Blacksmithing

Blacksmithing is a primary profession that shapes metal mined and smelted through Mining, together with trade and magical goods. Blacksmiths make melee weapons, mail and plate armor, parts that other professions use (such as rods for enchanters), keys that open various things in the world, and consumables like sharpening stones and weightstones that boost weapons for a while.

Blacksmiths usually cannot repair their own gear and still visit repair vendors. The exception is the Master's Hammer from Dragonflight, which can repair plate items. They can also make some utility items, such as Inflatable Mount Shoes (mount equipment) and one profession mount, the Steelbound Harness.

Ten weapon types come from the forge: one-handed axes, maces and swords; two-handed axes, maces and swords; fist weapons, daggers, shields and some polearms. A few low-level mail plans also exist because, in the original game, plate classes wore mail until level 40. See Equipment, Armor Types and Stats for armor types.

Since patch 8.0.1 (2018) every expansion has its own skill bar with a small cap, instead of one long bar that covered all expansions together. Classic runs from 1 to 300; the newer bars are much shorter:

Skill goes up as you craft. Plans change colour from orange to yellow, green and finally gray as your skill grows, so you must keep learning higher plans. They come from trainers at regular steps, or from loot, quests, vendors and the Auction House; some also need reputation with a faction.

• You need a Blacksmith Hammer; better hammers, such as the Black Dragon Touched Hammer, improve your crafting.
• Most work is done at an anvil. Anvils, and forges for smelting, stand in most towns and cities, and the Lightforged Draenei racial ability can summon one.
• Racial skill bonuses: Lightforged Draenei +5 (Forge of Light), Dark Iron Dwarf +5 (Mass Production) and Kul Tiran +2 (Jack of All Trades). See Allied Races.

Mining is the classic partner because ore goes into every recipe; Skinning helps a little, since some plans also ask for leather or scales (see Gathering Professions).

Some older bars can be turned into rarer bars a limited number of times per day:

• Balanced Trillium Ingot: from 1 Trillium Bar; adding a Spirit of War skips the daily wait.
• Lightning Steel Ingot: from 10 Ghost Iron Bar, using its own plans.
• Truesteel Ingot: from 20 True Iron Ore and 10 Blackrock Ore, giving at least 8 ingots depending on your skill.

Blacksmiths can make belt buckles, which anyone can use: a buckle adds a permanent extra gem socket to a belt of the right level. From patch 3.0.2 they could also add sockets to their own bracers and gloves at 400 skill, but that perk was removed in patch 6.0.2.

The old Armorsmith and Weaponsmith specializations were removed in patch 4.0.1. Blacksmithing specializations came back in Dragonflight.