Skinning 1 to 300

Ranks

Route, recipes and skill levels are from Classic Era. WoW: Forever adds over 600 new recipes, so better options may appear and some numbers may differ.

What skill you need

Rule of thumb from Classic Era. Beasts are the main target, but some dragonkin and silithid can be skinned too.

Monster level	Skill needed	Leather you get
1 to 10	1	Ruined Leather Scraps, Light Leather
11 to 20	(level - 10) x 10, so level 15 = 50	Light Leather, Light Hide
21 and up	level x 5, so level 30 = 150	see below
about 20 to 30	100 to 150	Medium Leather, Medium Hide
about 30 to 40	150 to 200	Heavy Leather, Heavy Hide
about 40 to 50	200 to 250	Thick Leather, Thick Hide
about 50 to 60	250 to 300	Rugged Leather, Rugged Hide

Setup

1. Learn Apprentice Skinning from a skinning trainer in any capital city or most starting towns.
2. Buy a Skinning Knife from a trade goods vendor and keep it in your bags.
3. Loot a dead beast first, then right-click the body again to skin it. You can also skin beasts that other players killed.
4. The tooltip on a body shows its colour: orange always gives a point, yellow usually does, green rarely, grey never.

1 to 75: starting zones

1. AllianceSkin wolves and boars in Elwynn Forest, boars and bears in Dun Morogh, or cats and owls in Teldrassil, then move to Westfall, Loch Modan or Darkshore.
2. HordeSkin boars and scorpids in Durotar, plainstriders and wolves in Mulgore, or wolves in Tirisfal Glades, then move to The Barrens.
3. Skin everything you kill while questing. At skill 50, go back to the trainer for Journeyman Skinning (level 10).
4. Turn 3 Ruined Leather Scraps into Light Leather if you have Leatherworking, or sell them.

75 to 150: level 15 to 30 zones

1. AllianceRedridge Mountains, Wetlands and Duskwood have lots of wolves, spiders, raptors and crocolisks.
2. HordeThe Barrens (zhevras, kodos, raptors), Stonetalon Mountains and Hillsbrad Foothills work well.
3. Ashenvale and Hillsbrad Foothills are good for both factions.
4. From here you start getting Medium Leather. Kodos in The Barrens can also give Thin Kodo Leather.
5. At skill 125, learn Expert Skinning (level 20).

150 to 225: level 30 to 45 zones

1. Go to Arathi Highlands, Stranglethorn Vale (raptors, tigers, panthers), Thousand Needles or Desolace.
2. Badlands and Dustwallow Marsh are also good from about 180.
3. You get Heavy Leather here, then Thick Leather from about level 40 beasts.
4. At skill 200, learn Artisan Skinning (level 35).

225 to 300: level 45 to 60 zones

1. Go to Feralas, Tanaris, The Hinterlands or Azshara until about 250.
2. Then go to Un'Goro Crater: dinosaurs, gorillas and more are packed close together. Winterspring, Felwood and Burning Steppes also work.
3. From about level 50 beasts you get Rugged Leather. Devilsaurs in Un'Goro give Devilsaur Leather, which sells well.
4. Keep skinning until 300. Level 60 beasts need exactly 300.

Tips

• You can't skin a body until you have looted everything on it.
• Skinning is the easiest gathering skill to level: you level it while you level your character. Skin everything you kill.
• Hides drop less often than leather. Keep them for a Leatherworker or sell them.
• Making leather goods? See our Leatherworking 1 to 300. Need leather or want to sell some? Check the ONN Supply board.