Ashes of Creation Professions Explained: Crafting, Gathering, and the Rise of the Artisan

So you’re not looking to be a king. Or a raider. Or the type of player who ganks caravans in the dead of night.

You want to build something. Grow something. Sell something. And in Ashes of Creation, that’s not side content — it’s core to the game. Looking to get ahead in the economy from day one? Stock up on Ashes of Creation Gold and be ready to trade, craft, and dominate the market.

Welcome to the Artisan system.

This is your full guide to how professions work in Ashes of Creation: from gathering rare herbs on windblown cliffs to forging legendary gear in bustling node cities. We’ll break down the three progression paths, how they interconnect, what makes each one shine, and how you can actually get started with purpose.
Let’s build.

1. The Artisan System: What It Is (and Isn’t)

Let’s clear this up: Artisan content in Ashes isn’t a minigame.

It’s not the thing you do while waiting for your dungeon queue to pop. This is full-scale profession progression, with its own gear, tools, risks, and game loops. And it’s tied into every other system: nodes, caravans, PvP, economy, housing, politics.

If you're thinking "oh, it's like WoW professions," think again. There's no mailing ores to your alt army. No crafting thousands of iron daggers to reach max.
Ashes forces choices. Real ones.

You get one Artisan class to master. The rest? You dabble. Maybe. That means what you pick matters. It shapes how you play.

2. The Three Pillars: Gathering, Processing, Crafting

The Artisan system splits into three major paths:

●    Gathering: You go out into the world and pull raw materials from it.
●    Processing: You turn raw stuff into usable materials.
●    Crafting: You take those materials and make finished products.

Let’s break these down.

Gathering

You're a forager. A miner. A lumberjack. You live outdoors. You know which tree gives the rare sap and which vein of ore will explode if you hit it wrong.
Gatherers are the foundation of the economy. No gatherers? No gear. Period.
Expect to specialize. Ashes wants resource nodes to be regional, rare, and dangerous. You’ll need to scout, defend, and possibly run with a caravan to keep your stuff safe.

Processing

You’re the middle layer. Turning ore into ingots. Logs into lumber. Hides into leather.

Sounds boring? It won’t be. Processors get access to refining stations, and station quality matters. Some of the best processing might only happen in developed node cities. You might need to travel. Or fight to control those places.
Processing is the glue. And glue runs everything.

Crafting

You’re the finisher. The legend maker. The person who puts their name on a sword that wins a siege.
Crafting splits into dozens of branches: weapons, armor, ships, siege gear, food, potions, tools, housing items, even blueprints.
You don’t just need materials — you need rare ones, processed at high levels, sometimes from different regions. You might wait days for a caravan to bring what you need.

3. Profession Overview

There are 22 professions in Ashes of Creation. Every profession starts at Novice level and can be leveled through Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, and finally Grandmaster.

You can only become a Grandmaster in two professions, a Master in three, a Journeyman in four, and an Apprentice in five. Reaching Grandmaster status also makes you a Master, Journeyman, and Apprentice of that same profession — so planning your progression path early is critical.

Gathering Professions:

●    Fishing
●    Herbalism
●    Hunting
●    Lumberjacking
●    Mining

Processing Professions:

●    Alchemy
●    Animal Husbandry
●    Cooking
●    Farming
●    Lumber Milling
●    Metalworking
●    Stonemasonry
●    Tanning
●    Weaving

Crafting Professions:

●    Arcane Engineering
●    Armor Smithing
●    Carpentry
●    Jeweler
●    Leatherworking
●    Scribe
●    Tailoring
●    Weapon Smithing

4. Progression, Mastery, and Limits

Ashes has vertical and horizontal progression for Artisan paths. Here’s what that means:

●    Vertical: You level up within your chosen profession. Better tools, higher success rates, access to rare recipes, exclusive processing.
●    Horizontal: You branch out within your path. A master blacksmith might make swords or shields or siege gear, but not all three at top tier.

You’ll need tools (gathering), stations (processing), and schematics/recipes (crafting). Some tied to nodes. Some to quests. Some maybe even hidden.
Mastery takes time and commitment. Expect weeks, not hours. You’ll feel the climb.

5. Interdependencies: Why You Can’t Go Solo

No profession exists in a vacuum. Ashes is deliberately designed to force collaboration:

●    A gatherer needs a processor to refine rare ore.
●    A crafter needs both — and maybe a cook to supply buffs.
●    Everyone needs logistics: caravans, storage, trade routes.

This means:

●    You can’t be good at everything.
●    You can’t even access everything without trade.

Want to be a lone wolf master craftsman? Not happening.

Want to make money as a gatherer who hires guards for caravan runs? That works.
Want to roleplay a leather tanner who trades only with a specific node? That’s viable.
The economy is player-driven. And that means trust, deals, betrayal, and competition.

6. Roleplaying, Min-Maxing, and the Real Endgame

Artisan life is perfect for three types of players:

●    Min-maxers: who want to corner a market or optimize crafting chains
●    Roleplayers: who want meaningful non-combat lives
●    Traders: who want to control resources, prices, and guild supply

Artisans shape the economy, the politics, even the meta. A guild with a master alchemist and access to node-exclusive ingredients? That's a buff advantage in PvP.

If you love progression but hate the DPS race, this is your endgame.

7. Getting Started: Tips for Day 1 Artisans

You won’t master anything in the first week. But you will set your path.

Early tips:

●    Pick a region rich in your target resource
●    Find a node that supports your artisan type (they level differently!)
●    Join a guild that aligns with your path (PvE guilds need crafters, PvP guilds need armor)
●    Start gathering early — resource knowledge is power
Also: gather even if you plan to craft. You’ll learn what’s rare, what’s risky, and what’s worth defending.

8. Long-Term Strategy: What Type of Artisan Should You Be?

Here are some persona-driven examples to help you decide.

1. The Industrialist

●    Focus: Processing
●    You manage supply chains. Your node has the best mills. Crafters come to you.

2. The Nomad

●    Focus: Gathering
●    You scout zones, learn spawn cycles, and run your own protected caravans.

3. The Guild Armorer

●    Focus: Weaponsmithing / Armorsmithing
●    You supply your team. You get protection. You get influence.

4. The Merchant Prince

●    Focus: Scribing / Cooking / Alchemy
●    You specialize in consumables, corner markets, and sell across regions.

5. The Artisan Roleplayer

●    Focus: Carpentry / Jewelcrafting
●    You craft beautiful, high-value goods. You’re known by name. You live for praise, not power.

Final Thoughts: Why Artisan Content Matters

Ashes of Creation is building a game where economy isn’t just background flavor. It’s front and center. It decides wars. It builds cities. It makes players famous.
And you can be part of that.
Even if you never swing a sword, you can still shape the world.
So choose wisely. Build intentionally. And remember:

The best crafters in Ashes won’t just make gear.
They’ll make history.