TBC Anniversary Best Professions: Phase 3 Picks by Class and Goal

Quick summary

• TBC Anniversary has 10 primary professions, and you can have two. The skill cap is 375. Raids and phases matter more than any tier list. In Phase 3, the big profession content is epic gems, Hearts of Darkness crafts, and Shadow Resistance gear for Black Temple.
• Enchanting is the most common second profession in Wowhead's spec-by-spec picks. Self-only ring enchants give casters +24 spell power and healers +40 healing.
• Engineering is close to mandatory for Mages and tanks, according to Wowhead, because of Sapper Charges and Phase 2 goggles. But explosives share a cooldown with Leatherworking drums, so don't take both on a melee character.
• Tailoring is the top pick early for Shadow Priests, Warlocks, and Mages (Spellfire and Shadoweave sets). Leatherworking is your group's drummer, and Wowhead calls it non-negotiable for Enhancement Shamans.
• For gold in Phase 3, the gold guides lead with Jewelcrafting and Mining, because 375 Mining unlocks epic gem nodes inside Hyjal. Alchemy with Transmutation Master is the low-effort alternative.

Know the professions and the rules

Type	Professions	What matters in Phase 3
Gear crafting	Blacksmithing, Leatherworking, Tailoring	Item level 141 haste bracers and shoulders, plus Shadow Resistance sets from Okuno
Consumables and upgrades	Alchemy, Enchanting, Jewelcrafting	Flasks, ring enchants, and epic gem cuts
Utility	Engineering	Sapper Charges, goggles, and gadgets
Gathering	Herbalism, Mining, Skinning	Mining at 375 can harvest epic gem nodes inside Hyjal
Secondary	Cooking, Fishing, First Aid	No limit. Learn all three.

Our TBC leveling guide covers when to level professions on your way to 70.

Compare the tier lists

Profession	Wowhead (picks by spec)	Phase 3 gold guides
Enchanting	The second pick for nearly every spec (ring enchants)	Strong passive income
Engineering	Must-have for Mages, first pick for most tanks	Utility, not gold
Leatherworking	Drums, Enhancement's must-have, Hunter's early best	Moderate
Jewelcrafting	Mediocre early, but the Sunwell necklace (Phase 5)	Top pick, with Mining
Blacksmithing	Retribution's #1, DPS Warriors	Moderate
Tailoring	First pick for Shadow, Warlock, and Mage in early phases	Cloth cooldowns
Alchemy	Redeemer's Alchemist Stone in Phase 5	Low-effort, using transmutes
Mining / Herbalism / Skinning	Support for crafting professions	Mining is top with Jewelcrafting

Pick by class and spec

Class / spec	First pick (Wowhead)	Second pick	Note
Mage	Engineering	Tailoring early, Enchanting from Phase 2	Explosives are "a significant portion" of raid DPS
Warlock	Tailoring	Enchanting	Spellstrike, Shadow's Embrace, and Spellfire sets
Shadow Priest	Tailoring (Shadoweave)	Enchanting	Shadow's Embrace set is best in slot in Phase 1
Healing Priest	Tailoring (Mooncloth)	Enchanting	Primal Mooncloth pieces last well into later raids
Restoration Druid	Tailoring or Leatherworking	Enchanting	+40 healing from two ring enchants
Balance Druid	Tailoring	Enchanting	Spellfire set for Tailors only
Feral Druid	Engineering or Leatherworking	Enchanting	Greater Drums (recipes from Oct 22) work in forms
Hunter	Leatherworking early	Engineering, Enchanting from Phase 3	Ring - Stats is an Enchanting option from Phase 3
Rogue	Leatherworking (drums) or Engineering	Enchanting	Don't combine Leatherworking and Engineering, because of the shared cooldown
Enhancement Shaman	Leatherworking ("non-negotiable")	Enchanting	Wowhead advises against Blacksmithing for Enhancement
Elemental / Resto Shaman	Leatherworking	Enchanting or Tailoring	Drums plus mail sets
Retribution Paladin	Blacksmithing	Engineering	Lionheart Champion, then Executioner
Protection Paladin	Engineering	Enchanting	Sappers for threat, plus Tankatronic Goggles
Holy Paladin	Enchanting	Engineering or Tailoring	Justicebringer goggles, Alchemist stone in Phase 5
DPS Warrior	Blacksmithing	Engineering	Dragonmaw, Lionheart Champion
Protection Warrior	Engineering	Enchanting or Blacksmithing	Stamina trinkets from Engineering

Example: you're a Fury Warrior raiding Black Temple with Blacksmithing and Engineering. Keep both. Wowhead's Warrior picks are built on Blacksmithing weapons and Engineering explosives, and Enchanting only adds +4 all stats per ring. Look at Blacksmithing's Phase 3 haste crafts (below) before thinking about a swap.

Use the Phase 3 crafting systems

Epic gems (Jewelcrafting and Mining)

You get them from 375 Mining inside the Battle for Mount Hyjal, or as rare drops in Black Temple. To mine them, a Mining alt has to be in the raid group. Being 375 in the open world isn't enough.

