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World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide

Marksmanship Hunter: Races

Every race Marksmanship Hunter can be, ranked against each other: best first, with how much the choice matters.

Best races for Marksmanship Hunter

Best races for Marksmanship Hunter in PvE

Race matters some

Race has a small effect on Marksmanship Hunter, about 2 to 3% in total. Wind Blessed haste (an estimated 2 to 3%) leads, then Orc and Human, and Dwarf and Tauren trail because Earth Fury and Endurance are worth under 0.5%. Skyborne (High Order) is the best Alliance pick. Skyborne (Windshaper) is the best Horde pick.

  1. Skyborne High Order S tier

    Wind Blessed gives Skyborne (High Order) a lead on damage and ties it for the best pick for Marksmanship Hunter.

    Why S, and its scores

    Wind Blessed adds 3% haste on Auto Shot and cast shots, an estimated 2 to 3% more damage. The ranged wind-up bug may cut into it. Walk on Air is a 10 second glide on a 90 second cooldown, and that is the whole safety kit. Safety scores 1 of 5 for Marksmanship Hunter. Read Ley Line doubles health and mana regen (15 minutes at a ley line, 30 seconds elsewhere) and can be cast while moving. Leveling scores 3 of 5.

    Skyborne (Windshaper) ties it at 3.05, so the pick between them is a matter of taste: they match on every measured criterion.

    Scores for Skyborne (High Order) for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 4
    Survival and utility25 1
    Leveling and downtime20 3

    Weighted score 3.05, the best for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: It would lose first place if testing showed Wind Blessed on Skyborne (Windshaper) worth more than the estimate for Marksmanship Hunter now, or if Wind Blessed were cut in a patch.

    The Skyborne race page

  2. Skyborne Windshaper S tier

    Wind Blessed gives Skyborne (Windshaper) a lead on damage and ties it for the best pick for Marksmanship Hunter.

    Why S, and its scores

    Wind Blessed adds 3% haste on Auto Shot and cast shots, an estimated 2 to 3% more damage. The ranged wind-up bug may cut into it. Walk on Air is a 10 second glide on a 90 second cooldown, and that is the whole safety kit. Safety scores 1 of 5 for Marksmanship Hunter. Skysight adds 10% movement speed for 30 seconds, or 15 minutes at an elemental convergence. Leveling scores 3 of 5.

    It ties Skyborne (High Order) at the top weighted score and trails by 0.00.

    Scores for Skyborne (Windshaper) for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 4
    Survival and utility25 1
    Leveling and downtime20 3

    Weighted score 3.05, the best for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: It would take sole first place if a test showed Wind Blessed worth more for Marksmanship Hunter than the estimate now, or if Wind Blessed on Skyborne (High Order) lost value.

    The Skyborne race page

  3. Orc S tier

    Orc's Blood Fury trails Skyborne (High Order)'s Wind Blessed on damage.

    Why S, and its scores

    Savage adds 1% crit, and Blood Fury adds 10% attack power for 15 seconds, about 1% on a pull (an estimate). Whether the pet inherits it is unconfirmed. Hardiness cuts stun duration 20%, and Shatter Curse removes Curses and Banes and cuts magic damage taken 5% for 8 seconds, every 3 minutes. Safety scores 3 of 5 for Marksmanship Hunter. Hardiness helps against stuns, and little else helps leveling. Leveling scores 2 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Skyborne (High Order) and Skyborne (Windshaper). The best, Skyborne (High Order), is 0.25 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Wind Blessed, 4 of 5 against 3) and leveling (Read Ley Line, 3 of 5 against 2). This race wins on safety (Hardiness) but not by enough. That is within 0.50 of the best, so it stays in tier S.

    Scores for Orc for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 3
    Survival and utility25 3
    Leveling and downtime20 2

    Weighted score 2.80, 0.25 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: It would lead outright if a test showed Blood Fury worth more than the estimate now, or if Wind Blessed on Skyborne (High Order) lost value.

    The Orc race page

  4. Human S tier

    Human's Ruthless trails Skyborne (High Order)'s Wind Blessed on damage.

    Why S, and its scores

    Ruthless adds 2% crit, about 2% more damage if it applies to ranged shots (an estimate). That is not yet confirmed. Will to Survive removes all stuns on a 3 minute cooldown, and Perception detects stealth for 20 seconds. Safety scores 3 of 5 for Marksmanship Hunter. The Human Spirit adds 5% Spirit, which helps regen a little. Leveling scores 1 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Skyborne (High Order), Skyborne (Windshaper) and Orc. The best, Skyborne (High Order), is 0.45 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Wind Blessed, 4 of 5 against 3) and leveling (Read Ley Line, 3 of 5 against 1). This race wins on safety (Will to Survive) but not by enough. That is within 0.50 of the best, so it stays in tier S.

