Leatherworking had the biggest rework in Forever. It now makes mail as well as leather. SenseOS counts 121 mail recipes, including six that moved over from Blacksmithing. Its first camp object, the Camp Tent, gives rested XP. The beta capped it at 225.
TL;DR: pair it with Skinning. Turn Ruined Leather Scraps into Light Leather, place your Camp Tent at 20, and level on cloaks, gloves and Hillman's. Pick Dragonscale, Elemental or Tribal at 225.
The basics in Forever
- Ranks: Leatherworking uses the same four ranks as Classic Era: Apprentice (75), Journeyman (150), Expert (225) and Artisan (300). The cap is still 300.
- Character level to train: Zockify lists Journeyman at level 10, Expert at 20 and Artisan at 35. SenseOS notes that the client files don't contain level requirements, so these numbers are unconfirmed until launch.
- Slots: you get two primary professions. Cooking, First Aid and Fishing are secondary, so you can learn all three on top.
- Unlearning: open the profession window (K) and click the red X. Your skill and every recipe you know are gone.
Trainers: Expert is taught by Telonis in Darnassus or Una in Thunder Bluff.
Leveling path by skill range
| Skill | Craft |
|---|---|
| 1–20 | Light Leather (from Ruined Leather Scraps) |
| 20–22 | Camp Tent |
| 20–35 | Light Armor Kit |
| 35+ | Cured Light Hide (good for crates) |
| 45–55 | Handstitched Leather Cloak |
| 55–75 | Embossed Leather Gloves |
| 75–80 | Medium Leather |
| 80–95 | Fine Leather Belt |
| 95–105 | Gray Leather Boots |
| 105–115 | Dark Leather Cloak |
| 115–120 | Dark Leather Pants |
| 120–125 | Hillman's Leather Gloves |
| 125–130 | Heavy Leather |
| 130–150 | Hillman's Leather Gloves |
| 150–165 | Barbaric Leggings (pattern from vendors) |
| 165–175 | Dusky Bracers |
| 175–180 | Thick Armor Kit |
| 180–205 | Nightscape Headband |
| 205–225 | Nightscape Pants |
| 225–300 | ⚠️ Not yet routed. The beta capped Leatherworking at 225 |
Recipe colours change earlier than in Classic, so expect recipes to go grey sooner than an old guide says.
Specializations
Per Zockify, these open at skill 225 and level 40: Dragonscale, Elemental or Tribal. The quest steps come from Classic. Forever-specific spec rewards haven't been confirmed.
Best class & profession pairings
- Leatherworking + Skinning is the clear pairing.
- Hunters and Shamans benefit most now, because their mail comes from Leatherworking.
- Rogues and Druids still get leather gear and armor kits.
- Any leveler gets the Camp Tent's rested XP.
Key recipes & rewards
- Camp Tent, rested XP worth +5% of a level.
- Tanning Rack, the camp object you need for advanced Leatherworking recipes.
- Mail recipes: 121 of them in Forever.
- Armor kits, sold to every melee class.
- The October 1 beta notes made some Leatherworking dungeon-drop recipes available.
Your camp objects
Forever adds Camping. A cook places a Basic Campfire, and each player can add one profession object to it. A camp holds 3 objects, and the objects share a 1-hour cooldown. Sit at the camp for 1 minute and you become rested and pick up the buffs. Camp buffs don't stack with the class buffs they copy. You get the first object at skill 20. The more advanced objects come from Blueprints that drop from dungeon bosses.
Leatherworking objects: Camp Tent (first, at skill 20), Tanning Rack, Sewing Machine.
Legacy points
Per SenseOS, a crafting profession gives 1 Legacy point each at 150, 225 and 300, so 3 in total. Each character can spend 16 points at launch. The Professions tree has Working Overtime, Bountiful Harvest, Bartering, Performance Bonus, Master Chef, Luremaster and Dedicated Study. Hitting 300 also opens up the profession's Certification: 1,000 Merchant's Favor for an account-wide title.
Gold tips
- Waylaid Crate: Textiles takes 20 Light Leather, and Fabrics takes Cured Light Hide (per wow-professions). Both pay Merchant's Favor.
- Armor kits and mail pieces should sell to Hunters and Shamans who are leveling.
- Remember the Oct 16 cut to crafted-item vendor prices. Don't count on vendor shuffles.
Common mistakes
- Not placing a Camp Tent while you level. It's one of the best things this profession gives you.
- Forgetting that some advanced recipes need a Tanning Rack.
- Leveling past 225 before launch data is in.
FAQ
Can Leatherworkers make mail now? Yes. That's the biggest change.
Do I need Skinning? Not strictly, but leather is most of your cost.
Sources
Images: the header and milestone card were made by Systematic with the Systematic wallpaper and brand colours. The third image is a camping screenshot © Blizzard Entertainment, from Blizzard News.
This is a fan guide written by Systematic for the community. World of Warcraft © Blizzard Entertainment. We're not affiliated with Blizzard. Everything here comes from the beta and the launch client, and things can change before the Nov 4 launch. If you spot something that's off once the game is live, or you have a better route, post it below!