Indormi inside Hyjal sells 26 designs based on Scale of the Sands reputation: 13 at Friendly, 9 at Honored, and 4 at Revered. Eight more BoP designs drop from Hyjal bosses. The player wearing a cut gem doesn't need Jewelcrafting.

Hearts of Darkness crafts (Blacksmithing, Leatherworking, Tailoring)

Craft	Hearts	Binding	Professions
Item level 141 haste bracers	4	BoE (can be sold)	Blacksmithing (plate), Leatherworking (leather and mail), Tailoring (cloth)
Item level 141 haste shoulders	2	BoP (crafter only)	Same
Shadow Resistance bracers / belt / boots / legs	1 / 2 / 2 / 3	BoE	From Okuno, at Ashtongue Deathsworn Friendly or Honored
Night's End cloak (+40 Shadow Resistance)	1	BoE	Tailoring

A four-piece Shadow Resistance set gives 220 Shadow Resistance before any other sources. Leatherworking has the most patterns: eight haste crafts across leather and mail, plus two Shadow Resistance families.

Consumables and enchants

Alchemy supplies flasks, elixirs, and Major Shadow Protection Potions. Enchanting supplies Greater Shadow Resistance for cloaks and regular raid enchants. Our class tier list shows which specs rely most on consumables in Phase 3.

Make gold with professions

Pair	Why (source)	Effort
Jewelcrafting + Mining	Epic gem nodes inside Hyjal, plus Scale of the Sands designs that bring repeat demand for cuts	High. You need raid access and reputation.
Alchemy + Herbalism	Transmutation Master for daily Primal Might, then sell raid consumables before reset	Low
Enchanting + Tailoring	Disenchanting gear and ring enchants. Tailoring doesn't need a gathering profession (Wowhead).	Passive
Leatherworking / Tailoring / Blacksmithing	BoE haste and Shadow Resistance crafts made to order	You need the pattern to drop

Our TBC gold guide compares profession gold with farming routes.

Decide whether to switch professions

Switching cost	What you lose
Recipes	Every recipe you learned, including rare drops and reputation patterns
Skill	You start again from 1, with the full 375 materials bill
Locked gear	Items that need the profession to equip, such as Spellfire, Primal Mooncloth, and BoP shoulders
Specialization	Tailoring and other specializations have to be picked again

Switch when the new profession gives a lasting upgrade for the rest of TBC. Two examples from Wowhead: Mages swapping Tailoring for Enchanting from Phase 2, and Rogues avoiding Engineering if they're the group's drummer.

Look ahead to Zul'Aman and later phases

Wowhead flags these profession items by phase. Plan your main's professions now if you'll still be playing then.

Phase	Profession item	Profession
3.5 (Zul'Aman, Oct 22)	Greater Drums, Knothide Quiver and Knothide Ammo Pouch recipes at Outland faction vendors (Blizzard)	Leatherworking
5 (Sunwell)	—	Jewelcrafting
5	Redeemer's Alchemist Stone	Alchemy
5	Annihilator Holo-Gogs and other goggle upgrades	Engineering

Our Zul'Aman preparation guide covers the Phase 3.5 changes.

If you're returning, boosted, or playing alts

• Returning since TBC Classic in 2022? Wowhead reports that Phase 3 removed the attunement requirements for earlier raids, so your alts can join Karazhan, Serpentshrine, and Tempest Keep for patterns and materials straight away.
• Boosted to 70? Your professions start at 1. Pick one main-character profession from the spec table and one gathering profession to fund it. Expect a big materials bill to reach 375.
• Alts? Put gathering and transmute professions on alts, and keep the professions that matter in combat on your main.

Want a hand with this?

If you would rather skip the grind that goes with this, TBC Anniversary profession services are listed on FullBoosts. Read Blizzard's End User License Agreement before you buy any service from anyone, FullBoosts included — a marketplace listing isn't publisher permission.

FAQ

What is the best profession in TBC Anniversary?

It depends on your spec. Wowhead names Engineering a must for Mages, Tailoring first for Warlocks and Shadow Priests, and Leatherworking non-negotiable for Enhancement.

What are the best professions for gold in Phase 3?

Jewelcrafting with Mining, for Hyjal epic gems and Indormi designs. Alchemy with a Transmutation Master specialization is the low-effort alternative.

Can I take Engineering and Leatherworking together?

You can, but Wowhead advises against it for Rogues and Enhancement Shamans. Explosives share a cooldown with drums.

How much do ring enchants give?

+12 spell power per ring for casters, according to Wowhead. Restoration specs get +40 healing in total from two Healing Power ring enchants. Ring - Stats arrives in Phase 3.

What are Hearts of Darkness used for?

For 33 Phase 3 crafts: haste bracers (4 Hearts, BoE), haste shoulders (2 Hearts, BoP), and Okuno's Shadow Resistance gear. They drop from enemies in Black Temple and Hyjal and can be traded.

Do I need 375 Mining to get epic gems?

Yes, if you want to mine them yourself in Hyjal, and that character has to be in the raid. They also drop rarely in Black Temple.

What is the profession skill cap in TBC?

1. Trainers teach up to 300, and Outland recipes take you from there to 375.