# About
Written by [Azortharion-Kazzak](<https://www.warcraftlogs.com/character/eu/kazzak/azortharion>), Hunter Guidewriter for [Icy-Veins](https://www.icy-veins.com/wow/hunter-guide) and sometimes [Twitch Hunter Streamer](<https://www.twitch.tv/azortharion>).
Check out my [Patreon](<https://www.patreon.com/azortharion>) if you'd like for Personal Hunter Coaching/Instruction/Lessons, [AzorUI Hunter UI/WeakAuras](https://uipacks.wago.io/pack/azorui), and such.
# Changelog
- Sep 8th 23:37 CET: Zingus, Yanix, and Jonnymetal implemented a SimC backend + APL change that allows the sim to react to Deathblow procs during cooldowns. This is a pretty DPS increase for the sims, and that is why the numbers are back to where they were before the altered buffs. It's probably not feasible to play quite as well as the sim does in this regard, but still, numbers are high.
- Sep 8th 22:32 CET: A small sim fix.
- Sep 8th 22:14 CET: Updated overrides and sims.
- Sep 8th 20:33 CET: They softened some of the buffs and increased some others.
- Sep 7th 15:59 CET: Removed a Bear buff override that shouldn't have been there, costs BM PL around ~0.8 - 1%.
- Sep 7th 11:59 CET: Fixed override typo.
- Sep 7th 09:42 CET: Updated overrides to account for a recent backend SimC change.
- Sep 6th 16:53 CET: Added some thoughts and info on NoMulti for Dark Ranger (spoiler: not really worth pursuing imho).
- Sep 6th 13:58 CET: Made [a video](https://youtu.be/XhjT7t5VE5g) covering most of the aspects of this document if you prefer listening.
- Sep 6th 13:16 CET: Updated the sims and conclusions for the document based on latest sims. Probably making a video on the topic.
- Sep 6th 09:00 CET: Just woke up, The initial overrides were improved overnight and an old sim bug with BM Dark Ranger was found that gave a few single digit% (it was behind by like 20% before fwiw) , so fixing that and then combining that with these buffs has made Dark Ranger incredibly strong for single-target. Going to update the sims and conclusions over the day.
- Sep 6th 02:00 CET: Just made this, I have some DM's about the DR "The Bell Tolls" overrides possibly undershooting which I hope to evaluate more closely tomorrow. I will also do spec comparison stuff in a video tomorrow, but of course you can already just add ~5% to BM numbers in real statistics and compare those to MM if you want to.
# Video Version
*The gist of this video remains true, though it was created before they tempered the buffs slightly and numbers were a bit higher. Conclusions remain mostly the same.*
{%youtube XhjT7t5VE5g %}
# Disclaimers
- Info is still pretty young and the errors bare around statements and sims in this document remain fairly wide. These changes do not actually become relevant until Tuesday Sep 9th, so we have a few days to iron out any kinks. Watch this space!
# The Buffs
# The Numbers
## [Single-Target](https://www.raidbots.com/simbot/report/i1MQJpEYc7kvm5Kg1D4ttP)
- BM, with the Hero Talent swap to Dark Ranger, effectively gets a 11% ST buff.
- Dark Ranger is now supreme for all things single-target by a massive margin, exceeding MM DR's single-target with a 1-min damage profile instead of 90s, and a bit less RNG. It is the new default for most Raiding. Soul Hunters remains Marksmanship for sure, though, TBD on Dimensius and Nexus-King.
## [AoE](https://www.raidbots.com/simbot/report/qVG4TAXN6UH9ecQeBngqR5)
- We gain ~4% on average in AoE/M+, while staying Pack Leader.
- Dark Ranger BM still falters a bit on pure AoE. AoE and Prio are its main weaknesses compared to Pack Leader. It is not absolutely awful, but it is suboptimal.
## Mythic+ Efficiency
*This is a combined ST/AoE Metric that also shows Prio and MDT Sim performance to try and gauge M+ spec performance overall, taking as much into account as possible for timing real keys. The 'Efficiency' metric is ST/AoE-based only, and the Prio and MDT Sim figures are mostly for sanity checking and so on.*

- BM NoMulti benefits nicely from the buffs. BM Dark Ranger M+ is not bad either, but its prio is HORRIBLE and it has similar RNG issues to MM Dark Ranger, so Pack Leader still seems superior for Mythic+ in all situations.
- For the overall Hunter M+ Meta, I still think there are a few valid MM scenarios, but they are becoming less and less frequent. My prediction is that in the medium-long-term, BM NoMulti will be the most common pick at the top-end. I still think that MM Dark Ranger is the best "generic" M+ choice for most people inclined to ask.
- Not strictly related to this document but for Survival, SV Sentinel M+ undersims and PL Flanking M+ oversims, so kinda ignore those results.
# How To Sim The Changes Yourself
We made these SimC Spell Overrides that will allow you to sim with the changes before the weekly reset. Thanks to Thyminde, Jonnymetal, Honor, and xMab for helping with these.

