Hitting The Grind Part 2

Hitting The Grind Part 2

JB is now level 91, has her barracks up and operating, and has three followers. JB can run missions now, but her followers can't be used as bodyguards. Yet. I think I have to get the barracks to level 2 first.

JB also spent some of Happy's gold and bought a mace already upgraded to level 4 that greatly bumped up her gear level. Jocy helped out by crafting a second mace for her to duel wield with, but JB will have to get the upgrades herself for that one. Finally, Happy grudgingly gifted JB a Skull of War trinket, created by Fist's Inscription hut. Didn't cost Happy anything, except for the 3000 gold he thought he was going to sell it for. Happy didn't grumble too bad, though, since the price for that trinket has plummeted to 999g.

JB's gear score rose from i473 to i512. All of the heirloom gear went back into storage.
The next task on her agenda is her professions, which languished in Jocy's unkempt care. All of her secondary professions can now start leveling up to the max 700.

JB traveled to Ashran to meet with the Alchemy master so that she could begin leveling her prime profession again. HER profession. She now has a number of Draenor recipes, but the first one, Crescent oil, looks to be an easy starting point. All she needs is crescent fish, which are easy to catch. JB is only 525 in fishing, but that's okay, she can level her fishing skill and use the fish to start leveling her Alchemy. JB then headed back to Orgrimmar and rummaged around her quarters. Where is that fishing pole?

Another imperative is to upgrade her barracks to level 2 in order to make her bodyguards available. Those plans can be purchased in Ashran, but only if JB is level 100. Sigh. So, if she wants it earlier she has to hope to get a drop of the plan "Comprehensive Outpost Construction Guide." One of my great disappointments with this expansion is that so much of it depends on random chance instead of working to achieve it.

That said, the next step is to acquire an Alchemy Lab. Those plans become available once JB gets a level 2 Town Hall. See above for what is holding that up.

JB could have one sooner is she gets lucky and finds an Alchemy  "Mysterious Flask" or comes across "Outpost Building Assembly Notes." See above for what is holding that up.

Once all the above gets sorted out by random chance, JB can get her lab operating. Most important is to start crafting Savage Blood, which is in high demand for making gear and/or selling on the AH.
On a broader front, the family is taking a close look at what professions are represented in both personal and garrison professions. For example, the family has two blacksmiths. Are two needed? The answer is yes, for crafting gear that all members need and to sell the extra items that pay for the gear that is used. The family doesn't need two smelters, however. That potentially opens a spot for another profession. Another candidate to change is the Skinning profession. There seems to be an abundance of crafting mats for leatherworkers that makes skinning less useful.

What would they be replaced with? Fist has a Scribe's Quarters in her garrison. A nice compleement would be train someone in Inscription. Does Fist want to sign up for that? Philly would argue that she already has the Inscription profession. Philly is only level 85. Her best hope is that JB reaches level 100 and then Philly can be boosted. Maybe. So, on the table is a potential change in Fist's profession, removing Skinning and replacing it with Inscription.

What Smelting might be replaced with is another question. Jocy has a gem boutique, and could drop smelting for Jewelcrafting. Philly bristles again. Jewelcrafting is her second profession.

When Philly began to argue, Jocy interrupted. Level up, max your professions, and get your garrison. That's the only way to earn your way into the coming Legion. Hard news to bear.