Survival is a melee hunter in Forever. Strider Kick, Expose Prey and Predator's Edge turn the old trap tree into a spec that stands right on top of the target. It pays off: Survival leads both level-60 simulations among all damage specs, and most tier lists put it at S.
Talents and builds
The links open the talent calculator with the finished build, including why the points go where they go.
- Leveling: Survival leveling (points 16/9/26). The calculator shows the point-by-point order below the tree.
- Raid: Survival melee PvE (raid & dungeons) (points 16/4/31). Melee Survival with Lightning Reflexes and one point in Lacerating Strikes; Careful Aim and Resourcefulness are no longer taken.
- Raid: Survival weaving PvE (raid & dungeons) (points 0/20/31). Mixes ranged and melee damage.
- PvP: Survival PvP (points 16/0/35). Survival for PvP with traps and roots: Entrapment, Improved Wing Clip and Bestial Swiftness instead of Deflection.
Where it ranks
| Category | Tier | Range |
|---|---|---|
| PvE DPS (raid) | S | B–S |
| PvE dungeon DPS (level 30) | A | A–S |
| PvP (battleground/open world) | B | B–S |
| Leveling | A | A |
- PvE DPS (raid): Tops both level-60 simulations by a clear margin, including the newest one with the 10 and 11 November hotfixes. Nearly every list since launch says S; only one older read says B.
- PvP (battleground/open world): Traps and Deterrence for control: most lists say B because the damage talents need melee range; one new list says S.
- Leveling: Both lists say A: same basic idea as the other Hunter specs, but the damage talents want melee range.
The tiers combine several tier lists and level-60 simulations. Raid logs only exist from 9 December, so treat this as a snapshot. Every spec side by side: rankings.
Nothing works without Hunter's Mark
Your core is Expose Prey. At 2/2, every melee and ranged attack on a target with your Hunter's Mark has a 10% chance to light up Mongoose Bite, which then stays usable for 10 seconds. Without the Mark there are no procs, and Mongoose Bite only lights up after the target dodges.
Two ways to play it
- Melee: you stay on the target, keep your pet and pick up Summon Hawk from Beast Mastery. Predator's Edge adds 30% to the crit bonus of your melee abilities and 50% to your off-hand damage.
- Weaving: you alternate between ranged and melee, with a two-hander and no pet thanks to Lone Wolf. This is where Lacerating Strikes earns its point, because the two-hander makes Mongoose Bite hit harder and the bleed adds 40% of its damage on top. In the pure melee build the talent is too weak.
If you are new to the spec, start with the melee build. It is the simpler of the two.
Melee rotation
- Hunter's Mark on the target, send the pet, and put Serpent Sting on anything that lives long.
- Raptor Strike on cooldown. It goes off with your next swing, so keep it queued.
- Mongoose Bite whenever it lights up.
- Strider Kick on cooldown: 100% weapon damage and 30% extra movement speed for 3 seconds.
- Immolation Trap at your feet. All traps share a 30-second cooldown, 18 with Survivalist's Discipline.
- Keep two hawks up.
When weaving, you open at range with Mark, Serpent Sting, a hawk or Arcane Shot and Multi-Shot, run in for Raptor Strike, Mongoose Bite, a trap and Strider Kick, and use the kick's speed to get back out.
Multiple targets are Survival's weak spot. Multi-Shot, Explosive Trap and Volley are all you have.
Cooldowns
Rapid Fire is your damage cooldown, stacked with trinkets and racials. Deterrence adds 25% dodge and parry for 10 seconds and comes back 40% sooner with Survivalist's Discipline.
Stats and mana
Weapon damage first, then hit rating, crit rating, Agility and attack power. Surefooted already gives you 3% hit. Dual wielding makes your off-hand white swings miss much more often, so plan extra hit for it. 10 hit rating is 1%, and 1% crit takes 14. The melee rotation eats mana. Resourcefulness cuts the cost of traps and melee abilities by 60%, and after every crit, half your regeneration keeps running while you cast for 30 seconds.
Common mistakes
- Letting Hunter's Mark fall off. No Mark, no Mongoose Bite procs.
- Expecting Mongoose Bite on demand. It needs a proc or a dodge.
- Leveling as full melee before level 30.
- Pulling aggro off your pet with melee crits while leveling.
Leveling
Survival has the weakest start of the three hunter specs, because Strider Kick and Expose Prey sit in the fifth row. Level as Beast Mastery until about 32, then respec. From there, fill Survival top to bottom with Strider Kick as early as possible, then Summon Hawk in Beast Mastery and finally Marksmanship. Strider Kick's speed boost also helps you get back out of melee.
In raids
On paper Survival is the strongest hunter and one of the strongest specs in the game. Raid logs that confirm it only start on 9 December. On trash with lots of mobs, you fall behind the other hunters.
Further reading
- Hunter class guide: races, new abilities and every build of the class
- The other specs: Beast Mastery Hunter, Marksmanship Hunter
- Raid comp planner: put your raid together and see which buffs are still missing
- Hunter talent calculator: plan your own build and share it as a link
Frequently asked questions
When does Survival become worth it for leveling?
From around level 32, once you have Strider Kick and Expose Prey. Before that, level as Beast Mastery and respec.
