<gripe>
Please ignore this, I'm just venting some frustration, you want to read on? Ok dear listener here is the situation. About 4 months ago I decided to bin mining on my paladin, which was maxxed at 450 and take up jewel crafting. it may seem crazy but I quite fancied the +27 gems JC's get access to. I started to level JC but it was tedious and difficult when not coupled with mining, I therefore retook mining. After a small bout a few weeks ago I'd managed to return mining to around 220.
When WOTLK was released, like most people I had rolled a DK, who I had trained in alchemy and herbalism. During free time when not levelling I'd managed to get the DK's herbalism to around 240.
Over the weekend I finally decided to get herbalism and mining sorted out once and for all on the respective characters. I took the DK around zones in the Eastern Kingdoms, was quickly in Outland and into Northrend with herbalism ending at 413. The whole thing took about 3-4 hours on Saturday.
On Sunday I focused on the paladin. I packed my finest mining pick and headed to the Eastern Plaguelands and started to do circuits. Not much luck, I only found about 3 nodes. Undeterred I then travelled over to Winterspring and started running around, again the nodes were few and far between, I would say I got 4 in the same number of circuits. I then decided to try my luck in Silithus, well to cut a long story short I didn't break the 275 barrier which would of allowed me to gather rich thorium nodes, only finding 3 small thorium nodes in the 2+ hours I was there.
In total I think I spent 5+ hours mining, gaining only 20'ish points, whereas in herbalism, I was able to gain 140'ish points.
I therefore declare herbalism the winner for an easier life and a full head of hair!
Thanks for listening.
</gripe>
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I have never got mining leveled very far. I have tried on numerous toons, and have got it above 200 on one now, but it just takes awhile I guess. I try to smelt what ore I can for points, but that doesn't go very far in maxing out the skill.
You go from copper an tin a plenty, to nothing in sight for days it feels like. Skinning I've maxed, herbing I've got to 300 or so, haven't really tried to focus on it, but I see herbs everywhere in my travels, I don't think it would be that difficult if I actually set out to do that.
Reckon just keep plugging away, plenty of people get it leveled up, so I know it can be done ;P
You go from copper an tin a plenty, to nothing in sight for days it feels like. Skinning I've maxed, herbing I've got to 300 or so, haven't really tried to focus on it, but I see herbs everywhere in my travels, I don't think it would be that difficult if I actually set out to do that.
Reckon just keep plugging away, plenty of people get it leveled up, so I know it can be done ;P
Scholar
46 posts
I just leveled my mining from 130-410 in a few hours play time, while simultaneously leveling blacksmithing (By far more time comsuming, though thanks to my parallel mining it was not costly.) To be honest, there are so many places where mining can be leveled quickly and easily that I can't believe it is that difficult for you. Perhaps there was someone in front of you running circuits and snagging the ore (Which can happen, if they are running a similar circuit).
The single best place I know for doing this is thousand needles. It has an abundance of silver scattered in with large amounts of tin/copper ore and iron, and one solitary mithril deposit in the shimmering flats. Just run circuits on the outside of the zone, and you will get about 130 copper/tin and about as much iron. Then walk from there down to tanaris, which has more mithril than you can shake a stick at, as well as truesilver and small amounts of thorium.
All in all, it can be completed in a few hours tops. Don't forget to smelt some of the ore that you find, especially the truesilver for the gap between mithril and thorium. As always, enchant some Simple Gloves or something with +5 mining in order to help out even further if speed is your goal. Winterspring is for the major thorium farming, depending on how many do it, but places like Ungoro crater are less farmed.
Hellfire Peninsula and Nagrand are for fel iron and adamantite, though they are usually heavily farmed. Pretty much a lot of areas have cobalt and saronite heavily farmed but you can still find some. Hope that helps.
The single best place I know for doing this is thousand needles. It has an abundance of silver scattered in with large amounts of tin/copper ore and iron, and one solitary mithril deposit in the shimmering flats. Just run circuits on the outside of the zone, and you will get about 130 copper/tin and about as much iron. Then walk from there down to tanaris, which has more mithril than you can shake a stick at, as well as truesilver and small amounts of thorium.