    Scores for Human for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 3
    Survival and utility25 3
    Leveling and downtime20 1

    Weighted score 2.60, 0.45 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: It would lead outright if a test showed Ruthless worth more than the estimate now, or if Wind Blessed on Skyborne (High Order) lost value.

    The Human race page

  5. Troll A tier

    Troll's Berserking trails Skyborne (High Order)'s Wind Blessed on damage.

    Why A, and its scores

    Berserking adds 10% ranged speed for 10 seconds per 3 minutes, about 0.6% on average (an estimate). Rapid Regeneration heals 50% of maximum health over 6 seconds, but any movement, action or damage cancels it. Regeneration adds 20% health regen. Safety scores 2 of 5 for Marksmanship Hunter. Regeneration adds 20% health regen (20% of it works in combat), and Beast Slaying adds 5% damage to Beasts. In beast-heavy zones that is the biggest leveling edge, an estimated 1 to 3% over a leveling session. Leveling scores 4 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Skyborne (High Order), Skyborne (Windshaper), Orc and 1 more. The best, Skyborne (High Order), is 0.65 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Wind Blessed, 4 of 5 against 2). This race wins on safety (Rapid Regeneration) and leveling (Regeneration) but not by enough. Tier A covers up to 0.83 behind; tier S needs 0.50 or less.

    Scores for Troll for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 2
    Survival and utility25 2
    Leveling and downtime20 4

    Weighted score 2.40, 0.65 behind the best race for this spec, which is A tier.

    What would move it: Closing about 0.15 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Berserking or a change to Wind Blessed on Skyborne (High Order), would lift it to tier S.

    The Troll race page

  6. Night Elf B tier

    Night Elf's Elune's Light trails Skyborne (High Order)'s Wind Blessed on damage.

    Why B, and its scores

    Elune's Light adds 10% crit for 15 seconds, about 0.8% on average (an estimate), and it can line up with pet cooldowns. Shadowmeld can be used in combat to discourage attacks (2 minute cooldown in combat), and Quickness adds 1% dodge. Safety scores 2 of 5 for Marksmanship Hunter. Quickness adds 2% movement speed that stacks with other speed effects, and Wisp Spirit adds 75% speed as a wisp. Leveling scores 3 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Skyborne (High Order), Skyborne (Windshaper), Orc and 2 more. The best, Skyborne (High Order), is 0.85 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Wind Blessed, 4 of 5 against 2). This race wins on safety (Shadowmeld) but not by enough. Tier B covers up to 1.17 behind; tier A needs 0.83 or less.

    Scores for Night Elf for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 2
    Survival and utility25 2
    Leveling and downtime20 3

    Weighted score 2.20, 0.85 behind the best race for this spec, which is B tier.

    What would move it: Closing about 0.02 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Elune's Light or a change to Wind Blessed on Skyborne (High Order), would lift it to tier A.

    The Night Elf race page

  7. Dwarf B tier

    Dwarf's Earth Fury trails Skyborne (High Order)'s Wind Blessed on damage.

    Why B, and its scores

    Earth Fury adds 2% to the crit bonus, about 0.1 to 0.4% more damage. Big Game Hunter adds 5% damage to Beasts. Stoneform removes bleed, poison and disease, grants immunity to them and cuts physical damage taken 10% for 8 seconds, every 3 minutes. Safety scores 4 of 5 for Marksmanship Hunter. Big Game Hunter adds 5% damage to Beasts, and Find Treasure adds chest loot. In beast-heavy zones that is the biggest leveling edge, an estimated 1 to 3% over a leveling session. Leveling scores 3 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Skyborne (High Order), Skyborne (Windshaper), Orc and 3 more. The best, Skyborne (High Order), is 0.90 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Wind Blessed, 4 of 5 against 1). This race wins on safety (Stoneform) but not by enough. Tier B covers up to 1.17 behind; tier A needs 0.83 or less.

    Scores for Dwarf for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 1
    Survival and utility25 4
    Leveling and downtime20 3

    Weighted score 2.15, 0.90 behind the best race for this spec, which is B tier.

