Inscription vs. Alchemy

[insanitee]

I am currently an herbalist/scribe but am strongly considering switch to herbalist/alchemist. Which is more worthwhile? I feel like inscription will only be worth the shoulder enchants and new darkmoon cards for making gold. Alchemy's new mount is very appealing and flasks are always a money maker.

[davesurfer]

I like Alch. I have 4 Alchs that I raid with. Not only is the prof bonus the same, you get 2 hr flasks, and flasks always sell like crazy when a new raid comes out. I made a ton on Epic Transmutes. I also have a miner so I would queue up in the morning as DPS for the random and mine. Then send it to my JC to crush, then have my Alchs transmute the gems, send em back to JC, cut em and sell em. Early on I would make 600G/day just from transmutes

[Deleted]

I am wondering this for cata, I have a scribe/herbalist, I was wondering, since the glyphs are now becoming buy once, whether or not it a good idea to drop the profession.

[Honen]

I am wondering this for cata, I have a scribe/herbalist, I was wondering, since the glyphs are now becoming buy once, whether or not it a good idea to drop the profession.

I too have been wondering this same thing.. and pondering dropping inscription for alchemy.

[Lacker]

Alch is great to start with, but as expansions draw on its value diminishes quickly. Pots become less in demand, gems aren't worth as much, and no one really needs anything from it.

[Aisriyth]

Scribes will always be in need for alts and stuff. Plus, Blizz said they are adding in extra stuff for Scribes as well.

[Fenixhart]

I'm on the same boat.


Seriously...you can turn into a freaking DRAGON. On top of being in regular demmand for flasks alone.


Where as scribes are gettintg their main source of demmand turned into a one-shot deal and the reagent needed for change is on a vendor. Their "Perk" is just a bigger enchant in a single armour slot.



I'll wait for the complete list of changes, but so far, my DK may not be a scribe for much longer. Darkmoon cards were a joke even in Wrath-it was either Nobles or grats on wasting the mats.

[Jerot]

Alchemy will always be a money maker with Herbalism. Just make sure you check how much the materials are worth compared to what your making. Sucks spending 200g worth of herbs on 50g worth of pots =p

Though its hard to say, Inscription might also make a fair bit of cash with those Dusts and whatnot.

They both have their benefits, If I were you, I'd check how many of each are on your server or what you guild might need. Eitherway you might be better off waiting till cataclysm to decide, we still don't know everything the professions are getting yet. For all we know inscription could get something much cooler then a Mount Transformation.

[bofedy]

Inscription can make a trinkit aparently it will be just as good as greatness trinkit in LK and as every one is going Alchemy i bet these will go like 20k a pop

[Mykk]

if this is ur main then inscription and alchemy and level herb on ur alts

[pouca]

It always depends on your server economy (age, population, skill, other professional, etc)

Inscription has always been a good money maker (glyphs to me, some made money with cards) but need a lot of work and good knowledge of AH addons, you can easily put several hundred glyphs to sell when you do it right.

With the new system for glyphs, I wonder if it will be as profitable. There will be less demand over time (no need to replace) but more demand per player (will buy all glyphs) coupled with probably less offer, I just don't know.

Alchemy is the best money maker (regarding time spend), you do between 80 to 800 gold in 5 seconds, of course only once a day, it's why I have 4 alchemist alts specialized in transmutation (and severals alts waiting to learn it in cata). This won't change in cata.
For a single main it might not be the best choice however.

The best choice is to be prepared to change your professions if needed, If you keep herbalism, you won't have any problem to switch between alchemy and inscription.

Sorry Jerot but "Alchemy will always be a money maker with herbalism" is wrong. You must always evaluate each profession seperatly or you might reach failed conclusions. (see below)

If you do money buying plants at the AH and crafting pots, you don't need herbalism.

Calculate how much plants you collect in one hour, how much they are worth on the AH and then you'll know the real value of farming plants (herbalism).
Generaly farming plants or ores (unless you like it or coupled with any other occupation) does not give a good revenue in gold per hour (on par with doing daylies), BUT sometimes DOES (ex : new content so less people farming, new crafts available so needs for mats, etc).

A confusion made by crafters when they evaluate their profession is to merge benefit from collecting and crafting profession. You must always check prices on the AH before any conclusion.
There is also a confusion inside a single profession : enchanters, some think they do money crafting enchantements but it's only their desenchanting skill that is worth (to be precise the ability to desenchant binded equipement), if you try to buy mats at the AH they cost more than the equivalent enchantement !

Combatwise herbalism is the worst profession, alchemy is good when levelling because you always hang around fully buffed (double duration) and inscription prevent you from farming a boring (or not) reputation to get your shoulder enchant...

[Deleted]

I agree with you on just about everything you wrote here, apart from:

There is also a confusion inside a single profession : enchanters, some think they do money crafting enchantements but it's only their desenchanting skill that is worth (to be precise the ability to desenchant binded equipement), if you try to buy mats at the AH they cost more than the equivalent enchantement !

I make a solid income from buying enchanting materials directly off of the AH and making them into scrolls. what you are saying varies greatly on realm and economy, so it is not a cut and dry statement.

[Lacker]

Yeah...because no one uses epic gems anymore...or flasks for new raids.

No people just get their gems from honor or badges, and get pots made from botted herbs that are stupid cheap. Even better in Cata they'll get flasks from GUILD CAULDRONS. Cutting us out completely.

Is there some money to be made from Alch? Yes, but its not near as reliable as the other professions aside from maybe engineering.

[skidmarksteve]

Even better in Cata they'll get flasks from GUILD CAULDRONS. Cutting us out completely.

yes for the start this will be devastating, however you have to remember when life gives you lemons...

Remember that not everyone is in a end game raiding guild, there is a lot of casual raiders in wow at the moment. This will change will make the demand for flask decrease however the price will be quite a bit more then the mats as people will not be crafting them in gratuitous numbers.

[Schmittay]

Drop herbalism and train it on an alt and get the best of both worlds. Also remember TIME IS MONEY friend. The real money rollers don't use ANY gathering professions.

[Xiaras]

I'm keeping Alchemy on my main so I can get that awesome Sand Drake transformation mount thing. Then I'll probably ignore it for anything but Flasks >.>