Consolidated WotLK profession perks (which are you taking?)

[Warcraft]

Now that a lot more is known about the perks from various professions, I figured I'd try and make a consolidated thread for this. Which professions are you taking in WotLK? Why?

If you've been living under a rock and don't know anything about professions in WotLK yet, here is a good link.

http://wotlkwiki.info/index.php/Professions

--- Edit ---

Well, after some thought I decided that if I wanted this to be a consolidated thread, I should probably write up the details for every profession. So here they are, without having to crawl through to the link above. The key features of every profession are highlighted in bold.

Note: This list mainly includes things that are specific to professions. Not that kind of stuff that anybody can purchase.

Important note for extreme min-maxers

With WotLK, it is no longer possible to skill up a profession, unlearn it and keep the perks. Your jewelcrafter gems will stop working if you unlearn jewelcrafting, your ring enchants will stop working if you unlearn enchanting, your extra sockets will stop working if you unlearn blacksmithing, and so on. So pick professions to stick by!

Primary Professions

Alchemy

• You learn Mixology, a passive skill which increases the effects of potions, elixirs and flasks on you by 20-25%.
• You learn Northrend Alchemy Research, an ability that guarantees you the discovery of a new Alchemy recipe on a 7 day cooldown.
• You can craft 3 new Alchemist Stones, including Indestructible (75 stamina, 50 dodge), Mercurial (50 haste, 59 spell power), and Mighty (50 crit, 100 attack power).
• You can craft Crazy Alchemist's Potion, an upgraded version of Outland's Mad Alchemist's Potion.
• You can craft Endless Healing Potion and Endless Mana Potion, which do not provide the highest rejuvenation but are everlasting (and usable in arenas).

Blacksmithing

• You gain access to 2 additional armor sockets, one on your gloves and one on your bracers. Blacksmithing sockets are currently colorless, have no effect on socket bonuses, and DO stack with traditional enchants.
• (NOT PROFESSION SPECIFIC) Blacksmiths can also add a socket to belts, however this recipe is not specific to blacksmiths and can be used by anyone. I am mentioning it here to avoid confusion.
• (UNCONFIRMED) Blizzard has stated that they MAY give armorsmiths the ability to add an extra meta socket, most likely to chest. This is currently only a MAYBE.
• You can craft 2 new Skeleton Keys, including Cobalt (375 lockpicking skill) and Titanium (400 lockpicking skill).
• Although I won't list every new recipe, it is also worth mention that as a blacksmith you can also, of course, craft gear for yourself.

Enchanting

• You gain access to 3 new ring enchants, including Stamina (24 stamina), Greater Spellpower (19 spell power, previously 23), and Assault (32 attack power, previously 40).
• You can craft several new BoP wands, including some epic ones. Unfortunately, this is not relevant to us Paladins.

Engineering

• Many engineering items that have previously provided unique utility have been changed to engineering enchants. These enchants can be applied to any piece of armor of adequate level, however they do NOT stack with traditional enchants. Engineering enchants currently include Spring Loaded Cloak Expander (parachute cloak, 5 min cooldown), Belt-Clipped Spynoculars (allows you to see "far away"), Flexweave Underlay (another parachute cloak, 1 min cooldown), Hand-Mounted Pyro Rocket (2070 to 2530 damage fireball, 2 min cooldown), Hyperspeed Accelerators (glove enchant, 340 haste for 8 seconds, 2 min cooldown), Nitro Boosts (80% speed increase for 8 seconds, 5 min cooldown) and Personal Electromagnetic Pulse Generator (allows you to "stun nearby mechanicals").
• You can craft several new engineering-only trinkets, including Sonic Booster (81 stamina equip with 430AP for 10 seconds proc) and Noise Machine (63 spell power equip with 1100 damage shield proc).
• You can craft 3 new sets of plate goggles, including Armored Titanium Goggles (tanking, epic), Charged Titanium Specs (melee DPS, epic), and Mechanized Snow Goggles (randomly enchanted, blue).
• (NOT PROFESSION SPECIFIC) You can craft Mekgineer's Chopper (Alliance) or Mechano-hog (Horde), a motorcycle ground mount that can take passengers.

