Leveling Engineers EfficientlyFollow

Since i can't use html in this post some of the tables are a bit off but you get the idea. I haven't found time (and probably won't) to ascii align all the stupid values either. I've got a spreadsheet and word doc with all the formulae in the original format if anyone's really interested. Also have similar breakdowns for alchemy, smithing and chanting.
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PrayForMojo/JahBreeze's Guide to Levelling an Engineer to 200 Efficiently

My reason for making a guide on this topic is I've always liked the engineering skill path but the variety of ingredients needed to build stuff makes things difficult to figure out. Being that my first experiment with trade skills was as a blacksmith where recipes are pretty straightforward -- i.e., get a bunch of metal "X" and make a bunch of metal "X" items, etc -- the whole idea of getting a few of a bunch of different items at once seemed kind of daunting at first. Upon further inspection, however, it can be cheaper for an engineer to get started because if you allocate your resources efficiently you can get levels making items consisting of cheaper ingredients allowing you to bypass some of the more expensive recipes.

The following info attempts to find the most cost effective way to level them up by picking the cheapest skill route (in money terms). Since this is a first draft, I've done my analysis using just by figuring out the cheapest recipe for a given skill range and Using the list of ingredients for each item, I’ve approximated the cost of levelling each item based on the median cost of ingredients from http://wow.allakhazam.com. Granted, prices may vary on your server but hopefully this will give you direction if you just want to level up your engineering skill as quickly as possible with as little upfront cost as possible.

So, getting down to business, here is the chart of my findings:

 
make item			Cost	From	Until	#	Total 
rough blasting powder 		1	1	20	20	20 
rough dynamite			1.5	20	30	10	30 
copper bolts			2.3	30	50	20	45 
copper tube			5.6	50	75	25	140 
course blasting powder		5	75	85	10	50 
coarse dynamite			16	85	90	5	80 
silver contact			2	90	100	10	100 
Practice lock			7.6	100	115	15	114 
Flying Tiger Goggles		9.32	115	130	15	139.8 
Shadow Goggles			12.1	130	145	15	181.5 
Gnomish Universal Remote	43.14	145	150	5	215.7 
Explosive sheep			28.65	150	175	25	716.25 
Flash bomb			36	175	185	10	360 

Figure 1 - Item for each level range

Now for the explanation...

Here's the stuff you can't make as an engineer and its cost:

 
Items not made		Cost (in silver) 
rough stone		1 
linen cloth		1 
cooper bar		2.3 
weak flux		1 
wooden stock		0.8 
coarse stone		5 
malachite		3.3 
silver bar		10 
bronze bar		2 
wool cloth		3 
small flame sac		10 
heavy stone		3.75 
light leather		0.72 
refreshing spring water	0.25 
tiger eye		2.5 
med. Leather		1.15 
moss agate		40 
shadow gem		3.75 
night crawlers		1 
Flask of oil		9.17 
gold bar		10 
silk cloth		2.25 
fused wiring		250 
iron bar		8 
lesser moonstone	10 
heavy stock		7.5 
solid stone		3.75 
rune cloth		6 
steel bar		15.9 
frost oil		125 
heavy leather		2.25 
jade			60.5 
blue pearl		30 
mithril bar		20 
snowball		25.05 
citrine			50 
mage weave cloth	5 

Figure 2 - Bought ingredients and cost

Below is the list of stuff you can make as an engineer and their costs, and levels prior to going green. The level color data was compiled from info at http://wow.allakhazam.com.

