How to level Leatherworking in WoW MoP? 1-600 LW Guide

Leatherworking Leveling Guide 1-600 - Mists of Pandaria

This guide will help you level Leatherworking from 1 to 600 in World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (patch 5.2) efficiently. Leatherworking in MoP allows crafting gear for Leather and Mail wearers, bags, and armor kits, with materials primarily sourced from Skinning or the Auction House (AH). The guide assumes you have Skinning for cost savings, but AH alternatives are noted.

Requirements

• Character Level: Ideally 85+ for Pandaria access, but lower levels can start in earlier zones.

• Skinning: Strongly recommended to gather leather yourself. If not, expect high AH costs.

• Gold: 500–2000g for materials if buying from AH; less with Skinning.

• Tools: No special tools needed beyond trainer recipes.

• Optional: Guild perks or rested XP for faster skill-ups (not critical).

Preparation

• Learn Leatherworking: Visit a trainer in a major city, e.g., Simon Tanner in Stormwind (Alliance, coords: 71, 62) or Brumman in Orgrimmar (Horde, coords: 60, 54).

• Bags: Clear inventory for materials and crafted items. Vendor or AH low-value items.

• Materials: Stockpile leather via Skinning or buy from AH. Check prices to craft cost-effective items.

• Trainers: Visit every 75 skill points to learn new ranks (Apprentice, Journeyman, etc.).

Step-by-Step Guide

1–75: Apprentice Leatherworking

• Trainer: Learn Apprentice Leatherworking (up to 75).

• Materials:

  • 60–70 Light Leather (from skinning low-level beasts, e.g., boars in Durotar/Elwynn Forest, or AH).

• Recipes:

  • Light Armor Kit (1–30): 1 Light Leather each. Craft ~30.

  • Handstitched Leather Belt (30–55): 2 Light Leather each. Craft ~25.

  • Handstitched Leather Cloak (55–75): 2 Light Leather + 1 Coarse Thread each. Craft ~20.

• Notes:

  • Vendor Coarse Thread from trade goods suppliers.

  • Sell or vendor crafted items; they’re low value but may recoup some costs.

75–150: Journeyman Leatherworking

• Trainer: Learn Journeyman Leatherworking at skill 50 (up to 150).

• Materials:

  • 100–120 Light Leather.

  • 30–40 Medium Leather (from skinning level 15–30 beasts, e.g., wolves in Westfall/Duskwood).

  • 30–40 Coarse Thread.

• Recipes:

  • Embossed Leather Gloves (75–100): 3 Light Leather + 2 Coarse Thread each. Craft ~25.

  • Medium Armor Kit (100–125): 4 Medium Leather + 1 Coarse Thread each. Craft ~25.

  • Dark Leather Belt (125–150): 1 Fine Leather Gloves (made from 2 Light Leather + 2 Coarse Thread) + 2 Medium Leather + 1 Cured Medium Hide + 1 Fine Thread each. Craft ~25.

• Notes:

  • Cured Medium Hide: Crafted by Leatherworkers (1 Medium Hide + 1 Salt, bought from vendors).

  • Skin in zones like Hillsbrad Foothills for Medium Leather.

  • Check AH for leather if not Skinning.

150–225: Expert Leatherworking

• Trainer: Learn Expert Leatherworking at skill 125 (up to 225).

• Materials:

  • 100–120 Heavy Leather (from skinning level 30–40 beasts, e.g., bears in Ashenvale).

  • 50–60 Medium Leather.

  • 20–30 Fine Thread.

• Recipes:

  • Heavy Armor Kit (150–180): 5 Heavy Leather + 1 Fine Thread each. Craft ~30.

  • Cured Heavy Hide (180–200): 1 Heavy Hide + 3 Salt each. Craft ~20 (used later).

  • Barbaric Shoulders (200–225): 8 Heavy Leather + 1 Cured Heavy Hide + 2 Fine Thread each. Craft ~25.

• Notes:

  • Farm Heavy Leather in Thousand Needles or Feralas.

  • Salt is sold by trade vendors.

  • Save Cured Heavy Hides for later recipes.

225–300: Artisan Leatherworking

• Trainer: Learn Artisan Leatherworking at skill 200 (up to 300).

• Materials:

  • 150–200 Heavy Leather.

  • 50–60 Thick Leather (from skinning level 40–50 beasts, e.g., yetis in Winterspring).

  • 30–40 Silken Thread.

  • 20–30 Cured Heavy Hide.

• Recipes:

  • Nightscape Headband (225–250): 5 Thick Leather + 2 Silken Thread each. Craft ~25.

  • Nightscape Pants (250–275): 10 Thick Leather + 4 Silken Thread each. Craft ~25.

  • Rugged Armor Kit (275–300): 5 Rugged Leather (from skinning level 50–60 beasts, e.g., dragons in Blasted Lands) each. Craft ~25.

• Notes:

  • Farm Thick Leather in Felwood or Rugged Leather in Silithus.

  • Silken Thread is sold by trade vendors.

  • AH prices for Rugged Leather may be high; Skinning saves gold.

300–375: Master Leatherworking

• Trainer: Learn Master Leatherworking at skill 275 from Darmari in Shattrath City (coords: 67, 13) or any capital city trainer.

• Materials:

  • 200–250 Knothide Leather (from skinning Outland beasts, e.g., clefthooves in Nagrand).

  • 20–30 Rune Thread.

• Recipes:

  • Knothide Leather (300–325): 5 Knothide Leather Scraps each. Craft ~50 (if you have scraps from skinning).

  • Knothide Armor Kit (325–350): 4 Knothide Leather + 1 Rune Thread each. Craft ~25.

  • Heavy Knothide Leather (350–375): 5 Knothide Leather each. Craft ~25 (used for later recipes).

