Marksmanship Hunter Azerite Traits, Azerite Armor, and Heart of Azeroth - Shadowlands Pre-Patch 9.0

By Moofzy Updated: 2020/09/25

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This page won't be updated for Shadowlands Pre-Patch and may be out of date.

I'm Moofz. I main Hunter and do both Mythic+ and raiding at a high level. I write both the Marksmanship Hunter guide and the Beast Mastery Hunter guide along with most Hunter-related content and news for Wowhead. Sometimes I stream raids and dungeons on Twitch. I've also commentated multiple Race to World First events, Keystone Master events and other Mythic+ content over the past couple of years. Feel free to message me via Twitter or find me in the Trueshot Lodge with any Hunter questions or inquiries.

Best Azerite Traits for Marksmanship HunterRecommended Traits for Tier 1 and Tier 2

In The Rhythm - Increases Haste after Rapid Fire finishes channeling. It also syncs up well with our Trueshots, making our windows a bit cleaner. Strong in both single target but loses a bit of value in AoE.

Unerring Vision - While Trueshot is active, you gain Critical Strike rating every sec, stacking up to 10 times. With the changes to our focus, Trueshot has lost some value. Unerring Vision gives Trueshot a little kick, making it a decent cooldown.

Focused Fire - Increases Rapid Fire damage. Each shot of Rapid Fire has a chance to refund additional Focus. This trait is decent in single target and is very strong in single target and in AoE.

Surging Shots - Increases Rapid Fire damage per shot fired. Aimed Shot has a 15% chance to reset the cooldown of Rapid Fire. This trait is decent in single target and is very strong in AoE. This trait becomes better when paired with Streamline.

Clockwork HeartSwirling SandsRecommended Traits for Tier 2

Overwhelming Power - Provides a great deal of passive haste, great in both single target and AoE.

Unstable Flames - Your abilities grant Critical Strike for a short period of time and it stacks. This trait gives us a solid amount of steady Crit.

Elemental Whirl - Gives passive boosts to a random secondary stat for a short period of time. Very solid option if Overwhelming Power isn't available.

Blood Siphon - Gives a passive boost to Mastery along with some Leech. Very solid option with a bit of survivability tied in.

Recommended Traits for Tier 3

Duck and Cover - This is a Marksman specific Tier 3 trait. The shield that it gives us when we Feign Death can be used as an on-demand defensive. The added cooldown reduction to Feign Death is another bonus as well, especially in Mythic+.

Vampiric Speed - This trait works anytime something dies around you. That includes Mythic+ mobs, adds during a raid fight, mobs during open world questing, etc. The heal is a decent amount and procs fairly often which can be very useful.

Resounding Protection - This is essentially a mini Prydaz, Xavaric's Magnum Opus shield. It's small, but it negates the damage and is preventative rather than reactionary like most of the other traits.

Stacking Traits

The trait stacks intuitively, and its damage is replicated at full power, every time (Example: Trait 1 adds 100 dmg. Trait 2 adds 100 dmg, Trait 3 adds 100 dmg). Most traits with a singular effect act in this way. Traits that provide a proc of some sort do not increase their proc rate, but only stack the damage of the effect when it does proc.

Often times, when a trait has multiple effects, the trait will replicate its damage effect but not its resource effect (Example: Trait 1 adds 100 dmg and provides 1 resource, Trait 2 adds 100 dmg, Trait 3 adds 100 dmg). A primary example of this would be the Focused Fire trait. It will duplicate Rapid Fire’s damage component, but not the % chance to gain additional Focus.

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Season 2 Changes
With the start of Season 2 and the coming of Battle of Dazar'alor, pieces that previously had four rings will now have five. This new ring comes before the Ring 1 and offer two different spec traits for each specialization. Note that Items from Uldir weren't updated with this change.

Ring 0 contains Spec powers and is the first section available on each item and will likely be available to select as soon as you acquire a given piece of gear, contain traits based on your class specs. This ring is a new feature, found on Armor starting with Season 2, and requires only 15 levels on your Heart of Azeroth to be unlocked regardless of the gear.

Ring 1 contains Spec/Zone powers and is the second section available on each item and will likely be available to select as soon as you acquire a given piece of gear, contain traits based on your class specs and source of the trait.

Ring 2 contain Role powers, based on the roles your class can perform. It is only found on epic-level gear (340 or higher). Lower-level armor won't have this ring.

