World of Warcraft has always been multifaceted and captivating, offering players numerous opportunities to develop their characters. One of these opportunities is the choice of professions, which not only provide the character with resources and equipment but also allow earning gold and receiving unique bonuses. During the release of the Cataclysm expansion, some professions became especially useful and popular among players. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the best professions in WoW Cataclysm, their advantages, and features.

Blacksmithing

Blacksmithing is quite an important profession for those who wish to create powerful armor and weapons. In "Cataclysm," blacksmiths gained access to new, more powerful recipes that allow the creation of stronger gear. Additionally, blacksmiths can add extra sockets to their armor, allowing for further enhancement of character attributes. This makes blacksmithing extremely useful for tanks and other classes that require high stamina and defense levels.

Advantages:

• Gear Improvement: Blacksmiths can create high-quality armor and weapons, especially useful at high levels.
• Socket Bracer and Socket Gloves: Unique sockets for gems that can be added to bracers and gloves, increasing the overall power of the character.
• Profitable Business: Crafting rare and epic items for other players can be a significant source of income.

Disadvantages:

• High Material Costs: Complex recipes may require rare materials, making blacksmithing quite expensive.

Jewelcrafting

Jewelcrafting is one of the most popular professions in WoW due to the ability to create excellent jewelry and inserts for armor. In "Cataclysm," this profession received new recipes that allow for the creation of even more effective gems and jewelry. Jewelcrafting became especially valuable due to the ability to create prismatic gems that can be inserted into any sockets, greatly increasing the flexibility of character customization. Additionally, jewelcrafters can create unique trinkets that provide significant bonuses to attributes, making them indispensable for any serious raider or PvP player.

Advantages:

• Personal Gems: Jewelcrafters can create unique gems with significantly better attributes compared to those available to other players.
• Income: Selling gems, especially rare ones, has always been profitable, especially during new patches and content updates.
• Bonuses: Jewelcrafting offers various bonuses in the form of specific gems that improve attributes.

Disadvantages:

• Complexity of Mastery: Collecting recipes and materials can take a lot of time and resources.

Enchanting

Enchanting is another profession that has always been in demand. The ability to add magical effects to weapons and armor makes this profession extremely useful. In "Cataclysm," enchanters gained access to new, powerful enchantments that significantly improve character attributes. For example, weapon enchantments now include effects that increase damage from certain schools of magic or even provide additional chances for critical hits. These features make enchanting an indispensable profession for those who aim to maximize their character's potential in battles.

Advantages:

• Gear Enhancement: Enchanters can improve gear by increasing its attributes with enchantments.
• Market Popularity: Enchantments are always in demand as they are necessary for raid and PvP preparation.
• Disenchanting: The ability to disenchant unnecessary items into enchanting materials, reducing the profession's costs.

Disadvantages:

• Competition: The high number of enchanters can make it difficult to sell enchantments at profitable prices.

Herbalism and Mining

Herbalism and mining remain important gathering professions that provide players with necessary materials for alchemy, blacksmithing, and other professions. In "Cataclysm," there are various types of herbs and ores that make these professions even more useful. Herbalists can now gather rare herbs needed to create the most powerful potions, while miners have the opportunity to extract new ores used in creating epic armor and weapons. These professions also provide players with additional bonuses to stamina and other beneficial effects, making them extremely valuable for any player.

Advantages of Herbalism:

• Resource Gathering: Herbalists can collect rare herbs needed for alchemy and other professions.
• Stamina Bonus: The Lifeblood ability provides a bonus to stamina and health regeneration speed.
• Income: Selling rare herbs at the auction can be a stable source of income.

Disadvantages:

• Resource Competition: Popular herb gathering zones are often occupied by other players.

Advantages of Mining:

• Resource Gathering: The ability to mine ores needed for blacksmithing, jewelcrafting, and engineering.
• Stamina Bonus: Increased stamina thanks to the passive ability Toughness.
• Income: Selling ores at the auction can bring significant income.

Disadvantages:

• Time-Consuming: Gathering ores can take a lot of time, especially in popular zones.

Alchemy

Alchemy is a useful profession thanks to the ability to create potions, elixirs, and flasks that enhance various character attributes. In WoW Cataclysm, there are many recipes that allow the creation of powerful potions and flasks. For example, flasks can significantly increase attack power or spell power, making them indispensable in raids and PvP. Additionally, alchemists can transmute rare materials, making them valuable traders at the auction.

Advantages:

• Elixirs and Potions: Alchemists can create powerful elixirs and potions that are very useful in raids and PvP.
• Transmutation: The ability to transmute rare metals and gemstones.
• Bonuses: The unique Mixology bonus enhances the effects of elixirs and potions made by the alchemist.

Disadvantages:

• Material Costs: Some recipes may require expensive rare herbs.

Tailoring

Tailoring has always been one of the most important professions for mages, priests, and other cloth-wearing classes. In "Cataclysm," this profession received significant improvements, making it even more useful and popular among players. In this expansion, tailors can create unique items that provide significant attribute bonuses, as well as other useful items that make life in Azeroth easier.

Advantages:

• Cloth Crafting: Tailors can create high-quality clothing and bags.
• Embroidery: Unique enchantments for cloaks that enhance various attributes.
• Income: Making bags has always been a profitable venture.

Disadvantages:

• Dependence on Cloth: A large amount of cloth is needed to create items, which may require additional time for gathering.

Leatherworking

Leatherworking is an important profession for those who wear leather or mail armor. Leatherworkers have access to various recipes that allow the creation of strong armor and patches that can be used to improve armor. Additionally, leatherworkers can create special leather items that provide additional attribute bonuses, making this profession useful for many classes, especially hunters and druids.

Advantages:

• Armor Crafting: The ability to create high-quality armor from leather and scales.
• Attributes: Special leather patches that improve gear attributes.
• Income: Crafting and selling rare armor.

Disadvantages:

• Competition: High competition among leatherworking masters.

Engineering

Engineering is one of the most interesting and creative professions in WoW thanks to the ability to create unique gadgets and devices. Players of this profession have access to creating various inventions such as gyrocopters, teleports, and powerful combat robotic devices. These gadgets can significantly ease the player's life, providing new ways of transportation and combat. Additionally, engineering enchantments for gear, such as accelerators or explosive devices, make this profession extremely useful for PvP players.

Advantages:

• Gadgets and Devices: The ability to create unique gadgets with various functions, from teleports to combat devices.
• Gear Enhancement: Special enchantments for gloves, helmets, and other items.
• Fun: Many engineering inventions add fun to the game.

Disadvantages:

• High Costs: Creating some devices may require significant resource expenditure.

Skinning

Skinning is one of the primary gathering professions in World of Warcraft, allowing players to obtain hides, furs, and scales from killed animals. This profession is indispensable for those who specialize in crafting leather and mail armor. In this article, we will examine why skinning is one of the best professions in "Cataclysm," as well as analyze its advantages and applications.

Advantages:

• Hide Gathering: The ability to extract hides and scales from killed beasts, necessary for leatherworking.
• Critical Hit Bonus: Increased critical hit chance thanks to the passive ability Master of Anatomy.
• Income: Selling rare hides at the auction can provide a stable income.

Disadvantages:

• Dependence on Hunting: The need to kill many beasts to obtain hides.

Conclusion

Each profession in WoW Cataclysm has its unique advantages and disadvantages. The choice of the best profession depends on the play style, preferences, and needs of each player. For example, those focusing on raids may find it beneficial to choose a profession that provides attribute bonuses, such as blacksmithing or jewelcrafting. Those looking to earn gold might find gathering and selling resources through professions like mining or herbalism useful.