Crafting Legendary Gear: Materials & Workbenches Explained for Shadowlands

If you've ever dreamt of wielding power capable of turning the tide of battle, then understanding the intricate dance of Crafting Legendary Gear: Materials & Workbenches in World of Warcraft's Shadowlands expansion is your first step. These aren't just powerful items; they're the pinnacle of personalized might, tailored to your exact playstyle and strategic needs. But reaching that pinnacle requires more than just luck; it demands a clear understanding of the components, the process, and the infamous Runecarver.
This guide will demystify the journey, from gathering the raw essence of the Shadowlands to forging an item that will define your character's legacy. Get ready to dive deep into the forge, because true power is crafted, not simply found.

At a Glance: Your Legendary Gear Essentials

Before we delve into the gritty details, here's a quick rundown of what you need to know about Shadowlands legendary crafting:

The Runecarver is Your Forge: This ancient entity in Torghast is where all legendary items are created and upgraded.
Soul Ash & Soul Cinders Power It: These rare currencies, primarily from Torghast, are essential for crafting and upgrading your legendaries.
Base Items Are Your Canvas: Profession-crafted, tradable templates (e.g., mail chest, cloth head) that determine the legendary's armor slot and item level potential.
Stat Missives Define Your Build: Scribe-crafted items that let you choose the two secondary stats (e.g., Crit/Haste) on your legendary.
Memories Imbue the Power: Recipes collected from various Shadowlands content that grant your legendary its unique effect.
One at a Time (Initially): You can only equip one legendary item at a time.
Upgrades Matter: Legendary items can be upgraded through multiple ranks, peaking at item level 262 in Patch 9.1.

The Runecarver's Maw: Where Legends Are Forged

Your journey to crafting legendary gear begins deep within The Maw, with a spectral entity known as the Runecarver. Unlocking his services is a core part of the Shadowlands endgame, requiring you to hit max level (60), pledge allegiance to one of the four Covenants, and complete an introductory questline that leads you into the grim depths of Torghast.
Think of the Runecarver as your ultimate, albeit slightly menacing, personal blacksmith. He doesn't just create; he infuses, binds, and empowers. His workbench is the only place in the Shadowlands where a collection of seemingly disparate materials can be transformed into an item of true legendary might. Without him, your legendary journey simply can't begin.

Breaking Down Legendary Crafting: The Core Components

Crafting a legendary isn't a single step; it's a meticulous assembly of specialized components, each playing a crucial role in defining the final item's power and utility. Let's break down each piece you'll need to bring to the Runecarver.

Base Items: The Foundation of Power

Every legendary item starts with a "blank slate" – a Base Item. These are crafted by primary professions and essentially define the armor type (plate, mail, leather, cloth) and the slot (head, shoulder, chest, etc.) your legendary will occupy.

Who Crafts Them?
Blacksmiths: Plate armor (e.g., Chestguard of the Forgelands)
Leatherworkers: Leather and Mail armor (e.g., Pauldrons of the Forgelands)
Tailors: Cloth armor (e.g., Cowl of the Forgelands)
Jewelcrafters: Rings and Necklaces (e.g., Band of the Forgelands)
Key Characteristics:
Not Soulbound: These items can be traded on the Auction House, making them a significant gold sink or source of income depending on your profession and market.
Ranked Quality: Base items come in different ranks (initially Rank 1-4, expanded to Rank 5-6 in Patch 9.1). Higher rank base items inherently mean a higher item level legendary when crafted, but they require significantly more materials to create.
Slot Specific: Each legendary power (Memory of the Runecarver, which we'll cover next) can only be applied to specific armor slots. For instance, a particular Mage legendary power might only apply to head or shoulder slots. You'll need to craft a base item for one of those permitted slots.
Choosing the correct base item is critical. You'll want to ensure it matches both your armor type and a slot compatible with the legendary power you intend to use.

Stat Missives: Tailoring Your Perfect Secondary Stats

Once you have your base item, you need to decide what stats it will provide. That's where Stat Missives come in. These small, consumable items, crafted exclusively by Scribes, allow you to dictate the two secondary stats (e.g., Critical Strike, Haste, Mastery, Versatility) that your legendary item will possess.

