This guide is to provide answers to many common questions, and to point out elements of Engineering that are not obvious simply by talking to the trainers.
See also
- The main Engineering page for most details, including a brief comparison of Gnomish and Goblin engineering specializations.
- Engineering schematics
- Engineering quests
- Making money with engineering
Specialization issues
Specialization and Artisan skill level
As with other skills, specialization grants you access to particular recipes. It does not increase the cap on your Engineering skill level.
In order to raise your Engineering skill past Expert (225) you must speak with the Master Engineer in Gadgetzan and learn Artisan Engineering.
Proficiency
| Proficiency | Level | Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | 5 | 1 - 75 |
| Journeyman | 10 | 50 - 150 |
| Expert | 20 | 125 - 225 |
| Artisan | 35 | 200 - 300 |
| Master | 50 | 300 - 375 
|
| Grand Master | 65 | 375 - 450 
|
| Illustrious | 75 | 425 - 525 
|
| Specialization | 30 | 200 |
Gaining a Specialization
- Main article: Gnome Engineering#Becoming a Gnome Engineer
- Main article: Goblin Engineering#Becoming a Goblin Engineer
There are two specializations available to Engineers: Gnomish and Goblin. As described briefly here, Gnomish engineering tends towards devices, where goblin engineering builds bigger and better bombs. Where a Gnomish device will malfunction in some inconvenient way, it is seldom fatal. ... directly, at least. When a Goblin device fails, it usually blows up on you. But these things seldom happen. Just ask the trainers, they'll tell you!
At 200 Engineering skill, you will be offered a quest: Gnome Engineering, or Goblin Engineering. This directs you to a trainer, who will have you sign and return a pledge of secrecy. Having done that, you are then put to showing samples of your engineering work (provide this many of these items). Complete that quest, and you're given the specialization.
Of special note: many engineered items require you to have engineering skill in order to use them. Most do not also require you to have a particular specialization as well. Making use of this fact would require respecializing, which currently is very painful indeed. (see below)
Membership Cards
After you finish your specialization quest, you will receive a membership card: 
[Gnome Engineer Membership Card], 
[Goblin Engineer Membership Card]. This card permits you to learn schemata from the corresponding specialization trainer.
The membership cards have a duration of 14 days of online time. (Time when that character is not logged in does not count.) When it expires, you must visit a trainer for your specialization and pay 2 gold to renew your subscription. Your new card arrives in 24 (real time) hours and a small gift is attached. Gifts include bombs (Goblins) and parts (Gnomes). Note that the schematics for the small pets (Lil' Smokey and Bombling) were once exclusively available as renewal gifts, but may now be looted from certain mobs in Gnomeregan.
Switching Specializations
Since patch 1.10, it has been possible to switch engineering specializations. It is, however, painful. To switch from gnomish to goblin or vice versa
- Press K to bring up your skills tab, click on engineering, and then click an icon that looks like a circle with a slash through it to un-learn engineering entirely.
- Visit an engineering trainer and start all over again at level 1
- Level your skill to 225
- Visit Narain Soothfancy's house North of Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris, and read Soothsaying for Dummies.
- Select a new Engineering Specialization (or your old one if you had a change of heart)
Some Notes:
- You don't need to complete the quests associated with your new spec.
- This system existed before LW/BS/Tailors were able to change their spec. They got the easy way of dropping their spec for a modest fee and keeping their skill level.
- You will forever lose any quest patterns or specialization patterns. You'll lose Lil Smokey and Pet Bombling recipes forever, and never be able to obtain the pet recipe from your new spec.
- You'll never be able to renew your membership card from your old spec or obtain a membership card for your new spec.
- You may have a hard time learning quest reward recipes like
[Zapthrottle Mote Extractor] as you'll lose them too, and have to find someone to trade you their quest reward recipe (if it's not soulbound).
This method, and these notes, are valid at least as of patch 2.4.2.
Now, you can go the book, pay 150 gold, and learn the other specialization. (You lose all schematics related to the specialization you traded for other one. Say you drop Goblin for Gnome, you lose all goblin schematics.)
The Zapthrottle Mote Extractor
With the completion of 
[10-30] The Zapthrottle Mote Extractor!, the engineer acquires a means to obtain several varieties of primal motes exclusive to engineering. Motes of Water, Shadow, Mana, and Air can all be extracted from gas clouds in various Outland zones. In Northrend, crystallized ingredients can be extracted from gas clouds. When the Engineer is also a miner, only Motes of Life and crystallized life are not directly obtainable.
Locations for commonly asked about parts
[Flask of Oil]- Used in 
[Gnomish Universal Remote] and 
[Goblin Jumper Cables]. Can be found on Harvest Reapers in Westfall, the Goblins in the Boulder Lode Mine in the Barrens, the Goblins in the Deadmines, Black Oozes in the Wetlands, the Goblins on the cliffside platforms in Windshear Crag, and from dead combat pets.
[Fused Wiring]- Used in a number of recipes. Patch 2.1 added a recipe for Fused Wiring that is sold by vendors in Everlook (in Winterspring), and in Shattrath City. 275 skill is required to make Fused Wiring, though.
