Hunter
- Roles
- DPS
- Races
- DwarfHigh Order SkyborneNEWHumanNEWNight ElfOrcTaurenTrollWindshaper SkyborneNEW
Overview
Hunter has 50 talents in 3 trees (Beast Mastery 16, Marksmanship 16 and Survival 18). Taking every rank would need 148 points; a level 60 character has 51, enough for 34% of all ranks.
Each tree has up to 7 tiers; a tier opens after 5 points per tier spent in that tree. The last tier (30 points in the tree) holds Bestial Wrath (Beast Mastery), Sniper Shot (Marksmanship) and Lacerating Strikes (Survival). 12 talents have a single rank and the rest up to 5; 8 talents require another talent first.
In WoW: Forever the class is playable by 8 races: Dwarf, High Order Skyborne, Human, Night Elf, Orc, Tauren, Troll and Windshaper Skyborne. In Classic Era (1.15.9.70003) it was 5 races: Dwarf, Night Elf, Orc, Tauren and Troll. New in Forever: High Order Skyborne, Human and Windshaper Skyborne.
Compared with Classic Era, 49 talent records changed in Forever (build 1.60.1.70938): 18 in Marksmanship, 13 in Beast Mastery and 18 in Survival. By kind: 10 × removed talent, 10 × moved, 7 × rank values changed, 14 × new talent, 4 × renamed, 2 × max rank changed and 2 × requirement changed.
Talent trees
Open in Talent CalculatorBeast Mastery
16 talents · 44 points| Tier | Talent | Ranks | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 pts |  Deadly Aspects | 5 | While Aspect of the Hawk is active, Auto Shot has a 10% chance of increasing ranged attack speed by 30% for 12 sec. While Aspect of the Beast is active, all melee auto attacks have a 10% chance of increasing melee attack speed by 30% for 12 sec. |
| 10 pts |  Endurance Training | 5 | Increases the Health and Armor of your pets by 15%. |
| 25 pts |  Focused Fire | 2 | Increases all damage you and your pet deal by 2% while your pet is active. |
| 25 pts |  Improved Aspect of the Monkey | 3 | Increases the Dodge bonus of your Aspect of the Monkey by 6%. Additionally, your pet gains 50% of the effect of your Aspect of the Monkey ability. |
| 25 pts |  Improved Revive Pet | 2 | Revive Pet's casting time is reduced by 6 sec, mana cost is reduced by 40%, and increases the health your pet returns with by an additional 30%. |
| 310 pts |  Pathfinding | 2 | Increases the speed bonus of your Aspect of the Cheetah and Aspect of the Pack by 6%. |
| 310 pts |  Bestial Swiftness | 1 | Increases the movement speed of your pets by 30%. |
| 310 pts |  Unleashed Fury | 5 | Increases the damage done by your pets and hawks by 15%. |
| 415 pts |  Improved Mend Pet | 2 | Gives your Mend Pet spell a 50% chance of cleansing 1 Curse, Disease, Magic, or Poison effect from your pet each time it heals and reduces the Mana cost by 20%. |
| 415 pts |  Ferocity | 5 | Increases the critical strike chance of your pets and hawks by 10%. |
| 415 pts |  Summon Hawk | 1 | Command a hawk to dive-bomb your targeted enemy, dealing ${32+($rap*(5/100))} Physical damage and continuing its assault for 18 sec. Only 2 hawks can be active at once. Summon Hawk shares its cooldown with Arcane Shot. |
| 520 pts |  Spirit Bond | 2 | While your pet is active, you and your pet will regenerate 1% of total health every 5 sec. |
| 520 pts |  IntimidationRequires Bestial Swiftness (1) | 1 | Command your pet to Stun the target for 3 sec on its next successful attack, which also gains 100% increased critical strike chance. Generates high threat. |
| 520 pts |  Bestial Discipline | 2 | Increases the Focus regeneration of your pets by 20% and allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting. |
| 625 pts |  FrenzyRequires Ferocity (5) | 5 | Gives your pet a 100% chance to gain a 30% attack speed increase for 8 sec after dealing a critical strike. |
| 730 pts |  Bestial WrathRequires Intimidation (1) | 1 | Send your pet into a rage causing 50% additional damage for 18 sec. While enraged, the beast does not feel pity or remorse or fear and it cannot be stopped unless killed. |
Marksmanship
16 talents · 52 points| Tier | Talent | Ranks | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 pts |  Hawk Eye | 3 | Increases the range of your ranged weapons by 6 yards. |
