In this article, we explain what the best statistics are for Marksmanship Hunters (WoW 4.3), how the class benefits from each of them, and what your reforging strategy should be. We also detail what the various caps are and why they should be attained. The statistics priority is important as it influences reforging strategies as well as itemisation choices (gear, enchants, and gems).

Make sure to check our Gear Optimisation Guide, which serves as a support guide for this article. The other articles of our Marksmanship Hunter guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

1. Basics↑top

The stat priority for a Marksmanship Hunter is:

1. Agility
2. Hit Rating until 8% hit cap
3. Critical Strike Rating
4. Haste Rating
5. Mastery Rating

If you are unsure what the optimal reforging strategy is for this priority, please refer to the reforging section of our Gear Optimisation Guide.

2. Getting a Better Understanding↑top

Agility is your most important stat, which provides the most benefit; you should look for this stat in all of your upgrades, as point for point it surpasses any other stat. It provides you with Ranged Attack Power and it increases your critical strike chance.

Hit Rating is your second most important stat, as it determines your chance to miss a target with Auto Shot or any other of your abilities. Your aim is to reach 8% chance to hit with ranged attacks (Draenei need 841 Hit Rating, other races 961 Hit Rating), thus ensuring that all of your attacks will land. Once the hit cap is reached, Hit Rating loses all value and is useless.

Critical Strike Rating offers many benefits to Marksmanship Hunters, and it is by far your best secondary stat. In addition to the normal damage increase that critical strikes offer, Critical Strike Rating also provides several benefits to your pet's damage through talents such as Sic 'Em! and Go for the Throat, and also procs your Piercing Shots bleed effects which make up a good percentage of your damage.

Haste Rating is a good stat for Marksmanship Hunters as it increases attack speed, thus granting more procs from Wild Quiver and boosting the efficiency of Artisan Quiver. It also lowers the cast time of your Steady Shot and Aimed Shot!, and makes it easier to maintain good uptime on Improved Steady Shot. Moreso than this, it increases your focus regeneration rate, and provides various benefits to your pet.

Mastery Rating is not a bad stat per se, but it happens to have a lower value than the other stats for Marksmanship Hunters. You should avoid this stat on your gear, and always reforge out of it.