Ring 3 contains Defensive/Utility powers and is the last set of choices available in the piece;

Final Ring always has Azerite Empowered, which increases the item level of the armor piece it is in by 5 item level. The effect, in turn, increases the power from all previous rings.

RaidbotsAzerite Trait TiersClass Traits

Steady Aim - Steady Shot increases the damage of your next Aimed Shot against the target by X, stacking up to 5 times. Lasts 15 sec and refreshed with each Steady Shot. This trait acts as a debuff on whatever target you use Steady Shot on. It is great on pure single target but loses value as multiple mobs are introduced and target swapping occurs.

Focused Fire - Rapid Fire deals an additional X damage over its duration, and each shot has a 30% chance to generate 2 additional Focus. This trait is almost a requirement for us, especially in AoE situations. It helps our Focus generation a fair bit. When stacking this trait, the damage is added but the % chance to generate additional Focus does not change. This trait gains value with Streamline.

Unerring Vision - While Trueshot is active you gain X Critical Strike rating every sec, stacking up to 10 times. This adds another dynamic to Trueshot making it a slightly better cooldown. This trait gains value with Calling the Shots.

Rapid Reload - Multi-Shots that damage more than 3 targets fire an additional wave of bullets, dealing X damage and reducing the cooldown of your Aspects by 1 sec. This trait is very strong in AoE scenarios but useless in pure single target scenarios.

Surging Shots - Increases Rapid Fire damage, this damage starts lower and increases per shot fired. Aimed Shot has a 15% chance to reset the cooldown of Rapid Fire. This trait is one of our best in single target and by far the best Marksman trait for AoE. At least one of these is recommended.

In The Rhythm - When Rapid Fire finishes fully channeling, your Haste is increased by X for 8 sec. The trait does not benefit our toolkit in a significant way and is just a nice passive bonus after casting Rapid Fire.

General Traits

Heart of Darkness - Your secondary stats are all incresed by X while your Corruption level is 25 or higher.

Rezan's Fury - Your damaging abilities have a chance to call a Child of Rezan to viciously rend your target, dealing 156 Physical damage and causing them to bleed for 124 damage over 12 sec.

Blightborne Infusion - Your spells and abilities have a chance to draw a Wandering Soul from Thros to serve you for 14 sec. The Soul increases your Critical Strike by 23.

Blood Rite - Your spells and abilities have a chance to increase your Haste by 22 for 15 sec. Killing an enemy refreshes the duration of this effect.

Tradewinds - Your spells and abilities have a chance to grant you 19 Mastery for 15 sec. When this effect expires it jumps once to a nearby ally, granting them 10 Mastery for 8 sec.

Swirling Sands - Your spells and abilities have a chance to conjure Swirling Sands, increasing your Critical Strike by 29 for 12 sec. Your critical effects extend Swirling Sands by 1 sec, up to a maximum duration of 18 sec.

Incite the Pack - You occasionally let loose a tremendous roar, increasing your Mastery by 56 and granting 13 Mastery to up to 2 nearby allies. Lasts 20 sec.

Dagger in the Back - Your damaging spells and abilities have a chance to fling a dagger at your target, causing them to bleed for 32 Physical damage over 12 sec, stacking up to 4 times. Stabbing them in the back applies 2 stacks.

Filthy Transfusion - Your damaging abilities have a chance to invoke a tainted swamp beneath the target, siphoning 1620 health from them over 6 sec.

Unstable Catalyst - Your spells and abilities have a chance to leak Azerite on the ground around you. Standing in the Azerite increases your primary stat by 43 for 8 sec.

Meticulous Scheming Your spells and abilities have a chance to grant you Meticulous Scheming for 8 sec, which transforms into Seize the Moment! after you cast 3 different spells, granting you 55 Haste for 20 sec.

Ruinous Bolt - Your spells and abilities have a chance to draw a Wandering Soul from Thros to serve you for 14 sec. The Soul blasts a nearby enemy every 2 sec, dealing 198 Shadow damage.

Tidal Surge - Your damaging spells and abilities have a chance to release a tidal surge, dealing 205 Frost damage to your target and slowing their movement speed by 20% for 6 sec.

Thunderous Blast - Dealing damage has a chance to call down a Thunderous Blast, dealing 0 Nature damage to the enemy and increasing the damage of Thunderous Blast by 20%. At 100% increased damage, Thunderous Blast will critically hit and reset this effect.

