On this page, you will find a number of useful simulation results for your Survival Hunters in World of Warcraft — Battle for Azeroth (BfA) 8.2.
Pages in this Guide
1Introduction2Easy Mode3Spell Summary4Builds and Talents5Azerite Traits and Armor6Essences7Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities8Mythic+ Guide9Crucible of Storms as Survival Hunter10Battle of Dazar'alor as Survival Hunter11Uldir as Survival Hunter12Stat Priority13Gems, Enchants, and Consumables14Macros and Addons15Gear and Best in Slot16Simulations17How to Improve18Frequently Asked Questions
1. Simming Yourself with Raidbots
Raidbots is an online tool that lets you simulate and compare gear, traits,talents and more for your character. In modern WoW, it is an essentialtool in optimizing your performance. Every high-end and self-respecting DPSplayer uses Raidbots on some level to figure out what they should use.It is extremely simple to use, and in this mini-guide I will introduce you tothe most essential Raidbots features.
For all of these features, you will need the SimulationCraft Addon.Whenever you are trying out a Raidbots feature, do the /simc command in-game,and copy-paste the contents of the window that you get into Raidbots.
2. Top Gear
Top Gear is by far the most useful Raidbots feature. It lets you compareall of the gear you have in your bags, and it simply tells you which combinationof gear and Azerite traits is better.
To use it, simply select all of the items you wish to compare, and all ofthe Azerite traits you wish to compare. The more items you add, the morethe iteration count exponentially goes up. Therefore, you might have to domultiple simulations to cover everything in your gear. Use trial and error!
Every door song. You can also use Top Gear to simulate different Talent setups at thebottom, and combine this with different Trait combinations. This feature iseasier and more useful than the actual Talent Compare option on Raidbots, inour opinion.
3. Droptimizer
The Droptimizer feature lets you identify which dungeons and Raid Bossesyou should spend your Bonus Rolls on. It simulates all of the potential upgradesin a raid or a dungeon, and lists the bosses/dungeons by rank order of how muchDPS you can expect to gain from bonus rolling on it.
4. Advanced
This is rarely used for general purposes, but it is the primarysection used when doing theorycrafting — including the work behind this guide!
This is where we make adjustments to the APL and underlying profilesused to craft comparison sims for various things. Everything is possible here,and that is both the best and worst thing about it.
If you want to get started with the Advanced portion of Raidbots, check out theSimulationCraft Wiki.
5. Disclaimer Page
With the advent of certain tools such as Raidbots, simulating your character has nowbecome simple enough that we can recommend even the average player to sim theirown character. It is through advanced simulations that many of therecommendations in this guide are found, and by doing your own you can easilyfigure out what talents you should be using with your particular gearingcombination, what gear to equip, what Azerite traits to use and more. Belowthere is a video guiding you on how to sim your character. Underneath that, youwill find some generic simulations that apply to most people.
For the complete simulation results, check out Bloodmallet.com
Mage Tower Survival Hunter Minecraft
7. Changelog
Mm Hunter Mage Tower Guide
24 Jun. 2019: This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
14 Apr. 2019: Updated the racial bonus simulation.
15 Mar. 2019: Updated the Racial Simulation to include Zandalari Trolls and Kul'Tiran Humans.
22 Jan. 2019: Added a small Raidbots text guide.
10 Dec. 2018: This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
17 Oct. 2018: Updated the racial comparison.
05 Sep. 2018: Fixed another issue with the racial simulation.
02 Sep. 2018: Fixed an issue with the racial simulation.
31 Aug. 2018: Updated the racial comparison.
12 Aug. 2018: Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
02 Aug. 2018: Updated the racial comparison which has fixed some incorrect usage of the Blood Elf Racial.
19 Jul. 2018: Updated the racial comparison and changed the simulation parameters slightly to fix Troll's extremely low standing.
Show less
Pages in this Guide
1Introduction2Easy Mode3Spell Summary4Builds and Talents5Azerite Traits and Armor6Essences7Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities8Mythic+ Guide9Crucible of Storms as Survival Hunter10Battle of Dazar'alor as Survival Hunter11Uldir as Survival Hunter12Stat Priority13Gems, Enchants, and Consumables14Macros and Addons15Gear and Best in Slot16Simulations17How to Improve18Frequently Asked Questions
More Hunter Guides
Guides from Other Classes
Raid Guides
BfA Guides
Patch 8.2 Profession Changes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This guide has been written by Azortharion,a theorycrafter of all things Hunter-related for many years. He is an accomplished playerwith dozen of top parses for all specs throughout the game's history. He isalso the Admin of TrueshotLodge, the Hunter Class Discord, and you can watch his stream on Twitch. He even hashis own personal Discord channel where you canget notifications about when the guides get updated and have direct communications with him.
