WoW Classic Engineering (1–300) – Comprehensive Guide
Engineers create guns, ammo, and scopes that greatly benefit hunters. They also craft tools like stun bombs (e.g. Explosive Sheep), the Minor Recombobulator (cancels Polymorph), and specialized devices (rocket boots, cloaking devices, etc.).
At skill 200, engineers choose Goblin or Gnomish specialization – each granting unique inventions and the option to respec later. Learning Mining alongside Engineering is highly recommended, as ore from Mining provides most of the required materials.
Class‐Specific Benefits
Engineering provides useful gadgets and stat bonuses tailored to each class. Some notable class synergies include:
HunterUltimate synergy. Engineers craft guns, bullets/arrows, quivers, and scopes, maximizing ranged DPS. Hunters also use Pocket Repair Kits, Ammo Pouches, and Flare Gun (for revealing stealthed rogues).
RogueGains crossbow attack capability (from crafted guns/bolts), Smoke Bombs (Gnomish stealth escapes), and Parachute Cloaks (Gnome) for fall protection.
Warrior/PaladinCan use Flash Bombs (scatter hunter/warlock pets in PvP), Anti‐smokebomb gear, and Rocket Boots for surprise charges or retreats. Goblins get rocket helms (stun effect) and nitro boosts for charge DPS.
Mage/WarlockBenefit from reflectors (e.g. Flame, Frost, Shadow Reflectors) to bounce elemental spells back on casters. Gnome engineers offer Mind Control Hat (mental domination) and Death Ray (offensive utility), while Goblins provide tools like Goblin Transporter. Both can use the Gnomish Chicken and Arcanite Dragonling (tanking/summoned pets) once trained.
Healers (Priest, Shaman, Druid)Use Goblin Jumper Cables (instant resurrection in combat), pocket gadgets (health/defensive buffs from belts), and rocket boots for positioning.
All Classes: Engineers can craft portable bank/mailing bots (Jeeves/MOLL-E in later eras), Truesilver Transformers (turn silver bars into gold coins, TBC+), and drums, goggles, or gloves enchants (in Wrath). In Classic-era, the main all-class perks are stat‐gear enhancements, unique weapons, and engineering‐only wrist/belt/boots enchants (Gnomish Death Ray, various reflectors, etc.).
To summarize class synergy, consider the following table of class vs. notable engineering items:
| Class | Key Engineering Items & Uses |
|---|---|
| Hunter | Guns, bullets/arrows, ammo pouches, scopes (for higher crit), training rifle, Zeppellin (Dire Restripper), flares |
| Rogue | Crossbow attacks, smoke bomb (Gnome), stealth detection goggles, Rocket Boots/Hell-Egg escape, flash bomb (anti-pet) |
| Mage | Reflector buffs (Frost, Flame, Shadow reflectors), gnomish mind control hat, warlock warding gear, tanking pet (Chicken) |
| Warlock | Spell reflectors, Fel Iron/Core wizard gear (Rocket Boots for mobility), Gnomish Transporter: Gadgetzan (bounce to new zone) |
| Warrior | Stun bombs (Bombs of multiple types), rocket boots for charge, grenade launcher, Goblin Sapper (consume DPS buff) |
| Paladin | Stun bombs, resurrection devices (Goblin Jumper Cables), rocket boots for mobility, Reflectors for situational advantage |
| Shaman | Guns and ammo (Spore rifles, etc.), rocket boots, +Nature resist gear (Engineering pocket watch gear later), tank pet summons |
| Priest | Reflectors, rocket boots, Lesser stats gear enhancements (inert for Classic aside from utility items) |
| Druid | Rocket Boots, sniper rifles for added range (rare), flash bomb (disengage pets in PvP), mechanical pets (Chicken) |
| Any class | Gnomish Cloaking Device (invisibility), Pocket Repair Kits, Anti-Venom (Goblin), Truesilver Transformer (Later expansions) |
Leveling Engineering (1–300)
Engineering leveling is done in tiers (Apprentice 1–75, Journeyman 75–150, Expert 150–225, Artisan 225–300). The strategy is to craft items that grant skill-ups efficiently. Below is a high-level path; exact material counts and costs are estimated from sources. All mats include gathered or purchased resources. (*) denotes items you craft during the process.
