5x Hunter Team - Thanks to new Cataclysm Changes

[Sembiance]

In Cataclysm hunter pets get uber-raid buffs like Bloodlust.

They even get one to heal.

Link: http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/1965-Hunter-DK-Pet-Changes-Archaeology-Blue-Posts

What are everyone's thoughts about whether a pure 5x hunter team is now viable?

[Coltimar]

You should post the same question, in a different way, in two different places.

[Boylston]

Pure hunter teams (and even 4xHunter+Healer teams) died at the end of Burning Crusade. I ran one. I've posted extensively on the issues with multi-hunters, which you can find if you use the search function.

There are no new gameplay or class mechanics coming that significantly change their viability. In fact, one can argue that they will be even worse than ever since Blizzard is making changes to make PvP combat a little slower.

Hunter defense mechanics are very hard to multibox and they have incredible problems dealing with melee AoE damage (and just AoE in general). In PvE, the game has changed so much that the pets are no longer as tank-like as they once were.

Before you go too crazy with a response about PvE performance, I will say that if you over-gear content, then anything is possible.

Multi-hunters were so very fun and awesome... in Burning Crusade. Since then, they are sub-optimal for boxing in almost any game situation.

[zenga]

That is a pretty clear statement Boylston, thanks for that. How would you expect a hunter leader with 4 easy playable caster dps would do in cata in PVP (bg's, non arena). (or 3 + healer).

[Kicksome]

I tried to multibox hunters, got them to 80, but they really sucked. Even with good gear. The whole melee range business is terrible.

[Boylston]

That is a pretty clear statement Boylston, thanks for that. How would you expect a hunter leader with 4 easy playable caster dps would do in cata in PVP (bg's, non arena). (or 3 + healer).

As Kicksome accurately quips, Hunters are dreadful once someone closes into your dead zone (and trust me, everyone does). All classes now have potent AoE as well, so you get hammered while you're unable to return any DPS (this change was a hallmark of WotLK, which is when the comp officially died). Adding a healer to the mix helps marginally, but does not "fix" the combo. A single Warrior will wreck your fun every time. A half-arsed rogue can easily kill 1-2 of your team without any real risk.

Again, do the searches... You'll see me say something similar to Kicksome. Let me see if I can quote them: "Single most fun team I leveled up with... died with close of BC... fun from 70-79, became awful at 80..."

[zenga]

my question was actually boylston how 1 hunter (as the leader) would do in pvp paired with 4 easy classes, like druid healer + 3 dot locks, or even 3 boomkins, ...

[Vicker]

The fact that there's a healing pet seems intriguing, and is a pretty substantial change, if you ask me. The heal has a 40 second cooldown, but if you had one tank pet and four healing pets you could round robin the heals.

[Boylston]

my question was actually boylston how 1 hunter (as the leader) would do in pvp paired with 4 easy classes, like druid healer + 3 dot locks, or even 3 boomkins, ...

I think that would work OK. I don't know that it's any different than running any other mixed range DPS group. Some pet utility might be nice, and some of the defensive cooldown stuff would certainly be easier to manage. I almost think you'd rather have the hunter as an alt and not the main, but it would probably be a decent main.

I always prefer reducing the number of classes on a team for PvP purposes. I don't think the additional complexity is always a benefit, even if you get nice buff synergies. Pallies and Shaman used to be nicer than they are now because you could take the single class and get buff benefits of multiple classes. Alas, that's changed a lot.

[Boylston]

The fact that there's a healing pet seems intriguing, and is a pretty substantial change, if you ask me. The heal has a 40 second cooldown, but if you had one tank pet and four healing pets you could round robin the heals.

Are you talking about PvE? Tanking with a pet has never been a great way to do Heroic instances**. I was able to pull off leveling in WotLK dungeons using 4 BM specs and a Druid or Priest main as a healer (and it was FUN!!), but the whole system falls apart in WotLK with heroic content**. I am not totally up to speed on the latest changes, but Blizzard pretty much decided they don't want hunters to be able to fill the role of Tank in instances, and that's probably not going to change in Cata**. The usual problem has been that you can provide enough HPS to the pets to keep it alive, but their health pool** is so small and the avoidance** is limited enough that they get creamed in heroic content**.

For PvP, you don't really need a tank pet, you pick one based off its combination of damage and CC utility.






** Assuming you don't vastly over-gear the content.

[Iceorbz]

I notice my hunters don't like to interact with targets like other melee or casters. They have this special I am a retard effect where when someone gets close they wont turn to face them properly (everytime).

[Hivetyrant]

I tried to multibox hunters, got them to 80, but they really sucked. Even with good gear. The whole melee range business is terrible.
I did the same thing.

I was happy to have finally leveled a team, but damn disappointing when I realized how much I had to out gear the content to actually do anything, low lvl PvP was awesome, but 60+ became too difficult and boring.

And yes, the melee range thing sucks balls

[Toned]

I lvled a hunter to run pal/hunt/3sham and it works well... Hunt + 4 shams in ICC works fine, but I won't even bother taking the hunter into BGs with the shamans it is just bad. Solo hunter play in arenas is the main reason I leveled my hunter and I'm glad that I did. As far as multi-boxing goes he's soon to be benched by a destro lock.