Aimed Shot replacement for BM hunters?

[Sukurachi]

I probably just missed this, but... I always have aimed shot in my rotation, and was wondering what exactly BM hunters will be doing when it gets removed with the upcoming changes? It seems a pretty major change, no? I mean, it's among our stronger shots, and I know it pops out of my crossbow every time it's off CD. Or am I maybe wrong about its effectiveness?

This week, I had my first dungeon where *I* was the top DPS... it was on my level 72 BM Hunter, not uber geared (mostly quest, and a few dungeon, rewards), but I'm getting pretty tight with spamming my shots and debuffs and buffing my pet. I'm actually quite proud of how well we did. Scribe, my kitty, will be with me for a while.

[Rawr]

I've never used AS for BM, and yes in the next patch if u are anything but MM u wont be getting AS, sorry

[Vephriel]

Hmm, I've never had Aimed Shot as BM before.

[Lisaara]

Hmm, I've never had Aimed Shot as BM before.

Yup. It's WHU's best BM raiding spec. Aimed Shot is kinda optional to use. Mostly people just use MultiShot cause it does more damage even on single targets.

[Sukurachi]

but doing "205 extra ranged damage".. doesn't that mean that ANYONE who is "ranged" and firing at your target will be doing 205+ damage with every autoshot and everything else?

Multishot does exactly 205 damage to each of up-to 3 targets (these numbers are on my level 73 Hunter).

So even if I am the only one doing ranged damage, doesn't Aimed Shot actually give ME more damage as every single one of my shots for 10 seconds will have that extra 205 damage quotient?

I am NOT a very good number-cruncher.... but it just seems logical to me.

Add to that, the fact that I am reducing healing done to my target as well, I am participating in debuffing while doing damage, which should be seen as a plus.

[Lisaara]

but doing "205 extra ranged damage".. doesn't that mean that ANYONE who is "ranged" and firing at your target will be doing 205+ damage with every autoshot and everything else?

Multishot does exactly 205 damage to each of up-to 3 targets (these numbers are on my level 73 Hunter).

So even if I am the only one doing ranged damage, doesn't Aimed Shot actually give ME more damage as every single one of my shots for 10 seconds will have that extra 205 damage quotient?

I am NOT a very good number-cruncher.... but it just seems logical to me.

Add to that, the fact that I am reducing healing done to my target as well, I am participating in debuffing while doing damage, which should be seen as a plus.

Bosses don't heal themselves typically and multi-shot affects more than one target. I think with multi-shot if you're hitting one target, all that damage goes to that one target.

Aimed Shot and Multi-shot share a cooldown.

[Sarayana]

I've run as BM specced into AS and not, and I can't really say whether it was a big difference... As for how BM will do without it, you've no reason to worry, it looks like the BM rotation will be more involved and interesting in Cata than it is now.

[Lisaara]

I've run as BM specced into AS and not, and I can't really say whether it was a big difference... As for how BM will do without it, you've no reason to worry, it looks like the BM rotation will be more involved and interesting in Cata than it is now.

Yeah, I've noticed there isnt a huge difference. xD

[Turgus]

With the upcoming changes the - healing component of aimed shot will be taken care of by widows venom, or if you have a devilsaur Monsterous Bite.

As for the shot rotation, it is going to be a bit different than it is on live. Quite a bit different. I can't wait for the new Kill Command.
But, I actually like almost all of these changes, although I am not sure how good hunters will be in PvP without Aspect of the Fox.

Of course, I will just have to see what Blizzard has cooking in that regard.

[Nimizar]

One benefit of speccing into Aimed as BM was that, unlike Multi-Shot, you can use it when CC'ed targets are around. Obviously, that benefit kind of fell by the wayside over the course of Wrath. Also, unlike Multi, Aimed is a true instant so you can cast it while moving.

Back in TBC, the lower tiers of the MM tree were also set up differently, such that 5/5 Mortal Shots was an essential DPS talent for all three specs (since it buffed autoshot as well as specials), and Aimed was a prereq for Mortal Shots (rather than the other way around).

Currently, the single-target damage is close enough, that a BM hunter can generally gain more DPS by spending the talent point elsewhere and just using Multi-Shot. If there happens to be more than 1 target, Multi-Shot may do up to 3 times the damage for "free".

All of this goes by the wayside in Cataclysm, where only MM will have access to Aimed Shot, and they will use it only as an opener and as an instant following Master Marksman procs.

