World of Warcraft: Best Skinning Locations in The Barrens

The Barrens is an excellent Horde country to level, mine, and skin, due to the sheer size of the region. It also hosts three instances, which will keep WoW players from level 15 to 40 constantly traveling throughout the region. Most of the monsters in this region consist of lions, striders, and raptors, which will provide the skinner with plenty of leathers--and the ability to level up their skinning with little effort.

A couple of regions in the northern part of this Horde territory are key skinning areas, including the Wailing Caverns instance and some areas around Ratchet, the only neutral settlement in The Barrens.

The Wailing Caverns is not a popular instance for WoW players--most dislike the simplicity of this low level instance--but should be the

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The key here is to circle the area before the actual portal inside the instance. Skinners looking to enter the portal should form a group first--sometimes the raptors like to double-team, and two angry elites won't make for happy skinning.

Another bonus is the raptors also drop green items or weapons, which also sell for decent gold on the horde auction house.

Skinning Location: The start of the Wailing Caverns, located just west of Crossroads in The Barrens.

Skinning Mobs: Deviate Raptors at the start of the instance; raptor elites are found inside the portal.

Dangers: The raptors often travel in pairs or groups, and being attacked by multiple monsters is very likely. Other WoW players may also clear the monsters before you even enter the instance. Skinners should visit this area in the night or on weekend, when crowds are smaller.

Just south of Camp Taurajo lies an area filled with Silithid Creepers, called the Field of Giants. Though these mobs are only around level 20, they yield medium and light leathers. WoW skinners can easily get a stack of mediums or lights in less than an hour. Other WoW questers, especially intrusive power levelers, rarely visit this area either, making this a prime area in The Barrens to farm as many leathers without interruption.

Skinning Location: Field of Giants, located south of Camp Taurajo. The actual field is slightly west of the road.

Skinning Mobs: Silithid Creepers, a type of aqua-colored scorpion.

Dangers: The mobs can lay eggs--if the eggs are not killed off quickly, they can hatch more spawns that take out significant HP.

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The Matriarchs are usually found in groups, however, and may pose some difficulty for WoW skinners under level 20. The Plainstriders here also travel in a wide circle around this area, increasing the chance of you being back attacked by one.

Skinning Location: A small, hilly area shortly northeast of Ratchet.

Skinning Mobs: Savannah Matriarchs, Ornery Plainstriders, Zhevra Chargers, Sunscale Scytheclaws, and Barrens Giraffes.

Dangers: The Matriarchs are usually accompanied by a pet or stick together in groups. The Plainstriders also can sneak up behind players.

For WoW skinners looking to gather stacks of leathers for sale on the auction house, traveling back from the Wailing Caverns to Ratchet is the fastest way to gain them. People can easily build five or more stacks in a hour, depending on their level. WoW players completing quests should stick with the Field of Giants, which is located near several Horde quests. No matter how it is done, skinners in The Barrens can easily build stacks without having to worry about Alliance mobs or interrupting other people's quests. This is a prime area for leveling up skinning.