# 4% Aura Buff
override.spell_data=effect.179698.base_value=-2
override.spell_data=effect.191138.base_value=-2
override.spell_data=effect.191139.base_value=-2
override.spell_data=effect.191140.base_value=-2
# Deathblow Proc Chance
override.spell_data=effect.1179989.base_value=20
# Bell Tolls Damage Bonus
override.spell_data=effect.1257192.base_value=5
override.spell_data=effect.1257193.base_value=5
override.spell_data=effect.1257194.base_value=5
# Phantom Pain
override.spell_data=effect.1257189.base_value=65
# Bleak Powder
override.spell_data=effect.1189956.ap_coefficient=5.25

You can sim your Top Gear/Droptimizer with them by putting this in **SimC Expert Mode > Footer**, same place you'd normally put an MDT Sim. You can put it above an MDT Sim if you wish as well.
# Mini-Guide to Beast Mastery Dark Ranger
*[Icy-Veins](https://www.icy-veins.com/wow/beast-mastery-hunter-pve-dps-guide) is updated with detailed info and Talent Builds, and Wowhead will be too in the coming days.*
## Talent Builds
### Single-Target
[C0PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYMbDMgBMbsFYsAAAAAAgZwwsMzgZMjZWGzMzYMzMTmxMmZmZGmZMDjhZGYY2WmBbAAAAAAwMA](https://www.icy-veins.com/wow/the-war-within-talent-calculator#9D-VdeqCDFmpAMNRTZnRh4IJxxpM62IZ5iC-KQXGNPSm68Qs8IVZhVSsxxJSiqpBeCA-GIKQCEI04oC-)
### Mythic+
[C0PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYMLDMgBMbsFYsAAAAAAgZGbzgZmBzYMzyMzMzgZMTmxMmxMzwMDDjhZGmlhZbZGsBAAAAAAzA](https://www.icy-veins.com/wow/the-war-within-talent-calculator#9D-VdeqCDFmpAMNRTZnRckku44CHdbksgSE-KQXyGNTm68KWYiqswKDI00244ERBGeC-GIKQCEIw4oC-)

I have tried to find competitive NoMulti builds. The best I found was [this](https://www.icy-veins.com/wow/the-war-within-talent-calculator#9D-VdeqCDFiMTBYaimyOjCxRS6ijLc0tRyC-KQXGNPSm68Qs8IVZhVGQoptxxJiCM8E-GIKQCEIw4oC-). It performs 5% better on ST and Prio, but 14% worse on AoE and is therefore less efficient. Keep in mind that even in the M+ build with Multi above, an AoE sim only casts 9 Multis in 5 minutes, so I wouldn't worry too much about NoMulti for DR.

## Stats & Gearing
### Single-Target Secondary Stat Scaling Plot (All Stats Equalized)
- Stats are close, but Haste/Crit are generally optimal with Mastery now being very bad and Versatility now not being the absolute worst anymore.
- Unyielding Prism is very good as the spec is now a very powerful 1-min burst spec.
### Mythic+ Secondary Stat Scaling Plot (All Stats Equalized)
- Very similar story to single-target.
# Rotation
- Even simpler than Pack Leader. Use cooldowns like Bestial Wrath/Call of the Wild on CD, spam Kill Command, use Barbed Shot just enough to prevent it charge capping, Cobra Shot as a filler if you cannot KC/Barbed, and above all, **use every Black Arrow proc instantly.** On AoE, hopefully all the Black Arrow procs take care of Beast Cleave for you, but can fill in with Multi-Shot as needed. Finally, you do want to hold Bestial Wrath for up to 20 sec to ensure a Call of the Wild sync. You really care a lot about Bestial Wrath and Call of the Wild overlapping!
## Damage Profile
- 1-min burst profile with modest execute thanks to Black Arrow being more freely usable sub-20%.