by dark_fanboyThis guide is being updated for Wrath of the Lich King. Feel free to let me know about any discrepancies and thank you to all those helping keep me on my toes!
Like any profession there are always difficulties entailed. I’ve found that Engineering and Blacksmithing are the two hardest professions for myself. After searching for a blacksmithing guide I’ve found very little in the way of helpful content. I first based this guide off of information gathered from www.wowhead.com using the updated level ranges for professions. I’m looking for feedback to see if there are any possible ways to smooth it out or if there are better options because of material costs.
| Item | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rough Sharpening Stone | ||
| Rough Grinding Stone | ||
| Copper Chain Belt | ||
| Runed Copper Belt | ||
| Thick Bronze Darts | 40 Rough Grinding Stones 20 Medium Leather |
|
| Rough Bronze Leggings | ||
| Bronze Warhammer | 10 Strong Flux 10 Medium Leather |
|
| Green Iron Leggings | 10 Heavy Grinding Stones 10 Green Dye |
|
| Green Iron Bracers | 25 Green Dye |
|
| Golden Scale Bracers | 40 Heavy Grinding Stones |
|
| Mithril Scale Pants | ||
| Mithril Scale Bracers * | ||
| Mithril Coif | 90 Mageweave Cloth |
|
| Dense Sharpening Stone | ||
| Thorium Belt *** ————— Thorium Bracers *** |
————— 160 Thorium Bars |
|
| Imperial Plate Bracers ** | ||
| Imperial Plate Boots ** |
| * Pattern obtained from Vendor. |
| ** Pattern obtained through Quest. |
| *** Pattern obtained from Auction House. (Or lucky drop) |
I’ve tried to minimize the materials and patterns involved based on availability. Most of the stuff in the guide until you hit 215 you will learn from a trainer. I tried to avoid as many world drop patterns as possible, but there weren’t many options outside of the ones that I did choose.
I’ve removed the Heavy Mithril Pants in favor of the Mithril Scale Pants due to availability. I think that may have been my original intention but I hadn’t noticed that the pattern for Heavy Mithril Pants was a drop.
The Thorium Armor set has since become a trainable ability that you can find at any Blacksmithing trainer and the materials cost has been lowered.
Next are the two uncommon drops, Thorium Belt and Thorium Bracers, of which you should be able to find both reasonably cheap in the Auction House if you’re not lucky enough to have already farmed them up yourself. I placed two of the patterns in the same leveling range because they will both offer the same amount of points and are nearly identical in materials cost, this way you’re hopefully not trapped waiting and watching the auction block for a long period of time. I will recommend that you choose the Thorium Bracers over the Belt simply because it remains at the orange skill level until 275 where as the belt will turn to the yellow skill level at 270 but will will remain so much longer than many other items, still offering the necessary points. If you can only find the Belt pattern I suggest you have a few extra materials ready because we all know there is the potential for a skill-up drought, this is the only part in the guide that you might have this problem. Once you’ve finished these as long as you’re level 50 or higher you should be able to proceed unhindered to the Imperial Plate all the way to skill level 300.
Lastly are the Imperial Plate items, they can only be received from a quest line found in Gadgetzan, Tanaris by speaking with Derotain Mudsipper who will offer you the opening quest called A Blue Light Bargain. You must be level 50+ and have a Blacksmithing skill of 265+ to start the Imperial Plate Armor chain. After which time Derotain will offer the quest aptly named Imperial Plate Boots and Imperial Plate Bracers, in return for a small pittance of Thorium he will offer you Pattern: Imperial Plate Boots and Pattern: Imperial Plate Bracers as a reward.
— Alternate Ending —
Since the Thorium Armor set is now trainable it might be advisable to make Thorium Bracers/Belt until 280 and make Thorium Boots or Thorium Helm until 300. Thorium Helm in my opinion might be a better option due to the availability of Star Rubies earned during your mining, however my blacksmith is also a jewel crafter and I have have an inordinate number of star rubies just lying around.
— List of Materials —
– Mining –
* 145 Rough Stone
* 530 Copper Bars
* 290 Bronze Bars (145 Copper Bars & 145 Tin Bars)
* 230 Iron Bars
* 100 Steel Bars (100 Iron Bars & 100 Coal)
* 150 Heavy Stone
* 370 Mithril Bars
* 5 Dense Stone
* 490 Thorium Bars
– Skinning –
* 30 Medium Leather
– Vendor –
* 35 Green Dye
– Drop –
* 90 Mageweave
– Gathered –
* 80 Red or Blue Power Crystals
Note: You will need an additional 30 Thorium Bars to complete the two Imperial Plate Armor quests to receive the patterns, this brings the total number of Thorium Bars to 520.
