Take a long look at your Marksman tree. Check out all the amazing talents. Go ahead, get yourself a tissue and have a good 5-10 minute cry because you'll never use those kickin'-rad level 30+ talents. Then realize that it's gonna be okay, get out your talent tree, and start distributing points! Once you start playing, you'll never regret your spec. Besides, don't worry - you'll be dabbling in Marksman anyway.

I do have a build that I like to recommend; however, place your talents in the order that makes the most sense to you. There's not a lot of wiggle room because of the talent requirements (ie: 5 points in this, 5 points in that, etc.), but you should choose the path that makes the most sense to you. In the end, you will have 55 points in Beast Mastery and 16 points in Marksman.

Let's start with the Beast Mastery talents, shall we?

1. Improved Aspect of the Hawk 5/5

	Rank 1 - All normal ranged attacks have a 10% chance to increase ranged attack speed by 3% for 12 seconds
	Rank 2 - All normal ranged attacks have a 10% chance to increase ranged attack speed by 6% for 12 seconds
	Rank 3 - All normal ranged attacks have a 10% chance to increase ranged attack speed by 9% for 12 seconds
	Rank 4 - All normal ranged attacks have a 10% chance to increase ranged attack speed by 12% for 12 seconds
	Rank 5 - All normal ranged attacks have a 10% chance to increase ranged attack speed by 15% for 12 seconds

You must have Aspect of the Hawk active to benefit from this talent. Really, though, the only time you'll use another aspect is when you use Aspect of the Viper. The faster your attack speed, the more chances you get to hit your target. While the percentages may not seem like a lot and 12 seconds isn't a lot of time, you will notice a significant difference your damage once you have Rank 5 trained.

2. Focused Fire 2/2

	Rank 1 - All damage caused by you is increased by 1% and the critical strike chance of Kill Command is increased by 10%
	Rank 2 - All damage caused by you is increased by 2% and the critical strike chance of Kill Command is increased by 20%

In order to benefit from the damage bonus Focused Fire gives you, your pet needs to be out and active.

3. Improved Revive Pet 2/2

	Rank 1 - Casting time reduced by 3 seconds, mana cost reduced by 20%, and your pet is revived with 15% more health
	Rank 2 - Casting time reduced by 6 seconds, mana cost reduced by 40%, and your pet is revived with 30% more health

At this point, you have two choices: 1 point in Endurance Training or 1 point in Thick Hide. I personally chose Thick Hide, but review the benefits of both for yourself so that you make the decision you are most comfortable with. In the end, it comes down to +health or +armor.

4.A. Endurance Training 1/5

	Rank 1 - Increases your pet's health by 3%
	Rank 2 - Increases your pet's health by 6%
	Rank 3 - Increases your pet's health by 9%
	Rank 4 - Increases your pet's health by 12%
	Rank 5 - Increases your pet's health by 15%

4.B. Thick Hide 1/3

	Rank 1 - The armor rating of your pet is increased by 7% and your armor contribution from items is increased by 4%.
	Rank 2 - The armor rating of your pet is increased by 14% and your armor contribution from items is increased by 7%.
	Rank 3 - The armor rating of your pet is increased by 20% and your armor contribution from items is increased by 10%.

5. Aspect Mastery 1/1

	Reduces the damage penalty of Aspect of the Viper by 10%. Reduces the damage done to you while Aspect of the Monkey is active by 5%. Increases the attack power bonus of Aspect of the Hawk by 30%. Combines the bonuses from Aspect of the Monkey and Aspect of the Hawk for Aspect of the Dragonhawk.

This is an awesome talent that's early in the Beast Mastery tree. It affects all the aspects that you will frequently use as a Beast Master Hunter.

6. Unleashed Fury 5/5

	Rank 1 - Increases your pet's damage by 3%
	Rank 2 - Increases your pet's damage by 6%
	Rank 3 - Increases your pet's damage by 9%
	Rank 4 - Increases your pet's damage by 12%
	Rank 5 - Increases your pet's damage by 15%

The more damage your pet does, the more threat it generates (keeping aggro off you) and the faster things go boom.

7. Improved Mend Pet 2/2

	Rank 1 - Reduces mana cost by 10% and gives it a 25% chance of cleansing 1 Curse, Disease, Magic, or Poison effect each tick
	Rank 2 - Reduces mana cost by 20% and gives it a 50% chance of cleansing 1 Curse, Disease, Magic, or Poison effect each tick

As a Beast Master, you will use Mend Pet religiously. Curses, Disease, Magic effects, and Poison effects can really run your pet down in a battle. While your party members can most likely (unless they're Leeroy Jenkins) cleanse these things, your pet is not going to be a priority to them and they will probably not be watching out for your pet. It may not seem like much on paper, but in practice, this talent will save your pet's life - and yours, too.

