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Engineering
So, you want to blow things up? Mind you, blowing things up is not the same thing as raining down fire or ice upon your enemies. That's merely inflicting grievous amounts of pain and suffering. And while that is perfectly worthwhile in its own right, it isn't quite the same as blowing things up. "What?s the difference between a mage and an engineer," you ask? A mage turns a person into a sheep and wears a dress. An engineer makes a sheep that explodes, has excellent fashion sense and sports goggles.
Ok, so you're here to learn how to blow things up effectively. Now, this commentary isn't going to be geared towards pansies. In fact, for the most part I expect this will be the only place I address pansies to any significant degree. Tauren have a very remarkable culture, and from early ages we teach our young about the world and the rules of the world -- such as mathematics. One popular method of educating our young involves twisting the toes off pansy midgets and allowing our young to learn to count with said toes. Afterwards, they like to make their first bone necklaces from them, once the counting is done. Why am I talking about Tauren culture in a guide to engineering? I wanted to be clear on my stance regarding pansies.
Some people wander the world of Azeroth loaded to the gills with gold, others have powerful and influential friends to help them along when they first venture out of their hometown. I'm assuming you have neither and are supporting your own tinker habit.
Limitations
Before I expound on the Hows and Wheres and Whys of engineering, I want to comment on the Whats -- what engineering is and isn't.
Engineering is NOT a tradeskill.
I'm fairly certain there are at least a few people out there who didn't quite absorb that comment, so I'll repeat it.
Engineering is NOT a tradeskill.
Got it that time? Good. Engineering is a profession, not a trade at which you will make money. If you want to make money, take up two gathering skills -- mining and skinning are prime selections. There are two circumstances in which you will actually trade your engineered goods. When a quest requires them, or when another engineer wants something you can (or have) make that (s)he can't (or doesn't want to leave to chance). Beyond those circumstances, engineering is a utility skill. You make the things you do because you find them useful. If you don't feel engineering items are worthwhile, don't bother; the cool factor will evaporate when you see tailors on the front wave of the player-levels raking in the cash making bags.
Engineering provides items that are useful in PVE, PVP, and have a high stylistic value. However, certain items are prone to backfiring, and each item has a tradeoff. Except maybe bombs, the purest form of blowing things up.
Additionally, engineering items have timers. You cannot charge into battle at rocket speed, throwing bombs left and right indiscriminately while wielding your flame-thrower. There are two types of timers, the universal cooldown, and the item-type specific cooldown. These aren?t as complicated as they might appear. After you use any engineering item, you are faced with the universal cooldown, the minimum time period you must wait before using any two items. Next is the item-type cooldown, this limits how frequently you can use any particular type of engineered product. Bombs are all linked to the same timer, so after throwing any type of bomb or dynamite, you need to wait five minutes before you can throw another. Dragonlings are all linked to another timer, after summoning a dragonling; you must wait an hour before summoning another. You can, however, throw another bomb following the summoning of a dragonling after the universal timer (30 seconds I believe) refreshes.
Mining
Learn mining. Learn it now, if not sooner. Spend your first coppers on a mining pick; always carry it with you. Without the ability to mine, or a surplus of cash, you won't be able to do much engineering. You want to start mining as soon as possible, even before you've found the engineering trainer, so you can accumulate a stash of components for your tinkering delight.
Mining Caveats:
* If you're grouped, don't ditch your group responsibilities and run off every time you see a node.
* If somebody else is fighting mobs on top of a node, assume they are going to mine it. Ask if you are unsure. Don't be a jackass and grab it. A little common courtesy and patience go a long way.
* If multiple people in your group mine, work out a solution. Suggest alternating attempts per node, or nodes in general.
* If you're mining a node and some jackass runs up and wants to mine the node you're mining, feel entitled to tell him/her to buzz off in a very polite manner. If you are not in a dangerous area, and aren't in a rush (patience goes a long way!), sit with the loot window of the node open until the person goes away. They won't be able to mine the node until it isn't in use (even though you may see them start the animation).
