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All classes in WoW Classic Hardcore have a set of weapon skills that they start with. Though this system is long gone in the retail game, in the days of Vanilla, you had to grind your weapon levels up to make them more efficient. Each weapon had its stat, too, so if you swapped from an Axe to a Dagger, you'd have to start leveling up Daggers unless you already had spent time in that weapon style.
This might seem confusing for players who didn't play in the early days and are now on the popular WoW Classic Hardcore servers. Thankfully, we're here to review what you need about the weapon skill system in World of Warcraft's Classic Era.
What are weapon skills in WoW Classic Hardcore?
Each character class has a baseline of weapon skills they can access in WoW Classic Hardcore. However, throughout the game, you can also purchase additional ones for gold at specific weapon trainers. This doesn't mean that mages can learn two-handed swords, mind. Each class will have access to particular weapons throughout the game.
When you fight enemies, the number of these skills will increase over time. As you level up, the weapon skill cap will increase, at least by a small amount. Your cap at level 1 is 5, and it caps out at 300 at level 60, though some races have skills that increase this, and at least one world drop can do the same.
You can train any weapon skill for 10 silver, except Wands (only Priests, Warlocks, and Mages can have this, and it's by default) and Polearms. Polearms cost 1 gold and require level 20.
How to level up weapon skills in WoW Classic Hardcore
Each time you swing a weapon, and it isn't evaded, you can gain a weapon skill point. The lower your weapon skill, the higher your growth rate will be - like a catch-up mechanic. As you play WoW Classic Hardcore, you'll pick up various weapons. You aren't bound to one type for the whole game.
The faster your weapon, the more swings you get, so the more chances you have to level up. In addition, your Intellect stat also contributes to this in the WoW Vanilla days. Having a mage cast Arcane Intelligence on you or having a Scroll of Intellect will also help this process.
Each type of weapon you can access will appear in your skills list (K by default). Thankfully, switching weapons doesn't reset your weapon skill. However, if you leave Staves at 50 and return to them after you have 250 Wands, it will take many melee hits to catch up.
Where are weapon trainers located in WoW Classic Hardcore
Depending on what race/class you start as in WoW Classic Hardcore, you will begin with particular weapon skills. For example, Hunters start with bows, except Tauren and Dwarves, who get guns.
If a weapon skill is highlighted in red at one of the trainers below, it's unavailable to your class - or you aren't level 20 for Polearms. There are quite a few items in the world that increase your weapon proficiency, so that's something to watch out for.
Alliance Weapon Trainers
- Ilyenia Moonfire (Darnassus - 57.6, 46.6): Bows, Daggers, Fist Weapons, Staves, Thrown
- Bixi Wobblebonk (Ironforge - 62.0, 89.6): Crossbows, Daggers, Thrown
- Buliwyf Stonehand (Ironforge - 61.6, 89.4): Fist Weapons, Guns, One-Handed Axes, Two-Handed Axes, One-Handed Maces, Two-Handed Maces
- Woo Ping (Stormwind City - 57.1, 57.7): Crossbows, Daggers, One-Handed Swords, Polearms, Staves, Two-Handed Swords
Horde Weapon Trainers
- Hanashi (Orgrimmar - 81.5, 19.6): Bows, One-Handed Axes, Staves, Thrown, Two-Handed Axes
- Sayoc (Orgrimmar - 81.7, 19.6): Bows, Daggers, Fist Weapons, One-Handed Axes, Staves, Thrown, Two-Handed Axes
- Ansekhwa (Thunder Bluff - 40.0, 63.1): Guns, One-handed Maces, Staves, Two-Handed Maces
- Archibald (Undercity - 57.3, 32.8): Crossbows, Daggers, One-Handed Swords, Polearms, Two-Handed Swords
Is it worth it to level up weapon skills in WoW Classic Hardcore?
It's 100% worth it to level up your weapon skills in WoW Classic Hardcore. The higher your proficiency with a weapon, the better you are in combat with it. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to grind every single weapon type you have access to.
However, having a passing proficiency cannot hurt. Don't spend all your gold training weapon skills that you have no intent on using, though. That's wasteful; every piece of gold matters on the Classic Era servers. If you plan on only using swords, for example, keep up with your skill points as you progress.
Weapon skill is an essential aspect of the classic era of World of Warcraft. No matter what class you're leveling in, this will be important. Even casters need to take the time to level up Staves and Wands.
