This Cataclysm Classic Engineering leveling guide will provide you with the quickest and most straightforward method to increase your Engineering skill from 1 to 525 in Cataclysm Classic.
If you are still in the process of leveling your character or have recently created a new alt, I highly recommend considering Zygor’s 1-85 Leveling Guide. This guide is designed to significantly accelerate your journey to level 85.
Approximate Materials Required
Below is an estimated list of materials you will need to level your Engineering profession up to 525.
Classic
- Copper Bar: 60
- Rough Blasting Powder: 60
- Rough Stone: 60
- Linen Cloth: 20
TBC
- Bronze Bar: 30
- Medium Leather: 15
- Wool Cloth: 15
- Solid Stone: 120
- Mithril Bar: 141
- Solid Blasting Powder: 120
- Dense Stone: 60
- Thorium Bar: 102
- Dense Blasting Powder: 60
WotLK
- Fel Iron Bar: 10
- Handful of Fel Iron Bolts: 40
- Elemental Blasting Powder: 150 (Crafted from Crystallized Earth, Water and Fire)
- Adamantite Bar: 40
- Netherweave Cloth: 40
- Cobalt Bar: 140
- Crystallized Fire: 15
- Crystallized Water: 15
- Frostweave Cloth: 7
- Saronite Bar: 30
When purchasing Crystallized Elementals, it’s advisable to compare prices with Eternals (e.g., Eternal Water). Eternals can be converted into Crystallized items at a ratio of 1 Eternal to 10 Crystallized, often proving to be a more economical option.
Cataclysm
- Obsidium Bar: 92
- Handful of Obsidium Bolts: 122
- Volatile Earth: 4
- Alicite: 8
- Elementium Bar: 192
- Electrified Ether: 24
- Embersilk Cloth: 40
- Volatile Fire: 10
Engineering Trainers
Horde:
- Orgrimmar: Greasebolt
- Thunder Bluff: Engineer Gracklehoff
- Undercity: Roxxik
Alliance:
- Stormwind City: Tinker Jonnus
- Ironforge: Gnofran
- Darnassus: Tynni Maclure
Leveling Cataclysm Engineering (1-525)
To get started, purchase a Blacksmith Hammer from a Blacksmithing or Engineering supply vendor, typically located near your trainer. Alternatively, any general or trade goods vendor will also carry it.
Gnome Engineering Skill Racial Bonus
Gnome characters benefit from a +15 Engineering skill bonus thanks to their passive racial trait Engineering Specialization. This bonus means recipes remain orange for 15 additional skill points, allowing you to gain skill-ups from lower-level recipes for longer, saving you gold.
1 – 55
- 35 – 55: Craft 30x Handful of Copper Bolts – 30 Copper Bar. You will need approximately 30 of these later on.
Journeyman Engineering
Visit your Engineering trainer to learn Journeyman Engineering. This rank requires character level 10.
55 – 75
- 56 – 75: Craft 30x Rough Copper Bomb – 30 Handful of Copper Bolts, 60 Rough Blasting Powder
75 – 125
-
90 – 100: Craft 20x Coarse Dynamite – 20 Coarse Blasting Powder, 20 Linen Cloth
-
113 – 125: Right-click the Clockwork Box you just crafted. These boxes grant skill points up to level 125.
Expert Engineering
Seek out your trainer once more to learn Expert Engineering. This rank requires character level 20.
125 – 200
-
150 – 160: Craft 15x Bronze Framework – 30 Bronze Bar, 15 Medium Leather, 15 Wool Cloth. Keep these as they will be needed later. Crafting these now might get you closer to skill level 160. Stop making them around 160 and only craft more when specifically needed.
-
175 – 194: Craft 60x Solid Blasting Powder – 120 Solid Stone. Save these for later use.
-
195 – 200: Craft 7x Mithril Tube – 21 Mithril Bar. Stop crafting these once you reach skill level 200. Retain 6 Mithril Tubes if you plan to choose Gnomish Engineering at skill level 200.
Artisan Engineering
Revisit your trainer to learn Artisan Engineering. This rank requires character level 35.
At Engineering skill level 200, you have the option to specialize in either Gnomish Engineering or Goblin Engineering. Some items are exclusive to a specific specialization, while others can be crafted by one specialization but used by any engineer. Fortunately, most recipes crafted by either specialization can be equipped by both.
Choosing a specialization is not mandatory for leveling up in Engineering. You can always return to this decision later if you prefer not to engage with the specialization quest immediately.
For detailed information on choosing a specialization, please refer to my separate guide:
Engineering Specializations in Cataclysm Classic – Learn about Gnomish vs Goblin Engineering in Cata Classic.
200 – 300
-
215 – 238: Craft 40x Mithril Casing – 120 Mithril Bar. Save these.
-
250 – 260: Craft 30x Dense Blasting Powder – 60 Dense Stone. You may need to craft more than 30 to reach skill level 260.
