Hunters were the EZ mode class in vanilla and in BC not much has changed, except now you can't just /AFK auto shoot. In BC Hunter DPS comes down to one macro that repeatedly casts Steady Shot while allowing for your auto shots to weave in between the casts, also activating Kill Command when it procs. Beast Master was the best DPS spec, Survival coming into play in T6 gear to improve raid DPS with Expose Weakness. What separated good hunters from the huntards was basically being pro at CC, Freezing Traps in particular.
Steady Shot Macro
#showtooltip Steady Shot /script UIErrorsFrame:Show() /cast !Auto Shot /cast [target=pettarget, exists] Kill Command /cast Steady Shot /script UIErrorsFrame:Clear()
Note: In some cases this macro will not work.
Beast Master
(You can take a point out of Endurance Training and put it in Frenzy if you think it would help with your uptime.)
How to win at hunter:
- Spam your macro, manage your pet effectively, pop your cool downs, profit!!!
- Use Feign Death more than you think you would have to. It is the best agro drop in the game and its on a 30 second cool down, if you pull agro as a hunter you can't be helped.
- Missdirect the tank whenever you can to help with threat
- Learn how to CC effectively (Freezing Trap)
Pets
For PvE the top DPS pet is the Ravager. Specifically the Rip-Blade Ravager in BEM. This is because it is the only ravager that can learn Gore Rank 9, the highest rank of Gore. Gore is the best damage/focus ability and results in the highest DPS for hunters. Ravagers also get dash which can help with pet damage in movement fights.
It is also important to note that taming King Bangalash in STV is important for all hunters as it will give you the ability to teach Cobra Reflexes to all your pets, which is a substantial pet DPS boost.