Blacksmithing

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 2.3 all blacksmithing trainers teach up to Artisan level blacksmithing. 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.

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 in each of the 4 arrival ports in Northrend.

Blacksmithing Specialization

At skill level 200 and character level 40, Blacksmiths can choose to specialize as an Armorsmith or a Weaponsmith. Weaponsmiths can later further specialize into hammer, axe or swordsmiths. Many of the most powerful weapons and armor created by these specialists can only be wielded by other weaponsmiths/armorsmiths or by the smith who made the item.

Becoming an Armorsmith or Weaponsmith

Becoming an Artisan Armorsmith gives you access to a number of new, powerful armor recipes. Specializing in Artisan Weaponsmithing grants access to devastating weapons not normally available. Base prerequisites are character level 40 and a blacksmithing skill of 200. Choosing to specialize as an armorsmith will preclude you from specializing in weaponsmithing and vice versa. Horde players must first speak with Krathok Moltenfist, to start the quest chain for becoming an Armorsmith or a Weaponsmith while Alliance players must speak with Myolor Sunderfury to start the Alliance versions of the same quests. Theye will both direct you to the appropriate quest giver behind them.

• Armorsmithing
• Weaponsmithing
  • If you wish to specialize even further in Weaponsmithing, you can become an Axesmith, Hammersmith, or a Swordsmith. You must be level 50 with a blacksmithing skill level of 250 with the Weaponsmithing specialty. The subspecialties are taught by trainers in Everlook, Winterspring. There is no cost to learn a Weaponsmithing subspeciality and it does not require a quest. The three trainers are:
    • Axesmithing - Kilram
    • Hammersmithing - Lilith the Lithe
    • Swordsmithing - Seril Scourgebane

Changing Specialties

Blacksmithing specialties can be changed at the trainers for a cost. The cost depends on the specialty you wish to drop and the character's level. Once you drop a specialty, you can then choose a new specialty for no cost. Each specialty can only be dropped at the trainer that originally taught it. In order to switch from a Weaponsmithing subspecialty (Axesmithing for example) to Armorsmithing, you must first drop the Weaponsmithing subspecialty (should you have chosen one), then drop the Weaponsmithing specialty before you can learn Armorsmithing. Once you have earned either the Armorsmithing or Weaponsmithing specialty, you do not need to complete the quest line for the other specialty if you wish to switch. The specialty will be given at no cost.

Specialty	Trainer	Cost to Drop
Armorsmithing	Grumnus Steelshaper Okothos Ironrager	Level 40 - 50: 25 Level 51 - 65: 50 Level 66 - 70: 100
Weaponsmithing	Ironus Coldsteel Borgosh Corebender	Level 40 - 65: 5 Level 66 - 70: 10
Axesmithing Hammersmithing Swordsmithing	Kilram Lilith the Lithe Seril Scourgebane	Level 40 - 50: 25 Level 51 - 65: 50 Level 66 - 70: 100

Specialization benefits

Since the release of The Burning Crusade, you are now able to learn any of the weapon subspecializations, by talking to one of the appropriate three masters in Everlook, and asking them to teach you (though you must still have completed the weaponsmithing quest, as above). The quests, however, still rewards the same plans. These abilities can be unlearned for 100 and another weapon subspecialization can be learned in their place.

Specialization-exclusive bind on pickup items

Blacksmithing exclusive BoP items

Socketing

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

• [Socket Bracer]
• [Socket Gloves]

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.

See also

• Guide to obtaining every blacksmithing recipe
• Powerlevel Blacksmithing
• Economical blacksmithing training
• Guide to making money

External links

For leveling guides please visit Tradeskill leveling guides

World of Warcraft Community Site 

Professions Forum Willhelm's Blacksmithing Guides

Wowhead 

AHseller.com Discover most profitable Blacksmithing recipes. Online database for making gold.

Crafter's Tome