Engineering Guide

The purpose of this guide is to answer the commonly asked questions about the Engineering profession, provide you with information and data about it, and give you a number of hints to help you in your quest in mastering this profession!

What is Engineering?
Engineering is the ability to create many new and useful technical gadgets in the World of Warcraft. It is a slightly futuristic ability for a fantasy world, that focuses on the creation of bombs, gun scopes, gadgets and more. Best of all anyone can become engineering. The people that choose to take up the engineering profession can make some pretty useful gadgets and equipment that add a technological aspect to World of Warcraft.

Why should I be an Engineer?
To make bombs. Do you really need more reasons than that? OK, how about to make bigger bombs? Still not selling you? Ok, how about the ability rez players (using goblin jumper cables) or to create a helm equivalent to a tier 5 raid helm or your own helicopter as a flying mount at level 70! Got you there, didn't I. The items that an engineer makes are very useful as well as humorous. Being an engineer will definitely add to your experience in World Of Warcraft.

Due to the bonuses that engineering adds it can be useful to all classes, however is viewed as being most beneficial to Hunters, Rogues, Mages, Priests, Paladins, and Warlocks.

Why shouldn't I be an Engineer?
Your hooked, you want to make bombs, don't you. Well there are a few downsides to engineering that you should know about before jumping in head first. There are several bad points about engineering, such as: many items you create can backfire causing bad effects, and many items are expensive to create, most items can only be used by an engineer meaning you don't make much money.

What other skills go well with Engineering?
Mining goes well with engineering as metal bars are a common ingredient in Engineering recipes. It's less expensive in the long run if you choose mining as your second primary trade skill.

How do I make Engineering items?
In your skills section, there will be an engineering icon, click it to bring up your list of patterns. If you have the required ingredients and tools a number will show up beside the pattern, this is how many you can make of that item. I find it easiest if you put the icon on hot bar. The required tools to be an engineer are: a blacksmiths hammer, a forge, an anvil. There are other tools required for some recipes, like the arclight spanner. These are found on mobs or can be made by engineers. Forges and anvils are found in most major cities and towns, and several areas in the wild.

Where else can I learn new designs other than from the trainers?
Engineering patterns come from your trainers to start with and then later others can be bought from vendors around the world, and even more can be found as loot drops. Many of the high level patterns are loot drops from end-game dungeons and raids (some can be purchased from faction vendors if you have high enough reputation with that faction). Of course, if you have the money, you can always check the Auction House to see what formulas might be put up for sale by other players. Once you reach the Outlands many are available only after you earn enough reputation with specific factions to buy them from.

What ingredients are used in Engineering?
Mainly ore is used at the lower levels of engineering, but at the higher levels, a whole range of items are needed. They include rare gems, linen and cloth, items made from other professions like dusky belts from leatherworkers or Frost Oil from alchemists. The shear variety of ingredients for engineering recipes may make it annoying to level in, but the high end items produced with engineering are well worth it.

Why can鈥檛 I make a Target Dummy??
You can only make item for which you have the recipe and the skill to make them. You are given some basics one when you first start, but for the rest they have to be found on mobs, or bought from NPCs or other players. Some of the best patterns are only found as rare drops from high level instance dungeons.

How do I increase my Engineering skill?
To increase your engineering skill you need to make items with a progressively higher difficulty rating.

Why didn鈥檛 my skill increase 30 points when I made 30 Handfuls Of Copper Bolts?
Your skills increase only if you produce item that have a high difficulty rating. All production patterns are color coded for complexity.

What are the difficulty ratings for patterns?
From easiest to hardest the color are gray, green, yellow, orange and red. Patterns that are red will never be in your list of patterns, but they are visible at the blacksmithing trainers. Orange patterns will always increase your skill, yellow patterns sometimes increase your skill, green patterns will rarely increase your skill, and gray patterns will never increase your skill.

What is the best way to level Engineering?
There are two main things to remember when trying to level your engineering skill. The first is to only make orange difficulty items whenever possible. Only make yellow difficulty items when they are significantly cheaper to produce than orange difficulty items.