Dwarf Hunter 1–60: Beast Mastery with a pet tank

• 1–9: you have no pet yet. Shoot from range, Serpent Sting from 4, Arcane Shot from 6, Concussive Shot from 8. Buy ammunition before you leave town.
• 10: Tame Beast, Feed Pet, Revive Pet, Call Pet and Aspect of the Hawk. From now on the pet tanks.
• 10–19: Endurance Training 5/5, Focused Fire 2/2, Deadly Aspects 3/5. Mend Pet at 12.
• 20–31: Bestial Swiftness, Unleashed Fury 5/5, Summon Hawk at 25, Ferocity 5/5.
• 32–40: Intimidation, Spirit Bond, Frenzy 5/5 and Bestial Wrath at 40. 31/0/0 at 40.
• 41–60: the rest of Beast Mastery, then Marksmanship: Lethal Attacks, Efficiency, Rapid Killing, Improved Arcane Shot, Trueshot Aura. 35/16/0 at 60.
• Rule: the pet goes in first, you wait a couple of seconds, then you shoot. Feed the pet and restock ammunition every time you are in town.

1. Range is everything. Auto Shot works at 8–35 yards (client data). Closer than 8 yards you cannot shoot, and melee only reaches 5 yards. Keep the enemy on the pet.
2. Ammunition runs out. Without arrows or bullets you do not shoot. Carry a quiver (Medium Quiver) or an ammo pouch (Medium Shot Pouch) and fill it at a vendor.
3. Level 10: tame a pet with Tame Beast. According to Warcraft Tavern and Hearthproof that takes a quest chain from the Hunter trainer.
4. Feed it right away. A freshly tamed beast is "very unhappy and disloyal" (client data). Use Feed Pet immediately.
5. Level 12: Mend Pet heals the pet while you channel (stand still and "hold" the ability) for 5 sec, from at most 20 yards away.
6. The basic loop: the pet attacks → Hunter's Mark → Serpent Sting → Auto Shot → Arcane Shot when it is ready.
7. The enemy turns on you: stop shooting for a moment, Concussive Shot, back off. From 20 Disengage, from 30 Feign Death.
8. Level 40: Bestial Wrath (+50% pet damage for 18 sec), mail armor, riding and dual spec.
9. Be honest with yourself: if the pet dies often, the enemies are too hard or too many. Change targets, not spec.

Strategy	Talents at 40	Upside	Downside	For you?
A. Beast Mastery, sturdy pet first	31/0/0 (35/16/0 at 60)	The pet survives mistakes, simple loop, Bestial Wrath at 40	Slightly lower damage 10–19 than B	Recommended
B. Beast Mastery, Deadly Aspects first	31/0/0	More damage from level 10 (Hearthproof, Method)	The pet dies more easily; takes experience	If you have played Hunter before
C. Marksmanship with Lone Wolf	Marksmanship-leaning	+20% damage without a pet	No tank – you kite everything	As a second spec at 40

Why A: all three sources recommend Beast Mastery for leveling, because the pet both tanks and deals damage while you stand at range. The only difference from Hearthproof and Method is the order of the first ten points: they take Deadly Aspects first, we take Endurance Training (+15% pet health and armor). Hearthproof gives that same advice to anyone playing their first Hunter. There are no published, controlled 1–60 tests showing which order is fastest.

The guide is written for a Dwarf, but the build works for every race that can be a Hunter: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf and Skyborne (Alliance) plus Orc, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne (Horde). Human Hunter is new in Forever. No race has Hunter abilities of its own in the client data – the difference is in the racials. Values from client data 1.60.1.70862.

Why Dwarf: most enemies you meet from 1 to 30 are Beasts (assumed from Classic), and Big Game Hunter gives +5% damage against exactly those. Artisan's Precision gives +1% hit on every shot, and Stoneform deals with poison and bleeds. You also start close to Ironforge, with Hunter trainers, pet trainers and Engineering for your own bullets.

Dwarf tips

Big Game Hunter (+5% damage against Beasts) and Artisan's Precision (+1% hit) are passive. Stoneform removes and grants immunity to poison, disease and bleed effects for 8 sec and reduces physical damage by 10% (3 min cooldown). Find Treasure shows chests on the minimap – whether it competes with Track Beasts for the tracking slot is not in the data.

Human tips

Ruthless gives +1% crit and The Human Spirit +10% Spirit (a little more mana regen). Will to Survive breaks stuns (3 min cooldown) and Perception reveals stealth. Human Hunter is new in Forever.

Night Elf tips

Elune's Light gives +10% crit for 15 sec (3 min cooldown) – save it for a hard enemy. Shadowmeld lets a patrol walk past, Quickness gives +1% dodge and +2% movement speed, and Wisp Spirit makes corpse runs faster.

Skyborne tips

Wind Blessed gives +2% haste, ranged attacks included. Read Leyline (Alliance) increases health and mana regen by 50% for 15 sec (2 min cooldown), Walk on Air lets you glide down cliffs and Elemental Insight gives +5% damage against Elementals.

Orc tips

Command gives the pet +5% damage – the only racial that directly strengthens the pet. Blood Fury gives +10% Attack Power for 15 sec (2 min cooldown).