Crafted by Scribes: Scribes learn recipes for various missives, each specifying a combination of two secondary stats.
Requires Other Profession Materials: Creating missives often requires ink made from herbs, but also materials from other professions, demonstrating how deeply interconnected Shadowlands professions truly are.
Your Personal Touch: This is a crucial step in optimizing your character. Instead of being stuck with predetermined stats, you get to choose exactly what combination works best for your class and spec, allowing you to fine-tune your build for optimal performance.
Consider your class's stat priorities carefully. A Demon Hunter might stack Haste and Versatility, while a Holy Paladin might prefer Crit and Mastery. The missives ensure your legendary aligns perfectly with your desired stat weights.

Soul Ash & Soul Cinders: The Fuel for Ascension

No legendary can be crafted or upgraded without a substantial amount of Soul Ash. This rare and ethereal currency is the lifeblood of the Runecarver's magic, primarily obtained from completing Layers in Torghast, Tower of the Damned.

Primary Source: Torghast: Each week, you can delve into specific wings of Torghast, completing different "Layers" (difficulty levels). Higher layers yield more Soul Ash.
Quantity Increases with Rank: The amount of Soul Ash required increases significantly with each rank of your legendary item. Crafting a Rank 1 item is relatively inexpensive; upgrading it to Rank 6 is a true commitment.
Patch 9.1 Introduction: Soul Cinders: With the release of Patch 9.1, a new currency, Soul Cinders, was introduced. This currency is required alongside Soul Ash for crafting Rank 5 and Rank 6 legendary items, pushing players into even higher difficulty Torghast layers and Korthia activities.
The Grind: Acquiring enough Soul Ash and Soul Cinders is often the most time-consuming part of the legendary crafting process. It mandates weekly visits to Torghast, making mastering Torghast runs an essential skill for any aspiring legend-crafter.

Memory of the Runecarver: The Blueprint of Your Power

This is where your legendary truly gains its unique identity. A Memory of the Runecarver is a recipe you "learn," unlocking a specific legendary power for your character. These powers are often inspired by iconic abilities or set bonuses from past expansions, giving your character a significant, game-changing boost.

Acquisition Methods: Memories are scattered throughout various Shadowlands content:
Reputation Vendors: Earning Revered or Exalted with certain factions.
Mythic+ Dungeons: Dropping from specific bosses on certain difficulty levels.
Raiding: Boss drops in Castle Nathria, Sanctum of Domination, and Sepulcher of the First Ones.
PvP: Reaching specific rating thresholds.
World Content: Rare elites, world bosses, or specific quests.
Torghast: Certain layers and bosses.
Visible in Adventure Guide: You can easily check the source of any specific legendary power in your in-game Adventure Guide, under the "Powers" tab. This tells you exactly where you need to go to collect the blueprint you desire.
Power Types: Legendary powers are categorized to help you understand their applicability:
General: Usable by any class and specialization. These are often utility or defensive powers.
Class: Usable by any specialization within a specific class (e.g., all Paladins can use a Paladin-specific power).
Spec: Usable only by a specific specialization within a class (e.g., only Holy Paladins can use a Holy Paladin-specific power).
Covenant-Specific (Patch 9.1): New legendary powers tied to your chosen Covenant, offering powerful synergistic effects.
Learning a Memory of the Runecarver is a permanent unlock for your character. You don't need to re-farm it if you decide to craft a different legendary with the same power later.

The Crafting & Upgrading Journey: From Blank Slate to BiS

With all your components gathered, the moment of truth arrives: forging your legendary. This process, along with subsequent upgrades, happens exclusively at the Runecarver's chamber in Torghast.

Initial Crafting: Bringing Your Vision to Life

When you approach the Runecarver, you'll open an interface that allows you to combine your gathered materials:

Place Your Base Item: This sets the item level potential and armor slot.
Add Your Two Stat Missives: Choose the combination that best suits your build.
Select Your Memory of the Runecarver: This infuses the unique legendary power.
Confirm Soul Ash & Soul Cinders: The Runecarver will display the required amount of these currencies.
Forge! With a click, your legendary item is created.
This initial craft provides you with a powerful item, but it's often just the beginning.

Upgrading Your Legendary: Scaling to New Heights

World of Warcraft legendary items aren't static. As you progress through Shadowlands content and new patches are released, you'll be able to upgrade your existing legendary to higher item levels, dramatically increasing its stats.

