!A fantasy gathering scene with adventurers mining herbs and skinning beasts

WoW Forever Beta Gathering Guide: Mining, Herbalism, Skinning

Gathering professions in WoW Forever (Mining, Herbalism, Skinning) are the most consistent gold source while leveling. This guide covers the best gathering routes, node respawn times, and tips for maximizing gold per hour.

For broader gold making, see our Beta Gold Making Guide, Auction House Tips, and Profession Changes articles.

Quick summary: Best gathering combo: Mining + Herbalism (covers 2 of 3 node types). Best leveling routes: Loch Modan → Wetlands → Hillsbrad. Expected gold: 30-80g/hour while leveling. Use track minimap addon for node tracking.

Quick profession comparison

Profession	Difficulty	Gold/hour	Best level range
Mining	Medium	50-100g	1-30
Herbalism	Easy	40-80g	1-30
Skinning	Easy	30-60g	1-30

Mining guide

Skill-up tips

• Level 1-50: Copper nodes (most common)
• Level 50-100: Tin + Silver nodes
• Level 100-150: Iron + Gold nodes (rare)
• Level 150+: Mithril + Truesilver (rare)

Best leveling routes for Mining

Level	Best zone	Node types	Notes
1-10	Elwynn / Durotar	Copper	Starter zones
10-20	Loch Modan / Stonetalon	Copper, Tin	High density
15-20	Wetlands / Ashenvale	Tin, Silver	Coastal nodes

Mining gold/hour

Level	Method	Gold/hour
1-15	Copper + Tin vendoring	30-50g
15-25	Tin + Silver vendoring	50-80g
25+	Iron + Mithril + AH selling	80-150g

Mining tips

1. Track minimap addon helps find nodes
2. Smelt bars for extra profit (50% markup)
3. Save rare ores (gold, mithril) for crafting
4. Mine during off-peak hours (less competition)

Herbalism guide

Skill-up tips

• Level 1-50: Peacebloom, Silverleaf (most common)
• Level 50-150: Earthroot, Mageroyal, Briarthorn
• Level 150-225: Sungrass, Gromsblood, Golden Sansam
• Level 225-300: Dreamfoil, Mountain Silversage

Best leveling routes for Herbalism

Level	Best zone	Herb types	Notes
1-10	Elwynn / Durotar	Peacebloom, Silverleaf	Starter
10-20	Loch Modan / Stonetalon	Earthroot, Mageroyal
15-20	Wetlands / Ashenvale	Briarthorn, Stranglekelp

Herbalism gold/hour

Level	Method	Gold/hour
1-15	Vendoring all herbs	20-40g
15-25	Vendoring + AH selling	40-70g
25+	Alchemy mats + AH	80-150g

Herbalism tips

1. Track minimap addon
2. Combine with Alchemy for double profit (herbs → potions)
3. Save rare herbs (Sungrass, Golden Sansam) for Alchemy use
4. Farm specific zones with high herb density

Skinning guide

Skill-up tips

• Level 1-50: Low-level beast skins (Light Leather)
• Level 50-100: Medium-level beasts (Medium Leather)
• Level 100-150: Higher beasts (Heavy Leather)
• Level 150+: High beasts (Thick Leather, Rugged Leather)

Best leveling routes for Skinning

Level	Best zone	Beast types	Notes
1-10	Elwynn / Durotar	Small beasts	Starter
10-20	Loch Modan / Stonetalon	Wolves, Bears
15-20	Duskwood / Ashenvale	Multiple beasts	High density

Skinning gold/hour

Level	Method	Gold/hour
1-15	Vendoring leather	15-30g
15-25	Vendoring + AH	30-50g
25+	LW crafting + AH	60-120g

Skinning tips

1. Skin everything — even small beasts (5-10s each)
2. Combine with Leatherworking for double profit
3. Track beasts with Big Game Hunter addon
4. Skinning is passive — happens during combat

Best leveling routes

Multi-zone routes (Mining + Herbalism + Skinning)

#### Route 1: Loch Modan circuit (10-18)

Step	Zone	Activity	Notes
1	Loch Modan	Mine copper/tin	High density
2	Loch Modan	Pick herbs	Earthroot, Mageroyal
3	Loch Modan	Skin beasts	Wolves, Bears
4	Loop back	Repeat	Full circuit takes 30-40 min

#### Route 2: Wetlands + Ashenvale (15-20)

Step	Zone	Activity	Notes
1	Wetlands coast	Tin, Silver, Stranglekelp	Coastal nodes
2	Ashenvale interior	Tin, Briarthorn, beasts	Inland circuit
3	Loop back	Repeat	Full circuit takes 40-50 min

#### Route 3: Stonetalon Mountains (15-20)

Step	Zone	Activity	Notes
1	Stonetalon South	Tin, Briarthorn
2	Stonetalon North	Tin, Sungrass	Rare herbs
3	Loop back	Repeat	Best for Herbalism

Gathering addons

Addon	Purpose
GatherMate2	Tracks all node types on map
TrackMenu	Minimap node tracking
Big Game Hunter	Beast tracking for Skinning
Routes	Draws custom gathering routes
Farming	One-button gathering

See our Best Addons Guide for full recommendations.

Gathering vs crafting comparison

Aspect	Gathering	Crafting
Active time	80%	50%
Gold/hour	30-100g	50-200g
Material cost	Free (gathering)	100-400g
Profit margin	~50%	~200%
Skill requirement	None	Recipes
Best for	Solo leveling	Established players

Verdict: Gathering is best for solo leveling (no setup cost). Crafting is best for established players (higher profit).

Common gathering questions

Which gathering profession is most profitable?

Mining (50-100g/hour) — ores sell for more than herbs/leather.

Can I have 2 gathering professions?

Yes — Mining + Herbalism is the most popular combo.

Does gathering compete with other players?

Yes — popular zones are heavily farmed. Use off-peak hours.

When do I switch from gathering to crafting?

At level 30+ — once you have gold buffer, invest in crafting.

Can I sell gathering mats on AH for more than vendor?

Yes — 2-5x more profit if you have patience for AH sales.

Advanced gathering tips

Optimal node circulation

1. Use /tar [item] macro to find specific nodes
2. Run in circles (not back and forth)
3. Skip nodes you can’t use (save inventory space)
4. Smelt + vendor for materials you can’t use

Track rare materials

• Gold Ore: Save for Blacksmithing
• Mithril Ore: Save for endgame crafting
• Sungrass: Save for Alchemy
• Dreamfoil: Save for Alchemy

Gathering rotation

To maximize gold:

1. Mine (40 min)
2. Pick herbs (30 min)
3. Skin beasts while questing (passive)
4. Vendor mats or AH sell at peak times

Gathering mistakes to avoid

Mistake	Cost	Fix
Skipping low-level nodes	Lost XP	Mine everything
Selling rare mats to vendor	50-80% loss	AH sell rare mats
Gathering during peak hours	More competition	Off-peak hours
Ignoring inventory	Missed nodes	Use TrackMenu

Final verdict

Best gathering combo: Mining + Herbalism (covers 2 of 3 node types).

Best leveling route: Loch Modan → Wetlands → Ashenvale (high density, all node types).

Best gold/hour: Mining (50-100g/hour) due to ore AH prices.

For solo leveling: Gathering is free money — no setup cost, decent returns.

For max gold: Combine gathering + crafting (Tailoring for cloth, BS for plate).

Whatever you choose, always use track minimap addon — saves 30% of your time.

For more gold making, see our Beta Gold Making Guide, Auction House Tips, Profession Changes, and Best Addons articles.