PVP checklist

I see lots of raiding checklists out there and figured I'd put up a quick PVP checklist for hunters. Again, I'm still pretty much a noob, but this is generally what I bring along when I'm doing some serious PVP (as opposed to catching a round or two before bed or something). I know most people don't spend several hours in the battlegrounds on their days off,* but for those of us who do:

PVP checklist for hunters
1. Ammo. Generally, on my Mondays off when I have no other plans, I go into the battlegrounds until something comes up to do in the Real World, I get bored, or I get down to two or three stacks of ammo. So I always make sure my quiver is completely full of ammo, especially since you can't buy the higher-level ammo in Azeroth. If, like me, Shatt drops you to 0 fps for several minutes while your computer freaks out every time you leave a battleground, this saves you from having to hearth, restock, and get back to your preferred city. Also, it's probably super-embarrassing to run out of ammo in the middle of defending the blacksmith or just before you hit Vann (or Drek).

2. Food and drink. I usually have at least one stack of water and two or three of food with a stamina buff. Honestly, I usually don't have much time to eat or drink unless I'm playing Arathi Basin defense or Alterac Valley offense (eat and drink before your group engages Vann or Drek!), but that is where I spend most of my time. Also, you'll want to eat before each battle begins, because more stamina means you'll live a little longer and thus add more to the team. When you're dead, you're not helping to win.

3. Pet food. Sporeling Snacks are awesome. More stamina and spirit means you have to hit Mend Pet less, which means you have more mana for the appropriate stings and shots. This can also be handy when you go up against a DoT-happy warlock who includes your pet, or when the mage your pet is chewing on starts spamming Arcane Explosion.

4. Bandages. Again, you want to have at least two stacks of the highest-level bandage you can use (this could be the bandages for the battleground), because even if you're sticking close to a healer, they won't want to waste mana outside of a fight when you could be in a fight in the next few seconds and need heals then. You might also need to patch up your pet, and you won't want to spend mana on that unless you absolutely have to.

5. Health and mana potions. Sometimes, you and your opponent are neck and neck with dropping each other's health. If you have a health potion and he doesn't, then you win. Same with opponents who suck your mana (or if you're just in a long fight). And health potions are also super-handy if you get DoT-ed and don't have a healer around to patch you up right away. A health potion can keep you alive long enough for the DoT to wear off — then you can bandage. Bring along decent ones that are close to your level, just as with the bandages.

6. Patience. As one of my guildmates put it, unless you're in a premade, every battleground has "That guy. You know, THAT guy." The one who yells at people, calls them names, and screams orders in BG chat with no grasp of what's actually happening in the battleground. I personally do not use my ignore button in the battlegrounds unless it is an extreme situation (in fact, I've only done it twice, and that was so that I could actually communicate with the others in the battleground because the spam was coming so fast I couldn't read what anyone else wrote). You're always going to have THAT guy screaming for the five (five!) surviving offense people to take out Vann NOW!!! because OMG MOAR HONOR when you're just trying to take their reinforcements before they get past the 35 defenders and down Drek. Or THAT guy who can't understand why all you stupid noobs are defending the farm instead of capping the stables and why don't you 9-year-olds go back to Nintendo (uh, because they're attacking the farm and have defense at the stables? duh?). So take a deep breath and try to work around them with the rest of your team. If you're arguing in BG chat, you're not fighting.

That's really about it. If you like to switch out trinkets, bring those along. You can bring elixirs and such, but unless you're in Alterac Valley or they last over death, it's generally a waste of gold.

* Don't worry, I spend a good portion of this time doing chores, playing with my cats, watching TV, and other non-WoW stuff while in queues and I take plenty of breaks. I might be logged on for more than six hours, but maybe only a quarter or half of that time am I actually playing, since I usually wander off and get distracted between battles.