Phase 3 turns professions into a raid-progression system. Black Temple and the Battle for Mount Hyjal introduce epic gems, tradeable Hearts of Darkness, performance-focused raid patterns, and the Shadow Resistance crafts used for Mother Shahraz. The difficult part is not finding a long shopping list. It is deciding which materials belong to the raid, which crafts are safe to sell, and which profession-gated upgrades are worth keeping on a main.
Black Temple and Mount Hyjal open globally on August 27, 2026. Blizzard's official Phase 3 announcement also confirms that epic gems come from 375 Mining inside Mount Hyjal and rare drops in Black Temple, while Indormi sells the associated Jewelcrafting designs inside Hyjal. Prepare the profession characters, raid access, reputation plan, and liquid gold before the launch rather than buying every material during the first price spike.
Phase 3 Crafting Systems at a Glance
| Crafting system | Primary source | Main bottleneck | Who benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epic gems | Hyjal mining nodes and rare Black Temple drops | Raw gem supply, 375 Mining access, and Indormi designs | Every raider with socketed upgrades |
| Haste raid crafts | Patterns found in Black Temple and Mount Hyjal | BoP recipe, 375 profession, and Hearts of Darkness | Selected physical DPS, casters, and healers |
| Shadow Resistance armor | Okuno inside Black Temple | Ashtongue Deathsworn reputation and Hearts of Darkness | Raid members assigned an SR target for Mother Shahraz |
| Consumables and enchants | Existing Alchemy, Enchanting, and gathering routes | Launch-week demand and material prices | The entire raid roster |
These systems compete for different resources. Epic gems do not consume Hearts of Darkness, but both markets reward early raid access. The raid-drop armor patterns use Hearts, while their other reagents come from established TBC material chains. A guild should therefore maintain separate ledgers for raw gems, raid recipes, Hearts, resistance orders, and ordinary materials.
How Hearts of Darkness Work
Heart of Darkness is a tradeable crafting reagent obtained from enemies in Black Temple and Mount Hyjal. It is not a personal token and does not bind when picked up, so a raid can centralize its drops, distribute them immediately, or sell them. Do not build a schedule around a guaranteed number per clear: trash volume, drops, and market supply can make weekly income uneven.
Phase 3 contains 33 crafts that consume Hearts: 16 performance pieces, 16 armor-type Shadow Resistance pieces, and the universal Night's End cloak. That does not make every recipe equally urgent. Early Hearts usually protect progression best when they complete the raid's agreed Mother Shahraz resistance plan; performance bracers and shoulders come after the required SR orders unless a guild deliberately chooses another strategy.
| Use | Heart cost per item | Binding of finished item | Allocation rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance bracers | 4 | BoE | Craft only after checking upgrade size and SR obligations |
| Performance shoulders | 2 | BoP | Reserve for a 375 crafter who will equip the item |
| SR bracers | 1 | BoE | Efficient when the wrist slot fits the raid's resistance set |
| SR belt or boots | 2 | BoE | Use when those slots replace less valuable combat gear |
| SR legs | 3 | BoE | High resistance in one slot, but not always the cheapest allocation |
| Night's End cloak | 1 | BoE | Strong universal option when the cloak slot is part of the plan |
Do not hand Hearts to a character merely because that player owns the right profession. Confirm the exact recipe, profession level, item binding, remaining materials, intended wearer, and expected upgrade first. Players who still need to finish a profession before raid recipes arrive can compare the available TBC profession leveling options, but the raid should still control scarce Heart allocations through its own transparent rules.
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Performance Raid Recipes and Binding Rules
The Phase 3 performance recipes create item-level 141 bracers and shoulders with haste plus role-specific offensive or healing stats. Their recipe items bind to the looter and require 375 in the relevant profession. The finished bracers are BoE and can be traded, whereas the finished shoulders are BoP. This distinction determines whether a recipe is a guild service or a personal upgrade.
A BoE bracer pattern is valuable on a stable guild crafter because one drop can serve the roster and the market. A shoulder pattern should go to a qualified player who actually wants that shoulder; learning it on an inactive alt does not create a saleable product. Neither slot is automatically best in slot for every specialization, so compare it with Tier 5 gear, Tier 6 loot, set bonuses, hit requirements, and existing crafted pieces before spending Hearts.
Blacksmithing Raid Crafts
| Item | Role profile | Hearts | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiftsteel Bracers | Physical plate DPS | 4 | BoE |
| Swiftsteel Shoulders | Physical plate DPS | 2 | BoP |
| Dawnsteel Bracers | Plate healing | 4 | BoE |
| Dawnsteel Shoulders | Plate healing | 2 | BoP |
Blacksmithing has the narrowest Phase 3 performance catalog, but it also produces the plate Shadow Resistance set. A plate main should keep the profession only when its personal weapon or armor progression still justifies the slot, or when the guild needs a reliable recipe holder. Do not change profession solely for a BoE bracer that another blacksmith can make.
