- Author: Nevermore
- Date: July 16, 2022
- Updated: July 16, 2022
- Expansion: WotLK Classic
Besides your gear and talents, there are 3 additional ways you as a player can increase your character’s power: gems, enchants, and consumables, which make your character significantly more powerful when combined correctly.
Many guilds and raid groups may not invite you at all if you don’t have the correct gems, enchants and consumables — but worry not, this guide will help you avoid that problem!
Gems
Every physical DPS character will use this gem, and for Hunters in particular it’s a no-brainer as Agility is even better for us than most other physical DPS. The fact that its activation requirements have been toned down since the original version from TBC makes it even more appealing to use.
Armor penetration is your strongest stat, as explained in the Stat Priority section. However, armor penetration has a cap at 100% total penetration, achieved with 1400 armor penetration rating. After you have reached the cap, you should switch to using other gems in Red sockets, namely pure agility gems — Delicate Scarlet Ruby / Delicate Cardinal Ruby / Delicate Dragon’s Eye.
Furthermore, if you’re not hit capped, you can also socket Agility + Hit (Glinting Monarch Topaz / Glinting Ametrine) in order to reach your cap. However, using those in Red sockets is a last resort — as much as possible, you’ll want to use them in Yellow sockets only.
You need 1 Yellow gem to activate your meta gem, which you will automatically get by using the Tears (Enchanted Tear / Nightmare Tear) for the blue socket requirement anyway, as they count as 1 gem that has every color (Red, Yellow and Blue) so they activate your meta gem for free.
The gems listed above are very strong if you’re under the hit cap, as explained in the Stat Priority section. You should therefore use them in yellow sockets in order to boost your hit rating until you’re capped, and then transition away from using yellow and orange gems, using red gems in yellow gems.
The exception to this rule will be items with yellow sockets & powerful socket bonuses, such as agility, armor penetration or hit. In those situations, you could use Agility + Hit gems (Glinting Monarch Topaz / Glinting Ametrine), or if Agility + Crit gems (Deadly Monarch Topaz / Deadly Ametrine) if you’re hit capped.
You need 1 blue gem to activate your meta gem, and the Tears (Enchanted Tear / Nightmare Tear) are your best option for that one slot. They count as 1 gem that has every color (Red, Yellow and Blue) so they activate your meta gem for free.
Ignore all other blue sockets, socketing red gems into them instead.
Enchants
This is your only viable option for this slot.
If you don’t quite have the Knights of the Ebon Blade reputation necessary to buy it yet, you can temporarily use Arcanum of Triumph (purchased with 40 Stone Keeper’s Shard from Wintergrasp).
Players with the Inscription profession should use their profession-exclusive Master’s Inscription of the Axe enchant here, while everyone else uses Greater Inscription of the Axe.
If you don’t quite have the The Sons of Hodir reputation necessary to buy it yet, you can temporarily use Inscription of Triumph (purchased with 30 Stone Keeper’s Shard from Wintergrasp).
Players with the Tailoring profession should use their profession-exclusive Swordguard Embroidery enchant here, while everyone else uses Enchant Cloak – Major Agility.
Players with the Engineering profession can use Flexweave Underlay instead, for a massive +1 agility bonus — though really, you’re using it for the fun slow fall effect.
This is your only viable option for this slot.
Players with the Leatherworking profession should use their profession-exclusive Fur Lining – Attack Power enchant here, while everyone else uses Enchant Bracers – Greater Assault.
Additionally, players with the Blacksmithing profession should use Socket Bracer to add an extra socket to their bracers. It stacks with enchants.
Players with the Engineering profession should use their profession-exclusive Hyperspeed Accelerators enchant here, while everyone else uses Enchant Gloves – Major Agility.
If you’re slightly shy off meeting your hit cap (explained in the Stat Priority section), you can use the Enchant Gloves – Precision enchant. This is more of a last resort, however — do not rely on enchants for your cap.
Additionally, players with the Blacksmithing profession should use Socket Gloves to add an extra socket to their gloves. It stacks with enchants.
This is your only option for this slot.
This is your best option for this slot.
If you’re strapped for cash, you could use the more budget-friendly Nerubian Leg Armor instead.
Players with the Engineering profession should use their profession-exclusive Nitro Boosts enchant here, while everyone else uses Enchant Boots – Superior Agility.
If you’re slightly short on hit, you could use Enchant Boots – Icewalker instead, but you generally will want to get your hit elsewhere.
Players with the Enchanting profession should use their profession-exclusive Enchant Ring – Assault enchant here. There are no other options.
If you’re using a two-handed weapon, you’ll want to use the Enchant 2H Weapon – Massacre enchant. Otherwise, use the Enchant Weapon – Superior Potency on both of your melee weapons.
This is your best option for this slot.
Consumables
The Flask of Endless Rage is the strongest option for the flask / elixir slot.
If you’re extremely short on cash and they’re cheap on your server, you could consider using Elixir of Mighty Agility instead. Be warned however that they’re significantly weaker than the flask, and you have to re-apply them on death, meaning if you’re dying often they might end up being more expensive anyway.
Like with your gems, you’ll want to use armor penetration food (Hearty Rhino), unless that would push you past the armor penetration cap (1400 rating, at which point you should then use agility food (Blacked Dragonfin) instead.
In a pinch, you can also use hit rating (Snapper Extreme) food, in order to hit your hit cap. This is only a last resort however — do not rely on food for your cap.
The Potion of Speed is our strongest option for the potion slot. You will want to use 2 of them in a fight – one right before the fight starts (known as “pre-potting”), and one when your Rapid Fire is ready again, 3 minutes into the fight, stacking it with any other DPS cooldowns you have available.
You can still use scrolls in Wrath of the Lich King — however, they do not stack with stat-boosting effects offered by class buffs.
For Marksmanship Hunters in particular, you will most likely be getting the agility buff from Gift of the Wild, Strength of Earth Totem or Horn of Winter, meaning scrolls will be useless for you. If your raid doesn’t have any of those buffs for some reason, you could use the listed scrolls instead.
Â
About the Author
