Insider Trader: Farming recipes in Northrend
by Amanda Miller 
May 29th 2009 at 8:00PM
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.
This week, Insider Trader will be listing the locations and mobs that will drop recipes to help you complete your collection and expand your knowledge to boost sales.
Because this list is meant to be a reference for planning out your next farming expedition, I will not be including "world drops" that can drop from nearly any mob in a given zone or from a specific level of mobs across zones.
Ulduar
There are several epic crafting recipes that will drop in Ulduar. They have a chance to drop from each of the bosses on Heroic mode (25-man), although 10-man groups can also acquire them by downing the bosses on Hard mode.
Currently, there are two Enchanting formulas, six Blacksmithing plans, eight Leatherworking patterns and four Tailoring patterns that fall under this category.
Given Ulduar's close associations with Engineering, many people have been quite vocal about the lack of schematics in the dungeon, although many of the mobs can be harvested for parts and vendor junk.
You'll be happy to note that these epic recipes, with the exception of the Enchanting recipes, are all bind on equip. You can store them in your Guild Bank, sell them for profit, or buy them from other players if you're desperate for a certain one. Of course, this also means that the posted drop rates more closely reflect actual drop rates.
For example, a bind on pick-up Jewelcrafting recipe might say 0.1% drop rate, but Wowhead is counting everyone who kills that mob, and each kill. This results in skewed numbers, because it is only Jewelcrafters who will ever see the recipe if it drops.
The fact that these epic bind on equip recipes boast low drop rates means that they are likely extremely rare.
Jewelcrafting
- Design: Accurate Monarch Topaz: Check out certain Mammoths in Zul'Drak, Storm Peaks and Sholazar Basin are carrying copies of this design around.
- Design: Austere Earthsiege Diamond: King Ymiron in Utgarde Pinnacle on both modes.
- Design: Bracing Earthsiege Diamond: The Cache of Eregos in The Oculus.
- Design: Deadly Monarch Topaz: Keristrasza in Heroic Nexus.
- Design: Deft Monarch Topaz.: Halls of Stone on Heroic mode, Sjonner the Ironshaper.
- Design: Eternal Earthsiege Diamond: Loken in The Halls of Lightning on both Normal and Heroic modes.
- Design: Fierce Monarch Topaz: Heroic Utgarde Keep, Ingvar the Plunderer.
- The Nascent Val'kyr of Val'kyrion, Storm Peaks, have a chance to drop Design: Fractured Scarlet Ruby. They are also a key gold farming mob! Check out Time is Money: Farming in Storm Peaks for more details. While you're in Storm Peaks, seek out Design: Defender's Twilight Opal: Stormforged mobs in Storm Peaks, located just north of Val'kyrion and to the west of Snowdrift Plains, and Design: Radiant Forest Emerald, which can be found on Frostfeather harpies along Bor's Breath.
- Design: Infused Twilight Opal: Anub'Arak in Azjol-Nerub on Heroic mode.
- Design: Precise Scarlet Ruby: Herald Volazj from Heroic Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom.
- Design: Radiant Forest Emerald: Frostfeather harpies in Bor's Breath, Storm Peaks.
- Design: Thick Autumn's Glow: Cyanigosa in The Violet Hold, heroic mode.
- Design: Timeless Forest Emerald: The Prophet Tharon'ja in heroic Drak'Tharon Keep.
There are no farmable Tailoring recipes. There are a few that drop rarely from bosses in Ulduar. There are also a handful of shirt recipes that were added with Wrath, and it seems that the most efficient way to "farm" them is to run dungeons and raids of any sort.
Leatherworking
All of the Leatherworking recipes can be found as rare drops from bosses in Ulduar.
Blacksmithing
- Plans: Reinforced Cobalt Chestpiece: Venture Co. Excavators in Sholazar Basin, in and around Swindlegrin's Dig.
- Plans: Reinforced Cobalt Helm: Iron Rune-Shapers of Grizzly Hills, near Thor Modan.
