Marksmanship Hunter: three levelling guides ahead of the WoW Forever launch

5 November is fast approaching and the specialist sites are staking their claims. In less than a week, three major English-language sources have published a guide dedicated to the Hunter specialised in Marksmanship. If you plan on picking up a bow or a gun as soon as the servers open, you'll have plenty to read.

Who published what, and when?

The three guides don't serve exactly the same purpose:

• Icy Veins, 26 October: a general Marksmanship Hunter guide for WoW Forever. Judging by its title, it isn't limited to levelling.
• Mobalytics, 27 October: a levelling guide that explicitly covers the entire progression, from level 1 to level 60.
• Wowhead, 31 October: also focused on the levelling phase.

An important caveat: at the time of writing, we have only had access to the titles of these publications, not their detailed content. We therefore can't tell you which talents, rotations or gear they recommend. If you're after those details, check them directly on each site.

Why is Marksmanship drawing so much attention?

The fact that three competing sites chose to cover the same specialisation for levelling, rather than for endgame content, says a lot about what they anticipate. Guides published before a launch often serve to help players make up their minds before creating their character.

That said, to our knowledge none of these publications is based on any official communication from Blizzard stating that Marksmanship would be more effective than another specialisation for progressing. These are analyses by specialist sites, nothing more. They may change once the game is live and the first feedback comes in.

How do you find your way through three guides?

Having several sources is an advantage, as long as you don't drown in them. A few simple habits:

• Compare the update dates. Wowhead's guide is the most recent of the three, but an older guide may have been revised since.
• Look for common ground. If two or three guides agree on a choice, it's generally a solid foundation.
• Be wary of differences. When they diverge, it's often a matter of playstyle rather than a mistake.
• Keep an eye on patches. The first days of a launch often come with adjustments that can make some advice obsolete.

Should you follow a guide to the letter?

Not necessarily. A levelling guide spares you beginner's mistakes and saves you time, especially if you're aiming to reach level 60 quickly. But discovering your class through trial and error is also part of the fun, particularly in a game that has only just come out.

Our advice: skim a guide before launch to understand the broad strokes, then play. Come back to it if you get stuck or if your progress feels slow. We'll expand our Hunter page as soon as we have confirmed information about the class in game.