Material Requirements (1–300)
Recommended total materials to reach 300 Engineering are roughly (will vary by server prices and RNG). This master list assumes yellow and green skill-ups:
| Material | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Rough Stone | 90 |
| Coarse Stone | 20 |
| Heavy Stone | 75 |
| Solid Stone | 100 |
| Dense Stone | 50 |
| Wooden Stock | 10 |
| Weak Flux | 29 |
| Heavy Leather | 50 |
| Wool Cloth | 7 |
| Mageweave Cloth | 10 |
| Runecloth | 33 |
| Copper Bar | 50 |
| Silver Bar | 15 |
| Bronze Bar | 55 |
| Iron Bar | 18 |
| Steel Bar | 4 |
| Mithril Bar | 150 |
| Thorium Bar | 159 |
1–75 (Apprentice)
- 1–40: Rough Blasting Powder – Craft ~40 units (1 Rough Stone each) to reach skill ~40. Materials: Rough Stone ~40. Cost: Negligible if mined; ~5s per stack if bought.
- 40–50: Handful of Copper Bolts – Make 10 (6 Copper → 10 bolts). Materials: 10 Copper Bars. Cost: ~1–2g.
- 50–51: Arclight Spanner – Requires 6 Copper Bars. Crafting this engineer's tool gives +1 skill. Materials: 6 Copper Bars. Cost: ~1–2g.
- 51–65: Copper Tube – Craft 14 (2 Copper + 1 Weak Flux each). Materials: 28 Copper Bars + 14 Weak Flux (Weak Flux from basic supplies vendor). Cost: ~3g.
- 65–75: Rough Boomstick – Craft 10 (requires 10 Wooden Stock, 10 Copper Tubes, 10 Bolts). Materials: 10 Wooden Stocks (vendor ~4s each) + components above. Cost: ~1g.
75–150 (Journeyman)
- 75–95: Coarse Blasting Powder – Craft ~20 (1 Coarse Stone each). Materials: ~80 Coarse Stone. Cost: ~0g (stones dropped by mobs).
- 95–105: Silver Contact – Make 10 (1 Silver Bar each). Materials: 10 Silver Bars. Cost: ~5–7g.
- 105–125: Bronze Tube – Craft 20 (2 Bronze + 1 Weak Flux each). Materials: 40 Bronze Bars + 20 Weak Flux. Cost: ~4–5g.
- 125–135: Heavy Blasting Powder – Craft 20 (1 Heavy Stone each). Materials: 20 Heavy Stone. Cost: ~0g.
- 135–150: Big Bronze Bomb – Craft 5 (3x Heavy Blasting Powder + 1x Iron Bar + 2x Linen Cloth) – from Trainer. Materials: ~20 HBP, 5 Iron Bars, 10 Linen (vendor). Cost: ~5g.
150–225 (Expert)
- 150–160: Iron Strut – 2 (2 Iron Bars) – Trainer. Materials: 4 Iron Bars.
- 160–170: Discombobulator Ray – 1 (Jade + Bronze Tube + Silk + Bronze Gizmo) – Trainer. Materials: 1 Jade, 1 Silk, 1 Tube, 3 Gizmos.
- 165–175: Goblin Jumper Cables – 1 (Shadowgem, Iron Bars, Flask, Fused Wiring, Silk, Gizmos) – Trainer. Materials: 1 Shadowgem, 6 Iron Bars, 2 Flask O' Oil, 1 Fused Wiring, 2 Silk Cloth, 2 Gizmos.
- 165–175: Portable Bronze Mortar – 1 (Bronze Tube, HBP, Iron Strut, Leather) – Trainer. Materials: 4 Bronze Tubes, 4 HBP, 1 Iron Strut, 4 Heavy Leather.
- 170–175: Gyrochronatom – 1 (Iron Bar + Gold Power Core) – Trainer. Materials: 1 Iron Bar, 1 Gold Power Core (crafted from Gold Bar).
