WoW TBC Classic Blacksmithing

Blacksmithing in TBC Classic is the craft of combat power and heavy-armor identity. It’s especially attractive for Warriors and Paladins, still useful for many melee specs who want crafted weapons, and surprisingly profitable for players who learn to sell the right “boring” items (stones, spikes, warding items) at the right time.

At a high level, Blacksmithing gives you three kinds of value:

• Progression crafts: items that help you get raid-ready earlier (or fill unlucky loot gaps).
• Specialization-only epics: weapons or armor pieces that are locked behind Armorsmith/Weaponsmith and sometimes even restricted to that specialist for equipping.
• Evergreen sales: repeatable crafts that sell throughout the expansion (sharpening stones, weightstones, shield-style utility items, and niche upgrades).

If you love the idea of being “the guild smith,” Blacksmithing is one of the most satisfying professions in the entire TBC era—because your best crafts are memorable and your name gets remembered.

What Blacksmithing Can Make in TBC Classic

Blacksmithing’s catalog is wider than most players expect. You’re not just making plate helmets.

Weapons

• One-hand and two-hand weapons (swords, maces, axes) across leveling, pre-raid, and raid-era upgrades.
• Iconic specialization chains (Lionheart line, Stormherald line, Dragonstrike line).

Armor and shields

• Plate armor for tanks and melee.
• Some crafted pieces that remain valuable for a long time because they offer rare stat combos or fill hard-to-drop slots.

Consumables and utility

• Sharpening stones (for edged weapons) and weightstones (for blunt weapons).
• Warding and shield-style utility crafts used while leveling and sometimes bought in bulk.

Enchanter rods

• Blacksmiths create rods like Silver Rod and Golden Rod while leveling (and higher tiers later), which are frequently bought by enchanters.

The key is not to try to “do everything.” The strongest Blacksmithing players choose a lane: weapons, tank/plate pieces, or steady utility sales—and then build their material plan around it.

Practical Rules That Stop Blacksmithing From Ruining Your Gold

If you follow only one section on this page, make it this one. Blacksmithing is powerful, but it’s also one of the easiest ways to go broke.

Rule 1: Pair it with Mining unless you already have reliable income.

Blacksmithing consumes massive quantities of bars across multiple tiers. Mining doesn’t just save gold—it protects you from Auction House price spikes that happen right before raid nights and right after a new phase drops.

Rule 2: Decide your endgame target before you pick a specialization.

Specializations are not “flavor.” They decide what epics you can craft and, in many cases, what you can even equip.

Rule 3: Don’t rush 1–375 in the most expensive week of your server’s life.

When a new raid tier opens, everyone levels professions and buys mats. If you can, stockpile bars and stone before the hype window.

Rule 4: Always plan around bottleneck reagents.

In TBC Blacksmithing, the bottlenecks are often:

• Primal Nether (common in epic crafts and early high-end recipes)
• Nether Vortex (used for powerful upgrades tied to later progression)

When these are scarce, crafts become expensive and exclusive. When the market loosens, the profits shift toward volume sales and services.

Rule 5: “Skill-ups” are not automatically “losses.”

Choose leveling recipes that you can sell (stones, rods, or commonly used gear) so your path refunds part of the cost.

Rule 6: Your first gold goal is not epics—it’s flying and enchants.

Blacksmithing epics feel tempting, but if you delay mobility and basic gearing investments, you slow down everything else you do in Outland.

Rule 7: Become the player who sells what people forget to buy.

The “boring” products are often the most consistent:

• Stones
• Warding items
• Niche leveling gear that twinks and alts still buy

Training Blacksmithing in Outland (300–375)

To push beyond 300, you must learn Master Blacksmithing in Outland.

Common trainer locations used by most players:

• Horde: Rohok in Thrallmar (Hellfire Peninsula)
• Alliance: Humphry in Honor Hold (Hellfire Peninsula)

Once you have Master Blacksmithing, your leveling flow changes. Old-world bars stop being the main currency, and Outland bars take over:

• Fel Iron
• Adamantite
• Later, Eternium and Khorium become central to high-end crafts.

Armorsmithing vs Weaponsmithing: The Real Difference

At Blacksmithing skill 200 and character level 40, you can choose:

• Armorsmithing
• Weaponsmithing

This choice matters because many signature crafts are locked behind it, and some are specialist-only to equip.