Now, the ability to mine a node is linked with your mining skill. Different metals can be mined at different skills. Mousing over a node will let you know if you can mine it, if the text is red you can't. If the text is orange, you can try but may fail. Yellow and below you can harvest just fine. You'll get skillups off orange the most, then yellow, rarely green, and never grey.
Any level node can show up on your minimap, this has no relation to your mining skill. Bright yellow dots are above ground, grayed yellow dots are below (generally indicating tunnels, caves, or mine of some sort). The type of metal that spawns at any particular node is usually linked to the aggregate level of the area. Low level areas have copper and maybe a few tin nodes. Lower mid level areas have tin, upper mid have iron, lower high levels areas have mithril, and top tier areas have thorium. This means if you want higher level metals, you need to mine in higher level zones. This is a fairly practical cap at which you can advance engineering.
Precious metals are the rare spawns of standard metals. Again, these are rare, and you are ill advised to search out nothing but precious metals or try and level your mining skills off them.
Precious Metals:
* Tin :: Silver
* Iron :: Gold
* Mithril :: Truesilver
A few final tidbits on mining. Learn new smelting abilities as soon as remotely convenient, and learn the location of forges. There are quite a number of forges in otherwise wild and uninhabited areas. Smelting on the go is useful as it effectively doubles the amount of metal you can carry. Ore stacks to 10, bars to 20.
Getting Started
Ok, you?ve got a mining pick and the mining skill. The other thing you want is pack space. You need more than just ore and stones (that?s right, you?re keeping all your stones from the nodes ? gems too, don?t forget those). You?ll need cloth. At lower levels, your biggest choice will be saving linen cloth for engineering or having it made into bags. This is really your call, if you luck out and get bag drops then make the linen into bombs. Otherwise, when you start finding yourself running out of room frequently, get more bags.
Before I comment more about linen, you?re going to want to know about training the engineering skill. Starting areas will not have an engineering trainer. If you?re in Durotar, head to Ogrimmar. Ask one of the guards and he?ll point out the location of the store on the map. When you approach the Ogrimmar engineering store you?ll see handcarts full of huge fireworks out in front, which is how you know you?re in the right place. Those in Tirisfal Glades ought to hop to Undercity, and visit the Rogue Quarter. You?ll find the trainers and suppliers there. Tauren have it a little more difficult. The closest trainer a Tauren will find will be located in Ratchet, within the building sporting the huge telescope.
Oddly, linen cloth is used in Rough Dynamite, Rough Copper Bombs, Copper Modulators, and Coarse Dynamite. Using it for the bombs and the modulators is going to be a big thing. Now you know you need cloth (and it doesn?t stop at linen, extends to wool, silk, mageweave, and runecloth). What does this mean to you? When given the option, fight humanoids. Animals are for people who are going to skin, but if you need cloth (and you do) you ought to focus on humanoid opponents when possible.
Let us fast-forward and pretend you?ve gone out hunting and mining and have assembled a stockpile of goods. What do you make? You make the highest level required items you can (oranges) for the least amount of materials possible if, that is, you are simply worried about skillups. If you?re a hunter you make shot. Even if you?re not, you can consider making shot until you get to a level of bombs you feel is worthwhile.
The value of the bomb functions isn?t quite as clear cut as it once was. Bombs will (usually) disorient the target, dynamite won?t. Disorient will interrupt any spell being cast and disable the target for the duration of the disorientation or until they are damaged. That last part about being damaged is what makes this different than a regular stun. Short duration disorients are good for interrupting a spell with a long cast time (longer than it takes you to throw the bomb, that is), giving yourself time to cast a one second spell, or giving yourself a head start if you need to run away. The tradeoff of bombs is the damage inflicted, dynamite will do more damage than a bomb and in a larger radius.
