Patch 5.2 interview with Dave Kosak
Inside an old alt's vault
The latest patch 5.2 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Are you leveling your Professions?
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Nov 20th 2008 at 8:00AM
I admit, I'm not, which is new. When BC came along, while I leveled to 70, I always stopped to mine the Fel Iron nodes. Even on my initial tramp from 1-60 on my characters, I usually stop every few levels to make sure their chosen tradeskill is up to date. But this time, on my Death Knight, I'm not stopping for a thing. It's a weird feeling. I'm conscientious about making sure my characters are well-rounded, making sure they have the skills to pay the bills, so to speak, first aid and cooking in addition to a set of well maintained trade skills, but on my Death Knight, I just can't bring myself to let up on the questing and grinding for professions, even if it means leaving piles of dead, unskinned Bog Lords in my wake.
Admittedly, this may have something to do with the fact that his trade skills start at level 1 while he's level 55. In the end, I'd rather level in Hellfire Peninsula instead of picking daisies in Elwynn. Can you blame me? Still, I promise at level 80 that I will make time to level up his Inscription.
While I have asked about this before, I thought I'd see if the responses were any different now that Wrath is underway. Are you taking breaks on the road to 80 to level your tradeskills? Why or why not?
Filed under: Herbalism, Fishing, Mining, Skinning, Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Cooking, Engineering, Leatherworking, Tailoring, Enchanting, First Aid, Items, Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Jewelcrafting, Leveling, Wrath of the Lich King, Inscription
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 6)
Pirate elf Nov 20th 2008 8:22AM
I'm powerleveling tailoring on my DK as I level in Hellfire Peninsula, because a troll DK on a flying carpet will be the best sight ever.
Reddarin Nov 20th 2008 8:23AM
Skinning/Mining
Both greed professions...lol. Skinning leveled quickly...the guild leatherworker is happy. Mining is a little slower...but still profitable.
Hellsbellboy Nov 20th 2008 9:11AM
I had no problems with First Aid, always have a load of cloth sitting in alt banks the other professions are nonexistant. But yeah originally I was going to stop playing my Paladin as my Main and my new main is a Shaman, and I wasn't going to even try a Death Knight till after I got both my Shaman and Paladin to 80.. but instead I did try a Death Knight and honestly it's a lot of fun. So I was unprepared getting my Death Knight ready compared to my Shaman and Paladin.
Axolotl Nov 20th 2008 8:24AM
My Death Knight went from 55 to 60 without any professions, then I powerleveled Skinning to 395 (Killing Boars) and Mining to 310 (using mainly melting) ... 'd sure like to make some money while leveling ;-)
Redrum Nov 20th 2008 8:53AM
Well, I have herbalism and engineering on my main (herbalism for gold, i leveled engi via the AH in BC). Herbalism is maxed, but currently on my server the cobalt bars are going for 200g a stack and saronite bars (i think thats the next one right?) are going for about 450 so i'll probably wait for the market to calm down a bit before i power through that.
bumble Nov 20th 2008 8:25AM
DK is at 63, moving to Zanga next. Herbalism at 150, going to grind that high enough tonight to be able to skin boglords. Mining and engineering are stagnating at ~415 on my warlock.
Pfooti Nov 20th 2008 8:25AM
Got to 70 at speed on my DK, and am working on getting mining, at least, to northrend levels before I actually go up there. I estimate it will take about four nights of mining at the rate I play, but I think it's worth it - the ore I have mined is selling for TONS OF GOLD. People are paying top dollar to get the ore (not bars) so they can level their own mining via smelting and for prospecting as well.
Lanth Nov 20th 2008 8:25AM
Mining is 430, mining whatever nodes I come across. Engineering is stuck at 407, because the only way to level it past there is with Saronite. However, we only start finding Saronite in Storm Peaks and Icecrown, but I've only just started on Zul'Drak.
TobiasX Nov 20th 2008 8:30AM
Mining: a pain to skill up, but did it over 2 days mixed in with the rest.
Engineering: Had the mats up to 300 prepared months ago.
Fishing: Leveled with Cooking to keep me sane.
First Aid: Starts at 270, had lots of spare Runecloth.
Cooking: Leveled with Fishing, to keep me sane.
All 5 were 300 when my DK was 2 days old, Mining's 390+ and Engineering's 360+ now. First Aid I'm leveling as I pick up the mats. Fishing / Cooking I'll level when I'm 80.