Inscription

• You gain access to 4 extra powerful shoulder enchants, including Master's Inscription of the Pinnacle (52 dodge, 15 defense), Storm (61 spell power, 15 crit), Axe (104 attack power, 15 crit), and Crag (61 spell power, 6 mana per 5).
• (REMOVED) You gain access to an additional major glyph slot. Normally, you receive 3 major and 3 minor glyph slots.

Jewelcrafting

• You learn Gem Perfection, an ability which allows you to sometimes get slightly higher stats when cutting uncommon (green) Northrend gems. Perfect gems are NOT soulbound and their stats are usually right between those of a green cut and a blue cut.
• You gain access to many new jewelcrafting-only gems cut from Dragon's Eyes. These gems match any socket color and are higher in stats than epic gems. You can have up to 3 jewelcrafter gems socketed in your gear. Click here for a list!
• (NEW)You can craft several new rings and necklaces, including some for tanking, however none are currently specific to jewelcrafters. For a list, see here.
• (NEW) You can craft 5 new jewelcrafting trinkets, which are unique in that they each have 2 sockets. The trinkets are Figurine - Emerald Boar, Figurine - Monarch Crab, Figurine - Ruby Hare, Figurine - Sapphire Owl, and Figurine - Twilight Serpent.

Leatherworking

• You gain access to 8 extra powerful bracer enchants called Fur Linings, including 90 stamina, 114 attack power, 67 spell power, and 60 arcane, fire, frost, nature, or shadow resistance.
• You gain access to 2 extra cheap Leg Reinforcements, including Jormungar (55 stamina, 22 agility) and Nerubian (75 attack power, 22 crit).
• (UNCONFIRMED) You gain access to 4 new types of drums, including Drums of Precision (95 hit), Great Battle (95 haste, 15% movement speed), Dark War (75AP, 44 spell power) and Major Restoration (720 health over 15 seconds).

Tailoring

• You gain access to 3 extra powerful cloak enchants called Embroideries, including Swordguard (chance on hit to gain 300AP for 15 seconds), Darkglow (chance on spell cast to restore 300 mana), and Lightweave (chance on damaging spell to cause 1000 - 1200 Holy damage).
• You gain access to 2 extra cheap Spellthreads, including Master's (50 spell power, 30 stamina) and Sanctified (50 spell power, 20 spirit).
• You can craft Frostweave Net, an upgrade to Outland's Netherweave Net. (Both recipes craft 2 nets at a time.)
• You can craft a Flying Carpet, a tailoring-only flying mount (NEW, now available in several colors).

Secondary Skills

Herbalism

• You learn Lifeblood, an instant-cast heal over time on a 3 minute cooldown. At max rank, it heals you for 2000 over 15 seconds. Spell power does not benefit this ability.
• You gain access to several new herbalism-only consumables, similar to Fel Blossoms in Outland. Consumables currently include Fire Leaf (400AP for 10 seconds at the cost of 100% armor) and Fire Seed (200 spell power for 10 seconds at the cost of 100% resistances, and +10% spell damage taken).

Mining

• You learn Toughness, a passive skill that increases your health slightly. At max rank, you gain 500 health. This does not scale with talents, as it is straight HP and not stamina.
• You learn Miner's Revenge, an ability which allows you to hurl your mining pick at an enemy (ignoring armor) up to 30 yards away on a 5 min cooldown. (UNCONFIRMED)

Skinning

• You learn Master of Anatomy, a passive skill which increases your critical strike rating slightly. At max rank, you gain 25 critical strike rating.

So which professions are the best?

Unfortunately, professions are hard to rate definitively because any active benefit (including all consumables, abilities and trinket cooldowns) holds a different value depending on each person's play style. I will also not attempt to rate professions in terms of profitability because that has nothing to do with character improvement and is often different depending on your realm. What can be rated easily are the passive profession perks which benefit everyone equally.

The best passive stat bonus professions

1. Blacksmithing - Maximum gain of 60 stamina, 40 strength, defense, dodge or parry rating. (extra points for flexibility)
2. Leatherworking - Gain of 78 stamina.
3. Jewelcrafting - Maximum gain of 33 stamina, 21 strength, defense, dodge or parry rating. (extra points for flexibility)
4. Enchanting - Gain of 48 stamina.
5. Mining - Gain of 500 health.
6. Inscription - Gain of 32 dodge rating.