Tauren tips

War Stomp stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec – time to back out to shooting range. Endurance gives +5% health.

Troll tips

Beast Slaying (+5% damage against Beasts) and Berserking (+10% attack speed). Rapid Regeneration restores 50% health over 6 sec if you stand still.

Range: shooting zone, dead zone and melee

The client data gives three distances that govern the whole class:

• 8–35 yards: Auto Shot and your shots work. This is where you stand.
• 5–8 yards: neither shots nor melee reach. An enemy standing here hurts you and you cannot answer.
• 0–5 yards: Raptor Strike, Wing Clip (from 12) and Mongoose Bite (from 16, only after you dodge).

Practical rule: do not stand at maximum range from the pet. Mend Pet only reaches 20 yards, so stand about there – far enough to shoot, close enough to heal.

The pet: taming, feeding and keeping it alive

This is in the client data for level 10:

• Tame Beast: costs 60% of your mana and is channeled for 20 sec. Meanwhile your armor is reduced by 100%, so the beast hits hard. If you lose the beast's attention the taming fails. Full health and full mana before you start.
• Feed Pet: raises the pet's happiness. Food close to the pet's level works best. A freshly tamed beast is very unhappy and disloyal – feed it at once.
• Dismiss Pet: sends the pet away, but lowers its happiness by 50. Do not do it needlessly.
• Call Pet: calls the pet back.
• Revive Pet: 10 sec cast, costs 100% of your mana according to the client data, and brings the pet back with 15% health. Expensive – which is why a living pet is worth more than a fast kill.
• Beast Training: lets you teach the pet abilities that you have learned how to teach.
• Mend Pet (level 12): 20 health per second for 5 sec at rank 1, new ranks at 20, 28, 36, 44, 52 and 60.
• Beast Lore (level 24): shows a beast's damage, health, armor, resistances and diet. Before 24 you find the right food by trial and error.

This is not in our data but comes from the sources – check in game:

• You can only tame Beasts at or below your own level (Hearthproof; same as Classic).
• Happiness has three states and decays over time (Hearthproof). In Classic an unhappy pet deals less damage and can run away – assumed from Classic.
• The pet holds the enemy with Growl, which should be on autocast, and solo you keep the pet on Defensive (Hearthproof, Method). That Growl, Great Stamina and Natural Armor exist from pet level 1 is, however, in the ability data (Method says the same).
• Diets according to Hearthproof: Boar and Carrion Bird eat meat or fish; Bear and Crab eat anything; Raptor, Scorpid, Crocolisk and Bird of Prey eat meat only; Bat and Gorilla eat fungus or fruit.

Which pet?

Our data lists the pet families' abilities but not their roles or diets, so the table is based on Hearthproof. Treat it as a starting point.

Practical choice: take a sturdy beast that lives where you start and eats what you loot anyway. Swap when you find something better – no choice is final.

Dwarf tips

Dun Morogh has bears, boars and wolves around Kharanos (assumed from Classic). A Boar or a Bear suits this build.

Skyborne tips

Hearthproof names Crab as the Skyborne tank. Which beasts live on Zephras Isle is not in our data.

Ammunition and quivers

Arrows for bows and crossbows, bullets for guns. Everything in the table stacks to 200 (client data). Damage per arrow or bullet is not in our data – read the tooltip and use the best one your level allows.

Your level	Arrows	Bullets	Source
1	Rough Arrow	Light Shot	Vendor
10	Sharp Arrow	Heavy Shot	Vendor
25	Razor Arrow	Solid Shot	Vendor
40	Jagged Arrow	Accurate Slugs	Vendor
52	Thorium Headed Arrow	Thorium Shells	Thorium Shells are made with Engineering 285; the source of the arrows is missing from the data

That vendors sell the first four rows comes from the site's vendor data, which is Classic data and not verified on live. With Engineering you make your own bullets: Crafted Light Shot (level 5, Engineering 1), Crafted Heavy Shot (level 15, Engineering 75) and Crafted Solid Shot (level 30, Engineering 125). Hi-Impact Mithril Slugs (level 37) and Mithril Gyro-Shot (level 44) also exist as Engineering recipes, but where the recipes are learned is missing from the data.

Quivers and ammo pouches take a bag slot and hold only ammunition, but give faster ranged attacks (client data):

Level	Quiver / pouch	Slots	Attack speed
1	Light Quiver / Small Ammo Pouch	6	+10%
1	Small Quiver / Small Shot Pouch	8	+10%
10	Medium Quiver / Medium Shot Pouch	10	+10%
30	Heavy Quiver / Heavy Leather Ammo Pouch	14	+12% (Leatherworking 125)
40	Quickdraw Quiver / Thick Leather Ammo Pouch	16	+13% (Leatherworking)

Rule: never leave town with less than a full quiver. If the ammunition runs out in the middle of a zone, you are left with a melee weapon and a pet.

Aspects and tracking

Only one Aspect at a time (client data):

• Aspect of the Monkey (4): +8% dodge. Use it 4–9, before you have a pet.
• Aspect of the Hawk (10): more Ranged Attack Power. Your default in combat from level 10; new ranks at 18, 28, 38, 48, 58 and 60.
• Aspect of the Cheetah (20): +30% movement speed, but you are dazed for 4 sec if you take damage. For travel only.
• Aspect of the Pack (40): the same for the whole group. Aspect of the Wild (46): Nature resistance.

