Hit Rating and Heroics

[NiteFox]

"Low ranged hit: 4.21% < 9% (157 more HR to cap)"

I'm kinda obsessed with rating my character on Be Imba!, and am slowly improving my character (Well, haven't made much progress in the last week, since I've been distracted by work and levelling a new Shaman). On the whole though, I've pretty much managed to ditch my entire TBC equipment with some easily-obtained quest, crafted, and rep gear.

For the first time ever, Be Imba! isn't complaining about my gem selection; it may have issues with my trinkets, and some enchants (A cheap Major Agility I bought for my Icier Barbed Spear, thinking I'd upgrade it to the Ebon Blade Runeblade once I hit Revered. Also some Heavy Borean Armor Kits I slapped on anything I didn't feel like spending money for an enchant on). BI! suggests that I should perform well into raids, with upgrades dropping in Heroics that I should be able to storm past.

I want to do Heroics.

I never did Heroics in TBC.

Aside from my own skill concerns, it seems the only thing that's really stopping me is what could be considered a low hit rating. As quoted above, I apparently need another 157 HR to cap. I can probably pull another +16 on that by switching the gem I have in my ring for the same HR gems I have elsewhere. So that's 141 short.

Theorycrafting aside, how important is HR in heroics? Is it worth further upgrading my gear to get capped, or should I be able to pull my weight regardless?

[Taelas]

If you're uncertain about your own performance, try testing your DPS.

Just to give an example, to do the Culling of Time achivement in Heroic Culling of Stratholme, everyone in the party needs at least 1500 DPS (except the healer). That's for a moderately hard achievement, not just Heroics.

[Mirajj]

Ok, I had a look around Be Imba! and used the toon named in your profile for it. It came back with a hunter who had the problem you describe. So I figure I got the right one.

First off, I'm going to go out on a bit of a limb and say that +hit, in heroics, isn't THAT important. It is important, but I recall as I was levelling up and going into Heroics that until I had done some, I had gear with very little +hit. You don't want to be missing every other shot, of course, but missing once in a blue moon won't out and out kill your dps.

One thing to remember is that the 9% hit cap is for things that are +3 levels to you. Which tend to only be Heroic bosses, or raid mobs/bosses. So if you aren't raiding, you don't (imo) have to worry about hitting the magical 9% too much.

I had a quick look at your spec, and with your current +hit, what I would do is drop 3 points into Focused Aim. You get +3% hit for 3 talent points. One of the better tradeoffs hunters have.;)Sure, your pet won't benefit from the +hit, but you will. With your current +hit and the +hit from Focused Aim, you should be set well into Heroics, and even some early raiding (if you choose to do so). Beyond that, you can gem/enchant how you want to. That one talent would bump your 4.21% up to 7.21%...which should be plenty for anything not a Boss level mob.

I do like Be Imba! but keep in mind that it's major "tuning" focus is high end game raiding. So you have to temper what it's trying to tell you with what your goals in the game are.

[LavCat]

Ok, I had a look around Be Imba! and used the toon named in your profile for it. It came back with a hunter who had the problem you describe. So I figure I got the right one.

First off, I'm going to go out on a bit of a limb and say that +hit, in heroics, isn't THAT important. It is important, but I recall as I was levelling up and going into Heroics that until I had done some, I had gear with very little +hit. You don't want to be missing every other shot, of course, but missing once in a blue moon won't out and out kill your dps.

One thing to remember is that the 9% hit cap is for things that are +3 levels to you. Which tend to only be Heroic bosses, or raid mobs/bosses. So if you aren't raiding, you don't (imo) have to worry about hitting the magical 9% too much.

I had a quick look at your spec, and with your current +hit, what I would do is drop 3 points into Focused Aim. You get +3% hit for 3 talent points. One of the better tradeoffs hunters have. ;) Sure, your pet won't benefit from the +hit, but you will. With your current +hit and the +hit from Focused Aim, you should be set well into Heroics, and even some early raiding (if you choose to do so). Beyond that, you can gem/enchant how you want to. That one talent would bump your 4.21% up to 7.21%...which should be plenty for anything not a Boss level mob.

