Gathering Professions

We've decided to cover all three gathering professions (Mining, Skinning, and Herbalism) together, as they accomplish more or less the same thing - they allow you to convert your time into Gold by farming crafting materials.

• Skinning is by far the most convenient gathering profession as it does not require you to go out of your way to make it work. If you farm beasts you can skin them for increased profit. Simple as that. It works great as an additional source of pocket money during leveling and it remains a rather reliable gold-making profession in the end-game as well. 
• Herbalism can be very lucrative if you farm herbs that are constantly in demand, especially if you turn them into flasks and elixirs yourself. 
• Mining was less profitable than Herbalism in Classic, but it definitely caught up in TBC. Thanks to Jewelcrafting, raw ores are now often more valuable than ingots (as you can prospect ore can for gems) - keep this in mind and compare the prices before smelting. 

TBC opens up a sea of possibilities for Miners and Herbalists (less so Skinners) as Flying mounts, added in the Expansion, allow you to farm much faster in the Outland. However, to not fall behind, you really need the 280% Flying Mount (farming suddenly got extremely expensive, didn't it?). If you don't have the fast-flying mount, you might want to consider gathering vanilla resources - the ones needed to advance crafting professions, not the end-game ones. These resources are still in high demand as people level up professions on their alts or even re-roll professions on their mains. Skinning, on the other hand, is not as mount-reliant as you can simply grind a single spot (Nagrand is full of skinnable beasts, which makes it a great place for Skinners). Before you embark on a gathering session, don't forget to check the prices - there is nothing worse than returning from multi-hour farming run just to discover that the AH was flooded with your chosen material and the price is now much lower than it used to (if that happens to you, just send the mats to an alt and wait. Prices will stabilize - AH flippers and other opportunists will make sure of that).  

All in all, gathering professions are still a solid starting choice for TBC Classic Gold making, but they will require you to invest quite a lot of time and effort. Also, TBC Herbs and Metal Veins will be highly contested, especially in prime time, so we'd recommend you to farm early in the morning or in the middle of the night (server time). 

Summary - People need crafting materials, but most of the time, they can't be bothered to gather them by themselves. Take advantage of this and become a workhorse of the TBC Classic economy. Just don't forget to make yourself a bucket of coffee beforehand. 

Score: 
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

Mote Extracting

This is a completely new Gold Making method that was made possible with the introduction of the Zapthrottle Mote Extractor - one of the most useful (moneymaking-wise) Engineering Gadgets in WoW's history (until Wrath, anyway...) that allows you to scoop gas clouds and extract Motes from them (and, as you know, you can combine Motes into Primals). Farming with the Zapthrottle Mote Extractor is very unique as it does not require you to farm mobs or use gathering professions; you will need a high enough Engineering skill, however. The recipe that lets you make this gadget comes from a simple quest: "The Zapthrottle Mote Extractor!" in Zargarmarsh (Quest givers are: Mack Diver, located in Zabra'jin - Horde, and K. Lee Smallfry, located in TelRedor - Alliance). Here is a brief breakdown of what Clouds can be found in each of the zones and what can be extracted from them: 

• Clouds in Zargarmarsh drop Mote of Water. 
• Clouds in Nagrand drop Mote of Air. 
• Clouds in Shadowmoon Valley drop Mote of Shadow. 
• Clouds in Netherstorm drop Mote of Mana. 

One last thing -  fast-flying mount would be ideal for this as Gas Clouds are spread thin all around the Outland zones. 

Summary - Engineering is no longer a money sink! Make your own Extractor and farm Primals the alternative way. 

Score: 
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

Fishing

As the most relaxing-to-use (or the most boring, depending on how you look at it) profession by far, Fishing allows players to make some easy TBC Classic Gold without the need for gear, level (in most cases), or active farming. This is why many players like to retreat to their favorite fishing spot and just click on the cork from time to time.

The best thing about Fishing in TBC Classic is the fact that many sought-after crafting reagents come exclusively from the seas and rivers of Azeroth and Outland. To make the most out of fishing, do research on the Auction House to determine which fish are currently the most lucrative to farm, and then simply start fishing. 

Score:
 Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

Flipping the Auction House

This method is as old as in-game Auction Houses. It worked in Vanilla back in 2004, it still works in Retail, and, of course, it works in TBC Classic. 

With the release of the TBC Classic, the demand for many items that previously were top choices for flipping has fallen dramatically. Luckily, the expansion has introduced a plethora of new materials that will be in high demand for the whole lifespan of TBC. Moreover, many vanilla mats have become much more scarce as nobody is farming them anymore, while they still are in demand (people level up alts and train professions on them, etc.) - if you know which ones are needed the most, you can make a lot of gold by flipping them. Use the demand for certain items to your advantage; buy them at a below-average price and then resell them at a profit. Mats, like Rugged Leather and Thorium, are much less common in TBC which makes them great choices for flipping (remember to check the prices and use Auctioneer, or another similar addon, to check the demand before investing - the demand will depend on the server's population, age of the expansion, and other factors). Some other low-level mats are also great flipping choices - Mithril, Mageweave Cloth, Silver, and generally every other low-level material needed to level up your professions (especially if it's needed for Jewel Crafting). As for TBC Classic mats, pretty much all of them are flippable - just keep in mind that a lot of people will do that and thus the competition (and prices) will be quite high. 

