Best race for a Hunter in WoW Forever: every racial compared

A Hunter is a Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, or High Order Skyborne on the Alliance side and an Orc, Tauren, Troll, or Windshaper Skyborne on the Horde side. For damage against Beasts, play a Dwarf or a Troll. For Attack Power on demand, play an Orc. For more Health and a stun, play a Tauren. For a burst of critical strike chance, play a Night Elf. Skyborne come with the Skyborne Heroic Pack and the packs that include it.

What changes with the October 15 beta update?

The October 15 beta update changes these racials for a Hunter's races. The racial texts further down are the versions before this update.

• Human: Sword Specialization is replaced by Ruthless: 2% more critical strike chance.
• Dwarf: Mace Specialization is replaced by Earth Fury: 2% more critical strike damage and healing. Find Treasure also gives a chance to find additional items in most chests.
• Night Elf: The movement speed from Quickness now stacks with other movement speed increases.
• High Order Skyborne: Wind Blessed now grants 3% Haste. The cooldown of Walk on Air drops to 90 seconds. Read Ley Line can be cast while moving and lasts at least 30 seconds.
• Orc: Axe Specialization is replaced by Savage: 1% more critical strike chance. The cooldown of Blood Fury rises to 3 minutes. Shatter Curse still dispels Curses and Banes but no longer grants immunity to them, and its Magical damage reduction drops to 5%.
• Tauren: Endurance gives 2% more critical strike damage and healing in place of its hit chance. The cooldown of War Stomp drops to 90 seconds, and that of Cultivation to 15 minutes. Plainsrunning also increases mounted movement speed by 3%, which stacks with other mounted movement speed increases; a Tauren must now move a minimum distance each second to keep its effect.
• Troll: The Health regeneration bonuses of Regeneration rise to 20%.
• Windshaper Skyborne: Wind Blessed now grants 3% Haste. The cooldown of Walk on Air drops to 90 seconds. Skysight can be cast while moving.

Which race gives a Hunter what?

• Damage against Beasts: Dwarf Big Game Hunter: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%. Troll Beast Slaying: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.
• Damage against Elementals: both Skyborne races. Elemental Insight: Damage dealt versus Elementals increased by 5%.
• Attack Power: Orc. Blood Fury: Increases Attack Power and Spell Power by 10% for 15 seconds.
• Attack speed: Troll. Berserking (Instant; cooldown: 3 minutes) increases your spellcasting and attack speed.
• Critical strike: Night Elf. Elune's Light (cooldown: 3 minutes): Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 10% for 15 seconds.
• Health and a stun: Tauren. Endurance: Total Health increased by 5% and chance to hit increased by 1%. War Stomp: Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yds for 2 seconds.
• Haste: both Skyborne races. Wind Blessed: Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 1%.

Which racial frees a Hunter from which effect?

• Human: Will to Survive. Instantly removes all Stun effects.
• Orc: Shatter Curse. Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Curses and Banes, and reduces all Magical damage taken by 15% for 8 seconds.
• Dwarf: Stoneform. Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects, and reduces all Physical damage taken by 10% for 8 seconds.

What do the Alliance races give a Hunter?

• Human
  • Perception: Dramatically increases stealth detection for 20 seconds.
  • Sword Specialization: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 2% while you have a sword or two-handed sword equipped.
  • The Human Spirit: Spirit increased by 5%.
  • Will to Survive: Instantly removes all Stun effects.
• Dwarf
  • Big Game Hunter: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.
  • Find Treasure (Instant): senses nearby treasure and marks it on your minimap until you cancel it.
  • Mace Specialization: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 1% while you have a mace or two-handed mace equipped. A Hunter cannot equip maces, so this racial gives no bonus until the update above replaces it.
  • Stoneform: Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects, and reduces all Physical damage taken by 10% for 8 seconds.
• Night Elf
  • Elune's Light: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 10% for 15 seconds.
  • Quickness: Dodge chance increased by 1% and movement speed increased by 2%. Night Elf Rogues and Druids are harder to detect in Stealth as if they were 1 level higher.
  • Shadowmeld: Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until cancelled or upon moving. Using this ability in combat discourages enemies from attacking you, but increases the cooldown to 2 min.
  • Wisp Spirit: Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing movement speed by 75%.
• High Order Skyborne
  • Elemental Insight: Damage dealt versus Elementals increased by 5%.
  • Read Ley Line: Attempt to tap into the power of a nearby ley line, increasing your Health and Mana regeneration by 100%. Lasts 15 seconds if no ley line is nearby, and 15 minutes if one is found.
  • Walk on Air: Glide downward through the air for 10 seconds while controlling your direction of travel.
  • Wind Blessed: Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 1%.

What do the Horde races give a Hunter?

• Orc
  • Axe Specialization: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and abilities by 1% while you have an axe or a two-handed axe equipped.
  • Blood Fury: Increases Attack Power and Spell Power by 10% for 15 seconds.
  • Hardiness: Duration of Stun effects on you reduced by 20%.
  • Shatter Curse: Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Curses and Banes, and reduces all Magical damage taken by 15% for 8 seconds.
• Tauren
  • Cultivation: Cultivate a nearby herb, growing a duplicate you can harvest without requiring Herbalism skill. Each herb may only be cultivated once. Your level must be high enough for that herb.
  • Endurance: Total Health increased by 5% and chance to hit increased by 1%.
  • Plainsrunning: Gain 1% increased movement speed every 5 sec spent moving, up to a maximum of 30% increase. Taking damage or standing still will reduce this effect.
  • War Stomp: Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yds for 2 seconds.
• Troll
  • Beast Slaying: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.
  • Berserking (Instant; cooldown: 3 minutes): increases your spellcasting and attack speed.
  • Rapid Regeneration: Regenerate 50% of your maximum Health over 6 seconds. Any movement, action, or damage taken will cancel the effect.
  • Regeneration: Health regeneration rate increased by 10%. In addition, 10% of total Health regeneration will continue during combat.
• Windshaper Skyborne
  • Elemental Insight: Damage dealt versus Elementals increased by 5%.
  • Skysight: Attempt to draw power from a convergence of elements and receive its blessing, increasing your movement and mounted movement speeds by 10%. Lasts 30 seconds if no elemental convergence is nearby, and 15 minutes if one is found.
  • Walk on Air: Glide downward through the air for 10 seconds while controlling your direction of travel.
  • Wind Blessed: Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 1%.

What do you plan next as a Hunter?

Spend points in the Hunter talent planner and check spell ranks in the Hunter spellbook. Alliance or Horde lists every race and class of both factions.