Bows or Guns?

Bows or Guns?

We are asked this by other hunters a lot. The short answer is Guns. The truth is if you have the right end game progression it does not matter. The fantastic 53 DPS Timeless Arrows and Timeless Shells are both available (at 2g a pop) from The Scale of the Sands at honored. 99% of guilds are not up to Mount Hyjal yet however and hunters in those guilds need to look harder at their choices.

In the world of most hunters the question comes down to two variables:

1. What is the best weapon we have access to?
2. What is the best DPS ammo we can use?

Until 2 days ago we rolled with Warden's Arrows (37 dps) for PVP as they were the highest DPS arrows we could get for our bow. With our recent change to an "epic firearm of doom" we now have access to crafted Adamantite Shells (43 DPS) and an extra 6 DPS increase over the weapon itself. There is an imbalance in ammunition available to hunters in the 43 DPS bracket currently, it is a guns only affair.

If you have a an 82 DPS bow and only a 66 DPS gun even on the lower ammo your bow will give you the edge despite the ammo limitations. In most hunter's cases a gun will have higher DPS ammo available for when it counts, boss fights and arenas.

If a bow is only a minor upgrade over a gun keep this in mind before buying it, bidding on it or rolling on it. While Blizzard has not yet commented on this imbalance BRR expects our Hunter brothers stuck with arrows to be blessed with 43 DPS equivalents to Adamantite Shells via an exchange program similar to the old Thorium Projectile swap.

We are personally glad to exploit this advantage in the arenas and BGs at the moment.

Our hunter opposition frequently sport an 82.4 DPS Gladiator's Heavy Crossbow knowing that they are very likely using 32 or 37 DPS arrows we know BRR has an edge to balance it out.

Our 75.5 DPS gun seems lacklustre at first glance but do not be fooled. We are BM and run Arenas with expensive but oh so sweet 43 DPS shells. As our haste talents and items effects our shots the 6 DPS increase on our ammo becomes 8.22(6x1.37 - 20% SS, 2% Pet and 15% ammo pouch). The final calculations on the weapon DPS, including only our edge in ammo, is 83.72 (8.22 + 75.5).

The weapon budget for Gladiator's Heavy Crossbow includes some other nice stats but for the moment the fact that it is a bow gimps it in the ammo department.

- Good hunting BRR