I do like Be Imba! but keep in mind that it's major "tuning" focus is high end game raiding. So you have to temper what it's trying to tell you with what your goals in the game are.

My hunter has between 8% and 9% +hit. There is much discussion on sites such as EJ that 8% is the cap not 9%. I can report that with less than 9% neither my pet nor hunter ever miss even against raid bosses, except when the hunter dual wields in melee. I am convinced 8% is the magic number. My advice would be to gem/enchant for +hit till you reach 8% before working on other stats. I would not put points in Focused Aim.

Look for attainable gear with +hit. Ring of Foul Mojo is a great hunter ring with +hit. The quest for it is an instance quest that can be done solo. Fang of Truth is a good sword obtained at honored with Wyrmrest. A pair of those will do wonders for your hit raiting.

Now if I could only figure out how to get my hunter invited to heroics and more raids.

[shoju]

another option to cure your hit rating problems:

Buff Food. There is currently the Snapper Extreme for 40 hit rating.

This is one of the more expensive recipes at 3 bonesnapper + 1 Northern Spice per piece, but it's terrible either. The fish is one of the most common Northrend catches, so it only ends up being about 1g50s extra per food that you spend.

If you are able to get into some good heroic runs, you will only need one food per shot. Start with the easier heroics first.

Violet Hold is pretty easy, COS if you don't go for the timer is pretty easy, Halls of stone (with a competent tank) is pretty easy.

Try those, see how you do. Figure out what it is that you need to change, and work from there.

[Tuftears]

Worg Tartare goes in with this patch. 2 worg haunches, 1 northern spice, same great +hit flavor.

[shoju]

I had forgotten about that. Yes, that will be a nice food indeed. (now to get more awards and get another recipe:))

[Frag]

Worg Tartare goes in with this patch. 2 worg haunches, 1 northern spice, same great +hit flavor.

How could you fail to bring up the BEST part of that recipe, Tuft?!

No fire needed!!
~Frag:lol:

[Mirajj]

I would not put points in Focused Aim.

Can I ask why not? It's a Tier 1 talent, and only 3 points. You can get nearly half of the Hit Rating you need (if you only need 8%) or 1/3 of the HR you need if you need 9% for it. That alone frees you up a large chunk of gems/enchants, and gives you a lot more flexibility in choosing gear. This T1 talent is just that good, and one heck of a bargain at 3 talent points.

[LavCat]

Can I ask why not? It's a Tier 1 talent, and only 3 points. You can get nearly half of the Hit Rating you need (if you only need 8%) or 1/3 of the HR you need if you need 9% for it. That alone frees you up a large chunk of gems/enchants, and gives you a lot more flexibility in choosing gear. This T1 talent is just that good, and one heck of a bargain at 3 talent points.

To the best of my knowledge Focused Aim still does not give increased hit rating to pets, even in 3.0.8. For Beast Mastery, at least, the pet is a significant source of damage, and the hunter would want to get the pet hit capped as well.

If there were no other Tier 1 talent choice, Focused Aim might be OK for MM or SV, but in my opinion Lethal Shots is a much better place to put the Tier 1 points for any spec.

I was suggesting gems/enchants with +hit only until +hit was high enough (from items) without them. My hunter uses gems and enchants for AP.

The Eagle Bane Bracers (made by a Leatherworker) are another good cheap source of +hit.

[Sir_Die_alot]

I got this "Expertise rating of 120 is not optimal: 115 or 123 may be better". I guess I should drop 5 rating of expertise. :P

[LavCat]

I got this "Expertise rating of 120 is not optimal: 115 or 123 may be better". I guess I should drop 5 rating of expertise. :P

Assumming you are a hunter, you probably do not want Expertise at all. Only your pet needs Expertise unless you melee a lot.

On the subject of +Hit, I read on EJ that in 3.1 Focused Aim will affect the pet's +Hit. If true, this will make FA a slightly more viable talent choice if reaching hit cap is a problem. I still would recommend getting +Hit from items and placing the talent points somewhere else.