Hunters - the ultimate class?

[Zerstora]

Having spoken to a few hunters and read these forums it seems all is rosy in the world of hunters - especially compared to the doom and gloom seen on other class forums. Hunters are known for soloing fast, taking on mobs (and completing quests) of a higher level than most other classes can manage, having movement powers no other class has.

All sounds superb but what are their downside. Do they have one?

Have hunters recently been overbuffed or others nerfed? Certainly seems as if hunters are way out of kilter with pother classes - I'm curious how hunters feel about things?

[Lotro fan]

My hunter is lvl 54 so my opinion is probably less fair than someone of lvl 60 but still I hope I can help with this :)

Our dps is great which helps a lot while grinding. The extra moving speed and porting to areas is very useful and makes lvling even faster.
At the later lvls it's quite easy to solo several mobs at the same time. With rain of arrows, rain of thorns (or something like that), trap.
So yes, the hunter is a great class.

What are our downsides? Well, some people don't like hunters because they are 'boring'. every fight is usually the same, while with for example a lm or a burglar there's a lot of tactic involved. some hunters may disagree with me, saying that hunters need a lot of tactic. but somewhere in their complicated brains they do know that what I said is true. you don't need to be smart to play a hunter. Although, facing several mobs at the same time is great then you do use your real skills. but one one v one it's just the same skills over and over again which at some point gets quite boring imo.

To make a long story short, great class, fast lvling but if you want some challenge you should roll another class, like a lm or a burglar.

[ValgrenDaar]

The biggest downside is weakness against multiple mobs. If you have time to plan how to take out a few mobs its fine, if you get several mobs on you in melee it can become very difficult as your inductions can be interrupted. The other downside is that because there are plenty of hunters are around fellowships aren't usually looking for more.

[MéLAnoR]

Get 3 mobs in melee range and you ll have a weird desire to run away them pretty fast.
you have skills to control multiple mobs in these circumstances but proper ones like RoT require focus and has long cd and also low cut is a great get away skills if you know how to use it.
A hunterplayer is a good player when he knows when to do which and should always plan his next 3 movements or he/she will face very embarrasing moments due to lack of heals and survibility abilities when mobs are not CCed.

[Eorthor]

Like most other have said, the bane of the hunter is unexpected ammounts of mobs, they set back our inductions and we're pretty fragile with no Self heals we go down fast.

[Lotro fan]

Why is everyone so 'unhappy' about us facing several mobs? Ok, I admit if you are not prepared (full focus) it's tough, cd on rain of thorn is a big problem too but even then it is do able. If possible out combat trap, otherwise (with the trait of course) incombat trap. 1 rooted. bard arrow or that cry fear skill. 1 feared. than that stun skill you get later. so that's already 3 mobs away. concidering you have 4 mobs on you (more means dead anyway), you shoot one down quickly. Heartseeker the stunned mob, with a few other skills he's dead too. Now the too rooted orcs come to you, use bard arrow again, kill the other. fear is over, kill him. end of the story.

But yes, if they attack you before you are ready, i'ts chaos and you should better run away very fast. :p

[OMWiener]

Why is everyone so 'unhappy' about us facing several mobs? Ok, I admit if you are not prepared (full focus) it's tough, cd on rain of thorn is a big problem too but even then it is do able. If possible out combat trap, otherwise (with the trait of course) incombat trap. 1 rooted. bard arrow or that cry fear skill. 1 feared. than that stun skill you get later. so that's already 3 mobs away. concidering you have 4 mobs on you (more means dead anyway), you shoot one down quickly. Heartseeker the stunned mob, with a few other skills he's dead too. Now the too rooted orcs come to you, use bard arrow again, kill the other. fear is over, kill him. end of the story.

But yes, if they attack you before you are ready, i'ts chaos and you should better run away very fast. :p

All the things you mentioned, assume one thing: space to move. In a lot of camps/spaces in moria, you don't have that luxury, meaning you have to stay in melee of them. Then it's very hard, especially with fast hitting goblins. They pwn your inductions so fast.

[Lotro fan]

All the things you mentioned, assume one thing: space to move. In a lot of camps/spaces in moria, you don't have that luxury, meaning you have to stay in melee of them. Then it's very hard, especially with fast hitting goblins. They pwn your inductions so fast.

Needful hasted ftw :) (with the trait of course that prevents set back)

Well, you're right about the space. But even in camps it's sometimes possible to beat 4 mobs. I mean, you only need to be a few metres away from a rooted mob to not get hit. The feared one will run away and the stunned one isn't a problem either. It's just that you won't be able to kite the fourth one, but I don't really think that's a big problem (with needful haste).

[OMWiener]

a) you need the trait
b) If bard arrow isn't interrupted and RoT isn't on CD, fear will bring more mobs in crowded camps
c) distracting shot will only help you for 10sec, again if isn't interrupted

Sorry mate, too many ifs. You are right that a hunter can survive multiple mobs if everything goes right, but it doesn't always. It's just not a common thing and everything has to go your way.

I was soloing trolls in foundation the other day. First time everything went smooth. Second time distracting shot, bard's arrow missed/resisted and i survived with 75 morale left. that's how fast things can turn.

[nightbyday]

Answer the OPs thread in one word...

No!

Hunter is not the 'ultimate class' its a great class really fun to play yet very hard to play 'perfectly', easy to be good but hard to be great if you like. it was a bit painful at start of leveling but as the 'learning curve' kicked in my toon become grate fun to play No.1 for farming stuff as always.

Captain has my vote for 'ultimate class', BIG dps, BIG surviveablity, BIG demand in fellowships, BIG on healing, BIG (can be) on tanking aggro holding, BIG on fun in PvMP, BIG on soloing ability, This now my 'favorite toon' easy to play great hard to be perfect. It was a pleasure leveling from 50-60.

[BinabikErebor]

I'm a hunter at heart. Great class, and challenging, even when someone says it's easy mode.

One of the occasions where it does get tough is when you get jumped. Indeed, when you can prepare a fight, easy, but when two or three stealthed mobs join the fight, it kinda changes.

Then it comes down to quick and smart. Drop a triple trap or use Rain of Thorns, run in a direction where you don't think a patrol will walk in on you, Moria is tough at that point. The low cut run tactic only works well in the open field, in Moria it's different.

DPSing the first mob will kill it before the two others unlock (if three enemies are attacking you) Bards arrow is a scare if you can't manoeuvre because the enemy you fear might bring yet more friends. Distracting shot might be a solution there, but I'm not at that level yet.

Resorting to melee isn't really an option, the damage you do vs the damage you take is too big -- and agile rejoinder heal .. very little chance you can get that :-) The fact that we don't have a selfheal complicates things.

At some moments, when I play Loremaster, then I think.. this is easy mode..
Three enemies jump me, Herb lore, take a few steps back, hit one (ranged) keep the pet to my side until the enemy charges for me. stun one of the remaining ones when it unlocks, throw cracked earth on it and let my pet take care of the first while I tackle the third.. And then, I can just hit wisdom of the counsil and be full health again.. Of course, this all changes when you are in a fellowship and the amount of stuff you have to think of multiplies :-)

Binabik