    What would move it: Closing about 0.07 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Earth Fury or a change to Wind Blessed on Skyborne (High Order), would lift it to tier A.

    The Dwarf race page

  8. Tauren B tier

    Tauren's Endurance trails Skyborne (High Order)'s Wind Blessed on damage.

    Why B, and its scores

    Endurance adds 2% to the crit bonus, about 0.1 to 0.4% more output, an estimate. The health helps, not the damage. War Stomp stuns up to 5 enemies for 2 seconds on a 90 second cooldown, and Endurance adds 5% health. Safety scores 3 of 5 for Marksmanship Hunter. Plainsrunning adds up to 30% movement speed while moving, and Endurance adds 5% health. Leveling scores 3 of 5.

    Ahead of it: Skyborne (High Order), Skyborne (Windshaper), Orc and 4 more. The best, Skyborne (High Order), is 1.15 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Wind Blessed, 4 of 5 against 1). This race wins on safety (War Stomp) but not by enough. Tier B covers up to 1.17 behind; tier A needs 0.83 or less.

    Scores for Tauren for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    The spec's job55 1
    Survival and utility25 3
    Leveling and downtime20 3

    Weighted score 1.90, 1.15 behind the best race for this spec, which is B tier.

    What would move it: Closing about 0.32 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Endurance or a change to Wind Blessed on Skyborne (High Order), would lift it to tier A.

    The Tauren race page

How these are ranked

Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.

For each of the 28 specs, every race that can play it, ranked against each other for that spec: what the race's racials give it in PvE, leveling 1 to 60 and then in dungeons and raids at 60. It answers one question per spec: which race should I pick for it?

A tier says how far a race trails the best race for the same spec, never how it compares with another spec's races: an S Dwarf Protection Warrior and an S Undead Fire Mage are each the best for their own spec. The best race of every spec is S. Each spec also says how much the choice matters: on some specs the best and worst races are a few percent apart, on others one racial decides it.

The scores are the racials' worth on fixed anchors (1 to 5). The tier comes from the weighted score's gap to the spec's best: 5 minus 1.5 times the gap, against the thresholds, so S is within 0.50 of the best and F more than 1.83 behind.

The racials are rated from their tooltips and the client's numbers; none has been measured in play. The percentages are estimates, and no racial is worth more than about 3% of a spec's output, so a damage spec's races are often close and its pick is a matter of a few percent.

Where a racial answers something a spec cannot do without, the gap is larger: Stoneform for a tank, a mana return for a healer, a fear break for a melee spec. Those specs say race matters a lot.

The rubric: each criterion scored 1 to 5
CriterionWeightWhat it measures
The spec's job55What the racials add to what the spec is for at 60: damage for a damage spec, healing and mana for a healer, survival and threat for a tank. 5: about 3% or more of the spec's output, or one racial the role leans on most fights (a tank's Stoneform, a healer's large mana return). 3: about 1 to 1.5%, or a role racial that helps on some fights. 1: nothing that adds to the spec's job.
Survival and utility25Racials that keep this spec alive or help its group, beyond its main job: removing or ignoring a common danger (fear, poison, disease, curse, stun), a damage cut, a threat drop, an interrupt or stun the spec lacks. 5: helps on most fights. 3: one racial that helps on some fights. 1: nothing.
Leveling and downtime20Makes leveling this spec quicker or easier: less eating and drinking, more health, speed, a strong solo cooldown. 5: a large help throughout. 3: helps a little, or helps some of the levels. 1: nothing.
S 0.50 or less behind the best
The best race for this spec, or as good as makes no difference.
A 0.83 or less behind the best
A little behind the best; a fine pick if you prefer it.
B 1.17 or less behind the best
Behind the best, but nothing you will notice most nights.
C 1.50 or less behind the best
Clearly behind the best on what this spec needs.
D 1.83 or less behind the best
Well behind the best; pick it for other reasons.
F more than 1.83 behind
The furthest behind for this spec.

What the ratings assume:

  • Racials as of the stated build: the client's tooltips, cooldowns and numbers, after the 15–16 Oct racial rework.
  • The spec played as its class guide sets it out, in its usual group role at 60, and leveled as that spec.
  • Gear: leveling gear, then pre-raid blues at 60.
  • No Legacy perks and no world buffs.
  • Faction is not rated. Both factions' races sit on one scale; each spec names the best pick on each side.
  • The game rules of the stated build. A patch that changes a racial makes a new version.

