WotLK Classic Skinning Leveling Guide 1-450 (2024)

This WotLKClassic Skinning Leveling Guide will show you the fastest way to level Skinning up from 1 to 450 in Wrath of the Lich King Classic. The guide is aimed at higher-level players, who want to switch their profession at higher levels, but it can be used by lower-level players too.

1-75 #Apprentice
75-155/165 #Journeyman
155/165-205 #Expert
205-300 #Artisan
300-350 #TBC
350-450 #WotLK

Skinning skill requirement formula

These formulas will help you figure out the Skinning skill needed to skin mobs, but if you follow the guide, you don't need to worry about it.

Up to skinning 100, you can find out the highest level mob you can skin by: ((Skinning skill)/10)+10. Example: ( 50 / 10 ) +10 = 15
From skinning level 100 and up, the formula is: (Skinning skill)/5. Example: (175 / 5 = 35)

Durotar, Dun Morogh (1 - 75)

Visit any Skinning Trainer, and learn Skinning Apprentice. I recommend Balthus Stoneflayer in Ironforge or Thuwd in Orgrimmar.You can also walk up to a guard in any city and ask where the Skinning trainer is, then the trainer will be marked with a red flag on your map.

Don't forget to buy a Skinning Knife! Leatherworking Supply vendors usually sell it near your trainer or any General/Trade goods vendor. This knife does NOT have to be equipped, but you can't skin mobs unless you have one in your bag.
If you enchant your gloves with Formula: Enchant Gloves - Skinning, then you can skin an enemy 1 level higher than you normally would be able to do so.
Please note that even if a mob is red/orange to you, it DOES NOT guarantee that you'll get a skill up! It's more likely, but not to be expected every time.

Horde
Alliance

You can't skin the beasts in the immediate starting areabecause that area is for level 1-6 players, and you won't have any profession until you reach level 5.

Start at Sen'Jin Village in Durotar and head towards Orgrimmar while skinning every beast along the way.

Visit your trainer Thuwdwhen you reach Orgrimmar and learn Journeyman Skinning.

It's not guaranteed that you will reach 75, but if you don't reach it, you can still go to Orgrimmar. Skinning 50 will be enough too.

You can't skin the beasts in the immediate starting areabecause that area is for level 1-6 players, and you won't have any profession until you reach level 5.

From 1 to 50 make a circle around the lake near Ironforge. When you reach 50, go and visit your Skinning trainer Balthus Stoneflayer at Ironforge and learn Journeyman Skinning.

You can continue to level your Skinning until around 75, while you move toward Loch Modan. It's not guaranteed that you will reach 75, but if you won't reach it you can just still go to Loch Modan, lower skill will be enough too.

The Barrens, Loch Modan, Wetlands (75 - 155/165)

Horde
Alliance

From 75 to 125, skin the beasts along the way towards Camp Taurajo. Make sure that you reach Skinning 125 before you get to Camp Taurajo.

Find Dranh at Camp Taurajo and learn Expert Skinning.

Start heading towards Thousand Needles and skin the beasts along the way.

Follow the path on the picture below until you reach 115, then head towards Wetlands. There might be a few beast in Wetlands that you can't skin if you go there with lower skinning skill.

From 115 to around 140, follow that river you see on the picture and skin every beast along its way. You will get to around 140 by the time you reach Menethil Harbor, but make sure to reach at least 125.

Go to the flight master, and fly to Ironforge. Find Balthus Stoneflayer in Ironforge and learn Expert Skinning.

Thousand Needles, Arathi Highland (155/165 - 205)

Horde
Alliance

From 165 to 205, follow the path you see on the map below. Make sure that you have Skinning 205 before you leave Thousand Needles.

After 205, go to Tanaris and fly to Camp Mojache in Feralas. Find Kulleg Stonehorn at Camp Mojache and learn Artisan Skinning.

Follow that path on the map from 155-170, then when you reach 170, you can head toward the orange 170-205 part because you can find higher level raptors there. There are also a few level 36-37 raptors at the southeast corner of the orange zone, don't go there until you have Skinning 180 because you can't skin them.

After you reach Skinning 205, go to Ironforge and learn Artisan Skinning from Balthus Stoneflayer.

Feralas, Un'Goro Crater (205 - 300)

This one is doable for both Horde and Alliance from 205 to 230, just skin mobs around Camp Mojache. When you reach 230, mount up and head towards the Yeti cave, where you can see the 230-260 part on the map. If someone farms the Yeti cave, you can head to the South and kill Hippogryphs.

After you reach 260, follow the path to the 260-280 part. There is another Yeti cave there, but those Yetis are higher levels. When you clear the cave, you can find many other beasts in front of the cave.

At Skinning 280, you can fly to Un'goro Crater, but you can also stay here and skill up your skinning by killing the beast in front of the cave.

Outland (300 - 350)

You can learn the Master Skinning skill from these trainers:

Horde:Moorutu in Hellfire Peninsula at Thrallmar. He's near the inn, hiding behind a mammoth bone.
Alliance:Jelena Nightsky in Hellfire Peninsula at Honor Hold. She's in the inn, right before the stairs.
Both factions can also learn it from Seymour in Shattrath City.

300 - 330

Start with skinning the Starving Helboars around Zeth'gor until you reach 305. Once you reach 305, you can head to the next part and start skinning Deranged Helboars, and at around 310, you can head over to the next part to skin Razorfang Hatchlings and Razorfang Ravagers.

330 - 350

Kill and skin Talbuks and Clefthoofs around the marked area.