To level Blacksmithing in World of Warcraft: Forever, mine or buy ore and stone, smelt it into bars, and forge the cheapest stone or piece of gear that still gives skill at an anvil, training Journeyman at 50 skill, Expert at 125 and Artisan at 200. Keep a Blacksmith Hammer in your bags the whole way, and plan a trip to Booty Bay: Brikk Keencraft there is the only Artisan Blacksmithing trainer.
Blacksmithing uses more bars than almost any other profession, so it pairs naturally with Mining. Below are the trainers, a route through each skill band, the materials to save, and the Forever extras for smiths. Blizzard has not published Forever’s skill-up colors, so the switch points are approximate: the Professions window (K) shows whether a craft will still raise your skill.
How Blacksmithing Leveling Works in WoW Forever
Blacksmithing runs from 1 to 300 through Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert and Artisan, and each rank caps your skill until you train the next. Blizzard’s Legacy system overview pays a Legacy Point at 150, 225 and 300 skill in each crafting profession, once per account.
You need two tools: a Blacksmith Hammer in your bags, sold by Trade Supplies and Blacksmithing Supplies vendors, and an anvil to stand at, found at every forge in towns and capitals. Materials follow the metal tiers:
| Skill band | Main bars | Main stone |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to about 100 | Copper | Rough and Coarse Stone |
| About 95 to 150 | Bronze (Copper plus Tin), Silver | Coarse and Heavy Stone |
| About 150 to 200 | Iron, Steel, Gold | Heavy and Solid Stone |
| About 185 to 240 | Mithril, Truesilver | Solid and Dense Stone |
| About 240 to 300 | Thorium | Dense Stone |
Forever also adds Blueprint recipes that drop from dungeon bosses, and Blizzard’s development notes added a batch of Blacksmithing and Leatherworking recipes as random dungeon drops during the beta. Grab any plan that drops: it may be a cheaper skill-up than the route below.
Blacksmithing Trainers for Every Rank
| Rank | Skill range | Requirement | Where to train |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | 1 to 75 | A free primary slot | Blacksmithing trainers in starting areas and capitals, including Zephras Isle. Night elves have none in Teldrassil; the nearest is in Auberdine, Darkshore |
| Journeyman | Up to 150 | 50 skill, level 10 | Stormwind (Therum Deepforge), Ironforge (Rotgath Stonebeard), Orgrimmar (Snarl), Undercity (James Van Brunt), Thunder Bluff (Karn Stonehoof) |
| Expert | Up to 225 | 125 skill, level 20 | Alliance: Bengus Deepforge in Ironforge. Horde: Saru Steelfury in Orgrimmar |
| Artisan | Up to 300 | 200 skill, level 35 | Brikk Keencraft in Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale (both factions) |
These are the original game’s trainers, and Blizzard has not announced any moves.
Blacksmithing Leveling Route
The route uses the original game’s plans, which are in Forever. Blizzard has not announced changes to them, but Forever adds more than 600 recipes across professions, so if a cheaper plan shows orange in your window, forge it.
Apprentice: 1 to 75
- Rough Sharpening Stone (1 to about 25). One Rough Stone each.
- Rough Grinding Stone (about 25 to 50). Two Rough Stone each. Keep some for the gauntlets.
- Train Journeyman at 50.
- Coarse Grinding Stone (about 50 to 65). Coarse Stone. Keep them for later bracers.
- Runed Copper Gauntlets (about 65 to 75). Copper Bars and Rough Grinding Stones.
Journeyman: 75 to 150
- Runed Copper Belt (about 75 to 95). Copper Bars only, which makes this the simplest stretch if you mined a lot of Copper.
- Patterned Bronze Bracers (about 95 to 100). Bronze Bars and Coarse Grinding Stones.
- Heavy Grinding Stone (about 100 to 112). Heavy Stone. Keep some for the Golden Scale Bracers later.
- Patterned Bronze Bracers again (about 112 to 125).
- Train Expert at 125.
- Bronze Shortsword, then Bronze Warhammer (about 125 to 150). Bronze Bars, Weak or Strong Flux from the supply vendor, and Medium Leather for the grips.
Expert: 150 to 225
- Bronze Warhammer (to about 170).
- Green Iron Bracers (about 170 to 175). Iron Bars and Green Dye.
- Golden Scale Bracers (about 175 to 185). Steel Bars and Heavy Grinding Stones. Steel is smelted from Iron Bars and Coal.
- Steel Breastplate (about 185 to 200), then Steel Plate Helm (about 200 to 215). Steel Bars plus Heavy and Solid Grinding Stones. If Mithril is cheaper than Steel on your ruleset, use Mithril recipes here instead.
- Heavy Mithril Breastplate (about 215 to 225). Mithril Bars.
Artisan: 225 to 300
From here the route follows the original game’s Artisan path. Blizzard has not published Forever’s skill requirements for these plans, so check each one in your window before you buy Thorium in bulk.
- Learn Artisan from Brikk Keencraft in Booty Bay (200 skill, level 35).
- Dense Sharpening Stone (about 225 to 230). One Dense Stone each, and rogues and warriors will buy them.
- Heavy Mithril Boots (about 230 to 240). Mithril Bars and Thick Leather.
- The Imperial Plate set (about 240 to 300). Belt, Bracers, Boots and Leggings, mostly Thorium Bars, with gems for some pieces. The plans come from quests given by Derotain Mudsipper in Tanaris, which ask for Thorium Bars. Thorium is the expensive part of the whole route, so mine it yourself if you can.
Tips for Leveling Blacksmithing
- Level Mining with it. Every step uses bars or stone, and smelting your own ore saves gold at every band. The Legacy perk Bountiful Harvest adds extra Scarce resources when you mine.
- Forge for enchanters. Enchanters turn Silver, Golden, Truesilver and Arcanite Rods that blacksmiths make into their runed rods, so they are steady customers. Our Enchanting leveling guide shows when they need each one.
- Put out a Sharpening Wheel at 20. Blacksmithing’s first camp feature is a Strength buff for nearby players that does not stack with Strength of Earth Totem, per Blizzard’s camping post. Our camping guide explains the rest.
- Use your spare bars for Merchant’s Favor. Waylaid Crates take profession materials and pay a currency that buys new recipes; our Merchant’s Favor guide covers it.
- Take Working Overtime. This Legacy perk raises your chance of a skill-up in every tradeskill; see our Legacy Points guide.
Blacksmithing is our pick for Warriors and Paladins; our best professions for each class guide explains why, and our weapon skills guide shows where to learn the weapons you forge. Every Forever guide we have is on our World of Warcraft hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you learn Artisan Blacksmithing in WoW Forever? From Brikk Keencraft in Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale. He trains both factions and needs 200 skill and level 35.
Do you need a Blacksmith Hammer? Yes. Keep one in your bags; Trade Supplies and Blacksmithing Supplies vendors sell it.
Do you need Mining for Blacksmithing? No, but it saves the most gold, since every step uses bars or stone.
Where can you find an anvil? At the forges in towns and capitals, usually right beside the Blacksmithing trainer.
What is the max Blacksmithing skill in WoW Forever? 300, at Artisan rank.
Does Blacksmithing give Legacy Points? Yes, at 150, 225 and 300 skill, once per account.