WoW Skinning
So you want to learn skinning? Sure the sound of it is kewl, and you will be racing around cleaning up after your own mess. So why not! And I totally agree.
But before you get started, racing around skinning any little furry mob you see in sight, have a read of this 1st, to give you an idea of how to level skinning even quicker! Because the only thing better than leveling up your skinning, is leveling skinning faster.
Where to Start
The main things to know here is, Trainers, Items(bags) & Leather types. Lets cover the basics.
Trainers:
They are everywhere, and for both Alliance and Horde. So where do you find them? Here is a list of the starting locations for both Alliance and Horde and their respective skinning trainers.
Ranks you can learn from these trainers:
(Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, Artisan)
NB: These are all the skinners you should find around the original World of Warcraft game.
Alliance Skinning Trainers
o NightElf (m), Radnaal Maneweaver - Northwest of Ban'ethil Hollow - Teldrassil
o NightElf (f), Eladriel - Craftsmen's Terrace - Darnassus
o Human (f), Helene Peltskinner - Goldshire - Elwynn Forest
o Human (f), Maris Granger - Old Town - Stormwind
o Dwarf (m), Balthus Stoneflayer - The Great Forge - Ironforge
o Human (f), Wilma Ranthal - Stonewatch Falls - Redridge Mountains
o NightElf (f), Jayla - Silverwind Refuge - Ashenvale
World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade (only)
o Furblog, Gurf - Stillpine Hold - Azuremyst Isle
o Draenei (f), Remere - Traders' Tier - The Exodar
Horde Skinning Trainers
o Undead (m), Rand Rhobart - Southeast of Brill - Tirisfal Glades
o Undead (m), Killian Hagey - The Rogues' Quarter - Undercity
o Tauren (m), Yonn Deepcut - Bloodhoof Village - Mulgore
o Tauren (f), Mooranta - Middle Rise - Thunder Bluff
o Orc (m), Thuwd - The Drag - Orgrimmar
o Tauren (m), Dranh - Camp Taurajo - the Barrens
o Troll (m), Malux - Shadowprey Village - Desolace
o Tauren (m), Kulleg Stonehorn - Camp Mojache - Feralas
World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade (only)
o BloodElf (m), Mathreyn (upto journeyman only) - West of Silvermoon entrance - Eversong Woods
o BloodElf (f), Tyn - alk of Elders - Silvermoon
Tools (Items):
OK, so now you have learnt your skill for Skinning, and are ready to go skin some mobs. Wait wait, hang on a second. You need some tools. or in the games terms, items.
o (Required) Skinning Knife
o (Suggested, but optional) Leather working bag like the 'Bag of Many Hides'
You can get away without a skinning knife, if you attack with an axe, knife or sword. But only until a certain level, and this only frees up 1 bag slot. And YES, your MUST carry the skinning knife with you.
Which is why the 'Bag of Many Hides' is so great, it can be used to store all your leather and skinning knife in, and its BIG. Another great advantage. Definatly worth the gold.
Leather Types:
I saw this somewhere, and thought it was quite interesting. A list of all the leather types available in the Original World of Warcraft and what level mobs you can expect to see them on. In the expansions, there are only 1 type of skinnable leather from mobs.
o Ruined Leather Scraps - expected mob level: 1-16
o Light Leather - expected mob level: 1-27
o Light Hide - expected mob level: 10-27
o Medium Leather - expected mob level: 15-36
o Medium Hide - expected mob level: 15-36
o Heavy Leather - expected mob level: 25-46
o Heavy Hide - expected mob level: 25-46
o Thick Leather - expected mob level: 35-63
o Thick Hide - expected mob level: 40-59
o Rugged Leather - expected mob level: 43-63
o Rugged Hide - expected mob level: 47-63
NB: You can upgrade your leather with Leather Working. Sometimes, I would just get a guildie or friend to do this for me in exchange for some leather goods.
Lets Get Skinning!
OK, so we have got the skill, got the tools, learnt a little about the skinning leathery stuff. So now we need to know where to start. Well if you are doing this with a new toon, then pretty much the 1st place you can kill a mob, you can skin a mob. But here is a list of suggested areas which can really help you speed this process up.