All in all, it can be completed in a few hours tops. Don't forget to smelt some of the ore that you find, especially the truesilver for the gap between mithril and thorium. As always, enchant some Simple Gloves or something with +5 mining in order to help out even further if speed is your goal. Winterspring is for the major thorium farming, depending on how many do it, but places like Ungoro crater are less farmed.
Hellfire Peninsula and Nagrand are for fel iron and adamantite, though they are usually heavily farmed. Pretty much a lot of areas have cobalt and saronite heavily farmed but you can still find some. Hope that helps.
I had the same problem last week, took me around 6 hours to get from 275-300 mining on my shaman. There just seemed to be no thorium veins at all.
Mining does seem far longer to level, however Herbalism is not even close in gold, especially since 3.2
I have my spot for Rich Thorium, I've leveled 2 characters through it in the last week. There are about 4-5 small zones within that zone where the nodes spawn, and each spawn takes 15 minutes to respawn. I've been mining this place since before BC. I LOVE mining! Well over half of my higher than 60 characters have mining.
shhh, don't tell anyone else that my spot is Azshara. Always empty, all miiiiiiine! Heh, pun, heh.
shhh, don't tell anyone else that my spot is Azshara. Always empty, all miiiiiiine! Heh, pun, heh.
I've got mining to 450, but I remember there was a point that was really frustrating because only one kind of node would skill me up, and it was green.
I am in a similar spot trying get to 300. I also see 3-4 nodes in 2-3 hours in EP. I don't see other miners but there has to be something, the "found" nodes are never up. My DK is 63 so I guess I could try WS or Siliybugs. I know once I get to HF, it get easy mode.
I had alot better luck on my main, which has now max'ed out 5 professions. JC and Scribe seem pretty good for the buffs, I made good money when WotLK popped.
Edited, Aug 12th 2009 12:38am by alcattle
I had alot better luck on my main, which has now max'ed out 5 professions. JC and Scribe seem pretty good for the buffs, I made good money when WotLK popped.
Edited, Aug 12th 2009 12:38am by alcattle
Ya know, I am thinking that the hackers are getting to the EPL nodes. A couple weeks ago, while leveling a Paladin through there, we literally saw a level 27 Dwarf hunter drop from the sky and within seconds the small Thorium he landed on was gone and so was he. We were being chased by several skellies at the time so I was between a "keep running! don't get knocked off your mount!" moment, then seeing the node and then suddenly a "WTF WAS THAT?" moment. And that probably coincides with the massive amount of Thorium that has been on the AH on my server too. It was down to about 25g a stack of ore, when I had been getting at least 50g over a month ago. >.<
One of the posters said that someone might be in front of you and that's most likely to be the reason for so few nodes. It's also possible that there are far more miners than herbalists on your server. It would certainly explain why it's so much easier to level herbalism. Compare preices on ah. If there aren't many herbs and they are usually heavily overpriced while ore and bars are in great numbers with low prices then you will get your answer. Of course in that case quickly level up herb and take advantage before someone else figures this out.
I recently levelled mining on my alt and I have to say I didn't encounter any problems at all. 1k needles advice is also great, it's really great to close the gap before iron and then mithril. I found that EPL has much to complicated route. It's very easy to miss nodes. Wintergrasp is much better but only southern part. It has much, much more thorium then northern part. Just do circles from Everlook to the timbermaw looking thingies village to the east and then south. Follow opposite side when getting back to everlook, it's also a good idea to venture a bit towards Donova NPC. Be sure to go down the area under bridge, it usually has rich node in it. You can also hit Un'goro but it's usually most heavily farmed place there is. Route is easiest there as well: go around zone and check volcano every full circle. Apes' cave typically has 2-3 spawns if lucky as well.
OL is piece of cake, really. Maybe it's different on your server but on mine it's as good as completely deserted. Usually <5 man in peak hours per zone. With flying mount you can easily get 2-3 stacks of every ore in half a circle of Nagrand.