Leatherworking Raid Crafts
| Item | Role profile | Hearts | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bindings of Lightning Reflexes | Physical mail DPS | 4 | BoE |
| Shoulders of Lightning Reflexes | Physical mail DPS | 2 | BoP |
| Living Earth Bindings | Mail healing | 4 | BoE |
| Living Earth Shoulders | Mail healing | 2 | BoP |
| Swiftstrike Bracers | Physical leather DPS | 4 | BoE |
| Swiftstrike Shoulders | Physical leather DPS | 2 | BoP |
| Bracers of Renewed Life | Leather healing | 4 | BoE |
| Shoulderpads of Renewed Life | Leather healing | 2 | BoP |
Leatherworking covers twice as many performance recipes as Blacksmithing or Tailoring because it serves both leather and mail. It also supplies two armor families of SR gear and retains group value through drums. For a guild choosing one early raid-pattern specialist, an active leatherworker offers broad coverage, but individual mains should still compare the BoP shoulders against their spec-specific alternatives.
Tailoring Raid Crafts
| Item | Role profile | Hearts | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bracers of Nimble Thought | Spell damage | 4 | BoE |
| Mantle of Nimble Thought | Spell damage | 2 | BoP |
| Swiftheal Wraps | Healing | 4 | BoE |
| Swiftheal Mantle | Healing | 2 | BoP |
Tailoring combines the cloth performance line with Soulguard armor and Night's End. It is especially convenient for established caster and healer mains that already produce specialization cloth. Stock Spellcloth, Primal Mooncloth, imbued cloth, Primals, and enchanting materials according to the intended recipe; do not convert the entire stockpile until the correct pattern actually drops.
Shadow Resistance Recipes from Okuno
Okuno is the Ashtongue Deathsworn recipe vendor located inside Black Temple. His profession patterns unlock at Friendly or Honored reputation and require 375 Blacksmithing, Leatherworking, or Tailoring. The resulting SR items are BoE, so a small group of trusted crafters can outfit the raid. Access to the vendor and reputation progression remain part of Black Temple activity; players who want help reaching the relevant ranks can review the Ashtongue Deathsworn reputation service.
| Profession and armor | Crafted set | SR by slot | Hearts for full four-piece set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksmithing plate | Shadesteel Bracers, Girdle, Sabots, and Greaves | 40, 54, 54, and 72 | 8 |
| Leatherworking mail | Bracers, Waistguard, Boots, and Greaves of Shackled Souls | 40, 54, 54, and 72 | 8 |
| Leatherworking leather | Redeemed Soul Wristguards, Cinch, Moccasins, and Legguards | 40, 54, 54, and 72 | 8 |
| Tailoring cloth | Soulguard Bracers, Girdle, Slippers, and Leggings | 40, 54, 54, and 72 | 8 |
| Tailoring cloak | Night's End | 40 | 1 |
Each armor family follows the same Heart schedule: one for bracers, two for the belt, two for boots, and three for legs. The full four-piece armor set supplies 220 Shadow Resistance before other sources. Night's End adds 40 SR in a universal slot and can receive Enchant Cloak: Greater Shadow Resistance for another 15.
Do not treat 220 SR or any other single value as a universal requirement. Mother Shahraz strategies, Priest buffs, armor kits, the 40 SR Medallion of Karabor, personal survivability, and the amount of combat gear a player can remove all change the practical target. Tanks commonly follow a different plan because Saber Lash affects their gearing decisions, and an Illidan warlock tank may need a separate resistance set. The raid leader should publish the target and approved slot combination before Hearts are spent.
How to Allocate Hearts Before Mother Shahraz
Resistance per Heart is highest on the crafted bracers and Night's End at 40 each. Belts and boots provide 27 SR per Heart, while legs provide 24 SR per Heart. This ratio is useful but incomplete: replacing a weak cloak or pair of legs may cost less raid performance than removing excellent bracers. Build complete character sets, not a spreadsheet that ignores lost damage and healing.
- Set the resistance target for non-tanks and document any role exceptions.
- Count guaranteed non-crafted sources, including the Medallion of Karabor and available buffs.
- Choose the smallest set of crafted slots that reaches the target without breaking an essential set bonus.
- Total Hearts for the entire planned roster before approving performance crafts.
- Assign orders to crafters with the required 375 skill and Okuno reputation.
- Collect the other reagents before transferring Hearts.
- Track completed items, reserve stock, and future recruits after every reset.