- 175–200: Craft remaining Solid Blasting Powder and Solid Dynamite (from solid stone and cloth). Materials: ~50 Solid Stone, 25 Silk, etc. Cost: ~2g.
225–300 (Artisan)
- 225–235: Thorium Widget – 10 (8 Thorium, 2 Rugged Leather each). Materials: 80 Thorium Bars, 20 Rugged Leather. Cost: ~10g (if bought) or free (if farmed).
- 235–245: Thorium Tube – 5 (5 Thorium Bars + 2 Bronze Tubes + Iron Flux). Materials: 25 Thorium, 10 Bronze Tubes, 1 Iron Flux.
- 245–250: Fel Iron Casing – 5 (1 Thorium Tube + 4 Thorium Bars each). Materials: 5 Thorium Tubes, 20 Thorium Bars.
- 250–260: Thorium Widget (to skill), plus any remaining. Materials: ~10 extra Widget (80 Thorium, 20 Leather).
- 260–290: Thorium Grenade – 80 (2 Thorium, 1 Iron, 2 wool each). Materials: 160 Thorium, 80 Iron, 160 Wool. Cost: ~10g.
- 290–300: Dense Dynamite – 25 (2 Dense Stone, 1 Solid Blasting Powder each). Materials: 50 Dense Stone, 25 SBP.
Specializations – Gnomish vs. Goblin
At Engineering skill 200, you must specialize into either Gnomish Engineering or Goblin Engineering (learned from trainers in Ironforge or Orgrimmar). Each path unlocks exclusive schematics:
- Focus on utility and mobility
- Notable inventions include Gnomish Rocket Boots (50% speed boost)
- Gnomish Cloaking Device (temporary invisibility)
- Mind Control Cap (20s enemy control)
- Shrink Ray (reduces target size)
- Mechanical Chicken trinket
- Ultrasafe Transporter: Gadgetzan (teleport to Gadgetzan)
- Prized for PvP (nets, death ray, shrink) and personal escape/survival
- Centers on firepower and damage
- Key inventions include Goblin Rocket Boots (+70% speed)
- Goblin Rocket Helmet (stun on use)
- Goblin Sapper Charge (best DPS bomb consumable)
- Goblin Jumper Cables (resurrect in combat)
- Goblin Dragon Gun (flamethrower)
- Hyper-Radiant Flame Reflector (reflect fire spells)
- Flash Bomb (scares away pets) useful in PvP
- Reigns supreme for gold-making because Goblin Sapper Charges sell very well
| Feature | Gnomish Engineering | Goblin Engineering |
|---|---|---|
| Key Unique Items | Rocket Boots, Cloaking Device, MC Cap, Chicken, Net-o-Matic snare, Death Ray | Rocket Boots, Rocket Helmet, Sapper Charge, Dimensional Ripper (Everlook portal), Flame Reflector |
| Use Case | PvP crowd control (nets, MC), escapes (boots, cloaking), utility (teleporter) | AoE damage (sappers, bombs), stun (helmet), mobility (boots), survivability (Jumper Cables) |
| Gold Potential | Moderate – useful but often unnecessary crafts | High – Goblin Sapper is the strongest DPS consumable; sells for profit |
| Best For | Alliance teams (Gadgetzan portal) and PvP enthusiasts | Horde, DPS builds, and engineers looking to profit from bombs |
| Switching | Can respec at Gnomeregan (gadgetzan portal) or Bilgewater Harbor for a fee. | Same: can switch at Bilgewater Harbor (Goblin base in Thousand Needles) for a fee. |
PvP Uses and Gadgets
Engineering shines in PvP by providing unique crowd-control and burst tools. Many engineer‐only items give an edge in battlegrounds and world PvP. Key PvP gadgets include:
- Rocket Boots (Gnomish/Goblin): +50%/+70% speed for 12–20 sec. Use them to chase or escape (fail chance ~30%).
- Gnomish Net‐o‐Matic Projector: Fires a net that snare roots an enemy for 10 sec. Great for pinning flag carriers or fleeing targets.
