Been away a long time, and I am confusedFollow

I stopped playing almost 7 months ago, and only very recently returned in advance of the xpac.

I've been reading up on all the changes (good and bad) coming the last few days trying to figure out which spec I'm going to try out once 3.0 hits.

I've never been good at theorycrafting, and PvP just isn't my thing. I'm horrible at it. I do very well in duels or world PvP, but once I'm in arena, I may as well go afk. I'm just terrible. I'm not ashamed to admit it. It's not for everyone, and by acknowledging it, I can focus on other aspects of the game.

But with all of the changes, I can't wrap my head around which way to go. Everything will change at 80, so I'm not worried about that right now. I'm more focused on what little time we have left at 70, and early leveling.

I was a die hard SV hunter. I know I could've done more DPS as BM, but I loved the utility and variety it offered. It seems to me that SV became badly gimped for anything other than pvp now, so I'm thinking I'll have to go MM or BM.

The problem is, I'm in mostly Kara / badge gear, with a few arena pieces thrown in (helm and shoulders from season 2... before it was welfare, and the season 3 chest). I was hit capped for SV, but now surefooted lost the hit. :( For this reason, I thought about going MM, since I can pickup my hit there, and not have to gimp other stats by gemming for hit. I don't anticipate picking up very many, if any upgrades before xpac. I have both Sunfury, and WSSR, but I'm over 100 badges away from the crossbow, and currently unable to attend many Kara runs to farm badges.

Just batting around things, I was considering a spec like this:

http://wotlk.wowhead.com/?talent=cZ0eAf0hzMeoxhAox00b

Aimed shot seems like a waste of mana for PvE with the damage nerf. I'm not sure about 3/3 in improved arcane, as it seems I'll rarely use it in rotation, but I couldn't figure out where else to put the points. It seems like the MM rotation will be Serpent sting, Chimera shot, followed by spamming SS and weaving in Chimeras. I'm not sure if there's any room for arcanes, and multi seems to be a very situational shot now. MM seems like it will be very mana starved also, so reducing the high manacost shots might be wise.

It's also unclear to me if the proposed "potion sickness" is still going live. If it is, I have to consider the over half damage reduction for every time I have to pop viper.

The easy answer is to go BM, of course. But I've always gone a little against the grain.

Can anyone please provide feedback on the spec, or options? It would be much appreciated.

Edited to add:

I'm bummed about my trap talents, but I wasn't always SV, and could chain trap with ease even before. That doesn't worry me. But what intrigues me is this: Is the hit rating change now in full effect? IOWs, there's no more "spell hit?" If that's the case, than all hunter's traps just became much more reliable.

Edited, Oct 14th 2008 1:57pm by Steelray

Edited, Oct 14th 2008 1:58pm by Steelray

Edited, Oct 14th 2008 1:59pm by Steelray