Track Beasts (1) and Track Humanoids (10) show targets on the minimap – handy both for quests and for finding a beast to tame. Only one form of tracking can be active at a time.

One talent point per level from 10; 31 points at 40 and 51 at 60. The order is shown in the talent tree above and validated by the site.

• 10–14 Endurance Training 5/5: +15% pet health and armor. A tank that does not die saves you Revive Pet, which costs all your mana.
• 15–16 Focused Fire 2/2: +2% damage for you and the pet while the pet is active.
• 17–19 Deadly Aspects 3/5: with Aspect of the Hawk, every Auto Shot has a 6% chance to give +30% ranged attack speed for 12 sec. It also provides the ten points that row 3 requires.
• 20 Bestial Swiftness: the pet moves 30% faster and reaches the enemy before the enemy reaches you. Required for Intimidation.
• 21–24, 26 Unleashed Fury 5/5: +15% damage from pets and hawks.
• 25 Summon Hawk: a hawk attacks the target for 18 sec; at most two hawks at once. Shares a cooldown with Arcane Shot. The damage reads "X" in the client data, so the value is unknown – Hearthproof and Method take it at 25.
• 27–31 Ferocity 5/5: +10% crit for pets and hawks. Required for Frenzy.
• 32 Intimidation: the pet's next attack stuns the target for 3 sec and generates high threat (what decides who the enemy attacks). Your button for taking back an enemy that has turned on you.
• 33–34 Spirit Bond 2/2: you and the pet regenerate 1% of maximum health every 5 sec. Less Mend Pet, less food.
• 35–39 Frenzy 5/5: after every crit the pet gains +30% attack speed for 8 sec.
• 40 Bestial Wrath: the pet deals 50% more damage for 18 sec and cannot be stopped. Requires 30 points in the tree and Intimidation.
• 41–42 Deadly Aspects 5/5: the chance goes from 6% to 10%.
• 43–44 Bestial Discipline 2/2: +20% Focus regen for the pet, and 50% of your mana regen continues while casting.
• 45–49 Lethal Attacks 5/5: +5% crit on all your attacks.
• 50–54 Efficiency 5/5: −15% mana cost on shots, stings and melee abilities.
• 55–56 Rapid Killing 2/2: −2 min cooldown on Rapid Fire, and after a kill your next shot deals 20% more damage.
• 57–59 Improved Arcane Shot 3/5: −0.9 sec cooldown on Arcane Shot. Does not affect Summon Hawk, despite the shared cooldown (client data).
• 60 Trueshot Aura: more Ranged Attack Power for the whole group – ahead of dungeons and raids.

Talent split at 60: 35/16/0 (Beast Mastery 35, Marksmanship 16). The points 41–60 are our own theorycraft; Method puts them in Marksmanship with Careful Aim and Mortal Shots, see alternative D.

What we skip: Improved Revive Pet (Hearthproof and Method take 2/2 early). If your pet dies often it is worth two points – take them instead of Deadly Aspects at 17–18.

Legacy points: Warcraft Tavern writes that the five extra Legacy points on the beta gave Intimidation and a point in Frenzy earlier. If you have such points: follow the same order, just earlier. Check in game.

Goal: level 4, a full quiver and the habit of shooting first.

• The quests in your race's starting zone (see the race box). Pick up several quests in the same area before heading back.
• Open with Auto Shot at maximum range. When the enemy reaches you: Raptor Strike and melee.
• Track Beasts on – the beasts then show on the minimap.
• Level 4: Aspect of the Monkey (+8% dodge) and Serpent Sting (DoT, damage over time). Sting first, then Auto Shot.
• Buy ammunition every time you turn in quests.

Dwarf tips

You start in Coldridge Valley in Dun Morogh. Hunter trainers according to Classic data: Thorgas Grimson at Anvilmar (29.2, 67.5) and Grif Wildheart in Kharanos (45.8, 53). Dwarves start with a gun in Classic (assumed from Classic) – buy Light Shot, not arrows.

Human tips

You start in Northshire Valley in Elwynn Forest. Human Hunter is new in Forever and the Classic data has no Hunter trainer in Northshire or Goldshire – the closest is Einris Brightspear in Stormwind (67.4, 36.3). Check in game.

Night Elf tips

You start in Shadowglen on Teldrassil. Hunter trainers according to Classic data: Ayanna Everstride (58.7, 40.4) and Dazalar in Dolanaar (56.7, 59.5). Night Elves start with a bow (assumed from Classic) – buy Rough Arrow.

Skyborne tips

Zephras Isle is the Skyborne starting zone and Valanaar the home city (the names are in the client data). The Classic data has no NPCs on the island, so find the Hunter trainer yourself.

Orc/Troll tips

Horde: you start in the Valley of Trials in Durotar; trainers according to Classic data are Jen'shan (42.8, 69.3) and Thotar in Razor Hill (51.8, 43.5). The zone plan in this guide is Alliance.

Tauren tips

Horde: you start in Mulgore; trainers according to Classic data are Lanka Farshot (44, 76.4) and Yaw Sharpmane (46.9, 59.6). The zone plan in this guide is Alliance.