There are other sources of Fused Wiring than building it: It can be found (rarely) on mechanical mobs, such as those in Gnomeregan, and Venture Co. Shredders. The remains of all types of target dummies and other single-use combat pets (see below) can contain them, as well as 
[Goblin Rocket Boots] when they explode.
Recipes in unusual places
- Main article: Engineering quests
Holiday Recipes
- Feast of Winter Veil
- During the Feast of Winter Veil, those who complete [80] Stolen Winter Veil Treats (Obtained at level 30) have a chance to get the Schematic for the [Snowmaster 9000]. The Snowmaster 9000 turns 1 [Refreshing Spring Water] into 1 [Snowball]. It has a 1 day cooldown and unlimited uses.
- Lunar Festival
- Collect coins from Elders all over the world, then deliver them in Moonglade for special schematics at the elf with the blue question mark.
- [60] Small Rockets, available at level 25
[60] - provides recipes for [Small Red Rocket], [Small Green Rocket], [Small Blue Rocket]
- [60] Large Rockets, available at 35
- provides recipes for [Large Red Rocket], [Large Green Rocket], [Large Blue Rocket]
- [Firework Launcher], available at 45
- provides the recipe for [Firework Launcher], needed to launch both small and large rockets.
- [60] Cluster Rockets, available at 45
- provides the recipes for [Red Rocket Cluster], [Green Rocket Cluster], [Blue Rocket Cluster]
- [60] Large Cluster Rockets, available at 55
- provides recipes for [Large Red Rocket Cluster], [Large Green Rocket Cluster], [Large Blue Rocket Cluster]
- [Cluster Launcher], available at 55
- provides the recipe for Firework Cluster Launcher, which is needed to launch cluster rockets.
Gnomeregan
Four schematics are available within the instance of Gnomeregan:
- [Discombobulator Ray], learned after finding [Security DELTA Data Access Card] and accessing the Matrix Punchograph 3005-D with 160 Engineering skill.
- [Minor Recombobulator], obtained from the Matrix Punchograph 3005-B with 140 Engineering skill.
- [Schematic: Pet Bombling], 100% chance to drop from Mekgineer Thermaplug, the final boss.
- [Schematic: Lil' Smoky], a drop from Peacekeeper Security Suit, Arcane Nullifier X-21, and Crowd Pummeler 9-60.
Blackrock Depths
In Blackrock Depths, near Golem Lord Argelmach is a scroll that teaches the schematic for 
[Field Repair Bot 74A]. You must have at least 300 Engineering skill in order to learn the schematic from this scroll, and only one person per raid can do so.
This robot, like the more advanced 
[Field Repair Bot 110G], acts like a vendor for 10 minutes, buying items and repairing armor. This is very useful for large raids, and moderately so for some instances.
Also, 
[Scrapbot Construction Kit] can be aquired from Storm Peaks in Northrend. This is a WotLK version of Field Repair Bots.
Quests
- Main article: Engineering quests
There are a number of quests that result in either Schematics, or directly learning the recipes for items. There are others that require engineered items to complete.
Pets
Engineering provides a range both of Small pets (non-combat, or 'vanity' pets) and Guardian pets (single or multiple use combat pets).
Small pets
Non-combat pets are those that serve no purpose other than to follow you around. They can be used as much as you like and do not die. They do not require engineering levels to use, so you can sell them or give most of them to friends :)
- Mechanical Squirrel
- [Tranquil Mechanical Yeti]
- [Lifelike Mechanical Toad]
- [Pet Bombling]
- [Lil' Smoky]
Guardian Pets
Guardian pets are pets that you can summon to help you fight for a limited time. There are two varieties of combat pet available to engineers: Reuseable ones, that usually take the form of trinkets, and have a cooldown period beween uses. And consumable ones, that have "charges".
Both varieties require Engineering to use.
| Reuseable pets | Consumable pets |
|---|---|
Engineering for Profit
- Main article: Making money with engineering
Although Engineering usually costs you more than you make, there are a few items which can be sold to other players for professions and quests. And as is ever the case, making items on commission (or for tips) is a pure-profit situation.
Non-combat devices: Most non-combat pets and fireworks an engineer makes can be sold to other players or given as gifts.
Tradeskill items: A few items made by Engineering are useful to people with other trade skills: 
[Recipe: Goblin Rocket Fuel], 
[Plans: Inlaid Mithril Cylinder], 
[Aquadynamic Fish Attractor], and especially the [Salt Shaker].
Guns, Bullets and Scopes: Engineers have the opportunity to make many guns, bullets and scopes which can be sold to any class which can use them. The bullets are cheap to make, and are better than most vendor-purchased vareties available at the same level.
Specialization items: There are a selection of items that can only be made by characters on one specialization or the other, but can be used by any engineer. Some of those can be sold, if you find the right buyer.
Credits
This Engineering guide is derived from one created by Tinkerer ("Tinker" <Destiny and Elite> at Bloodhoof on the EU forums) for the World of Warcraft Europe Forums. The original can be found here: 0. [ENG] Tinker's Guide to Engineering | 24/08/2006 20:38:52 UTC
This guide is also derived from 0. Velgard's Guide to Engineering. | 08/24/2006 10:52:31 PM PDT by Velgard <The Death Knights>:
Thanks to these two sources for information and inspiration.
