How to read these guides
Each guide covers five skill brackets: 1-75, 75-150, 150-225, 225-300 and 300-375. Crafting guides outline materials and recipe choices; gathering guides cover suitable areas and skill requirements. These are progression overviews, not complete shopping lists. Check recipe requirements and your realm's prices before buying materials.
1-75 Apprentice
Gather low-level herbs in starting zones.
- Keep Find Herbs on at all times.
- In starting zones, the route matters more than any single herb.
75-150 Journeyman
Move to slightly higher-level areas with herbs such as Briarthorn and Mageroyal.
- If your gathering attempts often fail, return to an area with herbs that require less skill.
- Gather side materials too, because Alchemy uses them later.
150-225 Expert
Goldthorn, Khadgar's Whisker and similar mid-tier herbs carry the middle stage.
- Choose your gathering route based on how many other players are farming the area.
- If a zone is farmed empty, switch continents instead of waiting in place.
225-300 Artisan
From Sungrass to Dreamfoil and Mountain Silversage.
- The late Classic stretch is a good time to collect future alchemy materials.
- Higher-level zones are more efficient if your character can survive without downtime.
300-375 Master / Outland
Felweed starts Outland; the rest follows Zangarmarsh, Terokkar, Nagrand, Blade's Edge, Netherstorm and Shadowmoon routes.
- Flying speeds up the late stage considerably.
- Mana Thistle and other valuable herbs are contested; do not plan the whole climb around them.