WoW Forever Blacksmithing Specializations: Armorsmith vs Weaponsmith
Beta caveat: built from beta data ahead of launch on 4 Nov UTC / 5 Nov AEDT. [Classic-based] = Classic Era data Forever may change; [Unconfirmed] = to recheck at launch.
Blacksmithing still has two specializations in Forever: Armorsmith and Weaponsmith. Classic WoW Forever's read of the beta client confirms both are there. You prove yourself by crafting a set of items and handing them to a specialist trainer in Ironforge or Orgrimmar. For skill-ups, follow the Blacksmithing 1–300 guide. It uses no spec plans, so it works for either path.
Quick comparison
| Spec | Best for | Items to hand in |
|---|---|---|
| Armorsmith | Plate for yourself or your tank. Players who want armour plans. | 4 Ornate Mithril Helm, 2 Ornate Mithril Boots, 1 Ornate Mithril Breastplate |
| Weaponsmith | Melee weapons with on-hit effects. Players who want weapon plans. | 4 Moonsteel Broadsword, 4 Massive Iron Axe, 2 Heavy Mithril Axe, 2 Big Black Mace |
Questing.wiki's Forever quest records list minimum level 40 for both quests. The entry skill of 200 comes from Classic. [Classic-based]
How to unlock it
- Reach the level and skill above.
- Learn the plans for every item on your list, then craft them.
- Take the items to your faction's specialist and turn in the quest.
| Spec | Trainer | Quest |
|---|---|---|
| Armorsmith (Alliance) | Grumnus Steelshaper, Ironforge (50.2, 42.6) | The Art of the Armorsmith |
| Armorsmith (Horde) | Okothos Ironrager, Orgrimmar (79.8, 23.8) | The Art of the Armorsmith |
| Weaponsmith (Alliance) | Ironus Coldsteel, Ironforge (50.4, 43.0) | The Way of the Weaponsmith |
| Weaponsmith (Horde) | Borgosh Corebender, Orgrimmar (79.6, 23.6) | The Way of the Weaponsmith |
Armorsmith shopping list
Plan this one early. Questing.wiki lists the Ornate Mithril plans as quest-taught, with the helm and boots at skill 245 and the breastplate at 240. That's well past the 200 entry skill, so you'll be crafting near Artisan before you can turn in.
| Item | Materials (each craft) |
|---|---|
| Ornate Mithril Helm ×4 | 16× Mithril Bar, 2× Truesilver Bar, 1× Black Pearl, 1× Solid Grinding Stone |
| Ornate Mithril Boots ×2 | 14× Mithril Bar, 2× Truesilver Bar, 4× Thick Leather, 1× Solid Grinding Stone, 1× Aquamarine |
| Ornate Mithril Breastplate ×1 | 16× Mithril Bar, 6× Truesilver Bar, 1× Heart of Fire, 1× Solid Grinding Stone |
That's 108 Mithril Bar, 18 Truesilver Bar, 8 Thick Leather, 7 Solid Grinding Stone, 4 Black Pearl, 2 Aquamarine and 1 Heart of Fire in total, assuming one item per craft. Reagents are from Wowhead's Forever tooltips.
Weaponsmith shopping list
Twelve weapons across four plans, but they need less skill. The Moonsteel Broadsword plans need 155 and the Massive Iron Axe plans need 160. Both bind on pickup, so you have to find them yourself. Questing.wiki records the Heavy Mithril Axe at 210 and the Big Black Mace at 230.
| Item | Materials (each craft) |
|---|---|
| Moonsteel Broadsword ×4 | 8× Steel Bar, 2× Strong Flux, 2× Heavy Grinding Stone, 3× Lesser Moonstone, 3× Heavy Leather |
| Massive Iron Axe ×4 | 14× Iron Bar, 2× Strong Flux, 2× Heavy Grinding Stone, 4× Gold Bar, 2× Heavy Leather |
| Heavy Mithril Axe ×2 | 12× Mithril Bar, 2× Citrine, 1× Solid Grinding Stone, 4× Heavy Leather |
| Big Black Mace ×2 | 16× Mithril Bar, 1× Black Pearl, 4× Shadowgem, 1× Solid Grinding Stone, 2× Thick Leather |
In total: 56 Iron Bar, 32 Steel Bar, 56 Mithril Bar, 16 Gold Bar, 16 Strong Flux, 16 Heavy Grinding Stone, 4 Solid Grinding Stone, 12 Lesser Moonstone, 8 Shadowgem, 4 Citrine, 2 Black Pearl, 20 Heavy Leather and 4 Thick Leather.
What each spec gets
Questing.wiki's Forever records name Truesilver Gauntlets and Truesilver Breastplate as Armorsmith plans, and The Shatterer and Phantom Blade as Weaponsmith plans. The Shatterer can disarm on hit. Phantom Blade cuts the target's armour and stops it stealthing while the effect lasts.
Wowhead's Forever tooltips for these items don't show the spec, so the lock comes from the recipe records, not the item. The rest of the Classic spec lists haven't been checked against Forever yet. [Classic-based]
Which one should you pick?
- Armorsmith: pick this if you tank or gear a plate wearer. The hand-in is pricier and needs skill 240 to 245.
- Weaponsmith: pick this for melee weapons. The hand-in uses cheaper bars and you can finish it sooner.
- Gold: a spec isn't needed for most Blacksmithing gold. See crafting for gold and Merchant's Favor.
Related: Engineering specializations, Leatherworking specializations, Mining, ore farming, all professions.
FAQ
Can I switch specs?
Forever sources haven't said whether you can unlearn a Blacksmithing spec or what it costs. [Unconfirmed]
Do Axesmith, Hammersmith and Swordsmith exist in Forever?
The Forever sources we checked don't cover these later Weaponsmith paths yet. We'll add them once they're confirmed. [Unconfirmed]
Do I need a spec to reach 300?
No. The 1–300 route uses no spec plans, so you can level first and choose later.
Sources
- Questing.wiki — WoW Forever Profession Specializations
- Classic WoW Forever — Blacksmithing guide (beta build 1.60.1.70291)
- Wowhead Forever item, spell, quest and NPC tooltips