Classic Blacksmithing turns raw ore and bars into plate armor, weapons, and a handful of specialty tools - most notably the Arcanite Skeleton Key for cracking open locked chests and the Runed Copper Rod that Enchanters need. It's also one of the more expensive professions to level, since the higher-tier recipes eat through a lot of ore - which is exactly why most Blacksmiths pair it with Mining rather than buying every bar off the Auction House.
This guide covers the full 1-300 leveling path, where to find every trainer, the Armorsmith/Weaponsmith specialization choice and their questlines, and the recipes actually worth chasing once you're maxed out.
Profession Basics
Crafting almost anything as a Blacksmith requires standing near an anvil (found in most cities and towns) while holding a Blacksmith Hammer, sold by Blacksmithing and Mining supply vendors. Since Blacksmithing is a primary profession, it takes up one of your two primary profession slots - Mining is by far the best pairing, since it's the direct source of the ore and bars every recipe needs.
Plate-wearers get the most direct benefit from leveling it themselves - Warriors and Paladins can craft their own best-in-slot gear like Lionheart Helm and Nightfall - but any melee DPS or tank benefits from the sharpening/weightstone consumables Blacksmiths can produce, like Elemental Sharpening Stone.
At skill 200 and character level 40, every Blacksmith has to choose between specializing as an Armorsmith or a Weaponsmith - more on that later in this guide.
Shopping List for 1-300
Treat this as a minimum - if your skill-ups land on the unlucky side (yellow or green difficulty instead of orange), expect to need somewhat more. This also assumes you can pick up a couple of the dropped recipes used in the 260-300 stretch; if you can't, the alternative path further down uses different totals.
| Material | Qty | Material | Qty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rough Stone | 160 | Iron Bar | 230 |
| Coarse Stone | 95 | Green Dye | 35 |
| Copper Bar | 150 | Steel Bar | 190 |
| Silver Bar | 5 | Mithril Bar | 240 |
| Bronze Bar | 140 | Mageweave Cloth | 150 |
| Heavy Stone | 105 | Solid Stone | 120 |
| Gold Bar | 5 | Dense Stone | 20 |
| Thorium Bar | 680 | Red Power Crystal | 40 |
| Rugged Leather | 80 | Blue Power Crystal | 20 |
| Star Ruby | 15 | Green Power Crystal | 40 |
Leveling Path: 1-125
Skill-up colors work the same as every other profession: orange is a guaranteed skill-up, yellow is frequent, green is occasional, and grey won't award anything at all.
| Skill Range | Craft | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 1-30 | ~40x Rough Sharpening Stone | 40 Rough Stone |
| 30-65 | ~60x Rough Grinding Stone (save these) | 120 Rough Stone |
| 65-75 | ~25x Coarse Sharpening Stone | 25 Coarse Stone |
Learn Journeyman Blacksmithing somewhere between 50 and 75 skill (requires character level 10+).
| Skill Range | Craft | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 75-90 | ~35x Coarse Grinding Stone (save these) | 70 Coarse Stone |
| 90-100 | 10x Runed Copper Belt | 100 Copper Bar |
| 100-105 | 5x Silver Rod | 5 Silver Bar, 10 Rough Grinding Stone |
| 105-110 | 5x Runed Copper Belt | 50 Copper Bar |
| 110-125 | 15x Rough Bronze Leggings | 90 Bronze Bar |
Learn Expert Blacksmithing somewhere between 125 and 150 skill (requires character level 20+).
Leveling Path: 125-225
| Skill Range | Craft | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 125-140 | ~35x Heavy Grinding Stone (save these) | 105 Heavy Stone |
| 140-150 | 10x Patterned Bronze Bracers | 50 Bronze Bar, 20 Coarse Grinding Stone |
| 150-155 | 5x Golden Rod | 5 Gold Bar, 10 Coarse Grinding Stone |
| 155-165 | 10x Green Iron Leggings | 80 Iron Bar, 10 Heavy Grinding Stone, 10 Green Dye |
| 165-190 | 25x Green Iron Bracers | 150 Iron Bar, 25 Green Dye |
| 190-200 | 10x Golden Scale Bracers | 50 Steel Bar, 20 Heavy Grinding Stone |
| 200-210 | ~30x Solid Grinding Stone (save these) | 120 Solid Stone |
| 210-225 | 15x Heavy Mithril Gauntlets | 90 Mithril Bar, 60 Mageweave Cloth |
Learn Artisan Blacksmithing somewhere between 200 and 225 skill (requires character level 35+).