9. Ferocity 5/5

	Rank 1 - Increases your pet's critical strike chance by 3%
	Rank 2 - Increases your pet's critical strike chance by 6%
	Rank 3 - Increases your pet's critical strike chance by 9%
	Rank 4 - Increases your pet's critical strike chance by 12%
	Rank 5 - Increases your pet's critical strike chance by 15%

Critical strike chance isn't just your friend, it's your pet's, too! When you and your pet crit up a storm together, your target won't even know what hit it.

10. Intimidation 1/1

	Rank 1 - Your pet will intimidate your target, causing high threat and stunning it for 3 seconds

Intimidation is such an underappreciated, underused talent. In a battle, 3 seconds is more than enough time for a healer to heal, a caster to get off an attack, you to save your pet from dying, and Prince to beat Rags at Chess.

11. Bestial Discipline 2/2

	Rank 1 - Increases your pet's Focus regeneration by 50%
	Rank 2 - Increases your pet's Focus regeneration by 100%

Instead of having mana, your pet has focus. If your pet's focus is empty or low, they won't be able to bite, claw, or do any of their other specials.

12. Frenzy 5/5

	Rank 1 - Your pet has a 20% chance to gain a 30% attack speed increase for 8 seconds after dealing a critical strike
	Rank 2 - Your pet has a 40% chance to gain a 30% attack speed increase for 8 seconds after dealing a critical strike
	Rank 3 - Your pet has a 60% chance to gain a 30% attack speed increase for 8 seconds after dealing a critical strike
	Rank 4 - Your pet has a 80% chance to gain a 30% attack speed increase for 8 seconds after dealing a critical strike
	Rank 5 - Your pet has a 100% chance to gain a 30% attack speed increase for 8 seconds after dealing a critical strike

Look at that... at Rank 3, after your pet crits on your target, its attacks will have a good chance of being faster for a whole 8 seconds. That makes a big difference, especially if you have a damage-dealing pet. You might be thinking, "If Frenzy is so wonderful, Nukumi, why are we only putting 3 points in it?" You'll see, my little padawans. You'll see.

13. Bestial Wrath 1/1

	Rank 1 - Your pet will become enraged and cause 50% additional damage for 18 seconds and cannot be stopped unless killed

Show me a Hunter that doesn't love Bestial Wrath. It's the epitome of rad Hunter skills. It's got everything: giant, red pet; red player; X-TREME damage; an awesome name; and fear resistence. If you want to impress newbies, this is the trick to pull out of your top hat. Everything will think you're the coolest kid on the block.

This is my favorite talent, especially when I raid or PvP. It gets my pet out of traps (combo Bestial Wrath + Intimidation FTW), me out of danger, smacks Fear around like no other... it's great.

14. Ferocious Inspiration 3/3

	Rank 1 - When your pet scores a critical hit, all of your party members will have all damage increased by 1% for 10 seconds
	Rank 2 - When your pet scores a critical hit, all of your party members will have all damage increased by 2% for 10 seconds
	Rank 3 - When your pet scores a critical hit, all of your party members will have all damage increased by 3% for 10 seconds

Hunters, by definition of their role, aren't exactly team players, but your party will definitely be happy with you for being a team player with this talent. With each of your party members receiving a 3% bonus to their damage for 10 seconds, your party's collective damage will be increase by 15% - that could make a fight.

15. Serpent's Swiftness 5/5

	Rank 1 - Increases ranged combat attack speed by 4% and your pet's melee attack speed by 4%
	Rank 2 - Increases ranged combat attack speed by 8% and your pet's melee attack speed by 8%
	Rank 3 - Increases ranged combat attack speed by 12% and your pet's melee attack speed by 12%
	Rank 4 - Increases ranged combat attack speed by 16% and your pet's melee attack speed by 16%
	Rank 5 - Increases ranged combat attack speed by 20% and your pet's melee attack speed by 20%

This is the perfect team enhancer. Not only is your pet being enhanced as a tank, your damage is being enhanced for the same percentage.

16. Invigoration 2/2

	Rank 1 - 50% chance to instantly regenerate 1% mana when your pet scores a critical hit with a special ability.
	Rank 2 - 100% chance to instantly regnerate 1% mana when your pet scores a critical hit with a special ability.

Mana consumption is something we have to worry about as Hunters. Our gear sometimes has +intellect or +mana to it, but more often than not, we're sacrificing +intellect/+mana for +attack power, +crit, +agility, or +hit. Every little bit of mana regeneration will help.

17. The Beast Within 1/1

	Rank 1 - You become enraged, causing 10% additional damage and reducing the mana cost of all spells by 20% for 18 seconds. The only way to stop you is to kill you.