A progression roster should also keep a modest replacement reserve. Spending every early Heart on marginal personal upgrades can leave a new recruit, substitute, or changed strategy without the required SR pieces. Once the resistance roster is complete and the reserve is secure, compare performance crafts by upgrade value per Heart rather than distributing them evenly.
Epic Gems and Jewelcrafting Designs
Phase 3 adds six raw epic gems. A 375 Miner can obtain them from mining inside the Battle for Mount Hyjal, and they can also appear as rare Black Temple drops. Simply parking a Mining alt at 375 is not enough for the Hyjal route; that character must be able to enter the raid and reach the nodes with the group.
| Raw epic gem | Color | Typical stat family |
|---|---|---|
| Crimson Spinel | Red | Strength, Agility, spell damage, healing, and attack power |
| Empyrean Sapphire | Blue | Stamina, Spirit, and mana regeneration |
| Lionseye | Yellow | Hit, Critical Strike, Defense, and Intellect |
| Shadowsong Amethyst | Purple | Red and blue hybrid combinations |
| Pyrestone | Orange | Red and yellow hybrid combinations |
| Seaspray Emerald | Green | Yellow and blue hybrid combinations |
Indormi, Keeper of Ancient Gem Lore, stands inside Mount Hyjal and sells designs according to Scale of the Sands reputation. The Anniversary Phase 3 vendor set contains 30 designs: 13 at Friendly, 13 at Honored, and four at Revered. The Honored group includes Quick Lionseye, Reckless Pyrestone, Steady Seaspray Emerald, and Forceful Seaspray Emerald. Eight additional BoP designs are rare drops from Mount Hyjal bosses. A Jewelcrafter needs 375 skill to learn these designs, but the player equipping a cut gem does not need Jewelcrafting.
Do not assume that every epic cut comes from the vendor. Flashing Crimson Spinel, Stormy Empyrean Sapphire, Mystic Lionseye, Great Lionseye, Sovereign Shadowsong Amethyst, Shifting Shadowsong Amethyst, Inscribed Pyrestone, and Veiled Pyrestone belong to the Hyjal boss-drop pool. At launch, prioritize cuts that serve several roster members, then add niche defensive or hybrid designs as reputation and recipe access improve.
Profession Priorities for Main Characters
| Profession | Phase 3 value | When to prioritize it on a main |
|---|---|---|
| Leatherworking | Eight performance crafts, two SR armor families, and drums | The main wears leather or mail, wants a BoP shoulder, or fills raid utility expectations |
| Tailoring | Caster and healer haste crafts, cloth SR gear, Night's End, and cloth cooldowns | The main is a caster or healer with a confirmed shoulder plan or supplies guild cloth crafts |
| Blacksmithing | Plate haste crafts, plate SR gear, and established weapon or armor paths | The character still benefits from profession-locked equipment or will hold guild patterns |
| Engineering | Encounter utility, explosives, mobility tools, and specialized head options | Utility contributes more than a profession-gated Phase 3 shoulder |
| Jewelcrafting | Access to the epic design market and roster cutting service | The player will build Scale of the Sands reputation and remain available to cut gems |
| Alchemy | Flasks, elixirs, potions, and Shadow Protection support | Consumable independence or guild cauldron coverage is the priority |
| Enchanting | Upgrade enchants, Greater Shadow Resistance, and disenchanting | The character supplies regular raid enchants or retains valuable personal benefits |
The right pair depends on the character, not a universal ranking. Keep an armor profession when its BoP shoulder or earlier profession-locked item remains competitive. Otherwise, compare the measurable upgrade with Engineering utility, Leatherworking expectations, personal ring enchants, and the cost of relearning a dropped profession. Never abandon a rare recipe collection for a temporary gain without pricing the recovery.
Profession Priorities for Alts
Alts should handle scalable supply jobs while mains keep combat-critical professions. A Mining alt is attractive only if it can participate in Hyjal runs; open-world Mining alone does not access the raid nodes. Jewelcrafting alts need the relevant designs and Scale of the Sands reputation, while Blacksmithing, Leatherworking, and Tailoring pattern holders need raid drops or Okuno access rather than skill alone.
| Alt setup | Purpose | Preparation requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Mining plus Jewelcrafting | Raw gem access and cutting | 375 in both, Hyjal access, designs, and reputation |
| Tailoring plus Alchemy | Cooldown materials, transmutes, and consumables | Correct specializations and a weekly production routine |
| Herbalism plus Alchemy | Raid consumable supply | Efficient gathering route and planned potion or flask batches |
| Dedicated armor crafter | BoE performance and SR orders | 375 skill, learned pattern, reputation where required, and reliable availability |
Do not spread every rare pattern across inactive characters. One consistently online crafter per armor family is more useful than several recipe holders who cannot complete orders on progression night. Record which alt owns each recipe and which materials the guild bank supplies.
