/sigh

4 hours of unexpected (or expected depending on how you look at it) realm matienence.

I did however get to log in for about 15 mins and what I did was
Port to darn
Spec 51/10 BM
Train a devilsaur
Lag out in ungoro

Hopefully I'll have more time later tonight.

WTB - - -

Realm uptime.

11 minutes isn't that long, but damn it sucks trying to refresh the wow realm status page for 11 minutes straight.

Oh staghelm, must ye be lame?

Tuesday's Check List

Here's some things I'll be trying to get accomplished on tuesday (assuming it is in fact patch day)

• Put all of the current guilds events on the new Calander (woot)
• Buy my stable slots
• Stable my kitteh
• Spec 51/10
  
• Train a devilsaur
• Train a wolf
• Train a gorilla
• Plead for even more stable slots
• Test dummie variations of 51/10, 52/9, and 53/8 bm
• Spec 49/12, test dummie said spec
• Spec SV (0/10/51)
• Do dailies to get some of the wasted gold back
• get a haircut
• Do some PVP

So much to do, so much to do.

Lack of posts

There isn't a WHOLE lot of new hunter info coming down the pipeline, because we're getting close to 3.0 release. There has been alot of speculation and number crunching in beta though.

If you want to see a bunch of really good hunter talk, bounce over to the BRK forums. That's where you'll find the experts.

Questions to be asked by huntards

• Whats the best pve spec?!
• Whats the best leveling pet?!
• Are hunters still top of the pile for raiding?!
• Are we any good in pvp?!
• Haste gear?!

Currently BM has reported higher numbers (but barely) than SV for PERSONAL raid dps. The utility is in both, FI is raidwide, and SV gives mana back. Either is COMPLETELY viable for raiding.

There is no best leveling pet. Don't ask. Go to wowhead, find the pet and pet skill you like, train pet.

Hunters may or may not be the top, but we don't have enough information to tell yet.

PvP is different. Try it.

Blizz has said that haste is a "secondary stat". They can't just replace it with AGI or AP because it would make the item worth too much. There aren't alot of secondary stats to play with, so haste works.

Bringing back Fuzzy.

Remember the early days of being a baby huntard? Where the best part about the class was picking out a class that appealed to YOU?

Nobody cared which pet did the most damage, had the fastest attack speed, or the most health, it was all about looks (that is of course for those hunters in the 10-59 lvl range).

My first pet that I ever grew attached to was Fuzzy.

Fuzzy was a bear who I picked up in feralas (Yes, a little late to grow attached) at the ripe age of 47. Fuzzy, rest his soul, was the best leveling companion ever. We traveled all throughout Kalimdor and the EK together. He even stepped into the Dark Portal with me for the first time.

Over time, our bond dimished though. Fuzzy was stabled for Blinky the wonder WarpStalker, then released for blinky to be stabled in favor of whiskers my man eating killer eco-dome dweleing jungal lord.

With the new patch and increased leveling for pets, as well as pet specialization and pet talent trees, I've decided to bring back Fuzzy.

Only this fuzzy is white. After raiding, I promptly ran my dwarvin butt to Dun Morogh (ahh nostalgia) and tamed me Mangeclaw. For now, Fuzzy v2.0 will remain stabled waiting anxiously for the patch to arrive and a chance to age (level) 5 years (times).

It's funny how attached a player can become to a specific part of their most played class.

Retro specs, expect the unexpected.

Remember back in the day, when running through your favorite zone with a big black worg was cool? Or how bout that transparent like cat that you ran your short little dwarf legs over to teldrasil to get was the shiz? Or trying to mimic your favorite dwarf hunter from the WoW intro cinimatic with a big white bear?

What happened to these pets that were just so damn cool? Normalization happened. Pet's stopped being specialized for leveling and dpsing (to some extent).

Here's what to expect in WotLK

• Gorriladins. BRK has done a fantastic job explaining the greatness of gorillas.
• Bears, the new personal tank (again?)
• Rhinos - I mean really, who wouldn't?
• Wolves - They actually do damage again.
• Turtles - For more than just novelty?

If you havn't already, go over to wowhead's LK site and check out all of the new pet family spells.

What's nice about pets for leveling in LK is that each pet does something unique, and is good situationally. Gorrials are going to be GREAT for AOE tanking, Bears for single target, Wolves for those melee heavy 5 mans, heck hyenas are even going to be good.

Start evauating how you like to play. Talent points are going to matter (for both player and pet) based on your pet choice and how you play.

Nerfs to survivial, buffs to BM

GOGO NERFBAT!

Explosive shot is nerfed into the ground. The damage modifer that was previsouly 20% of rap, is now 8%.

What's that mean? Explosive shot = arcane shot. They put out almost the same damage now, except one is a skill you get before level 20, the other is a wasted 51 point talent.

LnL did get some changes though, it now procs 15% off of serpent stings PERIODIC damage, instead of 15% off of original application. More up time for LnL.

As for us BM lovers who felt we got screwed, Seperation anxity was replaced with Kindred Spirts. With 5/5 in KS, your pet gets an additional 20% (ZOMG!) and yours and you pets speed is increased by 10%.

Wait, so pets do MOAR DEEPZ now? awesome.

There have been many QQs over the explosive shot nerf, but BM is getting rebuffed to compensate. I'll glady stay with my devilsaur (+9% dmg with his special up) and KS (overall a 29% pet damage boost).

Let's keep these good changes rolling Blizz.


Also, aimed shot is supposed to get buffed. In some future patch its going to be changed to be an insta cast with the same effects and cooldown, oh and damage modifiers stay the same as well. I'll take that with a side of win please.