Welcome to the ultimate Skinning guide for World of Warcraft Classic! Skinning is a straightforward gathering profession that pairs excellently with Leatherworking, providing a steady supply of leather and hides for crafting. This guide will walk you through leveling Skinning from 1 to 300 efficiently, including tips on locations, mobs, and strategies to maximize your progress.
Why Choose Skinning?
- Easy to Level: Skinning is one of the simplest professions, requiring only a skinning knife and skinnable corpses.
- Profitable: Leather and hides sell well on the Auction House, especially in the early game.
- Synergy with Leatherworking: Provides materials for crafting armor, bags, and more.
- No Competition: You can skin mobs killed by other players (as long as they’re skinnable).
Requirements:
- A Skinning Knife (purchased from a general goods or trade vendor).
- Access to beasts, dragonkin, or other skinnable mobs.
- Patience and a good farming route.
Skinning Basics
- How It Works: After killing a skinnable mob (beasts, dragonkin, etc.), right-click the corpse with a Skinning Knife to gather leather, hides, or scales.
- Skill Requirements: Higher-level mobs require higher Skinning skill to skin. The formula is:
- Skill Required = (Mob Level × 5) for most mobs.
- Example: A level 20 mob requires 100 Skinning skill.
- Skill-Up Colors:
- Orange: Always grants a skill point.
- Yellow: Likely to grant a skill point.
- Green: Low chance for a skill point.
- Gray: No skill point.
- Inventory Management: Leather stacks, but you’ll need bag space for hides and vendor trash.
Leveling Skinning 1-300
Below is a step-by-step guide to level Skinning from 1 to 300, optimized for efficiency. The zones and mobs listed are suitable for both Alliance and Horde unless specified. Adjust based on your faction or travel preferences.
1-100: Starting Zones
Goal: Learn Skinning and reach skill level 100.
- Where to Train: Visit a Skinning trainer in any major city or starting zone (e.g., Balthus Stoneflayer in Ironforge for Alliance, Thuwd in Orgrimmar for Horde).
- Best Zones:
- Alliance:
- Dun Morogh: Wolves, Boars (around Kharanos).
- Elwynn Forest: Boars, Wolves (around Goldshire).
- Horde:
- Durotar: Boars, Scorpids (around Razor Hill).
- Mulgore: Plainstriders, Wolves (around Bloodhoof Village).
- Alliance:
- Mobs to Skin:
- Level 1-10 beasts (e.g., Wolves, Boars, Plainstriders).
- Yields: Light Leather, Ruined Leather Scraps.
- Tips:
- Kill and skin everything in starting zones. Mobs are low-level and easy.
- Combine with questing to save time.
- Sell excess leather on the Auction House or save for Leatherworking.
- Skill Progression:
- 1-50: Skin level 1-10 mobs (orange/yellow).
- 50-100: Skin level 10-15 mobs (e.g., in Loch Modan or The Barrens).
Estimated Time: 1-2 hours.
100-150: Early Mid-Level Zones
Goal: Reach skill level 150.
- Best Zones:
- Alliance:
- Loch Modan: Bears, Crocolisks (around Thelsamar).
- Westfall: Coyotes, Vultures (around Sentinel Hill).
- Horde:
- The Barrens: Zhevras, Raptors (around Crossroads).
- Silverpine Forest: Bears, Wolves (around Ambermill).
- Neutral:
- Stonetalon Mountains: Cougars, Stags (around Sun Rock Retreat).
- Alliance:
- Mobs to Skin:
- Level 15-25 beasts (e.g., Bears, Raptors, Zhevras).
- Yields: Light Leather, Medium Leather, occasional Medium Hide.
- Tips:
- Focus on high-density mob areas like The Barrens’ savannahs.
- Avoid dungeons for now; open-world mobs are faster.
- If you’re leveling, skin mobs from quests to multitask.
- Skill Progression:
- 100-125: Skin level 15-20 mobs.
- 125-150: Skin level 20-25 mobs.
Estimated Time: 2-3 hours.
150-200: Mid-Level Zones
Goal: Reach skill level 200.
- Trainer Visit: At 150, visit a trainer to learn Journeyman Skinning (max 225 skill).
- Best Zones:
- Alliance:
- Wetlands: Crocolisks, Raptors (along the coast).
- Hillsbrad Foothills: Bears, Lions (around Southshore).
- Horde:
- Hillsbrad Foothills: Turtles, Lions (around Tarren Mill).
- Southern Barrens: Bristleback Boars, Raptors.
- Neutral:
- Thousand Needles: Hyenas, Prowlers (around Freewind Post).
