Blacksmithing: Forge Your Niche

Please note that this guide will be an ongoing project – my blacksmithing tank only hit level 40 at the time of writing, and so has not yet been introduced to subsequent blacksmithing groups.

Blacksmithing is one of the most resource-heavy professions available, but it also lends very obvious benefits to those classes who can wear mail and plate gear, or can wield swords, maces and axes. Smiths who turn 40 and possess a skill of greater than 200 will want to seek the specialists out in Orgrimmar’s Valley of Honour, for they’re about to embark on a many-branched discipline.

How Do I Start?

Blacksmiths work from level 5 on a pretty standard footing, but at 40 they can branch out into armoursmithing and weaponsmithing. At level 50, weaponsmiths can specialise even further, into swordsmithing, hammersmithing or axesmithing, all of which will be covered in a subsequent guide.

It’s worth noting that while specialising takes place through quest chains, blacksmiths working the standard path from Journeyman to Grand Master will find a number of other quests dedicated to particular sets of armour. More information on these sorts of quests will appear in a later guide. For now we’ll focus on the specialist disciplines, which are not compulsory but do open up some exciting new gear.

Level 40 offers two quest chains to further expand your trade:

• One of them is an armour-related chain, available to any blacksmith but of particular necessity to armoursmiths. This may still be worthwhile for any aspiring weaponsmiths wishing to gain some improved armour.
• The other quests is the start of a chain in which you make the final choice between weapon or armour disciplines, conducted by Krathok Moltenfist in Orgrimmar. We’ll come to that chain in a while.

Non-Commital Armoursmithing

We’ll start with the more generic quest chain, as while it’s of no immediate benefit to weaponsmiths it does open a new faction and set of plans to keen armoursmiths. Those wishing to train in armoursmithing will be asked to produce wares from this quest chain.

Work begins when you speak to Aturk the Anvil, found at the smithy in the back of Orgrimmar. His first task sees you making four Steel Plate Helms and four Steel Breastplates, both of which are plans taught by standard blacksmithing trainers.

4 Steel Plate Helms:

• 56x Steel Bar
  • 56x Iron Bar & 56x Coal (vendor-bought)
• 4x Citrine
• 4x Solid Grinding Stone
  • 16x Solid Stone

4 Steel Breastplates:

• 64x Steel Bar
  • 64x Iron Bar & 64x Coal
• 12x Solid Grinding Stone
  • 48x Solid Stone

He’s a hard orc to please, though. Thankfully Ox is on hand with a much more sympathetic and encouraging attitude. Speak to him after these wares have been handed in and you begin an induction to the Mithril Order – an enthusiastic band of blacksmiths whose only concern is that mysterious, silvery metal.

Ox starts you off on Booty Bay or Bust!, a simple ‘report-to’ quest for McGavan in Booty Bay. McGavan is to be found at the forge, on the upper platforms near the harbour’s exit to Stranglethorn Vale. He will redirect you to Galvan the Ancient in the Stranglethorn jungle.

Galvan sits in the heart of Venture Company, Mosh’ogg ogre and Shadowmaw panther territory, due East of Grom’Gol Base Camp. If you’re intending to complete Mok’thardin’s Enchantment (Grom’Gol), Panther Mastery (Nesingwary Expedition) or Hostile Takeover (Booty Bay) at any point, it would be beneficial to start them here.

The Mithril Order: Stranglethorn Vale

Galvan’s three requests are whoppers – expect to farm a lot of Mithril or else spend a lot in the Auction House. Each quest rewards you with a plan from the Ornate Mithril scheme, of greatest benefit to a damage warrior or Retribution paladin as they focus on damage and dodge rating rather than stamina.

Blacksmiths following this quest will earn 3 plans from Galvan, which you’ll need to learn and craft in order to earn the rest of the set. This is of particular importance to armoursmiths, who will need the latter 3 plans before the time of their initiation.

Galvan’s quests, which ask only for raw metal supplies, are as follows:

Smelt On, Smelt Off:

• 40x Iron Bar
• 40x Mithril Bar

This quest rewards you with plans for Ornate Mithril Pants.

The Great Silver Deceiver:

• 40x Mithril Bar
• 5x Truesilver Bar

It’s worth noting that a suitably-skilled alchemist can transmute one bar of Mithril into an equivalent in Truesilver, once every 20 hours. Given the relative scarcity of Truesilver veins even in level 50 zones, this may be a much more desirable option than trying to mine it yourself.

The quest rewards you with plans for Ornate Mithril Gloves.

The Art of the Imbue:

• 40x Mithril Bar
• 4x Citrine

This quest rewards you with plans for the Ornate Mithril Shoulder.

Complete all these inventory demands and Galvan will give you a weapon-summoning trinket and will induct you to the Order in Expert Blacksmith!.

The Mithril Order: Tanaris

The chain resumes in Tanaris, with Trenton Lighthammer of Gadgetzan your next contact for the Order. Just as in Booty Bay you will find him working at the forge, which is found to the south of this goblin trading post.