First Aid tipsShow profession tips

Linen Bandage (First Aid 1, one Linen Cloth). Bandages cost no mana and are your only healing besides food.

Skinning tipsShow profession tips

Skin everything you kill. Light Leather goes to Leatherworking or the Auction House. Hearthproof points out that Skinning itself does not feed the pet – the meat comes from loot.

Goal: a working kite loop (shoot, back off, shoot) until the pet arrives.

• Level 6: Arcane Shot (instant, 6 sec cooldown) and Hunter's Mark (more Ranged Attack Power against the target for 2 min).
• Level 8: Concussive Shot – slows the target by 50% for 4 sec, 12 sec cooldown. And Raptor Strike rank 2.
• Standard pull: Hunter's Mark → Serpent Sting → Auto Shot → Arcane Shot → Concussive Shot when the enemy gets close → back off and keep shooting.
• You have no tank for five more levels. Take enemies at or below your level, one at a time.

Engineering tipsShow profession tips

Engineering 1: Crafted Light Shot (level 5). Engineering 50: Rough Boomstick (level 5, 4.3 DPS) – your first crafted gun. Engineering 60: Crude Scope (+1 damage on a bow or gun).

Leatherworking tipsShow profession tips

Leatherworking 25: Light Leather Quiver and Small Leather Ammo Pouch (8 slots, +10% ranged attack speed). Leatherworking 20: Camp Tent raises rested XP at the campfire.

Cooking tipsShow profession tips

In Forever, food that gives Well Fed also gives +5% XP from kills (client data, conditional – read the tooltip).

Checkpoint level 9: Do you have a quiver or an ammo pouch? Can you kill an enemy of your level before it hits you more than a couple of times?

Goal: a tamed, fed pet and Aspect of the Hawk.

• Level 10 at the trainer: Aspect of the Hawk, Track Humanoids, Serpent Sting rank 2 and the pet abilities Tame Beast, Call Pet, Dismiss Pet, Feed Pet, Revive Pet and Beast Training.
• The quest chain: according to Warcraft Tavern and Hearthproof you get Tame Beast through a chain from the Hunter trainer in which you tame three beasts on trial ("Taming the Beast") before you may keep one of your own. The site's quest data has the chain "The Hunter's Path" → "Taming the Beast" → "Training the Beast" at level 10 for both factions, but which beasts and where has not been checked – follow the trainer.
• How to tame: full health and mana, no other enemies nearby, Concussive Shot on the beast, and start Tame Beast at maximum range (30 yards) so it gets fewer hits in. Stay put for 20 sec.
• Right afterwards: Feed Pet. Put the pet's attack button where you can reach it.
• First point in Endurance Training.

Dwarf tips

Tame a beast around Kharanos – preferably one at level 9–10 so it is not too weak. Pet trainers according to Classic data: Peria Lamenur in Dun Morogh (46.7, 54) and Belia Thundergranite in Ironforge (70.9, 85.8).

Night Elf tips

Pet trainers according to Classic data: Keldas on Teldrassil (56.8, 59.8) and Silvaria in Darnassus (42.5, 9.2).

Human tips

Pet trainer according to Classic data: Karrina Mekenda in Stormwind (67.3, 36.8), next to the Hunter trainers. Hearthproof gives the chain "The Hunter's Path" → "Taming the Beast" → "Training the Beast" for Human and Skyborne.

Checkpoint level 11: Is the pet content after feeding? Do you know what food it eats?

Goal: the pet takes every hit, you rarely drink. Endurance Training 5/5, Focused Fire 2/2, Deadly Aspects 3/5.

• Level 12: Mend Pet, Wing Clip (slows by 50% for 10 sec, melee), Distracting Shot and Arcane Shot rank 2.
• Distracting Shot pulls the enemy onto you. Use it only to save a pet that is about to die – never in a normal fight.
• Level 14: Scare Beast (fear on a Beast for up to 10 sec, 1.5 sec cast), Eagle Eye and Eyes of the Beast.
• Level 16: Immolation Trap (fire trap, 30 sec cooldown), Mongoose Bite and Raptor Strike rank 3. Whether traps can be placed in combat is not in the data – assumed from Classic that you place them before the fight.
• Level 18: Multi-Shot (hits 3 targets, 6 sec cooldown), Aspect of the Hawk rank 2, Serpent Sting rank 3 and Track Undead. Multi-Shot also hits enemies you did not mean to fight – look before you press it.
• Standard pull: the pet attacks → wait a couple of seconds → Hunter's Mark → Serpent Sting → Auto Shot → Arcane Shot. Mend Pet when the pet is below half health.

Dwarf tips

Loch Modan is the next zone. The Classic data has a Hunter trainer (Dargh Trueaim, 82.4, 62.4) and a pet trainer (Claude Erksine, 82.2, 62.8) at the far eastern end of the zone.

Engineering tipsShow profession tips

Engineering 75: Crafted Heavy Shot (level 15). Engineering 105: Deadly Blunderbuss (level 16, 8.3 DPS). Engineering 110: Standard Scope (+2 damage).

First Aid tipsShow profession tips

Heavy Linen Bandage (First Aid 40). Bandage yourself while the pet holds the enemy – you are standing at range anyway.

