To level Blacksmithing in TBC, grind 1–300 through old-world recipes, then push 300–375 in Outland using Fel Iron and Adamantite bars. Pair it with Mining so you smelt your own ore, train at a Master Blacksmith in Hellfire Peninsula, and at skill 200 pick a specialization — Armorsmith or Weaponsmith, the latter branching into Swordsmith, Axesmith, or Hammersmith.

Quick facts

  • Max skill: 375 (Master Blacksmithing, trained in Outland at 300 skill + level 50).
  • Best profession pairing: Mining — it supplies bars and saves gold.
  • Key TBC materials: Fel Iron Bar, Adamantite Bar, Eternium Bar, Khorium Bar, and Primal elements (Fire, Earth, Might).
  • Specialization at 200: Armorsmith (plate) or Weaponsmith (weapons); Weaponsmith later picks one weapon school.
  • Master trainers: found in Honor Hold / Thrallmar (Hellfire Peninsula).

Leveling route 1–375

  1. 1–65: Rough Sharpening Stone, then Rough Grinding Stone from Copper Bars.
  2. 65–125: Coarse and Heavy stones, then Bronze recipes (Bronze Bar = Copper + Tin).
  3. 125–200: Iron and Steel gear — Green Iron pieces are cheap skill-ups.
  4. 200–300: Mithril and Thorium bars; craft weapons and armor that stay orange longest.
  5. 300–350: Fel Iron recipes (Fel Iron Plate, Fel Weightstone) from Hellfire ore.
  6. 350–375: Adamantite and Eternium recipes; Adamantite Weightstone and Sharpening Stone are efficient fillers.

Is Blacksmithing worth it in TBC?

Yes, if you wear plate or mail. Blacksmiths make strong pre-raid weapons and armor, plus consumable weightstones and sharpening stones the whole raid uses. The real payoff is specialization-locked crafted gear and the two extra socket slots Blacksmiths can add to their own bracers and gloves — a meaningful edge for tanks and melee DPS.

What specialization should I pick?

Choose Armorsmith if you tank or want the best crafted plate sets. Choose Weaponsmith if you want to forge top-tier weapons, then commit to Swordsmith, Axesmith, or Hammersmith based on your class and gear goals. You can unlearn and re-pick later for gold, so it isn't permanent.

Which profession pairs best with Blacksmithing?

Mining is the natural partner — it feeds every bar you need and cuts your material cost to almost nothing. If you'd rather buy ore off the auction house, any second profession works, but Mining keeps leveling cheap and lets you smelt on demand.

Grinding a profession to 375 takes hours of farming and gold. If you'd rather skip the ore runs, PewPewShop offers coaching and rent-a-pro progression help from vetted human players who can guide your leveling route or handle the grind alongside you — no bots, no shortcuts.