Leatherworking in WoW Forever: leveling route and where the gold is

Leatherworking got the biggest update of any profession in Forever: 591 recipes, 271 of them new. Most are armor, and armor sells while people level. It also has a route that ends in hundreds of Rugged Leather and Dragonscales, so the money you make early matters.

What's new in Forever

Boots (35), gloves (32), belts (27) and leggings (25) lead the new recipes. At the high end there's Timbermaw Tunic, Living Crown, Warbear Helm and Dawn Armor, and a big block of Grimstitch and Grovekeeper gear at skill 313 that we can't see the items for yet.

Your camp pieces are useful in their own right. A Camp Tent at 17 tops up rested experience to 5% of a level for everyone at the fire. A Tanning Rack at 137 makes reagents, and a Sewing Machine at 300 is a crafting station.

Shopping list

This one hurts: 735 Rugged Leather, 622 Thick Leather and 570 Green Dragonscale, mostly for the late steps. Mats for the two suspect steps in the route are left off this list.

ITEMVENDORMINMEDIAN

Rugged Leather5s 0c——

Thick Leather3s 0c——

Green Dragonscale5s 0c——

Worn Dragonscale5s 0c——

Blue Dragonscale5s 0c——

Heavy Leather1s 50c——

Light Leather15c——

Salt12c——

Fine Thread25c——

Rune Thread12s 50c——

Silken Thread1s 25c——

Cured Rugged Hide5s 0c——

Heavy Silken Thread5s 0c——

Medium Leather50c——

Toughened Leather Gloves9s 62c——

Gray Dye87c——

Cured Thick Hide5s 0c——

Cured Heavy Hide2s 25c——

Bolt of Runecloth20s 0c——

Heart of Fire4s 0c——

Fine Leather Belt1s 25c——

Cured Medium Hide2s 0c——

Medium Hide1s 25c——

Light Hide50c——

Coarse Thread2c——

Heavy Hide2s 0c——

Rugged Hide5s 0c——

Refined Deeprock Salt10s 0c——

Ogre Tannin———

Core of Earth4s 0c——

Ruined Leather Scraps7c——

— = no listings in the latest scan on US·NORMAL·HORDEPrices from AHledger

Skill route

Armor kits and cured hides get you to 140. Then the route uses Void-Touched Leather Gloves from 142 to 172, and that's flagged: they need an item that isn't in Forever's item data. Guardian Gloves and thick kits take you to 210. Rugged kits and Nightscape gear follow, and Membrane of Dark Neurosis at 243–255 is flagged for the same reason.

The finish is the classic dragonscale grind and a Gordok Ogre Suit stretch. There's no data for 1–5 or 290–295.

1. 5–8
   3×Light Leather

   9× Ruined Leather Scraps

   5203040learned automatically
2. 8–45
   44×Light Armor Kit

   44× Light Leather

   8304560learned automatically
3. 45–60
   20×Cured Light Hide

   20× Light Hide20× Salt

   35506070from the trainer
4. 60–68
   8×Embossed Leather Gloves

   24× Light Leather16× Coarse Thread

   487085100from the trainer
5. 68–79
   13×Medium Leather

   52× Light Leather

   68758085from the trainer
6. 79–97
   21×Cured Medium Hide

   21× Medium Hide21× Salt

   799097105from the trainer
7. 97–107
   13×Dark Leather Boots

   52× Medium Leather26× Fine Thread13× Gray Dye

   82100112125from the trainer
8. 107–128
   22×Dark Leather Belt

   22× Fine Leather Belt22× Cured Medium Hide44× Fine Thread22× Gray Dye

   107125137150from the trainer
9. 128–140
   14×Cured Heavy Hide

   14× Heavy Hide42× Salt

   128135140145from the trainer
10. 140–142
    2×Heavy Armor Kit

    10× Heavy Leather2× Fine Thread

    130145155165from the trainer
11. 142–172
    36×Void-Touched Leather Gloves

    36× Unknown item 21142236× Toughened Leather Gloves

    Suspect step: this recipe uses items that don't exist in Forever's item data (likely a Season of Discovery leftover). Don't buy mats for it until it's confirmed in game.

    142160172185from the trainer
12. 172–195
    28×Guardian Gloves

    112× Heavy Leather28× Cured Heavy Hide28× Silken Thread

    170185195205from the trainer
13. 195–205
    15×Thick Armor Kit

    75× Thick Leather15× Silken Thread

    180195205215from the trainer
14. 205–210
    7×Nightscape Headband

    35× Thick Leather14× Silken Thread

    185200210220from the trainer
15. 210–218
    8×Rugged Armor Kit

    40× Rugged Leather

    210225235245from the trainer
16. 218–230
    14×Cured Rugged Hide

    14× Rugged Hide14× Refined Deeprock Salt

    218225230235from the trainer
17. 230–235
    7×Rugged Armor Kit

    35× Rugged Leather

    210225235245from the trainer
18. 235–240
    7×Nightscape Boots

    112× Thick Leather14× Heavy Silken Thread

    215230240250from the trainer
19. 240–243
    3×Helm of Fire

    120× Thick Leather24× Heart of Fire12× Core of Earth6× Cured Thick Hide12× Heavy Silken Thread

    230245255265from the trainer
20. 243–255
    14×Membrane of Dark Neurosis

    140× Unknown item 22102114× Unknown item 22068828× Cured Rugged Hide84× Rugged Leather

    Suspect step: this recipe uses items that don't exist in Forever's item data (likely a Season of Discovery leftover). Don't buy mats for it until it's confirmed in game.

    243250255260from the trainer
21. 255–260
    7×Dragonscale Breastplate

    280× Thick Leather210× Worn Dragonscale28× Heavy Silken Thread28× Cured Thick Hide

    235250260270from the trainer
22. 260–278
    19×Green Dragonscale Gauntlets

    380× Rugged Leather570× Green Dragonscale19× Cured Rugged Hide38× Rune Thread

    260275285295from the trainer
23. 278–290
    14×Gordok Ogre Suit

    56× Rugged Leather28× Bolt of Runecloth14× Ogre Tannin14× Rune Thread

    278285290295from the trainer
24. 290–295 · no recipe for this range in our data yet
25. 295–300
    5×Blue Dragonscale Leggings

    140× Rugged Leather180× Blue Dragonscale10× Cured Rugged Hide10× Rune Thread

    295310320330from the trainer

Making gold while you level

Armor kits sell all the way up. Light, Heavy and Thick Armor Kits are cheap, and everyone in melee wants them on their gear.

Light Leather has new buyers. The Camp Tent needs 5 and the skinners' Camp Chair needs 3. That's demand Light Leather never used to have.

Craft the new armor when the AH is thin. With 271 new recipes, you'll have options most of your competitors don't know about yet. Check the market before you craft, and sell to levelers, not raiders.

Trainers and recipe vendors

What I'd actually do