UPDATE!!!My thanks to the suggestions and encouragement, I’ve taken them under advisement and made changes where necessary. I’m still on the look out for any further changes and you’ll noticed we’ve knocked almost 300 thorium off the list! YAY!
I’m always welcome to suggestions and there are sure to be more updates soon. As I’m really lazy and tend to Roleplay more than play *coughs* I plan to get started on a 300 to 375 and eventually a 375 to 450 guy thereafter. Wrath has become an invigorating experience and love the way things are changing. YAY! for casual! *coughs* Sorry.
Don’t be famous, be infamous
Excellent point and its thatExcellent point and its that small variance that I try to avoid. However if you’re in a pinch for mats you can go ahead and grind all 40 up front if you like. Thanks for the suggestion!
Don’t be famous, be infamous
I know it isnt much – But ImI know it isnt much – But Im right now using this guide to get my BS maxed.. And Ive found a minor help.. You mention in your guide you need 40 Rough Grinding Stones – But you only lvl up from 20 of them.. I just lvled up from all 40 and got to 59 BS skill <-- A little less copper grinding, not much, but its all helping out.. And just a few more Grinding Stones, and you have 60 BS skill <--- Maybe enough to get to the next step.. 😉
I would like to sincerelyI would like to sincerely thank everyone for the suggestions and ask that you please keep them coming. This will prompt me to keep my guide up to date and possibly work on future guides. As of 3.0.3 and with the coming of Wrath I haven’t been paying much attention to my guides as I’ve been participating in the beta trying to learn a few new things and obsess over others. I shall endeavor to get caught up on my work and keep you all up to date.
Don’t be famous, be infamous
They’re so common on the AHThey’re so common on the AH that I didn’t really think about the farming aspect. I do wear them though, great for tanking.
Don’t be famous, be infamous
The Thorium bracers and beltThe Thorium bracers and belt isn’t actually a mistake. That was just updated in patch 3.0.3 I assume. I’ll update the guide as soon as I can.
Don’t be famous, be infamous
Really great guide. Just some suggestions.Hi there.
First up I’d like to commend you on writing a concise, working guide to Blacksmithing.
A few suggestions though. Rather than attempting to farm for the plans for Heavy Mithril Pants, I found it easier to just make Mithril Scale Pants. For only an extra 2 mithril bars each it takes you to the same level, and since it’s only for 5 extra levels i think the sacrifice in gold/mats is worth it.
Secondly, whether it’s just a mistake when you wrote it or they changed it in some later patches, both the thorium pants and bracers only require 8 thorium each and do not require the red and blue power crystals. This brings the required total of thorium required for either pattern to 160.
Other than that you have a pretty solid guide, and thanks for helping me level my Blacksmithing.
Heavy Mithril PantsGreat guide, however, instead of having to kill half the world to get the pattern for the
Heavy Mitril Pants to drop, I just continued to make Golden Scale Bracers to 215. Unless you plan on wearing them or selling them why bother chasing down the drop, especially if the ultimate goal is to get the Imperial set.
I know how you feel. I triedI know how you feel. I tried to take the least expensive and least time consuming route I could find, and this is the guide that came of it. Blacksmithing and Mining from 1 to 300 are the most horrible time sink you could possibly imagine. Thankfully there has been some reworking done to them so things are much easier now than they were 3 years ago. If I can find, or anyone has suggestions, on ways to make this guide less time consuming, feel free to let me know.
Don’t be famous, be infamous
Thanks!Glad to hear that its working. I’ve got a Jewelcrafting guide in the works right now, so this just prompts me to get it finished.
Don’t be famous, be infamous
works well, i farmed and itworks well, i farmed and it was very time consuming omg all that thorium was a pain. I hope Blizz reworks Blacksmithing to be as easy to lvl as tailoring in LK. Kudos for this guide -was great.
Good Job!I loved this guide so much, it helped alot. i had to spend about 100g+ but it worked. Thanks alot!
Thanks, seems to work wellThanks, seems to work well but I must warn it takes a lot of time to farm the needed thorium, and it is very expensive to buy so if you want to level Blacksmith I recommend that you either have a lot of time or a lot of gold 😀
Anyway, great guide works well.
Gaspeth!!! I’m graced byGaspeth!!! I’m graced by Jame himself… *feigns*
Don’t be famous, be infamous
Haven’t tested it, but it’sHaven’t tested it, but it’s neatly presented, which is already a big plus in my book 😛
Thoughts and Feedback?This is pretty much the finished product. Like I said I’ve only been able to test it once and I really need feedback to see if there are any ways to improve it. Thanks for you time and happy smithing.
Don’t be famous, be infamous