What Do I Want To Be
To me, the question was always between Mining and Blacksmithing as for my new profession once I drop Engineering.
But last night, one of my guild mates suggested I also evaluate becoming an Enchanter.
I need to evaluate what it is I want from my Profession slots. Basically, I'm after two things. A) Raid utility competitive (not necessarily better, but within a few percents) of any other profession and B) a way to make some gold for my character.
Jewelcrafting does both in spades, and it is a very popular profession.
Engineering fails on both accounts A and B, and that is a large part of the reason I'm looking at dropping it.
What follows is my brief analysis of each profession, with help from the Elitist Jerks profession analysis thread.
Mining
Raid Utility: 50 stamina
Gold making: Excellent
Blacksmithing
Raid Utility: 2 extra sockets, flexibility
Gold Making: Poor
Enchanting
Raid Utility: Ring Enchants (24 stam x 2 = 48 stam, AP enchants for Ret)
Gold Making: Good
While I have a high level Miner, as I found out in Lich King, I don't have the kind of time to level up both the miner and my Main to supply him with mats. Even with a Level 70 Miner, I ended up needing to buy most of the mats to level up Jewelcrafting and Engineering on Honorshammer. That's part of the reason I was considering mining on Honorshammer. It uncouples those two characters. Each stands more on his own.
I also like the idea of being Gather/Production instead of Production/Production. It's been a little rough have two gold sink professions like JC/Engy. I'm hesitant to get back into that situation with JC/BS.
I'm intrigued by the Enchanting option. I could AoE my way through low level instances and get greens to DE for mats to level up the profession for very little cost. It's similar to selling the ore and stone I would make leveling up Mining. I could also DE quest rewards I didn't need and be a DE any dungeon drop. Lastly, I'd have a healthy supply of mats for Enchating my gear. Basically I would be self sufficient for augmenting nearly any future drop I get.
I must think on this.
But last night, one of my guild mates suggested I also evaluate becoming an Enchanter.
I need to evaluate what it is I want from my Profession slots. Basically, I'm after two things. A) Raid utility competitive (not necessarily better, but within a few percents) of any other profession and B) a way to make some gold for my character.
Jewelcrafting does both in spades, and it is a very popular profession.
Engineering fails on both accounts A and B, and that is a large part of the reason I'm looking at dropping it.
What follows is my brief analysis of each profession, with help from the Elitist Jerks profession analysis thread.
Mining
Raid Utility: 50 stamina
Gold making: Excellent
Blacksmithing
Raid Utility: 2 extra sockets, flexibility
Gold Making: Poor
Enchanting
Raid Utility: Ring Enchants (24 stam x 2 = 48 stam, AP enchants for Ret)
Gold Making: Good
While I have a high level Miner, as I found out in Lich King, I don't have the kind of time to level up both the miner and my Main to supply him with mats. Even with a Level 70 Miner, I ended up needing to buy most of the mats to level up Jewelcrafting and Engineering on Honorshammer. That's part of the reason I was considering mining on Honorshammer. It uncouples those two characters. Each stands more on his own.
I also like the idea of being Gather/Production instead of Production/Production. It's been a little rough have two gold sink professions like JC/Engy. I'm hesitant to get back into that situation with JC/BS.
I'm intrigued by the Enchanting option. I could AoE my way through low level instances and get greens to DE for mats to level up the profession for very little cost. It's similar to selling the ore and stone I would make leveling up Mining. I could also DE quest rewards I didn't need and be a DE any dungeon drop. Lastly, I'd have a healthy supply of mats for Enchating my gear. Basically I would be self sufficient for augmenting nearly any future drop I get.
I must think on this.
Comments
Just as a little tip if you do decide to pick it up. Don't only look at the greens that drop as disenchanting materials. Gather all the cloth you can and get a friendly tailor to make stuff for you to disenchant. Really sped up the process for me.
Several Ulduar Bosses (Flame Leviathan, Deconstructor, possibly Mimiron?) are 'skinnable' (Salvagable?) by engineers.
Among the potential drops are parts for the Mekgineers Chopper which you should have no trouble selling for over 1,000g at a time.
Not bad money from a boss you were going to take down anyway!
Second, when you sell a shard, you aren't actually making the price of the shard, it's the price of the shard minus the vendor cost (or even AH cost) of the item.
I've found that on my enchanter, I had much less money after levelling as my other character. The other character sold all the quest rewards and drops, and made money from a different profession (Skinning). The enchanter funnelled all the quest rewards and drops into levelling enchanting, and I still had to spend extra gold on materials to finish levelling it.
Some crafting professions are really a bit more heavy in the production department. I can't say I've ever been a fan of heavy production professions. I keep mine lite on production professions and more on gathering for economic reasons. But for me that's fun and economics as well to have cash cushion.