- Gnomish Mind Control Cap: Mind-control an enemy player for ~18 sec. (High cooldown ~5 min.)
- Gnomish Death Ray: Channels to deal damage at the cost of your HP. Good for finishing off targets.
- Goblin Rocket Helmet: Shocks and stuns a target on use. (Short cooldown ~3 min)
- Hyper-Radiant Flame Reflector / Ultra-Flash Shadow Reflector / Gyrofreeze Ice Reflector: Each reflects fire/frost/shadow spells back on the caster for 5 sec. Extremely valuable against mages/warlocks.
- Discombobulator Ray: Polymorphs (sheep-form) an enemy for 12 sec, breaking stealth DPS and crowding enemy casters.
- Flash Bomb: Causes beasts in 5 yds to flee for 10 sec. Counters enemy pets (hunters/warlocks) in fights.
- Catseye Ultra Goggles: Grants detection of stealthed rogues (classic-era goggles for stealth detection).
- Iron Grenade / Big One: AoE stun bombs (3–5 sec stun in 3–10 yd radius). Useful against melee rushers or low-health groups.
- Minor Recombobulator: Instantly cancels Polymorph on an ally. Slightly outdated but can be clutch in BGs.
PvE/Raid Usefulness
In PvE and raids, Engineering is more about supplemental DPS and utility than a must-have. Useful engineer-crafted items include:
Bombs & Grenades:
- Goblin Sapper Charge: 5-min cooldown bomb that deals significant Fire damage in ~8-yd radius. Often used by melee for DPS or item phases in 40-man raids.
- Arcane Bomb: Drains 2% mana and deals damage equal to drained mana to all in 8 yd, also silencing them. Great for mana-dumping in fights.
- Dark Iron Bomb: Stuns enemies for 4 sec in 5 yd (1-min CD). Good for interrupting casters.
- Iron Grenade, Big One: Short-cooldown stuns in small/large radius. Used situationally (e.g. interrupting Flamewalkers in MC with Iron Grenade).
Mechanical Pets:
- Gnomish Battle Chicken (trinket): Summons a chicken pet for 30 min. Its DPS is modest but it tanks adds or tag mobs for you.
- Arcanite Dragonling (trinket): Summons a dragonling for 1 hour. Stronger than the chicken, used in epic raids (via a quest reward schematics).
- Mechanical Squirrel (1-300 schematic) and Mechanical Yeti (from Wintergrasp world events) – novelty pets with weak DPS.
Other Useful Items:
- Target Dummy: Deployable target that taunts and pulls aggro. Rarely used in raids, but handy for pulling or tanking a bit.
- Field Repair Bot 74A: 30-min CD devices that repair raid gear on use. Extremely valuable in raiding for saving repair costs.
- Heartseeker (bow): High-DPS ranged weapon (Arcanite Skeletal key quest reward schematic).
- Nifty Stopwatch: Slows targets for 10 sec (engineering quest reward). Useful crowd-control utility (chiefly in dungeons).
Gold-Making and Economy
Engineering has notable gold-making potential, albeit often slower than gathering professions. Key strategies include selling consumables and rare schematics:
Consumables:
Engineers can craft Sapper Charges, Arcane Bombs, Dark Iron Bombs, Thorium Grenades, and Gunpowder which many raid/heroic groups demand. Among these, Goblin Sapper Charges (for Goblin engineers) and Arcane Bombs are highly prized for their DPS utility. Goblin is required to craft Goblin Sapper Charges, which is the strongest DPS consumable. Selling stacks of Sappers during raid nights can net ~1–2g per bomb on active servers. Other consumables like Iron Grenades and The Big One sell moderately if booms are needed for specific fights. Even Ammo and Scopes can be lucrative: armies of hunters buy arrows/bullets and Accurascopes.
Utility Items:
Items like Field Repair Bot 74A (Alliance) or Minor/Major Recombobulators (Arathi/Timbermaw rep) can sell well to raiders. The Arclight Spanner is required for raid keys, so guilds often recruit crafters or buy them. Likewise, Jeeves and MOLL-E (later expansions) became big cash, but in Classic the bankbot (Jeeves) was a guaranteed sale for any 60 engineer.