This method is quite unique because you don't need level, gear, or high amounts of time to implement it... but you need a hefty initial investment of Gold (you have to buy the stuff you're gonna resell, after all). We will not pretend that Flipping is a miraculous, secret method; many people do it and do it well, and there are addons that can help you with it (we recommend the classic - Auctioneer). If you are new to flipping, there are some important things to remember: 

• There is a 5% auction house cut on all sold items; take it into account during your profit calculations. 
• If your auction expires, you don't get your deposit back, and the longer the chosen auction time, the higher the deposit. 
• Try to post short auctions, not only because deposits are lower, but also because you will get undercut before your auctions end anyway; this will minimize your costs. 
• Don't rush your auctions; if your assets fall in price, hold them for some time (on a bank alt or even in a mailbox), prices will rise up again most likely (they tend to fluctuate weekly - everything gets a bit more expensive on weekends because of increasing server population). 
• Focus on items that are needed by many players in large quantities; crafting materials, especially ones needed for consumables and popular crafted end-game gear are great choices. You can also search for rare but still in-demand stuff, like recipes - many people will try to sell them quickly, below their actual value - take advantage of that. 
• Think, analyze, and be patient; if you notice that auction house gets flooded with a certain item constantly, you might want to skip that item for the time being; its price will most likely drop, and you'll be getting undercut all the time - not worth it. 
• The price of materials is often lower than the price of a complete Item. If you have appropriate professions, you can make additional TBC Classic Gold by buying mats on the AH, crafting stuff, and then selling it. 

Important Note: Flipping, just like all other methods that require an initial investment, is associated with risk. If you are new to the concept, start with a low investment that you can afford to lose, and that will let you learn - just to be safe. 

Score:
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability *

*Profitability here is shown in relation to the time investment needed - you can spend 30 minutes/day flipping and make ~500 gold in that time if you know what you are doing. Other methods might easily earn you more gold per day, but they will also sink much more of your time. 

Farming Primals

Primals are TBC's counterparts of the Classic's Essences (more or less). They are needed in a plethora of crafting recipes and thus they are constantly in high demand. Farming them is one of the most popular end-game farming methods in the TBC Classic; you can draw two conclusions from this statement: 1 - You can make a lot of money by farming them, and 2 - All farming spots will be highly contested; don't expect to have a spot for yourself, like ever (unless you farm at 3 AM, then maybe...). 

Here are some of the best spots for Farming Primals: 

• Kirin'Var Village in the southernmost floating island of the Netherstorm - This is a great place for farming Primal Mana. Just be aware that you'll need a flying mount to get there. Thanks to quick respawn, multiple people can farm there without going into each other's way. 
• Elemental Plateau in Nagrand - A great place to farm multiple types of Primals at a time - Water, Air, and Fire. Just be aware that this is the most popular farming spot in the most popular zone of the expansion... This is a good spot if you can afford to farm in the middle of the night or very early in the morning. During the server's prime time, there will be more people than mobs, most likely. Also, you'll need a flying mount to get there. 
• Skettis in Terrorkar Forest - A great spot for herbalists who want to farm Primal Life. Once there, you will want to defeat elite treants and harvest them with your herbalism. Be aware that you will need a Flying Mount and quite good gear for this one. 
• Throne of Kil'Jaeden in Hellfire Peninsula - A solid place to farm Primal Fire. Your targets are the Incandescent Fel Sparks that have high drop rates for Motes of Fire. 
• Skald in Blade's Edge Mountains - Another good place to farm Primal Fire. This one will most likely be very crowded as it's one of the most popular spots. 
• Hand of Gul'Dan in Shadowmoon Valley - Yet another farming spot for Primal Fire. 

Score:
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

Solo Dungeon Grinding

The fact that Dungeons are designed for groups of 5 means that they offer much better loot than solo spots for a similar level. The only problem is, mobs in Dungeons are Elite, and defeating a single Elite of an appropriate level is tricky, not to mention a whole dungeon of them. This leaves three options for would-be solo Dungeon grinders: 

• You focus on Dungeons for a much lower level range than your current, and speed run them, slaying everything and picking up all worthwhile drops. Class with good AoE and solid Crowd Control would be ideal for this. 
• You AoE grind in the level-appropriate Dungeons that allow it because of the terrain and mob composition. If a dungeon has a ledge you can jump from and screw with mobs' pathing, you can kill multiple level-appropriate elites without too much of a problem. The second condition is - all mobs have to be melee, for rather obvious reasons. 
• You play as a Rogue and you stealth your way through level-appropriate dungeons, picking up all Herbs and Metal Veins, and opening all Chests (which have better loot tables than their open-world counterparts). Druids might also attempt this, but without Sap, Blind, and Vanish it might get tricky, to say the least. 