However since you are a Paladin and all that is for soloing, questing and instancing/raiding your also a skilled player so from that point Enchanting profession for the purpose of Disenchanting factor can maybe be a interesting choice. Plus you can enchant your gear and it shouldn't be much a problem getting matts as in green and blues for mats.
I'm loyal to my professions for my own reasons and never one to change anything on a whim or because it's popular. But in another world Enchanting could work along side one gathering profession for me. I would never go double production. But my reasons are I solo quests and so many blues I have to vendor when I could of sharded it. My bank constantly get filled with greens from instance or questing or AoE funning but collect lots of mats that can be dusted or sharded. Even tanking heroics you being the tank you going to see endless blues or purple no one needs or on shard runs you can collect to DE potentially and sell. All are just options. But it makes you self sufficient in that department. And as a tank that can aoe you can solo many instances for fun and kicks or farm for whatever you need and do what you do best aoe farm and collect mats.
Doing all that your totally self sufficient as a Enchanter for the purpose of Disenchanting mostly but with the benefit that you can enchant your gear and others as a side benefit. Now how successful you are on the economic side with the collected mats if that's your thing in the end is all up to you and how savy you are at playing the AH mini game.
When I collect greens I just send them to my alt mail as long as it's not a weapon green I just straight up vendor it for the vendor price which is usually high. But all the greens I bank mail collect I just eventually send to our guild enchanter to all DE for mats to use later. As a Tank you invest heavily in gear as well as maintaining it and need lots of mats to use. It's cheaper than buying the mats sometimes on AH.
Enchanting could possibly be a option for the main reason you wear plate and can aoe farm your mats for fun. I don't know if it's the right choice but it can presents some options to look at.
If I really had enchanting all leveled up just to think about it. I use it for the main purpose of soloing quests rewards/instance for more fun and mats farming as a Plate wearer. Enchanting my gear or others would just be the side benefit. That's just how I would look at it meaning for me Enchanting would just be another gathering profession in how I look at it. Whatever you choose will be all up to you but enjoy whatever you eventually choose.
"Anonymous said...
One note on the gold making potential of Engineering:
Several Ulduar Bosses (Flame Leviathan, Deconstructor, possibly Mimiron?) are 'skinnable' (Salvagable?) by engineers.
Among the potential drops are parts for the Mekgineers Chopper which you should have no trouble selling for over 1,000g at a time.
Not bad money from a boss you were going to take down anyway!"
If the person who left this is still following, I'd love to know where you've heard this.
My alt is a skinner/herbalist, and despite mailing all his BoE greens to my enchanter, he makes money hand over fist comparably.
The only reason I would consider a non-gathering profession would be to get the (sometimes) superior bonuses. Let's consider, then:
JC - whatever bonus the unique gems give; I don't know the math.
BS - 2 extra sockets, which will scale when better gems come out! Today, they are worth 24x2 = 48 STA, or some amount of STR for Ret, both of which scale with Kings.
Enchanting - ring enchants that don't scale and never will, unless they introduce new ring enchants in 3.2 or whatever. Right now they are 24 x 2 = 48 STA, or junkie AP for Ret which doesn't scale with Kings and is already worth less than 2 extra sockets. QQ
So in addition to costing a lot of money to level and maintain, Enchanting doesn't provide the best bonuses. It provides less STA than Mining, and Mining is all profit.
I will almost certainly keep on Enchanting, though, because I've already got it maxed. Still thinking about dumping Engineering for JC/BS someday. Pretty sure the absolute ideal min/max is going JC+BS.
Was pretty awesome.
By that point we should now for sure about skinning Ulduar bosses.
Enchanting is nice to have but I would say it makes a better choice for an alt rather than a main. its nice to have someone to de your greens etc and collect mats for enchants on your main but with the new scrolls you can enchant your own gear and as has been stated the benefits arent all that great. from a money making stand point its not bad to aoe down low level instances de everything and throw them up on the ah (the nice thing about enchanting mats is that it costs you NOTHING to put them on the ah becuase you cant sell them to a vendor)
I havent actually weighed how much money I have made by doing this but I dont think its nearly as strong as mining.
JC is great as you know becuase of the meta gems first and foremost.. it makes it so easy to get socket bonuses you might otherwise ignore as well as meta gem requirements are a breeze. not to mention the jc only trinkets which in many cases are really strong and im sure we will see other ones introduced in later patches.
once the new gems come out BS will be far and away the strongest buff to your character with the two extra sockets and coupled with JC that will be even better.
from what Ive read BS is a pain to level and it doesnt make much money but i will be very strong. Id like to see more BOP items like ther were in BC for the crafting professions.
My recomendation would be BS and JC to be honest. they will be the strongest buffs to your character. If however you are concerned about money.. JC and mining for sure. enchanting provides the convenience and the opportunity for more mats.. but the money making potential in my opinion is not as good as mining so the only buff you would be getting would be the extra ap for your ret rings.