Goldmaking Priorities
The strongest early markets solve a real bottleneck: correctly cut epic gems, BoE resistance pieces, BoE haste bracers, rare-recipe crafting services, consumables, enchants, and the older materials needed to finish new orders. Profit comes from timing and access, not merely owning 375 skill.
- Sell raw epic gems when launch scarcity commands more than the likely cutting margin.
- Learn high-volume cuts before niche designs unless the local raid market clearly pays a premium.
- Quote BoE crafts as separate material, Heart, and crafting-fee components.
- Never advertise BoP performance shoulders as customer crafts because the crafter must equip the result.
- Stock base reagents in measured batches instead of buying an entire market during hype.
- Watch Ashtongue and Scale of the Sands progression because recipe access can be more valuable than raw skill.
- Keep enough liquidity to buy underpriced Hearts or gems after raid reset without blocking personal consumables.
Heart prices should fall as more raids clear trash, but demand can rise sharply when rosters approach Mother Shahraz. Epic gem prices can also diverge by color because red offensive cuts usually face different demand from blue or green options. Use completed sales from the local realm, not another region's listing price, before valuing a craft.
Phase 3 Material Stockpile
Prepare material families rather than blindly copying one recipe's exact shopping list. The correct amount depends on which pattern drops, which player receives it, and how the raid handles Hearts.
- Blacksmithing: Felsteel Bars, Hardened Adamantite Bars, and role-specific Primals.
- Leatherworking: Heavy Knothide Leather, Wind Scales, Nether Dragonscales, Cobra Scales, and appropriate Primals.
- Tailoring: Bolts of Imbued Netherweave, Spellcloth, Primal Mooncloth, Shadowcloth, and appropriate Primals.
- Resistance crafting: Void Crystals, Primal Shadow, Primal Life, and the armor-specific base materials.
- Jewelcrafting: reserve gold for raw epic gems and keep ordinary cutting supplies available.
- Raid support: enchanting materials, Major Shadow Protection Potion inputs, flasks, elixirs, food, oils, and sharpening or weight stones where relevant.
Keep expensive components in their raw form until an order is confirmed. A converted cooldown material or niche scale may be difficult to reverse, while liquid gold can respond to the first useful recipe that appears.
Guild Crafting Checklist
- List every 375 Blacksmith, Leatherworker, Tailor, Jewelcrafter, Miner, Alchemist, and Enchanter on the active roster.
- Confirm Black Temple and Mount Hyjal access for characters that need raid vendors, reputation, nodes, or pattern drops.
- Name one primary and one backup crafter for plate, mail, leather, cloth, gems, enchants, and consumables.
- Publish the loot rule for BoP profession patterns before the first raid.
- Create separate bank tabs or records for Hearts, epic gems, resistance materials, and performance-craft materials.
- Set the Mother Shahraz resistance target and collect complete player orders.
- Reserve the required Hearts plus a replacement margin before approving optional crafts.
- Track Indormi designs and Okuno recipes by character, reputation rank, and availability.
- Review every performance craft against the recipient's current gear and realistic Tier 6 replacements.
- Recalculate prices and material priorities after each weekly reset.
Common Phase 3 Crafting Mistakes
- Spending early Hearts on small haste upgrades before the raid's SR plan is funded.
- Giving a BoP shoulder recipe to a crafter who will never equip the result.
- Assuming every epic cut is available from Indormi on the first day.
- Leveling Mining on an alt without arranging access to Hyjal nodes.
- Buying a full speculative stockpile before the relevant recipe drops.
- Using one Shadow Resistance target for tanks, non-tanks, and special assignments.
- Ignoring the combat gear and set bonuses lost when resistance pieces are equipped.
- Dropping a profession with valuable older recipes without calculating the rebuilding cost.
- Confusing asking prices with completed sales when valuing Hearts or epic gems.
Final Phase 3 Crafting Priority
Start with access and coordination. Reach 375 on the characters that will actually enter the raids, choose dependable recipe holders, and preserve liquid materials until real patterns drop. Direct the first Hearts toward the agreed Mother Shahraz plan, then fund BoE bracers and personal BoP shoulders according to measurable upgrade value. Treat epic gems as a separate pipeline built around Hyjal mining, Black Temple drops, Indormi reputation, and the cuts most useful to the roster.
The best profession plan is the one the raid can execute every week. Clear ownership of recipes, visible Heart accounting, realistic resistance sets, and a small group of available crafters create more progression value than chasing every new item at once.
