Cataclysm Professions Guide

With the introduction of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the profession skill caps will once again be raised, this time from 450 to 525. Additionally, all the professions will be getting a major overhaul.

Below, you will find individual pages within this Cataclysm professions guide that cover leveling from 450 to 525 skill in the cheapest way possible. The rest of this article will be dedicated.

Cataclysm Profession Leveling Guides:

Cataclysm Enchanting Guide
Cataclysm Jewelcrafting Guide

(more to come)!

For this particular part of the Cataclysm professions guide, I will be discussing the changes that will be made to professions with the release of Cataclysm.

Alchemy Changes and Highlights

- Elixirs are good again: Elixirs will be about 3/4 the strength of a Flask and you can use two elixirs. So once again, players will be chugging double elixirs before encounters.

Click Here To Get WoW Crusher- #1 Arena and Gold Guide

- Alchemists now transmute Pyrium Bars into "Krovalian Gold". This is used in quite a few high-level recipes. This will probably earn the Alchemist quite a bit of gold just by "pushing a button". Probably the most profitable new recipe of all the Cataclysm professions.

- Mysterious Potion can heal for a ton of HP and MP, and is best for Alchemists.

- New Alchemist Stones, gem transmutes, and more.

Blacksmithing / Tailoring / Leatherworking Changes and Highlights

- Rare (blue) recipes will offer multiple skill ups (rather than just one) for crafting the item.

- All specializations and masteries will be removed; these classes will all be uniformly the same (i.e. no more Elemental Leatherworking)

- Players will be able to craft entry-level pvp sets.

- Items players craft will have some random stats, so not every item in the batch will be the same (higher profit potential on "perfect" items)

Enchanting Changes and Highlights

- Nothing really here. There are only two major changes: Enchanting recipes just meant for skilling up are supposed to be cheaper and an Enchanting-only vanity pet will be added to the game.

- Lots of new weapon enchants.

Engineering Changes and Highlights

- Engineers will be able to make more good guns, crossbows, and "mechanical bows"

- Engineering will still be focused on "fun and vanity" items. My conclusion is that of the Cataclysm professions, Engineering will continue to be not very profitable.

Herbalism, Skinning, and Mining Changes and Highlights

- No more Frost Lotus. Not sure if this is a nerf or not, as now "Volatile Life" will drop regularly from herbing and be used in flasks.

My initial opinion is that this is a big nerf to Herbalism as 1) Volatile Life is not unique to herbalism (monsters drop it and it can be transmuted) and 2) Flasks will not be used as much anyway since Elixirs are now better.

However, Alchemy seems more useful in general, so herbs should be worth more.

- Pristine Hide is the rare Cataclysm skinning find, and can drop off monsters or be made by combining Heavy Savage Leather.

- Obsidian is the new Cobalt Ore, and Elementium is the new Saronite Ore.

- Obsidian nodes will drop Volatile Fire and Volatile Shadow, whereas Elementium nodes will drop Volatile Fire, Volatile Water, and Volatile Earth.

This means that Volatile Earth will not be as worthless as Primal Earth. Volatile Fire will be the most worthless as it drops from both node types.

- Volatile Air is likely to be the most valuable element as it does not drop from herbalism or mining! Horde up on this one and earn some gold once the market starts wanting it.

Inscription

- Glyphs will be entirely reworked due to reworked talent trees.

- Minor Glyphs will be revamped so more are actually good.

- Inscriptors will be able to create good off-hand and relic pieces (i.e. Totems, Relics).

- Not very excited about this profession's hopes compared to other Cataclysm professions. I think it will see a big upgrade in 4.1 but Blizzard is still worried about balancing all the new abilities to add in awesome glyphs just yet.

Jewelcrafting

- Hit gems are now a blue gem (DPS rejoice!). Intellect is now a red gem (every other +stat point was red, it was about time), +dodge is now yellow (like it should have been from the beginning).

- More daily quests for Jewelcrafters

- Jewelcrafting recipes will randomly create superior or even epic versions of themselves (huge profit potential on epic versions of items)

- New vanity items

Secondary Cataclysm Professions

- Cooking will remain the same, with new daily quests.

- Bandages will now be casted and end in a HoT (heal over time) effect, rather than being channeled for 8 seconds. In other words, you can "cast" a bandage in 1-2 seconds and then go about your business, healing up over 8 seconds (as long as you do not take damage). Not a major change but certainly makes bandaging more viable.

- Fishing will remain the same, with new items and daily quests.

- Will have to see about the new secondary profession, Archaelogy. Not much is known about it just yet!

Conclusion

It looks like out of all the new Cataclysm professions, Alchemy is the big winner. Jewelcrafting will continue to be profitable, but I think Alchemists now will be making some decent gold as well with their new transmute and potion recipes.

Tired of losing in arenas? Want to get the best PvP and raid gear?

If you answered that question with a yes, then you need to get WoW Crusher.

Created by top raider, gold maker, and gladiator Marcko, it contains the secret strategies used by pro arena players, top raiders, and players who have hit the gold cap multiple times! If you are broke or are losing your 10 weekly arena games, you MUST get this guide. Click here to get it now!