Rare Schematics:
Some engineering schematics drop from bosses or vendors at low rates and can be flipped for profit. Examples (Classic context) include Thorium Grenade pattern (drop in Scholomance), Arcanite Dragonling (quest reward requiring rare converters), and Biznicks 247x128 Accurascope (rare vendor in Winterspring). Watch your AH for Schematic: … listings – often newbie engineers will sell blueprints cheaply. Buying low from AH and crafting the item can yield profit if the final item sells higher.
Faction- and Rep-Exclusive Schematics
Several Engineering recipes are faction-limited or require reputation with certain groups. Notable ones include:
- Field Repair Bot 74A: Alliance-only schematic from a quest in Arathi Basin (Alliance Inn quest "Field Duty" rewards the schematic). Grants 10 rep with Engineers daily. Hordes get Bot 110G via Winterspring daily quests (post-300 content in TBC).
- Minor Recombobulator: Purchased from Arathi Basin Quest Reward vendor (Alliance rep) or from Thunderaan factions. Requires at least Honored with Argent Dawn to craft. Useful one-time polymorph breaker in PvP.
- Major Recombobulator: Requires Revered with Timbermaw Hold (from Darkshore area) and 2500 Stam/5 mats. Cancels debuffs on a target.
- Gnomish Mind Control Cap: Reward from Zandalar Tribe rep (for Trolls; 25 faction) – allows mind-control, which can trivialize some quests or PvP fights.
- Blueprint: Field Repair Bot 74A: Purchase at Honored with Knights of Arathor (for Alliance) or Heavy Junkbox from Dustwallow rep (Horde).
- Flame Deflector: From Steamwheedle Cartel rep (Neutral; Gadgetzan faction) – reduces fire damage (Engineering helmet).
- Ice Deflector: Also from Gadgetzan rep, reduces frost damage.
- Gyrofreeze Ice Reflector: Sold by Winterspring elite rep after grinding Ring of Law.
Rare Schematics & Recipes
Some Engineering recipes are world drops or quest rewards. Examples:
- Flawless Arcanite Rifle: Extremely rare schematic from either MC boss Emperors (drop) or via a quest chain requiring a Libram and high stats. Creates a top-tier rifle.
- Schematic: Snowmaster 9000 (Season of Discovery/Classic – gnomish portable furnace); typically a limited drop.
- Schematic: Thorium Grenade: Drop in Scholomance or world drop in high-level zones; crafts a powerful grenade.
- Schematic: Mechanical Squirrel Box: Dropped by Lord Immel (UBRS boss); creates an improvised turret.
- Schematic: EZ-Thro Dynamite, Schematic: Spellpower Goggles Xtreme Plus: world drops in Maraudon, etc.
Synergies with Other Professions
- Mining: The single best pairing. Mining supplies virtually all ore and stones needed for Engineering, dramatically cutting costs. Engineers who also mine can hit 300 without buying any ore.
- Tailoring: Engineers often need Mageweave and Runecloth for certain goggles and bombs; tailors can farm cloth and make bandages that engineers can use or sell. Tailoring also offers Dragon's Breath (ench.) and similar backpieces – not directly synergistic, but they often go hand-in-hand.
- Leatherworking: Moderate synergy – Engineers need Heavy/Light Leather for some kits and bombs. Leatherworking gloves (Feralheart/Devilsaur) have engineer sockets in later expansions (Wrath), but not in Classic.
- Blacksmithing: Many smiths pair with engineers since both use Mining. There's no direct recipe overlap, but engineers can craft guns (for blacksmiths' off-hand swords use in WotLK, etc.) – less relevant in Classic.
- Alchemy: Engineers can help alchemists by supplying Accelerators like Nitro Boosts (for kill quests), though rare. Engineers can also carry engineering augments (flasks) if WotLK.
- Tailoring/Enchanting: In later expansions, tailors craft belts that provide engineering skill. Enchants like Spider Oil (Enchanting) create Destabilized Oil which is used by Engineers in TBC (for bombs).
