Category:Blacksmith (A)
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Blacksmithing (Alliance)
Weapons, armor, blade sharpeners, mace and staff weight stones, keys and more are just a sample of things the blacksmith can make. It can be useful for any class, but the armor you make can be worn only by classes in mail, and (later) plate. So, if you can only wear leather or cloth, this may not be the ideal profession for you.
Armorsmith
One of two main specializations you'll have to choose from once you get to a certain level in the trade. Armorsmithing is exactly like what it sounds, a focus on metal armors that gives you access to certain patterns a weaponsmith can't memorize. However, due to some changes, all patterns that are available only to the armorsmith are also bind on pick up, meaning, specialize only in what you will be using since the specialty items you'll be making will be soulbound upon completion.
Weaponsmith
One of two main specializations you'll have to choose from once you get to a certain level in the trade. Weaponsmithing is exactly as it sounds, a focus on weapons that will give you access to certain patterns an armorsmith cannot memorize. However, unlike armorsmithing, weaponsmithing has three further specializations, sword smithing, mace smithing, and axe smithing. Also, weaponsmithing has become subject to the same changes as armorsmithing, all specialty patterns from before have been opened up to every branch of blacksmithing, and all the new specialty patterns make soulbound items. So again, only specialize in a class of items you will be using.
Swords
A weaponsmith who enjoys creating swords and using swords more than other weapons would be wise to choose this branch, which will give you access to powerful sword plans to memorize that only a swordsmith can make. It does not keep you from crafting other weapons, but you will lose access to the special plans of the mace-smith and axe-smith. Again, the old bind on equip recipes have been opened up to all branches and the new specialty-only patterns create soulbound items only.
Maces
A weaponsmith who enjoys creating and using maces and hammers more than other weapons should choose this branch. You will gain access to powerful mace/hammer plans that only the mace-smith can memorize. It does not keep you from crafting (or using) other weapons, but you will lose access to the special plans of the sword-smith and axe-smith. Also modified as the rest, opened to memorize old bind on equip specialty items, and the new specialty mace patterns create soulbound maces.
Axes
A weaponsmith who enjoys crafting and using axes as opposed to any other weapons would likely choose to further skill in making them by choosing this branch of weaponsmithing. You will gain access to powerful axe plans that only the axe-smith can memorize but you will lose access to the powerful plans of the other two weapon-specialty plans. However, it does not keep you from crafting (or using) other weapons. Subjected to the same changes as the other specialties.
Dependencies
Blacksmithing is highly dependent on mining for metals, gems, and stones. However, you will often find the need for various leathers from a skinner, and various cloths from defeated enemies (linen cloth, wool cloth, silk cloth, etc), both of which are more often used to craft the weapons as opposed to the armors. Very rarely you will need a specific herb for a certain pattern. Engineers are capable of creating a plan for you to memorize, but the chances that you will need the part are slim to none as the part is valuable to the engineers themselves. You will occasionally need a crafted piece from another profession, such as a magical potion from an alchemist.
Attractions
Crafting your own weapons, making keys so that you don't have to depend on a rogue to open locked chests and doors, creating sharpening or weight stones to increase your weapon damage, and crafting your own armors (if you can wear them) are all attractions to this tradeskill. What's more, your sharpening and weight stones can be used by anyone with a slashing or blunt weapon.
Drawbacks
Only other blacksmiths of a certain level can use the keys, making them very poor sellers and once you use a key it is consumed so that you cannot use it again (though you can always make another at an anvil; or come prepared with more than one type of that key). Many times people are more interested in buying world drop armor and weapons than they are in buying what you can craft, which means crafting several hard sells just to up your skill in the trade.
Tips & Suggestions
Whenever possible, conserve your ore. You can do this by putting all your ore in the bank and using only the various stones available. The stones are almost always cheaper than your ores and there are only three things you can do with each stone, making these recipes a great way to increase your skill. I would suggest using the stone until all plans involving that stone are grey, then use your ore until you get to the next level of stone plans. If you're too impatient to wait this long to use your ores (excepting, of course, using your ores to craft pieces you are going to equip), then I'd just suggest to use only the stones for as long as you can tolerate waiting.
Best suited classes: Paladin and Warrior
The blacksmith can make certain things the Darkmoon Faire needs, conserving these to hand in when the Darkmoon Faire is around can gain you reputation and tickets from them. Or if you are uninterested in these, selling these items around the time of the faire can make you a decent amount of money. The items are as follows: 10 coarse weightstone, 7 heavy grinding stone, 3 green iron bracers, 1 big black mace, and 8 dense grinding stone (as you raise in reputation, the lower level turn ins will become unavailable and you can then just use them, or sell them for a decent price to others wanting rep and tickets).