Leveling Path: 225-300
| Skill Range | Craft | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 225-235 | 10x Steel Plate Helm | 140 Steel Bar, 10 Solid Grinding Stone |
| 235-250 | 15x Mithril Coif (or Mithril Spurs if you have the recipe) | 150 Mithril Bar, 90 Mageweave Cloth |
| 250-260 | ~20x Dense Sharpening Stone | 20 Dense Stone |
| 260-270 | 10x Thorium Belt (Plans are a tradeable world drop - see alternatives below if you can't find one) | 120 Thorium Bar, 40 Red Power Crystal |
| 270-275 | 5x Thorium Bracers (same drop caveat) | 60 Thorium Bar, 20 Blue Power Crystal |
| 275-290 | 15x Imperial Plate Bracers (Plans reward from an Imperial Plate Bracer world drop) | 300 Thorium Bar, 15 Star Ruby |
| 290-300 | 10x Thorium Boots (same drop caveat as the belt/bracers) | 200 Thorium Bar, 80 Rugged Leather, 40 Green Power Crystal |
If You Can't Find Those Drops: Alternative 260-300 Path
These recipes are easier to come by, at the cost of needing more raw materials overall.
| Skill Range | Craft | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 260-265 | ~7x Heavy Mithril Boots | 98 Mithril Bar, 28 Thick Leather |
| 265-270 | 5x Imperial Plate Belt | 110 Thorium Bar, 30 Rugged Leather, 5 Aquamarine |
| 270-295 | ~27x Imperial Plate Bracers | 540 Thorium Bar, 27 Star Ruby |
| 295-300 | 5x Imperial Plate Boots | 170 Thorium Bar, 5 Star Ruby, 5 Aquamarine |
| 290-300 | 10x Radiant Boots (tradeable world drop plans) | 140 Thorium Bar, 40 Heart of Fire |
Trainer Locations
Apprentice and Journeyman trainers are common in every major city (any city guard can flag one on your map). Trainers only teach the tier below their own - a Journeyman trainer teaches Apprentice, an Artisan trainer teaches Expert, and so on - so Expert and Artisan trainers are rarer and further out of the way.
| Rank | Skill Range | Min. Skill to Train | Min. Level to Train |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | 1-75 | 1 | 1 |
| Journeyman | 75-150 | 50 | 10 |
| Expert | 150-225 | 125 | 20 |
| Artisan | 225-300 | 225 | 35 |
Alliance:
- Smith Argus, Goldshire (
/way 41, 65) - Tognus Flintfire, Kharanos, Dun Morogh (
/way 45.2, 52) - Delfrum Flintbeard, Auberdine, Darkshore (
/way 38.2, 41) - Clarise Gnarltree (Expert), Duskwood (
/way 74, 48) - Therum Deepforge (Expert), Old Town Canals, Stormwind (
/way 56.8, 16.6) - Bengus Deepforge (Artisan), Ironforge (
/way 52, 40)
Darnassus has no Blacksmithing trainer at all.
Horde:
- Dwukk, Razor Hill, Durotar (
/way 52, 40.6) - James Van Brunt (Expert), War Quarter, Undercity (
/way 61.2, 29.2) - Karn Stonehoof (Expert), Thunder Bluff (
/way 39.6, 55.6) - Traugh (Expert), The Crossroads, Barrens (
/way 51.2, 28.8) - Saru Steelfury (Artisan), Valley of Honor, Orgrimmar (
/way 82.2, 23)
Artisan Blacksmithing (skill 200, character level 35) has only one trainer in the entire game: Brikk Keencraft in Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale (/way 29, 75.4). Everyone, Alliance or Horde, has to make the trip there eventually.
Skeleton Keys
All four skeleton key patterns are trainer-taught, gated behind lockpicking skill rather than a quest. Brikk Keencraft in Booty Bay is the only trainer who teaches all four.
| Key | Reagents | Lockpicking Skill Required |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Skeleton Key | Silver Bar, Rough Grinding Stone | 25 |
| Golden Skeleton Key | Gold Bar, Heavy Grinding Stone | 125 |
| Truesilver Skeleton Key | Truesilver Bar, Solid Grinding Stone | 200 |
| Arcanite Skeleton Key | Arcanite Bar, Dense Grinding Stone | 300 |
Choosing a Specialization: Armorsmith or Weaponsmith
At skill 200 and character level 40, you'll be asked to pick a permanent specialization - Armorsmith or Weaponsmith. The only way to change your mind afterward is to fully unlearn and re-learn Blacksmithing from scratch, so this isn't a decision to make lightly.
