Insider Trader: Inscription from 200 to 305
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.
For the past two weeks, Insider Trader has been helping you level your Inscription cheaply and efficiently.
Beginners should read through the walkthrough up to skill point 100, as it not only shows you how to reach it, it discusses the basics of Inscription in detail and offers some helpful hints.
Once you've reached 100, move on to the guide to hitting 200. You will need to be at least level 20 to complete this!
This week, I am walking you from skill 200 to skill 305. At 225, you will need to be at least level 35, and by the time you hit 300, you will need to be level 50 in order to train from 301 to 375.
Remember to click on any of the Wowhead herb links to view detailed maps of where to find each herb!
200-225
For this grouping of skill points, you'll be milling Violet and Ruby Pigments out of the following herbs:
[Arthas' Tears] can be found throughout the Eastern and Western Plaguelands. If you have the skill, I also recommend picking up [Plaguebloom] while you are there, as you will need it shortly! You may also stumble across a bit of [Sungrass].
The absolute best place to farm [Blindweed] is in the Swamp of Sorrows. There is also a fair amount in Maraudon, and if you are able to solo it, you should be able to pick up a fair amount of [Ghost Mushrooms] as well! There are also many in Zangarmarsh, although the recent flood of Death Knights might drive you to look elsewhere.
When farming [Firebloom], I always have the best luck in the Blasted Lands, although Tanaris and the Badlands are home to this herb as well. There is also a fair amount of [Sungrass] available in the Blasted Lands.
[Ghost Mushrooms] can be a bit of a pain to farm. Again, if you can solo Maraudon, this might be the quickest way to acquire this herb. Another good source is a cave in the Hinterlands, as well as an area far in the back of Jintha'Alor in the same province. If there are no other herbalists farming the area, you can pick up a fair amount. Finally, there are two caves in Zangarmarsh that have a decent amount, although depending on your level, might be slower to clear.
[Gromsblood] is the most common in Felwood, and [Purple Lotus] can be found in a fair quantity in Feralas as well as Stranglethorn Vale. If the Plaguelands is too busy, and you are seeking [Sungrass], pay a visit to the Blasted Lands instead.
For the first five skill points, from 200 to 205, you will be using [Violet Pigment] to create [Celestial Ink].
From 205 to 210, you have the option of creating class glyphs or [Armor Vellum II]. If you are, or have, an enchanter, then the vellum will definitely come in handy for later. Although it can only hold armor enchants will a level 35 restriction or lower, it provides an easy way to send enchants to your lower level alts.
Both of these options cost only one parchment and one ink to manufacture.
From 210 to 215, you can train and create more class glyphs. You can also, for the same materials, create [Scroll of Recall II], which gives you three extra 'hearths' per hour. These work best up to and including level 70.
From 215 straight to 225, you can create class glyphs. Remember to retrain every five skill points. You will only need one ink and one [Heavy Parchment] for each point.
225-250
For this section, you will be utilizing all of that [Ruby Pigment] that cropped up when you were milling the above herbs.
From 225 to 230, use this ink to produce [Fiery Ink]. If you don't have enough to earn five skill points, then hit 230 making [Scroll of Agility IV]. This uses only one [Celestial Ink], although it takes two parchment.
Normally, I recommend using as much of your green-quality pigments/ink to milk skill points because this ink comes as a bonus, and can help you save more primary ink.
Unfortunately, for this skill set, there will be a point at which there is no new training available, which will force us to limit how much we can spend. You will need a minimum of 25 [Fiery Ink].
If you have more than 25, then by all means, hit 230 using [Shadowy Tarot] in order to save on [Celestial Ink] if you would rather do this than create the above scrolls. This is the newest Darkmoon Faire card set, and will use two green-quality (Fiery) and one ordinary-quality (Celestial) ink, as well as paper. Be sure to save a full 25 [Fiery Ink], however.
From 230 to 240, make [Shadowy Tarot]. This will require a total of 20 [Fiery Ink] and 10 [Celestial Ink]. If you do not have this, there are class glyphs trainable every five levels that can be made, although they use double the [Celestial Ink].