Anyway if you ever hit dry spots like that for more than 30 mins it's time to change route. Reverse it or get to places that you usually skip.
I recently levelled mining on my alt and I have to say I didn't encounter any problems at all. 1k needles advice is also great, it's really great to close the gap before iron and then mithril. I found that EPL has much to complicated route. It's very easy to miss nodes. Wintergrasp is much better but only southern part. It has much, much more thorium then northern part. Just do circles from Everlook to the timbermaw looking thingies village to the east and then south. Follow opposite side when getting back to everlook, it's also a good idea to venture a bit towards Donova NPC. Be sure to go down the area under bridge, it usually has rich node in it. You can also hit Un'goro but it's usually most heavily farmed place there is. Route is easiest there as well: go around zone and check volcano every full circle. Apes' cave typically has 2-3 spawns if lucky as well.
OL is piece of cake, really. Maybe it's different on your server but on mine it's as good as completely deserted. Usually <5 man in peak hours per zone. With flying mount you can easily get 2-3 stacks of every ore in half a circle of Nagrand.
Anyway if you ever hit dry spots like that for more than 30 mins it's time to change route. Reverse it or get to places that you usually skip.
I had the most trouble with mining from 275 to 300. It seems to be the trouble spot. I ran around Ungoro and Silithus until I found enough nodes to get me to 300. When you can mine the rich thorium nodes, Silithus is the place to go. You have to fight past bugs in their bug holes to get them, but there can be quite a few nodes in their tunnels.
Once at 300 it was on to Outland and the skill increases came quickly after that. Same thing in Northrend. Cobalt is everywhere in the starting zones, and the skillups come quickly. Good luck!
Once at 300 it was on to Outland and the skill increases came quickly after that. Same thing in Northrend. Cobalt is everywhere in the starting zones, and the skillups come quickly. Good luck!
The main problem is now there are a lot ot toons that farm nodes a lot so that they can sell the ore or slemted metals in the AH to make money. You most likely were following a farmer. Sometimes it is easier if you are going clockwise in a circuit switch it around and go the other way and see if you get some. Also make sure you have the addons for mining tracking as they help a bunch.
There are more herb nodes than mining nodes, so it follows that herbing is easier to level. I have power leveled both and herbing was definitely a lot faster. Especially because mining has a couple pinch points (like thorium) that herbing does not have. The jump between Azeroth and Outland is essentially seemless for herbing. Not so for mining.
Time of day can have a big effect on node availability, too. Weekends, particularly during the day, are a lot more likely to be over-farmed than during the week. Weekdays during peak server time, there is also usually a lot of competition. If you can, try to farm early in the morning, or late at night.
Time of day can have a big effect on node availability, too. Weekends, particularly during the day, are a lot more likely to be over-farmed than during the week. Weekdays during peak server time, there is also usually a lot of competition. If you can, try to farm early in the morning, or late at night.
azwing wrote:
There are more herb nodes than mining nodes
I didn't know that
Indeed that would go some way to explaining it. Anyway to follow, I cracked it. Once I managed to break the 275 barrier it was easy, especially in Outland. There's no shortage of nodes in Hellfire Peninsula!
Now if only I could find a titanium vein...
Scholar
46 posts
Goggy wrote:
Now if only I could find a titanium vein...
Oh dear God yes. I have been mining literally hundreds of Saronite in Scholazar Basin and have found maybe 7 total titanium veins, mostly while I was just flying around Storm Peaks and not while looking for ore.
I imagine Wintergrasp and Icecrown are much better, but as of yet I have not really looked too far into this. Ive had enough to make my titansteel bar every day so far.
ArchVangarde wrote:
Goggy wrote:
Now if only I could find a titanium vein...
I imagine Wintergrasp
There's your answer bud.
"the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
Hermann Goering, April 1946.
Hermann Goering, April 1946.
