WoW Shadowlands – Update 9.0.1 Hunter Class Changes

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands pre-expansion Update 9.0.1 brings with it a bevy of various class changes, and the Hunter was no exception. Many classes will find some of their more popular abilities that were removed many expansions ago returned, and their skill acquisition adjusted due to the massive level squish introduced in this same update.

Not every class received massive adjustments, but Hunter certainly saw a healthy amount of class changes (except for the Survival spec, sadly). Below is the full list of class changes to Hunter in Shadowlands pre-expansion Update 9.0.1. For the full patch notes, be sure to check out the link here, where additional class changes are listed.

Hunter – Shadowlands Update 9.0.1 Class Changes

GENERAL

• Stable size has been increased to 200 (was 60).
• Wing Clip can now be used with bows, guns and crossbows. Wing Clip will be replaced with Concussive Shot at level 13 for Beast Mastery and Marksmanship Hunters.
• Revive Pet now has a 4 second cast time (was 2 seconds).
• All Hunters can now use the following abilities:
  • New Ability: Kill Shot – You attempt to finish off a wounded target, Physical damage. Only usable on enemies with less than 20% health.
  • New Ability: Scare Beast – Scares a beast, causing it to run in fear for up to 20 seconds. Damage caused may interrupt the effect. Only one beast can be feared at a time.
  • New Ability: Eyes of the Beast – Take direct control of your pet and see through its eyes for 1 min.
  • New Ability: Tranquilizing Shot – Removes 1 Enrage and 1 Magic effect from an enemy target.
    • Pets that used to have Tranquilizing Shot as their special family ability now remove 1 poison, magic, and disease effect from the pet. 10 second cooldown.
  • Hunter’s Mark – No longer a Marksmanship Talent. Apply Hunter’s Mark to the target, allowing the target to always be seen and tracked by the Hunter. Only one Hunter’s Mark can be applied at a time.
  • Arcane Shot – A quick shot that causes Arcane damage.

BEAST MASTERY

• Misdirection threat percentage increased by 100%.
• Spirit Mend (Spirit Beast pet ability) healing reduced by 66%.
• Aspect of the Wild no longer has a global cooldown.
• Bestial Wrath now causes your pet to instantly deal damage to your target upon activation.
• Multi-Shot and Beast Cleave now capped at 5 targets.
• The following Talents have been adjusted:
  • New Talent: Bloodshed – Command your pet to tear into your target, causing your target to bleed over 18 seconds and increase all damage taken from your pet by 15% for 18 seconds. 1 minute cooldown.
  • Dire Beast no longer costs focus.
  • Scent of Blood has been redesigned – Activating Bestial Wrath grants 2 charges of Barbed Shot.
  • Venomous Bite has been redesigned and renamed Spitting Cobra: When Bestial Wrath ends, summon a Spitting Cobra to aid you in combat for 15 seconds. Each Cobra Shot used during Bestial Wrath increases the damage this Spitting Cobra deals by 10%.
  • Stampede now has a 2 minute cooldown (was 3 minutes) and capped at 5 targets per beast per wave of Stampede.
  • Barrage now capped at 8 targets.

MARKSMANSHIP

• Rapid Fire duration lowered to 2 seconds (was 3 seconds). Total damage dealt by Rapid Fire is unchanged.
• Aimed Shot focus cost increased to 35 (was 30).
• Arcane Shot focus cost increased to 20 (was 15).
• Multi-Shot focus cost increased to 20 (was 15) and damage is now capped at 5 targets.
• Binding Shot is no longer a Talent and learned by all Marksmanship Hunters at level 33.
• The following Talents have been adjusted:
  • New Talent: Chimaera Shot – A two-headed shot that hits your primary target and another nearby target for reduced damage, dealing Nature damage to your primary target and reduced Frost damage to your secondary target. Replaces Arcane Shot, is instant cast and costs 20 focus.
  • New Talent: Binding Shackles (Passive) – Targets rooted by Binding Shot deal 20% less damage to you for 8 seconds after the root effect ends.
  • New Talent: Dead Eye (Passive) – Kill Shot has 2 charges, and causes Aimed Shot to recharge 50% faster for 3 seconds.
  • New Talent: Volley (replaces Piercing Shot) – Rain a volley of arrows down over 6 seconds, dealing Physical damage to any enemy in the area, and gain the effects of Trick Shots for as long as Volley is active. Volley is instant cast and has a 45 second cooldown.
  • Master Marksman has been redesigned – Your critical shots cause your target to bleed for 15% of the damage dealt over 6 seconds.
  • Serpent Sting duration increased to 18 seconds (was 12 seconds).
  • Careful Aim has had the low health benefit removed as it felt redundant with Kill Shot returning. Additionally, now the bonus damage is applied to targets above 70% health (was 80%).
  • Steady Focus has been redesigned – Casting Steady Shot twice in a row now increases your haste by 7% for 15 seconds.
  • Streamline (Passive) has been redesigned – Rapid Fire damage is increased by 15%, and Rapid Fire now also reduces the cast time of your next Aimed Shot by 30%.
  • Lethal Shots proc chance has been increased to 30% (was 20%).
  • Lock and Load’s proc chance has been increased to 8% (was 5%).
  • Barrage now capped at 8 targets.
  • Explosive Shot now capped at 6 targets.

SURVIVAL

• The following Talents have been adjusted:
  • Tip of the Spear now causes Kill Command to increase the damage of your next Raptor Strike by 25% (was 20%), stacking up to 3 times.
  • Flanking Strike now has a 30 second cooldown (was 40 seconds).
  • Chakrams now costs 15 focus (was 30).
  • Carve and Butchery now capped at 5 targets.