- Stranglethorn Vale: Panthers, Raptors (around Nesingwary’s Camp).
- Alliance:
- Mobs to Skin:
- Level 25-35 beasts (e.g., Raptors, Crocolisks, Panthers).
- Yields: Medium Leather, Heavy Leather, Medium Hide, occasional Heavy Hide.
- Tips:
- Stranglethorn Vale is excellent due to high mob density.
- Watch for PvP in contested zones like Hillsbrad.
- Save Heavy Leather for Leatherworking or Auction House sales.
- Skill Progression:
- 150-175: Skin level 25-30 mobs.
- 175-200: Skin level 30-35 mobs.
Estimated Time: 3-4 hours.
200-250: Late Mid-Level Zones
Goal: Reach skill level 250.
- Trainer Visit: At 225, visit a trainer to learn Expert Skinning (max 300 skill).
- Best Zones:
- Neutral:
- Feralas: Bears, Wolves (around Camp Mojache or Feathermoon Stronghold).
- The Hinterlands: Turtles, Wolves (around Aerie Peak or Revantusk Village).
- Tanaris: Hyenas, Scorpids (around Gadgetzan).
- Neutral:
- Mobs to Skin:
- Level 35-45 beasts (e.g., Wolves, Yetis, Turtles).
- Yields: Heavy Leather, Thick Leather, Heavy Hide, occasional Thick Hide.
- Tips:
- Feralas’ wolf packs are great for consistent spawns.
- Tanaris scorpids are ideal for Horde due to proximity to Gadgetzan.
- Be cautious of elite mobs in Feralas’ Dire Maul area.
- Skill Progression:
- 200-225: Skin level 35-40 mobs.
- 225-250: Skin level 40-45 mobs.
Estimated Time: 4-5 hours.
250-300: Endgame Zones
Goal: Reach skill level 300.
- Best Zones:
- Neutral:
- Un’Goro Crater: Devilsaurs, Raptors (around the central crater).
- Felwood: Bears, Wolves (around Talonbranch Glade).
- Winterspring: Bears, Chimeras (around Everlook).
- Eastern Plaguelands: Bats, Plaguehounds (around Light’s Hope Chapel).
- Neutral:
- Mobs to Skin:
- Level 45-60 beasts (e.g., Devilsaurs, Bears, Plaguehounds).
- Yields: Thick Leather, Rugged Leather, Thick Hide, Rugged Hide.
- Tips:
- Un’Goro Crater is top-tier for Devilsaurs (elite, so group up or be cautious).
- Winterspring bears near Everlook respawn quickly.
- Eastern Plaguelands plaguehounds are great for solo farming.
- Save Rugged Leather for high-end Leatherworking recipes.
- Skill Progression:
- 250-275: Skin level 45-50 mobs.
- 275-300: Skin level 50-60 mobs (focus on 55+ for orange/yellow skill-ups).
Estimated Time: 5-6 hours.
Tips for Efficient Skinning
- Pair with Leatherworking: Use your leather to level Leatherworking or sell excess for profit.
- Use Addons:
- GatherMate2: Tracks mob locations for efficient routes.
- Auctioneer: Helps price leather on the Auction House.
- Group Farming: Skin mobs in dungeons (e.g., Blackrock Depths) or group farms for faster kills.
- Bag Space: Carry large bags to avoid frequent vendor trips.
- Sell Smart: Check Auction House prices for leather and hides; prices vary by server.
- Avoid Overfarming: If a zone is crowded, switch to an alternative listed above.
Notable Farming Spots for Endgame
- Devilsaur Leather (Un’Goro Crater):
- Elite Devilsaurs drop valuable leather for high-end Leatherworking.
- Group up or kite carefully; they hit hard.
- Black Dragonscales (Burning Steppes, Blackrock Spire):
- Skin Black Whelps or dragons in Blackrock Spire for scales used in rare recipes.
- Core Leather (Molten Core):
- Requires 300 Skinning and access to Molten Core.
- Skin Core Hounds for leather used in epic crafts.
Total Time Estimate
- 1-300: Approximately 15-20 hours, depending on mob density, competition, and multitasking with questing.
- Faster with Groups: Farming with a group in high-density zones or dungeons can cut time significantly.
Skinning is a rewarding and beginner-friendly profession in Classic WoW. By following this guide, you’ll hit 300 Skinning efficiently while gathering valuable materials for crafting or profit. Pair it with Leatherworking for self-sufficiency or sell your haul on the Auction House to fund your adventures. Happy skinning, and enjoy your journey through Azeroth!
For more WoW Classic guides check out our mining guide and our herbalism guide.