Insider Trader: Inscription from 305 to 450
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.
For the past several weeks, Insider Trader has been walking you through the advancement of your Inscription profession.
During the last round of skill-ups, we made a pile of ink that will be used today to level from 305 to 355, the point at which you should consider traveling to Northrend for further instruction, provided you are at least level 65.
If you would like to delay having to gather or purchase Northrend herbs, you can level up to 365 using Outland herbs alone, giving you an additional ten points. I will outline this method as well but be aware that you will be dealing with green recipes.
At that point, I will walk you through Northrend Inscription, providing you with a cost-effective and efficient method for maximizing your profession!
305-355: The Outland stretch
Jumping right in, you will be able to level from 305 to 320 using scrolls alone! These are quick, easy and cheap levels. I recommend creating [Scroll of Strength VI] until 315, and then [Scroll of Agility VI] until 320. These require the [Ethereal Ink] that you made using Outland herbs.
The class glyphs for this skill period take one [Resilient Parchment] instead of two [Heavy Parchment], making them a more expensive option.
From 320 to 325, you will have no choice but to make class glyphs. Although they take the more costly parchment, they still only use one ink.
From 325 to 330, you will be able to make [Darkflame Ink] using the [Ebon Pigment] that is rarely acquired when milling Outland herbs in search of [Nether Pigment].
At this point, you can reach 345 by creating class glyphs that you train at five level intervals. Keep in mind that these will cost two [Ethereal Ink] a piece.
From 345 to 350, it seems that you get a bit of a break. At the present time, [Glyph of Whirlwind] uses only one ink instead of two, as its counterparts do. Unless and until this is changed, making five of these will save you five [Ethereal Ink].
From 350 to 355, it is back to class glyphs that require two ink a piece, unless you are feeling lucky with a yellow [Glyph of Whirlwind]! You would need to earn five skill points in 10 tries or less in order to equal the ink cost of the quicker method of using orange-quality glyphs, although you will be paying for extra paper.
At this point, you have the option of heading to Northrend to train Grand Master Inscription and earn yourself one easy Northrend achievement, Professional Grand Master.
In fact, you can acquire the training at 350 skill, and can even train some items before you hit level 65 as long as you have 350 skill. Unfortunately, you would not be able to purchase Grand Master, which would allow you to skill past 375. In addition, the recipes all require herbs from Northrend.
If you are not level 65, or would like to extend the usage of Outland herbs, which are undoubtedly cheaper and easier to acquire at the moment, then you can continue making class glyphs until 365. The last bunch have turned yellow at 355, and there will be no new training. Still, they will not turn grey until 365.
One advantage to waiting is that you will be able to get more points from milling Northrend herbs. Of course, if you do not have a stockpile before you set out to do this, you will likely just mill them as you go anyway.
355 (or 365) to 450: The Northrend stretch
At 350, you will be able to train the following recipes:
[Scroll of Recall III]
[Scroll of Stamina VII]
Again, unless you have a stockpile of herbs, you will likely be leveling this stretch a bit differently. If you gather your own herbs, then I recommend the starting zones of Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord if you are in your low seventies. Grizzly Hills also contains some herbs, and is not particularly dangerous for low levels.
Dragonblight and Zul'Drak, unless you are there questing, is a poor choice for herb farming. It contains [Frozen Herb] spawns which, unlike other herb spawns that can yield up to 3 herbs, will only give you one each time. Still, they are fun, as the herb inside is not known until you've opened it!
Sholazar Basin is the best place to search for herbs, although you might find the hunt slow and dangerous until at least level 75.
You should also be prepared for the base costs of this stretch. Grand Master will cost you 35 gold, and each recipe will also cost money, from about 5 gold to 6 gold a piece.
The parchment paper will cost extra in Northrend until you have acquired a decent reputation with at least one faction, so you might want to stock up when you happen past the appropriate vendors in Shattrath or Azerothian main cities. Usually, visiting the vendor next to your old trainer is a safe bet.
Milling Northrend herbs will yield [Azure Pigment], which is used to make [Ink of the Sea]. This is a great way to level from 350-355 bought training at 350.
355-375
From 355 to 360, you can create [Scroll of Spirit VII], and continue to 365 by making [Scroll of Intellect VII]. From 365 to 370, make five [Scroll of Strength VII], and from 370 to 375, construct five [Scroll of Agility VII]. All of these scrolls cost one [Ink of the Sea] and two [Resilient Parchment].
In total, this will cost you 20 [Ink of the Sea], or 40 [Azure Pigment], as well as 40 [Resilient Parchment], if you did not level past 355 using Outland herbs.
The parchment alone can cost as much as 50 silver a piece, or 20 gold for this level stretch. This is why I recommend purchasing a few stacks from a vendor affiliated with a faction with which you have exalted status.
375-400, and Northrend Inscription Research
From 375 to 380, you can gain skill points by creating [Snowfall Ink]. This is made using [Icy Pigment], which drops rarely from Northrend herbs during the milling process.
From 380 to 385, there are many class glyphs from which to choose. Each will cost only one [Ink of the Sea] and one parchment.
At 385, you will train the ability to begin Northrend Inscription Research. Like Minor Inscription Research, this is a daily ability with a 20-hour cooldown. The two researches can each be done once per day, as they do not share a cooldown.
Instead of minor glyphs, you will be discovering major glyphs, and this will be crucial to maximizing your Inscription. As it costs three [Ink of the Sea] and one [Snowfall Ink] per day, I advise leveling more slowly from this point on. It is more important for you to make a discovery each day, than for you to push levels. One of the main reasons for this is that your official training is spotty, will cut off completely at level 420.
The research is orange until 425, so completing it each day should grant you a skill point, so start by hitting 386 at this point.
From 386 to 400, earn levels by creating the major glyphs that you have discovered, as well as by researching each day. There is no new training until 400.
At 400, you will train [Glyph of Polymorph], one off-hand, and one of the abilities that makes the Scribe so unique; self-applied, exclusive shoulder enchants.
Yes, you can enchant your shoulders from reputation vendors, but you will have access to four exclusive enchants. Definitely apply these if you have the materials, plus the materials to research daily, each time you acquire a shoulder upgrade.
Leveling at this point will be another round of scrolls, plus your daily research. Each will cost one ink and two parchment.
From 400 to 405, you can create five [Scroll of Stamina VIII]. From 405 to 410, you can make [Scroll of Spirit VIII], and from 410 to 415, make [Scroll of Intellect VIII]. Finally, from 415 to 420, create [Scroll of Strength VIII] and from 420 to 430, make [Scroll of Agility VIII].
Now that you have your bags full of 60 scrolls, you will be disappointed to note that there is no new training. You will have to earn the last 20 points making, primarily, any of the glyphs that you discover through research.
Unfortunately, you will not always discover glyphs that actually grant skill points upon creation. If you are desperate for some reason, you can create [Darkmoon Card of the North]. These are very expensive, and turn yellow fairly early, making them a poor option.
Keep in mind that there is no reason to hit 450; you will not gain anything other than personal satisfaction, so you can afford to take your time.
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? Level your inscription using the guide from 0-100, from 100-200, then 200-305!