Armorsmithing identity

Armorsmiths focus on powerful plate pieces and specialization chains that can become defining upgrades for certain builds, especially Paladin and Warrior paths that value specific stat profiles.

A famous Armorsmith chain includes:

• Bulwark of Kings
• Bulwark of the Ancient Kings (an upgraded final version, requiring higher-end raid reagents)

Both are examples of “specialist pride” crafts: you don’t just make them—you become known for them.

Weaponsmithing identity

Weaponsmiths craft some of the most memorable weapons in TBC Classic, and can later further specialize into:

• Swordsmithing
• Hammersmithing
• Axesmithing

At level 50 and Blacksmithing skill 250 (with Weaponsmithing already learned), you can learn one of these sub-specializations from trainers in Everlook (Winterspring):

• Axesmithing trainer: Kilram
• Hammersmithing trainer: Lilith the Lithe
• Swordsmithing trainer: Seril Scourgebane

This is where Blacksmithing becomes truly “build-defining,” because the weapons you can craft often shape both PvE progression and PvP identity.

Weaponsmith Sub-Specializations (Swordsmith, Hammersmith, Axesmith)

A simple way to pick a Weaponsmith path is to answer one question:

Do you want raid progression consistency, PvP pressure, or flexible market sales?

Swordsmithing

Swordsmithing is famous for the Lionheart line—high-profile two-hand swords that many players chase as milestones.

Lionheart chain (classic TBC identity)

• Lionheart Blade (base craft)
• Lionheart Champion (upgrade)
• Lionheart Executioner (final upgrade)

This chain is memorable because it ties your crafting progress to your character’s power curve. It also tends to be expensive because it involves high-end bars and primal-style reagents.

If you want a “signature swordsmith” identity that players recognize instantly, Swordsmithing delivers.

Hammersmithing

Hammersmithing is the path most associated with PvP legend status because of the Stormherald line.

Stormherald chain

• Thunder
• Deep Thunder
• Stormherald (final upgrade)

Deep Thunder and Stormherald are well-known for their built-in stun-style proc potential and for how they can amplify certain PvP play patterns—especially for Warriors who already benefit heavily from mace synergies.

Hammersmithing is also tied to the Dragonmaw line:

• Dragonmaw
• Dragonstrike (upgrade requiring higher-end raid reagents)

If you want a crafting path that screams “arena menace” and still has strong PvE relevance depending on your tier and weapon access, Hammersmithing is the classic choice.

Axesmithing

Axesmithing tends to appeal to players who prefer axes for aesthetic identity, certain loot path overlaps, or niche market demand. Like the other sub-specs, it can produce powerful crafted weapons, but its popularity often depends on your server’s meta and what weapons are easiest to acquire early.

A practical advantage of Axesmithing is that fewer players sometimes choose it—meaning if you get key plans, you can become “the axe smith” on your realm and charge for services or control a small market segment.

Specialization-Only Crafts and Why Some Are Worth the Commitment

Blacksmithing in TBC Classic is full of items that are valuable not only because of their stats, but because of their availability.

Here are examples of what “specialization value” looks like in practice:

Weapons that require a specialist to craft (and sometimes to equip)

• Stormherald is tied to Hammersmithing and requires high-end reagents for the final upgrade step.
• Lionheart Executioner is part of the swordsmith identity and uses raid-tier reagents for its final form.

Armor that requires Armorsmithing (and is specialist-only in spirit)

• Bulwark of Kings and Bulwark of the Ancient Kings are iconic Armorsmith pieces that act like “profession milestones.”

The lesson: Blacksmithing rewards players who commit and become known for a craft line. If you try to treat it like a casual side profession, it can feel expensive without giving you that “wow” moment.

Sharpening Stones and Weightstones: Small Items, Big Profit

Many players underestimate how profitable stones can be because they’re cheap per unit. But the key is volume.

A standout example in TBC Classic:

• Adamantite Sharpening Stone: increases sharp weapon damage by 12 and adds 14 melee critical strike rating for 1 hour.

That single item tells you the whole story:

• It’s a measurable combat benefit.
• It’s cheap enough that players buy it casually.
• It’s repeatable demand because it’s a temporary enhancement.

If you want consistent gold without gambling on rare plan drops, stones are one of the best “steady seller” lanes Blacksmithing has.

