Alchemy

Alchemy is one of the primary WoW Tradeskills, and generally creates potions, which are consumed for a short-term effect. This finite effect leads many people to overlook Alchemy; in comparison, arms and armor are in almost constant use. Despite their limited time of effect, Alchemy gives many classes effects they can’t otherwise get outside of a group; the potions supply instant healing and mana restoration in the middle of battle, stat bonuses, regeneration, and even heightened damage.

Alchemy in Classic WoW

All restoration potions (Health, Mana, Rejuvenation) have a five-minute cooldown after each use, and all share the same timer; i.e. if you drink a Minor Health potion, you also won’t be able to drink a Mana Potion or a Greater Rejuvenation potion until five minutes are up.

All stat potions have no cooldown; instead, no stat potion may stack with any spell that enhances the same stat. For instance, if you’re under the effect of a rank 2 Arcane Intellect spell (+7 Intellect), you won’t be able to drink an Elixir of Wisdom (+6 Intellect) until the spell wears off, and any bonuses you had from previous Elixirs of Wisdom will be overwritten by the Arcane Intellect spell. The Druid spell Mark of the Wild can be seen as having multiple "components", one for each attribute it grants bonuses to. A rank 3 MotW (+105 Armor, +4 to all attributes) may have its Intellect "component" overwritten by an Elixir of Wisdom, while MotW itself remains in effect; the final bonus in this case amounts to +105 Armor, +4 Str/Sta/Agi/Spi, +6 Int.

There is no limit on how many stat buffs from potions you may have on you at once. In this way, soloing Warlocks may have Intellect buffs, Mages may have Stamina buffs, and so on. No Alchemy product is equal to or greater than the effect an equivalent-level caster can generate; an Arcane Intellect spell cast by a mage of your level will always have a higher stat bonus than the highest-level Elixir of Wisdom you can drink.

Trainers

Journeyman: Brill, Ogrimmar (The Drag), Undercity (Apothecary Quarter)

Expert: Undercity (Apothecary Quarter). From the main room, take the stairs to your left; the trainer will be sitting at a counter near a siege engine and the supplier. Booty Bay.

Artisan: Undercity (Apothecary Quarter)

Master: Swamp of Sorrows (Stonard)

Leveling

Alchemy, like all non-gathering tradeskills, rises as you create items. In the beginning, most recipes require only an Empty Vial (sold at most General Suppliers, in addition to Herbalism and Alchemy vendors) and the plants you find in the wild. For the first fifty points or so, make whatever you have the components for. The initial three recipes are equally useful, and raise your skills evenly. Large amounts of Minor Healing Potions will probably be made, as the two components are the most common in starter areas. It’s suggested that you Bank any extra MHPs you make, rather than sell them, in order to aid later leveling.

Soon after, you can do the quest for the Discolored Healing Potion recipe (see below). Hunting in Silverpine, the DHPs and other miscellaneous potions will easily raise your skill to the level you can obtain th Lesser Healing Potion. At this point, you can quickly raise your skill if you stored any quantity of Minor Healing Potions. LHP require one Minor Healing Potion and one Briarthorn to make. As this is also the first recipie to use Briarthorn, you can easily jump 15-20 skill points before ever leaving the alchemist.

An alternate path is to aquire a quantity of Oily Blackmouth fish. Two may be rendered into Blackmouth Oil, which is added to one Swiftthistle to create the Swim Speed Potion. This of course requires the fish in the first place, but it may be faster than the former route if you have them.

Recipes

Primarily a list of vendor-found or quested-for recipes, while omitting all found on Alchemy Trainers unless of special note.

Discolored Healing Potion – Obtained by doing the Wild Hearts quest in the Sepulcher of Silverpine Forest after completing the Find Quinn quest. Probably your first recipe that requires an ingredient that is obtained by some means other than Herbalism; Discolored Worg Hearts, the required ingredient, are an uncommon drop from Mottled Worgs. The potion this recipe creates heals as much as a Lesser Healing Potion with a lower difficulty level to create, as well as requiring fewer herbs; around the levels you’ll actually need the healing from the potions, LHP’s Briarthorn is in scarce supply.

Rage Potion – Raises Rage by 20-40 points. Recipe found on a vendor in Ogrimmar and The Barrens (both unconfirmed). Requires a Sharp Claw.

Elixir of Giant Growth – Makes you grow large for two minutes while raising your Strength by 8. A very rare (0.1% - 1%) drop on a variety of level 11-21 monsters in the Barrens. Requires Deviant Fish.

Alchemy Formulas in Classic WoW

Ingredients

Primarily a list of special components. For herb locations, see Herbalism.

Discolored Worg Heart – An uncommon drop (25%) off Mottled Worgs in the north of Silverpine Forest.

Oily Blackmouth – Obtained by fishing. Used to create Blackmouth Oil.

Sharp Claw – Found on a wide variety of level 10+ beasts. Confirmed: wolves, harpies, bears, bats.

Deviant Fish – Obtained by fishing in any Oasis in The Barrens, as well as inside the Wailing Caverns.

Firefin Snapper Obtained by fishing. Used to create Fire Oil.

Volatile Rum - Dropped by Pirates, mainly in Stranglethorn Vale and Tanaris. Used to create Goblin Rocket Fuel, which is used in engineering?.

Stonescale Eel - Obtained by fishing.

Black Vitriol - Obtained by mining. Used to create Philospher's Stone.

Alchemy in The Burning Crusade

Limited Sale recipes
Seer Janidi (Zabra'Jin, Zangermarsh)
Elixir of Major Frost Power- 320 skill -55 frost spell damage for 1 hour. 2 Mote of water, 1 Ancient Lichen, Imbued Vail.
Sneaking Potion - 315 skill - Increases Stealth a great deal for 1 min. 2 Ragveil, 1 Felweed, Imbued Vail.