#0 - Feb. 16, 2010, 3:40 p.m.
I'm Dharock from Aggramar EU, Dwarf protection warrior since 4 years and happy Miner/Blacksmith from the start :) After seeing the other Guide i decided i would give it a go for a more informative yet simple guide, seeing how many players still ask for what professions is good for them, altho it won't help them if they don't search for help before posting :)
Professions have evolved a lot over the last 5 years, between the change in gaining skills, the change of items created, the introduction of specialisation and the drop of it. I do believe when you want a profession you might give a little thinking
What you expect from it, and i think we can sort them in 3 category, fun, gold, maxing stats. You might aswell consider the context in which you gonna use this professions, like while leveling, on a char you gonna keep at low level like twink 19,29, x9, 60, or 70, pve raid, pvp bg/arena, etc.
Each professions require some sort of investement which is either time to get mats, gold to buy mats, time/gold/luck to get recipes, knowing what kind of recipe/gear you want and where you get it.
You might aswell think of what you need for each professions, getting the needed tools (like pickaxe for mining, hammer for bs) or a big space saver tool like Gnomish army knife, and eventually a profession bag (and eventually which size you need).
Enough with the blocks of text and let's have a look at the different professions :
I Gathering professions
All gathering professions will require a lot of time and bagspace, can be annoying if you are 80 to go back lvl 1 area to get low level mats but with mounts and such it does still level pretty fast. Thoses professions usually get easier if you use an addon like Gatherer, Cartographer or others (google is your friend :).
The fun part of this 3 professions is depending on the player. I do like mining, found it easier than herbing (I'm playing a dwarf so it's in the blood), yet they are the same type (flying around looking for node/herbs). Skinning is different as you need to kill first before you can skin, or get lucky and follow somebody who kill and loot but don't skin :)
Mining is used to gather Ores and if lucky some Gems, Ores can be used to make bars for BS crafts or they can be prospected by JC for gems and dusts.
This profession will bring a passive buff named Toughness, there is 6 rank of it, each rank coming at 75 skill increase. Rank 6 at mining 450 require lvl 55 for the buff and increase stamina by 60. Due to the passive buff, Mining is usually used by Tanking class.
Herbalism is used to gather Herbs you can see on the ground using Herb detection. Herbs are mostly used by Alchemist to create potions/flask/elixirs or by inscriptions to be milled into pigments for inks.
This professions will bring you a spell named Lifebloom, 6 rank aswell, healing depending on AP/SP, each rank coming in at each 75 skill increase and latests ranks require a certain level aswell (55 for rank 6/450 skill). This spell is a self healing, can be ok i guess for party/raid but i wouldn't recomment it if you want the best raid profession :)
Skinning is the art of getting leather pieces from beasts and such you kill (or other kills and loot). Leathers are only used by Leatherworkers to make mail/leather armors.
Skinning provide a passive Crit rating buff "Master of Anatomy" +40 crit rating, usually liked for any dps class.
