WoW Cataclysm - Profession Bonuses
In Cataclysm Classic, each primary profession offers unique bonuses. While these bonuses generally amount to a similar overall benefit across professions, they are acquired through different means. Additionally, gathering professions provide bonuses, albeit notably weaker than those of their crafting counterparts.
Alchemy
Primary Bonus: Mixology enhances the effects of Elixirs and Flasks, providing additional stats and longer duration. For endgame Flasks, this translates to an extra 80 points in your chosen Primary stat.
Secondary Bonus: Alchemy introduces Alchemy Stones, enabling transmutations and amplifying the effects of health and mana potions when equipped.
An added advantage is the Flask of Enhancement, which does not stack with regular flasks or benefit from Mixology. Its primary function is to confer the standard +80 Stats without requiring a Flask, ideal for situations like Arenas.
Skinning
Skinning provides a minor Critical Strike Rating boost.
Blacksmithing
Blacksmithing enables the socketing of two additional Gems. In the early stages of Cataclysm Classic, this often results in a total bonus of +80 to a chosen stat by slotting gems like the equivalent of Delicate Inferno Ruby. As the expansion progresses and Epic Gems like Delicate Queen's Garnet become available, the bonus increases to +100, making it one of the most potent enhancements.
Engineering
Primary Bonus: Synapse Springs: This perk provides a burst of +480 to your highest primary stat for 10 seconds every minute, akin to the passive stat boosts offered by other professions. If utilized on cooldown, it averages out to +80. However, its effectiveness diminishes if not used consistently. Nevertheless, for certain specs, this on-demand burst can be more impactful than spreading the boost out.
Secondary Bonus:
- Engineering introduces various tinkers like the Grounded Plasma Shield, offering an on-demand absorption shield with a lengthy cooldown. Many tinkers are applied to gloves, directly competing with Synapse Springs, thus reducing their appeal.
The Loot-A-Rang, while not particularly useful in endgame content, serves as a convenient tool for Ranged DPS players navigating the world.
- Furthermore, Engineers have access to a selection of goggles with unique Cogwheel sockets. These sockets exclusively accommodate Engineering-specific gems such as Quick Cogwheel. Although Cogwheels only provide secondary stats, they offer decent bonuses and allow for customization of goggles based on individual needs.
Herbalism
Herbalism provides an on-demand heal and Haste Rating boost, available on a 2-minute cooldown.
Inscription
Inscription provides distinctive Shoulder enchants, serving as replacements for those offered by Therazane reputation. This not only eliminates the requirement to attain Exalted status with Therazane but also offers superior stats. In particular, Inscription enchants provide an additional 80 points of your primary stat compared to their counterparts, such as Greater Inscription of Jagged Stone.
Jewelcrafting
Jewelcrafting offers some of the most adaptable perks among all professions. Jewelcrafters can equip three Chimera's Eye Gems, providing an additional +81 to their chosen stat compared to Rare Gems like Delicate Inferno Ruby.
However, with the introduction of Epic Gems, this bonus diminishes substantially, decreasing from +81 to +51 when compared to Epic Gems such as Delicate Queen's Garnet. Remarkably, this is the only profession perk that deteriorates as the expansion progresses.
Leatherworking
Leatherworking introduces unique bracer enchants, supplanting the standard ones offered by Enchanting. Typically, these enchants provide a +80 bonus to a stat when compared directly to their enchant variants such as Permafrost. However, in the case of Draconic Embossment - Stamina, there is no equivalent Stamina enchant, resulting in a substantial +195 Stamina boost compared to other options!
Tailoring
Tailoring provides three distinct cloak enchants, which are somewhat unconventional as they lack versions that offer Strength or Agility, opting instead for an Attack Power variant tailored for Physical DPS.
Like Engineering, these cloak enchants offer a substantial stat boost in bursts. However, a notable difference lies in their activation mechanism: these cloak enchants rely on procs rather than on-use effects. Consequently, users have considerably less control over their timing.
Mining
Mining provides a modest Stamina bonus.
Enchanting
Enchanting enables the enchantment of rings, providing a +40 bonus to a chosen stat or +60 to Stamina. With two rings available for enchantment, this allows for the application of two ring enchants, resulting in a total bonus of +80.