit.
- The ranged weapon with the highest damage you can get, and a two-handed weapon with Agility for Raptor Strike.
- Enchants: a scope on the ranged weapon, Superior Agility on the gloves and Assault on the bracers.
- Tradeskills: Skinning with Leatherworking for mail armor and drums, or Mining with Engineering for scopes and ammunition.