World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Survival Hunter: PvP
How Survival Hunter fights other players in the open world: where it ranks on the PvP tier lists, and why.
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.
Battlegrounds are not rated yet; builds, matchups and battleground roles are being written for this spec. Honor, ranks, gear and the battlegrounds themselves are on PvP in World of Warcraft: Forever.
Verdict
- At 60
- Ranked 16 of 28 on Open-World PvP
Traps that chain and can be reused quickly,
Deterrence, and melee range that removes the dead zone, with no self-heal. - While leveling
- Ranked 5 of 28 on Open-World PvP Leveling
Melee range and
Deterrence at 20 with 
Freezing Trap, 
Wing Clip and 
Counterattack give it the best control on the way up. - Battlegrounds
- Not rated yet.
Profile
The rubric the lists score on, 1 to 5 on each line, with the weight each line carries. The class’s other specs are shown at 60 for comparison.
| Criterion | Weight | At 60 | While leveling | Beast Mastery | Marksmanship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burst and kill pressure | 25 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Survival and escapes | 20 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Control | 15 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Fighting outnumbered | 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Choosing the fight | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Sustain between fights | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Group fights | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Weighted score | 3.15 | 3.15 | 2.75 | 3.20 |
Strengths and weaknesses
At 60
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
 Entrapment,  Clever Traps and Wing Clip chain | Burst needs a dodge or parry |
| Deterrence +25% dodge and parry | No self-heal |
 Survivalist health and  Deflection | Three attackers overwhelm it |
| Melee range removes the dead zone | No raid aura |
| Traps cover a choke |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP
Survival hits through Mongoose Bite, 
Raptor Strike and Counterattack, with 
Predator's Edge and 
Lacerating Strikes, but Mongoose Bite and Counterattack need a dodge or parry. Its control is the best in the class: Entrapment, Clever Traps, Improved Wing Clip, Counterattack's 5 s immobilize and 
Survivalist's Discipline cutting trap cooldowns by 40%; 
Strider Kick adds 30% speed for 3 s rather than control. Entrapment now has diminishing returns.
Survivalist health, Deflection, 
Lightning Reflexes and Deterrence's +25% dodge and parry for 10 s make it the sturdiest Hunter, though Deterrence is not an immunity and there is no heal. Traps on repeat, 
Frost Trap and Deterrence manage two attackers, but three overwhelm it. It starts fights with a trap, with Cheetah, Pack and 
Hunter's Mark for stealth, and 
Resourcefulness cuts mana on traps and melee. Traps cover a choke and Deterrence helps a flag carrier, but it has no raid aura.
It is not A because its burst is reactive to dodges and parries, and with no self-heal and no raid aura it only scores 3 on burst, survival and objectives. 3.15 is 0.10 short of B.
While leveling
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Deterrence at 20 | Burst depends on dodges and parries |
| Wing Clip, Freezing Trap and Counterattack | No self-heal |
| Melee range from the start | Two attackers need traps and Deterrence |
| Traps from 20 hold a point | No raid aura |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP Leveling
Survival brings Raptor Strike from 1, Mongoose Bite at 16 and Counterattack at 25, so melee range is there from the start. Control is the fullest of the three: Wing Clip at 12, Entrapment, Freezing Trap at 20, Counterattack at 25, and Frost Trap at 28. Damage is middling, with Mongoose Bite and Counterattack depending on dodges and parries.
Deterrence at 20, Survivalist and Deflection early, and 
Feign Death at 30 give it more defense than the other Hunters, though there is no self-heal. Against two, traps and Deterrence at 20 help, with Feign Death at 30. It opens at range or in melee, and 
Aspect of the Cheetah at 20 and Strider Kick at 30 help it move. Resourcefulness comes at 30, and traps from 20, Deterrence and Counterattack hold a point.
It is not B because its damage is middling, it has no self-heal and no raid aura, so burst, survival, outnumbered and objectives score 3 and sustain 2. 3.15 is 0.10 short of B.
Leveling timeline
The level each of Survival’s PvP tools arrives. A talent shows at the earliest level a point can reach it; the Talented Legacy perk brings talents 5 levels sooner.
- Level 8
Concussive Shot - Level 12 Wing Clip
- Level 20 Aspect of the Cheetah,
Disengage, Freezing Trap, Deterrence (talent), 
Aimed Shot - Level 25 Counterattack (talent)
- Level 28 Frost Trap
- Level 30 Feign Death
- Level 32
Flare - Level 36
Viper Sting - Level 60
Tranquilizing Shot
Races
The Hunter’s races as Races PvP ranks them, best first.
Alliance
Human: 
Will to Survive is the only full stun break in the game, and 
Ruthless and 
Perception add steady crit and stealth detection.
Dwarf: 
Stoneform is the strongest defensive racial of any race, and the widest class choice helps, but burst and mobility are the weakest.
Night Elf: 
Shadowmeld, extra stealth and speed give the joint best mobility of any race, and 
Elune's Light is a crit burst, but it breaks nothing.
Skyborne (High Order): 
Wind Blessed gives steady haste, but High Order has no control break, no defensive and only a glide for mobility.
Horde
Orc: 
Blood Fury is the strongest burst cooldown of any race, and 
Hardiness and 
Shatter Curse give some breaks and defense, but no mobility.
Tauren: 
War Stomp and 
Plainsrunning give the best mobility and 
Endurance adds health, but it breaks nothing and has the weakest burst.- Skyborne (Windshaper): Wind Blessed gives steady haste and
Skysight a 30 second sprint, but it has no control break and no defensive. 
Troll: 
Berserking is a burst for seven classes, but Troll has no control break or mobility and 
Rapid Regeneration works out of combat.
What we don’t know yet
At 60
Rated on assumptions:
- Everything at 60 is projected; nobody has played past the beta cap of 30.
- Lacerating Strikes at 40 is past the cap and is projected from client data.
- Whether melee weaving works in practice is untested.
- Diminishing returns on traps are not stated beyond the 8 Oct Entrapment note.
What would move it: Documented diminishing returns on traps, or measured level-60 melee weaving against casters.
While leveling
Rated on assumptions:
- Lacerating Strikes at 40 is past the beta cap of 30 and is projected.
- Diminishing returns on traps are not stated beyond the 8 Oct Entrapment note.
- Whether Feign Death drops a player target is untested.
What would move it: Play past level 30 showing Lacerating Strikes and Survival's traps scaling as projected, or measured trap diminishing returns.