I´ve been taking a look to your post and I would like to make a few comments,

Yes hunter do have really good performances in duel and and bg (specially if you are bm), but in arenas… that´s another history. I have hunter level 70 MS 2000 AP, 30% crit 6500 armor 11000 HP with 300 resilence and playing 2vs2 with Paly full s2. We are unable to reach 1900… when some lock, warrior… with half of the equipment we have they are 2200 or more… why i will tell…….. they can kite… hunters cant!(if you move you only can cast arcane, not mulishot, nor aimed… nothing and what happend when you use all your CD… yes that warrior is still on you with mortal strike, or that lock casting fear, or that druid with ciclone…) yes at that level they CC you as the hell specially if you are hunter. Some time it is so frustating to see how one lock hide in a pilar and is putting curses on you and draining you paly at the same time.

That´s why i think that Patch 2.3 help us but… still we are one of the worst class for arenas and this will be like this for a long long time.

There are some possible improvement like frozen arrow (which would froze for 10 sg… or something similar)

I´ve also had some problems with teams that did not want me just beacuse hunters sucks in arena… yea

SO… i really think that messyah has no idea of what is playing arena with a hunter if she is defending that hunters in pvp are overpowered.

(I also have a lock with 2000 ratting and worse gear)and it si so easy to play with him :D

i have seen to many threads spoilt on the wow site by false logic and people using data got from old or mistaken details

the only way to tell if the smaller dead zone does favor hunters is to get into the battlegrounds/arenas and see what happens , it may surprise some other classes that used to exploit it but i doubt they will not learn how to get around it again , i do not do arenas/battlegrounds or very rarely any pvp so ingame it will only make my grinding more interesting and less of the ohh!!! **** i cannot back up and shoot has to be good for me.

i am not trying to start it off again but this and the other changes coming will make the game more interesting for most , i for one will love the mini map extras and i am sure my alts of most classes will enjoy the small changes to their classes as well

the new patch will make this like a new game and we can only wait and see what happens , as i am sure if hunters start to rule they will either be nerfed or the other classes given a buff in some way to even things up , and i have heard from long term players how that has happened to a few classes in the past

anyway thanks for your efforts mania in keeping us informed

It seems that someone already built a Castlemania. But I like the tag line: “Fun things always end in mania. ” (Homer Simpson)

OMG, she could call it Castlemania LOL (For those that are familiar with the video game, Castlevania.)

You should TOTALLY do it, Mania. :-)

1. Freeze trap – Drop a freeze trap and kite the attacking player over it. If it happens to be a rogue that snuck up on you, freeze him, Hunter Mark him so you’ll see him if he vanishes, and start blasting away.

2. Frost trap – Same as above, only slowing instead of immobilizing the assailant.

3. Feign Death – If the hunter’s timing is right, a good feign death will fool most players.

4. Wing Clip – Slow the movement of the attacker, giving the hunter the advantage to gain ground and let the bullets/arrows start to fly.

5. Aspect of the Cheetah/Pack – Increase your movement speed to help gain ground on frozen, slowed or immobilized opponents.

In addition to those things I mentioned, Hunter’s are going to get (in patch 2.3) a debuff added to Arcane shot, which will dispel one magical buff/effect from a target. Those with Aimed Shot will also get to reduce the healing a target receives by 50% for 10 seconds. The explosive and immolation traps are going to get a damage bonus of 10% of the Hunter’s RAP.

I mean, with all of that in mind, shouldn’t the “dead zone” remain as the only real weakness of a good hunter, if only for the sake of balance? Every class, with the exception of Warlocks, Shaman and Paladins have a weakness, and good players learn how to best protect that weakness. My level 29 Blood Elf hunter may die a few times, but at the end of the match, I am always in the top 3 and take it personal when I get beat out for 1st place.

(Now that I think about it, it does seem strange that someone named “Mania” prefers order and not chaos. LOL)

You know, I was worried this might blow up and you guys might start yelling at me, but once again it’s been proven that I have a really great bunch of readers. I love you guys. *grin*