- Plans: Reinforced Cobalt Legplates: Zul'Drak, hunt Gundrak Savages around Gundrak in the northeast.
- Plans: Reinforced Cobalt Shoulders: Onslaught Masons at Scarlet Point or just north of Naxxramas, in Dragonblight.
- Recipe: Mighty Frost Protection Potion: Damned Apothecaries in Icecrown, near Aldur'Thar.
- Recipe: Mighty Nature Protection Potion: Cult Alchemists, in Icecrown near Aldur'Thar, along with the above Damned Apothecaries.
- Recipe: Mighty Shadow Protection Potion: Cultist Shard Watchers in Icecrown, along Corp'rethar: The Horror Gate.
- Formula - Enchant Cloak: Superior Frost Resistance: Damned Apothecaries in Icecrown, near Aldur'Thar.
- Formula - Enchant Cloak: Superior Nature Resistance: Cult Alchemists in Icecrown, also near Aldur'Thar.
- Formula - Enchant Cloak: Superior Shadow Resistance: Cultist Shard Watchers in Icecrown, along Corp'rethar: The Horror Gate.
Each week, Insider Trader takes you behind the scenes of the bustling sub-culture of professional craftsmen, examining the profitable, the tragically lacking, and the methods behind the madness. Have you heard about the upcoming Jewelcrafting nerf? Read all about it and join in the discussion.Filed under: Alchemy, Features, Jewelcrafting, Instances, Economy, Tips, Items, Enchanting, Tailoring, Leatherworking, Blacksmithing, Insider Trader (Professions)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Gimia May 29th 2009 8:06PM
For the leatherworking, although they have little use there are additional bracer enchants with resist on them from multiple mobs in Icecrown.
ceristapwns May 30th 2009 12:08AM
Fur Lining - Frost, Nature, Arcane and Shadow Resist leatherworking patterns will drop off the same mobs near Aldur'thar as the alchemy recipes listed above.
Brasson May 30th 2009 11:00AM
Don't forget the fire resistance pattern off of the skellies just east of the Citadel.
Brasson May 30th 2009 11:01AM
Don't forget the fire resistance pattern off of the skellies just
east of the Citadel.
Thalen May 29th 2009 8:33PM
Arcane Resist cloak enchant - http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37330
Fire Resist cloak enchant - http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37331
reddragon2426 May 29th 2009 8:44PM
No engineering again.... why doesn't Bliz just delete the entire profession if they aren't going to support it at all.
dave May 29th 2009 9:28PM
Yeah, those resist enchants and potions really make those professions superior to engineering. :P
Engineers are such a big group of whiners.
jbodar May 29th 2009 11:29PM
Look at it this way: you don't have to farm jack to get all your recipes. Seriously, WTS Schematics: Gnomish Bajingo Cleaner - "For the removal of granular deposits from those hard-to-reach places"
Cailleach May 29th 2009 9:48PM
Arcane and fire resist potions also drop from the same mobs the enchants drop from.
Abbadon May 29th 2009 9:45PM
Why does it seem like everyone forgets that engineers can get the bike parts off a few of the bosses in 10/25 man Ulduar... Sure it's random, and sure you still have to compete with who gets to hack up the dead bosses for scraps, but that's no different than any other drop.
Both engineers in my guild have gotten the 3000g golem part from either FL or XT. I picked up one of them for a better price than the goldsink K3 goblin vendor. However, I've been spamming trade for the pipe and pistons for weeks to no avail. So even if an engineer doesn't sell the parts for some quick gold, it saves them that much more if they put it towards their own hog/chopper.
Rilgon May 30th 2009 1:48AM
Because being able to scavenge parts for something that by all rights should be Engineer-only is no compensation for Engineering being the worst PVE profession by a mile. Sorry.
Codexx May 29th 2009 10:46PM
I got a Mighty Arcane Protection Potion recipe in Aldur'thar the other day. I don't think they're mob based, just regional.
Krick May 30th 2009 1:29AM
The way the article is written makes it look like there are only 13 BoP Jewelcrafting patterns in Northrend when there are actually 14. I don't know why #8 in the list is so wordy but it lists 3 patterns...
