Introduction
Welcome to Method's Havoc Demon Hunter guide. I'm Hype, top 50 raider since the end of Dragonflight, and I've mained Havoc Demon Hunter since Legion.
In this guide, I’ll cover the core gameplay loop, provide talent builds, and go over some of the more advanced aspects of the spec.
If you have any questions or feedback regarding the guide, you can find me in the Demon Hunter Discord, or if you catch one of my rare streams on Twitch, you can hit me up there as well.
Why you should Play Havoc Demon Hunter
Strengths:
- Superb mobility
- Exceptional self-sustain through Leech
- Great for solo content
- Brings a raid buff in Chaos Brand
- Possibly the best funnel damage in the game with Aldrachi Reaver
Weaknesses:
- Talenting into AoE sacrifices single-target damage, and vice versa
- Metamorphosis is a weak AoE cooldown
- Movement heavy builds can be a liability in certain scenarios
- Melee specs are generally less favored in raids and Mythic+
- With the release of Devourer, Havoc may become less desirable in group content
What has changed
Midnight Pre-Patch Havoc Demon Hunter Changes
Havoc Demon Hunter is getting numerous good changes and QoL fixes going into the new expansion. I’ve broken this section into three parts: Notable changes, Minor changes and Removed.
I recommend reading all of it, but if you want just the essentials, Notable changes should be enough to get you started. Tuning and numbers changes will not be listed unless I think they impact the spec in a meaningful way.
Notable Changes:
- Void Elf is now a playable race for Demon Hunters
- Eye Beam cooldown reduced to 30 seconds
- The Hunt, Collective Anguish and Demonic have been moved from the class tree to the spec tree
- A Fire Inside has been reworked: Now reduces Immolation Aura cooldown by 6 seconds, instead of having a chance to refund a charge
- Essence Break has been reworked: Now causes Chaos Strike and Blade Dance to deal additional Chaos Damage for 4 seconds, instead of increasing their damage by 80%
- Glaive Tempest has been reworked and moved positions in the tree: Instead of being an ability you press, it now triggers when the final slash of Blade Dance hits 3+ targets, consuming 25 Fury
- Chaotic Transformation is now a choice node with Inner Demon
- Desperate Instincts has been reworked: Blur reduces damage taken by an additional 10%. In addition damage taken below 35% health is reduced by 10%
- New Class Talent: Demonic Resilience
Aldrachi Reaver:
- Thrill Of The Fight has been reworked: Now increases the damage of your next Reaver's Glaive by 30% and grants 6% Haste for 30 seconds
- Fury Of The Aldrachi deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets
- New Hero Talent: Broken Spirit
- New Hero Talent: Keen Edge
- New Hero Talent: Bladecraft
Fel-Scarred:
- Demonsurge now deals Chaos damage instead of Fire damage
- Student Of Suffering now procs from Eye Beam
- Demonsurge now always empowers Blade Dance and Chaos Strike when entering demon form even if Metamorphosis is already active
- Burning Blades now includes the damage from First Blood
- New Hero Talent: Blind Focus
- New Hero Talent: Undying Embers
- New Hero Talent: Volatile Instinct
Minor Changes:
- Inertia and Exergy now buff Fury Of The Aldrachi
- Blind Fury now causes Eye Beam to generate 30 Fury per second, down from 40
- Blur damage reduction increased to 25%, dodge chance portion has been removed
- Felblade now generates 15 Fury instead of 40
- Cycle Of Hatred now reduces Eye Beam cooldown by 2.5 seconds per stack, down from 5 seconds
- Furious Gaze now gives 8% Haste for 8 seconds, down from 10% for 10 seconds
- Melee auto-attack damage has been increased by 250%
- Demon Blades now automatically replaces Demon's Bite
- Demon Blades now generates 8-15 Fury, up from 7-12
- Demon Muzzle has been reworked: Interrupting a spell with Disrupt decreases your magic damage taken by 15% for 12 seconds
- The healing effect from The Hunt has been removed
- New Class Talent: Final Breath
- New Class Talent: Remorseless
- New Class Talent: Furious
- New Class Talent: Wings Of Wrath
- New Class Talent: Focused Ire
- New Class Talent Choice Node: Burn It Out and Soul Cleanse
- New Class Talent: First In, Last Out
- New Class Talent: Soul Splitter
- New Class Talent: Felbound
Removed:
- Sigil of Spite
- Sigil of Flame
- Netherwalk
- Fel Barrage
- Fel Eruption
- Looks Can Kill
- Improved Fel Rush
- Insatiable Hunger
- Restless Hunter