Checkpoint level 19: Can you take five enemies in a row without the pet dying? If not: easier enemies, or feed and heal more often.

Goal: Bestial Swiftness, Unleashed Fury 4/5 and an opener with Aimed Shot.

• Level 20: Aimed Shot (2 sec cast, shares a cooldown with Multi-Shot), Aspect of the Cheetah, Disengage (lowers your threat), Freezing Trap (freezes the first enemy for up to 10 sec; damage breaks the ice) and new ranks of Arcane Shot, Mend Pet and Distracting Shot.
• New opener: let the pet run first and start Aimed Shot so that it lands just after the pet's first hit. If it lands before, you have threat before the pet has done anything.
• Level 22: Scorpid Sting (−2% hit chance for the target) and Hunter's Mark rank 2. Only one Sting per target – Serpent Sting is the solo default.
• Level 24: Beast Lore (shows a beast's diet and stats), Track Hidden and Raptor Strike rank 4.
• Freezing Trap is your answer to two enemies: one freezes, the pet takes the other.

Engineering tipsShow profession tips

Engineering 120: Lovingly Crafted Boomstick (level 19, 9.6 DPS; the recipe is an item). Engineering 130: Silver-plated Shotgun (level 21, 10.6 DPS). Engineering 145: Moonsight Rifle (level 24, 11.9 DPS; the recipe is an item).

Leatherworking tipsShow profession tips

No new quiver before Leatherworking 125. Make leather armor for yourself in the meantime.

Checkpoint level 24: Use Beast Lore on your pet and note down its diet.

Goal: Summon Hawk at 25, Unleashed Fury 5/5 and Ferocity 5/5.

• Level 25: Summon Hawk. It shares a cooldown with Arcane Shot, so you pick one of them each time. Method keeps two hawks out and recasts only when they are about to expire; Arcane Shot goes in between.
• Level 25: Razor Arrow / Solid Shot.
• Level 26: Rapid Fire (+40% attack speed for 15 sec, 5 min cooldown), Track Elementals, new ranks of Serpent Sting and Immolation Trap.
• Level 28: Frost Trap (slows everything within 10 yards by 60%), new ranks of Aimed Shot, Arcane Shot, Aspect of the Hawk and Mend Pet.
• Level 30: Feign Death (30 sec cooldown), Aspect of the Beast, Lacerate (bleed, melee), new ranks of Mongoose Bite, Scare Beast and Distracting Shot. Also Heavy Quiver / Heavy Leather Ammo Pouch (14 slots, +12%).
• Feign Death is your emergency exit: the enemies may let you go. What happens to the pet is not in the data.

Leatherworking tipsShow profession tips

Leatherworking 125: Heavy Quiver and Heavy Leather Ammo Pouch (level 30, 14 slots, +12% attack speed).

Engineering tipsShow profession tips

Engineering 125: Crafted Solid Shot (level 30). Engineering 180: Accurate Scope (+3 damage).

Checkpoint level 31: Do you keep two hawks out in long fights? Is Feign Death on a button you can find in a panic?

Goal: Intimidation at 32, Spirit Bond 2/2, Frenzy 5/5.

• Level 32: Intimidation – a 3 sec stun and high threat. Press it when an enemy leaves the pet. Also Flare, Track Demons and Raptor Strike rank 5.
• Level 34: Explosive Trap (the description is missing from the client data), new ranks of Disengage and Serpent Sting.
• Level 36: Viper Sting (drains mana – for casters), Summon Hawk rank 2 and new ranks of Aimed Shot, Arcane Shot, Mend Pet and Immolation Trap.
• Level 37: Hi-Impact Mithril Slugs if you have an engineer in the guild.
• Level 38: Wing Clip rank 2 and Aspect of the Hawk rank 4.
• With Spirit Bond both you and the pet heal between fights – move on right away instead of sitting down.

Engineering tipsShow profession tips

Mithril Blunderbuss (level 36, 18.1 DPS) and Mithril Heavy-bore Rifle (level 39, 20.2 DPS, Engineering 220, the recipe is an item). Engineering 210: Deadly Scope (+5 damage).

Checkpoint level 39: Are you saving gold for level 40? Riding, dual spec and mail armor all arrive together.

Goal: Bestial Wrath on a button and a plan for 41–60.

• Bestial Wrath: +50% pet damage for 18 sec. Use it on elites and when two enemies have to die fast. The cooldown is not in our data – read the tooltip.
• At the trainer: Volley (channeled AoE, area damage, 350 mana), Aspect of the Pack, Track Giants, new ranks of Freezing Trap, Hunter's Mark, Lacerate, Raptor Strike, Distracting Shot and Aspect of the Beast.
• Mail armor: Hunters can wear mail from level 40 (the site's class rules, a Classic rule – check in game).
• Ammunition and quiver: Jagged Arrow / Accurate Slugs, Quickdraw Quiver / Thick Leather Ammo Pouch (16 slots, +13%).
• Riding and dual spec: Warcraft Tavern gives Apprentice Riding from the riding trainer and Dual Talent Specialization from the class trainer at 40. The costs are not in the client data.
• Second spec: Hearthproof suggests Marksmanship (Lone Wolf, Trueshot Aura, Careful Aim) for dungeons and raids. Keep Beast Mastery for questing.