• Notes:

  • Farm Knothide Leather in Nagrand or Terokkar Forest.

  • Rune Thread is sold by trade vendors in Shattrath or other cities.

  • Save Heavy Knothide Leather for higher-level recipes.

375–450: Grand Master Leatherworking

• Trainer: Learn Grand Master Leatherworking at skill 350 from any Northrend trainer, e.g., Kul’de in Dalaran (coords: 66, 28).

• Materials:

  • 250–300 Borean Leather (from skinning Northrend beasts, e.g., rhinos in Borean Tundra).

  • 20–30 Eternal Shadow (AH or from Northrend mobs).

  • 20–30 Arctic Fur (rare skinning drop or AH).

• Recipes:

  • Borean Armor Kit (375–400): 4 Borean Leather each. Craft ~25.

  • Arctic Belt (400–425): 10 Borean Leather + 2 Eternal Shadow each. Craft ~25.

  • Fur Lining - Agility (425–450): 1 Arctic Fur each. Craft ~25 (requires a high-level character to apply).

• Notes:

  • Farm Borean Leather in Borean Tundra or Sholazar Basin.

  • Arctic Fur is rare; buy from AH if needed, but it’s costly.

  • Fur Linings are BoP and useful for personal gear.

450–525: Illustrious Grand Master Leatherworking

• Trainer: Learn Illustrious Grand Master Leatherworking at skill 425 from any Cataclysm trainer, e.g., Caryssa in Orgrimmar (Horde, coords: 72, 34).

• Materials:

  • 300–350 Savage Leather (from skinning Cataclysm beasts, e.g., basilisks in Twilight Highlands).

  • 20–30 Volatile Earth (AH or mining).

  • 20–30 Blackened Dragonscale (from skinning dragons in Twilight Highlands).

• Recipes:

  • Savage Armor Kit (450–475): 4 Savage Leather each. Craft ~25.

  • Savage Cloak (475–500): 8 Savage Leather + 2 Volatile Earth each. Craft ~25.

  • Dragonscale Leg Armor (500–525): 10 Savage Leather + 5 Blackened Dragonscale each. Craft ~25.

• Notes:

  • Farm Savage Leather in Tol Barad or Twilight Highlands.

  • Blackened Dragonscale drops from dragons; AH is an option if not Skinning.

  • Save crafted items for AH or personal use.

525–600: Zen Master Leatherworking

• Trainer: Learn Zen Master Leatherworking at skill 500 from Clean Pelt in Kun-Lai Summit, Pandaria (coords: 64, 60).

• Materials:

  • 400–500 Sha-Touched Leather (from skinning Pandaria beasts, e.g., goats in Valley of the Four Winds).

  • 50–60 Exotic Leather (from converting 5 Sha-Touched Leather per Exotic Leather).

  • 20–30 Spirit of Harmony (from Pandaria mobs or dailies).

• Recipes:

  • Exotic Leather (525–550): 5 Sha-Touched Leather each. Craft ~50.

  • Misthide Belt (550–575): 10 Exotic Leather each. Craft ~25.

  • Stormscale Gloves (575–600): 12 Exotic Leather + 1 Spirit of Harmony each. Craft ~25.

• Notes:

  • Farm Sha-Touched Leather in Jade Forest or Valley of the Four Winds.

  • Spirit of Harmony is BoP; farm via dailies or mob kills (e.g., Tillers dailies).

  • Check AH for Exotic Leather if short, but it’s expensive.

  • Discovery Tip: Craft Pandaria patterns to learn new recipes (e.g., Magnificent Hide gear) for profit or use.

Tips for Efficiency

• Skinning Synergy: Pair with Skinning to farm leather directly, saving thousands of gold.

• AH Strategy: Buy leather during low-price periods (e.g., weekdays). Sell crafted gear like belts or leg armor for profit.

• Material Conversion: Use Leatherworking to convert lower-tier leather (e.g., Knothide Scraps to Knothide Leather) if you have excess.

• Dailies: Complete Tillers or Order of the Cloud Serpent dailies for Spirit of Harmony in Pandaria.

• Addons: Use TradeSkillMaster or Auctioneer to track material costs and profit margins.

• Save Materials: Keep high-value items like Magnificent Hide (rare Pandaria drop) for epic recipes at 600.

• Spirit of Harmony: If short, use the Leatherworks at Shrine of Two Moons/Seven Stars to trade excess leather for Spirits.

Estimated Time and Costs

• Time: 2–10 hours, depending on Skinning access and material prep. Crafting is fast; gathering slows it down.

• Cost: ~500g with Skinning; 2000–5000g via AH, depending on server prices.

• Gold Recovery: Sell crafted gear (e.g., Misthide/Stormscale items) or leg armors on AH to offset costs.

Rewards

• Gear: Craft BoE epics like Stormscale Drape or Misthide Helm at 600 for profit or alts.

• Bags: Craft Trapper’s Traveling Pouch (28-slot) for personal use or AH sales.

• Leg Armors: Draconic Leg Reinforcements and Fur Linings are in demand for raiders.

• Achievements: Reach 600 for Zen Master Leatherworker and progress toward Pandaria profession achievements.

• Mounts: Exalted with factions like Golden Lotus unlocks unique patterns, indirectly aiding gold for mounts.

Notes

• MoP’s material costs are high without Skinning, so farm leather in relevant zones.

• Check trainers for new patterns every tier, and craft Discoverable recipes in Pandaria for rare gear.

• Use crafted items for alts or sell on AH to recoup costs, especially Pandaria epics.

• If leveling multiple professions, pair with Cooking or Tailoring to use shared resources.

Enjoy crafting, and gear up Pandaria in style!

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