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	Blacksmithing (Profession)
	Ingredients • Proficiencies • Quests • Recipes • Trainers • Economical Training

Blacksmithing is a profession and is the art of forging items out of metals, minerals, and other trade goods. Blacksmiths utilize bars of metal unearthed and smelted by the mining profession along with various trade and magical goods to produce their wares.

A blacksmith can create melee weapons, armor (mail and plate), trade items used as ingredients by other professions (such as rods for enchanters) and keys used to unlock a variety of items in the world. Additionally, blacksmiths can craft items that when applied to weapons can provide temporary (and in some cases, permanent) buffs to items.

While they can create a variety of items, they strangely cannot repair these items when damaged, and must still use the services of a repair vendor.

In general, blacksmithing mainly benefits mail and plate wearing classes for the unique armors that can be created. However, most (if not all) classes can use a good deal of the weapons produced by blacksmiths. Ideally, blacksmithing would be paired with mining as a second profession. Mining is not a prerequisite for the blacksmithing profession.

As of patch 3.0.2, Blacksmiths can now permanently place a socket on their own bracers and gloves at skill level 400 (see Socketing below).

Training as a Blacksmith

Blacksmithing is taught by various blacksmithing trainers located throughout the world. Prospective blacksmiths must be level 5. Initial training costs 10 copper, granting the Apprentice level with a potential skill of 75 and access to apprentice blacksmithing plans taught by trainers or found throughout the world. Most recipes require the use of a blacksmith hammer and anvil, however, some (such as Rough Sharpening Stone, for example) do not.

The following are the required levels and potential skill of each stage of the profession:

Proficiency	Level	Skill
Apprentice	5	1 - 75
Journeyman	10	50 - 150
Expert	20	125 - 225
Artisan	35	200 - 300
Weaponsmith	40	200 - 300
Armorsmith	40	200 - 300
Master	50	275 - 375
Grand Master	65	350 - 450
Illustrious	75	425 - 525

Grand Master is only available after installing the expansion Wrath of the Lich King.

Illustrious is only available after installing the expansion Cataclysm.

Note: Since Patch 4.0.1 all blacksmithing trainers teach up to Illustrious level blacksmithing (except multi-profession trainers in starting areas). Weaponsmithing and armorsmithing are taught by trainers in Ironforge and Orgrimmar. Weaponsmithing specialists reside in Everlook. Master level blacksmithing can be learned from respective trainers located in Outland.

Perks

Unlike some other professions, Blacksmithing does not get an additional ability. However, blacksmiths do get to add additional sockets to their gear that are not available to other professions. See the Socketing section below for details.

Advancing as a Blacksmith

Crafting items is the only way to progress through the stages. Plans will appear as one of four colors in the profession window, with a certain chance for a skill up (gaining a point):

Skill Up Percentages
Color	Chance
Orange	100% Chance
Yellow	50-75% Chance
Green	50% Chance or less
Grey	0% Chance

As your blacksmithing skill increases, plans will change from orange to yellow, yellow to green and green to grey. Only by finding higher skill plans can one continue to progress through the stages. Approximately every 5-10 points, new plans will become available to learn. These can be learned from trainers, looted from corpses, given as quest rewards or purchased from vendors or the auction house. All plans have a requisite blacksmithing skill to be learned and produced. Additionally, some plans cannot be learned until you have a certain reputation level with a given faction.

A blacksmith of level 60 and skill 350 can become a Grand Master for 35. Trainers are available throughout Azeroth and also in Shattrath City of Outland as of Patch 3.1.

Socketing

Blacksmiths can now add sockets to their own bracers and gloves, available at 400 Blacksmithing.

A player must maintain at least 400 Blacksmithing or the socket will become inactive.

At level 420, blacksmiths can also create Eternal Belt Buckle, which can be traded to non-blacksmiths and used to create a socket in level 60 or higher belts.