The best armor crafting professions

1. Blacksmithing - Too many weapons and armor to list.
2. Engineering - A few pieces of armor and a few nice trinkets.
3. Jewelcrafting - A lot of nice trinkets.
4. Alchemy - A few nice trinkets.

--- End Edit ---

Personally, I am going to keep Engineering (which I've had since classic WoW, because there is no substitute to unique utility) but drop Enchanting for Blacksmithing. The new ring enchants just don't appeal to me with the lack of an upgraded Enchant Ring: Stats.

I've thought about picking up Inscription but decided against it. I simply can't see needing that extra glyph slot, because as hybrids our glyphs will be divided into 3 totally separate roles, and I doubt there will be that many glyphs which can benefit me all at once.

--- Edit ---

After a lot of thought I've changed my mind regarding Engineering. While I had a lot of fun with this profession in both WoW and TBC, I realize that I simply no longer need it. Back in classic WoW I took it for PvP and because Paladins had no range. Now I don't PvP and my Paladin has plenty of range. Goggles I never cared for because better things drop in raids, and non-combat conveniences are not my idea of making the most out of my character.

When WotLK lands, I will be picking up Leatherworking (alongside Blacksmithing) in place of Engineering. The new bracer enchants are just too good and will also prove handy for capping resistances, while drums will benefit me a lot more often than Engineering gadgets due to the fact that they don't have to be equipped.

I'll miss you, ROFLCopter.

[Zonzede]

Leatherworking.
90 stamina wrist? Resist to bracers for those fights? Improved leg armors? Yes please.

[Capt]

JC and smithing like I have now, I can so see that being OP in Xpac more sockets+better gems=god

[Aleriya]

I don't know. I'm currently Enchanting/Herbalism, but herbing is going to be dropped for sure, and maybe enchanting too. I hate to drop enchanting after putting so much time into it, but it's just not competitive with the other tradeskills right now.

Blacksmithing/Mining looks pretty good.

[Tradyk]

Mining for the +stamina

Engineering for the motorbike.

[Kytarra]

If engineering doesnt see some real love soon, ill drop it for BS and roll on with my JC/BS combo.

[Saphier]

Sticking with JC/Miner for the stam and gems.

[Temero]

Already dropped engineering and got mining leveled up to prepare for blacksmithing, gonna drop enchanting too. Blacksmithing atm has two additional sockets, thats 60 stamina or attack or whatever you wanna gem it with. Now i'm gonna have to seriously give leatherworking consideration. The 90 stamina i'm sure will be in place of an enchant on the bracers, atm the best stamina enchant they show is 16, so thats a 74 stamina difference, also the resist lining for bracers seems mighty attractive as tanks always have to consider resist gear.

[Seraphia]

I'm staying with my Mining and Engineering for the time being.

Smithing is just to soul sucking to skill up.

[Capt]

I'm staying with my Mining and Engineering for the time being.

Smithing is just to soul sucking to skill up.

I leveled up smithing (back when I though it might have good gear for me) and JC at the same time for my palidan (my lock was my 70, he farmed)

I think I lost my soul...so...many...bugs

[Keion]

I keep JC and if engineering does not get some love I take BS or LW.

[Velgarn]

Still debating, currently 375 Eng/BS, thinking of switching Eng. to JC to fit those extra sockets... Or mining to just get pure stam. (My hunter is a miner/herbalist, so I don't really 'need' a second miner.)

[Cakes]

Well, the plan was to drop leatherworking for mining due to the drums nerf and the need to gather mats for smithing. However, the new LW patterns make me want to rethink that. Perhaps keep both of those professions and go gathering (mining/herbs) on my alt.

[Io.Draco]

I want to know one thing about LW , we won't be able to use their leg enchants ?

[Rofladin]

I love engineering at this point in TBC, but all engies have to remember that it didn't get this good until very late in the game. I'm worried that things are shaping up the same in WotLK: Eng so far has lots of nice gadgets, but few things that approach the incredible buffs that the other professions are enjoying.

I'm hoping they'll revisit the profession before the expansion goes live. Otherwise, mining/JC is looking pretty nice to me right now. Or BS, which is finally getting some much-deserved love.