| 10 pts |  Improved Concussive Shot | 5 | Gives your Concussive Shot a 20% chance to stun the target for 3 sec. |
| 10 pts |  Lethal Attacks | 5 | Increases your critical strike chance with all attacks by 5%. |
| 25 pts |  Improved Stings | 3 | Increases the damage of your Serpent Sting ability by 20%, reduces the cooldown of your Viper Sting ability by 6 sec, and increases the duration of your Scorpid Sting ability by 45 sec. |
| 25 pts |  Efficiency | 5 | Reduces the Mana cost of your Shots, Stings, and melee abilities by 15%. |
| 25 pts |  Careful Aim | 5 | Increases your Attack Power by 100% of your Intellect. |
| 310 pts |  Rapid Killing | 2 | Reduces the cooldown on your Rapid Fire ability by 2 min. In addition, when you kill a non-trivial enemy or it dies while afflicted by your Serpent Sting, you gain Rapid Killing, increasing the damage of your next Shot ability within 20 sec by 20%. |
| 310 pts |  Improved Arcane Shot | 5 | Reduces the cooldown of your Arcane Shot by 1.5 sec. Does not affect the cooldown of abilities which share a cooldown with Arcane Shot. |
| 310 pts |  Lone Wolf | 1 | You deal 20% increased damage with all attacks while you do not have an active pet. |
| 415 pts |  Trueshot Aura | 1 | Increases the Ranged Attack Power of party or raid members within $a1 yds by 20. |
| 415 pts |  Mortal ShotsRequires Careful Aim (5) | 5 | Increases the critical strike damage bonus on all ranged abilities by 30%. |
| 520 pts |  Rapid RecuperationRequires Rapid Killing (2) | 2 | Afflicting a target with Serpent Sting allows 50% of your Mana Regeneration to continue while casting for 15 sec, increased to 100% when Rapid Killing is consumed. |
| 520 pts |  Barrage | 3 | Increases the damage done by your Multi-Shot, Aimed Shot, and Volley abilities by 15%. |
| 520 pts |  Scatter Shot | 1 | A short-range shot that deals 50% weapon damage and disorients the target for 4 sec. Any damage caused will remove the effect. Turns off your attack when used. |
| 625 pts |  Ranged Weapon Specialization | 5 | Increases the damage you deal with ranged weapons by 5%. |
| 730 pts |  Sniper ShotRequires Trueshot Aura (1) | 1 | A long-range shot that deals ranged damage plus 320 and increases the range of your next 3 Shots by 10 yards for 10 sec. |
Survival
18 talents · 52 points| Tier | Talent | Ranks | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 pts |  Improved Tracking | 5 | While tracking Beasts, Demons, Dragonkin, Elementals, Giants, Humanoids, or Undead, all damage you deal to the tracked creature type is increased by 5%. |
| 10 pts |  Deflection | 5 | Increases your Parry chance by 5%. |
| 25 pts |  Entrapment | 5 | When your traps are triggered, all affected targets are Entrapped, preventing them from moving for 5 sec. |
| 25 pts |  Savage Strikes | 2 | Increases the critical strike chance of all your melee abilities by 4%. |
| 25 pts |  Survivalist | 5 | Increases your total Health by 10%. |
| 25 pts |  Improved Wing Clip | 3 | Gives your Wing Clip ability a 20% chance to immobilize the target for 5 sec. |
| 310 pts |  Clever Traps | 2 | Increases the duration of Freezing and Frost trap effects by 30% and the damage of Immolation and Explosive trap effects by 30%. |
| 310 pts |  Surefooted | 3 | Increases your hit chance by 3% and reduces the duration of movement impairing effects on you by 30%. |
| 310 pts |  Deterrence | 1 | When activated, increases your Dodge and Parry chance by 25% for 10 sec. |
| 415 pts |  Survival Tactics | 2 | Increases your chance to hit with your Trap and Feign Death abilities by 10%. |
| 415 pts |  Predator's Edge | 5 | Increases your melee ability critical strike damage by 30% and your Off Hand weapon damage by 50%. |
| 415 pts |  CounterattackRequires Deterrence (1) | 1 | A strike that becomes active after parrying an opponent's attack. This attack deals 50% weapon damage plus 26 and immobilizes the target for 5 sec. Counterattack cannot be blocked, dodged, or parried. |
| 520 pts |  Resourcefulness | 2 | Reduces the Mana cost of your Trap and melee abilities by 60%, and grants your melee and ranged ability Critical Strikes a 100% chance to allow 50% of your Mana Regeneration to continue while casting for 30 sec. |
