Our WoW Classic Skinning Guide sheds light on the Skinning craft that will come in handy for any player. Here, we present an updated, easy, and straightforward guide on leveling Skinning efficiently from level 1 to 300 in WoW Classic Fresh, outline Skinning mastery milestones, and share all the available leather types.
4.9WoW Classic Skinning Fresh Overview
Skinning is a primary gathering profession and is a good choice for many reasons in WoW Classic Fresh. Alongside Skinning, you can also pick up the second primary profession of Leatherworking, which allows you to craft gear. With Skinning, you can sell leather and hides at the Auction House. It brings you some consistent income while leveling up. Skinnable beasts are found throughout the open world, and the materials you gather will always be in demand. You will always have money in your pocket.
With the release of WoW Classic 20th Anniversary, the Auction House has been reset, meaning there will be fewer resources available, keeping demand consistently high. Leather is one of the most important resources in the game, and its prices are expected to remain high. This makes Skinning one of the most profitable gathering professions in WoW Classic Fresh.
Best Professions to Pair with Skinning
The best pair for Skinning is Leatherworking. With this profession, you’re able to make high-quality gear for Rogues, Druids, Shamans, and Hunters and sell surplus gear at the Auction House for profit.
We can assist you in leveling both professions. Simply reach out to our team for Profession Kits, and we’ll provide you with the necessary resources to efficiently level up both professions.
Best Class for Skinning in WoW Classic
The Mage is an excellent class for farming leather due to its strong crowd control and high AoE damage. However, in WoW Classic, your class choice doesn’t matter much when it comes to taking up Skinning. Whether you’re crafting gear or collecting leather for profit, Skinning is a suitable profession for any class.
WoW Classic How to Start Skinning
You need quite a few things before you start Skinning in WoW Classic 20th Anniversary:
- Buy the Skinning Knife from any Trade Goods vendor. It costs a few silver, but it’s essential for Skinning.
- Skinning may be learned, for example at Balthus Stoneflayer, right at level 1, so one can start gathering from the beginning.
- After that, you just need your Skinning Knife and some beasts to skin.
You can visit any Skinning trainers in any capital city to learn how to skin. Try to go to Orgrimmar or Stormwind, because Skinning trainers are conveniently placed quite near the Leatherworking trainers. When you learn the skill, you can very well start leveling by skinning beasts that closely correspond to your current level.
WoW Classic Skinning Trainer Locations
In WoW Classic Fresh, there are four levels of Skinning mastery that trainers can help you with:
- Apprentice Skinning can be learned at level 1, costs 10 copper.
- Journeyman Skinning can be learned at Skinning 50, costs 5 silver.
- Expert Skinning can be learned at Skinning 125, costs 50 silver.
- Artisan Skinning can be learned at Skinning 200, costs 5 gold.
WoW Classic Fresh Skinning trainers can be found all across Azeroth. We’ve put together a list of trainers and their locations to help you find them with ease.
Alliance Trainers:
Horde Trainers:
- Malux: Shadowprey Village /
way 23.2, 69.8;
Wow Classic Skinning Leveling Routes
Leveling up your Skinning profession is a relatively simple task, but it requires a significant time investment and good gear. You can engage in Skinning across many locations, and it’s particularly convenient to do so while leveling up your character. We’ve prepared maps with routes and zones that highlight areas densely populated with mobs ideal for Skinning.
However, the easiest way to level up Skinning is by turning to us. Our professional players can help you quickly and effortlessly master your Skinning skills.
Levels 1-75
Levels 1-75 Skinning Zones for Horde in Durotar
Levels 1-75 Skinning Zones for Alliance in Elwynn Forest
From levels 1 to 75, focus on working in your starting zones. For Alliance players, Elwynn Forest or Dun Morogh are great places to begin. Horde players should start in Durotar or Mulgore. These zones are packed with low-level beasts like boars, wolves, and bears, which are perfect for leveling up your Skinning skill early on.
While you’re out questing, skin any creature you kill. In this way, your Skinning skill will keep pace with your combat level, and before you know it, you’ll have reached skill level 75. Keep in mind that Skinning limits are based on character level, so try to stick to areas where the beasts are at or near your level.
Levels 75-150
Levels 75-150 Skinning Zones for Horde in the Barrens
Levels 75-150 Skinning Zones for Alliance in Westfall
From levels 75 to 150, move to slightly higher-level zones. Alliance players should head to Loch Modan or Westfall, while Horde players will find The Barrens ideal for this stage. You’ll find beasts like crocolisks, prowlers, and raptors here, and all of them provide the kind of leather you’ll need to keep leveling.
To be efficient, stick to areas with lots of beasts near. The plains of The Barrens are perfect since the mobs respawn quickly, minimizing downtime between Skinning attempts.
Levels 150-225
Levels 150-225 Skinning Zones in Alterac Valley
Levels 150-225 Skinning Zones in Hillsbrad Foothills
At skill level 150, move to Hillsbrad Foothills, Alterac Valley, Stranglethorn Vale or Arathi Highlands. These zones have plenty of beasts like panthers, tigers, and raptors, which provide medium and heavy leather.
Some beasts here require higher Skinning skills, so always make sure your skill is matched by the beasts you hunt. If you get behind, head back to lower-level zones for a bit to catch up.
Levels 225-300
Levels 225-300 Skinning Zones in Ungoro Crater
Levels 225-300 Skinning Zones in Hinterlands
Once you reach skill level 225, head to the Hinterlands, Badlands, Tanaris, or Feralas. The beasts in these areas are tougher, but they provide heavy, thick, and rugged leather, all of which are valuable at the Auction House. The yetis in Feralas are especially lucrative since they respawn quickly, are easy to kill, and provide valuable materials.
