Could someone help a returner after 8/9 years?

[Mickb]

Hi guys, just returned to the game after 8/9 years (left in Pandaria or something) and to say I'm a bit lost would be an understatement.

Specifically though on professions, my main character was Alchemy/Enchanting. Back when I last played your profession level carried over from the previous expansion, and re-rolling was a big decision.

My understanding now though is that each x-pac has its own profession levels that essentially dont build at all on what you have previously learned? So if I was a maxed enchanter before, I'm still starting from level 1 for shadowlands enchanting? So theres no cost to a re-roll since I guess the most valuable enchants and flask etc for the foreseeable will be Shadowlands ones?

And from a PITA housekeeping perspective, all my bank slots are nearly filled with old dusts/reagents from previous expansions. I guess if my previous paragraph is true, these are presumably worthless since someone doing a profession now doesn't need to level up or collect, for example, Burning Crusade herbs/enchants in order to progress in Shadowlands professions? I guess I can bin them all?

Also, back in the day, my various characters had professions based on their specials and what worked best for PVP (special enchants, engineering boots etc etc). is this still the case or is everything much of a muchness?

Would appreciate the help before I start levelling. I just got from 35-50 and am at oribos. Don't want to make one of those costly and ultimately time consuming mistakes.

[VinceVega]

Short answer: Yes and use engineering.

[Hellobolis]

alchemy is still good if you want to make money, flasks/potions are always in demand. herbing is a good obvious companion.

engineering has a lot of useful stuff, especially the wormhole.

skinning materials currently sell for a lot.

don't bother with smithing/leatherwork/tailor, it's too late to make a profit with those until the next patch. (though they are cheap to level, since the "real" leveling is only at max skill now)

if you want to keep enchanting, good chance you can level that for free depending on your soulbind, mine has a perk that drops enchanting mats from killing mobs.

[ShinyInfidel]

Ench/Alchemy are the safest ones to reroll too, since there are too few of very rare/unobtainable/grandfathered recipes in that pool.

However, unlearning the profession will remove all of your learned stuff. But starting with Warlords of Draenor - there are tomes that you can buy from the profession vendor that will memorise some of the recipes/patterns, beginning with Warlords/Legion level only though I believe. In that case, if you want to re-learn it again you will have to start anew up to those tomes and completely anew from classic onwards.

Learned it the hard way here by removing Blacksmithing (used to be both Armor/Weaponsmith back in the day) with lotsa stuff that currently can't be learned anymore (aka removed from the game). So double-check what you wanna do, on alts and on main, before making the decision.

If you don't care for that kind of stuff though - blast away.

[Throwme]

So if I was a maxed enchanter before, I'm still starting from level 1 for shadowlands enchanting? So theres no cost to a re-roll since I guess the most valuable enchants and flask etc for the foreseeable will be Shadowlands ones?

I'll just echo the others a bit here, but yes, you start from level 1. The cost of rerolling will ONLY be in the sentimental value of time invested in getting all the old-world recipes for any given profession.

And from a PITA housekeeping perspective, all my bank slots are nearly filled with old dusts/reagents from previous expansions. I guess if my previous paragraph is true, these are presumably worthless since someone doing a profession now doesn't need to level up or collect, for example, Burning Crusade herbs/enchants in order to progress in Shadowlands professions? I guess I can bin them all?

You COULD bin them all, but you COULD also sell it on AH. There are still completionists out there that simply cannot stand not having a maxed profession across all expansions. There are also a select few old-world enchants that are still sort of valuable on heirloom gear and they still require old-world materials. Same goes for the armor professions, they too have some enchants that requires old mats, so don't just vendor everything straight away. Even though leveling is super fast now, with or without heirlooms, some are still crazy about enchanting the hell out of their gear!

Also, back in the day, my various characters had professions based on their specials and what worked best for PVP (special enchants, engineering boots etc etc). is this still the case or is everything much of a muchness?

No profession perks exists any longer for current content. My tailor still has the option to make either a soulbound leg enchant for very little material cost, or craft the BOE version for normal cost. But the newest one is from Cataclysm, so it's not really useful. But again, they are sort of valuable for heirloom gear, so there are still SOME benefits to having professions, even if only for a little while...

[Mickb]

Ok thanks for the replies guys I think I've got it now.

[Cinderelle]

Be careful if you're an Alchemist not to drop the profession and lose your ability to make a Sandstone Drake.

[Twdft]

- there are tomes that you can buy from the profession vendor that will memorise some of the recipes/patterns, beginning with Warlords/Legion level only though I believe.

To be specific, these tomes give only recipes back you learned via quests. Any drops have to be farmed again.

[Unzd]

Alchemist is great, i kinda dislike that the only flask is made by a couple of flowers from each zone, you gotta farm more for your own flasks but still great with 2hr buffs on flask and potions are cheap to make so easy to farm.
+ it gives you oils for your weapons as well.