TBC Classic Blacksmithing Leveling 1–375 (Practical Roadmap)

This roadmap is designed to be:

• Fast
• Material-efficient
• Flexible if your server’s bar prices are weird

Important note: exact craft counts can vary slightly because some recipes turn yellow/green and you won’t get a skill point every craft. Treat the numbers as strong estimates, not unbreakable laws.

1–75: Stones and early momentum

• 1–30: Rough Sharpening Stone (about 40)
• 30–65: Rough Grinding Stone (about 55)
• 65–75: Coarse Sharpening Stone (about 25)

Why this works: stones are cheap, fast, and you can often sell leftovers to other players leveling.

75–125: Early belts and rods

• 75–90: Coarse Grinding Stone (about 35)
• 90–100: Runed Copper Belt (about 10)
• 100–105: Silver Rod (about 5)
• 105–110: Runed Copper Belt (about 5)
• 110–125: Rough Bronze Leggings (about 15)

This stage is where you start producing items that some players might actually wear on fresh characters.

125–200: Iron, steel, and “save your stones” logic

• 125–140: Heavy Grinding Stone (about 35)
• 140–150: Patterned Bronze Bracers (about 10)
• 150–155: Golden Rod (about 5)
• 155–165: Green Iron Leggings (about 10)
• 165–190: Green Iron Bracers (about 25)
• 190–200: Golden Scale Bracers (about 10)

Practical tip: this is where players often waste gold on the wrong bars. If Iron spikes, pivot your path slightly instead of forcing it.

200–300: Artisan stretch (where planning matters)

At this point you can choose to specialize at skill 200 and level 40, but you don’t need specialization just to keep leveling.

A common efficient route:

• 200–210: Solid Grinding Stone (about 30)
• 210–225: Heavy Mithril Gauntlet (about 15)
• 225–235: Steel Plate Helm (about 10)
• 235–250: Mithril Spurs (about 15)
• Alternative if you can’t get spurs: Mithril Coif route
• 250–260: Dense Sharpening Stone (about 20)
• 260–270: More Mithril Spurs (about 20) or alternate thorium-based recipes depending on what’s cheapest
• 270–295: Imperial Plate Bracers (about 28)
• 295–300: Imperial Plate Boots (about 5)

This bracket is where Blacksmithing starts to feel “heavy,” because bar requirements become huge. If you’re not Mining, you’ll feel it.

300–360: Outland core path

Once you train Master Blacksmithing in Hellfire Peninsula:

• 300–305: Fel Weightstone (about 7; you may need a few extra)
• 305–316: Fel Iron Plate Belt (about 11)
• 316–321: Fel Iron Chain Gloves (about 5)
• 321–325: Fel Iron Plate Boots (about 4)
• 325–335: Lesser Rune of Warding (around 45; can vary)
• 335–340: Fel Iron Chain Tunic (around 7; can vary)
• 340–350: Lesser Ward of Shielding (around 45; recipe is limited supply on some vendors)
• 350–360: Adamantite Weightstone (around 45; requires materials plus Netherweave Cloth)

This is the part where you should start thinking like a business:

• can you sell the stones?
• can you sell any belts/gloves/boots to leveling plate classes?
• can you stockpile and list at peak demand?

360–375: Choose one of the proven finishing routes

This is where most players get stuck because recipes are gated by reputation or drops. The good news: you have multiple viable routes.

Route A (Scryers reputation): Enchanted Adamantite Belt

• Requires Friendly with The Scryers
• Typically crafted around the high 360s through 375
• Uses Hardened Adamantite-style materials plus enchanting mats (meaning you either buy them or have Enchanting support)

This route is often chosen because it’s accessible if you’re already Scryers and want a predictable finish.

Route B (Dungeon drop): Felsteel Gloves

• Plan drops from Auchenai Monks inside Auchenai Crypts (normal mode included)
• Felsteel Gloves are a common finishing craft because Felsteel remains relevant and the plan is farmable.

If you want a “grindable, controllable” solution instead of rep planning, this route is popular.

Route C (Open world drop): Khorium Belt

• Plan drops from Murkblood Raiders in Nagrand
• Material cost can be high, but it avoids faction alignment issues.

Route D (Aldor reputation): Flamebane path

• Requires Honored with The Aldor
• Flamebane crafts can be expensive early, because primals are often in high demand for other endgame crafts.

If you’re already Aldor and don’t want to switch, this becomes your cleanest rep-based finish.

Material Planning: What You’ll Need the Most (And When)

Blacksmithing materials come in “waves.” Knowing the waves saves you gold.