Best races for Marksmanship Hunter in PvP

Race matters some

Marksmanship has the heaviest ranged burst of the class and nothing of its own to survive melee or a stun chain. A stun break, or a 10% burst window that lines up with Rapid Fire, decides the pick. Night Elf comes closer here than in the other Hunter specs because of its crit window. The spread is 1.40, so the choice matters some. Human is the best Alliance pick. Orc is the best Horde pick.

  • Best Alliance pick: Human S tier
  • Best Horde pick: Orc S tier

  1. Orc S tier

    Orc leads Marksmanship Hunter: Blood Fury gives it the best burst, and Hardiness adds breaks.

    Why S, and its scores

    Breaks scores 3 of 5: Hardiness cuts stun duration 20% at all times, and Shatter Curse removes curses. Burst scores 5 of 5: Blood Fury adds 10% attack power and spell power for 15 seconds on a 3 minute cooldown, and Savage adds 1% crit. Blood Fury raises the attack power that Aimed Shot and Multi-Shot scale with, for 15 seconds. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Shatter Curse cuts magic damage 5% for 8 seconds. Mobility scores 1 of 5: Orc has nothing here.

    No race is ahead of it. The next race, Human, is 0.20 behind and sits in tier S. It falls short on burst (Blood Fury, 5 of 5, against Ruthless, 2) and defensives (Shatter Curse, 2 of 5, against 1 here).

    Scores for Orc for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 3
    Burst25 5
    Defensives25 2
    Mobility and detection20 1

    Weighted score 2.85, the best for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: It would lose first place if testing whether Blood Fury's cooldown is 3 minutes (older notes say 2) went against it, or if its Blood Fury were cut in a patch. Human is 0.20 behind, so a small change could close it.

    The Orc race page

  2. Human S tier

    Human stays close to Orc for Marksmanship Hunter: Will to Survive keeps it in tier S, short on burst and defense.

    Why S, and its scores

    Breaks scores 5 of 5: Will to Survive frees you from all stuns on a 3 minute cooldown. Burst scores 2 of 5: Ruthless adds 2% crit (on ranged attacks this is unconfirmed, so it is an estimate). The 2% crit works with the Mortal Shots crit multiplier, but whether Ruthless applies to ranged attacks is unconfirmed. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Human has no defensive racial. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Perception is a 20 second stealth detection on a 3 minute cooldown, and Spirit is 5% higher.

    It is 0.20 behind Orc, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier S. The gap comes from burst (Blood Fury, 5 of 5, against Ruthless, 2) and defensives (Shatter Curse, 2 of 5, against 1 here). It does lead on breaks (5 of 5 against 3) and mobility (2 of 5 against 1).

    Scores for Human for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 5
    Burst25 2
    Defensives25 1
    Mobility and detection20 2

    Weighted score 2.65, 0.20 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.

    What would move it: Settling whether Ruthless applies to ranged attacks (unconfirmed) could close the 0.20 gap to Orc: one more point on burst is worth 0.25.

    The Human race page

  3. Night Elf A tier

    Night Elf stays close to Orc for Marksmanship Hunter: Elune's Light keeps it in tier A, short on breaks and burst.

    Why A, and its scores

    Breaks scores 1 of 5: Night Elf has no break from control. Burst scores 4 of 5: Elune's Light adds 10% crit for 15 seconds on a 3 minute cooldown. The crit window works with the crit damage talents and lines up with Rapid Fire. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Night Elf has only a 1% dodge gain. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Shadowmeld, 2% extra speed and a one-level stealth edge for Rogues and Druids help, and Shadowmeld against players in combat is untested.

    It is 0.65 behind Orc, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier A. The gap comes from breaks (Hardiness, 3 of 5, against 1 here) and burst (Blood Fury, 5 of 5, against Elune's Light, 4). It does lead on mobility (2 of 5 against 1).

    Scores for Night Elf for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 1
    Burst25 4
    Defensives25 2
    Mobility and detection20 2

    Weighted score 2.20, 0.65 behind the best race for this spec, which is A tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Orc means making up 0.65. One more point on mobility is worth 0.20, so settling whether Shadowmeld discourages attacks in combat against players (untested) would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Night Elf race page

  4. Tauren B tier

    Tauren trails Orc for Marksmanship Hunter on burst and breaks, and War Stomp does not make up the difference.

