Insider Trader: Guide to farming cloth
Cloth is like the gathering profession for everyone. You don't have to pay to pick it up, and there are no skills to level. Because of the sheer number of tailors, the amount of cloth tailoring eats up (not to mention first aid), cloth gathering can be a lucrative pass-time. Failing that, it can provide for your own cloth needs without having to hit the auction house.
This week's Insider Trader will be going in-depth into the world of farming for cloth, and tackling the following issues:
The best areas to farm the cloth you need.
How to alleviate some of the boredom.
Ways to make the most out of your farming stints.
We will also be covering cloth that can be obtained by even level ones, and not just level 70s, as well as information about what it is used for, and who is going to want it.
Linen cloth. (lvl 1-15)
Wool cloth. (lvl 14-30)
Silk cloth. (lvl 28-40)
Mageweave cloth. (lvl 38-50)
Runecloth. (lvl 50-62)
Netherweave cloth. (lvl 58-70+)
Felcloth. (lvl 50-60).
Whether your career hinges on stacks of cloth or you're looking to finance your other exploits, you won't want to miss this week's guide.
Linen cloth
The neat thing about linen is that you won't have to farm it. It drops like rain from any humanoids up to around level 20, and you should have more quests than you can count that would give you opportunity to collect the cloth while making some money, experience, and even gear to wear. Linen can be used to make 6 slot bags.
If you want to prolong the linen cloth phase, try leveling in one area like the Barrens, but instead of moving on around level 20, power yourself through quests in other areas, like Silverpine Forest.
Wool cloth
Although wool drops readily off of humanoids from around levels 15 to 30, the potential profit may keep you farming past this level bracket. Not only can wool be handed in to any of the different major factions, but it too can be gobbled up by tailoring and bandages. Wool can be used to make 8 slot bags.
Dungeons
Ragefire Chasm has very high drop rates.
Deadmines, Stockades, and Wailing Caverns also have mobs that drop linen cloth.
Key Areas
Thousand Needles. The centaur north of Freewind Post have a very decent drop rate for wool. In addition, Roguefeather Den, west of Freewind, is a decent source of wool and [Vibrant Plume] which is a hand-in at the Darkmoon Faire. The Gravelsnout Vermin that wander around also have a high wool drop rate.
Ghostlands. The undead near the mouth of Deatholme are a fair source of wool, as are the undead within it. The humanoids in the Vector Coil also carry a fair amount of wool. Mobs near the Windrunner Spire, the troll areas east to south of Sanctum of the Sun, and mobs in the Amani Catacombs are also worth a shot.
Bloodmyst Isle. The demons around Axxarien and in Amberweb pass are great for wool farming.
Redridge Mountains. Try farming the orcs around Stonewatch Keep and Tower.
Silk Cloth
Silk cloth is also very lucrative, and can be handed in with the major factions for much-needed reputation. You might find silk on some high 20s mobs, right up until late 30s or early 40s. It can be used to make 10 slot bags.
Dungeons
Scarlet Monastery, Razorfen Downs and Razorfen Kraul have high drop rates.
Uldaman and Zul'Farrak are also decent places to look.
Key Areas
Thousand Needles. The centaur north of Freewind Post have a high drop rate for silk (higher than wool).
Badlands. The dwarves outside of Uldaman carry a fair amount of silk.
Stranglethorn Vale. The Venture Co. stationed just east of the Gurubashi Arena also enjoy the feeling of silk on their skin. The Skullsplitter trolls south of the Mosh'ogg Ogre Mound and the Bloodscalp trolls north-west of Grom'gol are also good bets, and a source of mojo.
The ogres of the Alterac Mountains around the Ruins of Alterac also drop a decent amount of silk. If you are an herbalist, this is a great place to collect [Wintersbite]. The syndicate just outside the snowy area are also a good place to farm.
The Barrens. Those annoying clothes-wearing upright boar outside of the Razorfen dungeons drop a decent amount of silk.
Ashenvale. The demons south of Satyrnaar also collect silk. Again, there are some great herbs in that area.
Hillsbrad Foothills. Don't forget the dwarves of Dun Garok!
Arathi Highlands has the very strange Stromgarde Keep.
Mageweave Cloth
This type of cloth is generally collected naturally by those in their 40s. Mageweave bags have 12 slots, and can also be turned in to the major factions for reputation.
Dungeons
The Temple of Atal'Hakkar has a high drop rate.
Maraudon and Zul'Farrak also have a fair amount of mageweave.
Key Areas
Felwood. The Timbermaw Deadwood furbolgs in southern Felwood are worth farming, not only for mageweave, but for the Timbermaw faction reputation and thus, rewards. They also drop potions very willingly. The demons around Jaedenar also drop mageweave, and [Felcloth].
Searing Gorge. The Dark Iron Dwarves stationed throughout this province carry mageweave. The pink cloth doesn't seem like it should appeal, but hey; to each his own.
Tanaris. Aye matey! The pirates be carryin' mageweave indeed. I also liked farming those Wastewander mobs. They have a decent spawn rate for treasure chests which often contain items like [Truesilver], drop lots of potions, and generally amuse me. Plus you can turn in their pouches for foodstuffs.
Hinterlands. This province of trolls has well, mageweave-toting trolls.