Engineering Toolkit by Level Range
Engineers carry a "toolkit" of gadgets suitable for their level. Typical recommendations by character level:
- Levels 1–19: Keep Rough Boomstick (low-level gun), target dummies, basic bombs. If 19+, craft Goblin Rocket Boots (requires 225 skill, so not yet) – save the schematic.
- Levels 20–29: Craft Practice Bombs and Iron Struts early. If approaching 225 skill, you can make Goblin Rocket Boots (150 skill) at level 29 for 70% speed (risk of explosion). Also make any Silver Contacts and Bronze Tubes for future use.
- Levels 30–39: Soon train Journeyman. Keep WoW classic Arclight Spanner for quests. At 35+, engineers often craft Flight Goggles (requires 50 LW) – not strictly engineering, but as crafters they may coordinate. Continue making Solid Dynamite and Thorium Widget.
- Levels 40–49: Keep an EZ-Thro Dynamite on hand for AoE. At 45+, craft Goblin Sapper Charge (requires Goblin spec, rank 300) for raiding bombs. Also build up Thorium Grenades and Dense Dynamite stocks by 50+.
- Levels 50–59: Carry bombs (Arcane, Frost, Fire from Blacksmith), repair bots (Field Repair Bot 74A for Alliance), and reflective shields for mage-heavy zones. The Gnomish Battle Chicken (skill 225 schematic) is portable DPS at 60.
- Level 60: Be fully stocked. Useful crafts include Gnomish Net-o-Matic, Rocket Boots, all Reflectors, Arclight Spanner, and any on-demand gadget.
Engineering Through Classic Phases
Throughout WoW Classic's content phases, Engineering gains or provides utility:
- Phase 1 (Original WoW – MC, Ony): Focus on leveling and quest gear. Early on, Engineering equips you for Molten Core: you need an Arclight Spanner to craft MC Key Rings. PvP starts in Warsong/AB where rockets, bombs, and repair bots become useful. Phase 1 ends with Onyxia and Blackwing Lair – still no new Eng-only gear, but raids use Goblin Sappers and Rocket Helmets.
- Phase 2 (ZG/BWL release): Zul'Gurub and BWL bring new raids; Goblin Sappers remain in demand for extra DPS. Engineering trainers in WPL and BG (for example, Bombus Fuzzenbacher) offer the Goblin Rocket Fuel scheme (auto-buff potion). Alliance can craft Field Repair Bots (via Schematic quest chain).
- Phase 3 (Ahn'Qiraj event): AQ gates bring Ahn'Qiraj rep rewards, including Engineering items: Qiraji Magisterial Ring (engineering goblin helm) appears in Phase 5/AQ40 patch. Notably, Alliance engineers use the Gadgetzan transporter (Gnomish spec) to reach AQ. Pre-AQ, Scarab bombs and SC Nuke were desired, though all classes had other lab bombs.
- Phase 4 (Naxxramas & final content): Naxx-tier raids introduce Arcanite Dragonling (via quest from Deathcharger's Reins quest line, requiring Eng. 300) and possibly bomb schematics. Many Naxx kits and sets have extra sockets, but Eng gloves enchant (Mongoose) appear. Reflectors (elemental reflect) are max-level crafts. Repair Bot 110G is TBC, but engineers in Phase 4 focus on stocking sappers/reflectors and giving demo-skill group buffs.
Engineering "Twink" Gear (BG Levels 19–59)
Engineering is famously prized by low-level PvP "twinks" for speed and gadgets. Common twink items include:
Level 19 Twink:
At 19/20, many engineers craft Goblin Rocket Helm (ENG 235) and Gnomish Rocket Boots (ENG 225) as soon as possible (requires quest or AH purchase of schematics). These give +70%/+50% speed. Also Minor Recombobulator (Arathi Quest) and Catseye Ultra Goggles (from AQ rep) are used. Arrows/bolts from Eng help hunters and rogues in 0–19 BG.
