Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Professions for Your Priest

Last updatedL 10/26/2010, patch 4.0.1

The one profession that really shines for priests, and I cannot recommend it enough, is Tailoring, especially when you reach level 70-80 and can make epic crafted sets that are better than some of the gear you’d find in many end-game raid instances. Good leveling gear is bit tough to find on the auction house for decent prices, so it is nice to be able to make your own along the way as well. Tailors also have access to Embroidery which allow them to place powerful proc buffs on their cloak. If you are not leveling with tailoring, but think you might switch to it later, be sure to try to stockpile some cloth either in your bank or on a bank alt to make the switch easier later.


Blacksmithing and Leatherworking are near useless for priests. There are next to no items craftable with these professions that are of any use to us. The caveat here is that during endgame some players may elect to chose these professions for the additional custimization options such as the ability to add an extra gem socket to bracers and gloves from blacksmithing or the ability to add Fur Lining enchants to bracers from leathworking which are more powerful than the Enchanting versions.

Gathering professions (Herbalism, Mining, and Skinning) are always nice, as they provide a steady way to make money. If you are working on your first character on a new server picking up 2 gathering professions while you level is a great way to fund yourself now that you are able to track multiple types of nodes at the same time.

Engineering is favored for PvP. In addition to the nifty gadgets and explosives you can make with it, there are a number of very good goggles (head armor) that are better than what you would find in most instances, and can also be used at low levels when head armor of any type is elusive or non-existent.

Other primary professions, in particular Enchanting, Alchemy, Inscription and Jewelcrafting, all have their unique benefits for priests. Enchanting will let you boost your stats by enchanting your equipment, Alchemy will allow you to increase your combat capabilities thru buffing with potions, Inscription will give you stronger spells, and Jewelcrafting allows you to make your own rings, necklaces, trinkets and gems.

Keep in mind that certain primary professions have synergy with others. For instance, with the Enchanting profession you can disenchant the items you create while leveling your tailoring skill and sell results for a fair profit on the AH.

Other primary profession synergies:
  • Mining / Engineering
  • Mining / Jewelcrafting
  • Herbalism / Alchemy
  • Herbalism / Inscription
  • and (less typical for priests) Skinning / Leatherworking and Mining / Blacksmithing

 As for secondary professions, First Aid is a must. Players often mistakenly assume that since priests are healers, they will not need another way to heal theirselves. First Aid could be the difference between life and death when playing in a group; it is, essentially, a mana-free self-heal. Also, the ability to cure poisons at low levels can come in handy as priests lack the natural ability to do so.

Cooking and Fishing have their benefits, especially once you reach higher levels when you get the ability to make some really nice stat bonus buff food. However, these professions are not necessary, especially if you have another character that already knows these professions on the same server and faction.

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