AZ3-R1-T3 Bionic Bifocals

Barrage Of Many Bombs (Engineering Only) - Your spells and abilities have a chance to fire a bomb at your target, which when in proximity breaks into 5 smaller bombs. Upon hitting the ground, each smaller bomb deals 154 damage to all nearby enemies.

Synaptic Spark Capacitor (Engineering Only) - Your spells and abilities have a chance to cause the target to become a Spark Coil for 10 sec. Enemies within 8 yards of the Spark Coil take 97 damage every 2 seconds and deal 5% reduced damage to you.

Ricocheting Inflatable Pyrosaw (Engineering Only) - Your spells and abilities have a chance to hurl an R.I.P that bounces among 4 enemies, dealing 616 Fire damage to each. Beneficial spells have a chance to hurl a Mechanized External Needle Dispenser, healing up to 4 allies for 986.

Relational Normalization Gizmo (Engineering Only) - Your spells and abilities have a chance to grow or shrink the world. Shrinking the world grants you 53 primary stat and 370 maximum health for 10 sec. Growing the world grants you 73 Haste and 50% movement speed for 10 sec.

Battlefield Focus/Battlefield Precision - Your abilities have a chance to apply 20 stacks of Battlefield Focus to an enemy, increasing damage taken from members of the Alliance by 35. Applying Battlefield Focus to a member of the Horde/Alliance grants an additional 5 stacks.

Collective Will/Stronger Together - Your abilities have a chance to drop a Horde/Alliance Banner for 6 sec, increasing your primary stat by 53 and maximum health by 318 for yourself and up to 4 allies.

Combined Might/Stand As One - Your abilities have a chance to plant a factional banner for 6 sec, empowering yourself and up to 4 allies with the spirit of the Horde.

Glory in Battle/Liberator's Might - Your spells and abilities have a chance to grant 66 Critical Strike and 41 Haste for 10 sec. Attacking a member of the opposite faction significantly increases this chance.

Retaliatory Fury /Last Gift - Your spells and abilities have a chance to grant 32 Mastery and absorb 424 damage for 10 sec. Taking damage from a member of the opposite faction has a chance to activate this effect.

Sylvanas' Resolve/Anduin's Dedication - Your abilities have a chance to increase your primary stat by 59 for 10 sec. If an ally dies nearby, you gain this effect.

Fight or Flight - When you damage an enemy who is below 35% health or fall below 35% health yourself, gain 337 primary stat and 10% movement speed for 8 sec. Can only occur once every 30 sec.

Heed My Call - Your damaging abilities have a chance to deal 154 Nature damage to your target, and 15 Nature damage to enemies within 3 yards of that target.

Azerite Globules - Your damaging abilities have a chance to implant an Azerite Globule on your enemies. When an enemy collects 3 Azerite Globules, they explode, dealing 231 Fire damage to nearby enemies.

Overwhelming Power - Your damaging abilities have a chance to grant you 25 applications of Overwhelming Power. Each stack of Overwhelming Power grants 1 Haste. An application of Overwhelming Power is removed every 1 sec or whenever you take damage.

Blood Siphon - Increases your Mastery by 28 and your Leech by 14.

Gutripper - Your damaging abilities have a chance to deal 347 Physical damage to the target. Gutripper occurs much more often against targets below 30% health.

Elemental Whirl - Your damaging abilities have a chance to grant you Elemental Whirl, increasing your Critical Strike, Haste, Mastery, or Versatility by 19 for 10 sec.

Earthlink - Azerite energy courses through you, reaching 48 primary stat and then diminishing down to 8 primary stat, cycling every 6 sec.

Unstable Flames - Your damaging abilities have a chance to grant 9 critical strike rating for 5 sec. This effect stacks up to 5 times.

Shellshock (Hunter Only) - Every 1 sec Aspect of the Turtle is active, heal for 122.

Duck and Cover (Hunter Only) - Using Feign Death allows you to absorb 1622 damage over 6 sec, and Feign Death's cooldown is reduced to 25 seconds.

Nature's Salve (Hunter Only) - Exhilaration heals you for an additional 15000 health, and the cooldown is reduced by 15 sec.

Vampiric Speed - When an enemy you harmed dies, you heal for 624 and gain 49 Speed for 6 sec.

Gemhide - When dealt damage greater than 10% of your maximum health, gain 8 Avoidance and 36 Armor for 10 sec.

Impassive Visage - When you take damage, heal for 139. Cannot occur more than once every 6 sec.

Longstrider - Increases your movement speed by 3% of your highest secondary rating, up to 1%.

