WoW Skinning 1 - 525 Profession Guide

This guide will show you how to raise your skinning skill from 1 - 525 in the quickest and most cost effective way. This guide is updated for the Cataclysm expansion, patch 4.3

Prerequisite

There is only one way to go about achieving 525 in skinning and that is to, well... skin. Unfortunately you can't buy your way up to the top.
Also please note that this guide is not about making money with skinning, it's about raising your skill level to 525 as quickly and economically as possible. If you choose to sell the leathers you skin then you can make a handsome profit from it, there's no doubt about it. However that is not in the scope of this guide, just getting to 525 as quickly as possible.
If you are looking to make more gold, you should check out my [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link] section. Don't worry I won't try to sell you some rubbish out of date guide, just genuine, free gold making tips.

Things you should ideally have before starting:

• A level 85 character
  
• Flying Mount
  
• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link] (Link takes you to Curse Gaming.)
  
• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link] - on a low level set of gloves
  
• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link] * Required *
  

If you don't have any or only some of the above, don't worry you can still carry on, it will just take you longer to get to 525.

Related / Supplemental Guides

• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link]
  

Another thing you should note before you set off are the colour codes associated with the gathering skills.

• Red: Can't Skin
  
• Orange: Difficult to skin, high chance of gaining a skill level
  
• Yellow: Moderately difficult to skin, moderate chance of gaining a skill level
  
• Green: Easy to skin, low chance of gaining a skill level
  
• Gray: Very easy to skin, you won't gain a skill level
  

Skinning Guide Sections / Jump To

Quickly navigate to the skill level you're at:

• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link]
  
• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link]
  
• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link]
  
• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link]
  
• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link]
  
• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link]
  
• [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link]
  

Let's Begin 1 - 75

Start off by learning [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link]; see the list for your closest trainer.
Begin in your nearest starting area. Since there are quite a few I'll be using Dun Morogh for Alliance and Durotar for Horde.

Alliance

Dun Morogh - Kill Crag Boars.

Horde

Durotar - Kill Mottled Boars and Scorpids.

75 - 130

Make sure you pay a visit to your nearest skinning trainer and learn Journeyman Skinning.

Alliance

Loch Modan - Kill Bobcats, Golden Eagles and Hill Grizzly's.

Horde

Northern Barrens - Kill Plainstriders and Savannah Prowlers.

130 - 180

At 150, you'll need to visit your trainer and learn Expert Leatherworking. Don't Forget!

Alliance

Wetlands - Kill Crocolisks and Raptors

Horde

Hillsbrad Foothills - Kill any Beasts you come across.

180 - 300

At 205, you'll need to visit your trainer and learn Artisan Leatherworking. Also at this point there is no need to do separate sections for each faction. Just go to the zones listed below and get skinning!

Cape of Stranglethorn 180 - 220

Kill Elder Mistvale and Enraged Silverback Gorillas, Ironjaw Basilisk and Jaguero Stalkers in the areas marked below.

Eastern Plaguelands 220 - 250

Kill Frenzied Plaguehounds and Plaguebats in the areas marked below.

Un'Goro Crater 250 - 300

Kill any type of dinosaur or gorillas you come across in the areas marked below.

300 - 375

At this point skilling up will slow down, so expect to kill a few more mobs then usual! You'll also need to learn Master Skinning. If you are Alliance go visit [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link] at Honor Hold or if you are Horde pay a visit to [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link] at Thrallmar, both are in Hellfire Peninsula.

Silithus 300 - 320

Kill Dredge Crushers, Dredge Strikers and any bugs in the Hive zones.

Hellfire Peninsula 320 - 330

Kill Razorfang Hatchlings in the area marked below.

Nagrand 330 - 350

Kill Clefthoofs in the marked areas below.

Netherstorm 350 - 375

Kill Craghide Basilisks, Nether Rays, Ripfang Lynxes, Scythetooth Raptors and Talbuk Sires in the marked areas below.

375 - 450

You'll need to visit your nearest skinning trainer again to learn [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link] But since this next section of the guide starts over in Northrend, just visit the trainer in one of the starting zones (Howling Fjord or Borean Tundra).

Borean Tundra 375 - 400

Kill Infected Kodo Beasts, Marsh Caribou, Wooly Mammoth and Wooly Rhino Matriarchs in the marked areas below.

Sholazar Basin 400 - 450

Kill all types of gorillas and Dreadsabres in the marked areas below. This is also one of the best places to farm Borean Leather.

450 - 525

For the last time head over to your nearest skinning trainer and learn [Trebuie sa fiti inscris si conectat pentru a vedea acest link].

Twilight Highlands 450 - 525

Kill Tawny Owls, Frenzied Thresher, Highland Elks and Worgs in the marked areas below.