PvE Survival Hunter Talents, Builds, & Glyphs

Talents and glyphs changed greatly from Cataclysm to Mists of Pandaria, allowing for more flexibility during raid encounters. You no longer have to visit a class trainer if you wish to switch your talents; you only need to have Tome of the Clear Mind in your bags.

Talent Build

Survival Hunters generally have a much more defined build and less versatility compared to other DPS specializations. They either have a standard Single-Target or AoE build, with only a few choices that can be altered depending on special requirements for some encounters.

Below you can find an example of the Single-Target build.

Talent Calculator

Talents

As it is easier to change talents and glyphs between boss fights, there is a lot of flexibility in what you can choose. The best Hunters will tailor their talents and glyphs to perform the best on every encounter.

Level 15 (Tier 1)

This tier provides additions to mobility or defensive cooldowns.

• Posthaste ✅
  This talent is the most popular choice by most Hunters in all three specializations, as Hunters tend to Disengage when requiring mobility, so the additional movement speed can be very useful.
• Narrow Escape ❌
  In PvE, this talent can cause more harm than good, as rooting mobs can cause them to attack nearby targets instead, such as healers or casters, while they are rooted.
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Chimera ✅
  This is an admirable talent and should be taken for encounters where you need to use Deterrence often before a specific mechanic.

Level 30 (Tier 2)

This tier provides raid utility.

• Binding Shot ✅
  This is the preferred choice by most Hunters as it can interrupt or stun adds on demand. If you position this so that mobs are on the edge of the area, it will instantly stun the target, even if it has not moved.
• Wyvern Sting ✅
  This talent may be used to isolate dangerous mobs in the open world or dungeons/raids. However, this talent requires group coordination to pull off successfully, meaning that you must plan its use with your allies.
• Intimidation ❌
  Not as popular as Binding Shot, as it has a shorter stun duration and only affects one target.

Level 45 (Tier 3)

This tier focuses on personal survivability.

• Exhilaration ✅
  Less preferred, but can be seen as a secondary Healthstone. This provides good on-demand healing during encounters where you know you will take damage at a particular moment.
• Aspect of the Iron Hawk ✅
  This is the default choice most Hunters will take, as it provides a flat 10% damage reduction, making it the best option if you are consistently taking damage throughout an encounter.
• Spirit Bond ❌
  Not as effective as the other two talents, as the flat damage reduction or heal on demand is better suited for almost every encounter.

Level 60 (Tier 4)

This tier provides a boost to personal DPS.

• Fervor ✅
  The best choice for Survival Hunters in Single-Target fights! This talent is amazing for your opener sequences, providing vital extra Focus. It is especially useful at the beginning of the expansion when Haste values are low and passive Focus generation makes it difficult for Survival Hunters to execute their openers.
• Dire Beast ❌
  This talent is not useful for Survival Hunters due to it’s low DPS gain compared to the other options.
• Thrill of the Hunt ✅
  A strong choice for both Single-Target and AoE encounters, adding an additional RNG component to the Survival Hunter’s kit.  It can be amazing for AoE, as it facilitates more Multi-Shots casts. The talent can also be great for Single-Target when you lack enough Haste, allowing you to spam Arcane Shot.

Level 75 (Tier 5)

This tier provides a boost to personal DPS.

• A Murder of Crows ✅
  Considered to be the best option for Single-Target fights if you get the full use of the ability on your target. It is, however, your most costly spell, meaning you will need to pool focus in advance.
• Blink Strikes ✅
  Considered the best option for Multi-Target fights where you cannot get the full value from A Murder of Crows.
• Lynx Rush ❌
  Lower overall damage on Single-Target and Multi-Target fights compared to the other two options.

Level 90 (Tier 6)

This tier provides a boost to personal DPS.

• Glaive Toss ✅
  This is one of the best Single-Target tools from your kit, working quite well for AoE and Cleave scenarios as well. You will always use this talent for the most raid boss fights.
• Powershot ❌
  Not as powerful (no pun intended) as the other two choices.
• Barrage ✅
  Barrage is the single most powerful AoE ability in your kit, being amazing for clearing out huge packs of mobs. While the ability is simply great for clearing dungeons and mobs in the open world, it performs poorly in raid environments during boss fights. You will want to swap to this talent only when dealing with very large packs in raids, and immediately swap back to Glaive Toss for the boss fights.
  
  

Glyphs

Major glyphs can also be chosen and swapped out between fights. For instance, if a fight requires more mobility, glyphs related to Disengage will be preferred. If a Hunter has to soak a mechanic, such as Total Annihilation on Elegon, Glyph of Deterrence will be a must-have.

Major

• Animal Bond
  Increases the healing you and your pet will receive by 10%. A mandatory glyph which helps to assist your healers.
• Deterrence
  Increases the damage reduction offered by Deterrence by 20%. This is useful as Hunters often soak mechanics using Deterrence, and this additional damage reduction can mean the difference between life and death.
• Disengage
  Increases the distance you travel when you Disengage. Be careful when using this if you are used to the Disengage distance without the glyph.
• Liberation
  Heals you for 5% of your maximum health when you Disengage – a nice addition to personal healing.

Minor

Minor glyphs do not provide any performance improvements but are taken more often for utility or cosmetic purposes.

• Aspect of the Cheetah
  Will remove your Aspect of the Cheetah if you take damage while it is active, and will put your other aspects on a 4-second cooldown. This can be useful if you need to avoid mechanics and do not have to worry about being dazed when hit. Remember that it will put Aspect of the Hawk / Aspect of the Iron Hawk on cooldown if you are hit, so you will not be able to switch aspects instantly after.
• Aspect of the Pack
  Increases the radius of your Aspect of the Pack. This is handy when travelling in between bosses or trash packs within raids.
• Lesser Proportion
  Reduces the size of your pet. Can prove to be useful if a melee mechanic lands near your pet, making the mechanic more noticeable.
• Revive Pet
  Causes you to take no pushback when channeling Revive Pet. This is useful if your pet dies on an encounter where the raid takes pushback from pulsing AoE damage.