Leatherworking

[Aradar]

I know there has been many threads on this but after looking at the gear now that I am working on that aspect of the game, I don't see how I can't afford to do it. Between the Netherstrike Set and the Hurricane Boots, those are the best pieces you can get for each of those slots without pvp/heroics/raids and in most cases they are the best by a long shot.

I'm not really looking forward to the grind and will have more drums than I know what to do with but I think it's for the best. If you disagree, please convince me. :P

[-silencer-]

It could be worse.. blacksmithing is far worse to level than leatherworking. Mainly because we've got smiths, engineers, and jewelcrafters all needing the mining ores, while skinners only have leatherworking to support for the most part. Unlike ores, there's a virtually unlimited supply of skinning mats available if you farm the right areas. Need rugged leather? No problem... Un'goro. Need knothide leather? No problem.. Nagrand. (And get a lot of clefthoof leather while you're at it.) Leatherworking does tend to need a lot of mats per item (like 15 knothide leather), but I can't tell how much Thorium it's going to take to get me to 300 smithing at 12-16 a skillup. Leather is usually cheaper on the AH, so although it may be expensive, it's better than an alternative profession...
Get a head start on those rare mats drops like the nether scales.. by the time you've got enough of those, you should easily have farmed enough knothide leather to get you close to 375.

[Schwarz]

From the start I wanted my 5 shamen team to all have a spot open for leatherworking. Until a couple of weeks ago I changed my mind. The gear that you can make from leatherworking is pretty nice but if you could would you upgrade your gear with badge pieces? At least right now the badges pieces are better than the leatherworking craftable stuff.

I have 5 epic mounts and took up Alchemy on each of my toons. I am currently working on making the 63 spell damage trinket for all my toons. Once this is done then transmuting * 5 will at least net me 100g a day. I am hoping that in wotlk they continue on with some sort of stone that will also be very nice. What will leatherworking get you? Good upgrades to a point there are better options out there. And drums. Granted I haven't used these so I am not sure how much they will help. I know that the haste one does stack with bloodlust so that is nice.

[pinotnoir]

Save your gold... Just get the PVP gear. Those leatherworking items are a waste of gold and time when you can get the epic pvp gear very easy. Use your gold for epic flying mounts. There are 5man shamans in The Zerg that destroy heroics in full pvp gear. They blow through heroics so save your gold.

[Kulzor]

Just thinking about that starts giving me murderous thoughts, Fur.

[-silencer-]

Assuming that you actually like to PvP... for hours... and hours... and hours..... and hours.... and HOURS!!!!!! AND HOURS!!!! AND HOURS!!!!!!!
:P

I agree with this. I can't stand BGs, so once I have the honor/marks to buy the Merc. Glad Gavel on my pally, I'm done. I'd rather farm leather till my fingers bleed than subject myself to one more round of honor grinding.

[Jaese]

Pop in a movie and park your butt in a tower in AV.

Granted, the other 3 BGs require a tad more brainpower to avoid getting AFKed. :/

[Aradar]

Flying, Blacksmithing, Engineering, Tailoring, Alchemy, Herbalism, Mining and Skinning all maxed so my major gold sinks are already out of the way. Leatherworking is 350+ on my healer and Jewelcrafting and Enchanting are both 350+ as well which will be easily maxed on my own toons.

PVP Grind - already done twice prior to boxing... no thanks.

I will have to drop Herbalism, Mining and Skinning which sucks but I think Leatherworking is worth it. Of course, I won't drop Skinning till I have the mats in case I can't get them off the AH.

Thanks for the input.

[Schwarz]

Save your gold... Just get the PVP gear. Those leatherworking items are a waste of gold and time when you can get the epic pvp gear very easy. Use your gold for epic flying mounts. There are 5man shamans in The Zerg that destroy heroics in full pvp gear. They blow through heroics so save your gold.

I think the only piece of pvp gear you really need is a weapon. That is really the only piece i have besides the "starter" seers set. I ground out the bracer last time it was AV weekend but I haven't been able to do anything differently from getting that one piece.

5 shamen should be able to do heroics pretty easily. I downed the first 2 bosses in SP the night I dinged. I had something like 5600hp and 600ish spell damage. In my opinon grind heroics. Get better gear than what you can craft and profit from all the LPS and trash you get.

[Stabface]

Cost = Time, or as our green skinned entrepreneurs are fond to say "Time is money, friend!"
Lets compare PvP cost to obtain to the same gear slots you get from LW -- Netherstrike Belt, Bracers, Chest, and Hurricane Boots. I will assume that a new-ish L70 cannot buy the S4 BG pieces because of the personal arena ranking requirement, so here's what we have:

S4 BG belt is 17850
S3 BG bracer is 9199
S3 BG boots are 13923
S2 Arena chest is 14500

= 55472 honor.

I did the math recently and to level 1->375 LW and craft these 4 pieces it cost around 3000g, figuring a base rate of 100g/hour then you get 30H /played to do your LW and get your epics.
Can you earn 55472/30 = 1850 honor per hour? Not including earning the necessary marks.

There is also the opportunity costs to consider - using up a tradeskill for LW, things like that.