VISIT FORUMS
General Information
Welcome to our Survival Hunter guide for World of Warcraft — Battle for Azeroth (BfA) 8.2.Here, you will learn how to play as a Survival Hunter in both raidsand Mythic+ dungeons: from the very beginning to maximizing your DPS.
If you were looking for WoW Classic content, please refer to our Classic DPS Hunter guide.
Pages in this Guide
1Introduction2Easy Mode3Spell Summary4Builds and Talents5Azerite Traits and Armor6Essences7Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities8Mythic+ Guide9Crucible of Storms as Survival Hunter10Battle of Dazar'alor as Survival Hunter11Uldir as Survival Hunter12Stat Priority13Gems, Enchants, and Consumables14Macros and Addons15Gear and Best in Slot16Simulations17How to Improve18Frequently Asked Questions
1. Survival Hunter Overview
Survival is the Melee Hunter spec. It has a versatile toolkit with lots ofCrowd Control potential, very high burst AoE damage potential, and goodsingle-target damage.
2. Patch 8.2 Changes for Survival Hunter
Survival is getting a small buff in Patch 8.2 as one of itssecondary stats is being buffed. There is also a game mechanic changethat affects the spec directly, and how you might choose gear for it.
2.1. Spec Changes
The damage bonus of Survival's Mastery, Mastery: Spirit Bond, has been increasedby 20%. Mastery was previously Survival's worst stat by far. It will now bea bit better, but still not the best stat.
2.2. Talents, Azerite Traits, and Other Relevant Changes
The way that certain trinkets and other items with a damage-dealing effect scalehas been modified. This means that many trinkets of this nature have been buffedindirectly by this change. Useless trinkets from before, such as Invocation of Yu'lon, will now bemore viable, and trinkets like Kimbul's Razor Claw will be even more desirable.
The Mists of Pandaria Raid Boss Horridon can now be tamed.
Dismissed pets no longer reappear when you dismount.
3. Viability of Specs
On this page, we will attempt to give a full picture of what the 3 Hunterspecs are good at and when you might want to use them. Generally speaking,all the specs are competitive enough that you can play whichever one you preferfrom a playstyle perspective. On this page, we will try to be as objective aspossible when determining which spec is the best. To determine this, we willuse simulations, intuition and occasionally WarcraftLogs Data to try and geta full picture.
3.1. Spec Viability in Practice, Strengths and Weaknesses
In this section,we will look at some of the perks and downsides of the different specs in raidsand Mythic+.
3.1.1. Beast Mastery
Extremely mobile, fairly easy to play.
Able to bring additional utility and heals like Spirit Mend.
Short cooldowns make it a consistent Mythic+ performer.
Relies on pet AI, which can be inconsistent and buggy.
Is able to deal heavy damage to a single target while AoE'ing.
3.1.2. Marksmanship
Capable of extremely high burst damage.
Unfortunately does not use a pet for multi-target scenarios, costingit utility/survivability.
Limited/no reliance on pet AI, more damage is in your hands.
3.1.3. Survival
Very high sustained AoE damage.
Quite mobile for a melee spec.
Relatively simple single-target rotation.
Relatively hectic multi-target rotation.
3.2. What Is The Best Spec?
3.2.1. Single-Target/Raiding
All of the specs are close to equal in this respect, with Marksmanshiphaving the highest theoretical maximum and superior gear scaling. In practice,there is very little between the specs from a damage perspective and thereis no strictly right or wrong choice.
3.2.2. Cleave/AoE/Mythic+
Beast Mastery;
Marksmanship;
Survival.
3.2.3. Utility/Defensives
Beast Mastery can provide Spirit Mend to you and your allieswhich is a powerful self-heal, and various utility through its pets.
Marksmanship does not often use a pet, and it does not have Spirit Mendat all.