For the most part, I prefer the disorienting bombs to the dynamite, but your choice will depend on what you?re trying to achieve and the resources available. You may very well reach a point when you have the skill to make a Large Copper Bomb, but lack the silver needed. (Brief aside, silver contacts may be purchased at certain engineering supply vendors on a limited basis. The suppliers in Undercity and Ratchet will have them on occasion, likely in Orgrimmar as well.) When you reach this point, you can consider moving to dynamite simply for greater damage for your investment than you?d get out of the Large Copper Bombs. At the lower tiers of engineering, your bombs are limited. In the upper levels, the disorientation duration and radii increase, making them more effective.
This information will actually carry you through apprentice engineering. However, a few more tidbits don?t hurt. Don?t bother skilling up on items that are used only in other items, such as Copper Tubes, if you won?t be making things with the tubes. Scopes will eventually be a decent moneymaker, but at lower levels things like the Crude Scope will only be worthwhile to people who have a bit more money to spare than most. Given the item churn in WoW, getting a scope put on a weapon isn?t cost effective when you?re upgrading your weapon in 3 or 4 days. Carry your hammer, arclight spanner, and samophlange micro-adjuster on you. Yes, they take up room but it is more convenient than finding a bank each time you want to craft something.
Journeyman
Between skill level 50 and 75, learn the next tier of engineering, Journeyman. This is slightly more troublesome than learning the Apprentice skills, as you?ll need to see an Expert trainer. This is based on the premise that somebody can only teach you less than what he or she knows, and not the equal level. So later on for Expert you?ll need to find an Artisan trainer and for Artisan find a Master trainer. If that doesn?t make sense, bare with me, it will.
Around the time you reach Journeyman, you should be in areas with Tin nodes. If not, your engineering is going to idle for a while, as you need the tin and coarse stones. Take note: you still need copper. Tin alone won?t net you the bronze bars required at this point. On Kalmindor, the Barrens will be one of the best places to mine your Tin. Even more so if you?re of the right levels to do the quests and kill some natives.
Of course, if you?ve reached skill 100 at a low level, mined up 2 Tigerseyes and are able to acquire 6 light leather, you can sport some headgear long before most. Flying Tiger Goggles aren?t spectacular, especially with the lessened effect of Spirit, but they?re certainly nice for lower levels. Also, they?re used to make some fire resist goggles later in the Engineering tree. Don?t blow these off, you?ll want them later.
Speaking of blowing things off, forget Practice Locks. They used to help rogues level up their lock picking skills, but no more. I?m not entirely sure why they haven?t been removed.
EZ-Throw Dynamite is a nice Schematic if you come across it, at least for the time being. You can make dynamite for your groupmates to use. Really a shame there isn?t more EZ items later in the Engineering tree. The players have certainly suggested it often enough.
Again, you see pieces like the Bronze Tube, the same comments for the Copper Tubes ones still hold true here. The best way to level up is to figure out what you?re going to use, or what you can get the most skill-ups off with the fewest materials. Don?t go building lots of guns to merchant, the cost of the stocks alone will drive you bankrupt. Rifles should be made by request only.
Have you seen that Universal Remote yet? Been thinking about it? It?s really only useful in two places. These places being the areas of Stonetalon where the engineers drop their own pets and Gnomeregon. In Stonetalon, the remote won?t work on the large goblin driven harvesters. I know it reads mechanical, but it isn?t really. This gadget can be great fun when it works in the irradiated lair of the gnomes, but it really isn?t much more than a toy. If you?ve got to have one, you can snag the schematic off the vendor in the Shimmering Flats and possibly elsewhere for 12 silver. Don?t pay horrendous markups on vendor sold schematics unless you can really afford it. In this respect, Thottbot is your friend, don?t fall prey to price gouging.
Expert
At skill 125 you can train up to the Expert tier with the help of an Artisan or Master trainer. You?ll want to do this before you reach skill level 150, which is the cap for Journeyman. This is the point when Engineering starts to get interesting. Not better, per se, but certainly interesting. You?ve got a five yard radius 2 second disorient Big Bronze Bomb, Explosive Sheep, fishing bait, a goggle upgrade, and more.