Design: Fractured Scarlet Ruby - Nascent Val'kyr
Design: Defender's Twilight Opal - Stormforged Champion/Ambusher/Artificer/Infiltrator
Design: Radiant Forest Emerald - Frostfeather Screecher/Witch
...the pattern for Radiant Forest Emerald is listed again at #11.
The point of making a list is so that each item in the list gets its own line. :)
There are also FIVE BoE enchanting recipes in Icecrown...
Formula: Enchant Cloak - Superior Shadow Resistance: Cultist Shard Watcher
Formula: Enchant Cloak - Superior Arcane Resistance: Frostbrood Spawn/Cult Researcher
Formula: Enchant Cloak - Superior Fire Resistance: Skeletal Runesmith
Formula: Enchant Cloak - Superior Frost Resistance: Damned Apothecary
Formula: Enchant Cloak - Superior Nature Resistance: Cult Alchemist
They all drop from specific mobs and reportedly ONLY drop for enchanters, and ONLY if you don't already know it. It is also suspected that even having it in your bags unlearned will prevent another from dropping.
It took me forever to get the Shadow Resistance one to drop, and I farm for another every day while doing the jousting daily at the citadel, and I still haven't seen another drop, so I think the speculation about the drop rules is probably correct.
Each are BoE, so you can sell them on the auction house, but they are quite rare on the AH due to the strange drop requirements.
...
Krick
http://www.tankadin.com/forum/
Cyno01 May 30th 2009 2:00AM
Not only that, suprised i havnt heard any QQ from engineers about the goggles that drop off Flame Leviathan (mail SP) and the ones off Mimiron hard mode (leather phys dps). I mean, my main is a realm first Engi Rogue, so im happy to have an up that are goggles again, and its nice for my resto shammy alt (whos not an engi), but another round of goggle schematics on par with 10man T8 would be phenomenal, or even purchaseable schematics for a couple of emblems of conquest and that required runed orbs.
I love my goggles, ive been wearing various goggles for 70 odd levels, they redily identify me as a dumbass whos stuck with engineering this whole time.
Bronwyn May 30th 2009 11:29AM
I don't even have a high level engineer yet and I agree with you on this- I like the fact that some "engineering" stuff is available to everyone, but I'd like it even better if there were still better engineering things available to ENGINEERS.
AyaJulia May 30th 2009 3:15AM
"There are no farmable Tailoring recipes. There are a few that drop rarely from bosses in Ulduar. There are also a handful of shirt recipes that were added with Wrath, and it seems that the most efficient way to "farm" them is to run dungeons and raids of any sort. "
You could maybe mention briefly here the Deathchill Cloak and Wispcloak recipes, just to fill in the void.
skurfer48 May 30th 2009 4:05AM
So this is a good list and it's nice and comprehensive. But I don't really see what it has to do with farming any money making. I mean sure you have a place to see where the recipes you might need for your professions drop (plenty of existing ways to find this) but going to run an instance and hope for a drop isn't really 'farming' especially when you are talking about Ulduar. People don't exactly do 'farming expeditions' in heroic dungeons and raids...
Veknir May 30th 2009 4:37AM
Actually, they do in heroic dungeons and even some raids (granted, lower level raids, but still raids. Karazahn comes to mind for Mongoose)
Nathanyel May 30th 2009 5:18AM
Recipe: Mighty Arcane Protection Potion and Recipe: Mighty Fire Protection Potion are listed as zone drops by wowhead, but actually only drop from two types of mobs each:
Arcane: Frostbrood Spawns and Cult Researchers
Fire: There are two version of Skeletal Runesmiths (under Malykriss), probably related to phasing.
Daraia May 30th 2009 8:06AM
There is also the lone Inscription BoP Technique: Rituals of the New Moon. This drops in Silverbrook in Grizzly Hills and depending on which of the 4 books it creates allows you to turn into one of 4 colored wolves Black, White, Gray or Red. (The books themselves are BoE)