    Why B, and its scores

    Breaks scores 1 of 5: Tauren has no break from control. Burst scores 1 of 5: Endurance adds a 2% crit bonus. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Endurance adds 5% health. Mobility scores 4 of 5: War Stomp stuns five enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds (0.5 second cast, 90 second cooldown, and a stun or interrupt cuts it), and Plainsrunning adds speed while moving. Marksmanship has no pet to absorb melee, so War Stomp matters more.

    It is 1.00 behind Orc, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier B. The gap comes from burst (Blood Fury, 5 of 5, against Endurance, 1) and breaks (Hardiness, 3 of 5, against 1 here). It does lead on mobility (4 of 5 against 1).

    Scores for Tauren for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 1
    Burst25 1
    Defensives25 2
    Mobility and detection20 4

    Weighted score 1.85, 1.00 behind the best race for this spec, which is B tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Orc means making up 1.00. One more point on mobility is worth 0.20, so settling whether War Stomp lands before a melee attacker closes the 8 yard gap would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Tauren race page

  5. Dwarf C tier

    Dwarf trails Orc for Marksmanship Hunter on burst and breaks, and Stoneform does not make up the difference.

    Why C, and its scores

    Breaks scores 2 of 5: Stoneform cleanses Bleed, Poison and Disease, a narrow family. Burst scores 1 of 5: Earth Fury adds a tiny 2% crit bonus. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Stoneform cuts Physical damage 10% for 8 seconds. Mobility scores 1 of 5: Dwarf has nothing here.

    It is 1.30 behind Orc, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier C. The gap comes from burst (Blood Fury, 5 of 5, against Earth Fury, 1) and breaks (Hardiness, 3 of 5, against Stoneform, 2).

    Scores for Dwarf for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 2
    Burst25 1
    Defensives25 2
    Mobility and detection20 1

    Weighted score 1.55, 1.30 behind the best race for this spec, which is C tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Orc means making up 1.30. One more point on defensives is worth 0.25, so settling the real size of Stoneform's 10% Physical cut would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Dwarf race page

  6. Troll C tier

    Troll trails Orc for Marksmanship Hunter on breaks and burst, and Berserking does not make up the difference.

    Why C, and its scores

    Breaks scores 1 of 5: Troll has no break from control. Burst scores 3 of 5: Berserking adds 10% attack and casting speed for 10 seconds on a 3 minute cooldown. Berserking speeds Aimed Shot casts and Auto Shot. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Rapid Regeneration heals 50% over 6 seconds but any damage, action or movement cancels it, so it works only out of combat. Mobility scores 1 of 5: Troll has nothing here.

    It is 1.35 behind Orc, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier C. The gap comes from breaks (Hardiness, 3 of 5, against 1 here), burst (Blood Fury, 5 of 5, against Berserking, 3) and defensives (Shatter Curse, 2 of 5, against Rapid Regeneration, 1).

    Scores for Troll for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 1
    Burst25 3
    Defensives25 1
    Mobility and detection20 1

    Weighted score 1.50, 1.35 behind the best race for this spec, which is C tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Orc means making up 1.35. One more point on burst is worth 0.25, so settling how much Berserking's 10% adds in a real fight (an estimate) would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Troll race page

  7. Skyborne High Order C tier

    Skyborne (High Order) trails Orc for Marksmanship Hunter on burst and breaks, and Wind Blessed does not make up the difference.

    Why C, and its scores

    Breaks scores 1 of 5: Skyborne has no break from control. Burst scores 2 of 5: Wind Blessed adds 3% haste at all times. The haste speeds Aimed Shot casts and Auto Shot. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Skyborne has no combat defense, only Read Ley Line, which doubles health and mana regeneration out of combat. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Walk on Air is a 10 second glide on a 90 second cooldown, and Read Ley Line can be cast while moving.

    It is 1.40 behind Orc, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier C. The gap comes from burst (Blood Fury, 5 of 5, against Wind Blessed, 2), breaks (Hardiness, 3 of 5, against 1 here) and defensives (Shatter Curse, 2 of 5, against Read Ley Line, 1). It does lead on mobility (2 of 5 against 1).

    Scores for Skyborne (High Order) for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 1
    Burst25 2
    Defensives25 1
    Mobility and detection20 2

    Weighted score 1.45, 1.40 behind the best race for this spec, which is C tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Orc means making up 1.40. One more point on burst is worth 0.25, so settling whether the 0.5 second Auto Shot wind-up bug is fixed would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Skyborne race page

  8. Skyborne Windshaper C tier

    Skyborne (Windshaper) trails Orc for Marksmanship Hunter on burst and breaks, and Wind Blessed does not make up the difference.