When you reach a skill level of 160, be sure to visit Gnomeregon for the Discombobulator Ray schematic. Your first time through, you can pick up the Minor Recomboulator through the use of the matrix machines. You kill those glowing beasts outside the instance until you get a card (white I think) to drop, and use it in the matrix machine, then take the next card given into the instance and repeat the process until you learn the Recombobulator Schematic. If you?re a pansy, you?ve probably got a quest for the card line all the way through. But for the Horde, your only real concern inside the instance is finding a Delta Security Card. These are dropped off level 30ish elites. This is your ticket to the Discombulator Scheamtic. You use this card in the last lettered matrix in the place (they?re alphabetic), before you come to the boss of the area, Thermaplug. Incidentally, you get the card back too. Can loan it out to friends or sell it. I?d suggest loaning; my card made the rounds amongst my friends and kept coming back. Discombobulator Rays are great fun in PvP. They tend to shock people the first time they?re turned into leprous gnomes.
Goblin Jumper Cables are a must for any non-resurrecting class. Not very reliable, but worth the inventory slot they use. The schematic can be bought from vendors in Duskwood (Kzixx), Stonetalon Mountains (Veenix), and Hilsbrad (wandering merchant). See how it takes Fused Wiring to make? That can drop in Gnomeregon, and can be farmed off Target Dummies. Yes, you make a dummy, throw it on the ground, and be sure to loot it after is dies. Loot it damn fast too, that corpse won?t hang around long.
At skill 175 and level 30, you get to use a Compact Harvest Reaper. These are expensive, in that they take 2/3 of a gold bar to make (i.e. two Gyrochronatoms. Buying Gyros from suppliers when you happen to see them isn?t a bad idea). These create a pet that lasts 10 minutes and follows you around. This will run off and attack enemies that are within agro range, so it isn?t all that easily controlled. But if you?re working in an open area it is an excellent way to boost your DPS, especially when soloing or duoing. They?re expensive, but they?re great. The downside is they don?t stay great, we don?t see an increased model later on; enjoy them while they?re useful.
If you see a Craftsman?s Monocle schematic, grab it. Just don?t pay a whole lot. Rather than work on outbidding some other engineer, just make sure you know who has the schematic and can make on for you. Granted, this is one of the few venues where an engineer might make money selling to other engineers. It is simply rarely worth paying exorbitant amounts of money for.
Next nice toy worth mentioning is the Mechanical Dragonling. Keep in mind, this is a trinket and can only be used once an hour. You get one minute?s worth of dragonling out of it. Given the options provided by specialization, this is more novelty than anything else.
Don?t bother with the Gnomish Cloaking Device. It?s hard to do much in the ten seconds of invisibility granted, and you can only use it once an hour. You?re better off buying invisibility potions.
Parachute Cloak looks fun, but with a long cooldown and short duration, it is very situational. If you have the inventory space to spare, have somebody make one for you (unless you?ve found the schematic yourself). When you use it, don?t activate until you?re close to the ground. Taking a tremendously high jump, activating early, and then plummeting to your death ten seconds later is a real kill-joy.
By the time you can make a Sniper Scope, you can actually sell it for a profit. At least on commission.
Green Lens is a nice item; not much better than a number of helm drops, but still stylish. Random enchantments are a pain however, and it may take several attempts before you get the version you want. Be on the lookout for other engineers selling these, as they disenchant into Large Radiant Shards as well, making them wanted by enchanters.
Specializing
At skill 200, in addition to being able to train up to Artisan skill from a Master (such as the one found in Gadgetzan, Tanaris) you can choose a field of specialization. One or the other, you may follow Goblin or Gnomish Engineering. Your race or faction has no bearing; you can pick either of the two. In a nutshell, Gnomish Engineers make toys, while Goblin Engineers blow stuff up. Some pieces from each line can be traded to engineers of the other line, while others are Bind on Acquire, limiting their use to the creator.
