Professions - Even Those Who Arrange and Design Shrubberies are Under Considerable Economic Stress in this Period in History

If you are going to do a self-reliant mission to hardcore max level, choice of professions will be very important, as you only have yourself (and the auction house) to provide the items you need. Of course, you should definitely max out cooking and first aid as you level; fishing is significantly less important.

Presented in ascending order of usefulness, based on starting a new toon on a new realm with the goal of going 1 to max level without dying, here are the professions you should consider.

8. Blacksmithing
All the good stuff for levelling is BOE. Blacksmithing is only useful for mail/plate classes and is a giant resource hog.

7. Tailoring
Spellthread comes too late to be really useful. Much like the other armor crafting professions, the good stuff for leveling is BOE, and frequently available on the AH.

6. Leatherworking
Most of the useful items are BOE; let someone else pick this profession, and buy their good stuff off the AH. Bracer enchants come so late in the leveling process as to be functionally irrelevant.

5. Insription
By the time you get to the level where Inscription really helps you (shoulder enchants, decks), you'll have access to similar or better items from the AH.

4. Jewelcrafting
There is still money available in JCing, but that will be at higher levels. Functionally useless tradeskill before level 60. The crafted items are almost all BOE, and are always available on the AH for decent prices.

3. Skinning
There is some money in Skinning, but if you are grabbing a gold-creating profession, you are much better served by picking herbalism or mining, as there are many more professions that need herbs and ore in large quantities. The passive crit bonus is nice, but is also outstripped by the self heal and stam bouns from herbing and mining.

2. Enchanting
AH markets on BOEs and their disenchant mats value is usually equalized by entrepreneurial enchanters, so the only real benefit is being able to disenchant soulbound items and enchant your rings. There are a lot of better ways to make a copper, but the ability to keep your gear enchanted at all levels can be extremely helpful.

(Tie) 1. Mining & Engineering
Yeah, fine, I'm cheating by combining 2 professions, but there are really only 2 profession choices for the 1 to max operartion. Mining/Engineering offer falling defense, item buffs, crafted trinkets, warstomp-like effects with craftable bombs, as well as the other convenience benefits that Engineering offers with regard to teleports and get-out-of-trouble effects. Most of the Engineering items require Engineering to use, so there is actually a benefit to having this profession as opposed to most other crafting professions which do not have similar restrictions. Additionally, there is a passive stamina bonus from mining, along with a golden goose of cash from selling excess ore/gems. Mining and Engineering are unmatched, except for the fact that they are matched by the next profession combo, and thus are not unmatched after all...

(Tie) 1. Herbalism & Alchemy
Lifeblood looks like a joke, but it is an AMAZING ability. Uninterruptable self-HoT is a boon to any class. Additionally, the herb market is second only to mining (and on many servers, BETTER than mining) to keep you flush with cash that you can use to grab stuff off the AH. Questing with an Elixir set always on you is functionally equivalent to being 2 or 3 levels higher than you actually are. Extra duration on Elixirs, good trinkets (at higher levels) and additional effect from healing potions are fantastic for both emergencies and regular questing. Haste potions are almost never available on the AH and are a GREAT escape button for bad pulls.