Dungeons you can run solo will depend on your class and gear. Rogues can stealth-run dungeons that mainly consist of humanoid mobs. Every Class can speed run through low-level instances, but the profit from doing it will be rather mixed. Classes that excel at AoE grinding, can attempt level-appropriate Dungeons - Mages are always great for this, but a well-geared and prepared Paladin can get the job done as well. Here are some worthwhile Solo Dungeon Farms: 

• Solo Black Morass AoE Farm - This farm is doable by Mages and Paladins. Contrary to what you might think, Mages are not necessarily better for this one, and for one simple reason: You can use a Mount to pull mobs but if they hit you in the back, they will dismount you... unless you have enough Defense (465) which Paladins can easily achieve. Highly recommended items, for Paladins, for this farm, are Dabiri's Enigma and Figurine of the Colossus, as they allow you to speed up the kill phase by a lot (you can just tank 100+ mobs with these two for some time (they synergize extremely well and allow you to replenish Health almost the moment you lose it). There are ~125 Mobs roaming inside the Instance before you activate portals; these are your focus - you don't want to start the event. Once inside, pull as many mobs as you dare and run to the Portal and place yourself in one of its back corners (in a way that prevents mobs from encircling you). Use Consecration, pop your Cooldowns and Trinkets, and fight the mobs for as long as your Dabiri's Enigma lasts (this is your burn phase). Then, jump off (mobs will go the long way around) and put Consecration in the mobs' path (use Rank 1). After that, run back to the starting location at the portal, place yet another Consecration on the stairs so that mobs run through it. When mobs catch up to you, jump down again and repeat the kiting pattern - do that until your Cooldowns refresh. Once your Cooldowns are back up, repeat the burn phase. Be aware that low-health mobs run slower and can separate from the main pack. If you plan to do this as a Mage, the Portal is still the best kiting spot - you just follow the standard AoE farming rotation. If you do this farm efficiently, you can easily complete 5 runs in under an hour. Doing so should yield you ~500 TBC Classic Gold per hour. 
• Solo Shattered Halls AoE Farm - Other than the Black Morass farm mentioned above, there are not too many instances you can efficiently farm solo as a Mage (ones that are possible either not yield good profits, are very difficult, or simply take too much time). However, there is an alternative to the Black Morass - the Shattered Halls. Your main targets here are Gladiators on the second floor. They are all melee which makes them perfect for AoE farming. They are stationed in small alcoves along a corridor, which makes pulling them quite easy. To get to them, you will need a group, though... we recommend you just hire a Tank or assemble a group and ask them to skip the Gladiator packs - once the Instance is done, you start farming while the rest of the group ports out of the dungeon. After pulling every pack, you simply slow them down with Blizzard and kite them back and forth along the main hallway. Once you kill every mob except the Captains, you cast Invisibility... this will make Captains reset, run back to their spots, and respawn all downed Gladiators. Thanks to this, you don't have to worry about lockouts as you have an infinite supply of elite mobs to farm on without ever resetting an instance! Just remember that your Invisibility has 5 minutes Cooldown - time your runs so that you have it back up at the end of each kill phase. You can do this farm at level 67+, so it's also a great leveling spot. Other than Gold and Experience, you will get Thrallmar Reputation from doing this farm (12 per mob), which is nice. 
• Underbog and Steamvaults Stealth Runs - These two dungeons are ideal for farming Chests, Herbs, and Metal Veins as a Rogue. You can do both of these rather easily, especially if you allocate your Talents to the Subtlety tree (Shadowstep, Cheat Death, Master of Subtlety, Camouflage, and Elusiveness are a must-have, we'd say) - a more or less standard Sub PvP Build will work. If you have Herbalism and Mining, Underbog will yield more. If you don't, you should focus on Steamvaults. If a Boss detects you, just sprint, pop cloak of shadows, and vanish. Regular mobs should not spot you if you're careful. 
  • Auchindoun instances are also great for Stealth Runs. 

Score:
Easiness  | Quickness  | Profitability 

END NOTE

Please remember that the in-game economy of TBC Classic is fluid and will change over time (especially after a new Phase is launched). This is why all gold-making activities that require an initial investment should be performed with the highest caution to minimize the risks involved. Sometimes it is better to wait for the prices to stabilize before taking any risky in-game actions, like investing heavily or posting up a large stock of farmed goods. Moreover, it is worth remembering that certain goods will considerably rise in value after new Raids open (reagents required to craft particular consumables, for example).  

We hope that you have found this guide useful and informative. If we have missed a method that is worth mentioning, please let us know! Also, we will be happy to receive constructive criticism that will help us improve our future work so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.