One of the big - and positive - hunter changes that came with patch 4.01 that I forgot to mention in my patch 4.01 QQ fest post is the introduction of raid wide buffs/debuffs from hunter pets. The Warcraft Hunters Union have a very comprehensive post that summarizes all of the raid buffs that hunter pets can now bring to the table. It's necessary reading for any raiding hunter.
For those that just want a summary of what pets bring what buffs, here's the abridged version:
- Cat: strength/agility buff
- Wolf: 5% increase to critical strike chance
- Raptor: 12% armor debuff
- Bear: 10% physical damage debuff
- Hyena: 30% bleed damage debuff
- Sporebat 30% cast speed reduction
- Tallstrider or Fox: 10% melee attack speed reduction
- Ravager: 4% increased physical damage
- Dragonhawk or Wind Serpent: 8% increased spell damage taken
- Corehound: Increases melee, ranged, and spell casting speed by 30% for all party and raid members & cast speed reduction (exotic pet)
- Silithid: health/stamina buff (exotic pet)
- Shale Spider: increase all stats by 5% stats (exotic pet)
Three buffs are only provided by exotic pets, so if you want them, you'll need to jump into Beast Mastery.
Personally I think this is a great move. It gives hunters more raid utility and should make it a little easier for hunters to find groups. It should encourage raid leaders to bring the best players to the raid. Take heroism/bloodlust as an example. I'm sure there are plenty of raiders out there that can share stories of carrying a shaman along just so they can pop heroism/bloodlust every boss fight. I've personally been in PUGs where the raid leader has insisted on bringing along a shaman for heroism alone. Now you could probably debate the pro's and con's of carrying - and yes, if you are in a raid to DPS, and your DPS is lower than the tank you are being carried - just for the 45 seconds of burst, but in this new world, given the choice between an enhancement shaman capable of 3K DPS and a Beast Mastery Hunter capable of 6K DPS, both with the ability to bring the same buff, who would you bring?
If nothing else, this means that the days of seeing 99% of hunters running around with a wolf are now over!
