Yes, I imagine that some readers in the audience cringed the moment they saw "melee" and "hunter" in the same sentence. However,
Gweryc, who recently hit level 70, has clearly managed it -- and apparently enjoyed himself doing it, so who are we to criticize? And if you doubt his melee abilities, just take a glance at his
weapon skills:
- Bows: 1/350
- Crossbows: 1/350
- Guns: 6/350
Yep -- these are the ranged weapon skills of a level 70 hunter. A level 70 hunter very dedicated to going against the grain. Of his character and playstyle,
Gweryc says:
It's a challenge playing this way, it really is. And that's exactly what I love about it. This way of playing isn't for everybody! That's okay! Some people enjoy raiding, some enjoy crafting or fishing, some like PvP. To each their own. For my part, I'll keep on looking for ways to do things just a little different, to make it work, and to have fun with it as I go.Anyone else out there going against the grain -- and loving it?
Tags: gweryc, hunter, hunters, melee, melee hunter, MeleeHunter, survival, survival hunter, SurvivalHunter, world of warcraft, WorldOfWarcraft, wow
Filed under: Hunter, Talents
Jul 6th 2007 at 8:34PM 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Byron Jul 6th 2007 9:13PM
Looks like somebody is getting bored with the game...
Frogonius Jul 6th 2007 9:43PM
why not just roll a rogue or a warrior if you want to melee? why a hunter? what are the benefits when the hunter is obviously made for range dps? every hunter tree is in some way catered to improving ranged dps. So i say again, with too other fully malee classes to choose, why the hunter? and i garantee, that a melee hunter would have an extremely tough time beating a rogue or a warrior in 1vs1 pvp. I just dont get it, why bother?
someone Jul 6th 2007 9:53PM
Thats not "going against the grain", thats just being stupid or a noob.
Hybrys Jul 6th 2007 10:02PM
I'm guessing he is BM/Surv. It's the only way he could have gotten that far. Also, as a hunter, fighting against huntards, I hate you.
Xinobi Jul 6th 2007 10:06PM
Wowzers
We rogues would call him a free HK
Thepitt Jul 6th 2007 10:06PM
Why does he have to be a cookie cutter noob following the crowd? That's how noobs are made, doing things exactly how others say they should. I'm fairly certain he had to do things outside the box to achieve a lvl 70 with maybe 6 shots fired from a gun the whole way thru.
He had fun!
/Applaud at Gweryc
Znodis Jul 6th 2007 10:14PM
Why climb the mountain? Because it's there.
He wasn't expecting to be the most uber l33t hunter ever created. He wanted to see what would happen. By focusing on Sta and Def he's finding that a hunter can not only CC but can off tank. Think about that. Hunter OT, Pet OT, and chain trapping for CC. Can any other class do occupy 3 mobs while 4 others focus fire? I'm not saying that _anyone else_ should do this, but I think pushing the limits of the game in anyway is pretty cool.
What I'd really be interested in is him taking a 2nd hunter and playing it 'the right' way and comparing the experiences.
Znodis Jul 6th 2007 10:18PM
@6
The 6 in guns is from he dwarf's +5 racial. He never fired a shot. Not sure why he bothered to spend the 10s to train in crossbows and bows...
Brad Jul 6th 2007 10:45PM
Meet Gweryc the lamest excuse for a hunter I have ever seen who will never get invited to a real group. Just because your unique doesn't mean your usefull.
Connrad Jul 6th 2007 11:03PM
Wow, some of you need to relax! He doesn't need to be the most useful or greatest hunter if he's having fun. Maybe he wanted to melee and have a pet. Who really cares? Some of you need to remember it's a game, and not everyone who plays is ultra competitive or high strung.
Chris M Jul 6th 2007 11:05PM
Wow guys..
Gotta love the massive e-hate in here. The guy is having fun, and playing the way _he_ wants to. Just because it goes against how the class is 'meant' to be played, doesn't mean it's wrong.
It may be inefficent, but this is also how new builds/playstyles are found. Not this exact same way- granted. But do you think the first-ever warrior spec'd for DPS? No, he spec'd to tank... Or vice versa, whatever.
You guys are looking at this the wrong way entirely.
Chris
Kuroiban Jul 6th 2007 11:16PM
EEEK! SOMEONE IS PLAYING A GAME AND HAVING FUN!
Call the spec police! Quick! Before it happens again!
Serriously, some of you people complain about the dumbest crap. DO you critize your dog on his choice of tree's to pee on?
I wonder why you ppl play games; it's like you live to be angry at other ppl's joy.
As for Cpt. Hunter McAxealot, good show!
vlad Jul 6th 2007 11:48PM
its like a lock i heard about with 1400+healing. drainlife ticked for 1400 supposedly. shadowbolts 1k lol
Becca Jul 6th 2007 11:39PM
While I don't know how effective Mr. Gweryc would be in a party, I do salute him for being different. In a game like this where your every move is guaranteed flamebait, it's nice to see something different.
Jp Jul 6th 2007 11:41PM
I once experimented with the idea of making a ranged rogue. That is, a rogue who only used bows. Or, at least, used bows as often as possible.
Reading this makes me consider trying that out again...
Rich Jul 6th 2007 11:49PM
As long as he had fun, who cares what you haters think. He probably realizes he is limited in a group and probably doesn't care. So keep your opinions to yourself cause the only people that really what you have to say is just you.
Narissa of Eldre Thalas Jul 6th 2007 11:50PM
@2 Fully totally and have been survival and I punk Warriors and Rogues all the time, it's about knowing how to play the spec.
@9 Read teh tree and know how it's played. I get invited all the time and *GHASP* am useful in raids. To quote BRK a survival hunter is capable of CC of 5 count them 5 mobs unto itself. Do that with a rogue or a warrior and get back to me. Oh and to clarify I don't mean taking the agro, I mean TRUE crowd Control.
The problem here is people ego and not figuring that a spec has a use. If you took the time to play it and learn how to play the spec, you would see it's not that bad. I OT, and have *GHASP* MT in raids, as well as been more productive in damage than most other classes match for match in gear. It's not easy to be Survival but ya know what it's a good spec if you know how to play it. So please don't knock it until you can do it, until then your just being a button mashing wanna be Lamer throwing words because you can't do what they do.
epsilon343 Jul 6th 2007 11:52PM
Hmm...I'm curious as to why people are freaking out over his usage of this character. Is he going to be the most effective thing out there? Probably not, but I don't see why he can't mess around and have fun with a character that's rare if not unique.
WatcherZero Jul 6th 2007 11:59PM
Your forgetting that hunters do have a plethora of melee weapon skills as well as pet, I dont see any real trouble hitting 70 if they were BM/survival spec, true their dps is gonna be low, but most of their trapping utility is still there.
icampgnomes Jul 10th 2007 7:30PM
sounds like fun, this is how drain tanking was invented btw