I have never found a titanium vein in Wintergrasp. Not once. Every one I have found (about 10 now) have been in Icecrown. On my server at least, it seems nobody mines Icecrown for some reason. I usually grab at least 4-6 nodes just doing the Tourney->Chillmaw->Citadel->Tourney circuit.
Spent almost an entire weekend in Wintergrasp and found, I think it was about 4 saronite nodes.
Spent almost an entire weekend in Wintergrasp and found, I think it was about 4 saronite nodes.
When I started a DK on a new server, I chose herb and mining as my profs. Herb was always maxed out at the current step long before mining. I'm with you, herb is very easy to level while mining took a lot more time. The place I would hit to get up to 300 is Burning Steppes. Run circuits around that place to pick up a thorium veins or two, also don't forget Dark Iron ore. Then I would log off inside the caves and everytime I had an extra 5 minutes, I would log on, grab the nodes that were right at my feet then log off and go about my day.
9 in 10 of the titanium nodes I have found on my death knight have been in Wintergrasp between battles. Having a fast flyer really helps here, as does going in at odd times (when able to). I have found a spare few here and there in my travels all over Icecrown, but I'd say it's less than 10% of the titanium I've mined. I may mine one node of titanium in Icecrown out of every 20 nodes mined (other 19 are saronite), but that's a big "may." 90% of my titanium comes from Wintergrasp. Good luck!
Herbalism is far easier then mining due to the fact that there are far more herb nodes then mineral nodes.
Skinning is probably the easiest gathering skill as all one needs is a supply of skinnable mobs with a decent respawn time (and as an added bonus, no traveling plus the ability to get XP in the process if you aren't 80 yet).
I guess technically speaking, enchanting is the easiest gathering skill to increase since you can do it 100% in front of the AH, but then again, that'd cost a small fortune.
Skinning is probably the easiest gathering skill as all one needs is a supply of skinnable mobs with a decent respawn time (and as an added bonus, no traveling plus the ability to get XP in the process if you aren't 80 yet).
I guess technically speaking, enchanting is the easiest gathering skill to increase since you can do it 100% in front of the AH, but then again, that'd cost a small fortune.
rusttle wrote:
I guess technically speaking, enchanting is the easiest gathering skill to increase since you can do it 100% in front of the AH, but then again, that'd cost a small fortune.
Enchanting is not a gathering profession. You don't get something out of nothing. It also costs nowhere near a small fortune to level if you do it right.
Mining IS much slower to level than herbalism at that stage, but you can't smelt with herbalism. I believe you can actually smelt all but 30 levels from 1-375, although it is rather expensive.
Also, you were in the wrong zone which definitely slowed things down. You would have been far better off and have a fuller head of hair doing runs in Tanaris I think. At least there you would have had a chance at iron, gold, mithril, and truesilver(all good sellers, although the former isn't quite as good). Also, the mining gloves help a lot to get to and through that thorium stage. It helps to smelt a bit, but again, its expensive.
Think happy thoughts?
Edited, Sep 22nd 2009 12:05am by baveux
Wow, this topic still alive? I'm back at 450 now and recovered with liberal applications of Grecian 2000.
Thanks for listening!
Thanks for listening!
I maxed Herb on 1 toon and Mining on 2 toons. The only hard part of mining, as you pointed out is Thorium. I found Sithulus and EPL to be the best, but you are right, they spawn few and far between.
No matter what you say they are easier to level than the crafting professions. JC and BS sucked.
No matter what you say they are easier to level than the crafting professions. JC and BS sucked.
I think blizzard figures you will gain alot of mining points with smelting, which is to an extent very doable. But there are still those skill areas where you can't smelt anything and have to try to farm something that you can't hardly find.
Hi
Scholar
41 posts
I recently re-levelled my rogue' mining/bs.... I agree that 275-300 seemed somewhat harder than i remember.. I was wondering if they reduced the nodes in each area because of the one-hit-loot-all change? When I was grinding cobalt in howling fjord, I thought there seemed to be less nodes when doing the usual circuit of the area, although still plentiful, some nodes just werent where i remembered them to be..
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