Go to Un’Goro Crater at about level 250 and finish leveling Skinning there. The dinosaurs are tough, but they drop rugged leather and rugged hide which are crucial for high level Leatherworking recipes and in high demand among other players.
WoW Classic How to Increase Skinning Skill Beyond 300
Your Skinning skill only caps at level 300, but some of the raid beasts or World Bosses require Skinning levels of 310-315. You can increase your Skinning skill past 300 in the following ways:
| Item | Skill Up | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Enchant Gloves – Skinning | Skinning +5 | Arathi Highlands |
| Pip’s Skinner | Skinning +10 | Blackrock Spire |
| Zulian Slicer | Skinning +10 | Zul’Gurub |
Mobs That Require Over 300 Skinning
Here are some examples of high-level mobs that require skills over 300 to skin:
| Beast | Skill Required | Item of Interest |
|---|---|---|
| The Beast (Blackrock Spire) | 310 | Pristine Hide of the Beast |
| Core Hound (Molten Core) | 310 | Core Leather |
| Onyxia (Onyxia’s Lair) | 315 | Scale of Onyxia |
| Magmadar (Molten Core) | 315 | Core Leather |
| Nefarian (Blackwing Lair) | 315 | Black Dragonscale |
| Emeriss, Lethon, Taerar, Ysondre (World Bosses) | 315 | Dreamscale |
WoW Classic What to Farm with Skinning
In WoW Classic Fresh, many types of leather and hides can be obtained from mobs of different levels. We have put down lists of different types of leather, hides, scales, and the level mobs to gather them.
Leather and Hides
WoW Classic Fresh offers a variety of resources that drop from mobs of different levels. The level of the mob determines the type of resource that you will get, e.g. Leather or Hide.
| Type of Leather | Mob Level |
|---|---|
| Ruined Leather Scraps | 6-15 |
| Light Leather | 6-17 |
| Light Hide | 11-25 |
| Medium Leather | 16-35 |
| Medium Hide | 16-35 |
| Heavy Leather | 25-45 |
| Heavy Hide | 25-45 |
| Thick Leather | 36-63 |
| Thick Hide | 40-60 |
| Rugged Leather | 46-63 |
| Rugged Hide | 46-63 |
Scales
Scales are some of the most common resources in WoW Classic, simply because the mobs listed here are so plentiful in most locations and can be found almost everywhere. Below, you’ll find a list of Scales available in the game, along with details about which mobs drop them and where they are used.
- Deviate Scale and Perfect Deviate Scale drop from Deviates both outside and inside Wailing Caverns. They are used in the Pattern: Deviate Scale Cloak, Pattern: Deviate Scale Gloves, and Pattern: Deviate Scale Belt.
- Slimy Murloc Scale drops from all Murlocs within the appropriate level range. They are needed for Pattern: Murloc Scale Belt and Pattern: Murloc Scale Breastplate.
- Red Whelp Scale can only be obtained through Skinning the Red Whelps of the Wetlands. They are used in Pattern: Red Whelp Gloves.
- Thick Murloc Scale drops from Murlocs in Hillsbrad Foothills, Dustwallow Marsh, and Stranglethorn Vale. They are used in Pattern: Murloc Scale Bracers and Pattern: Thick Murloc Armor.
- Scorpid Scale comes from Skinning Scorpids in Tanaris, Blasted Lands, and Burning Steppes. They are required for Leatherworking and the Tough Scorpid armor pieces, including gloves, leggings, breastplate, helm, shoulders, boots, and bracers.
- Heavy Scorpid Scale comes from Scorpids in Burning Steppes and Silithus. These scales are needed for the Heavy Scorpid Set, including shoulders, bracers, helm, gauntlets, vest, leggings, and belt.
Dragonscales
Dragonscales are endgame materials found in high-level zones or raids. These scales are what make the highest-tier gear possible and are quite hard to come by. We’ve compiled a list detailing which mobs drop Dragonscales and their specific crafting uses.
- Green Dragonscale can be farmed in the Swamp of Sorrows. These are needed for the Green Dragonscale Set, including breastplates, leggings, and gauntlets.
- Blue Dragonscale is skinned from elite dragonkin in Azshara and Winterspring. They are needed for the Blue Dragonscale Set, including breastplate, shoulders, and leggings.
- Red Dragonscale is obtained from elite Red Wyrmkin in The Wetlands. They are used in Pattern: Red Dragonscale Breastplate and Pattern: Chromatic Cloak.
- Black Dragonscale is gathered from elite Black Whelps, Drakes, and Wyrmkin in the Burning Steppes, Blackrock Spire, and Blackwing Lair. These black dragonscales are used for various high-level recipes, including Black Dragonscale Breastplate, Boots, Shoulders, and the Chromatic Cloak.
- Scale of Onyxia is obtained from Onyxia and requires 315 Skinning. It is used to craft the Onyxia Scale Cloak, essential for the Nefarian encounter, and the Onyxia Scale Breastplate.
- Brilliant Chromatic Scale drops from Chromaggus and whelps before the Warchief Rend Blackhand encounter in Blackrock Spire. It is needed for the Chromatic Cloak and Chromatic Gauntlets.
4.9Skinning is a versatile and rewarding profession in WoW Classic Fresh if you do it right. Follow our Skinning leveling route from 1 to 300, train when needed, and farm in high-density areas to make the most out of your Skinning journey. In WoW Classic 20th Anniversary, Skinning provides not only essential crafting materials but also serves as a solid source of income thanks to the increased Auction House activity and higher demand for crafted gear.
