Mithril Ore Mining Route: Hinterlands, Badlands and Tanaris (Mining 175–250)

Mithril is the ore that pays for the jump from the middle of the game to the end of it. Blacksmiths need it for half their 200-point recipes, engineers for their goggles and bombs, and every miner leveling toward Thorium has to dig hundreds of veins of it on the way. Mithril veins also hide the occasional Truesilver and Gold vein, which sell for far more than their weight. This mithril ore mining route connects the four best zones into loops that keep the pick swinging and the walk short, for a character on a vanilla-era realm such as WoW Forever.

Where and what you need

Levels. Most Mithril zones are level 40–50. A character at 42 or above can ride the loops without being pulled into fights; lower characters should stay on the outer edges.

Professions. Mining at 175 to see Mithril veins, 230 to mine Truesilver. Herbalism pairs well, because the same zones grow Goldthorn, Khadgar's Whisker and Firebloom.

Gear. A Mining Pick in your bags. Anything that lets you ignore the zone's mobs helps, because most veins sit next to camps.

Bag space. Mithril Ore and the stones and gems that come with it stack separately. Plan on four to six slots for a full evening.

The route

The numbers follow the loops in order of character level.

1. Alterac Mountains and Arathi Highlands (175–200). The first Mithril veins appear in the hills around Alterac and in the mountains of Arathi. They are sparse, so mine Iron and Gold along the way to keep gaining skill.
2. Stranglethorn Vale south (175–210). The hills around Booty Bay and the Ruins of Aboraz hold Mithril and the first Truesilver. Watch for raptors and trolls.
3. The Badlands (180–230). The Badlands are dense with Mithril, Iron and Gold. Ride the outer ring of the zone; the inner canyons are full of ogres and dragonkin.
4. Searing Gorge (200–240). Mithril, Truesilver and the first Dark Iron veins line the walls. The zone is small, so a full loop takes only a few minutes.
5. The Hinterlands (200–250). The best Mithril zone in the game. Ride the cliffs and hills around the zone's edges; avoid the troll temple in the center.
6. Tanaris (200–250). Mithril and Truesilver in the hills around Gadgetzan and the ruins to the south. The neutral town makes vendoring easy for both factions.
7. Feralas (210–250). Mithril along the western coast and in the mountains near the ogre camps. The same ogre camps are on the mageweave cloth farming list, so a miner with a strong character can do both.
8. Moving on to Thorium (245+). At 230 the first Small Thorium Veins appear; at 245 move to the Thorium mining route.

What you get

Source	Drops	Why it sells
Mithril Ore	One to three ore per vein	Blacksmiths and engineers need it by the hundred
Solid Stone	Stone from every Mithril vein	Blacksmiths buy it for sharpening stones and grinding
Citrine, Aquamarine, Star Ruby	Gems from Mithril veins	Jewelers do not exist yet, but blacksmiths and engineers use them
Truesilver Ore	Rare veins mixed in with Mithril	One of the most valuable ores in the game
Gold Ore	Rare veins in the same zones	Smelts into Gold Bars for blacksmiths and engineers
Mithril Bars	Smelted from ore	Smelting adds skill and saves bag space

Gold per hour

A miner riding the Hinterlands or Badlands loops gathers roughly 40–70 veins an hour, which is roughly 80–150 Mithril Ore plus stones and gems. At typical prices that is roughly 3–6 gold an hour, more when a Truesilver vein appears.

What moves the number: how many other miners share the zone, whether you have a mount, and whether you smelt the ore into bars. Smelting adds skill and can sell for slightly more, but it takes time; most miners sell ore and keep the bars only for their own crafting.

Tips

• Mine every Iron and Gold vein on the way from 175 to 200; they give more skill than sparse Mithril.
• Ride the outer edges of each zone; the veins there are farther from elite camps.
• Smelt Mithril at a forge when your bags are full; it saves slots and gives skill.
• Keep Truesilver for yourself until you know the auction house price; it varies a lot by realm.
• Combine Mining with Herbalism in these zones; Goldthorn and Khadgar's Whisker grow next to the veins.
• Move to Thorium as soon as you can mine it; Mithril prices drop as more players reach 250.

Running it with ForeverBot

Open the Professions section, tick Mining, and keep Remember nodes on so ForeverBot builds a loop through every vein it has seen in the zone. Switch on Skip nodes above your skill until you reach 230, so the bot does not stop at Truesilver you cannot mine yet. The Nodes gathered and Next node counters in the status panel show how fast the loop is paying.

In Settings, set Route mode to safest in the Badlands and the Hinterlands so the path avoids the elite camps, and lower the Arrival radius on steep cliffs. In the Farming rules, tick Go to a vendor when bags are full so the stones and gems do not crowd out the ore. Every section comes with every plan; see plans and pricing.

FAQ

What skill do I need to mine Mithril?

You need 175 Mining to mine a Mithril Deposit. Truesilver needs 230, and Small Thorium Veins also need 230. Iron and Gold, which you will meet in the same zones, need 125 and 155. Smelting Mithril into bars needs 175 as well.

Where is the best place to mine Mithril?

The Hinterlands, for both factions. The zone's hills and cliffs are full of Mithril veins, the first Truesilver appears there, and the mobs on the edges are easy to avoid. The Badlands and Tanaris are close seconds, especially for players who want a vendor nearby.

Should I sell Mithril Ore or Mithril Bars?

Sell the ore unless you need the skill points from smelting. Most realms pay about the same for ore and bars, and buyers often prefer ore because they smelt it themselves. Smelt only when you need the bars for your own crafting or to free bag space.