You know it, I know it, and those gnomes down at that tavern certainly know it: you've got a beast inside of you just beggin' to be let out. This talent is linked to Bestial Wrath, activating when your pet goes into a range and making you immune to fear, pity, and remorse. Together, you and your pet become an unstoppable ball of angst and rage. If you'd like to intensify the effect so you get the full immersion, I'd recommend putting on some Linkin Park. You'll feel incredibly angry in no time whether it's because the lyrics sing to your soul or you just want to punch every one of them in their boyish faces.

18. Longevity 3/3

	Rank 1 - Reduces the cooldown of your Bestial Wrath, Intimidation, and special pet abilities by 10%.
	Rank 2 - Reduces the cooldown of your Bestial Wrath, Intimidation, and special pet abilities by 20%.
	Rank 3 - Reduces the cooldown of your Bestial Wrath, Intimidation, and special pet abilities by 30%.

The quicker you can cast Bestial Wrath and your special abilities, the more DPS you'll do.

19. Cobra Strikes 3/3

	Rank 1 - 20% chance when you critically hit with Arcane Shot, Steady Shot, or Kill Shot to cause your pet's next 2 special attacks to critically hit.
	Rank 2 - 40% chance when you critically hit with Arcane Shot, Steady Shot, or Kill Shot to cause your pet's next 2 special attacks to critically hit.
	Rank 3 - 60% chance when you critically hit with Arcane Shot, Steady Shot, or Kill Shot to cause your pet's next 2 special attacks to critically hit.

20. Kindred Spirits 5/5

	Rank 1 - 4% increase to your pet's damage and a 2% increase to you and your pet's movement speed while your pet is out with you.
	Rank 2 - 8% increase to your pet's damage and a 4% increase to you and your pet's movement speed while your pet is out with you.
	Rank 3 - 12% increase to your pet's damage and a 6% increase to you and your pet's movement speed while your pet is out with you.
	Rank 4 - 16% increase to your pet's damage and a 8% increase to you and your pet's movement speed while your pet is out with you.
	Rank 5 - 20% increase to your pet's damage and a 10% increase to you and your pet's movement speed while your pet is out with you.

21. Beast Mastery 1/1

	You master the art of Beast Training, enabling you to tame exotic pets and increasing your total amount of pet points by 4.

With this talent, you can have your very own devilsaur, silithid, chimaera, core hound, spirit beast, worm, or rhino.

Who's at the door? Mr. Marksman! I'd almost forgotten about you!

1. Lethal Shots 5/5

	Rank 1 - Increases your critical strike chance with ranged weapons by 1%
	Rank 2 - Increases your critical strike chance with ranged weapons by 2%
	Rank 3 - Increases your critical strike chance with ranged weapons by 3%
	Rank 4 - Increases your critical strike chance with ranged weapons by 4%
	Rank 5 - Increases your critical strike chance with ranged weapons by 5%

The more crit chance you've got, the better shot at getting a critical strike you have. Critical strikes make a huge different for you and your group. If every few hits gets you a critical strike, you'll be topping the DPS charts in no time.

Okay, now that we've got the essential Marksman skill, it's over to Beast Mastery.

2. Focused Aim 3/3

	Rank 1 - Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Steady Shot by 23% and increases your chance to hit by 1%.
	Rank 2 - Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Steady Shot by 46% and increases your chance to hit by 2%.
	Rank 3 - Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Steady Shot by 70% and increases your chance to hit by 3%.

The real benefit with Focused Aim is that you get +hit, which is extremely important when you are running instances/raiding. At level 70, Hunters were aiming for 100 hit rating. At level 80, I'm thinking we should be aiming for 130-150 hit rating.

3. Mortal Shots 5/5

	Rank 1 - Increases your ranged weapon critical strike damage bonus by 6%
	Rank 2 - Increases your ranged weapon critical strike damage bonus by 12%
	Rank 3 - Increases your ranged weapon critical strike damage bonus by 18%
	Rank 4 - Increases your ranged weapon critical strike damage bonus by 24%
	Rank 5 - Increases your ranged weapon critical strike damage bonus by 30%

Whether you decide to follow my build recommendation exactly or modify it to your own tastes, keep in mind one thing: jumping around too much will gimp your Hunter. Beast Mastery, Marksman, and Survival all have really awesome talents to choose from. It's very hard to pick and choose, but it's gotta be done. If you dabble too much, you won't receive many benefits from any of the trees. It's safe to assume that you want between 35 and 40+ talents in your primary tree and 10-20 in your secondary tree.

4. Careful Aim 3/3

	Rank 1 - Your ranged attack power is inceased by an amount equal to 33% of your total intellect.
	Rank 2 - Your ranged attack power is inceased by an amount equal to 66% of your total intellect.
	Rank 3 - Your ranged attack power is inceased by an amount equal to 100% of your total intellect.