Patch 9.1 Expansion: Originally, legendaries could be crafted up to Rank 4 (item level 235). Patch 9.1 introduced Rank 5 (item level 249) and Rank 6 (item level 262) upgrades.
The Upgrade Process: To upgrade, you'll return to the Runecarver. You'll need:
Your existing legendary item.
A higher rank Base Item for the same slot. For example, to upgrade a Rank 4 legendary in your chest slot to Rank 6, you'd need your existing Rank 4 legendary and a new Rank 6 chest Base Item.
Additional Soul Ash and Soul Cinders. The cost is cumulative, meaning the total cost to go from Rank 1 to Rank 6 is substantial.
Benefits: Each upgrade tier significantly boosts the item's primary and secondary stats, making it more potent and ensuring it remains a Best-in-Slot (BiS) item for your character.
Upgrading strategically is key. Sometimes, it's more cost-effective to craft a new legendary for a different slot or power first, especially if the current upgrade path is too expensive for your resources.

Choosing Your Legendary Power Wisely

With dozens of legendary powers available across classes and specs, deciding which one to craft first (and for which slot) is a critical decision.

Synergy is Key: Look for powers that synergize well with your class abilities, Covenant choice, and preferred playstyle. For example, a power that enhances a specific ability might be invaluable for a damage-dealer, while a defensive power could be crucial for a tank.
Consult Your Community: Class discords, guides from reputable sources like Icy Veins or Wowhead, and simulation tools are invaluable for determining the "best-in-slot" legendary for your specific spec and content type (PvE, PvP, Mythic+).
Slot Awareness: Some slots are more "stat-dense" (e.g., chest, legs) than others (e.g., wrists, cloaks). Crafting a legendary in a stat-dense slot means you gain more raw stats from the item level increase. However, if a specific legendary power is only available in a less stat-dense slot, that's where you'll have to put it.
Remember, you can only equip one legendary item at a time. Make your first choice count, but don't fret too much; you can always craft another later if your needs change.

Beyond the Forge: Enhancing Your Gear Further

Crafting a legendary is a monumental achievement, but the quest for power doesn't end there. To truly maximize your character's potential, you'll need to enhance your legendary (and all your other gear) with additional upgrades.

Gems: Many pieces of gear (including some legendary items, depending on the slot) have gem sockets. Finding and slotting powerful gems, often crafted by Jewelcrafters, provides direct stat boosts.
Enchantments: Enchanters can apply powerful enchantments to many gear slots (weapons, rings, cloak, chest, bracers). These often provide significant boosts to primary or secondary stats, increasing attack power, critical strike chance, healing, or defensive capabilities. Always choose enchantments that align with your class and spec's stat priorities. You can buy these from the Auction House or directly from Enchanters.
Consumables: Don't forget the power of consumables! Flasks, potions, food, and runes provide temporary but significant stat boosts, often essential for high-end content like raiding and Mythic+.
By combining your expertly crafted legendary with carefully chosen gems, enchantments, and consumables, you create a character that is truly optimized and ready for any challenge the Shadowlands can throw at them. Just like mastering the intricacies of legendary gear in Shadowlands, understanding diverse crafting systems can open up new worlds of strategic depth, whether you're battling the Jailer or seeking to optimize your base in a survival game like Guide to Palworld legendary schematics.

The True Value of Legendary Gear: Why It Matters

You've invested time, gold, and effort into crafting legendary gear. But beyond the flashy orange text, what tangible benefits does it actually bring to your character and gameplay?

Unmatched Power: Simply put, legendary items are the most powerful gear pieces you can acquire in Shadowlands. Their high item level combined with a unique, game-changing power makes them indispensable for maximizing your character's performance.
Customization & Build Flexibility: Unlike other gear, legendaries offer unparalleled customization. By choosing your base item slot, specific stat missives, and legendary power, you can perfectly tailor the item to your preferred build, playstyle, and even specific encounters. Want more burst? Pick a damage-focused legendary. Need more survivability? Choose a defensive one.
Competitive Edge: For high-end content—be it raiding, high Mythic+ keys, or competitive PvP—having the right legendary is often a non-negotiable requirement. It provides the statistical edge and unique utility needed to overcome difficult challenges and contribute optimally to your group.
Enhanced Survivability & Output: The combination of superior stats and a powerful legendary effect significantly increases your character's damage output, healing throughput, or defensive capabilities, making you a more effective and resilient adventurer.
Profession Bonuses (Indirect): While the legendary itself doesn't directly offer profession bonuses, the process of acquiring base items and missives (or crafting them yourself) highlights the importance of professions. Master crafters benefit from potentially saving vast amounts of gold or even making a fortune by selling high-rank base items.
Equipping your first legendary feels like a significant power spike, a true graduation into the endgame. And as you upgrade it, that feeling only intensifies.

