Being a level 70 rogue with max alchemy and max herbalism I beginning to reconsider my choice of alchemy as one of my primary professions. First off, before I begin this very long winded analysis of alchemy, I want to clarify, the product the alchemist produces is probably one of the best in the game. Potions, elixirs and flasks (from here in out I will use the term potions to refer to all drinkable substance that an alchemist makes ie potions, elixirs and flasks) really add a tremendous amount of power to a characters arsenal. In terms of utility there is no profession that adds more potential power and is more useful to a character then alchemy. So my gripe with alchemy as it stands today is not with its product (or should I say not entirely with its product) but instead the way the profession plays out in the game.

As anyone who is alchemist knows, due to vast sums of gold available to players, the materials that the alchemist uses cost more to buy then the potions that they produce. This is not an inherent problem with the alchemy profession. The fact is, the gaming market sets the price of these potions and for the most part the price is probably higher then the various potions warrant. It is also not the fault of the herbalist. They too, sell their product at whatever the current market can support. The problem actually has more to do with the mentality of the alchemist and the average World of Warcraft player. Because gold is so easily attainable and also because many people choose to power level their profession once they hit the level cap, the cost of materials is irrelevant. If I am a level 70 sitting on 4 or 5 thousand gold the last thing I am going to worry about is spending a bit to grind up my profession.

Here is the problem though, I am a level 70 with alchemy maxed out and yet I buy my potions in the Auction House. That's right, whenever I need to get some major agility potions, or perhaps some extra health potions or what have you, I go straight to the Auction house. Why? You might ask. Simple, in terms of cost effectiveness, it is smarter for me to sell my herbs in Auction House and bid low on potions that are selling for cheaper then I can make. Even, if there is a small price differential between the selling price and the material cost that favors the alchemist, the fact is herbs sell better then potions so the risk of losing the Auction House deposit is smaller.

Some might argue that people take crafting professions knowing that they tend to be gold sinks but make up for their cost in what they give to the individual character. With alchemy though, all the benefits derived from the profession I can purchase in the Auction house except for the one BOP trinket and transmutes (which of course is a potential source of income not a product that the alchemist can directly use). Again, as stated, not only can I acquire them in the Auction house, but I can purchase them at no significant markup then if I made them myself. Thus unlike the other crafting professions the potential alchemist should not go into alchemy for access to the product itself.