Engineering tipsShow profession tips

Engineering 240: Sniper Scope (+7 damage, level 40).

Goal: Deadly Aspects 5/5 and Bestial Discipline 2/2.

• Level 42: Serpent Sting rank 6.
• Level 44: new ranks of Aimed Shot, Arcane Shot, Mend Pet, Mongoose Bite and Explosive Trap. Mithril Gyro-Shot if you have access to Engineering.
• Bestial Discipline lets half your mana regen continue while casting – you can use Mend Pet and shots more often without sitting down.
• The zones are new to everyone. Take one enemy at a time until you know how hard they hit.

Checkpoint level 44: Has the pet kept up in level? How it levels is not in our data.

Goal: Lethal Attacks 5/5 and Efficiency 5/5.

• Level 46: Aspect of the Wild, new ranks of Viper Sting, Scare Beast (up to 20 sec) and Immolation Trap.
• Level 48: Aspect of the Hawk rank 5, Summon Hawk rank 3, new ranks of Disengage and Raptor Strike.
• Level 50: Track Dragonkin, new ranks of Volley, Serpent Sting, Lacerate, Aspect of the Beast and Distracting Shot.
• Level 52: new ranks of Aimed Shot, Arcane Shot and Mend Pet. Thorium Shells / Thorium Headed Arrow.
• Level 54: Explosive Trap rank 3.
• With Efficiency every shot and sting costs less. If you notice no difference in how often you drink, alternative D (Careful Aim) is worth a try.

Engineering tipsShow profession tips

Engineering 260: Thorium Rifle (level 47, 24.3 DPS). Engineering 285: Thorium Shells (level 52).

Checkpoint level 54: How often do you drink? How often does the pet die? Those two answers decide whether the points 55–60 should go to damage or mana.

Goal: Rapid Killing 2/2, Improved Arcane Shot 3/5, Trueshot Aura and level 60.

• Level 56: Aspect of the Wild rank 2, new ranks of Viper Sting, Raptor Strike and Immolation Trap.
• Level 58: Aspect of the Hawk rank 6, new ranks of Volley, Serpent Sting, Mongoose Bite and Hunter's Mark.
• Level 60: Tranquilizing Shot (removes a Frenzy effect from an enemy – a raid ability) and the final ranks of most shots.
• Rapid Killing: after every kill your next shot within 20 sec deals 20% more damage. Open the next fight with Aimed Shot.
• Trueshot Aura: the ability data lists ranks at 32, 40, 50 and 60. Whether you get the highest rank at once when you take the talent at 60, or have to buy the ranks, is unknown.
• At 60: Hearthproof states that the raids open on December 9, 2026. Raid talents are outside the scope of this guide.

Checkpoint level 60: Decide whether Beast Mastery stays as your questing spec and Marksmanship becomes your group spec.

A. Normal enemy, level 1–9 (no pet)

1. Aspect of the Monkey active from 4.
2. Hunter's Mark (from 6) and Serpent Sting (from 4) at maximum range.
3. Auto Shot, Arcane Shot (from 6) when it is ready.
4. Concussive Shot (from 8) when the enemy gets close; back off and keep shooting.
5. In melee: Raptor Strike until the enemy dies.

B. Normal enemy, level 10–24 (the pet tanks)

1. Aspect of the Hawk active, pet fed.
2. Send the pet. Wait a couple of seconds.
3. Hunter's Mark → Serpent Sting → Auto Shot.
4. Arcane Shot on cooldown if you have mana to spare; from 20 Aimed Shot as the opener instead.
5. Mend Pet when the pet is below half health. Stay within 20 yards.

C. Normal enemy, level 25–60

1. Pet first, Hunter's Mark, Serpent Sting if the enemy lives long enough.
2. Aimed Shot as the opener, then Auto Shot.
3. Summon Hawk on stronger targets – two hawks out, recast when they expire. Arcane Shot in between.
4. Intimidation (32+) if the enemy turns on you or needs interrupting.
5. Bestial Wrath (40+) and Rapid Fire (26+) on elites and in tight spots, not on every enemy.

Method describes the same core: Aspect of the Hawk up, as much Auto Shot as possible, Aimed Shot and Multi-Shot as main damage, Serpent Sting and Hunter's Mark as support. Solo, mana matters more than maximum damage.

D. The enemy turns on you

• Stop pressing shots for a couple of seconds so the pet can take it back.
• Concussive Shot and walk backwards – stay outside 8 yards.
• In melee: Wing Clip (12+), back out, shoot again.
• Disengage (20+) lowers your threat. Intimidation (32+) gives the pet high threat.
• Last resort: Feign Death (30+).

E. Two enemies by accident

• The pet takes one. Freezing Trap (20+) in front of you for the other – do not damage the frozen one.
• If both are Beasts: Scare Beast (14+) on one of them.
• Kill one enemy at a time. Multi-Shot only when neither of them is frozen or feared.
• If it goes wrong: Feign Death, or run with Aspect of the Cheetah – but only if nothing is hitting you.

Dwarf tips

Stoneform when two enemies are hitting you: −10% physical damage for 8 sec, and poison and bleeds are removed.