When you reach skill 200, you?ll be offered a quest by various artisan-engineering trainers. I initially picked up mine in Undercity. You receive a book talking about the two branches. They essentially tell you the same thing I have, but with more flair: Goblins blow stuff up, Gnomes make gadgets. You bring the book to the respective trainer to begin your quest; you?ll be reminded that you can?t change your mind a couple of times. However, for the sake of redundancy, you can?t change your mind once you finish the quest. The Goblin trainer is in Gadgetzan, the Gnome in Booty Bay.
Our friend the Goblin Master will ask you to build a whole slew of big iron bombs, and some exploding sheep I believe and maybe one or two other items. So you may want to be prepared with the iron, blasting powder, bronze, and wool before you make the trek out there. I?m talking 20 bombs and 5 sheep.
I don?t remember what the Gnome Master wants, somebody remind me please.
So how do you choose which one is right for you? More specifics always help.
Goblin
Goblin Mining Helmet (205)? Mail, 190 AC, 15 stamina. It has +5 Mining. And a candle! Mostly the +5 mining make this a winner for mail+ types. These are very useful to carry around until you reach the mining cap of 300.
Goblin Sapper Charge (205)? Never actually got around to using one of these. It?s a suicide type of thing. Does 450-750 fire damage to enemies near by, 375-625 to you. Or more specifically, 125 damage less to you than to everybody else. Nice if it?ll take out a few targets or if you simply want to go out with a bang.
Pet Bombling (205)- This is an awfully cute ambient pet. When you renew your membership (membership lasts 2 weeks, renewal costs 2 gold) you will be sent a random gift. Sometimes you get bombs, sometimes schematics. Sometimes one of the schematics will be this. Schematic and pet are Bind on Acquire. Unless you have a whole lot of money to spend, this will be a prize for the lucky.
Goblin Construction Helmet (205)? Limited duration (1 minute) fire absorption, 300-500 damage, cool down of an hour, +15 Fire resist. Honestly, most things with an hour cooldown I consider a waste. You?d be better off wearing Fire Goggles than this gadget.
Goblin Mortar (205)- This one is a real winner. 8 charges, Inflicts 383 to 517 fire damage and stuns targets in a 10 yard radius for 3 seconds. This is not point blank; it has a minimum range and 10 minute cooldown. Drawback: It can explode. You don?t lose the item; you don?t lose a charge. You, and those around you, are stunned for 3 seconds and take some damage. No cooldown on backfire. This is also rechargeable by Goblin Engineers. This means a Gnomish Engineer can buy a fully charged one, but after 8 uses needs to find another. A Goblin Engineer will recharge the thing.
Goblin Rocket Fuel Recipe (205)- You make this recipe and give it to your favorite alchemists who in turn will make the Rocket Fuel for you, an ingredient in so many of these. Be nice to your alchemists.
Goblin Rocket Boots (225)- These are unpredictable, they can blow up, and they have low AC (41). I love them all the same. Fast get away with a 5 minute cooldown. When they blow up, you receive a container with the parts in your inventory. You usually get the Black Mageweave Boots back, and random other stuff. They work indoors and out, a nice escape method.
Goblin Bomb Dispenser (230)- This trinket drops cute looking bombs that act like Exploding Sheep. 315 to 385 fire damage, thirty minute reuse. Personally, I?d just carry around bombs.
The Big One (235)- Speaking of bombs, this is the MOAB right here. 340 to 460 damage in 10 yard radius, 5 second disorientation. Drawback is the cast time. Takes longer than usual to light that wick and toss it, and sometimes that makes it worthless if you?re targets are highly mobile and unpredictable, but when it works, what a sight.