    Why C, and its scores

    Breaks scores 1 of 5: Skyborne has no break from control. Burst scores 2 of 5: Wind Blessed adds 3% haste at all times. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Skyborne has nothing in combat. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Skysight adds 10% speed for 30 seconds and can be cast while moving, and Walk on Air is a 10 second glide on a 90 second cooldown.

    It is 1.40 behind Orc, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier C. The gap comes from burst (Blood Fury, 5 of 5, against Wind Blessed, 2), breaks (Hardiness, 3 of 5, against 1 here) and defensives (Shatter Curse, 2 of 5, against 1 here). It does lead on mobility (2 of 5 against 1).

    Scores for Skyborne (Windshaper) for Marksmanship Hunter
    CriterionWeightScore
    Breaks and escapes30 1
    Burst25 2
    Defensives25 1
    Mobility and detection20 2

    Weighted score 1.45, 1.40 behind the best race for this spec, which is C tier.

    What would move it: Reaching Orc means making up 1.40. One more point on burst is worth 0.25, so settling whether the 0.5 second Auto Shot wind-up bug is fixed would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

    The Skyborne race page

How these are ranked

Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.

For each of the 28 specs, every race that can play it, ranked against each other for that spec in PvP: what the race's racials give it at level 60 in open-world fights and battlegrounds, against players of similar level and gear. It answers one question per spec: which race should I pick for it in PvP?

A tier says how far a race trails the best race for the same spec, never how it compares with another spec's races. The best race of every spec is S. Each spec also says how much the choice matters.

The scores are the racials' worth on fixed anchors (1 to 5). The tier comes from the weighted score's gap to the spec's best: 5 minus 1.5 times the gap, against the thresholds, so S is within 0.50 of the best and F more than 1.83 behind.

The racials are rated from their tooltips and the client's numbers; none has been measured in play, and diminishing returns on control in this build are not yet confirmed.

A break from the control a spec suffers most weighs most: a stun break for a melee spec that must stay on its target, a fear break for a spec that can't answer fear itself. Where a spec already has its own answer, the racial is worth less to it.

The rubric: each criterion scored 1 to 5
CriterionWeightWhat it measures
Breaks and escapes30Racials that free this spec from the control it suffers most. 5: an on-use break from a whole family of control (all stuns, or all fears and charms) on a cooldown of 2 to 3 minutes, or an always-on cut to control that works every fight. 3: a break for a narrower family (roots and slows, or one effect type such as curses or poisons), or one that only partly fits how this spec is controlled. 1: nothing.
Burst25Racials that raise this spec's damage (or a healer's healing) against players in its burst window. 5: about 10% or more, lined up with its own cooldowns, or an always-on gain the spec uses fully. 3: a smaller gain, or one the spec only partly uses (a physical bonus on a mostly spell spec). 1: nothing.
Defensives25Racials that keep this spec alive against players. 5: one that turns a losing fight: a large damage cut or immunity on use, more health, or healing in combat that a player can't stop. 3: a small or narrow one: a few % cut against one school, a small health or dodge gain, a heal that damage interrupts. 1: nothing.
Mobility and detection20Tools that win fights outside the numbers. 5: an area stun or interrupt the spec lacks, stealth or stealth detection that changes its fights, a lasting speed boost that works in combat. 3: one such tool, or several small ones (a short sprint, a safe fall). 1: nothing.
S 0.50 or less behind the best
The best race for this spec, or as good as makes no difference.
A 0.83 or less behind the best
A little behind the best; a fine pick if you prefer it.
B 1.17 or less behind the best
Behind the best, but nothing you will notice most nights.
C 1.50 or less behind the best
Clearly behind the best on what this spec needs.
D 1.83 or less behind the best
Well behind the best; pick it for other reasons.
F more than 1.83 behind
The furthest behind for this spec.

What the ratings assume:

  • Racials as of the stated build: the client's tooltips, cooldowns and numbers, after the 15–16 Oct racial rework.
  • The spec in a PvP-minded build, as its class's open-world PvP research sets it out.
  • Gear: pre-raid blues. No honor gear yet.
  • Opponents of any class and race, so a racial is worth what it does against the whole field, not one matchup.
  • Faction is not rated: population, queue times and which faction's classes are stronger are not part of the score. Each spec names the best pick on each side.
  • The game rules of the stated build. A patch that changes a racial makes a new version.