Paladins: High burst, plate armor, strong defensive cooldowns (Divine Shield, Lay on Hands), and hand of freedom to break slows/stuns. Retribution Paladins have ranged stuns (Hammer of Justice) and big crits. Holy/Prot are more tanky.
Hunters: Masters of kiting, ranged damage, traps, and pet control. Your win condition is to kite and outlast the paladin’s cooldowns.
2. Preparation
Aspect of the Hawk/Dragonhawk for damage, Aspect of the Cheetah for escaping (swap off if being attacked).
Bring a pet with a stun or slow (Crab for Pin, Spider for Web, or use a Scorpid for poison dispel bait).
Keep Freezing Trap and Frost Trap ready.
Have Deterrence and Disengage keybound.
3. Opener
Start the fight at maximum range—force the paladin to cross your traps.
Drop a Frost Trap at your feet to slow the paladin if he charges in.
Open with Aimed Shot (reduces healing by 50%), then Serpent Sting and Arcane/Steady Shots.
Send your pet in early to start pressure and force the paladin to react.
4. Kite, Kite, Kite
Stay at range! Paladins are deadly in melee but weak at range.
Use Concussive Shot and Wing Clip if he closes distance.
Keep Frost Trap or Freezing Trap between you and the paladin at all times.
Use Disengage to create distance when he gets too close.
Feign Death if the paladin is casting Hammer of Justice or about to target you with a big burst.
5. Watch Paladin Cooldowns
Divine Shield (“bubble”): The paladin is immune for 8–12 seconds. Stop DPS, kite, and re-trap. Do NOT waste cooldowns during bubble.
Hand of Freedom: Removes movement-impairing effects (traps, slows). Wait for it to expire, then reslow.
Hammer of Justice: Save your PvP trinket to break this stun if you’re about to die.
Lay on Hands: Massive instant heal—use Aimed Shot to reduce its effectiveness if you can.
6. Use Your Toolkit
Scatter Shot: Interrupts casting and lets you re-trap.
Freezing Trap: Use after Scatter Shot for 4–8 seconds of CC (crowd control).
Deterrence: Use if the paladin gets on top of you and is bursting.
Misdirection: Rarely useful 1v1, but can be used to send pet aggro back to you if needed.
Viper Sting: Great against Holy/Prot—drains their mana.
Serpent Sting/Steady Shot: Keep pressure on.
7. Pet Micro-management
Keep your pet on the paladin at all times to force global cooldowns (cleanse, self-heal).
If the paladin tries to heal, use Intimidation or pet stuns to interrupt.
Pull your pet back if he uses Consecration (AoE damage) and you want to keep it alive longer.
8. Advanced Tips
Feign Death breaks target and can interrupt spells.
Fake trap by starting the trap animation, then Disengage if he tries to rush you.
If you’re Survival spec, Explosive Shot + Lock and Load procs = pressure!
Keep Aimed Shot up to reduce ALL paladin self-healing.
9. How to Handle Divine Shield (“Bubble”):
Don’t bother DPSing during bubble—kite, heal pet, lay a trap.
Prepare to reapply Aimed Shot right as the bubble drops.
If he uses Lay on Hands during Aimed Shot, he will heal for half.
10. Summary Game Plan
Start at range, trap, and open with Aimed Shot.
Keep pressure with shots and pet.
Kite using traps, Concussive Shot, Disengage, and Feign Death.
Save Scatter Shot → Freezing Trap for CC windows.
Watch cooldowns: disengage when he pops bubble, re-engage after.