New player on Lakshmi - Stuck at level 20..

[Mirage]

I'm figuring I'm stuck at this level because I'm still in level 10-11 gear. But the AH has no armor for Warrior - and when I do the price is around 40k which is beyond my money making capabilities at this point.. There are so few on I'm not getting any suggestion responses in town either...seems the people there are AFK all day. XD

You can get some gear from conquest guards if you have been fortunate enough to get a bit of conquest points. Additionally, it doesn't matter too much that your armor is outdated. Focus on keeping your weapon up to date for now, and just wear whatever armor you can find for cheaps. Some of the nation rank missions give you some money when you complete them, and you should be getting some money from fields/grounds of valor. There are some NPCs here and there that sell weapons. Sometimes, this is cheaper than from the AH, other times it is not.

You say you're a lv20 warrior? Try this great axe. It is currently in stock and just 10k gil. Screw your other equipment slots for now and just grab that and keep leveling.

While you're at it, you could plan in advance and get this axe for when you reach level 30, then you can switch to it right away without having to go to town in between. This axe is also currently in stock on Lakshmi.

This lv30 grip is currently out of stock, but be on the lookout for it, as you can probably use it until you gain access to for example pole grip at level 65. The dex on it increases your hit rate ever so slightly, and also makes you a tiny bit more likely to land critical hits.

Centurion's visor and centurion's gauntlets are also all right pieces to buy when you reach lv30. Don't bother with anything new in those two slots until then (unless someone gifts you an emp. pin). For body, there's not really anything "good and affordable" until you can get a brigandine at lv45. Just use Beetle harness or something. For legs, if you can't afford Bastokan(or republic) subligar, don't bother upgrading from what you have now, just keep using that until you can get royal knight breeches at lv55. Those cost 50k though, but you have like 35 levels first where you can save up money.

If you get someone to help you with nation missions, you get a total of a bit more than 200k gil through that when you've reached rank 10. You can probably do some of them alone as you level. Generally, rank missions are designed to be done with rank-level *10 level, with some help from others around the same level in some cases. In example: Rank 1 is generally beatable with a group of lv10-15 characters, rank 2 is beatable by a group of lv 20-25 characters. If you're doing them alone, expect to need 5-10 additional levels to be able to beat them. Keep in mind that all the rank missions were made before the level cap was raised past 75, so rank 10 is beatable by a party of lv75s (and reasonably easy to solo if you're 90+, depending on gear, job and skill).

[Rustic]

You can get some gear from conquest guards if you have been fortunate enough to get a bit of conquest points. Additionally, it doesn't matter too much that your armor is outdated. Focus on keeping your weapon up to date for now, and just wear whatever armor you can find for cheaps. Some of the nation rank missions give you some money when you complete them, and you should be getting some money from fields/grounds of valor. There are some NPCs here and there that sell weapons. Sometimes, this is cheaper than from the AH, other times it is not.

At his level, he's not getting past Rank 2, and he's not getting past the Rank 2 final mission to get rank 3. That limits his choices for spending CP to stuff that's L10 gear- L15 if upgraded by a crafter.

You say you're a lv20 warrior? Try this great axe. It is currently in stock and just 10k gil. Screw your other equipment slots for now and just grab that and keep leveling.

He's gonna start having trouble in L10 armor as it is, though. That's one reason I suggested getting back and getting some money.

This lv30 grip is currently out of stock, but be on the lookout for it, as you can probably use it until you gain access to for example pole grip at level 65. The dex on it increases your hit rate ever so slightly, and also makes you a tiny bit more likely to land critical hits.

There's actually a NM funguar right near Sandy that drops a minor +ATK grip, in West Ronfaure. That's another option, it's child's play to chop up at 21.

Centurion's visor and centurion's gauntlets are also all right pieces to buy when you reach lv30. Don't bother with anything new in those two slots until then (unless someone gifts you an emp. pin). For body, there's not really anything "good and affordable" until you can get a brigandine at lv45. Just use Beetle harness or something. For legs, if you can't afford Bastokan(or republic) subligar, don't bother upgrading from what you have now, just keep using that until you can get royal knight breeches at lv55. Those cost 50k though, but you have like 35 levels first where you can save up money.

Alternatively, if you're rank 3 and Bastok is below Sandy in the Conquest rankings, you can buy them straight up with Conquest Points from the Bastok guard at the embassy in Northern San d'Oria. It'll cost you 8K CP per, but hey- it's good armor at 30th. Ditto the greataxe. He's got to GET to rank 3, however. That's tough to do at 30, alone...and the heck with beetle gear. Warriors can use the chainmail set at 24, and that's solid armor you can pick up in San d'Oria's armor shop. If you're planning ahead as a warrior to bootstrap, Sandy's not too shabby. By the time you're looking at 20, you could have leatherworking up enough to make yourself L17 lizard armor, then upgrade to chainmail at 24. Of course, the OP is at 21 right now and stuck in place...

If you get someone to help you with nation missions, you get a total of a bit more than 200k gil through that when you've reached rank 10. You can probably do some of them alone as you level. Generally, rank missions are designed to be done with rank-level *10 level, with some help from others around the same level in some cases. In example: Rank 1 is generally beatable with a group of lv10-15 characters, rank 2 is beatable by a group of lv 20-25 characters. If you're doing them alone, expect to need 5-10 additional levels to be able to beat them. Keep in mind that all the rank missions were made before the level cap was raised past 75, so rank 10 is beatable by a party of lv75s (and reasonably easy to solo if you're 90+, depending on gear, job and skill).

Finishing rank 2 at 40 is quite doable solo- once he's got his subjob, anyway. Little steps first like getting his subjob, right? Likewise, the fight atop Delfkutt's is doable around 45 reasonably, and 50ish for Rank 5. But that's a loooooong way down the line. And it doesn't sound like he's been getting much help of late.