Reflecting on Survival Hunter in Dragonflight & War Within - Editorial Wishlist

The Evolution of Survival Hunter: A Journey in Dragonflight and Wishlist for The War Within

As the sun sets on Dragonflight and The War Within looms ahead, it's a perfect time for Survival Hunters to reflect on the expansion and look towards the future. In this retrospective, we'll take a look at Survival Hunter's journey in Dragonflight, discuss the current state of the specialization, and explore the changes we hope to see in The War Within. Survival Hunter has undergone significant changes since its rework in the Battle for Azeroth expansion. Let's dive into the details!

Survival Hunter in Dragonflight

• Survival Hunter Gameplay

Survival Hunter offers a unique melee take on the Hunter class, inspired by the iconic Rexxar. The specialization's core abilities, including Kill Command, Mongoose Bite, and Wildfire Bomb, provide a fun and thematic gameplay experience. In Dragonflight, Survival Hunters have been able to build around three distinct playstyles: Spearhead for single target, Coordinated Assault for AoE, and Fury of the Eagle for bursty AoE. However, some tuning issues and awkwardness in utilizing cooldowns have affected the overall experience.

• Talent Tree

The talent tree introduced in Dragonflight has provided flexibility for Survival Hunters, with a range of viable builds for both AoE and single target scenarios. However, a significant portion of the talent tree consists of passive bonuses, which can make the tree feel less exciting compared to other classes. The addition of more impactful and engaging talents would greatly enhance the customization and gameplay experience for Survival Hunters in The War Within.

• Survival Hunter Tier Sets

Survival Hunter has been fortunate to have impactful and fun tier sets throughout Dragonflight. These tier sets have added depth to gameplay and opened up new build options. The inclusion of Wildfire Bomb modifiers and other exciting bonuses has been well-received by the community. We hope to see more tier sets in The War Within that build upon the core gameplay of Survival Hunter.

Survival Hunter Utility and Viability

Beyond damage output, Survival Hunter has struggled to bring unique utility to high-end content like raids and Mythic+ dungeons. The class lacks raid buffs and situational defensives that other melee classes provide. The limited utility has made it challenging for Survival Hunters to secure a spot in optimal compositions. We hope to see improvements in this area to make Survival Hunter a more viable and desirable choice in group content.

The Cooldown Problem

Survival Hunter's cooldown abilities, Coordinated Assault and Spearhead, have faced challenges in both their effectiveness and awkwardness. The empowerment buffs provided by these cooldowns can be underwhelming, and the cooldowns themselves can be difficult to optimize. We would like to see adjustments made to make these cooldowns more impactful and intuitive for players.

Survival Hunter in The War Within: Wishlist

• Quality of Life Changes

Survival Hunters are looking for minor quality of life changes that can enhance their gameplay experience. One key improvement would be a revisit of the Coordinated Assault cooldown, addressing its awkwardness and fixing any bugs related to its empowerment buff. Additionally, improvements to Wildfire Bomb, such as addressing the issue of the DoT not igniting, would be greatly appreciated.

• Predictable Rotation

While Survival Hunter's gameplay loop is consistent and enjoyable, some players desire a bit more variation and unpredictability in their rotation. The addition of stronger proc-based elements in the talent tree could provide this desired variety and make the gameplay experience more engaging.

• Future Survival Hunter Gameplay

Survival Hunters appreciate the current gameplay loop but also crave new and exciting options. Many players would love to see the return of Serpent Sting as a prominent ability, with more active engagement and synergy within the talent tree. The addition of more talents related to Mongoose Bite and Mongoose Fury is also desired, as these abilities are seen as defining aspects of melee Survival Hunter.

• Mastery: A Weaker but More Specific Versatility

Survival Hunter's Mastery, Mastery: Spirit Bond, has historically been a weak and undesirable stat. It doesn't affect key abilities and has low numerical value compared to other stats. We hope to see improvements to Mastery in The War Within, reducing the performance gap between different stats and making it a more desirable stat for Survival Hunters.

• Survival Hunter Hero Trees

The introduction of Hero trees in The War Within has sparked excitement and speculation within the Survival Hunter community. The Pack Leader, Dark Ranger, and Sentinel trees offer unique possibilities for talents that could enhance gameplay and provide new thematic abilities. We eagerly await the official reveal of the Hunter Hero talent tree to see what lies ahead for Survival Hunters!

Conclusion

Survival Hunter has experienced significant growth and changes in Dragonflight, and the community is hopeful for its evolution in The War Within. With minor adjustments to talent trees, cooldowns, and the addition of new and exciting abilities, Survival Hunter could become an even more engaging and desirable specialization. As we eagerly await the release of The War Within, Survival Hunters can look back on their journey in Dragonflight with fondness and anticipation for the adventures to come.

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