Resounding Protection - Every 30 sec, gain an absorb shield for X for 30 sec.

Azerite Fortification - When stunned, immobilized, or knocked back, you heal for 347.

Bulwark of the Masses - When you are surrounded by 4 or more enemies, gain a shield that absorbs 832 damage. Cannot occur more than once every 15 sec.

Self Reliance - While no enemies are within 20 yds, you heal for 70 every 3 sec.

Azerite Power Rotation Changes for Marksmanship Hunter

Focused Fire or Surging Shots - If you have either of these traits, they both increase the value of Streamline. Streamline may pull ahead in AoE depending on how many of these traits you have.

Unerring Vision - If you have any Unerring Vision traits, this increases the value of Calling the Shots.

Steady Aim - A debuff placed on your target. Your stacks do not carry over to other enemies unless you Steady Shot them as well.

Meticulous Scheming - This trait is passive for the most part, but you should be cognizant of how it works. You have a chance to proc Seize the Moment! which gives you an 8 sec window to cast 3 unique abilities. For example, you must cast Aimed Shot, Arcane Shot and Rapid Fire to proc the buff. You cannot repeat spells, so Aimed Shot, Arcane Shot, Arcane Shot will not work.

Dagger in the Back - This trait does not change your rotation, however, it should be noted that this trait gets better or worse depending on your positioning from the target. It does more damage when you are attacking from behind. For melee, this is usually standard for them. For range though, you must make a conscious effort to position yourself behind the target. Simulations indicate that you are positioned behind the boss so if you are not, this trait will perform worse than sims indicate.

Azerite Armor for Marksmanship Hunter

Item Name

Item Location

Tier 1 Traits

Tier 2 Traits

Tier 3 Traits

Tier 4 Traits

Helm of Deep Despair

Ny'alotha, the Waking City

Helm of Actualized Visions

Ny'alotha, the Waking City

Soulscarred Headgear

Waycrest Manor

Sethraliss' Fanged Helm

Temple of Sethraliss

Item Name

Item Location

Tier 1 Traits

Tier 2 Traits

Tier 3 Traits

Pauldrons of Ill Portent

Ny'alotha, the Waking City

Dreamer's Unblinking Pauldrons

Ny'alotha, the Waking City

Hook-Barbed Spaulders

Siege of Boralus

Epaulets of Arcing Power

Operation: Mechagon

Available Chests

Item Name

Item Location

Tier 1 Traits

Tier 2 Traits

Tier 3 Traits

Scales of the Scheming Behemoth

Ny'alotha, the Waking City

Last Vestige of Neltharion

Ny'alotha, the Waking City

Corrupted Hexxer's Vestments

Temple of Sethraliss

Circuit-Linked Chainmail

Operation: Mechagon

Spending Titan ResiduumHelmet

Soulscarred Headgear

Sethraliss' Fanged Helm

Chest

Circuit-Linked Chainmail

Corrupted Hexxer's Vestments

Shoulder

Hook-Barbed Spaulders

Epaulets of Arcing Power or Cannoneer's Mantle

Finding Azerite Armor

Periodic Emissary Caches, scaling with player item level up to 445.

Personal Loot Drops from The Eternal Palace, up to 445 on Mythic difficulty.

Personal Loot Drops from Ny'alotha, the Waking City, up to 485 on Mythic difficulty.

Weekly PvP Ranking Rewards, up to 475 at 2100+ (Duelist or higher rank)

Random or specific Azerite pieces from Thaumaturge Vashreen, at the expense of Titan Residuum.

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Comments

Comment by Bloore

You can get Precise Shots damage with 2 stacks of Arcane Flurry, but it can be inefficient and depends on the situation. Lock and Load procs, and during windows where you have a lot of haste (Trueshot) will allow you to fit an Aimed Shot in before the buff falls off. Triple stacking Arcane Flurry causes your buffed Arcane Shots to deal a massive amount of damage.

Comment by sniperintainting

Hi,

great guide as usual.

i just need to double check, in the line:

4- Focused Fire - This trait is the opposite of Steady Aim, it is weak in single target but excels in AoE, especially when pairing it with Double Tap.

Did you mean pairing Focused Fire with Streamline?

Comment by Nestor1234

Atleast 2 helms, maybr other armor have the Rapid Reload tier 1 trait but it is not listed in the Tier 1 traits tab.

Marksmanship Hunter Azerite Traits, Azerite Armor, and Heart of Azeroth - Shadowlands Pre-Patch 9.0

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