Gnome Hunter Hype

Friender the Mechano Wolf

Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m hyped to play a Gnome Hunter in WoW’s Legion expansion.

Here’s why:

  1. Gnome are the best race in WoW.
  2. Hunters are the best (at least my favorite) class in WoW.
  3. The flavor of pets, quests, and playstyle will be overwhelmingly cool.

A few months ago, I posted about wanting to play an Orc Hunter because Rexxar. That’s when I first learned about melee hunters (survival spec) and the idea carried with it a certain nostalgic flair.  I could be an orc wielding a giant polearm with a great pet, but that was quickly overshadowed by the idea of a tinkering gnome with mechanic pets.

After turning my attention to gnomes, I began debating what tradeskills will be best in Legion. Turns out, JC isn’t going to be the strongest after all. The JC gems are going to be BoE, and unique (1) which means anyone can use them. I’ll go Engineering and Mining. Engineering to craft awesome pets, Reavers, and gadgets; Mining to get the ore to do so and sell.

Then I recently found out about the really cool quests for Hunters. I think all classes (even professions) will have unique quests that send you to different places and have you solve puzzles. They remind me of the old school Rhok’delar quest. I was the first Hunter on my server, and I think in the top 5 in the world to do that quest. It was a huge deal. I was so proud of that accomplishment (still am), so the idea of having neat quests to do sits well with me. I’m a fan of the true ‘quest’ part of these quests.

iron juggernaut gnome hunte rpet

One of these cool quests involves getting Friend the Mechano wolf from Gnomeregan (pictured at the top original source I think from EyeoftheBeast.com).  Solve some puzzles, avoid being 1 shot, and you got him. Another quest involves the Siege of Orgrimmar and building your own Iron Juggernaut. They come in multiple colors and involve actually making the pet which is neat.

My Gnome Hunter plans include rolling a fresh level 1 Gnome on Fenris server right when the patch goes live. I’ll level him up to 60  using heirlooms and dungeon runs, then from 60-100 I’ll use my level boost. You couldn’t pay me to do 60-100 again on questing. I don’t have it in me. Using the level boost from 60-100 will raise my tradeskills instantly to the pre-Legion cap — another thing I wouldn’t want to do manually.

Decided on your class for Legion yet?

  • I am pretty sure I am going to stick with my hunter in legion as well because he has mining, engineering, archeology, first aid, fishing, and cooking all maxed out.

    I most likely will stay Beast Master, atleast at the start, but I did enjoy Survival when I played it in beta. I just like that the BM artifact weapon is a gun.

  • Hunter was my main for the first 4 months after release, but I swapped to druid and that’s been my main ever since. I do have a bunch of alts, one of which is a Tauren hunter. I am tempted to race change her to goblin, grab engineering, and go full blast in this direction. I can’t main a hunter anymore because every time I do I get annoyed about how much has been removed from the class like pet happiness, learning pet skills, making ammo, etc. But I still enjoy them in short spurts.

  • @Bartillo: I haven’t looked into this at all, but I hope my archaeology is bumped up to pre-Legion max when I do the level boost. Hopefully in our 5-man group two hunters works well!

    @Jenks: I remember the days of having to carrie an entire inventory full of arrows. Then they added quivers and I was still carrying thousands upon thousands of arrows, crafting the uber thorium bullets… those were the days (but I hated them haha). I do look back with fondness when I think about pet happiness and skills, but admittedly I like choosing the pets that look cool rather than having to choose the pet who might be ugly but have the only good skills or stats out there.

  • I just boosted my shaman. Its only first aid and your 2 primary professions that get put at 700/700. That means you’re on your own for cooking, archaeology, and fishing.

    Cooking 1-525 is still in panda land at half hill. Super easy and relatively cheap. 525-700 is in Draenor with mostly fish and some meat.

    Fishing is easier than it used to be cus you can just fish in open water in Draenor and will never get junk. Plus the daily at the fishing hut gives +15 skill per day.

    Archaeology isn’t so bad if you have draenor flying. Can do 1-700 in draenor in about 6 hours. Without flying I think Draenor is still best but it will take a bit longer.

  • I am probably going to either stick with my DK or go back to what I played in Vanilla and make a Paladin. Those have always been my 2 favorite classes.

    Which reminds me that I actually need to go in and play some more of Warlords before legion drops, and finish the story on at leas one character… keep getting distracted by other games :(.

  • @Keen as long as we have different specs it should work.. Example BM hunters get pets that can give Bloodlust (core hound) and Battle Rez (Quillen).. pets that are exotic aka BM only, while survival hunters have traps and tons of CC and control.

    Right now Hunters are pulling top DPS numbers in beta from what ive seen (well behind Demon hunter which are OP)

  • Currently I’d say there’s a better than even chance I’ll buy Legion (or resub for the patch that introduces Gnome Hunters if that’s how they do it – not keeping up with the details) just to make a Gnome Hunter. I’d also like to level up through normal content because I have never done Cataclysm. After that though I would most likely be done.

  • In legion Rare solves from archeology are done by quests.. So every 2 weeks there’s a archeology story quest that takes you all around with Harrison jones solving puzzles and such and that’s how you get a rare solve.

    Also to get the legion artifact fishing pole you need 800 fishing and fish rare fish from all over the isle then you can begin leaving up the pole

  • I hate hunters and I hate gnomes, so I’m all for that. More joy in killing for me ! 😉

    I’m planning to come back to the game for the expansion, but I’m a little worried but my main rogue. I’m really not impressed with the gameplay I’ve seen so far. Theme is up there, but the execution is sorely lacking, not smooth at all. I’ve been a rogue first and foremost almost since day one in WoW, I’m worried I might lose interest if I have to switch class. Sure I’ve always had alts, but a wowish rogue always been a second nature.