Armorsmith
Armorsmiths get access to further armor patterns, including strong DPS Warrior pieces like Titanic Leggings and Lionheart Helm.
The questline starts differently by faction but converges in Booty Bay:
- Alliance: Speak to Myolor Sunderfury at the Great Forge in Ironforge (
/way 51.4 42.2), who points you to Grumnus Steelshaper (/way 51.0 42.2). Grumnus sends you to Hank the Hammer in Stormwind (/way 56.0 16.0), who wants 6x Golden Scale Bracers in exchange for the Golden Scale Gauntlets plans, then sends you to McGavan in Booty Bay (/way 28.8 75.4). - Horde: Speak to Krathok Moltenfist at the Valley of Honor in Orgrimmar (
/way 80.0 23.2), who points you to Okothos Ironrager (/way 79.8 23.8). Okothos sends you to Aturk the Anvil (/way 80.6 23.6), who wants 4x Steel Breastplate and 4x Steel Plate Helm, then sends you to the same McGavan in Booty Bay.
From Booty Bay onward it's identical for both factions. While you're there, train Artisan Blacksmithing with Brikk Keencraft and pick up Mithril Coif, Heavy Mithril Breastplate, and Heavy Mithril Boots - you'll need all three further down the chain. McGavan sends you to Galvan the Ancient in Stranglethorn Vale, who hands out three material turn-ins (40 Mithril Bar + 40 Iron Bar; 40 Mithril Bar + 4 Citrine; 40 Mithril Bar + 5 Truesilver Bar), then rewards Signet of Expertise and sends you to Trenton Lighthammer in Tanaris.
Trenton has three more crafting turn-ins waiting (2x Heavy Mithril Boots + 1x Ornate Mithril Pants; 2x Mithril Coif + 1x Ornate Mithril Shoulders; 2x Heavy Mithril Breastplate + 1x Ornate Mithril Gloves), rewarding Glimmering Mithril Insignia. From there, head back to whichever NPC started your chain (Bengus Deepforge in Ironforge or Krathok Moltenfist in Orgrimmar) and choose Armorsmith. You'll be sent to Grumnus Steelshaper or Okothos Ironrager one final time to craft 4x Ornate Mithril Helm, 2x Ornate Mithril Boots, and 1x Ornate Mithril Breastplate. Turn those in and the specialization is yours.
Advanced Armorsmithing goes a step further: collecting the matching Top/Bottom Half of Advanced Armorsmithing volumes (I, II, and III) combines each pair into Enchanted Thorium Platemail, which unlocks the plans for Enchanted Thorium Breastplate, Leggings, and Helm respectively once turned in to Lorekeeper Lydros in the Library of Dire Maul North.
Notable Armorsmith-only recipes: Dark Iron Bracers/Gauntlets/Helm/Leggings/Boots (sold by Lokhtos Darkbargainer, Blackrock Depths), Dark Iron Plate (dropped by Ribbly Screwspigot, BRD), Truesilver Breastplate/Gauntlets (trainer-taught), Lionheart Helm (elite world drop), Titanic Leggings and Stronghold Gauntlets (world boss drops), Whitesoul Helm (Nefarian/Blackwing Technician, BWL), and several others gated behind reputation, quests, or specific bosses.
Weaponsmith
Becoming a Weaponsmith follows a similar quest structure, also gated behind skill 200/level 40, but opens the door to a third choice afterward: Master Axesmith, Master Swordsmith, or Master Hammersmith. Axesmith is the standout of the three - it's the path to Nightfall, Annihilator, and the iconic Arcanite Reaper. Hammer of the Titans from the Hammersmith line is also notable purely for its stun proc in PvP.