Wave 1: Stone (1–100-ish)

• Rough, Coarse, Heavy, Solid, Dense stone variants
• Buy when cheap, store in a bank tab, and you’ll thank yourself later

Wave 2: Copper → Bronze → Iron (90–200-ish)

• Early bars fluctuate heavily during leveling surges
• If you see cheap ore on off-hours, stockpile

Wave 3: Mithril → Thorium (200–300)

• This is the “wallet killer” tier if you’re not Mining
• Plan ahead and avoid buying during peak weekend prices

Wave 4: Fel Iron → Adamantite → specialty bars (300–375)

• Fel Iron and Adamantite are the daily bread
• Eternium and Khorium become the premium currency of high-end crafts
• Specialty bars (like hardened variants) become relevant when you chase certain recipes or finishing routes

Best Profession Pairings With Blacksmithing

If you want Blacksmithing to feel smooth, your second profession should reduce its pain.

Mining + Blacksmithing (best overall)

• Self-fund bars
• Control your leveling pace
• Build a запас (buffer) of ore before pushing expensive brackets

Blacksmithing + Enchanting (for market players)

• You can profit by converting drops into enchanting mats while crafting and selling
• More complex, more profitable if you like playing the economy
• Harder to afford early without an alt gatherer

Blacksmithing + Engineering (fun, but expensive)

• Amazing for players who want maximum “craft identity”
• Usually requires a gatherer alt unless you enjoy farming a lot

For most players, Mining is the correct answer unless you already have a gold engine.

Endgame Blacksmithing Targets Worth Knowing

You do not need to chase every plan. You need a few “anchor crafts” that define your endgame value.

Weapon milestone crafts

• Lionheart chain (Swordsmith identity)
• Stormherald chain (Hammersmith identity)
• Dragonstrike (Hammersmith upgrade identity)

These crafts tend to be expensive, but they also tend to be the reason players commit to Weaponsmithing in the first place.

High-demand armor crafts from raids (phase-gated)

Some premium Blacksmithing plans become available as raid drops in later tiers. Examples frequently associated with Phase 2 raid content include:

• Red Belt of Battle (DPS waist)
• Belt of the Guardian (tank-focused waist, often associated with Paladin tanking needs)
• Boots of the Protector (tank boots)
• Red Havoc Boots (tank boots often discussed in Warrior tank contexts)

These kinds of items are where Blacksmithing turns into a “service profession”: guilds want the crafts, and you become the crafter they message first.

World-drop and dungeon-drop plans that sell well

Examples players commonly chase because of demand:

• Black Felsteel Bracers
• Bracers of the Green Fortress
• Blessed Bracers
• Oathkeeper’s Helm
• Felsteel Helm (plan linked to dungeon mob drops)

The important strategy is not “collect all plans.” It’s:

• pick 2–4 that your realm buys frequently
• build your material pipeline
• become consistent

Gold-Making With Blacksmithing: Methods That Actually Work

Blacksmithing gold comes from three different playstyles. Pick the one that matches your time and patience.

Method 1: Volume utility seller (low effort, steady profit)

What you sell:

• Sharpening stones
• Weightstones
• Warding/shield utility crafts

Why it works:

• Players buy these in bulk
• Demand returns every week
• Your competition often gets bored and stops listing

How to win:

• Craft in batches
• List at peak times (right before raid nights)
• Keep stack sizes convenient (players love “ready stacks”)

Method 2: “Plan owner” crafter (high value, lower volume)

What you sell:

• Crafts that require rare plans or specialization
• Raid-drop pattern crafts
• High-profile weapons or armor upgrades

Why it works:

• Fewer competitors
• Customers come to you
• Tips and service fees become part of your income

How to win:

• Build a reputation (literally: in trade chat and guild circles)
• Respond fast when people need a craft
• Keep a small reserve of hard-to-find materials so you can craft immediately

Method 3: Phase timing trader (best for market-minded players)

What you do:

• Stockpile bars and key reagents before a phase hits
• Craft and sell when demand spikes
• Pivot quickly when the market shifts

Why it works:

• TBC phases create predictable purchasing behavior
• New raid tiers mean new gearing and enchant spending
• Players pay extra when they’re rushing

How to win:

• Don’t guess—watch your realm’s patterns
• Buy when supply is high and hype is low
• Sell when hype is high and supply is strained

Phase-by-Phase Demand: What Sells When

Blacksmithing is one of the most “phase-reactive” professions in TBC Classic.