Survival lies somewhere between Marksmanship and Beast Mastery. While itdoes not have Spirit Mend, it can use any pet type for any situation justlike Beast Mastery (with the exception of Exotic Beasts, but these do notprovide anything uniquely useful).
4. Changelog
01 Jul. 2019 (gear page): Added a section dedicated to the Benthic Gear System, offering some basic recommendations and a list of the interesting Benthic items you can get.
01 Jul. 2019 (enchants page): Updated the recommended potions and gems.
29 Jun. 2019 (Essences page): Rewrote most of the page and listed the currently relevant Essences in a rough, preliminary single-target rank order.
24 Jun. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (gear page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (spells page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (stats page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (azerite traits and gear page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (talents page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (easy mode page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (addons page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (enchants page): Updated the recommended gems, food, and potions. Weapon enchants cannot be evaluated yet and there might be updates coming to those in the near future.
24 Jun. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (Essences page): Page added.
24 Jun. 2019 (rotation page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (this page): Updated the changes for Survival in Patch 8.2.
24 Jun. 2019 (simulations page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (mythic+ page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
24 Jun. 2019 (FAQ page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
19 May 2019 (talents page): Expanded on the two most popular raiding builds for Survival, and gave them names.
19 May 2019 (azerite traits and gear page): Added information about Latent Poison's competitiveness as a trait.
13 May 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Added Survival tips for Uu'nat.
01 May 2019 (gear page): Added a number of new sections to the page, aimed mostly at newer players.
01 May 2019 (talents page): Updated the Talents Page significantly, focusing mostly on formatting and new additions for readability and understanding.
01 May 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Added Survival tips for The Restless Cabal.
10 Dec. 2018 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (enchants page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (talents page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (spells page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (addons page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (gear page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (rotation page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (FAQ page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (simulations page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (easy mode page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
10 Dec. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary. Primeval Intuition, the new Survival Azerite trait in Patch 8.1, is not very good currently and not worthy of a mention in the guide.
09 Nov. 2018 (this page): Removed the comparison simulations as they were getting less relevant, outdated, and to clean up the page.
19 Oct. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Added note about Blur of Talons and its effect on Serpent Sting usage during Coordinated Assault.
19 Oct. 2018 (talents page): Expanded on some explanations on talent choice for single-target, Mythic+, and the Viper's Venom / Alpha Predator dilemma.
19 Oct. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Added a small section emphasizing that having at least one Uldir trait within the raid is mandatory for optimal performance.
17 Oct. 2018 (simulations page): Updated the racial comparison.
17 Oct. 2018 (this page): Updated the discussion on spec viability in Uldir and Mythic+.
15 Oct. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Added Blur of Talons paragraph to the list of contextual descriptions of some traits.
12 Oct. 2018 (rotation page): Added note about Serpent Sting usage during Coordinated Assault with Birds of Prey.
25 Sep. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Updated the Azerite Trait simulation to account for the latest hotfixes.
24 Sep. 2018 (rotation page): Reworded/simplified the Kill Command line of the AP rotation slightly.
20 Sep. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Restructured the page and added some written recommendations.
20 Sep. 2018 (rotation page): Added note about Alpha Predator changing the rotation.
18 Sep. 2018 (rotation page): Added an Alpha Predator section to the rotation, catered towards slightly more advanced players, since we recommend Viper's Venom for most people and the DPS gain is miniscule.
18 Sep. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Updated the Azerite Trait simulation.
12 Sep. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Updated Azerite Trait simulation to include Meticulous Scheming properly.
08 Sep. 2018 (this page): Updated the spec comparison simulations.
05 Sep. 2018 (simulations page): Fixed another issue with the racial simulation.
03 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Added content to the page.
02 Sep. 2018 (simulations page): Fixed an issue with the racial simulation.
01 Sep. 2018 (mythic+ page): Added content.
31 Aug. 2018 (simulations page): Updated the racial comparison.
30 Aug. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Updated Azerite Trait simulation.
30 Aug. 2018 (gear page): Updated the trinket simulation to include the recent SimCraft changes to RPPM.
29 Aug. 2018 (talents page): Updated the recommendations on Level 90 talents, specifically phasing out the recommendation of Flanking Strike.
