The Master Shooter confidently kills enemies with unmatched accuracy from long range.
As the Marksmanship Hunter, you maximize your damage with well-aimed shots at your opponents. Alternate damage specializations include the Survival Hunter and the Beast Mastery Hunter.
The most important changes
The Arcane Shot, Retreat, Eyes of the Beast, Ice Cold Trap, Mark of the Hunter, Lethal Shot, Frighten Beast, and Lulling Shot abilities are now available to all Hunter specializations.
You now have room for up to 200 companions in your stable. Misdirection’s duration now starts after the first attack within 30 seconds of activation and runs for eight seconds. In the Shadowlands, hunters can tame a variety of new animals, which now include cloud serpents and undead wildlife.
Your area-of-effect attacks Multiple Shot, Skilled Shot, and Explosive Shot now only hit a maximum of six targets; the maximum number of targets for Explosive Shot is eight. The former Binding Shot talent is now available as a normal ability.
Rapid Fire now fires seven shots in two seconds instead of ten shots in three seconds. The focus costs of Aimed Shot, Arcane Shot, and Multiple Shot have each been increased by five. Marksman is a new level 45 talent.
Deadly Shot has two charges as a result and causes Aimed Shot to recharge 60% faster for three seconds. At level 50, you can access the new talent Volley. This will rain down arrows over the course of six seconds, dealing physical damage to enemies in the effect area. You also gain the Skilled Shots effect during the duration of the volley. Other talents have been slightly reworked.
How to play the Marksmanship Hunter
| Stage | Talent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Master Marksman | Critical hits from your special skills cause the target to bleed and deal an additional 15% of the damage done over the course of six seconds. |
| 25 | Careful Aim | Aimed Shot deals 50% bonus damage to targets with more than 70% health. |
| 30 | Natural Mending | For every 20 Focus spent, the remaining cooldown of Rejoice is reduced by one second. |
| 35 | Streamline | Increases Rapid Fire damage by 15%, and Rapid Fire makes your next use of Aimed Shot 30% faster. |
| 40 | Posthaste | Retreat additionally frees you from all movement restricting effects and increases your movement speed by 50% for four seconds |
| 45 | Leathal Shots | Arcane Shot and Multiple Shot have a 30% chance to reduce the cooldown of Rapid Fire by five seconds |
| 50 | Lock and Load | Your automatic ranged attacks have an 8% chance to trigger save and load, making your next use of Aimed Shot cost no focus and be a spontaneous spell. |
Against single targets, Deadly Shot has top priority once the target drops below 20% health. Keep your Rapid Fire ability on cooldown. Use Arcane Shot if you have charges of the Precise Shot passive effect.
Always use Aimed Shot when it is not affected by cooldown. Take special advantage of the Save and Charge effect, which allows you to use Aimed Shot spontaneously and without a focus cost. You can reduce excess focus with Arcane Shot, and build up focus with Reliable Shot.
Against multiple targets you proceed similarly, only replace Arcane Shot with Multiple Shot. Pay attention to the effect Skilled Shots. You need this effect with Aimed Shot or Rapid Fire. Use Reliable Shot to build up Focus.