Night Elf tips

Shadowmeld in combat discourages enemies from attacking you (client data), but the cooldown then becomes 2 min.

Tauren tips

War Stomp stuns both for 2 sec – back out to shooting range.

F. Caster or elite

• A caster does not run toward you. Send the pet and stand where you can see both.
• Viper Sting (36+) drains its mana; Scorpid Sting (22+) lowers the hit chance of an elite that hits hard. Only one Sting at a time.
• Elite: Bestial Wrath, Rapid Fire, two hawks and Mend Pet in every gap. If it feels like a gamble – find a group.

Key	Ability	Why
1	Auto Shot	Used all the time
2	Serpent Sting	Default DoT
3	Arcane Shot	Instant damage
4	Aimed Shot (20+)	Opener
5	Summon Hawk (25+)	Hawks on strong targets
6	Multi-Shot (18+)	Several enemies
Q	Hunter's Mark	First in every fight
E	Mend Pet (12+)	Keep the tank alive
R	Concussive Shot	Distance
F	Feign Death (30+)	Emergency exit
G	Intimidation (32+)	Take threat back
Shift+1	Raptor Strike	Melee
Shift+2	Wing Clip (12+)	Getting out of melee
Shift+3	Freezing Trap (20+)	Extra enemy
Shift+4	Bestial Wrath (40+)	Burst
Shift+Q, Shift+E	Your race's abilities	See the race box
Shift+R	Revive Pet	When it has gone wrong
Shift+F	Feed Pet	After every town visit

Put Distracting Shot far from Arcane Shot – they do opposite things to the enemy's attention.

Dwarf tips

Shift+Q Stoneform (poison, bleeds, physical damage), Shift+E Find Treasure.

Human tips

Shift+Q Will to Survive (break a stun), Shift+E Perception.

Night Elf tips

Shift+Q Shadowmeld, Shift+E Elune's Light (crit window).

Skyborne tips

Shift+Q Read Leyline (regen, Alliance), Shift+E Walk on Air.

Orc tips

Shift+E Blood Fury together with Rapid Fire.

Tauren tips

Shift+Q War Stomp.

Troll tips

Shift+E Berserking, Shift+Q Rapid Regeneration.

The ranged weapon matters most. Almost all of your own damage goes through it. The melee weapon is mostly a stat stick.

Guns that can be crafted with Engineering (DPS according to the site's item database, client data):

Your level	Gun	DPS	Engineering
5	Rough Boomstick	4.3	50
16	Deadly Blunderbuss	8.3	105
19	Lovingly Crafted Boomstick	9.6	120 (recipe is an item)
21	Silver-plated Shotgun	10.6	130
24	Moonsight Rifle	11.9	145 (recipe is an item)
36	Mithril Blunderbuss	18.1	source unknown in the data
39	Mithril Heavy-bore Rifle	20.2	220 (recipe is an item)
47	Thorium Rifle	24.3	260

Quest rewards and dungeon drops may be better – the table only shows what can definitely be crafted. Scopes (Crude Scope, Standard Scope, Accurate Scope, Deadly Scope, Sniper Scope) give +1 to +7 damage and are attached permanently to a bow or gun.

Decision rules:

1. If there is a ranged weapon with higher DPS: swap that first.
2. Agility on everything else – it gives Hunters Attack Power and crit (assumed from Classic).
3. If you yourself die often: more Stamina.
4. If the mana runs out before the enemies do: more Intellect, and fewer Arcane Shot casts.
5. Leather until 39, mail from 40 – but do not trade away better stats just for the armor type.

There is no verified stat weighting for Forever – hence rules, not numbers.

Goal	Recommendation	Comment
Your own ammunition and guns	Engineering + Mining	Bullets, guns and scopes all the way; fits a Dwarf with a gun
Quivers and armor	Leatherworking + Skinning	Heavy Quiver at 30 and your own armor
Fastest to 60	Skinning + Mining	Sell everything, buy ammunition from vendors
Fewer deaths	First Aid	Bandages and, in Forever, healing potions
Fewer breaks	Cooking	Well Fed gives +5% XP from kills (client data, conditional)

If you pick professions on the site, boxes with profession-specific tips appear in the level plan above.

Camping (new in Forever): at a campfire, professions can set up camp items with a buff (client data). Leatherworking's Camp Tent raises rested XP to 5% of a level, and Skinning's Camp Chair gives +2% crit to those sitting nearby.

A skeleton, not a minute-optimized route. The zones 1–40 are assumed from Classic; the zones 40–60 come from Warcraft Tavern. None of it is tested in game.

Level	Areas	Check before leaving
1–5	Your race's starting zone (see the race box in Level 1–4)	Full quiver?
5–12	Dun Morogh/Ironforge, Elwynn Forest/Stormwind or Teldrassil/Darnassus	Pet tamed and fed at 10
12–20	Loch Modan / Westfall / Darkshore	Ammunition and pet food for the whole trip
20–30	Redridge / Wetlands / Duskwood / Ashenvale	Avoid dense camps – Multi-Shot easily pulls more
30–40	Stranglethorn Vale / Arathi / Desolace / Alterac / Thousand Needles	Vendors are far apart: bring extra ammunition
40–45	Tanaris / The Hinterlands / Shen'dralas / Searing Gorge	The Shen'dralas level is uncertain – check
45–50	Azshara / Felwood / Blasted Lands / Un'Goro Crater	Elites in Un'Goro (assumed from Classic)
50–55	Burning Steppes / Western Plaguelands / Winterspring / Eastern Plaguelands	Contested zones
55–60	Silithus / Deadwind Pass / Mount Hyjal (60)	–

Judge by XP per real minute including travel, feeding and deaths. Change zone when the quests thin out.