From 240 to 245, you can currently make [Glyph of Cleaving] for only one [Celestial Ink] rather than two, although this might change in order to make it the same as the other glyphs around this level. If it does, make any of the orange class glyphs for this skill set.
At 245, there is nothing new to train. This is where your last 5 [Fiery Inks] will come into play. Create five [Weapon Vellum II], which is fortunately still orange, despite being trained at level 235. Unlike vellum to date, this will utilize both types of ink, so you will need five of each.
250-305
From 250 to 255, you will be able to create the next ink, [Shimmering Ink]. This utilizes [Silvery Pigment] which is obtained when milling:
[Golden Sansam] can be gathered from Azshara in great quantity, although you can also head to Zangarmarsh if you fancy being in Outland.
[Dreamfoil] is common in the Plaguelands as well as Zangarmarsh, especially in the Dead Mire.
[Mountain Silversage] is plentiful in Winterspring and Azshara, as well as Hellfire Peninsula. Stick to the mountain areas when searching for this herb. Winterspring is also the place to find [Icecap].
[Plaguebloom] can be found in the Eastern Plaguelands primarily, although there is some in Felwood.
If you do not have enough herbs to reach 255 by making ink, simply create enough [Scroll of Stamina V] to get you there.
From 255 to 260, make five [Scroll of Spirit V]. This only costs one ink, and not two.
From 260 to 265 you can begin making class glyphs, each requiring only one ink and one parchment. From 265 right up until 275, you will continue making class glyphs, including your first Death Knight glyphs! Luckily, all glyphs in this skill set still only require one [Shimmering Ink] and not two.
Now that you have reached 275, you will have quite a bit of training to do. You will be able to create the next ink, a couple of off-hand weapons, some glyphs, and the next Darkmoon Card set made from [Darkmoon Card].
Unfortunately, the cheapest method of leveling from here to 305 will not see you making anything of interest. On the plus side, this will be an extremely ink-efficient 30 skill points!
From skill 275 right up until 290, the latest ink, [Ink of the Sky] stays orange! This is made from [Sapphire Pigment] that you milled up as a bonus when milling herbs for [Shimmering Ink].
In order to achieve this, you will need 15 [Sapphire Pigment], This is the route that I chose because I am an herbalist, and because a stockpile of ink is not only useful, it can be sold on the auction house itself for a hefty profit.
If you do not have the time, means or gold to acquire enough ink or pigment, then make as much [Ink of the Sky] as you can, retrain every five skill points, and reach 290 by creating class glyphs, each requiring only one [Shimmering Ink], not two.
Do not make any of the [Darkmoon Cards] or off-hands unless you have extra materials and/or intend to use them! They are very expensive to manufacture.
From 290 right up until 305, you can simply mix up more ink! Any Outland herb at all, when milled, will produce [Nether Pigment] and rarely, [Ebon Pigment], when milled.
Use the [Nether Pigment] to create [Ethereal Ink]. This ink stays orange for a very short period, but does not go green until 300, and grey at 305. Because this ink will be what you use right up until Northrend, I highly recommend making as much of it as you can while you can still milk skill points out of it.
Tip: Not all herbs found in Outland are, in fact, Outland herbs. If you can find it in Azeroth anywhere, such as [Dreamfoil], then it will not give you the correct pigments for this skill set. I recommend milling [Felweed] and [Dreaming Glory] only, as they are the most plentiful, and available in every single province.
Avoid milling [Terocone], [Nightmare Vine], [Ancient Lichen], [Netherbloom], and even [Ragveil], as they are much more profitable, as well as farmed more heavily, with fewer spawn points.
Each week,
Insider Trader takes you behind the scenes of the bustling sub-culture of professional craftsmen, examining the profitable, the tragically lacking, and the methods behind the madness. Are you a craftsperson with an eye on success? Learn all about achievements for crafters! Still stuck below Inscription 200? Check out part one of this guide, or part two, which walks you through skills 100-200.
