Blacksmithing is one of the most rewarding crafting professions in World of Warcraft Classic (vanilla, skill cap 300). It forges plate and mail armor, weapons, sharpening stones, and the legendary endgame gear that Warriors and Paladins covet. The catch: it is also one of the most material-hungry professions in the game, and a poorly planned route can burn hundreds of extra ore bars. This guide gives you the fastest, cheapest path from 1 to 300, with exact skill ranges, recipe choices, and a full shopping list.
Before You Start: Pair Blacksmithing With Mining
Blacksmithing consumes metal bars constantly, and every bar comes from smelting ore, which requires the Mining profession. If you are leveling from scratch, take Mining as your gathering partner. You will mine the ore, smelt it into bars at a forge, and feed those bars straight into your Blacksmithing recipes. Trying to level Blacksmithing by buying every bar off the Auction House works, but expect to spend a serious amount of gold, especially in the Mithril and Thorium tiers.
You also need to be near a forge and an anvil to craft. Both are found in every major city and most towns with a smith.
Total Materials Needed for 1-300
Numbers vary slightly depending on your skill-up luck, but plan for roughly these totals. Buy in bulk early to smooth out Auction House price spikes.
- ~60 Copper Bars (early sharpening and grinding stones)
- ~140 Bronze Bars (smelted from equal Copper + Tin)
- ~110 Iron Bars
- ~80 Steel Bars (Iron Bar + Coal)
- ~280 Mithril Bars (the single biggest sink)
- ~200 Thorium Bars for the final push
- Rough, Coarse, Heavy, Solid, and Dense Stones for grinding stones
- Green Dye, Heavy Leather, and a handful of gems for specific recipes
Skill Range Cheat Sheet
Here is the optimal route at a glance. Craft each item until you hit the next range, then visit a trainer to learn the next tier of recipes.
| Skill Range | Item to Craft | Key Materials (per craft) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-30 | Rough Sharpening Stone | 1 Rough Stone |
| 30-65 | Rough Grinding Stone | 2 Rough Stone |
| 65-95 | Coarse Sharpening Stone | 1 Coarse Stone |
| 95-105 | Coarse Grinding Stone | 2 Coarse Stone |
| 105-125 | Heavy Grinding Stone | 3 Heavy Stone |
| 125-145 | Green Iron Bracers | 2 Iron Bar, 1 Green Dye |
| 145-165 | Green Iron Leggings | 4 Iron Bar, 1 Green Dye |
| 165-180 | Golden Scale Bracers | 5 Steel Bar, 4 Heavy Leather |
| 180-190 | Solid Grinding Stone | 4 Solid Stone |
| 190-200 | Heavy Mithril Gauntlets | 4 Mithril Bar, 1 Mageweave |
| 200-215 | Mithril Coif | 6 Mithril Bar |
| 215-230 | Mithril Spurs | 2 Mithril Bar each |
| 230-250 | Dense Grinding Stone | 3 Dense Stone |
| 250-260 | Thorium Belt | 6 Thorium Bar |
| 260-300 | Imperial Plate pieces | 8-12 Thorium Bar each |
Step-by-Step Leveling Route
1-75: Apprentice Blacksmith
Learn Blacksmithing from any city trainer (Ironforge, Orgrimmar, Stormwind, etc.). Start with Rough Sharpening Stones to 30, then switch to Rough Grinding Stones to 65, and finish the tier on Coarse Sharpening Stones. Stones are cheap and skill up reliably, making this the painless part of the grind.
75-150: Journeyman Blacksmith
Return to your trainer to learn Journeyman recipes around skill 75. Grind Coarse Grinding Stones, then Heavy Grinding Stones. Once you can make armor, transition into Green Iron Bracers and Green Iron Leggings (both need Green Dye from a Reagent Vendor) to carry you to 150. These greens also vendor or disenchant for decent value, so they are not wasted bars.
150-225: Expert Blacksmith
Learn Expert Blacksmithing from the trainer in Stonewrought Dam (Ironforge) or the Hammerfall/Booty Bay options for Horde and neutral players. Use Golden Scale Bracers and Solid Grinding Stones through the 180s, then pivot hard into the Mithril tier with Heavy Mithril Gauntlets, the Mithril Coif, and Mithril Spurs (a great gold-maker, since mount riders buy them). Mithril is plentiful in Tanaris, the Hinterlands, and Un'Goro, so stockpile bars in advance.
225-300: Artisan Blacksmith
Train Artisan Blacksmithing from Galvan the Ancient in Tanaris (the quest chain is required) or other artisan trainers in Gadgetzan, Everlook, and Aerie Peak. Burn through Dense Grinding Stones to roughly 250, then commit to Thorium. The Thorium Belt bridges into the Imperial Plate set, which carries you to 300. Imperial Plate recipes drop from the world and are sold by specific vendors, so secure the patterns before you start the final push.
Choosing a Specialization: Armorsmith vs Weaponsmith
At skill 200 and level 40+, a quest chain lets you specialize. This choice unlocks exclusive recipes but is not required to reach 300.
- Armorsmith - access to powerful plate sets like the Imperial Plate and later Lionheart and Stormrage-adjacent pieces. Best for self-sufficient tanks and Paladins.
- Weaponsmith - at skill 250 you specialize further into Swordsmith, Axesmith, or Hammersmith, each unlocking unique endgame weapons such as the Bleeding Hollow Skinner or Heartseeker. Best for damage-focused melee and gold-makers.
You can unlearn and re-pick a specialization for a gold cost, so the decision is not permanent.
Tips to Save Gold and Time
- Buy Mithril and Thorium bars during off-peak hours when Auction House prices dip.
- Craft grinding stones in bulk whenever a tier overlaps - they are reagents for higher recipes and always sell.
- Use a profession-tracking addon to see exactly which recipes still grant skill points.
- Keep your greens for disenchanting if you also level Enchanting - it recovers a chunk of your material cost.
- Smelt ore yourself rather than buying bars; the markup on finished bars is steep.
If the grind sounds like more time than you want to spend, PewPewShop offers a Classic WoW profession and Blacksmithing leveling boost that takes your skill to 300 while you focus on raiding and PvP. It is a clean way to skip the ore-farming marathon and arrive ready to craft endgame plate.
FAQ
How much gold does it cost to level Blacksmithing 1-300?
If you mine your own ore, the main cost is time rather than gold. Buying every bar off the Auction House typically runs 150-300 gold in Classic, with Mithril and Thorium accounting for most of the bill.
Do I need Mining to level Blacksmithing?
Not strictly, but it is strongly recommended. Mining supplies the ore you smelt into bars, which dramatically lowers your gold cost and lets you farm materials in the same zones where you quest.
What is the fastest tier to skip through?
The stone tiers (1-105) are the fastest and cheapest. The slowest, most expensive stretch is the Mithril tier (190-230), so stockpile Mithril bars before you reach it.
Should I choose Armorsmith or Weaponsmith?
Pick Armorsmith if you tank or want self-crafted plate sets, and Weaponsmith if you want unique melee weapons to use or sell. Both reach 300; the specialization only affects which exclusive recipes you unlock.