 
Item name		Get At	Green	Grey	Cost	# Made  Cost Each	 
 
rough blasting powder 	1	20	40	1	1	1 
rough dynamite		1	30	60	3	2	1.5 
copper bolts		30	45	60	2.3	1	2.3 
arclight spanner	50	70	90	13.8	1	13.8 
rough copper bomb	30	60	90	7.6	2	3.8 
copper tube		50	80	110	5.6	1	5.6 
rough boomstick		50	80	110	8.7	1	8.7 
course blasting powder	75	85	95	5	1	5 
crafted heavy shot	75	85	95	7.3	200	0.0365 
crude scope		60	90	120	11.2	1	11.2 
coarse dynamite		75	90	105	16	1	16 
copper modulator	65	95	125	8.9	1	8.9 
mech squirrel		75	105	135	20.1	1	20.1 
large copper bomb	105	105	155	28.9	2	14.45 
silver contact		90	110	140	10	5	2 
bronze tube		105	105	155	3	1	3 
EZ-Thro Dynamite	100	115	130	23	1	23 
Practice lock		100	115	130	7.6	1	7.6 
Target Dummy		85	115	145	18.5	1	18.5 
Small Bronze Bomb	120	120	170	29	1	29 
Whirring Bronze Gizmo	125	125	175	7	1	7 
Flame Deflector		125	125	175	17	1	17 
Heavy Blasting Powder	125	125	145	3.75	1	3.75 
Heavy Dynamite		125	125	145	7.5	1	7.5 
Crafted Solid Shot	125	125	145	5.75	1	5.75 
Small Seaforium Charge	100	130	160	19.87	1	19.87 
Flying Tiger Goggles	100	130	160	9.32	1	9.32 
Deadly Blunderbuss	105	130	155	22.35	1	22.35 
Standard Scope		110	135	160	43	1	43 
Big Bronze Bomb		140	140	190	15.5	2	7.75 
Lovingly Crafted Boomst	120	145	170	138.1	1	138.1 
Shadow Goggles		120	145	170	12.1	1	12.1 
Bronze Framework	145	145	195	8.15	1	8.15 
Aquadyn Fish attractor	150	150	170	10	1	10 
Gnom Universal Remote	125	150	175	43.14	1	43.14 
Gold Power Core		150	150	190	10	1	10 
Silver Plated shotgun	130	155	180	300.34	1	300.34 
Goblin jumper cables	165	160	200	342.34	1	342.34 
Ornate Spyglass		135	160	185	68.9	1	68.9 
Iron strut		160	160	180	16	1	16 
Minor Recombobulator	140	165	190	59.3	1	59.3 
Moonsight Rifle		145	170	195	57.5	1	57.5 
Gyrochronatom		170	170	210	18	1	18 
Solid Dynamite		175	175	195	13.5	2	6.75 
Gyromatic MicroAdjustor	175	175	215	63.6	1	63.6 
Solid blasting powder	175	175	195	3.75	1	3.75 
Explosive sheep		150	175	200	28.65	1	28.65 
Green Tinted Goggles	150	175	200	93.92	1	93.92 
Ice deflector		155	175	195	132	1	132 
Iron Grenade		175	175	215	14	2	7 
Cmpt Harvest Reaper Kit	175	175	215	85.15	1	85.15 
Discombobulator Ray	160	180	200	89	1	89 
Flash bomb		180	185	225	36	1	36 
Portable Bronze Mortar	165	185	205	47.6	1	47.6 
Advanced Target Dummy	185	185	225	51.15	1	51.15 
Snowmaster9000		190	190	230	382.05	1	382.05 
Big Iron Bomb		190	190	230	37.25	2	18.625 
Mithril Tube		195	195	235	60	1	60 
Bright Eye Goggles	175	195	215	113.5	1	113.5 
Unstable Trigger	200	200	240	28.75	1	28.75 
Mechanical Repair Kit	200	200	240	28.75	1	28.75 
Accurate Scope		180	200	220	113.5	1	113.5 
Large Seaforium Charge	200	200	240	12.25	1	12.25 

Figure 3 - Made ingredients and cost

By finding the cheapest recipe for each level range we get the chart shown in figure 1. Now there may be some ways to improve the overall efficiency, say perhaps if it's cheaper to make a particular item after its green a couple of times than to make the next yellow item. If anyone figures out any such situation, please let me know.



