Blacksmithing is one of the most powerful crafting professions in The Burning Crusade Classic, letting you forge pre-raid best-in-slot weapons, socketed plate armor, and consumable sharpening stones that every melee group wants. This walkthrough takes you the full distance from skill 1 to 375 with the cheapest, fastest recipe route, exact material totals, trainer locations, and the specialization choice that decides your endgame crafts. Follow it in order and you can hit Master Blacksmith in a single focused session.
Why Level Blacksmithing in TBC Classic?
Blacksmithing rewards plate and mail wearers most, but the profession pays off for anyone who values self-sufficient gearing and a steady gold income.
- Pre-raid BiS weapons: Felsteel weapons like the Khorium Champion and Fel Edged Battleaxe rival early Karazhan drops.
- Socketed plate: Felsteel and Khorium armor comes with bonus gem sockets you cannot get from quest or dungeon gear.
- Weapon Chains: Add an anti-disarm enchant to your weapon, valuable in both PvP and certain raid fights.
- Sharpening and Weightstones: Cheap, repeatable consumables that buff weapon damage for you and your group.
- Specialization recipes: Armorsmith and Weaponsmith unlock exclusive patterns no other player can craft for you.
Pick a Synergy Gathering Profession First
Blacksmithing consumes a huge volume of bars, so pairing it with Mining is the single biggest money-saver. If you mine and smelt your own Fel Iron, Adamantite, and Khorium, the entire 1-375 grind can cost almost nothing but time. If you would rather buy bars off the Auction House, expect this to be a moderately expensive profession, especially in the Thorium and Felsteel ranges.
Trainer Locations
Classic Trainers (1-300)
- Alliance: Bengus Deepforge in Ironforge (Great Forge); Therum Deepforge in Stormwind (Dwarven District).
- Horde: Saru Steelfury in Orgrimmar (Valley of Honor); Karn Stonehoof in Thunder Bluff.
- Neutral: Brikk Keencraft in Gadgetzan (Tanaris).
Outland Trainers (300-375)
- Alliance: Humphry in Honor Hold (Hellfire Peninsula).
- Horde: Rohok in Thrallmar (Hellfire Peninsula).
- Both factions: Zula Slagfury in Shattrath City's Lower City teaches the Master rank.
Full Material Shopping List
Totals are approximate and assume average crafting luck. Buy a little extra of each to cover skill-up misses.
| Skill Range | Key Materials (approx. totals) |
|---|---|
| 1-300 (Classic) | 110 Copper Bar, 110 Bronze Bar, 230 Iron Bar, 190 Steel Bar, 220 Mithril Bar, 430 Thorium Bar, plus Rough/Coarse/Heavy/Solid/Dense Stone and assorted cloth/leather |
| 300-375 (Outland) | ~350 Fel Iron Bar, ~200 Adamantite Bar, ~20 Eternium Bar, ~10 Khorium Bar, 40 Primal Earth, 20 Primal Fire, 10 Primal Mana, 10 Primal Water |
Step-by-Step Leveling Route: 1-375
Apprentice (1-75)
- 1-30 Rough Sharpening Stone: 1x Rough Stone each. Craft about 30.
- 30-65 Rough Grinding Stone: 2x Rough Stone each. Save the output for later recipes.
- 65-75 Copper Chain Belt: 6x Copper Bar each. Then train Journeyman.
Journeyman (75-150)
- 75-85 Coarse Sharpening Stone: 1x Coarse Stone.
- 85-105 Coarse Grinding Stone: 2x Coarse Stone. Keep these.
- 105-125 Rough Bronze Leggings: 6x Bronze Bar.
- 125-150 Heavy Grinding Stone: 3x Heavy Stone. Keep these, then train Expert.
Expert (150-225)
- 150-155 Patterned Bronze Bracers: 5x Bronze Bar + 2x Coarse Grinding Stone.
- 155-185 Green Iron Leggings: 8x Iron Bar + 1x Heavy Grinding Stone + 1x Green Dye.
