Hunter Luvin'

Well, if you've been living under a rock without internet connection (in which case, how are you reading this) you're probably not aware of the sweeping changes in the 2.3 PTR Notes. There's so much loving goodness in the next patch, I've got to break them down by classes and stuff.

Traps and Stings:

• Explosive Trap: The initial damage dealt by this trap is now also increased by 10% of your ranged attack power.
• Immolation Trap: The total damage dealt by this trap is now also increased by 10% of your ranged attack power.
• Serpent Sting: The total damage dealt by this sting is now also increased by 10% of your ranged attack power.
• Serpent Sting, Immolation Trap and Explosive Trap all gain additional damage based on ranged attack power.

All good stuffs here. Especially for those of us who have put nearly all their effort into increasing Attack Power. Granted, I don't use traps much apart from the crowd controlling aspects, so the extra damage isn't that big a deal. But for the AOE fights with proper AOE classes lacking, it could have an effect. But why not Snake Trap too?

Bug Fixes:

• Steady Shot: Tooltip clarified to indicate base weapon damage is used in the damage calculation.
• Readiness: This talent now finishes the cooldown on Kill Command.
• Misdirection: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Hunters overwrite each other's Misdirection.

These things just make sense. The only one I've noticed effecting me was the Misdirection one. It was painful in Shadow Labyrinth in a group with 2 hunters where one of us would totally waste his misdirection with overwrite.

Updated Skills:

• Trueshot Aura (Marksmanship) no longer costs mana to cast and will last until cancelled.
• Wyvern Sting (Survival) is now instant cast and has a maximum duration of 10 seconds in PvP.

Yay for no mana. I wonder if it'll make SmartBuff stop telling me I need to re-apply Trueshot Aura when I'm in a group with another MM hunter.

New (OMFG) Skill:

• Arcane Shot (Ranks 6 and above) now dispel 1 Magic effect in addition to their normal damage.

This is huge. HUGE. As infrequently as I PVP, I rely heavily on Arcane Shot to take out the casters quickly. Now if I already rely on this shot, how much better does it get eating one of their buffs? Couple this with a fact buried in the mage changes that we can all see target buffs when Detect Magic is removed, and we can SEE Arcane Shot working. I'm very excited about this one.

Profession Changes:

• 20 and 24 slot Quivers and Ammo pouch recipes are now available (through Leatherworking)

OMG. *faint*

Changes to Hit Rating:

• Expertise: New stat and associated rating called expertise and expertise rating. Expertise rating converts to expertise at the same rate that weapon skill rating formerly converted at. Each point of expertise reduces the chance for your attacks to be dodged or parried by 0.25%.
  
• Dwarf: Gun Specialization now increases chance to hit critically with guns by 1% rather than increasing weapon skill. Troll: Bow Specialization now increases chance to critically hit with bows by 1% rather than increasing weapon skill.

This means my post of a few days ago, BRK's post on wowinsider, and hundreds of threads on elitistjerks.com are WRONG. Now we (the dwarfs) have to make up to 9% hit rating to not miss 73 bosses instead of only 6%. And I don't think changing that to crit chance is really amenable.