I think all knowledgeable players in the World of Warcraft MMORPG know that if you have a commodity that is in demand, but scarce at the Auction House, you have a gold mine. One of the best such commodity’s is jewels and ore from the profession Mining. This entails taking your character, and mining virtual ore from virtual mining nodes. Nodes reveal many different ore and the occasional precious gem.
To get the most out of mining you really need to be maxed out. This is one of the most boring grinds to eek out. Since you really don’t start seeing a lot of the real gold until you are maxed out, some decide to wait until they have already hit 85 and are bored with one of their other professions. You can power level your mining all the way to 525 with just smelting except for between levels 340-350 and levels 375-425 where you must mine to get to the top. Think of that. Practically no mining! You are probably saying “are you kidding me?” and I will answer “Nope”.
Once you are at the top there is only one thing to do, and that is mine for gems and the good stuff from now on to make maximum gold in minimum effort. I have listed how many nodes there are of each type in each of the zones. Depending on how much competition there is, you can make an informed decision on where you think you will be able to get the most out of your effort. Addons such as Gathermate along with the data are a great aid to knowing where all the nodes are exactly. The addon Routes will map out the fastest and best way to gather these nodes by giving you a predefined route in each area.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Extra Tip: Gold bars has less value than the ore because it is used for many things such as jewel crafting, put people also use it to help level up their mining at a very rough spot in their trade skill level. It is also a more rare ore. So a good rule of thumb is to buy your bars and sell your ore when it comes to gold ore. Also, some ore is more valuable smelted, while still others are more valuable in raw ore form.
Overall: Low to mid-level Mining will get you incredible amounts of gold but once you get to Thorium veins; it gets much tougher because of the competition for it. Another great thing to know if you are just starting out is that if your other profession is Herbalism, then you have the two best professions there are for monetary gains. You'll find nodes of both herbs and ore in every area combined and if you use the wow addons such as Gathermate and Routes you will know exactly where to get these nodes so you're killing two birds with one stone as far as gathering. This is where the real gold is when you are not playing the AH. Just remember, when you use addons to aid you, you will maximize your gathering efforts, and premium or pay addons are also available for better quality.
