SoD: Hunter Tanks(Theory Crafting)

WoW Classic Season of Discovery
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With SoD just around the corner and hunter being the only class not getting a new role to fill, I started wondering: Could hunter tanks finally be a thing?

It might sound crazy, but hear me out: melee dps hunters never really made much sense eighter. The Survival tree is largely filled with talents focused towards damage mitigation, not dps.
Deflection: 5% parry
Survivalist: 10% health
Deterrence: 25% dodge and parry(50% combined) defencive CD
Lightning Reflexes: 15% agi for even more dodge and armor.

Then theres the abilities:
Aspect of the Monkey: 8% doge(13% talented)
Mongoose Bite: Only useable after a dodge
Counterstrike: Only useable after a parry
2 out of the three melee abilities hunters have require you to be tanking in order to use them!

And also, Rexxar. That dude is probably the most iconic hunter in Warcraft lore, and he looks like he could tank a couple of hits!

So here’s what I’m thinking, and this is 100% speculative. Hunters only need one rune similare to warlocks Metamorphosis in order to become tanks and it could look something like this:

Option 1: Aspect of the Gorilla - Chest Rune Slot
Replaces Aspect of the Monkey granting you a X% armor, reducing the chance you will be critically hit by 6%, increasing your threat by 50%, transforming the functionality of some of your abilities:

Raptor Strike: Becomes Gorilla Strike, dealing weapon damage and applying a stack of Mark of the Thunderer. Removes cooldown and deals high threat. (Inspired by the Un’Goro Thunderer)

Mongoose Bite: Becomes Thunderstomp, a melee attack that hits up to 3 nearby enemies detonating any Mark of the Thunderer dealing X damage and restoring X mana. Inspired by the ability that Gorilla pets got back in TBC(?)

Distracting Shot: Becomes Chest Pound, taunts your target to attack you for 3 sec, but now has a 10 sec cooldown and range is reduced to melee.

Option 2: Linked in Spirit (aka The Rexxar Tank) - Chest Rune Slot
When active, 50% of all damage taken by the Hunter is taken by your pet instead. In addition the pet will be healed for 100% of any healing recieved by the hunter and benefits from 100% of the hunters stamina and aoe damage taken is reduced by 90%.

The hunters threat is also increased by 100% and distracting shot is now a melee taunt.

So, what do you think? Are you hoping for huntertanks in SoD? Am I a dumbass for suggesting it? Let me know! Curious to hear your thoughts :slight_smile:

5 Likes
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The problem is that the pet on certain attacks will take 100% of the damage + 50% of the hunter’s damage.

A link between the hunter and his pet that breaks depending on the distance separating them to make it a melee link is a good start in terms of tank specialization, but this must be carefully studied, the pet even improving at maximum does not have enough tanking capacity.

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Good point! Added in a 90% damage reduction from AoE attacks to pet on my post. I know this would make hunters better at cleave fights, but that could be their thing though! Hunters would be better at cleave fights, but worse at other things, fits into classic with some classes being better at some things then others.

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+1 for Tank-Hunters

4 Likes
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I think that pets are the best tank option already and more fun to play than classic plate/shield classes.

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Another alternative, but it would be necessary to rework the Hunter talent tree a lot, that would be to add a bestial aspect, the Hunter brings out his bestial side which changes depending on the animal companion you have (A bear or a turtle for tanking, a tiger, a raptor for dps, etc). The animal companion retreats (it is no longer usable or present while using the aspect) and you obtain some of the skills of pet, taunt, bite, claw, charge, dash, lightning breath, etc.

We could also add a Fist weapons specialization for the bestial side of the build…

There’s something to do with the Hunter, it’s a class that has potential beyond the simple turret with a bow or a rifle.

And add half-ogre race x)

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One idea i previously posted:

Soulbind - merges a part of your soul into your pet, giving you a combined health, armor, and mitigation pool that you both share. All your agro is increased and transferred to your pet.

Then have certain abilities modified to make it more tanky

1 Like
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Survival tree is meant to give more tools for pvp emphasizing on crowd control.
You can already play as Rexxar on Hots as pusher/tank.
I think they can do some small changes and maybe give some room for some partial meele lving and leave it at that.
I think it makes absolutely no sense to be hunter main tank in wow and I plan to boycot all these cringe role combinations and I hope more follow my example.

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Survival tree was originally a melee hunter talent tree, unfortunately this quickly became a utility talent tree.

Hunter tank makes more sense than a shaman, demo, or rogue tank. We need to get away from the image of the hunter with a rifle or bow who sends his pet forward. The melee component of the hunter should never have been put aside in vanilla.

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The only thing that makes sense to me is Warrior, Druid, Paladin.
Everything else is to make every 10year old happy and promote a false image of anyone can do anything.

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I’d prefer to have a hunter healer. His pet could be an AoE HoT and he could shoot medicine darts at party members like the Bounty hunter in SWTOR and maybe medical bombs and/or traps. :slight_smile:

1 Like