BM hunters will have plenty to keep them busy though:

- Kill Command is promoted to the role of hard hitting "nuke" for BM. 6 second CD, damage is deemed to come from the pet and hence benefits from pet damage multipliers (including BM's own mastery). This is the closest equivalent to a replacement for the current role of Multi/Aimed for BM.
- BM hunters want to hit Focus Fire to convert 5 stacks of Frenzy on the pet into ranged haste on the hunter (the latest BRK video shows the way this shows up in the new proc alert UI)
- a balance of Arcane Shot and Cobra Shot will fill the gaps, Kill Shot will come into play at low target health, Serpent Sting and Hunter's Mark will be a factor when target switching
- Multi Shot is now a true AE ability that won't be worth using unless there are 4+ targets (and no CC to worry about)

[Kalliope]

Multishot can also be used on the move now, in addition to being unlinked from aimed shot.

[Lisaara]

With the upcoming changes the - healing component of aimed shot will be taken care of by widows venom, or if you have a devilsaur Monsterous Bite.

As for the shot rotation, it is going to be a bit different than it is on live. Quite a bit different. I can't wait for the new Kill Command.
But, I actually like almost all of these changes, although I am not sure how good hunters will be in PvP without Aspect of the Fox.

Of course, I will just have to see what Blizzard has cooking in that regard.

I dont think Devilsaurs keep Monsterous Bite cause thats a dps ability. All pets dps abilities are getting removes and being replaced with buffs/debuffs.

[Anyia]

Multishot can also be used on the move now, in addition to being unlinked from aimed shot.

I hadn't noticed that. Good news!

[Tahlian]

I dont think Devilsaurs keep Monsterous Bite cause thats a dps ability. All pets dps abilities are getting removes and being replaced with buffs/debuffs.

Devilsaurs keep Monstrous Bite...the ability has been redesigned.

[Kalliope]

Multishot can also be used on the move now, in addition to being unlinked from aimed shot.

I hadn't noticed that. Good news!

It also hits LOTS AND LOTS of targets within a certain range. Like fan of knives!

[Aylfric]

The thing is, from where I sit, WHU is slightly wrong.

Not hugely wrong, but if I use that BM spec, according to the calculator, with 25-player raid buffs (not that I ever do 25-player raids), I lose 10 DPS.

And the spec I use doesn't include aimed shot in it. Same other points outside of the BM tree, slightly different BM points, and I take a point in Invigoration instead, which helps with mana longevity, which leads to less time in Aspect of the Viper, which means more DPS - at least, on the long fights where that applies.

And I don't use Multi-shot either, unless there are multiple targets. Again, the online calculator says I get 47 more DPS from that, again from not needing to use Viper as much.

[Aylfric]

but doing "205 extra ranged damage".. doesn't that mean that ANYONE who is "ranged" and firing at your target will be doing 205+ damage with every autoshot and everything else?

To specifically answer that question: No, that only applies to Aimed Shot itself.

[Lisaara]

but doing "205 extra ranged damage".. doesn't that mean that ANYONE who is "ranged" and firing at your target will be doing 205+ damage with every autoshot and everything else?

To specifically answer that question: No, that only applies to Aimed Shot itself.

You do realize....in cata and probably in 4.0.1....Hunters wont have mana, right? So mana longevity pretty much is moot point.

[Sarayana]

You do realize....in cata and probably in 4.0.1....Hunters wont have mana, right? So mana longevity pretty much is moot point.

We're discussing both here. Aylfric is specifically speaking of the current situation. With current gear, talents, and resource system, a lot of hunters benefit hugely from Invigoration.
I'm fairly certain no hunters that frequent these boards are unaware of the focus change. Also, it's interesting to note that BM keeps Invigoration in the new talent trees.

Aylfric, that's an interesting point about MS. I really thought it was an increase. What do you do, fill the space with another steady?

[Sukurachi]

but doing "205 extra ranged damage".. doesn't that mean that ANYONE who is "ranged" and firing at your target will be doing 205+ damage with every autoshot and everything else?

To specifically answer that question: No, that only applies to Aimed Shot itself.

It does say "for 10 seconds"... how can that only apply to aimed shot?
It says "An aimed shot that increases ranged damage by 205 and reduces healing done to that target by 50%. Lasts 10 seconds." It does not say "shot that causes x-amount of damage" (look at how Arcane Shot is described in the tooltip).

"Increases ranged damage. Lasts 10 seconds".

It also does not say "... and reduces healing to that target by 50% for 10 seconds".

In other words, the "10 seconds" applies to both the damage and to the healing debuff. It's a very specific wording.