His quests, which ask for finished pieces rather than raw materials, are as follows:

The World at Your Feet:

• 2x Heavy Mithril Boots
  • 28x Mithril Bar
  • 8x Thick Leather
• 1x Ornate Mithril Pants (from Smelt On, Smelt Off)
  • 12x Mithril Bar
  • 1x Truesilver Bar
  • 1x Solid Grinding Stone (4x Solid Stone)

This quest rewards you with plans for Ornate Mithril Boots.

The Mithril Kid:

• 2x Heavy Mithril Breastplate
  • 32x Mithril Bar
• 1x Ornate Mithril Gloves (from The Great Silver Deceiver)
  • 10x Mithril Bar
  • 6x Mageweave Cloth
  • 1x Truesilver Bar
  • 1x Solid Grinding Stone (4x Solid Stone)

The quest rewards you with plans for the Ornate Mithril Breastplate.

A Good Head on Your Shoulders:

• 2x Mithril Coif
  • 20x Mithril Bar
  • 12x Mageweave Cloth
• 1x Ornate Mithril Shoulder (from The Art of the Imbue)
  • 12x Mithril Bar
  • 1x Truesilver Bar
  • 6x Thick Leather

This quest rewards you with plans for the Ornate Mithril Helm.

Complete these three demands and you’ll be granted another trinket. You are now ready to return to Orgrimmar and speak to Okothos Ironrager, who starts the established armoursmithing chain.

How Do I Commit to Armour or Weaponsmithing?

As mentioned before, all blacksmiths who wish to specialise in armour or weaponsmithing must speak to Krathok Moltenfist at Orgrimmar’s smithy once they’ve passed blacksmithing 225. Armoursmiths will be asked for works from the Mithril Order chain, so while they can accept this quest at any time they will only be able to hand it in after work for Galvan the Ancient and Trenton Lighthammer.

Choose your discipline and Krathok will summon one of his fellow smiths. The quests they offer ask for samples of your metalwork as follows:

The Way of the Armoursmith:

• 4x Ornate Mithril Helm
  • 64x Mithril Bar
  • 8x Truesilver Bar
  • 4x Solid Grinding Stone (16x Solid Stone)
• 2x Ornate Mithril Boots
  • 28x Mithril Bar
  • 4x Truesilver Bar
  • 8x Thick Leather
  • 2x Solid Grinding Stone (8x Solid Stone)
  • 2x Aquamarine
• 1x Ornate Mithril Breastplate
  • 16x Mithril Bar
  • 6x Truesilver Bar
  • 1x Heart of Fire
  • 1x Solid Grinding Stone (4x Solid Stone)

The Way of the Weaponsmith:

• 4x Moonsteel Broadsword
  
  • 32x Mithril Bar
  • 8x Strong Flux (vendor-bought)
  • 8x Heavy Grinding Stone (24x Heavy Stone)
  • 12x Lesser Moonstone
  • 12x Heavy Leather
• 4x Massive Iron Axe
  • 56x Iron Bar
  • 8x Strong Flux
  • 8x Heavy Grinding Stone (24x Heavy Stone)
  • 16x Gold Bar
  • 8x Heavy Leather
• 2x Heavy Mithril Axe
  • 24x Mithril Bar
  • 4x Citrine
  • 2x Solid Grinding Stone (8x Solid Stone)
  • 8x Heavy Leather

• 2x Big Black Mace
  • 32x Mithril Bar
  • 2x Black Pearl
  • 8x Shadowgem
  • 2x Solid Grinding Stone (8x Solid Stone)
  • 4x Thick Leather

What Materials Do I Need in All?

To summarise this quite massive cost:

Armoursmiths:

• 40x Iron Bar
• 120x Steel Bar (equal parts Iron and Coal)
• 342x Mithril Bar
• 18x Truesilver Bar (or the equivalent in Mithril for an alchemist to transmute over 18 days)
• 25x Solid Grinding Stone
  • 100x Solid Stone
• 2x Aquamarine (prospected by jewellers in Mithril, chance in Iron)
• 8x Citrine (prospected by jewellers in Iron and Mithril)
• 1x Heart of Fire
• 30x Mageweave Cloth
• 22x Thick Leather

Weaponsmiths:

• 16x Strong Flux (vendor-bought)
• 56x Iron Bar
• 16x Gold Bar
• 88x Mithril Bar
• 16x Heavy Grinding Stone (48x Heavy Stone)
• 4x Solid Grinding Stone (16x Solid Stone)
• 8x Shadowgem (prospected by jewellers in Tin, chance in Copper)
• 12x Lesser Moonstone (found or prospected by jewellers in Tin and Iron)
• 4x Citrine (prospected by jewellers in Iron and Mithril)
• 2x Black Pearl (loot)
• 28x Heavy Leather
• 4x Thick Leather