Alchemy Mastery - A Guide to Becoming an Alchemy Master, part I

Blizzard's World of Warcraft is still the de facto massive multiplayer online game for those who not only enjoy the expanse of the Warcraft background and lore, but for new players, the world is open for exploration and discovery. This of course was a huge change with the release of 2010's Catacylsm expansion, which completely changed the world as we players saw it.

Among the changes in the world were also some changes to skill sets, new characters, and some tweaks on professions. Professions are the additional tasks you can pick up that can be used to either enhance your character or even make you some extra side money if you sell them on the auction house.

Alchemy is one of those professions that is easy to obtain, especially for those who have chosen a gathering profession, such as herbalism. Achemists can create potions that they or others can use in order to gain strength, mana, health, and even transmuting items into rare materials that can go for a very nice price in the AH.

All of the professions are split in to seven different tiers, from apprentice all the way to illustrious. Here, we're going to be taking a look at the level of Master, which starts at the alchemy level of 285 and goes up to 350. Your character level doesn't necessarily need to be high, but for certain quests, like the specialization quests, you will need to be a certain level in order to complete it.

At the master level of alchemy, you are able to create major and super healing potions, as well as a super mana potion; as mentioned,

you are then also able to pick up the quest in which you determine your specialization. These specializations are broken into three - potions, elixars, and transmutation - and allow to create extra items for the price of one. For example, if you are a potions master, you may be able to create 5 potions for the same materials it would take to create one potion.

In order to obtain the specializations, you will need to be at a minimum of 68 in level or the recommended level of 70. Transmutation seems to be the easiest to obtain as it does not require you to enter a dungeon, while both potion and elixar masters must dungeons (Tempest Keep and Caverns of Time respectively) to complete their quests. If you're an alchemist with plans on entering either dungeon, go for either one of the masters.

Your character can only hold one specialization at a time, though you can switch by going to the quest giver of the master route you decide. Note that you will also need to pay 150 gold in order to switch.

Below is a listing of some of the recipes for both potions, elixirs, and transmutations that you can do with the alchemy profession. While most of these are recipes and are consumable by you or other players, some recipes need to be bought specifically from your trainer or are droppable from mobs and bosses that you encounter. You can also buy recipes from city vendors, other players, and the AH Listings will include name of potion, a brief description, alchemy level that you gain access to it and where it can be found (trainer, drop, etc). Most, if not all, of these can be created by a variety of reagents like vials, groomsblood, dreamfoil, and felweed; note that only alchemists who are also herbalism can create these.

• Mighty Troll's Blood Elixir - obtained at alchemy level 290 from local vendor; regenerates 20 points of health every five seconds for an hour.
• Major Rejuvenation Potion - obtained at alchemy level 300 from the boss drop in Molten Core; restores up to 1760 of both mana and health
• Adept's Elixir - obtained at alchemy level 300 from trainer; used to increase both intellect and critical strike ratings by 24 points for one hour
• Flask of Supreme Power - obtained at alchemy level 300 from either a vendor or boss drop in Scholomance; increases the spell power by 70 for one hour. Continues through character death (meaning, if you die within that hour, the effects will still be in place)
• Super Healing Potion - obtained at alchemy level 325 from trainer; restores up to 2500 health points
• Elixir of Major Agility - obtained at alchemy level 330 from a vendor; increase agility and critical strike ratings for one hour.
• Elixir of Major Firepower - obtained at alchemy level 345 from a vendor; increases character's fire spell powers for one hour. Great for Mages, Shamans, Warlocks, and some Priest spells
• Transmute: Primal Water to Air - obtained at alchemy level 350 from a vendor; transmutes primal water to that of primal air. Transmutations are often used in the material for making things, like bags. These are important to such professions like the tailor.

Alchemy - World of Warcraft.com

Alchemy Quests - WoWHead

WoW Alchemy Guide - WoW Professions

Image Credit: World of Warcraft/author