| 520 pts |  Expose Prey | 2 | Grants your melee and ranged attacks against enemies afflicted by Hunter's Mark a 10% chance to allow an activation of Mongoose Bite. Lasts 10 sec. |
| 520 pts |  Survivalist's Discipline | 2 | Reduces the cooldown of your Trap and Deterrence abilities by 40%. |
| 520 pts |  Strider Kick | 1 | A powerful kick that deals 100% melee weapon damage and increases movement speed by 30% for 3 sec. |
| 625 pts |  Lightning Reflexes | 5 | Increases your Agility by 15%. |
| 730 pts |  Lacerating StrikesRequires Expose Prey (2) | 1 | Your Mongoose Bite also causes the target to Bleed for damage equal to 40% of the damage done by Mongoose Bite over 21 sec |
What's new in Forever
Open in Talent CalculatorNew talents 14
- Careful AimNEWMarksmanship
- Expose PreyNEWSurvival
- Focused FireNEWBeast Mastery
- Improved StingsNEWMarksmanship
- Lacerating StrikesNEWSurvival
- Lone WolfNEWMarksmanship
- Predator's EdgeNEWSurvival
- Rapid KillingNEWMarksmanship
- Rapid RecuperationNEWMarksmanship
- ResourcefulnessNEWSurvival
- Sniper ShotNEWMarksmanship
- Strider KickNEWSurvival
- Summon HawkNEWBeast Mastery
- Survivalist's DisciplineNEWSurvival
Changed talents 25
- BarrageMarksmanshipMoved from tier 5 column 2 to tier 5 column 3
- Bestial DisciplineBeast MasteryRank values changedClassic Era: Increases the Focus regeneration of your pets by 20%.Forever: Increases the Focus regeneration of your pets by 20% and allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
- CounterattackSurvivalMoved from tier 5 column 3 to tier 4 column 3Rank values changedClassic Era: A strike that becomes active after parrying an opponent's attack. This attack deals 40 damage and immobilizes the target for 5 sec. Counterattack cannot be blocked, dodged, or parried.Forever: A strike that becomes active after parrying an opponent's attack. This attack deals 50% weapon damage plus 26 and immobilizes the target for 5 sec. Counterattack cannot be blocked, dodged, or parried.
- Deadly AspectsBeast MasteryRenamed from Improved Aspect of the HawkRank values changedClassic Era: While Aspect of the Hawk is active, all normal ranged attacks have a 5% chance of increasing ranged attack speed by 30% for 12 sec.Forever: While Aspect of the Hawk is active, Auto Shot has a 10% chance of increasing ranged attack speed by 30% for 12 sec. While Aspect of the Beast is active, all melee auto attacks have a 10% chance of increasing melee attack speed by 30% for 12 sec.
- EfficiencyMarksmanshipMoved from tier 1 column 3 to tier 2 column 2Rank values changedClassic Era: Reduces the Mana cost of your Shots and Stings by 10%.Forever: Reduces the Mana cost of your Shots, Stings, and melee abilities by 15%.
- EntrapmentSurvivalRank values changedClassic Era: Gives your Immolation Trap, Frost Trap, and Explosive Trap a 25% chance to entrap the target, preventing them from moving for 5 sec.Forever: When your traps are triggered, all affected targets are Entrapped, preventing them from moving for 5 sec.
- FerocityBeast MasteryRank values changedClassic Era: Increases the critical strike chance of your pets by 15%.Forever: Increases the critical strike chance of your pets and hawks by 10%.
- Hawk EyeMarksmanshipMoved from tier 3 column 4 to tier 1 column 1
- Improved Arcane ShotMarksmanshipRank values changedClassic Era: Reduces the cooldown of your Arcane Shot by 1 sec.Forever: Reduces the cooldown of your Arcane Shot by 1.5 sec. Does not affect the cooldown of abilities which share a cooldown with Arcane Shot.
- Improved Aspect of the MonkeyBeast MasteryMax rank 5 → 3Rank values changedClassic Era: Increases the Dodge bonus of your Aspect of the Monkey by 5%.Forever: Increases the Dodge bonus of your Aspect of the Monkey by 6%. Additionally, your pet gains 50% of the effect of your Aspect of the Monkey ability.
- Improved Mend PetBeast MasteryMoved from tier 4 column 2 to tier 4 column 1Rank values changedClassic Era: Gives the Mend Pet spell a 50% chance of cleansing 1 Curse, Disease, Magic or Poison effect from the pet each tick.Forever: Gives your Mend Pet spell a 50% chance of cleansing 1 Curse, Disease, Magic, or Poison effect from your pet each time it heals and reduces the Mana cost by 20%.