Goblin Dragon Gun (235)- The fun factor alone makes this worth the 6 Truesilver bars required to construct it. This is essentially a flame-thrower, does 61-69 damage per second for ten seconds to all targets in the cone in front of the user. You must channel this, no walking while it?s going. When it explodes, you don?t lose the item, but you take damage and run around like a madman. Five minute cooldown, great fun in the Auction House and at parties. Side note: Each pulse has the chance to crit.
Gnomish
(Allow me to preface this by saying I haven?t learned Gnomish Engineering, I can?t comment on everything.)
Lil? Smoky (205)- This is an awfully cute ambient pet. When you renew your membership (membership lasts 2 weeks, renewal costs 2 gold) you will be sent a random gift. Sometimes you get bombs, sometimes schematics. Sometimes one of the schematics will be this. Schematic and pet are Bind on Acquire. Unless you have a whole lot of money to spend, this will be a prize for the lucky. It resembles a miniature Harvest Reaper.
Gnomish Shrink Ray (205)- I was actually too lazy to get one of these. I?m told this is the highlight of the line. It can shrink the target reducing their attack power by 250. I don?t know for how long, cooldown of 5 minutes. When it backfires, it can shrink or growth the user.
Inlaid Mithril Cylinder Plans (205)- Like the rocket fuel, but Smiths make these once you make them the plans. Be nice to your smiths. Gnomish Goggles (210)- 45 AC, 9 agi/stamina/spirit. Sort of silly in my opinion, would much rather go with a Green Lens in 35 skillpoints. Bind on Acquire.
Gnomish Net-o-Matic Projector (210)- Wonderful fun in PVP -- when it doesn?t backfire. I?m told the current backfire rate makes this less than ideal. It roots your target (or you) in place for 10 seconds, cooldown of 10 minutes. This is a trinket.
Gnomish Harm Prevention Belt (215)- Used mine once. It backfired. It absorbs 500 damage, the shield will last for 10 minutes or until the damage is absorbed. Unless it backfires, in which case you are immune to damage but stunned, essentially taking you out of battle. Cooldown of one hour, which is why it?s useless.
Gnomish Rocket Boots (225)- These are unpredictable, they can blow up, and they have low AC (41). I love them all the same. Fast get away with a 5 minute cooldown. When they blow up, you receive a container with the parts in your inventory. You usually get the Black Mageweave Boots back, and random other stuff. They work indoors and out, a nice escape method.
Gnomish Battle Chicken (230)- Another trinket, summons a chicken to fight for you, much like the Dragonling. Only it lasts a minute and a half, with a cooldown of 30 minutes. The timer is different than that of Dragonlings, so you can presumably have them both up at once. Looks impressive, but no staying power. Bind on Acquire.
Gnomish Mind Control Cap (235)- 50 AC, 14 spirit (yada yada yada). Allows you to take control of your target for 20 seconds, hour long cooldown. I don't know how this item backfires, or how often it is resisted. Requires 215 skill to wear, might be a good party gag. Gnomish Death Ray (240)- This is actually great fun. You take a certain amount of damage yourself while you channel the spell each tic, and then do the sum that damage and then some to your target. Just activating the item, before any damage is done to your target, will agro them making it only useful in groups. Cooldown of ten minutes, Bind on Acquire. I think I?ve done up to 1700 damage with it.
Artisan
As of the close of beta, not a lot is known about the Artisan schemata. They use Thorium and Dense stones, you can make your bombs and such. The basic schemata are found on goblin suppliers in Orgrimmar and likely Iron Forge and probably in other areas as well. You need to journey to Gadgetzan to learn from the Master Trainer to train the most basic of items (not the Goblin Trainer, the other guy outside the other hut).
There are supposedly also Dark Iron recipes for Rifles and Grenades. Dark Iron is a real pain in the ass; those bombs would have to be pretty damn impressive to be worth 8 ores per bar. The schemata will presumably be ground spawns in BRD, much like the smithing plans. Certain sites report additional levels of goggles and an Arcanite Dragonling, but no specific details past some of the items required (two of which are Fire Goggles and Mithril Dragonling respectively).
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