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Professions Guide

TBC Blacksmithing Leveling Guide 1–375

Updated 29 Apr 2026 Forum discussion

Blacksmithing is one of the most expensive but powerful crafting professions in TBC. It is mainly used for crafted weapons, plate armor, sharpening stones, weightstones, rods, and specialisation gear.

This guide gives you a practical 1-375 Blacksmithing route with clickable level ranges, rough craft counts, estimated materials, trainer breakpoints, specialisation notes, recipe links, and Wowhead-linked items for tooltips.

Quick Navigation

Important: material totals are estimates. Yellow and green recipes can take extra crafts, so keep a buffer instead of buying the exact minimum.

1. Why Level Blacksmithing in TBC?

Blacksmithing is mainly valuable because of crafted weapons, crafted plate, sharpening stones, weightstones, and specialisation paths.

Blacksmithing lets you craft:

  • One-handed and two-handed weapons
  • Plate armor
  • Sharpening stones and weightstones
  • Enchanting rods
  • Specialisation weapons and armor
  • Resistance pieces and situational gear
  • Strong early raid weapons for specific specs

Blacksmithing is strongest when the crafted weapon or armor is part of your actual gearing path. If you are not going to use the crafted items, it can become a very expensive profession for little gain.

2. Estimated Full Shopping List

This shopping list is based on the route below. Blacksmithing is expensive, so buy in stages if your Auction House prices are unstable.

Estimated stone materials:

Estimated Classic bars and ore:

Estimated Outland bars and materials:

Estimated extra materials:

Blacksmithing naturally pairs with Mining. If you buy every bar from the Auction House, this can become one of the most expensive professions to level.

3. Trainer Breakpoints

You need to train new Blacksmithing ranks as you level.

  • 1-75: Apprentice Blacksmithing
  • 75-150: Journeyman Blacksmithing
  • 150-225: Expert Blacksmithing
  • 225-300: Artisan Blacksmithing
  • 300-375: Master Blacksmithing

Master Blacksmithing trainers:

  • Alliance: Humphry in Honor Hold, Hellfire Peninsula
  • Horde: Rohok is not the Blacksmithing trainer — use your faction Blacksmithing trainer in Thrallmar / Hellfire Peninsula instead
  • Neutral: check Shattrath and Outland profession hubs if you are already in Outland

When you reach 300 Blacksmithing, train Master Blacksmithing before continuing into Outland recipes.

4. Important Plans and Recipes

Some efficient Blacksmithing routes rely on vendor plans, quest plans, or reputation plans. Get these before you hit the range where you need them.

Important plans and items:

Do not assume every plan is available on the Auction House. Some TBC vendor plans are Bind on Pickup, which means the Blacksmith needs to visit the vendor directly.

5. Leveling 1-75: Apprentice Blacksmithing

This first bracket is mostly stone-based. Keep grinding stones if the route uses them later.

1-30: Rough Sharpening Stone

Craft: Rough Sharpening Stone

Approx crafts: 30-40

Estimated materials:

30-65: Rough Grinding Stone

Craft: Rough Grinding Stone

Approx crafts: 50-70

Estimated materials:

Keep these. Rough Grinding Stones are used in some early crafts.

65-75: Coarse Sharpening Stone

Craft: Coarse Sharpening Stone

Approx crafts: 10-20

Estimated materials:

Train Journeyman Blacksmithing at 75.

6. Leveling 75-150: Journeyman Blacksmithing

This bracket moves into Coarse Stone, Bronze, Silver, and Heavy Stone.

75-90: Coarse Grinding Stone

Craft: Coarse Grinding Stone

Approx crafts: 30-40

Estimated materials:

Keep these. Coarse Grinding Stones are used in several Bronze crafts.

90-100: Runed Copper Belt

Craft: Runed Copper Belt

Approx crafts: 10-15

Estimated materials:

100-105: Silver Rod

Craft: Silver Rod

Approx crafts: 5

Estimated materials:

Silver Rods are used by Enchanters, so they may sell better than random filler crafts.

105-125: Rough Bronze Leggings

Craft: Rough Bronze Leggings

Approx crafts: 20-25

Estimated materials:

125-150: Heavy Grinding Stone

Craft: Heavy Grinding Stone

Approx crafts: 40-55

Estimated materials:

Keep these. Heavy Grinding Stones are useful in later Blacksmithing crafts.

Train Expert Blacksmithing at 150.

7. Leveling 150-225: Expert Blacksmithing

This section uses Gold, Iron, Steel, Heavy Grinding Stones, and Solid Stone.

150-155: Golden Rod

Craft: Golden Rod

Approx crafts: 5

Estimated materials:

155-165: Green Iron Leggings

Craft: Green Iron Leggings

Approx crafts: 10-15

Estimated materials:

165-185: Green Iron Bracers

Craft: Green Iron Bracers

Approx crafts: 20-25

Estimated materials:

185-200: Golden Scale Bracers

Craft: Golden Scale Bracers

Approx crafts: 15-20

Estimated materials:

200-210: Solid Grinding Stone

Craft: Solid Grinding Stone

Approx crafts: 30-45

Estimated materials:

Keep these. Solid Grinding Stones are used in later crafts.