- Improved Revive PetBeast MasteryMoved from tier 2 column 4 to tier 2 column 3
- Improved TrackingSurvivalRenamed from Monster SlayingMax rank 3 → 5Moved from tier 1 column 1 to tier 1 column 2Rank values changedClassic Era: Increases all damage caused against Beasts, Giants and Dragonkin targets by 3% and increases critical damage caused against Beasts, Giants and Dragonkin targets by an additional 3%.Forever: While tracking Beasts, Demons, Dragonkin, Elementals, Giants, Humanoids, or Undead, all damage you deal to the tracked creature type is increased by 5%.
- Improved Wing ClipSurvivalMax rank 5 → 3Moved from tier 2 column 3 to tier 2 column 4
- IntimidationBeast MasteryRequirement changed: none → Bestial SwiftnessRank values changedClassic Era: Command your pet to intimidate the target on the next successful melee attack, causing a high amount of threat and stunning the target for 3 sec.Forever: Command your pet to Stun the target for 3 sec on its next successful attack, which also gains 100% increased critical strike chance. Generates high threat.
- Lethal AttacksMarksmanshipRenamed from Lethal ShotsMoved from tier 2 column 3 to tier 1 column 3
- Mortal ShotsMarksmanshipRequirement changed: Lethal Shots → Careful Aim
- Savage StrikesSurvivalRank values changedClassic Era: Increases the critical strike chance of Raptor Strike and Mongoose Bite by 20%.Forever: Increases the critical strike chance of all your melee abilities by 4%.
- Scatter ShotMarksmanshipMoved from tier 5 column 1 to tier 5 column 4
- Spirit BondBeast MasteryRank values changedClassic Era: While your pet is active, you and your pet will regenerate 2% of total health every 10 sec.Forever: While your pet is active, you and your pet will regenerate 1% of total health every 5 sec.
- SurefootedSurvivalMoved from tier 4 column 2 to tier 3 column 2Rank values changedClassic Era: Increases hit chance by 3% and increases the chance movement impairing effects will be resisted by an additional 15%.Forever: Increases your hit chance by 3% and reduces the duration of movement impairing effects on you by 30%.
- SurvivalistSurvivalMoved from tier 3 column 2 to tier 2 column 3
- Survival TacticsSurvivalRenamed from Trap Mastery
- Trueshot AuraMarksmanshipMoved from tier 7 column 2 to tier 4 column 2Requirement changed: Barrage → noneRank values changedClassic Era: Increases the $?$s446374 [ranged ][]attack power of party members within $a1 yards by 50$?$s446374 [ and the Hunter's ranged attack power by an additional 100][]. Lasts 30 min.Forever: Increases the Ranged Attack Power of party or raid members within $a1 yds by 20.
- Unleashed FuryBeast MasteryRank values changedClassic Era: Increases the damage done by your pets by 20%.Forever: Increases the damage done by your pets and hawks by 15%.
Removed talents 10
- Aimed ShotMarksmanship
- Humanoid SlayingSurvival
- Improved Eyes of the BeastBeast Mastery
- Improved Feign DeathSurvival
- Improved Hunter's MarkMarksmanship
- Improved Scorpid StingMarksmanship
- Improved Serpent StingMarksmanship
- Killer InstinctSurvival
- Thick HideBeast Mastery
- Wyvern StingSurvival
Official patch notes
All patch notesNov 3, 2026WoW: Forever update — November 2, 2026
- Hunter’s Mark can no longer be applied to a target multiple times by using different ranks of the spell.
- Fixed an issue where Rank 4 Hunter’s Mark was providing less Ranged Attack Power than Rank 3.
- Fixed an issue with the wording of the Explosive Trap debuff.
- All types of Hunter traps now have the same shared 30 second cooldown, instead of separate cooldowns for Fire-based and Frost-based traps.
- Aimed Shot: Bonus damage on all ranks increased by ~110%.
- Arcane Shot: Base damage on all ranks increased by ~30% and Attack Power coefficient raised from 0.1 to 0.15.
- Serpent Sting: Attack Power coefficient per tick increased to 5% from 3%. Base damage on all ranks increased ~20%.
- Aspect of the Hawk: Ranged Attack Power bonus increased on all ranks. New values: 20, 35, 50, 70, 90, 110 for ranks 1-6.
- Hunter pets should no longer lose their innate Attack Speed passives when untraining them.