27 Aug. 2018 (rotation page): Expanded and updated on the Survival multi-target rotation.
27 Aug. 2018 (this page): Added more information about Survival to the 'What is the Best Hunter Spec' section.
27 Aug. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Expanded on how to use Latent Poison in AoE situations, and that the /petattack macro is mostly relevant for Birds of Prey users.
26 Aug. 2018 (gear page): Updated the trinket simulation to include buff to the Tiny Electromental in a Jar.
26 Aug. 2018 (rotation page): It is now worth it to refresh Serpent Sting during Mongoose Fury. Updated the guide accordingly.
26 Aug. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Removed mention of a trait requirement to refresh Serpent Sting during Mongoose Fury. It is now worth doing regardless.
25 Aug. 2018 (rotation page): Added note about not wasting Wildfire Bomb ticks with Guerrilla Tactics.
24 Aug. 2018 (gear page): Updated the trinket simulation to include various World Quest trinkets.
24 Aug. 2018 (rotation page): Added Coordinated Assault to the rotation priority list.
24 Aug. 2018 (talents page): Talent recommendation changes.
Recommend Wildfire Infusion by default, with Birds of Prey being chosen with the Blur of Talons Trait.
Changed Alpha Predator to a '?', as it can be competitive with Viper's Venom. It is a fair bit more difficult to get most out of, however, and it primarily synergizes with Mongoose Bite.
Revised the wording on the Level 90 Talents, but we still suggest simming yourself.
24 Aug. 2018 (this page): Added a section called 'What is the Best Hunter Spec', and updated all the simulations.
24 Aug. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Updated the Azerite Simulation.
23 Aug. 2018 (gear page): Added a link to the origin spreadsheet for the simulation chart.
23 Aug. 2018 (talents page): Significantly altered the recommendation of Guerrilla Tactics versus Hydra's Bite.
23 Aug. 2018 (talents page): Revised the recommendation of Hydra's Bite versus Guerrilla Tactics, as mistakes were made in the simulation methodology that led to the initial change.
23 Aug. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Added a link to the origin spreadsheet for the simulation chart. Added Blur of Talons to the rotational changes.
21 Aug. 2018 (talents page): Changed the Steel Trap recommendation.
21 Aug. 2018 (gear page): Updated Trinket simulations.
18 Aug. 2018 (gear page): Gear and Trinket list updates.
Updated the trinket simulation.
Changed the BiS list to a more generally useful list of good dungeons to farm, as this will be relevant throughout the entire expansion.
18 Aug. 2018 (rotation page): Added note about not attempting to play around Tip of the Spear more than necessary.
18 Aug. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Expanded further on the rotational impact of some Azerite Traits, and updated the Azerite simulation.
18 Aug. 2018 (talents page): Added note about Wildfire Infusion potentially being better for single-target in some gearsets.
17 Aug. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Expanded on the rotational impact of some Azerite Traits.
Added a useful /petattack macro for Raptor Strike when using Latent Poison, and added Latent Poison rotation info in general.
Added note about refreshing Serpent Sting during Mongoose Fury if you have Latent Poison or Venomous Fangs.
17 Aug. 2018 (rotation page): Added note about deliberately extending Coordinated Assault at the end of its duration, when using the Birds of Prey talent.
17 Aug. 2018 (enchants page): Added the mention of using an Agility gem.
16 Aug. 2018 (enchants page): Updated the optimal healing potion to use.
13 Aug. 2018 (rotation page): Updated the usage of Shrapnel Bomb from Wildfire Infusion slightly.
13 Aug. 2018 (talents page): Updated Survival cheat-sheet text.
12 Aug. 2018 (FAQ page): Page created for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (mythic+ page): Page added for Battle for Azeroth launch (empty for now).
12 Aug. 2018 (talents page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (Uldir page): Page added (empty for now).
12 Aug. 2018 (stats page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (enchants page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (addons page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (easy mode page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (gear page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (simulations page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (this page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
12 Aug. 2018 (rotation page): Updated for Battle for Azeroth launch.
10 Aug. 2018 (azerite traits and gear page): Added Survival Hunter Azerite page.
07 Aug. 2018 (addons page): Added an Intimidation macro.
04 Aug. 2018 (rotation page): Expanded on the Mongoose Bite talent's effect on the rotation.
04 Aug. 2018 (spells page): Added Muzzle to the spell list.
02 Aug. 2018 (simulations page): Updated the racial comparison which has fixed some incorrect usage of the Blood Elf Racial.
