The Hunter is an interesting class choice since it allows for two completely opposing styles of play. The Gunslinger allows for devastating damage from afar, while the Bladedancer is a force to be reckoned with up-close. While each class isn't tied down to a single weapon, I personally would like to think the Hunter's prefered weapon types would be the Hand Cannon and Sniper Rifle, one for up close damage, and the other for going the distance.
Hunters, as the Nomads of Destiny, are easily distinguishable by their cloaks. Their Agility stat is usually the highest, giving that class increased movement speed as well as a higher double jump. They also carry around a Hunting Knife which is their primary tool for melee damage.
Subclass: Gunslinger
Like I mentioned above, the Gunslinger is the subclass of choice for those that like their combat done at range. This is primarily thanks to their Super Ability, the Golden Gun. This ability allows the Hunter to shoot off three shots from a golden Hand Cannon, that spawns as the skill is activated. There is a limited time to how long the Golden Gun can be active until it has to be recharged, so make those three shots count.
To further emphasize the Hunter's effectiveness in long range, the melee skill gets a ranged knife throw as a secondary skill, which can cause some decent damage if thrown at the enemy weak spot. Further down the skill tree, players can opt to throw incendiary knives or have the skill cooldown reset if the knife lands a Precision kill. Players comfortable with slightly nerfing their Golden Gun, will be able to get two knife throws right away, instead of just one.
The Gunslinger's grenade arsenal consists of an Incendiary Grenade, a Swarm Grenade that will follow enemies that pass through it, and a Tripmine Grenade, that works similarly to the Swarm Grenade, except it fires off a much more concentrated and powerful explosion, instead of following the enemy.
Subclass: Bladedancer
For those that like to get up close and personal with their enemies, the Bladedancer is the way to go. Losing the Golden Gun, the Bladedancer instead uses the Arc Blade, which turns their Hunting Knife into a deadly weapon, usually able to kill enemies with a single strike. The Arc Blade skills allows the player to see his character from third-person, giving them better area awareness, and that way a better chance to take out more enemies while Arc Blade is active. This skill also grants the Hunter increased movement speed whenever slashing with the knife, allowing them to essentially teleport short distances between enemies. A skilled Bladedancer can take out an entire room of enemies if used at the correct time. The Bladedancer also has a skill that allows them to go invisible for a short amount of time, allowing the player to sneak up to unsuspecting enemies and unleach the Arc Blade unseen and unharmed.
Borrowing the speedy movement from the Arc Blade, the melee skill Blink Strike allows you to perform a melee hit with your knife at a slightly bigger distance. It won't teleport you far mind you, but it does close a small gap in case you need to get a last hit melee strike to finish off an enemy.
Lastly, the Hunter's grenade arsenal consists of slight variations from the Gunslinger. The Fux grenade sticks to enemies, dealing increased damage if you can manage to actually land it on someone. The Skip Grenade is similar to the Swarm Grenade, but doesn't require enemies to pass through it for the grenade to start following them. Instead, as soon as it touches the ground, it will fly to the nearest enemy it sees. Lastly, the Arcbolt Grenade scans the immediate area after it touches the ground, and deals chain lightning damage to enemies in the vicinity.
Subclass use in PvE
I would say Bladedancer might be the better subclass to PvE with, with the exception of Strikes. While the Gunslinger's Golden Gun does devastating damage, it's only reserved to three shots, whereas the Arc Blade can take out a lot more enemies, granted if they're all somewhat near each other, making farming a large group of enemies a quick and easy affair.
Strikes or harder missions which require the take down of powerful enemy bosses should be done with the Gunslinger subclass, as you'll generally need to keep your distance and fire off your Golden Gun for maximum damage to the enemy. Keep in mind though, the Golden Gun cannot land a critical strike.
Subclass use in PvP
Much like in PvE, choosing the subclass that's right for you will be mostly situational, and might even come down to your personal playstyle. However, we do have some tips for which subclass is better for each of the game's Crucible modes.
Control and Clash: These two modes pit 6v6. Since the battlefields tend to be slightly larger, it's probably a good idea to stick to Gunslinger and utilize the range on the Golden Gun. Every shot from the Golden Gun is a one hit kill, which is pretty great, but there is one downside to it, it's charge up time. Unlike the Warlock and Titan, whose skills are instant, using the Golden Gun in the heat of the moment will most likely get you killed on the spot. It's important to anticipate the enemy and fire off the Golden Gun before you actually face anyone.
Skirmish and Rumble: Both of these modes change the player count from 12 to 6, however, the reason you want to use Bladedancer for each of these modes is slightly different. Skirmish is a 3v3 match that allows players to resurrect their teammates. That means traveling together in this mode is absolutely crucial. Traveling together also means you can easily pick off all three enemy team members with a swift strike from your Arc Blade.
Rumble on the other hand is a hectic free-for-all, where all six players are gunning each other down. Unless you have nerves of steel, aiming and gunning people down with the Golden Gun is easier said than done. For that reason alone, the Arc Blade can be used as a last ditch effort to quickly dispose of any enemies you come across.
So there you have it, whether you like your combat at close range or at a distance, the Hunter can fill both of these roles. And since you can switch freely between the two subclasses, you never have to feel like you have to commit.