- 185-200 Golden Scale Bracers: 5x Steel Bar + 2x Heavy Grinding Stone.
- 200-210 Solid Grinding Stone: 4x Solid Stone. Keep these.
- 210-225 Heavy Mithril Gauntlet: 6x Mithril Bar + 4x Mageweave Cloth. Train Artisan.
Artisan (225-300)
- 225-235 Steel Plate Helm: 14x Steel Bar + 1x Solid Grinding Stone.
- 235-250 Mithril Scale Shoulders: 8x Mithril Bar + 6x Heavy Leather.
- 250-260 Dense Grinding Stone: 4x Dense Stone. Keep these.
- 260-275 Thorium Bracers / Belt: 8x or 12x Thorium Bar.
- 275-295 Imperial Plate Bracers: 12x Thorium Bar (requires the recipe from the Imperial Plate questline or Auction House).
- 295-300 Imperial Plate Boots: 16x Thorium Bar. Now head to Outland and train Master.
Master (300-375)
- 300-315 Fel Iron Plate Belt / Coif: 4-5x Fel Iron Bar each.
- 315-325 Fel Iron Plate Pants: 8x Fel Iron Bar.
- 325-330 Lesser Rune of Warding: 1x Adamantite Bar.
- 330-340 Adamantite Cleaver / Dagger: 8x Adamantite Bar.
- 340-350 Lesser Rune of Shielding: 3x Adamantite Bar + 1x Primal Earth.
- 350-360 Adamantite Rapier / Plate Bracers: 12x Adamantite Bar, or 6x + 2x Primal Earth.
- 360-375 Felsteel Gloves / Leggings: Felsteel Bars (smelted from Fel Iron + Primals) plus assorted Primals. These pieces double as strong gear, so you finish the grind with usable plate.
Choosing a Specialization at 200
At skill 200 with a character level of at least 40, you can pick a specialization from a trainer in the major cities. This is a meaningful choice in TBC because each path locks you out of the other's exclusive recipes (though you can unlearn for gold).
- Weaponsmith: Further splits into Swordsmith, Axesmith, and Hammersmith at level 50. Best for melee DPS who want crafted weapons.
- Armorsmith: Unlocks superior crafted plate sets and breastplates. Best for tanks and plate DPS focused on armor.
Pick based on what your main character actually equips at 70. Both specializations gate some of the strongest crafted items in the expansion behind the Master Smith reputation and rare Primal-heavy recipes.
Prefer to Skip the Grind?
Farming hundreds of bars and chaining recipes is satisfying for some players and tedious for others. If you would rather spend your playtime raiding or in arenas, PewPewShop offers a TBC Classic profession and Blacksmithing leveling boost that takes your character to 375 while you focus on the content you enjoy. It is a clean way to unlock those pre-raid BiS crafts without the material hunt.
FAQ
How much gold does leveling Blacksmithing to 375 cost?
If you buy every bar from the Auction House, budget a moderately high sum, with Thorium (260-300) and Felsteel (360-375) being the most expensive stretches. Mining your own ore can cut the total cost by 70% or more, which is why most players pair Blacksmithing with Mining.
Should I choose Armorsmith or Weaponsmith?
Choose Weaponsmith if your character wields crafted melee weapons, and Armorsmith if you tank or want the best crafted plate sets. The choice is reversible for a gold fee, so it is not permanent, but switching means re-grinding the relevant reputation and recipes.
Do I need to be a high level to reach 375?
You can level Blacksmithing skill independently of character level up to about 300, but the Master rank (300-375) requires traveling to Outland, which means character level 58 or higher to enter the Dark Portal.
What is the single most efficient skill-up material?
Grinding stones and sharpening stones are the cheapest skill-ups in the early ranges because each costs only one or two stones, which are dirt-cheap by-products of mining. Use them to bridge any gaps where armor recipes turn yellow.
Work through these ranges in order, keep your stones for later recipes, and you will reach 375 Blacksmithing ready to forge Felsteel weapons and socketed plate for your raid team.