Edited, Fri Jun 10 13:13:54 2005 by PrayForMojo

Edited, Fri Jun 10 18:14:59 2005 by PrayForMojo

Edited, Fri Jun 10 18:14:47 2005 by PrayForMojo

Edited, Fri Jun 10 18:16:54 2005 by PrayForMojo

Edited, Fri Oct 28 09:32:23 2005 by PrayForMojo

Edited, Fri Oct 28 09:33:03 2005 by PrayForMojo

There is a [ pre] tag you can use to format text

click the "reply to this" link on my post, and then click "quote original" to see how I did the first two charts

 
make item                   Cost From Until   #   Total  
rough blasting powder          1     1   20  20      20  
rough dynamite               1.5    20   30  10      30  
copper bolts                 2.3    30   50  20      45  
copper tube                  5.6    50   75  25     140  
course blasting powder         5    75   85  10      50  
coarse dynamite               16    85   90   5      80  
silver contact                 2    90  100  10     100  
Practice lock                7.6   100  115  15     114  
Flying Tiger Goggles        9.32   115  130  15   139.8  
Shadow Goggles              12.1   130  145  15   181.5  
Gnomish Universal Remote   43.14   145  150   5   215.7  
Explosive sheep            28.65   150  175  25  716.25  
Flash bomb                    36   175  185  10     360  

Figure 1 - Item for each level range

 
rough stone                   1  
linen cloth                   1  
cooper bar                  2.3  
weak flux                     1  
wooden stock                0.8  
coarse stone                  5  
malachite                   3.3  
silver bar                   10  
bronze bar                    2  
wool cloth                    3  
small flame sac              10  
heavy stone                3.75  
light leather              0.72  
refreshing spring water    0.25  
tiger eye                   2.5  
med. Leather               1.15  
moss agate                   40  
shadow gem                 3.75  
night crawlers                1  
Flask of oil               9.17  
gold bar                     10  
silk cloth                 2.25  
fused wiring                250  
iron bar                      8  
lesser moonstone             10  
heavy stock                 7.5  
solid stone                3.75  
rune cloth                    6  
steel bar                  15.9  
frost oil                   125  
heavy leather              2.25  
jade                       60.5  
blue pearl                   30  
mithril bar                  20  
snowball                  25.05  
citrine                      50  
mage weave cloth              5  

Figure 2 - Bought ingredients and cost

Why do people call charts "guides"? Not that charts aren't good either.

that's basically what this guide is doing for you. I've calculated how much it costs to create a particular item and then figured out the lowest cost item to create. Sometimes you can get items for more/less depending on if you have them on-hand or your AH proces fluctuate, but these calculations are based on the median price across all realms so the charts should give at least a rough idea of where to start your skill-ups.

Also, I've found that it's really cheap, quick and easy to level engineering to level ~165. After that it gets a bit more complicated and expensive.

Edited, Thu Aug 4 14:16:18 2005 by PrayForMojo

I recently got past 270 engineering (@lvl 40, my highest character). My strategy after 200 to level cheaply was to build mostly ammunition. The mithril shells were clutch in leveling cheaply and easily. Ammunition actually sells very well on my server, so not only are they cheap to make but they recoup their investment by being marketable. My guess is thorium shells will be what i use to level until they go grey.

Most of my gold was made by selling ore and loot, while buying bars of ingredients from the AH. I had no problem getting my mount and have 80g+ left over. Engineering gets bad rap for being a money sink, and it's true that you don't make profit ver often on the end products. However, it doesn't have to be a "money sink", at least not a deep one, unless you make bad choices. Discombobulator rays, ammunition, and goblin rocket boots are usable by non-engineers and sell fairly well. As already stated, ammo is also cheap to make and can be a source of many skill ups.

Anyone have suggestions how to go from 270->300?

Edited, Thu Oct 27 16:50:06 2005 by PrayForMojo

Edited, Fri Oct 28 10:42:24 2005 by PrayForMojo

/bump

Because it deserves it. I spent 20 minutes looking for it before I remembered I'd posted to it.

Can we get a sticky?

Maybe we can't, I see nothing has ever been stickied in here... Can it be moved to the Guides?

Edited, Wed Nov 9 08:34:33 2005 by Chirrichela

/bump and rate up for the great research. Thank you so much.

Hi
I am stuck on engineering lvl 315 I need to get to 350 for elemental blasting powder and I have no recipes to make anything and I have trained and checked AH please help! is there a quest or something for high lvl recipes??