-
285 – 300: Craft 17x Thorium Tube – 102x Thorium Bar. This recipe will be yellow for the last 5 skill points, so you might need to craft more.
Master Engineering
Find your trainer once again to learn Master Engineering. This rank requires character level 50.
300 – 320
You will use these components later, so crafting them now provides “free” skill points. Craft them in the exact order listed below.
Crafting one Elemental Blasting Powder yields 4 powders, resulting in a total of 60 powders.
- 15x Elemental Blasting Powder – 15 Crystallized Earth, 15 Crystallized Water, 15 Crystallized Fire
- 15x Fel Iron Casing – 45 Fel Iron Bar
- 10x Handful of Fel Iron Bolts – 10 Fel Iron Bar
You might need to craft a few more Fel Iron Bomb in the subsequent step if you don’t reach skill level 320.
320 – 325
- 10x Fel Iron Bomb – 10x Fel Iron Casing, 20x Handful of Fel Iron Bolts, 10x Elemental Blasting Powder
You might need to craft more of these if you experience unlucky skill point gains.
325 – 335
- 10x Adamantite Grenade – 40x Adamantite Bar, 20x Handful of Fel Iron Bolts, 10x Elemental Blasting Powder
Stop crafting these if you are fortunate with skill gains and reach 335. The next recipe is significantly cheaper.
335 – 350
- 40x White Smoke Flare – 40x Elemental Blasting Powder, 40x Netherweave Cloth
This recipe will be green for a significant portion of this range, making this an approximate number.
The Schematic: White Smoke Flare recipe is sold by these vendors:
- Humphry in Hellfire Peninsula
- Dealer Rashaad in Nagrand
It is a limited supply item, so if it’s been purchased by another player, you will need to wait for it to respawn, or check the other vendor locations. (Respawn timer is approximately 7-10 minutes).
Grand Master Engineering
Visit your trainer once more to learn Grand Master Engineering. This rank requires character level 65.
350 – 375
You will need approximately 50x Handful of Cobalt Bolts and 24x Handful of Cobalt Bolts before crafting Volatile Blasting Trigger.** (Volatile Blasting Trigger remains yellow longer, making it more efficient to craft them later).
Note that when you craft Handful of Cobalt Bolts, you can receive 1 to 3 bolts per craft, and similarly for Volatile Blasting Trigger, you will obtain 2 triggers per craft.
Save both of these components.
375 – 425
-
385 – 390: Craft 7x Explosive Decoy – 7 Frostweave Cloth, 21 Volatile Blasting Trigger. You might need to craft a few more of these.
-
400 – 405: Craft 5x Diamond-cut Refractor Scope – 5 Froststeel Tube, 10 Handful of Cobalt Bolts. This recipe will be yellow, so you may need to craft a few more.
-
410 – 415: Craft 5x Goblin Beam Welder – 30 Saronite Bar, 15 Crystallized Fire, 15 Crystallized Water
-
420 – 425: Craft 5x Noise Machine – 10 Froststeel Tube, 10 Overcharged Capacitor, 40 Handful of Cobalt Bolts
Cataclysm Classic Engineering (525)
Visit your trainer to learn the new Cataclysm Classic Engineering skill level. This requires character level 75.
425 – 525
-
442 – 445: Craft 1x Electrostatic Condenser – 4x Obsidium Bar, 6x Handful of Obsidium Bolts, 4x Volatile Earth
-
460 – 470: Craft two from one of these options:
- 2x R19 Threatfinder – 12x Obsidium Bars, 4x Alicite, 12x Handful of Obsidium Bolts
- 2x Safety Catch Removal Kit – 20x Obsidium Bar, 20x Handful of Obsidium Bolts
-
475 – 490: Craft 3x Lure Master Tackle Box – 60x Elementium Bar, 12x Handful of Obsidium Bolts
-
495 – 505: Craft 2x Elementium Dragonling – 4x Handful of Obsidium Bolts, 16x Electrified Ether, 32x Elementium Bar, 40x Embersilk Cloth
- If you chose Goblin Engineering specialization, craft these instead: 5x Elementium Dragonling – 2x Handful of Obsidium Bolts, 8x Electrified Ether, 16x Elementium Bar, 20x Embersilk Cloth
-
510 – 517: Craft 10x Heat-Treated Spinning Lure – 10x Handful of Obsidium Bolts, 40x Elementium Bar, 10x Volatile Fire. You may need to craft more as this recipe will be yellow.
Darkmoon Faire Free +5 Profession Skill
Keep an eye on your in-game Calendar to check for the Darkmoon Faire’s schedule. This event occurs every two weeks, commencing on Sunday and lasting for a full week.
During the Darkmoon Faire, you can undertake profession quests to earn +5 skill points for each profession. Click here to learn more about these quests.
Congratulations on achieving Engineering skill level 525! Please send feedback regarding this guide if you have suggestions for improvement, or if you encounter any typos, errors, or inaccuracies in material quantities.