Early TBC (fresh 60–70 and pre-raid gearing)

High demand for:

• Leveling gear upgrades
• Stones and utility items
• Early crafted weapons for unlucky loot paths

Your best move:

• Be the person selling “ready-to-go” utility
• Start building toward your specialization identity

Kara/early raids era

High demand for:

• Consumable utility (stones)
• Crafted slot fillers that help people reach stat caps
• Reputation-gated recipes once more players unlock them

Your best move:

• Offer crafting services
• Keep a reliable stock of commonly requested crafts

Phase 2 and beyond (higher raids, more patterns)

High demand for:

• Raid-drop plan crafts (belts/boots/bracers-type upgrades)
• Weapon upgrade chains that use high-end reagents
• Specialization pieces that stay relevant deep into later tiers

Your best move:

• Become a known crafter for a specific craft family
• If you can’t be first, be consistent and easy to work with

Who Should Choose Blacksmithing (By Class and Goal)

Blacksmithing isn’t only for plate wearers—but it’s strongest when your class benefits directly from crafted weapon/plate options.

Warrior

• Great match for Weaponsmithing paths, especially if you care about PvP identity or reliable weapon progression.
• Also strong for tanks who want crafted plate solutions and service access.

Paladin

• Armorsmithing identity is attractive for certain tank-focused craft lines.
• Blacksmithing also fits Paladin fantasy perfectly and can support pre-raid gearing.

Shaman / Hunter / Rogue

• Less “default,” but can be worth it if you want specific crafted weapons or you play the market and sell to the plate-heavy population.

Gold-first players

• Blacksmithing can make gold, but it’s not the easiest gold profession unless you embrace stones/utility volume or you secure valuable plans.
• If you want effortless gold, Mining + something else may feel smoother early.

BoostRoom: Make Blacksmithing Powerful Without the Burnout

Blacksmithing is one of the most rewarding professions in TBC Classic—after you clear the hardest parts:

• the expensive 200–300 stretch
• the Outland recipe gates
• the specialization choices that are easy to regret
• the reputation or dungeon drop requirements for the best finishing routes and key crafts

That’s exactly where BoostRoom helps. If your goal is to use Blacksmithing (weapons, armor milestones, raid-demand crafts) instead of spending weeks stuck in farming loops, BoostRoom can support you with:

• efficient progression planning (so you don’t waste bars on dead-end crafts)
• specialization-ready prep (so you hit the right requirements at the right time)
• dungeon/reputation guidance and support for plan unlocks
• material-efficiency strategies that reduce the “Blacksmithing tax” on your gold

If you want to show up in raids and arenas with the crafts that matter—without turning the profession into a second job—BoostRoom is the shortcut that keeps the game fun.

FAQ

Is Blacksmithing worth it in WoW TBC Classic?

Yes—if you want crafted weapon/plate milestones, specialization identity, or consistent utility sales. It’s especially worth it for players who like long-term progression and being a service crafter for friends and guildmates.

Should I take Mining with Blacksmithing?

Most players should. Mining massively lowers your cost and protects you from price spikes, especially in the 200–300 and 300–375 ranges.

When can I choose Armorsmithing or Weaponsmithing?

At Blacksmithing 200 and level 40, you can choose either specialization.

When can I become a Swordsmith, Hammersmith, or Axesmith?

After you become a Weaponsmith, you can learn a sub-specialization at level 50 and Blacksmithing 250, from trainers in Everlook (Winterspring).

What’s the easiest way to finish 360–375?

It depends on your character’s faction alignment and your patience. Many players finish with:

• Scryers reputation recipes if they’re Scryers,
• or Felsteel Gloves if they want a farmable dungeon-drop plan,
• or Aldor recipes if they’re already committed to Aldor.

Do stones really sell, or is that outdated advice?

They sell—because they’re convenient, measurable power and people buy in bulk for raid nights and steady play. The trick is batching and listing at the right times.

Is Weaponsmithing mostly for PvP?

It’s great for PvP, but it’s not only PvP. Crafted weapon chains can also be important for PvE progression—especially when raid drops aren’t cooperating.

Can I switch specializations later?

Yes, but it costs time and gold, and you may lose momentum on specialization-only crafts. It’s best to pick based on your real goal (weapon identity vs armor identity).