Mastering the Grind: Cost-Effective Strategies & Time Investment

Crafting and upgrading legendaries is a significant time and gold sink. It’s crucial to approach it strategically to avoid burnout or bankruptcy.

Time Investment: The Torghast Treadmill

Weekly Torghast Runs: Budget time each week for Torghast. You'll need to clear multiple layers, sometimes on multiple characters, to cap your Soul Ash and Soul Cinders earnings. This can take several hours depending on your class and group.
Content Farming: Actively pursue the content that drops your desired Memory of the Runecarver. This might mean dedicating time to raiding, pushing gearing up through Mythic+ dungeons, or grinding reputation.
Profession Alts: If you plan to self-sufficiently craft base items, be prepared to invest considerable time into leveling professions and farming mats on an alt.

Cost-Effective Strategies for Gold

The biggest gold sink in legendary crafting is typically the Base Items. These can easily cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of gold, especially at higher ranks.

Buy Low, Sell High (if crafting): If you're a crafter, pay close attention to the Auction House. Craft and sell base items when demand is high and material costs are low.
Timing Your Purchase: Base item prices tend to fluctuate. They are often most expensive right after a new patch (when everyone wants to upgrade) and can dip during quieter periods. Patience can save you a lot of gold.
Prioritize Important Stats: Don't upgrade just for the sake of it. If a new legendary power or a higher rank only offers a marginal gain over your current setup, it might be more cost-effective to save your resources for a truly impactful upgrade or a different legendary.
Utilize Recipes for Bonuses: While less common for legendaries themselves, some profession recipes (like certain enchants or pots) offer bonuses or discounts when crafted in specific locations or with specific ingredients. Always check if such efficiencies exist for your chosen profession.
Take Advantage of In-Game Events: Keep an eye out for events or changes that might make farming Soul Ash/Cinders or materials easier (e.g., Torghast buffs, increased drops during certain weeks).
Consider a "Starter" Legendary: If gold is tight, craft a Rank 1 or 2 legendary first. It's much cheaper and still provides the legendary power. You can then save up to upgrade it later or craft a new higher-rank one.
Remember, World of Warcraft is a marathon, not a sprint. Strategizing your legendary acquisition and upgrades will make the journey far more enjoyable and sustainable.

Common Questions & Crafting Misconceptions

Let's clear up some common confusion surrounding Shadowlands legendaries.

"Can I equip more than one legendary item?"

Initially, no. In Shadowlands, you can only equip one crafted legendary item at a time. However, in Patch 9.2, Zereth Mortis, players were able to equip a second legendary (their Covenant legendary). This guide focuses on the core Shadowlands system, where a single, powerful crafted legendary is the norm.

"What happens if I craft my legendary in the wrong slot?"

You'll have a legendary item you can't use effectively, or one that prevents you from using a better power. The item is soulbound, so you can't sell it back. Your only recourse is to craft a new one in the correct slot, incurring all the costs again. Always double-check your desired legendary power's eligible slots before crafting your base item.

"Can I change the legendary power on an existing item?"

No, you cannot directly change the legendary power. The Memory of the Runecarver is bound to the item upon creation. If you want a different legendary power, you must craft an entirely new legendary item from scratch.

"Is it better to upgrade my current legendary or craft a new Rank 6 one?"

The Runecarver's system is designed to allow upgrades directly. You use your existing legendary and a higher-rank base item, plus the currency difference, to upgrade. There's no functional difference between upgrading an existing Rank 1 to Rank 6 and crafting a new Rank 6 outright (assuming you have the intermediate materials if applicable). The choice typically comes down to whether you already have the legendary you want to empower, or if you want a different one entirely.

"Do I need to be a crafter to get a legendary item?"

No. While crafters create the Base Items and Scribes create the Stat Missives, these components are tradable on the Auction House. You can buy all the necessary materials from other players if you have enough gold. However, self-sufficiency can save you a lot of gold.

Your Path to Power: Final Thoughts

Crafting legendary gear in Shadowlands is a rewarding and defining aspect of the expansion's endgame. It's a journey that combines profession mastery, strategic content farming, and careful decision-making. By understanding the roles of Base Items, Stat Missives, Soul Ash, and the crucial Memory of the Runecarver, you're not just creating an item; you're actively shaping your character's destiny.
Approach the Runecarver's forge with knowledge and patience, and you'll soon wield a piece of gear that truly reflects your mastery of the Shadowlands. Go forth, adventurer, and forge your legend!