| My main character is a level 60 Tauren Shaman | | | | 150-200 - Alterac Mountains and Arathi Highlands |
| (go cows!), I dropped Skinning (very easy to | | | | Two options that to be honest, arn't too different |
| level) and picked up Herbalism, for one reason - | | | | from each other. Arathi has more spawn points, |
| cash. Although all server economies vary a lot | | | | but is slightly larger. However I actually preferred |
| (and I do mean a lot!), high level herbs sell for | | | | Arathi Highlands as it allowed me to do Arathi |
| enough to make it worth spending an hour picking | | | | Basin Battleground runs and flick back to picking |
| them and selling them on the auction house. At | | | | herbs with no downtime |
| the top end, a stack of herbs might sell for 10g | | | | 200-240 - Tanaris |
| 15g (or more), and getting a couple of stacks in | | | | This was the slowest place for my grind but I |
| an hour isn't too difficult. | | | | wanted Firebloom to level up enchanting. The |
| If you have picked up Herbalism at level 5, then | | | | spawn points are miles apart and it's frankly in the |
| you can largely discount this guide as a way of | | | | middle of nowhere. Better alternatives would be |
| skilling up. By picking Herbs where you are | | | | Stranglethorn Vale (for those not on a PvP |
| currently leveling, you should naturally improve | | | | server!), Dustwallow Marsh or Swamp of |
| your skill in Herbalism. Instead this guide is really | | | | Sorrows. |
| intended for people who have already reached a | | | | 240 - 280 - Feralas and Swamp of Sorrows |
| high level, and wish to either change or pick up | | | | Feralas has an abundance of Sungrass and the |
| Herbalism as a profession. | | | | Swamp of Sorrows an abundance of Blindweed. |
| There are a few things that you can do to speed | | | | Simple really; By now you are picking herbs that |
| up leveling Herbalism. First off, is that Tauren | | | | sell for OK cash. As such, I'd recommend sticking |
| receive +15 Herbalism as a racial skill - not (in my | | | | to a single zone and try to get stacks of the |
| opinion) as good as Human's bonus to reputation | | | | same herb as this ought to bring in more cash |
| gains, but better than a kick in the teeth if you | | | | (whole stacks rather than part stacks). |
| take up Herbalism Next up, there are two glove | | | | 280 - 300 - Varies |
| enchants that provide a small bonus to Herbalism | | | | To be honest, I'd say that there isn't a single area |
| (+2 and +5). These bonuses don't make much | | | | that is better than another for the last 20 skill |
| difference, but will mean that you can go from | | | | levels. Winterspring is nice once you hit 290, as |
| one area to another just that little bit quicker. | | | | there are only three different herbs there that sell |
| One tip that I can give, is that if you have a set | | | | for good money. The Eastern Plaguelands has an |
| of gloves with either +2 or +5 enchant on them, | | | | OK amount of Plaguebloom. Pretty much, do |
| only use them if you can pick herbs you | | | | whatever you fancy, providing you're getting skill |
| otherwise wouldn't be able to. By not wearing | | | | ups, who care! |
| them, you can eak out more skill ups than | | | | On the Auction House |
| otherwise (eg, if you have a skill of 195 and Herb | | | | OK, some pretty fundamental ground rules for |
| goes grey at 200, wearing a set of +5 gloves will | | | | using the Auction House. |
| mean there's no chance of a skill up, not wearing | | | | First off, know your punters and your opposition! |
| them gives you 5 potential skill ups and a stack or | | | | If you want to sell something as a regular event |
| so of herbs). | | | | (such as Herbs) check the Auction House every |
| Finally, Druids and Shaman have a distinct | | | | night for a week or two, for the item you are |
| advantage over other classes as both have a | | | | selling. Look for patterns. If there appears to |
| travel form. In Ghost Wolf form, you can actually | | | | never be your item on the Auction House every |
| pick herbs (no need to come out of it), and | | | | Monday, Tuesday and Friday, but items |
| Druids can flick into Travel Form and back again, | | | | overloaded on a Wednesday and Saturday, and |
| with no time issues. If you are using a mount | | | | then you've already spotted a trend that you can |
| between each spawn of herbs, then you have | | | | exploit. |
| the extra 3 second cast time to summon your | | | | Next up ensure that you know what professions |
| mount after each pick. | | | | and recipes require your item. One example of |
| To grind out a gathering skill from 1 to 300 is a | | | | this is the herb Wildvine. Wildvine is used in |
| relatively simple process for a level 60. Very few | | | | Alchemy, Tailoring, Blacksmithing and |
| mobs will give you real jip, and most won't even | | | | Leatherworking; it drops from other herbs when |
| agro you. For Herbalism, I reckon that a 4 or 5 | | | | you pick them. Now the greatest single quantity |
| hour solid grind would be enough to sort you out | | | | of Wildvine used in one recipe is 6. Others use 1, |
| (excluding travel time). | | | | 2 and 4. As such, selling a stack of 7 Wildvine is |
| The following is a rough list of where I would | | | | not as desirable as a stack of 4 or 6 to most |
| recommend to pick herbs and at what skill levels. | | | | punters. Not all customers have big blobs of cash |
| Please use your own intelligence when it comes to | | | | to spend, and if somebody just wants to make |
| picking herbs! Grey herbs won't ever give you a | | | | an item that requires 4 Wildvine, why do they |
| skill up, so unless you want/need them, leave | | | | want to spend extra gold on 3 more when |
| them alone. Don't go into a new zone until you | | | | they're never going to use them! |
| can pick at least 50% of the herbs available. | | | | Next up is overloading. If you've spent 4 weeks |
| Download and install the gatherer add-on and | | | | farming Icecap from Winterspring, and have |
| gatherbook (use this to download a large file with | | | | ended up with 40 stacks of the stuff, don't be so |
| every spawn point), this will allow you to make | | | | stupid as to stick all of it onto the Auction House |
| educated guesses as to what areas to go to, to | | | | all at once. As well as costing you for each listing, |
| collect different herbs. | | | | it will actually lower the cost of that herb as your |
| 1-100 - Durotar. | | | | opposition undercuts you, and customers see that |
| Couldn't be simpler, just go the length of Durotar | | | | there is now an abundance of it available. |
| and collect anything you can. Herbs are close | | | | Don't forget that many players have real lives. |
| together and to be honest, pose no real | | | | During the weekend, the Auction House goes |
| difficulties. You can quite happily stop Durotar at | | | | mental and items are bought and sold every |
| skill level 75, and go onto The Barrens. However | | | | minute. During the week, this is much, much |
| with the very high concentration of herbs, I | | | | slower. Having said that, never be afraid to try |
| actually found it quicker to carry on until 100 | | | | selling items in the week. If the regular farmer of |
| (where almost everything goes grey). | | | | an item only plays at the weekend, and there's a |
| 100-150 - The Barrens. | | | | person out there who plays every night, then |
| Begin in the Northern Barrens and then head | | | | you've found your corner of the market! |
| south. Although there are lots of spawn points, I | | | | Finally, don't forget the basics. If you are farming |
| found that most herbs seemed to appear in | | | | for a specific profession (herbs for Alchemy, ore |
| clumps of two or three and then a big gap | | | | for Mining, etc), then identify the most basic item |
| between them. As such using a mount isn't a bad | | | | required and farm it like mad! |
| idea. | | | | |