Level your Skinning from 1-25
Horde
o Undead - Hounds around Brill
o Orcs and Trolls - Mottled Boars and Scorpids around Sen'Jin Village
o Tauren - Prowlers and Plainstriders around Bloodhoof Village
Alliance
o Humans - Boars around Goldshire
o Gnomes and Dwarfves - Crag Boars and Wendigo's South of Kharanos
o Night Elves - Nightsabers and critters around Dolanaar
Level your Skinning from 25-50
Horde
o Undead - Worgs and Moonrage Gluttons around Silverpine
o Orcs and Trolls - Boars, Scorpids, Crocolisks and Raptors around Orgrimmar
o Tauren - Prowlers and Praire Wolves around Thunderbluff
Alliance
o Human - Prowlers and Bears around Eastvale Logging Camp
o Gnomes and Dwarfves - Wolves around Brenwall Village
o Night Elves - Moonstalkers and Bears around Auberdine
Level your Skinning from 50-100Horde
o Most Horde races - Plainstriders, Raptors and Prowlers around Crossroads
Alliance
o Humans - Goretusks all around Sentinel Hill
o Gnomes and Dwarfves - Bears and Crocolisks around Thelsamar
o Night Elves - Moonstalkers and Bears North of Auberdine
Level your Skinning from 100-130
Horde
o Most Horde races - Stormsnouts and Thunderhawks around Camp Taurajo
Alliance
o Most Alliance races - Crocolisks and Raptors around Bluegill Marsh and Whelgar's Excavation Site
o Alternative - Whelps and boars around Lakeshire
Level your Skinning from 130-150
Alliance and Horde have 3 areas to level now
o Bears and Mountain Lions around Hillsbrad Foothills
o Ravagers and Wolves in Duskwood
o Bears, Stags and Ghostpaws in Ashenvale
Level your Skinning from 150-170
Alliance and Horde
o Yeti Cave in Hillsbrad Fields
o Mountain Lions on the "Daggers"
NB: these are the bits of land between Hillsbrad and Alterac Mountains, one is called Corrans Dagger, so hence the nickname
o Hyenas, Lions, Wyvern and Thunderhawks in Thousand Needles
o Bears, Stags and Ghostpaws in Ashenvale
Level your Skinning from 170-180
Alliance and Horde
o Raptors in Arathi Highlands
o Turtles and Basilisks in The Shimmering Flats
Level your Skinning from 180-220
Alliance and Horde
o Raptors, Panthers and Tigers around Nessingwarys Camp in Stranglethorn Vale
NB: you could actually get your skinning level all the way to 300 in and around STV as the mobs range from level 34 to level 50
o Raptors and Crocs in Dustwallow Marsh
o Thunder Lizards, Kodos, Basilisks, Scorpids and Hyenas in Desolace
o Whelps in Swamp of Sorrows
Level your Skinning from 220-250
Alliance and Horde
o Raptors and Gorillas around the Gurabashi Arena
o Panthers, Jaguars and Crocs in Swamp of Sorrows
o Dragonkin, Coyotes and Ridge Stalkers/Huntresses in Badlands
o Wolves around Feathermoon Stronghold in Feralas
Level your Skinning from 250-275
Alliance and Horde
o Snickerfangs and Boars in North Blasted Lands
o Silvermanes and Gryphons in The Hinterlands
o Stags and Hippogryphs in Azshara
o Hippogryphs, Apes, Bears, Wolves, Screechers and Yetis in Feralas
Level your Skinning from 275-300
Alliance and Horde, lots of choice here, try out your skills around:
o Jagueros and Gorillas on Jaguero Island
NB: Large Island to the East of Booty Bay where Princess Poobah is being held
o Yetis, Chimeras and Bears in Winterspring
o Bears in Western Plaguelands
o Plaguehounds and Plaguebats in Eastern Plaguelands
o Turtles by Raventusk Village in The Hinterlands
o Turtles and Chimeras in Azshara
o Dragonkin, Worgs and Scorpids in Burning Steppes
OK, I did say I would take you all the way to 450 didn't I. Well here is the Burning Crusade Skinning Guide. From here on out, its the same for both factions.
Level your Skinning from 300-330
o Hellboars & Ravagers around Hellfire Peninsula
Level your Skinning from 330-350
o Talbuk's and Clefthoofs all over Nagrand
NB: it's possible to keep going all the way to skinning 375 here unless you want a change of scenery
Level your Skinning from 350-375
o Netherdrakes around Stormspire in Netherstorm
o Netherdrakes around Netherwing Fields in Shadowmoon Valley
o Raptors and Wind Serpents around Blades Edge Mountains
And here is my World of Warcraft Skinning guide for Wrath of the Lich King.
Level your Skinning from 375-405
o Shoveltusks around Howling Fjord
Level your Skinning from 375-405
o Mammoths around Borean Tundra
NB: There are usually heaps of dead ones just lying around here as well
Level your Skinning from 405-430
o Deer, Infected Grizzly Bears, Wolves and everything else on the Grizzly Hills
Level your Skinning from 430-450
o Giraffes, Mangal Crocolisks, Gorillas and pretty much anything in Sholazar Basin
OK, and thats some of the best places to level skinning profession from 1 - 450 fairly quickly. I think the quickest I have seen someone do this is in about 9 hours. Feel free to tell me your score! And if you can prove it, I will make a special write up about your techniques!
Master of Anatomy
I remembered I was going to mention this, and since WotLK, there is no skill level vs character level restrictions anymore. So if you want to make a twink @ 19, you can still craftily level you skinning all the way upto 450!
o (75-149) Master of Anatomy Rank 1 - increases Critical Strike by 3
o (150-224) Master of Anatomy Rank 2 - increases Critical Strike by 6
o (225-229) Master of Anatomy Rank 3 - increases Critical Strike by 9
o (300-374) Master of Anatomy Rank 4 - increases Critical Strike by 12
o (375-449) Master of Anatomy Rank 5 - increases Critical Strike by 20
o (450+) Master of Anatomy Rank 6 - increases Critical Strike by 32
OK, that's it for now, I hope this guide has been helpful to you and your skinning efforts in the World of Warcraft.