Best Mage Professions In Cataclysm

There has been a big debate on what the best Mage Professions are for the most recent expansion in World of Warcraft. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. However, you can analyze the pro’s and con’s of each profession, and decide in your situation, what the best mage professions are.

Best Mage Professions While Leveling

Gathering professions are an excellent option when leveling any class or spec. You have some nice income, and you get some great bonuses as well. If you will be choosing the gathering route, I would suggest Mining and Herbalism. The reason being is that they can both supply a number of powerful professions you may choose later on when you are at max level.

Normally I wouldn’t recommend any crafting professions while leveling, but in the case of a mage, it’s not a bad idea to choose Tailoring and Enchanting. Cloth is plentiful and easily farmed, making Tailoring fairly easy to level. In addition, being able to craft bags for yourself and others will be very profitable for you in the short and long run.

Enchanting has a couple of nice bonuses. First, you can add some enhancements to all of your gear at a fraction of the cost of the auction house. Second, you are able to disenchant all the gear that you outgrow, so it has more value than vendor trash. Selling the dust, essence, or shards that are produced from your old gear can be more valuable than the gear itself. The problem with enchanting is that it can be somewhat costly to level up, as you have to be constantly disenchanting uncommon and rare items. This can be negated if you have a higher level character that can farm instances for you though. That makes this combination two of the best Mage professions, while leveling.

Best Mage Professions at Max Level

This gets kind of tricky simply because you have to figure out exactly what your goals will be. If your goal is making money, you can simply stick with gathering professions. However, crafting professions can both provide stat bonuses, as well as income.

Alchemy – Has been a favorite of mages for a long time. Now with mixology, your potions and flasks last twice as long, meaning half the materials used on your self. If you choose to specialize in transmutes, there is a lot of money to be made, transmuting volatile elements and gems.

Engineering – Provides a number of useful abilities, but no longer provides passive stat bonuses that are worthwhile. You are able to craft some epic cloth headpieces, but other than that, nothing special.

Inscription – In addition to creating Glyphs, which can be fairly profitable, scribes can create scrolls for passive buffs, and may inscribe their own shoulders with enchants more than twice as powerful as those that you will get from Therazane. That stat bonus is a difference of about 80 intellect.

Jewelcrafting – One of the nicest bonuses for this profession, in addition to making your own rings and necklaces, is the ability to cut Chimera’s eyes. These gems are a much higher quality than any epic gem, with a difference of 27 intellect per gem. That’s up to a difference of 81 intellect over 3 Brilliant Inferno Rubies. This is one incredibly profitable profession if worked properly. Cutting gems alone can make you a nice profit. However you can really make some money when you can transmute rare quality gems and cut them yourself.

In the end, one of the most impressive combinations of professions would be Jewelcrafting and Alchemy. However it can be costly to level each one. I used a Gold Guide when I was leveling these professions, which made it much easier, and more profitable. Ultimately, the Mage Professions you will pick will largely depend on your play style.