The questline: speak to Bengus Deepforge (Ironforge, /way 51.4 42.2) or Krathok Moltenfist (Orgrimmar, /way 80.0 23.2), who send you to the Master Weaponsmith - Ironus Coldsteel (/way 50.6 43.6) or Borgosh Corebender (/way 79.6 23.6). They task you with crafting 4x Moonsteel Broadsword (plans sold by the limited-stock Zarena Cromwind in Booty Bay), 2x Big Black Mace and 2x Heavy Mithril Axe (both learned from Brikk Keencraft), and 4x Massive Iron Axe (limited-stock plans from Jaquilina Dramet or Vharr). Turn all of it in to become a Weaponsmith.
Notable general Weaponsmith recipes (available regardless of which sub-specialization you take): The Shatterer and Truesilver Champion (both trainer-taught), plus a handful of boss-drop patterns like Heartseeker (Cannon Master Willey, Stratholme) and Phantom Blade (Stratholme Main Gate).
Master Axesmith: Speak to Kilram in Winterspring, kill Shadow Hunter Vosh'gajin in Blackrock Spire, and return his Snakestone for Plans: Dawn's Edge. Arcanite Reaper's plans are a separate drop from the rare spawn Bannok Grimaxe in Lower Blackrock Spire. Other Axesmith recipes include Annihilator (Quartermaster Zigris, Upper Blackrock Spire) and reputation-gated patterns from Lokhtos Darkbargainer (Nightfall at Exalted, Dark Iron Destroyer at Honored - both with the Thorium Brotherhood).
Master Hammersmith: Speak to Lilith the Lithe in Winterspring, kill the Crimson Hammersmith in Stratholme, and return his apron for Plans: Enchanted Battlehammer. Hammer of the Titans and Masterwork Stormhammer both drop in Upper Blackrock Spire/Stratholme; Ebon Hand is another Thorium Brotherhood Exalted reward from Lokhtos.
Master Swordsmith: Speak to Seril Scourgebane in Winterspring, kill the Black Guard Swordsmith in Stratholme, and return his insignia for Plans: Blazing Rapier. Arcanite Champion and Blackguard both come from Upper Blackrock Spire/Thorium Brotherhood reputation; Frostguard drops from Foreman Marcrid in Western Plaguelands.
Blacksmithing Patterns Worth Chasing at Max Skill
Once you've hit 300, these are the recipes actually worth the effort to track down:
- Arcanite Reaper - Bannok Grimaxe, Blackrock Spire. Pre-raid BiS weapon for DPS Warriors, Enhancement Shamans, and Retribution Paladins.
- Nightfall - Lokhtos Darkbargainer, Exalted Thorium Brotherhood. A key debuff weapon most raids want on at least one melee DPS.
- Lionheart Helm - rare world drop. BiS helm across multiple phases for DPS/Tank Warriors and Retribution Paladins.
- Hammer of the Titans - Maleki the Pallid, Stratholme. Strong PvP weapon thanks to its stun proc.
- Sulfuron Hammer - reward from A Binding Contract (requires a Sulfuron Ingot); used to craft Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros.
- Mithril Spurs - rare world drop, a boot attachment that increases mount speed.
- Thorium Shield Spike / Sageblade / Steel Weapon Chain / Stronghold Gauntlets / Whitesoul Helm - all rare world/boss drops with niche but real PvE or PvP value (tanking, disarm immunity, anti-disarm, healing plate).
- Elemental Sharpening Stone (rare Molten Core drop) and its cheaper trainer-taught cousin Dense Sharpening Stone.
- AQ20-gated plate: Thick Obsidian Breastplate (Prophet Skeram drop), Obsidian Mail Tunic and Jagged Obsidian Shield (sold after downing General Rajaxx, at Exalted/Revered Cenarion Circle respectively), and Light/Heavy Obsidian Belt (sold by Vargus at Honored/Friendly).
- Resistance gear for specific encounters - Fiery Chain Girdle (Honored Thorium Brotherhood, fire resist), Ironvine Breastplate (Revered Cenarion Circle, nature resist), Icebane Breastplate (Exalted Argent Dawn, frost resist).
- Zandalar Tribe armor (added in Phase 4, sold by Rin'wosho the Trader, no Armorsmith specialization required): the mail line (Bloodsoul Gauntlets/Shoulders/Breastplate) trades up through Friendly/Honored/Revered for crit chance and a full-set mana regen bonus, while the plate line (Darksoul Shoulders/Leggings/Breastplate) does the same for hit chance and a full-set Defense bonus.