The Highbourne of Azshara are also worth slaughtering. They carry the cloth, and they wander in an area full of herbs.
Any upper-level mobs in Stranglethorn Vale, including the Ogres in their compound, will drop mageweave.
Runecloth
Welcome to the wonderful world of 14 slot bags! The market for runecloth varies by server, although it should be fairly strong. Because it drops in 50s level areas, and even in the lower level areas of Outland, it is not as difficult for lazy 70s to farm. Still, it is needed in great quantities for bandages, reputation, and tailoring. It is also used a fair amount by leatherworkers and engineers.
Fortunately, the drop rates for runecloth run high.
Dungeons
Stratholme and Scholomance are swimming with runecloth.
Blackrock Depths, Mountain, Spire.
Dire Maul in Feralas.
Key Areas
Western Plaguelands. Undead roam, and all of them drop a ton of the cloth, especially as they approach level 60.
The pockets of Twilight mobs in Silithus drop a lot of runecloth as well.
Felwood is an interesting province, with mageweave primarily dropping in the southern half, and runecloth dropping readily from the northern half. I recommend the northern camp of Timbermaw Deadwood furbolgs, again because they provide Timbermaw reputation and associated rewards, as well as dropping potions and other useful goodies.
Winterfall. There are more Timbermaw Deadwood in Winterfall, who also provide reputation and runecloth. In addition, they have a high treasure chest spawn rate in their camps.
Hellfire Peninsula has groups of Orcs south of Thrallmar and south of Honor Hold, and they carry a fair amount of runecloth, although you're liable to get some netherweave thrown in the mix. You might also try the Terrorfiends in the Pools of Aggonar.
Terokkar Forest. The Cabal mobs in the Bone Wastes can be trusted to drop runecloth. In addition, the evil Blood Elves at Firewing Point, the Bonechewer Orcs south of there, and any of the Arakkoa will carry the runecloth.
Netherweave Cloth
Because of netherweave's high drop rate from almost any humanoid in Outlands, the market can vary. This is largely based on how many tailors you have deliberately driving prices lower, often so that they can make a high profit from bags and beat out the competition. On many servers, netherweave sells for less than runecloth, and even (at points), mageweave and wool. Netherweave bags can produce 16 and 18 slot bags, as well as 20 once it is converted into primal mooncloth.
Netherweave cannot be handed in to factions for reputation, but it is gobbled up heavily by first aid, which is a necessity in Outland. Tailors also require it in obscene amounts once they specialize and start creating primal mooncloth, spellcloth and shadoweave, as well as in leveling to 375 and making their epics.
Dungeons
All of them. The lowest drop rates are found in Ramparts, Slave Pens, Blood Furnace, and even Underbog to an extent.
Heroic Dungeons
Any! No really!
Key Areas
The Zaxxis in Netherstorm are hands-down my favorite area to farm netherweave. Not only is the drop rate very high, but they drop insignias for reputation with the Consortium, lots of greens, and [Etherium Prison Key]s, which can be used to unlock prisons, spawning mobs that always drop several greens and often a blue, if not a purple. Unfortunately, this area can be heavily farmed.
Humanoids in Shadowmoon Valley also have an obscenely high drop rate, and often are required by the Aldor or Scryers to be, well, offed.
Netherstorm also has a silly amount of evil Blood Elves. Aside from being the objects of many quests, they drop signets that sell for a lot (almost 2 gold per signet on my server) or can be handed in to the Scryers for reputation.
The Voidspawns near Oshu'gun in Nagrand also drop netherweave, along with having a high drop rate for [Mote of Shadow].
The demons you will encounter in Blade's Edge Mountains during dailies will also drop netherweave at very high rates.
The ogres in Nagrand are a great place to start, because killing them awards you reputation per kill for your respective town in Nagrand, plus beads to hand in for more reputation, plus cloth, money and other goodies. They are also highly farmed but have a very high respawn rate.
Keep in mind that netherweave simply has a very high drop rate almost anywhere in Outland, provided you are farming a humanoid or undead. The above areas are only the highlights!
Felcloth
This type of cloth does not drop off of many mobs, and the drop rates are not back-breaking, but it won't be your favorite grind. It is used to make warlock gear in the 50s and at 60, as well as soul shard bags and mooncloth, which can be used to make bags as well.
Dungeons
Dire Maul, from the demons, including satyrs, imps, etc. The drop rate according to Thottbot averages around 1%, although when I run it I do often come away with a handful of pieces.
Key Areas
The Legashi satyrs of Azshara drop felcloth at about 0.2%.
The Jadefire satyrs in Felwood may have a slightly better drop rate.
Alleviating boredom
One of the worst parts of farming is the boredom that ensues. Fortunately, there are several ways to combat this.
Play music in the background. Preferably something upbeat or adrenaline-pumped.
Find a friend or guildie to either accompany you, or carry on a conversation with you.
Figure out what else the targeted mobs drop, and set a goal to collect those as well.
Empty your bags so that you can carry as many grey items as possible. They'll bring extra income.
Try to find quests to kill the targeted mobs. Might as well get some money and phat loots along the way right?
If you can find mobs that award reputation you need, all the better. Two birds with one stone.
Where do you farm for cloth? Obviously, there are many more spots than listed here. What would you recommend?
