Reviewing the Tier Set Bonuses of Hunter Dragonflight Season 3 - Guide Writer Initial Impressions

Dragonflight Season 3 Tier Set Bonuses have been revealed and are currently available for testing on the Patch 10.2 PTR. As part of the Patch 10.2 PTR content preview, players can now get a glimpse of the bonuses and armor models for all 39 specializations. In this blog post, written by WowCarry, we will break down our initial impressions of these tier bonuses, providing insight into their implementation, relative strength, and valuable feedback. Whether you're a Beast Mastery, Marksmanship, or Survival Hunter, we've got you covered!

Beast Mastery Hunter Season 3 Tier Set First Impression

• 2-Set Bonus

The Beast Mastery 2-set bonus grants you a Dire Beast for 15 seconds whenever you cast Bestial Wrath. While this bonus may not seem particularly exciting on its own, it does have a few minor benefits. It increases the frequency of Dire Pack procs and provides higher uptime on the 5% haste provided by Dire Beast. Although it won't result in any rotational changes or impact talent choices, it does enhance gameplay speed. In terms of power, this bonus adds approximately 4.5% damage on single-target and minimal AoE value.

• 4-Set Bonus

The 4-set bonus allows your Dire Beasts to use Kill Command and benefit from Beast Cleave/Kill Cleave. This bonus may have some impact on talent builds, as Dire Beasts and Kill Commands become more prominent. However, it mostly strengthens existing meta builds that already prioritize Dire Beast talents. Thematically, this tier bonus is intriguing, but it doesn't introduce significant rotational changes. It is estimated to provide a remarkable 18% increase in DPS on single-target and a slightly lower boost on AoE. Dire Beasts now contribute more than a quarter of your total damage, making this set bonus quite powerful.

Currently, there are a couple of bugs associated with this set. Only the most recent summon of Dire Beast will benefit from Beast Cleave/Kill Cleave and be able to cast Kill Command. Additionally, new Dire Beasts will not automatically gain Beast Cleave if you had the buff active before summoning, requiring manual maintenance of the buff.

Overall, the Beast Mastery tier set bonuses are straightforward, yet cool and potent additions to the spec's gameplay.

Marksmanship Hunter Season 3 Tier Set First Impression

• 2-Set Bonus

The Marksmanship 2-set bonus allows Rapid Fire to rain a Volley at the target's location for 2 seconds. This bonus aims to improve the spec's AoE rotation during Trueshot and provides 2-target cleave. It also synergizes with the redesigned Legacy of the Windrunners/Windrunner's Guidance, as Wind Arrows extend the duration of your next Trueshot. The bonus adds passive damage, especially on AoE, by regularly triggering Volley.

• 4-Set Bonus

The 4-set bonus of Marksmanship Hunters enhances single-target damage. It empowers Wildfire Bomb with a 40% damage increase on the primary target, generating an additional charge of Wildfire Bomb and throwing a free Wildfire Bomb at your current target. However, the effectiveness of this bonus is heavily skewed towards AoE encounters. In the single-target scenario, its impact is underwhelming, making it unsuitable for raiding. Marksmanship suffers from limited AoE capability compared to other specs that excel in both AoE and single-target scenarios.

The gameplay changes brought by the tier set include a more logical order of abilities during AoE rotations. Instead of interlacing Multi-Shot between Aimed Shot and Rapid Fire, Marksmanship Hunters can now use the sequence Multi-Shot > Aimed Shot > Rapid Fire > Aimed Shot > Repeat. The tier set eases the trade-off between single-target and AoE damage, but there is still a need for improvement in Marksmanship's talent tree and mandatory raid utility to secure a raid spot.

There are significant bugs associated with the tier set on the PTR, including issues with Volley activation, Trick Shots buff duration, and the interaction between Rapid Fire and Aimed Shot. These bugs hinder the optimal use of the set bonuses and need addressing.

Survival Hunter Season 3 Tier Set First Impression

• 2-Set Bonus

The Survival Hunter 2-set bonus, Fury of the Eagle, increases you and your pet's critical strike chance and critical damage dealt by 15% for 12 seconds. This buff provides a frequent and powerful damage amplification, regardless of whether you're facing single-target or AoE encounters. It benefits target swapping and refreshes itself while you channel Fury of the Eagle, maximizing its uptime.

• 4-Set Bonus

The 4-set bonus for Survival Hunters focuses on improving single-target damage, an area where the spec has struggled in previous patches. The bonus enhances Fury of the Eagle by throwing a free Wildfire Bomb at your current target, generating an additional charge of Wildfire Bomb, and increasing the damage dealt by Wildfire Bomb to your primary target by 40% for 12 seconds. This bonus significantly boosts the damage potential of Wildfire Bomb, making it a potent tool against single targets.

While the tier set introduces exciting gameplay possibilities and amplifies damage output, there are some bugs that need addressing. A significant issue lies with certain abilities, such as auto-attacks, pets' basic attacks, and various spells, not benefiting from the tier set bonus. This unintentionally lowers the overall damage potential of Survival Hunters and doesn't align with the intended design of the bonus.

Overall, Survival Hunters can rejoice in the impactful and enjoyable tier set bonuses, reminiscent of the spec's Artifact abilities from the Legion expansion.

Conclusion

The Dragonflight Season 3 Tier Set bonuses bring a range of effects and enhancements to the Beast Mastery, Marksmanship, and Survival Hunter specializations. While some bonuses are more exciting and powerful than others, they have the potential to shape gameplay and impact damage output. However, it is crucial for the developers to address the identified bugs and concerns to ensure a smooth and balanced experience for Hunters. As the Patch 10.2 PTR progresses, it will be interesting to see how players adapt and optimize their playstyles with these tier set bonuses. We recommend pre-ordering the Amirdrassil raid to increase your chances of receiving the tier set among the first.

Stay tuned for more in-depth guides and analyses of the Dragonflight Season 3 Tier Set bonuses for all classes and specializations!