Hunter Setups and the Update

[Plover]

If I've noticed correctly, there has been an insane number of 20+ member parties roaming the warzone the last few days, making leveling impossible for anybody [myself not included, gradded']. Also rather than roaming around as an individual people get swept up in one of the many giant parties running around. (nobody with a scroll is leveling in wz because of this it looks like, and most w/o scrolls aren't leveling for hopes of another update before they continue leveling... so I've noticed...)

First off, is this observation wrong? I just got to lvl 50 a few hours after the update , and I haven't been paying attention to what fort wars and stuff have been going on for a few weeks now.

If this observation is correct, how are hunters dealing with it? [ninjas not included] Hunters with pets thrive on 1v1 up to 1v[a few]. I went on today with my hunter + pet setup which I love, but I just got frustrated because pets can't live when fighting against giant parties.

I don't want to become a ninja because I really like pet setups.


I know a few people are going to yell "n00b hunter deal with it!" at me... or something slightly more vulgar. Resist the temptation.

Thanks!

[_dracus_]

I have the same feeling that you: Pets are good for small groups, and useless against big groups. I made my config with thoses ideas:
-Pets in fort wars are uncontrollable (they can do things but you don't know why).
-Without a pet hunters aren't the best damaging subclass ever

I choose to have few damaging spell (ensaring arrow, dual shot, tear apart). And then to have defensive spell (distraction shot, ambush) and debuffing spells (sudden strike, confuse, caltrop). Then as a hunter you are often expected to have max evasion and max scouting (and thoses two trees are good so I kept them). Which make a stupid setup with:

sb 13, tricks 19, scouting 19, evasion 19, lb 7, pet 1

[padreigh]

Barb gone? So sad. I will wait out this current turmoil and hope for the best.

[-Edge-]

I don't think just hunters are affected. I see alot of conjurers dropping summons, and definatly more area attacks from spells I might have seen twice in my life. I.E. Fire Rain, Thunder Strike, etc..

[_dracus_]

Originally Posted by sociopath

all the extra points i had left went into tricks. dunno...im happy with my setup though. ive never worried about maxing tricks so i can have confuse...i know what it does, it sounds cool but then where's the challenge?

Maxing tricks is for Caltrop arrows (area slow down -50% speed for 20s), not especially for confuse. In tricks I have lvl 5 caltrop arrows, and lvl 3 confuse.

For the challenge I can assure you that not having a pet is some kind of challenge because it's your best attack/defense you can have in PvP.

[_dracus_]

Yeah dirty fighting way

[ementh]

I've tried without pet but I always go back. I've learned to control mine and if I can't - well I can decide to stay or go away and come back later...

[Plover]

I tried out a petless hunter setup today for about 2 hours, but I wasn't liking it so I went back, and just avoided the giant groups roaming around.

Something I noticed (since before today I've never really tried rep shot) is that repetition shot does damage around the hunter in a very short range... Is Projectile Rain the same thing? Or does projectile rain do damage on and around the targeted enemy?

[fluffy_muffin]

Originally Posted by onesnowyplover

[...]
I don't want to become a ninja because I really like pet setups.

Lvl up stalker or camu, or just find good place to ambush and wait :P or protect lvlers.

[Valorius]

Originally Posted by onesnowyplover

If I've noticed correctly, there has been an insane number of 20+ member parties roaming the warzone the last few days, making leveling impossible for anybody [myself not included, gradded']. Also rather than roaming around as an individual people get swept up in one of the many giant parties running around. (nobody with a scroll is leveling in wz because of this it looks like, and most w/o scrolls aren't leveling for hopes of another update before they continue leveling... so I've noticed...)

First off, is this observation wrong? I just got to lvl 50 a few hours after the update , and I haven't been paying attention to what fort wars and stuff have been going on for a few weeks now.

If this observation is correct, how are hunters dealing with it? [ninjas not included] Hunters with pets thrive on 1v1 up to 1v[a few]. I went on today with my hunter + pet setup which I love, but I just got frustrated because pets can't live when fighting against giant parties.

I don't want to become a ninja because I really like pet setups.


I know a few people are going to yell "n00b hunter deal with it!" at me... or something slightly more vulgar. Resist the temptation.

Thanks!

Warfighting optimized hunters do not use pets. Instead they have maxed evasion. I currently have 23 discipline points- 1/2 of my total- in evasion skills.

Next you want maxed bow skill with a maxed area attack (be it projectile rain, repitition shot, or caltrop arrow). High lvl tricks is also very desirable for confusing enemy conjurors. Scouting 15 or 17 is plenty for a 'cavalry' hunter, which is the role that hunters are most well suited to in large scale battles and formations.