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Master Hunter: A Guide to playing the Hunter Class
Welcome fellow Hunters! You have come to this page because you are new to the Hunter class or you are thinking about playing a Hunter. If you prefer ranged damage with some crowd control you have chosen the right class! This comprehensive guide will explore all aspects of playing the Hunter class. All information has been obtained from the very knowledgable players in the Hunter forums and compiled here for reference. This guide will try to remain as brief but descriptive as possible, linking to more detailed information found elsewhere. The information you find in this guide was created by fellow players. If you have any further questions after reading this guide, please feel free to visit the Hunter forums and ask! We are here to help!
Should I Play a Hunter?
If you are new to the game you may still be trying to decide what class to settle on. If you are thinking of playing a Hunter, ask yourself these questions. If the answer is yes to most of the following questions, the Hunter class may be for you.
- Do you prefer to do ranged damage against enemies?
- Do you enjoy having a character whose primary weapon is the bow?
- Do you enjoy having quick travel skills(ports)?
- Do you prefer a class that can track nearby enemies?
If you answered yes to these questions, give the Hunter class a try. Play your new Hunter to level 20 to see how it feels. If it feels right, welcome to the Hunter community.
Pros vs. Cons of the Hunter Class
I won't go into detail here about the differences between classes. Here I will only list some of the good things, and some of the bad things about playing a Hunter in an attempt to help you decide if the Hunter class is for you.
Pros
High ranged damage, Quick travel skills (ports), some Crowd Control (CC), faster out-of-combat run speed, use of traps, limited stealth
Cons
Weak in Melee, lacks real self-heal, uses large amount of consumables (optional), eats through power, finding groups can be difficult
Which race should I chose?
The Hunter, unlike some of the other classes, can choose any of the four races available. While each race is different, there is not really a distinct advantage to one race over the other. The difference is, on the surface, primarily cosmetic. However, each race offers a different set of attributes and traits, which only make a real difference starting out. By 'end game' level cap, most of the differences in races can be made up for with gear. So chose the race you like the most and make it work for you.
Elves start out with more Agility and power than the other races, which is good for a new hunter. They have reduced Fate and Morale, and lower Morale regeneration out-of-combat. They have a nice skill that gives a large parry bonus for a short time. Elves also gain a small bonus to Bow Damage and have a moving stealth skill.
The Race of Man starts out with more Might. They have increased Fate, increased Morale Regeneration, and decreased Will. The Strength of Morale racial trait is what really makes this race shine. Strength of Morale gives a fairly large, instant cast heal which helps make up for the Hunters lack of a self-heal. The Race of Man also gains a small bonus to Sword Damage.
Dwarves start out with higher Morale but lower Agility and Fate. They have increased Might, Vitality and common damage mitigation. Dwarves gain a small bonus to Axe Damage and have a trait that greatly reduces incoming damage for a short period of time. This race is probably the most rare for Hunters.
Hobbits are a very well rounded race. They start out with the highest Morale and Power and have a nice Feign Death skill that allows them to get out of bad situations. They also have a moving stealth skill. They have reduced Might, but increased Shadow mitigation, Vitality, and Fear resistance. Hobbits gain a small bonus to Club damage.
If you would like to get a more detailed view of each race please click the race you are interested in above.
To view what The Pariah has to say about races, you can visit the race section of his guide here. A Hunter Style Guide by The Pariah#Race
What Crafting Profession should I be?
Again, this will ultimately be a personal choice. Some of you may want to make your own bows, others will want to make weapons or farm vegetables. If you want to be an almost completely self sufficient Hunter, my advice would be to go with the Historian profession. This profession will allow you to create your own health and power potions, as well as Fire and Light oil for your arrows. Not to mention the added bonus of being able to craft Battle Scrolls for you and your fellowship. This profession also allows you to make your own traps, which will come in very handy at times. If you would like to make your own bows, the Woodsman profession may be for you.
Welcome to the War!
Combat as a Hunter can seem rather repetitive at times. It is important to review all your skills and to know exactly what each skill does. Knowing what skill to use and when to use it makes all the difference between an average Hunter and a great Hunter. I will not go into great detail about what every skill available does as it is posted very nicely on the main Hunter Lorebook entry page. Instead I will go over same basic Hunter strategies for Hunters starting out, as well as link to other guides and discussions that focus on more advanced Hunter tactics. First, lets review Stances as it is very important to understand what each Stance does.
The Hunter Stance
The Hunter has four Stances. Each Stance has its own benefits and disadvantages. Some Stances you will use primarily while soloing or for PVP, others you will use in groups, with the exception of one Stance that you will probably never use unless it is changed to be more beneficial to use.
The Hunters favorite Stance. This Stance greatly increases your damage output and increases the power cost of your bow skills. If you are soloing and just out questing, this is the Stance you will want to choose most of the time as it will allow you to take out enemies faster. The bad thing about this Stance is that it generates more Threat. While not a problem soloing, generating more Threat with this Stance in a group makes things difficult for the tank and healer. Generally the only time this stance is used in groups is in PVP and in the easier group content, or towards the end of a boss fight when the tank has things under control.
Stance: Endurance
The opposite of Stance: Strength. This stance does less damage and generates less Threat. It also reduces the power cost of your bow skills. This is the Stance to use in a group setting.
Class Traits
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
