Is engineering a must-have?

If you have mining, and you don't mind waiting it out a couple days (unlike me, who gets a bit OCD when levelling profs), you can pretty much do it for free with an Alchemist on your account for Goblin Rocket Fuel and a couple of bars of Arcanite transmuted. A friendly JC helps in that regard too; prospecting will be more likely to get you a couple of arcane crystals than playing Russian Roulette with the Thorium spawns.
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my paly is 2 months old currently, I didn't level any trade skills till I hit 70, then i PL'd Herbalism, have made so much money it's rediculous from this trade skill. Last week i PL'd my engineering and I must say I am very happy with it thus far. I spent about 400g total to get engi from 1-368 where I have it atm. Only reason i haven't pushed for 375 is I have already made ally 3 of the epic goggles, and I don't care about the flying machine because I have my netherdrake already. I have to say, If you leveled Engineering ONLY for the goggles, it'd still be money well spent, but all the other cool toys, repair bots, the transports and whatnot make this by far the most fun tradeskill and for a tank paly, a very nice thing to have.
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Just as an update, I dropped smithing yesterday, now I have 350 engineering. I spent maybe 250 gold, now farming mats for my goggles.
You just can't beat the ease of leveling this up.

P.S.

Get engineering.
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I picked up smithing to get the fireguard and the lionheart blades but now that i've made them i don't use much...crystalforged sword works better for me right now so thinking of dropping it for the goggles....but lionheart looks so cool when i equip it
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http://wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Bloodscalp&n=Shugg

So would it be worth it for me to farm leather for a week or so, mail to an alt, drop skinning. Pick up engineering and farm ore/bars on my mining alt? I see engineering as a very tank friendly proffesion and I don't need a gathering skill for enchanting.

My alts so far have bs, mining and herb and alch.
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ok, so Engineering is going to happen...

Goblin or Gnome?

In answer to the original question, I never had Engineering and I seem to have done fine
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Uther would have rolled a Blood Elf.

Anyone know if the goblin mortar reloading trick still works for leveling? I think they fixed it.
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