Hunter Stings 1.12.1: Serpent, Viper, Scorpid and Wyvern Sting

Section: Classes & races 4 min read Vanilla 1.12.1 · x5 Updated 05.10.2026

Hunter stings are four poison shots that apply a periodic effect to the target: damage, mana drain, reduced stats or sleep. In this guide for the WoW x5 server we cover every sting in Vanilla 1.12.1: when you learn them, how long they last, and which sting to use in dungeons, raids and battlegrounds.

Serpent StingMain damage sting, 15 seconds

Viper StingMana drain over 8 seconds

Contents

The Main Rule: One Sting per Target
Serpent Sting
Viper Sting
Scorpid Sting
Wyvern Sting
Hunter Stings Table 1.12.1
How to Choose a Sting
Related Guides

The Main Rule: One Sting per Target

All stings are Nature-school poisons and share one restriction: only one sting per hunter can be active on a target. If you apply Serpent Sting and then Scorpid Sting, the first effect disappears. Stings from two different hunters do not interfere, which is why raids with several hunters usually assign stings in advance.

Two more things to remember:

Stings are removed by poison cleansing, so a shaman with a cleansing totem or a paladin can easily wipe your effect.
Like all shots, stings work at 8 to 35 yards and require a ranged weapon. The dead zone is explained in the guide to hunter shots.

Serpent Sting

The very first and most useful sting, learned at level 4. It deals Nature damage every 3 seconds for 15 seconds. The ability has 9 ranks: eight are sold by the trainer, and the ninth was added in patch 1.9 and is learned from a book. Its damage is increased by the Marksmanship talent Improved Serpent Sting.

When to use it:

while leveling, on every mob: it is free damage while you shoot and your pet holds aggro;
in PvP, on rogues and druids: the damage over time makes stealth harder and breaks sleep, so keep it away from crowd-controlled targets;
in raids, only if no hunter is assigned to another sting and your mana allows it.

Viper Sting

Learned at level 36, with 3 ranks. It drains the target's mana over 8 seconds and gives it to the hunter, with a 15-second cooldown. Since patch 1.4 it cannot be used on warriors and rogues, and a druid only loses mana in caster form.

This is the hunter's key PvP tool against healers and casters: several Viper Stings in a row leave a priest or paladin without mana in a long fight. In PvE it is useful against elite casters in dungeons and for refilling your own mana.

Scorpid Sting

Learned at level 22, with 4 ranks. It reduces the target's Strength and Agility for 20 seconds. The sting deals no damage, so it does not break Freezing Trap or Polymorph: you can safely use it to overwrite your Serpent Sting on a target that must stay crowd-controlled.

In raids one hunter usually keeps Scorpid Sting on a melee boss: lower Strength and Agility means less damage to the tank. Other hunters can still apply Serpent Sting, because stings from different hunters stack.

Wyvern Sting

The 31-point Survival talent, requiring Killer Instinct. It puts the target to sleep for 12 seconds; any damage cancels the effect, and when the target wakes up it takes poison damage. Cooldown is 2 minutes, with 3 ranks in total.

It is the hunter's second crowd control after hunter traps: in PvP Wyvern Sting neutralizes a healer or a second enemy, in PvE it lets you put an extra mob to sleep on the pull. Remember that any damage, including your own Serpent Sting, wakes the target.

Hunter Stings Table 1.12.1

Sting	Level	Ranks	Duration	Effect	Best use
Serpent Sting	4	9	15 sec	Nature damage	Leveling, PvP
Viper Sting	36	3	8 sec	Mana drain	PvP vs casters
Scorpid Sting	22	4	20 sec	Lower Strength and Agility	Raids, crowd control
Wyvern Sting	Talent	3	12 sec sleep	Sleep and poison	PvP, pulls

Совет

Put your stings on separate keys next to Arcane Shot, as you will swap them often in combat. Ready-made options are in the hunter macros guide.

How to Choose a Sting

The rule of thumb is simple: Serpent Sting by default, Viper Sting against mana, Scorpid Sting against melee and near crowd control, Wyvern Sting for crowd control. Stings cost mana, so in long fights keep the right aspect active, as explained in the guide to hunter aspects. Where stings fit into your shot cycle is covered in the hunter rotation, and the full list of class abilities is in hunter abilities.

Related Guides

Ready to test your stings in practice? Create an account on WoW x5, follow the connection guide and start hunting in Azeroth today.

FAQ

Can I keep two stings on one target at the same time?

No. Only one sting per hunter can be active on a target. A new sting replaces the previous one, so your Serpent Sting and Scorpid Sting cannot stack together. Stings from different hunters do coexist.

Who can Viper Sting be used on?

Viper Sting drains mana, so it is used against mana users: priests, mages, warlocks, paladins, shamans, druids and hunters. Since patch 1.4 it cannot be cast on warriors and rogues, and it drains no mana from a shapeshifted druid.

How do I get Wyvern Sting?

Wyvern Sting is the 31-point Survival talent: you need 30 points in the tree and Killer Instinct. The talent gives rank 1, further ranks are bought from the hunter trainer. The ability has 3 ranks in total.

Where do I get rank 9 of Serpent Sting?

Rank 9 of Serpent Sting was added in patch 1.9 and is learned from the book Guide: Serpent Sting IX, not from a trainer. The other eight ranks are sold by hunter trainers, and rank 1 is available at level 4.