- Beast Mastery
- Pathfinding: This talent moved from 2nd row to 3rd row.
- Marksmanship
- Barrage: Damage increase raised to 5/10/15% from 3/7/10%.
- Sniper Shot: Bonus damage on all ranks increased by 100%.
- Trueshot Aura: Ranged Attack Power bonus increased on all ranks. New values: 20, 35, 50, 75, 100.
- Survival
- Lacerating Strikes: This effect will always overwrite an existing one from the same Hunter, even if the new effect is weaker damage per second.
- Lightning Reflexes: Agility bonus increased to 3/6/9/12/15% from 2/4/6/8/10%.
Oct 16, 2026WoW: Forever update — October 15, 2026
- Auto Shot now requires you to stand still for 0.5 seconds before shooting, matching early versions of World of Warcraft.
- Arrows should now be visible when a character has their bow drawn back.
- Pets now correctly benefit from Expertise.
- The Hunter’s Fire traps now correctly scale with Attack Power.
- The Hunter may now correctly have 1 active Fire Trap and 1 active Ice Trap (was 1 Trap among all types).
- Pets
- Fixed an issue where pets were only ever inheriting the player’s Melee Critical Strike chance instead of whichever is higher, melee or ranged.
- Dismember (Crocolisk)
- Healing reduction reduced to 25% (was 50%).
- Duration reduced to 6 seconds (was 10 seconds).
- Cooldown increased to 15 seconds (was 6 seconds).
- Sonic Blast (Bat)
- Cast speed reduction reduced to 30% (was 60%).
- Duration reduced to 20 seconds (was 30 seconds).
- Cooldown increased to 60 seconds (was 30 seconds).
- Mine! (Bird of Prey)
- Duration reduced to 3 seconds (was 4 seconds).
- Cooldown increased to 90 seconds (was 60 seconds).
- Beast Mastery
- Summon Hawk will now correctly cause the Hawk to spawn at the target the spell was cast on.
- Summon Hawk will now stick your Hawk to the target that it was summoned on.
- Fixed an issue causing the Improved Mend Pet talent to increase the Mana cost of Mend Pet instead of decrease.
- Marksmanship
- Trueshot Aura is now Raid wide.
- Fixed an issue where Sniper Shot was not benefitting from a few Marksmanship talents.
- Survival
- Strider Kick can now be used while disarmed or while no weapon is equipped in your Main Hand.
- Resourcefulness now correctly reduces the Mana cost of Strider Kick.
- Resourcefulness now correctly activates when landing a critical strike, but it has been changed to only activating on melee and ranged ability critical strikes to prevent spamming.
- Updated the tooltip for Predator’s Edge changed to better convey that it only increases the critical strike damage of your abilities.
Oct 8, 2026WoW: Forever update — October 8, 2026
- Disengage: Threat reduction was intended to be doubled but was missed. Now implemented.
- Fixed a bug causing Hunter pets to gain health repeatedly when low health.
- Beast Mastery
- Unleashed Fury now correctly increases your pet’s damage.
- Marksmanship
- Improved Concussive Shot now has the correct chance to activate.
- Survival
- Improved Wing Clip now has the correct chance to activate and reduced chance to activate if using ranks substantially below your current level.
- Expose Prey now lasts 10 sec (was 5).
- Entrapment now correctly has diminishing returns.
- Entrapment now correctly only activates on Frost Trap’s initial activation, not periodically.
Oct 1, 2026WoW: Forever update — October 1, 2026
- Marksmanship
- Icon for Improved Stings changed to be more Vanilla feeling.
- The 31st talent Sniper Shot now has a 45-yard Range and increases the range of your next 3 shots made within 10 seconds by 10 yards.
- Survival
- Icon for Predator’s Edge changed to be more Vanilla feeling.
- Deflection’s Parry increase changed to 1/2/3/4/5% (Was 2/4/6/8/10%).
- Pets
- Aggressive Mode has been brought back and can be found under the pet tab in your spell book.
Sep 24, 2026WoW: Forever update — September 24, 2026
- Pets
- Furious Howl Attack Power bonus reduced 40%.
- Sonic Blast ability now properly available to Bat pets.
- Tame Beast no longer works on Beasts that are higher than the Hunter’s level.
- Marksmanship
- Talenting out of Lone Wolf will no longer cause the Hunter to have -4% damage while their pet is active.
- Survival
- Corrected an issue and now Lacerating Strikes can land critical hits.
- Strider Kick now increases movement speed by 30% for 3 seconds.
Source: Blizzard, official WoW: Forever development notes (linked from each entry).