Making money in the age of Northrend

The Mote extractor remains the Engineer’s unique resource extraction tool, and so remains a source of revenue for the engineer in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. End-game level guns also remain a source of wealth.

Surprisingly, pets make a come-back as a source of income due to the pet collection achievements. While there was an early market for the motorcycle mounts (among the most wealthy on each server), this market dries up quickly. The remaining people seeking them will generally have a guild member who can craft it for them (given sufficient resources) by the time they can afford it. On the other hand, with level progression available to 80, fewer engineers are gaining the Consortium reputation required for Elemental Seaforium Charges, expanding the market for those who have the recipe. Typically, though, this will be a ‘tips’ market, as the engineer seeking parts for her flying machine will be able to provide all the parts for the charges.

A slight resurgence of quest-required items can be expected as people go back through low level quests while working on their Loremaster achievement.

The Mote Extractor

Perhaps the single most useful item for engineers is the [Zapthrottle Mote Extractor]. With the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, several regions in Northrend have clouds containing Crystallized Air, Crystallized Water, and/or Crystallized Fire. When combined with a flying mount extracting these clouds for resources becomes practical.

Note that there are clouds of Motes in several regions of Outland as well. Market for those, though, is largely for players practicing their trade skills; end-game materials has moved on to the crystallized materials.

Guns and Scopes

As in times past, there is a market for end-game guns. There exists both a warrior-tank gun (the Armor Plated Combat Shotgun) and a hunter weapon (Nesingwary 4000).

While there is some market for scopes, the speed of leveling means that scopes are often overlooked until quite late. And once a hunter has his ultimate weapon, he will typically only need a single scope.

Guns

Main article: Gun

• 80 [Armor Plated Combat Shotgun]
• 80 [Nesingwary 4000]
• 70 [Gyro-balanced Khorium Destroyer]
• 70 [Ornate Khorium Rifle]
• 70 [Felsteel Boomstick]
• 69 [Adamantite Rifle]
• 63 [Fel Iron Musket]
• 60 [Core Marksman Rifle]
• 56 [Flawless Arcanite Rifle]
• 50 [Dark Iron Rifle]
• 47 [Thorium Rifle]
• 39 [Mithril Heavy-bore Rifle]
• 36 [Mithril Blunderbuss]
• 24 [Moonsight Rifle]
• 21 [Silver-plated Shotgun]
• 19 [Lovingly Crafted Boomstick]
• 16 [Deadly Blunderbuss]
• 5 [Rough Boomstick]

 

Scopes

Main article: Scope

• 70 [Sun Scope] (+40 ranged haste rating)
• 70 [Heartseeker Scope] (+40 ranged critical strike rating)
• 70 [Diamond-cut Refractor Scope] (+15 ranged damage)
• 60 [Stabilized Eternium Scope] (+28 ranged critical strike rating)
• 55 [Khorium Scope] (+12 ranged damage)
• 55 [Adamantite Scope] (+10 ranged damage)
• 50 [Biznicks 247x128 Accurascope] (+30 ranged hit rating)
• 40 [Sniper Scope] (+7 ranged damage)
• 30 [Deadly Scope] (+5 ranged damage)
• 20 [Accurate Scope] (+3 ranged damage)
• 10 [Standard Scope] (+2 ranged damage)
• 5 [Crude Scope] (+1 ranged damage)

 

Pets and mounts

With achievements for the number of companions one has collected, engineered pets are much more in demand. The Lifelike Mechanical Toad is a particularly rare recipe, and the pets created with it can bring a premium from hardcore pet collectors.

Small pets

•  [Mechanical Squirrel Box]
•  [Lil' Smoky]
•  [Pet Bombling]
•  [Lifelike Mechanical Toad]
•  [Tranquil Mechanical Yeti]

At skill of 450, and with exalted reputation with the respective faction, engineers can craft a mount:

•  [Mechano-hog]
•  [Mekgineer's Chopper]

The mounts are race-restricted however. Engineers may charge a hefty fee to craft one of these mounts, or sell the pre-assembled item for a fixed fee.

Engineers can make flying mounts too:

•  [Flying Machine Control] 150% speed increase
•  [Turbo-Charged Flying Machine Control] 280% speed increase

Tradeskill Items

While these items are not required for end-game content, Engineers are still the sole source of them.

Professions

• Alchemy: [Recipe: Goblin Rocket Fuel]
• Blacksmithing: [Plans: Inlaid Mithril Cylinder]
• Leatherworking: [Salt Shaker]
• Fishing: [Aquadynamic Fish Attractor]

With the fishing daily quests providing Sharpened Fish Hooks, the Aquadynamic Fish Attractor has a smaller market.

 

Quest Items

[Advanced Target Dummy]

•  [35] Gizmo for Warug (Magram Clan Centaur)

[Gyrochronatom]

•  [37] Gyro… What?

8 x [Hi-Explosive Bomb] 8 x [Unstable Trigger]

•  [58] That’s Asking A Lot

1 x [Overcharged Capacitor]

•  [71] Just a Few More Things…

1 x [Bronze Tube]

•  [37] Look To The Stars

1 x [Bronze Tube]

•  [20] The Touch of Zanzil (Rogue only)

1 x [Deadly Blunderbuss]

•  [27] Warsong Saw Blades

1 x [Adamantite Frame]

•  [69] Additional Materials
•  [70] The Soul Cannon of Reth’hedron

Services

Services are using an item to do a service in exchange for money

Lock Opening

Using Seaforium Charges you can open locked boxes. Just like a rogue, usually you do it for a fee or tip.

Mailbox or vendor

Occasionally a player may need a mailbox or vendor in an out-of-the-way place and will pay a small fee for you to use  [MOLL-E] or  [Jeeves]. Places where it may be required as there are no such facilities nearby: in a raid or dungeon, Darkmoon Faire at the opposite faction’s zone, items for large turn-ins of rep such as Ravenholdt which may be stored in the mailbox.

Everyman Items

These items do not require a skill to use or equip. The majority of them are in low demand, though.

Consumables

• [Flame Deflector]
• [Ice Deflector]
• [Discombobulator Ray]
• [Ez-Thro Dynamite]
• [Ez-Thro Dynamite II]

Devices

• [Ornate Spyglass]

Equipment

• [Voice Amplification Modulator]

 

Professional Items

These items are crafted by engineers, for engineers. In most cases, they are specialization recipes (gnome or goblin) that do not require that specialization to use. In other cases, the recipes are reputation awards, and the products can be sold to those who have not yet done the required reputation grind.

Equipment

• [Goblin Rocket Boots]
• [Gnomish Rocket Boots]

 

Gnome Engineering

• [Gnomish Alarm-O-Bot]
• [Gnomish Harm Prevention Belt]
• [Gnomish Mind Control Cap]
• [Gnomish Net-o-Matic Projector]
• [Gnomish Rocket Boots]
• [Gnomish Shrink Ray]

 

Goblin Engineering

• [Goblin Jumper Cables XL] – obsoleted by the Gnomish Army Knife
• [Goblin Mortar]
• [Goblin Rocket Helmet]
• [Goblin Sapper Charge]
• [The Big One]

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