Andy Nov 20th 2008 8:30AM
I dropped LW on my rogue pre-WotLK, after quitting raiding. I started Inscription, but had it hovering around 180 skill until yesterday, when I took a break from leveling to grind it out. Sitting at 370 Inscription now, and now that I'm using Northrend herbs to skill up I don't feel like I'm behind anymore. I'll grind out whatever's left when I hit 80, but for now I'm leveling as I go.
mcclary Nov 20th 2008 8:32AM
On my DK I am either leveling with my friend across the country, or I use the time when he is not on to work on professions. Haven't leveled much in Northrend yet on my two 70s.
Currently 2 bars from 62 and 100 Blacksmithing and 115 Mining
Nick Nov 20th 2008 8:39AM
Right now with my DK, I am focusing entirely on building up my professions, and working on some of the classic achievements.
Let everybody else fight over the quest spawns for now. In a week or two, they'll have moved out of the BC starter zones and I can get in there with a nice chunk of rested XP.
ScytheNoire Nov 20th 2008 8:33AM
I leveled up Herbalism to over 350 now and Inscription to 325 on my Death Knight. Took quite a while to level up herbalism. Pain in the butt. And now I'm not really thrilled about the two professions I took. :P
Babyblizz Nov 20th 2008 8:37AM
No, I haven't leveled my professions since... Duskwood'ish. : >
I had blacksmithing and mining on my main, unlearned blacksmithing cause it became boring. Decided to keep mining and continue with it.
And here I am, lvl 72,6.. Mithril is still yellow to me.
It's hard to bother with actually leveling up professions from scratch when you're so high level. I remembered that on all my alts, so I started early with professions for them, and kept it up to date while leveling. :) My priest is maxed so far when it comes to alchemy and herbalism, but she is still 64'ish.
Jack Kelly Nov 20th 2008 8:51AM
Did mining on my DK once I hit 60 so that I could get 300+ while I hit Outland.
I did fishing right away on my main.
The rest will have to wait a bit.
Relk Nov 20th 2008 8:39AM
Right out of the Death Knight starter chain, leveled herbalism and skinning. I helped my brother catch up his inscriptionist and now I'm ever getting closer to an epic flyer for the dk in time to buy Cold Weather Flying. :)
Seriously, I have gathered so much cast off leather. Also, I literally did not see another person picking an herb the entire time I was in Outland either (already through Hellfire, Zangarmarsh, Nagrand and enough of Blade's Edge to hit 70). Maybe it's weird for a death knight to stop to smell the roses. /shrug
Malend Nov 20th 2008 8:40AM
Over on Alexstrasza as Deramer, I spent roughly 90% of the time after the newbie quests for the Death Knight raising my mining and Engineering skills, I made sure to at least get my mining skill up to 300 before heading to Outland, I manged to hit level 60 w/o really trying by doing the quests in EPL/WPL while looking for ore there. The reason for this is that I want the Mechano-hog.
http://www.wowwiki.com/Mechano-hog
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Alexstrasza&n=Deramer
On a side note, leveling does feel faster this time by, however the last two trips through outland I played as a holy priest and arcane mage.
nav Nov 20th 2008 8:42AM
I've not got the gear turnover to level enchanting on myself to any great extent, so that's being delayed till I upgrade out of my TBC gear. I'm naturally piling up mats there though.
With tailoring, I'm just selling all the cloth now. Again, I don't need the early items and by selling when cloth prices haven't settled I'm making a killing. By the time I'm working on tailoring cloth prices will be lower and I can buy back if needed and still be in profit.
Tricia Nov 20th 2008 8:41AM
I've been keeping pace with my skill lvling on my main.... but with ym DK my though has pretty much been "I can power lvl now or later, it won't make much of a difference".
Considering the AH inflation for start of expansion play, hopefully I won't have to mine in Eversong or flower pick in mulgore for days... but regardless that can wait until later.
ejunk Nov 20th 2008 8:42AM
leveling my professions - alchemy and herbalism, as well as cooking and first aid - as I level my character hasn't taken any extra effort. I find it much easier to level professions while leveling a toon than doing it as a farm activity later on.
which is why my DK is totally profession-less and will remain so for the forseeable future... 55 levels of not leveling professions. the thought of going back and doing all that work and NOT getting XP.... *shudder*
yrs-
Ejunk!