The thing about being a veteran ranger is that if you’re good at your job than no one will ever know who you were. Thornton is an experienced soldier who has fought in many wars and the fact that he still lives attests to his skills. However, the enemy that the Inquisition now faces is like nothing the Hunter has ever faced before.
Do you like the Archer? Do you wish the Archer was less focused on huge numbers that desire more utility, stealth, and poisons? Well then sir or madam, let me introduce you to the Hunter in Dragon Age Inquisition. If the Archer is your straight man than the Hunter has a lot bit of everything. This class is far more ‘Rogue’ than the Archer. More options also mean more ways to DPS than straight marksman murder.
Here are the Hunter’s abilities;
Trapping:
Tier 1:
Explosive Shot – 2 hits, 100% damage, 4 meters, 12 sec cooldown, 35 sta
- -Chain Reaction – bonus per target 25%, 100%max bonus damage
Tier 2:
Elemental Mines – 50% damage, 8 sec chill, 50% damage burn per sec, 8 sec burn, 8 sec shocked, 24 sec cooldown, 50 sta
- -Throw Everything – 1 additional mine for 5 sta
Fury of the Storm – Under 50% sta, do 10% more damage, +3 Con
Spike Trap – set trap that does 3005 damage, 16 sec cooldown, 35 sta
- -Watch Your Step – remain stealth while setting traps, flings foes
Tier 3:
On the Razor’s Edge – 15% bonus damage to foes 10 meters form you, +3 Cun
Throatcutter – 2% damage bonus per 10% missing health, +3 Dex
Seasoned – +3 Dex, +3 Cun, +3 Con
Tier 4:
Set Them Up – traps do 25% more damage, +3 Willpower
Cripple – attacks from behind reduce speed by 50%, 3 secs duration, +3 Dex
Sadism – 10% sta restored for every 10% HP lost, +3 Con
Tier 5:
Death from Above – If 2 meters higher than foes, deal 25% more damage, +3 Cun
Strafing Shots – 100% speed while strafing, +3 Dex
Pincushion – 5% more damage per shot, 10 sec bonus damage, +3 Dex
Tier 6:
Cheap Shot – Crits sunder for 6 secs, +3 Cun
Throwing Blades – sunders, 4 hits, 100% per hit, 8 sec duration, 12 sec cooldown, 50 sta
- -Precision Targeting – 25% more damage to same target, stacks
Fighting Dirty – sunder and poison lasts 25% longer, +3 Dex
Toxic Cloud – poison in 3 meters for 8 secs, 15% damage, 32 sec cooldown, 50 sta
- -Contact Poison – -5 sec cooldown, 25% damage per sec for 8 secs
Explosive Toxin – kills end in poison for 8 secs, 3 meters, 50% weapon damage per sec, +3 Dex
Survival:
Tier 1:
Fallback Plan – place lantern to travel back to, 15 sec duration, 32 sec cooldown, 35 sta
- -Bait and Switch – 5 more seconds
Tier 2:
Leaping Shot – 12 projectiles, 50% damage, 12 secs cooldown, 35 sta
- -Rolling Draw – 200% damage
First Blood – 15% bonus damage, to foes over 80% HP, +3 Dex
Evade – leap away, 2 sec cooldown, 20 sta
- -Hidden Step – leave clone, 3 sec duration, 300% damage
Tier 3:
Gaps in the Armor – 25% Armor Penetration, +3 Dex
Second Wind – Under 50% stamina your stamina regens 50% faster, +3 Dex
Bloodied Prey – 10% damage bonus to foes with less HP than you, +3 Cun
Tier 4:
Disable – crits reduce foe damage by 15% for 10 secs, stacks, +3 Dex
Knockout Powder – 10 secs of sleep, 6 meters, 20 sec cooldown, 35 sta
- -Deep Sleep – 10 sec duration boost, damaged foes wake up in 3 secs
Tricks of the Trade – party wide 10% bonus damage and 10% duration bonus, +3 Willpower
Stealth – 50% damage bonus, lasts 30 secs, 24 sec cooldown, 20 sta
- -Lost in the Shadows – entering Stealth is instant
Knife in the Shadows – attacks from stealth auto crit, +3 Dex
Tier 5:
Hook and Tackle – grapple to target, 12 sec cooldown, 20 sta
- -It beats Walking – no stamina and no cooldown time
Evasion – 5% dodge, +3 Dex
Full Draw – 800% damage, 800% when foe has full HP, 24 sec cooldown, 65 Sta
- -Stunning Shot – target is put to sleep for 20 secs
Tier 6:
Easy to Miss – 25% threat reduction, 100% is from behind, +3 Cun
While I’m personally a bigger fan of the Trapping tree, my builds usually involve a fair amount of hybridism. While I love the Full Draw ability on the Archer, I play my Hunter as more of a run and gunner. On the Razor’s Edge and Strafing Shots has you play a close game instead of DPSing from afar as possible. Due to this, having actives that maximize your proximity from foes is ideal.
This is purely preference, but I love Stealth. As a ranged but close class, Stealth can save your arse at the push of a button. For spike damage you can take Knife in the Shadows. I’m also a fan of poison. Toxic Cloud is hit or miss but Explosive Toxin is great. If you’re picking off weaker targets like enemy archers or demon spirits, you can quickly fill entire areas with poison clouds. If you don’t take Stealth I’d take Leaping Shot for some extra damage and a solid getaway. It’s just not quite as solid as Stealth. While Spike Trap is alluring for Stealth gameplay, I feel it takes you away from the bread and butter of the Hunter.
Find the four abilities that suit your Hunter playstyle and them back them up with passives. While the Hunter isn’t like 100% damaging passives like the Archer, he has some great tricks of his own depending on which way you spec. If you go the poison or sundering route you’re definitely going to want dirty fighting. Both poison and sunders will help your entire party if you’re looking to NOT be a one man show. Best of luck. Apply poison, line up your shots, and hunt your prey.