Level 29 Twink:
By 29, players can use Iron Grenades and Big Ones (which stun), and craft Hyper-Radiant Flame Reflector (for warlocks) or Saronite Transformer (not Classic) for resist boots. Engineers often carry stacks of Sappers for massive burst, and rockets with any spare stat gear to out-move opponents.
Level 39 Twink:
At 39, more reflective gadgets (Shadow Reflector, Ice Reflector) are accessible. Engineers might craft Fel Iron Buckle for tankiness (PvE belts), but mostly they stock bombs and still use rockets. Mithril Gyro-drill (tailor pants) is another niche.
Level 49 Twink:
Level 49 is less common in Classic, but engineers can use Nixad's Pipe (goblin brain fizz), rocket boots, and high-end bombs (Thorium Grenades).
Level 59 Twink:
At 59, Eng gear includes Gyrofreeze Ice Reflector, Dragon's Breath (for bosses), and all Tier-0.5 crafted weapons. Rocket Boots and Sappers remain staples.
FAQ and Troubleshooting
Q: I'm not getting skill-ups – what should I do?
A: Make sure you're crafting items that are green or yellow in skill requirement. Switch recipes if yours is orange. For example, if Solid Blasting Powder is no longer giving skill, try Dense Dynamite or Thorium Grenade. Save all crafted mats – you often need to make intermediate parts again. If you wasted flux or tubes, buy or farm more; these build up quickly.
Q: Where are the Engineering trainers?
A: Until 150, any major city trainer will do (Ironforge, Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Undercity, Darnassus). After 150, Alliance must go to Springspindle Fizzlegear (Ironforge) and Horde to Roxxik (Orgrimmar). At 225, Artisan training is only in Gadgetzan (Buzzek Bracketswing).
Q: How do I switch Goblin/Gnome specialization?
A: You can retrain by going to Bilgewater Harbor in Thousand Needles (Gadgetzan→south) and talking to the engineer trainers (Wizzle Brassbolts, Roxxik). They charge a gold fee (~5g). Your current spec's inventions will be removed and you can learn the other set. You can switch any number of times, at cost.
Q: I accidentally sold my materials/tools!
A: None are bind-on-pickup, so you can just re-craft or re-buy them. For example, Copper Tubes and Handful of Bolts are very cheap vendor items (just buy more Copper Bars and Weak/Heavy Flux to remake them). Save every material that you make! If you sold Flux or Gizmos, you can farm them from killable mobs or purchase from Blacksmithing/Engineering supplies vendors.
Q: Is it worth leveling Mining 1–300?
A: Absolutely. Mining provides Rough/Heavy/Coarse Stones and all metal bars for Eng. With Mining, you can reach 300 Engineering with minimal gold investment. Without Mining, expect to spend 30–60g on ore and flux alone. Combine Mining (for ore) with a casual cloth farmer (for Mageweave, Leather, etc.) for cost-free leveling.
Q: When should I train Goblin/Gnome?
A: Training itself is at skill 225 from a trainer, but learn it right at skill 200 after Journeyman. You don't have to specialize until after hitting 300, but many do to get access to the items during leveling. If undecided, you can delay picking until 300 and simply continue yellow/green recipes as usual – specialization is independent of leveling path.
Q: My bombs aren't hitting NPCs or players?
A: Ensure you craft Thorium Grenades (requires skill 200–230) and Dense Dynamite (200–250) for high-level stuns. Lower level bombs (Solid, Big Bronze) break easily with damage; use them on low-HP targets. Note: Discombobulator Ray changes form (like Sap), not damage, so don't expect to kill. If you find bombs 'dud', make Big One (requires skill 215) for a guaranteed 5s stun on mobs.
Q: Can classes use my gadgets?
A: Some devices are class-locked: for example, Goblin Jumper Cables can only be equipped by Engineers (later expansions opened them to all in a sense, but Classic they require you to equip and use). Guns and ammo can be used by any class that uses ranged weapons. Reflectors and bombs have no class restriction. The Mechanical Chicken and Dragonling are trinkets anyone can equip. Remember to put your item enhancements in an engineering slot: Engineers get a special "Gadget" tab where tools like Parachutes (helm enchant), or scopes fit.