210-215: Golden Scale Bracers

Craft: Golden Scale Bracers

Approx crafts: 5-8

Estimated materials:

215-225: Steel Plate Helm

Craft: Steel Plate Helm

Approx crafts: 10-15

Estimated materials:

Train Artisan Blacksmithing at 225.

8. Leveling 225-300: Artisan Blacksmithing

This is where Blacksmithing becomes expensive. Mithril and Thorium are major bottlenecks.

225-235: Steel Plate Helm

Craft: Steel Plate Helm

Approx crafts: 10-15

Estimated materials:

235-250: Mithril Coif

Craft: Mithril Coif

Approx crafts: 15-20

Estimated materials:

250-260: Dense Sharpening Stone

Craft: Dense Sharpening Stone

Approx crafts: 20-30

Estimated materials:

260-270: Thorium Bracers

Craft: Thorium Bracers

Approx crafts: 10-15

Estimated materials:

270-295: Imperial Plate Bracers

Craft: Imperial Plate Bracers

Plans: Plans: Imperial Plate Leggings and Thorium Brotherhood / Imperial Plate questline-related plans may be needed depending on route.

Approx crafts: 25-35

Estimated materials:

This Thorium stretch is one of the worst parts of Blacksmithing. Check alternatives if Thorium is overpriced.

295-300: Imperial Plate Boots or Thorium Boots

Craft options: Imperial Plate Boots or available Thorium alternatives.

Approx crafts: 5-10

Estimated materials:

At 300, stop and train Master Blacksmithing in Outland.

9. Leveling 300-375: Master Blacksmithing

This is the TBC section. Fel Iron and Adamantite are the main bottlenecks.

300-305: Fel Weightstone or Fel Sharpening Stone

Craft options: Fel Weightstone or Fel Sharpening Stone

Approx crafts: 5-10

Estimated materials:

305-315: Fel Iron Plate Belt

Craft: Fel Iron Plate Belt

Approx crafts: 10-15

Estimated materials:

315-320: Fel Iron Chain Gloves

Craft: Fel Iron Chain Gloves

Approx crafts: 5-8

Estimated materials:

320-325: Fel Iron Plate Boots

Craft: Fel Iron Plate Boots

Approx crafts: 5-8

Estimated materials:

325-330: Lesser Rune of Warding

Craft: Lesser Rune of Warding

Approx crafts: 10-20

Estimated materials:

This can be a cheap bridge if Fel Iron is reasonable on your server.

330-335: Fel Iron Breastplate or Fel Iron Chain Tunic

Craft options: Fel Iron Breastplate or Fel Iron Chain Tunic

Approx crafts: 5-8

Estimated materials:

335-340: Lesser Rune of Shielding

Craft: Greater Ward of Shielding

Approx crafts: 10-20

Estimated materials:

340-350: Adamantite Cleaver / Dagger / Maul / Rapier

Craft options:

Approx crafts: 10-15

Estimated materials:

  • Adamantite Bar x 120-180
  • Recipe-specific vendor materials or grinding stones as required

Use whichever Adamantite weapon plan is easiest and cheapest for your faction and server.

350-360: Adamantite Weightstone / Sharpening Stone

Craft options: Adamantite Weightstone or Adamantite Sharpening Stone

Approx crafts: 20-35

Estimated materials:

  • Adamantite Bar x 20-35
  • Recipe-specific cloth or vendor materials depending on selected craft

These can be useful raid consumables for physical players if your class can use them.

360-370: Adamantite Weapon or Specialisation Craft

Craft options: continue with Adamantite weapons, useful saleable crafts, or specialisation items depending on your plan.

Approx crafts: 10-15

Estimated materials:

  • Adamantite Bar x 120-180
  • Additional materials depending on chosen recipe

This range can be expensive. Do not craft random items if you have a specialisation path that needs specific materials soon.

370-375: High-End Adamantite / Khorium / Specialisation Crafts

Craft options: high-end Adamantite crafts, Khorium crafts, or specialisation recipes depending on access.

Approx crafts: 5-10

Estimated materials:

The last 5 points should ideally be spent on something useful, saleable, or part of your final gearing path.

10. Blacksmithing Specialisations

At 200 Blacksmithing and character level 40, you can choose between Armorsmithing and Weaponsmithing. Weaponsmithing later branches into Axesmith, Hammersmith, and Swordsmith.