01 Aug. 2018 (this page): Updated the single-target spec comparison.
31 Jul. 2018 (rotation page): Small additions to some talents' effect on the rotation.
Expanded Butchery usage to cover 2 targets, whereas Carve is >3.
Added note about not refreshing Serpent Sting during Mongoose Fury.
31 Jul. 2018 (spells page): Added some missing BfA pets to the pet family overview.
31 Jul. 2018 (talents page): Fixed Birds of Prey showing an incorrect cooldown reduction value.
23 Jul. 2018 (rotation page): Expanded on single-target rotation using Guerrilla Tactics.
22 Jul. 2018 (enchants page): Updated the optimal single-target potion.
21 Jul. 2018 (enchants page): Reverted the optimal flask, as the Flask of Falling Leaves was nerfed.
20 Jul. 2018 (spells page): Moved the Gorilla and its Special Ability from Tenacity to Ferocity.
20 Jul. 2018 (gear page): Made a few updates.
Updated Celerity of the Windrunners' Haste level from 2% to 3%.
Added Butcher's Bone Apron to the Legendary ranking.
20 Jul. 2018 (talents page): Expanded slightly on Mongoose Bite's superiority only when not using the T21 4-piece set bonus.
20 Jul. 2018 (enchants page): Reverted the optimal gem, as it was nerfed.
19 Jul. 2018 (rotation page): Expanded on the impact that Wildfire Infusion can have on your rotation when trying to play optimally.
19 Jul. 2018 (gear page): Made several updates.
Added a tier-piece alternative to the off-piece Best in Slot helm, if you are using both top Legendaries.
Fixed Kil'jaeden's Burning Wish's position in the Legendary rankings, so that it no longer appears twice under the multi-target list.
Updated the 2nd BiS trinket from the Shadow-Singed Fang to Gorshalach's Legacy.
19 Jul. 2018 (simulations page): Updated the racial comparison and changed the simulation parameters slightly to fix Troll's extremely low standing.
18 Jul. 2018 (gear page): Added Kil'jaeden's Burning Wish to the bottom of the single-target legendary ranking.
18 Jul. 2018 (easy mode page): Updated the optimal talent from Mongoose Bite to Tip of the Spear and updated the stat priority.
18 Jul. 2018 (enchants page): Various updates with old-world gems, enchants, and consumables.
Updated the optimal potion to use.
Updated the optimal flask to use. Added note about Belt Buckles to the Enchants table.
Reverted the optimal potion to use, as Blizzard has nerfed the old one.
Updated the wording on the Healthstones/Healing Potion paragraph to say 'and', as you can now use both of them at once.
Updated the recommended gem to be purely Haste gems, not the Saber's Eye Agility gem as well.
Removed Belt Buckles as they were hotfixed.
18 Jul. 2018 (talents page): Small updates to talent recommendations and descriptions.
Updated Terms of Engagement description to note its usefulness in open-world content.
Added Aspect of the Eagle to the list of Aspects affected by Born to be Wild.
18 Jul. 2018 (gear page): Updated Golganneth's Vitality to just be an Argus Personal Loot drop. Revised Legendary ranking and added Soul of the Huntmaster and Kil'jaeden's Burning Wish to it.
16 Jul. 2018 (this page): Updated for the Battle for Azeroth pre-patch.
Show less
Pages in this Guide
1Introduction2Easy Mode3Spell Summary4Builds and Talents5Azerite Traits and Armor6Essences7Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities8Mythic+ Guide9Crucible of Storms as Survival Hunter10Battle of Dazar'alor as Survival Hunter11Uldir as Survival Hunter12Stat Priority13Gems, Enchants, and Consumables14Macros and Addons15Gear and Best in Slot16Simulations17How to Improve18Frequently Asked Questions
More Hunter Guides
Guides from Other Classes
Raid Guides
BfA Guides
Patch 8.2 Profession Changes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This guide has been written by Azortharion,a theorycrafter of all things Hunter-related for many years. He is an accomplished playerwith dozen of top parses for all specs throughout the game's history. He isalso the Admin of TrueshotLodge, the Hunter Class Discord, and you can watch his stream on Twitch. He even hashis own personal Discord channel where you canget notifications about when the guides get updated and have direct communications with him.