Hunter Farming Build for Vanilla WoW: 21/30/0 Marksmanship Talents, Stats and Leather Farms

Hunters farm differently from every other class. They lose almost no time to rest, the pet takes the hits, and with Skinning every beast gives two kinds of loot. At 60 they also handle elite beasts that most classes avoid, which hold some of the best-paying leather in the game. This hunter farming build keeps enough Beast Mastery for a strong pet and Intimidation, then goes deep into Marksmanship for crits, Barrage and Ranged Weapon Specialization, so you kill faster yourself instead of waiting on the pet. Below are the talents, stats, the pull loop and the farms that suit it on a vanilla-era realm such as WoW Forever.

Who this build is for

This build is for a level 60 hunter, or one in the late fifties, who wants steady solo gold from beasts and leather. It kills single targets quickly, Barrage makes Multi-Shot worth using on pairs the pet already holds, and Scatter Shot and traps control the dangerous ones. What it gives up is some pet strength. Without Bestial Wrath, Frenzy or the deep pet talents, the pet holds threat less well on hard hitters and dies sooner when two strong mobs attack it.

Talents

Take the core pet talents in Beast Mastery first, then fill Marksmanship to Ranged Weapon Specialization.

• Lethal Shots and Mortal Shots. More ranged crits and bigger crits; together they make up most of your extra kill speed.
• Efficiency. Cheaper shots and stings, so long farming sessions need fewer drink breaks.
• Intimidation. A pet stun with extra threat, which keeps the pet alive when a second mob joins and stops runners.
• Scatter Shot. A short disorient that buys time for a Freezing Trap or a step back out of melee range.

Stats and gear

Agility comes first: it gives ranged attack power, crit chance and armour, and crits are what this build is built around. Attack Power on gear is a strong second at 60, because it adds directly to every shot. Stamina keeps you alive when a mob turns on you or an elite breaks free of the pet. Intellect matters least; Efficiency keeps mana costs down, and you need only enough for a long session of stings and Arcane Shots.

Greens of the Monkey and of the Falcon are ideal for farming, and dungeon blues with Agility and Stamina are better still. Your ranged weapon matters more than any other slot, so put your gold into the best bow, gun or crossbow you can get, and bring ammunition for twice the time you plan to farm.

Wear mail. Use a two-handed weapon or two one-handed weapons with Agility as stat items in the melee slots. For the pet, a boar or bear is the safest tank for hard hitters, and a cat kills faster on weaker beasts.

How to play it

Every pull follows the same loop: the pet takes threat, you burst the mob down.

1. Send the pet in, let it build threat for a moment, and mark the target with Hunter's Mark.
2. Open with Aimed Shot or Arcane Shot, keep Serpent Sting up on longer fights and let Auto Shot run.
3. If a second mob joins, use Intimidation, let the pet Growl on it, and Multi-Shot only when the pet holds both.
4. If a mob turns on you, use Scatter Shot or Concussive Shot, step back and keep shooting.
5. For a dangerous pull, drop Freezing Trap on one mob, and use Feign Death if the pet dies or both mobs reach you.
6. Skin every beast, keep the pet fed and healed with Mend Pet, and drink only when mana runs low.

Where to farm

Hunters earn most from beasts that can be skinned. The Un'Goro devilsaur leather farm is the best-known hunter farm at 60, for players comfortable with traps and Feign Death against elites. The thick leather skinning route suits the late forties and fifties.

The Winterspring farming route has yetis and frost cats for Rugged Leather at 55–60, and the Feralas farming route offers beasts in caves and on hillsides earlier on. Pick spread-out beasts, so you fight one or two at a time rather than a whole pack.

Running it with ForeverBot

Open the Farming section, record the beast loop with Record loop and add the mobs you want with + Current target, so the Targets list holds only that camp. The bot follows the loop and picks the next target; the pet, the traps and every Feign Death are yours. Tick Skinning in Professions, and in Loot and bags tick Auto loot, Sell gray items and Buy food and water, plus Go to a vendor when bags are full.

Under Combat and rest, set Eat below HP to roughly 40–50 percent and Drink below mana to roughly 30 percent; hunters rest less than other classes. In Settings, set Route mode to safest to stay off roads on PvP realms. Watch Kills, Gold and Gold/hour in Current status, and check ammunition and pet food yourself. Botting breaks the rules of many realms; read your realm's rules before you start and accept that the risk to your account is yours.

FAQ

Why Marksmanship instead of Beast Mastery for farming?

Beast Mastery gives a stronger pet and Bestial Wrath, which helps on hard pulls. Marksmanship makes you kill faster yourself and keeps you strong in dungeons, so you do not need to respec between farming and group play. If you only farm and never run dungeons, a Beast Mastery build is a fine alternative; for mixed play, this split is more flexible.

Can this build farm devilsaurs?

Yes, with care. Devilsaurs are elite and hit very hard, so most hunters use Freezing Trap or Frost Trap, keep their distance and let the pet hold aggro only while it can survive. Feign Death is your escape if something goes wrong. Learn the fight on easier elites first; a hunter new to traps loses more on repairs than the leather is worth.

Do I need Skinning to farm as a hunter?

It is not required, but it adds a great deal to the value of most hunter farms, because the leather is often worth more than the coin and items. Without Skinning, focus on camps with good vendor loot or cloth instead of beasts. With it, beast zones become some of the steadiest gold in the game, especially at 60 when Rugged Leather is in demand.