Armorsmithing:

  • Best if you care about crafted plate armor
  • More relevant to plate tanks and some plate DPS setups
  • Can be useful, but is usually less iconic than TBC crafted weapon paths

Weaponsmithing:

  • Best if your spec benefits from crafted weapons
  • Branches into Axesmith, Hammersmith, or Swordsmith
  • Often the main reason Warriors, Ret Paladins, and Enhancement Shamans consider Blacksmithing

Weaponsmith branches:

Do not pick a specialisation blindly. Check your class, spec, phase, weapon skill, raid drops, and BiS path before spending the gold.

11. Useful Endgame Blacksmithing Crafts

Once you reach 375, Blacksmithing becomes valuable if the crafted item fits your character.

Hammersmith weapon path:

Swordsmith weapon path:

Fireguard weapon path:

Useful consumable-style crafts:

Blacksmithing is at its best when you are crafting something you will actually use for a meaningful period of time.

12. How EpicForge Helps

Blacksmithing is expensive, so you want to know whether the crafted item is actually worth it before you spend the gold.

Use EpicForge to:

  • Check whether a crafted Blacksmithing weapon is actually an upgrade
  • Compare crafted weapons against your BiS and wish list path
  • Review your current weapon, enchants, gems, and gear gaps
  • Use Raid Check to catch missing enchants, gems, and preparation issues
  • Use Raid Planner to organise your team before raid night
  • Track linked alts that can mine bars or support your Blacksmith

Blacksmithing can be powerful, but it can also waste a lot of gold. Check the character first, then commit to the craft.

13. Quick Leveling Summary

  • 1-30: Rough Sharpening Stone, approx 30-40 crafts
  • 30-65: Rough Grinding Stone, approx 50-70 crafts
  • 65-75: Coarse Sharpening Stone, approx 10-20 crafts
  • 75-90: Coarse Grinding Stone, approx 30-40 crafts
  • 90-100: Runed Copper Belt, approx 10-15 crafts
  • 100-105: Silver Rod, approx 5 crafts
  • 105-125: Rough Bronze Leggings, approx 20-25 crafts
  • 125-150: Heavy Grinding Stone, approx 40-55 crafts
  • 150-155: Golden Rod, approx 5 crafts
  • 155-165: Green Iron Leggings, approx 10-15 crafts
  • 165-185: Green Iron Bracers, approx 20-25 crafts
  • 185-200: Golden Scale Bracers, approx 15-20 crafts
  • 200-210: Solid Grinding Stone, approx 30-45 crafts
  • 210-215: Golden Scale Bracers, approx 5-8 crafts
  • 215-235: Steel Plate Helm, approx 20-30 crafts total
  • 235-250: Mithril Coif, approx 15-20 crafts
  • 250-260: Dense Sharpening Stone, approx 20-30 crafts
  • 260-270: Thorium Bracers, approx 10-15 crafts
  • 270-295: Imperial Plate Bracers, approx 25-35 crafts
  • 295-300: Imperial Plate Boots / Thorium alternatives, approx 5-10 crafts
  • 300-305: Fel Weightstone / Fel Sharpening Stone, approx 5-10 crafts
  • 305-315: Fel Iron Plate Belt, approx 10-15 crafts
  • 315-320: Fel Iron Chain Gloves, approx 5-8 crafts
  • 320-325: Fel Iron Plate Boots, approx 5-8 crafts
  • 325-330: Lesser Rune of Warding, approx 10-20 crafts
  • 330-335: Fel Iron Breastplate / Chain Tunic, approx 5-8 crafts
  • 335-340: Lesser Rune of Shielding, approx 10-20 crafts
  • 340-350: Adamantite weapon crafts, approx 10-15 crafts
  • 350-360: Adamantite Weightstone / Sharpening Stone, approx 20-35 crafts
  • 360-370: Adamantite weapon or specialisation crafts, approx 10-15 crafts
  • 370-375: High-end Adamantite / Khorium / specialisation crafts, approx 5-10 crafts

Why This Matters

Blacksmithing is not a profession you level casually unless you have a plan. It is expensive, material-heavy, and only shines when the crafted items actually support your class and spec.

For the right character, Blacksmithing can provide powerful weapon paths and meaningful raid upgrades. For the wrong character, it can be thousands of gold spent for very little return.

Level it with a plan, choose your specialisation carefully, and check your EpicForge character path before committing to expensive crafts.

References

FAQ

Quick Navigation Why Level Blacksmithing? Estimated Full Shopping List Trainer Breakpoints Important Plans and Recipes 1-75 Apprentice Blacksmithing 75-150 Journeyman Blacksmithing 150-225 Expert Blacksmithing 225-300 Artisan Blacksmithing 300-375 Master Blacksmithing Blacksmithing Specialisations Useful Endgame Crafts How EpicForge Helps Quick Leveling Summary Important: material totals are estimates. Yellow and green recipes can take extra crafts, so keep a buffer instead of buying the exact minimum. 1. Why Level Blacksmithing in TBC?

Blacksmithing is mainly valuable because of crafted weapons, crafted plate, sharpening stones, weightstones, and specialisation paths.