Before every pull: Is the pet alive and content? Ammunition left? Any adds (extra enemies nearby)? A clear way back?

• Pet below half health: Mend Pet now, not later. The channel takes 5 sec.
• The pet dies: Feign Death or run first, Revive Pet afterwards. It takes 10 sec and all your mana – do not cast it in the middle of a fight.
• Out of ammunition: go to a vendor. Do not fight on in melee.
• Enemy in the dead zone (5–8 yards): step in and use Wing Clip, or back out beyond 8 yards.
• Aspect of the Cheetah in combat: the first hit dazes you. Switch to Aspect of the Hawk before you pull.
• Taming a new pet: your armor is zero for 20 sec. Clear the area first.

Dwarf tips

Poisoned or bleeding: Stoneform removes the effect and grants immunity for 8 sec.

Human tips

Stunned: Will to Survive.

Night Elf tips

Dead far from your corpse: Wisp Spirit makes the corpse run faster.

Troll tips

After a rough fight: Rapid Regeneration instead of eating.

Small tests that make you faster

When you get a new ability or a new pet: compare two ways of opening (e.g. Aimed Shot versus Serpent Sting first) on 6–10 identical enemies. Note the mana left after five kills, how often the enemy left the pet and how much Mend Pet was needed.

Source hierarchy: client data before guides; then several independent leveling guides; explicit theorycraft last.

1. Client data 1.60.1.70862 (the site's talent, ability, racial, recipe and item data): talent rows and requirements, ability levels 1–60, ranges, costs, racial texts, ammunition, quivers, guns and recipes. Trainer positions are Classic data.
2. Hearthproof – Hunter Leveling Guide (Beast Mastery), v2.28, November 5, 2026, client 1.60.1.70790: talent order, the quest chain for Tame Beast, happiness, diets, pet families, second spec. Only the first two thirds of the page were read. https://hearthproof.com/classes/hunter/leveling/
3. Method – WoW Forever Hunter Leveling Guide and Talents, November 10, 2026: talent order, rotation, the pet's basic abilities. https://www.method.gg/wow-forever/wow-forever-hunter-leveling-guide-and-talents
4. Warcraft Tavern – Hunter Leveling Guide, written for the beta (cap 30): spec choice, the quest for the first pet, riding and dual spec at 40, zones 40–60. https://www.warcrafttavern.com/forever/guides/hunter-leveling/

The sources were read through automatic summaries, not word for word, and nothing is copied. Where they contradict the client data, the client data wins. The talent choices 41–60 and the decision to take Endurance Training first are our own judgment.

To be tested after launch

• ☐To do: The talent order 10–60 can be clicked in the live client.
• ☐To do: How Tame Beast is learned: quest chain, which beasts and where – for every race, especially Human and Skyborne.
• ☐To do: Growl on autocast and stances such as Defensive: do they work as the sources say, and does the pet hold threat against Aimed Shot and Arcane Shot?
• ☐To do: Happiness: how fast does it decay, and what happens to damage when the pet is unhappy?
• ☐To do: Diets and pet families according to Hearthproof – do they match Beast Lore?
• ☐To do: What level the pet has when tamed, and how it levels.
• ☐To do: The dead zone at 5–8 yards: does it exist in practice?
• ☐To do: Summon Hawk: actual damage (the client data shows "X") and whether two hawks beat Arcane Shot.
• ☐To do: Bestial Wrath and Intimidation: cooldown.
• ☐To do: Explosive Trap: what it does (the description is missing), and whether traps can be placed in combat.
• ☐To do: Feign Death: what does the pet do, and how often does it fail?
• ☐To do: Ammunition damage per arrow/bullet, which vendors sell it, and where Hunting Quiver comes from.
• ☐To do: Dwarves start with a gun, Night Elves with a bow.
• ☐To do: Mail armor from level 40. Riding and dual spec at 40: cost.
• ☐To do: Trueshot Aura taken at 60: which rank do you get?
• ☐To do: Endurance Training first versus Deadly Aspects first – which gives fewer breaks 10–19?
• ☐To do: Stables for extra pets: where and at what cost (not in our data).

What this guide does not claim

• It is not tested in game, and 31–60 was not played even on the beta.
• It has not shown the best XP/hour against other specs or other pets.
• It does not know how pet abilities, stances and happiness work in practice – the ability data gives names and levels, the rest is what the sources state.

• 1.0 (2026-11-10): first version. Talents and abilities checked against client data 1.60.1.70862; pet information from Hearthproof, Method and Warcraft Tavern.

• Hearthproof – Hunter Leveling Guide (Beast Mastery), v2.28, client 1.60.1.70790
• Method – WoW Forever Hunter Leveling Guide and Talents (2026-11-10)
• Warcraft Tavern – Hunter Leveling Guide (written for the beta)