How to gear up?

I seem to be stuck in a vicious cycle.

I want to level my ranger or lancer but I find that increasingly difficult. They are both basically capped at level 11 because I cannot proceed much further with level 1 items.

So I want to craft things, I have my Botanist at 16 and most skills between 4-12, I assumed this would be enough to get the ball rolling or at least create something higher than level 1. How wrong I was...

I am unable to create anything involving leather because willow logs are nowhere to be found and all information on them seems to be outdated or inaccurate, so my sheepskins are pretty useless, which is unfortunate because they are required for well, everything... even a new weapon.

Am I supposed to be leveling in level 1 items? Am I doing something wrong that I am unable to kill things without resting every single kill after barely surviving? Or am I missing some key element to crafting (I can't proceed with either leather or with metals right now because I cannot create ingots, which to my understanding requires special training that I cannot yet acquire).

Basically... what am I doing wrong? I can understand and appreciate that the crafting system is complex but every time I get close to crafting something I cam use it requires something I just cannot make.

Am I supposed to start out as caster, no exceptions? Because I feel like there are a lot of cloth things I'd probably be able to make... I just don't want to play one.

Take a close look at the 1.19 patch notes. They changed a LOT of recipes around. Of note, there's new (far simpler) recipes for all sorts of armor out there. These new recipes have different stats, and you can add materia to them (There's still the old recipes, which make "dated" items that cannot have materia attached). So, you may wish to look at the new item lists both in the update notes and on the lodestone (which, from what I hear, include ALL the new recipes).

One such note is on your leather issue: Leather is now made with 1 skin and 1 alumen to make one leather. You can also use 3 hides and 1 alumen to make 3 leathers.

Here's a list one of my LS members has been making of the "new" armor in the update. Do note that color affects stats, as well as who can wear it. A number of armor, for example, has a base form usable by DoL or DoH, but can be colored to favor one or the other. The same happens with armor that is initially split between DoW and DoM, although in those cases there's usually only one specialization available for that armor. http://www.sanctusrefero.com/forum/i...pic,990.0.html

Of the items on that list (sadly it doesn't have everything added in the recent update), I'd go with a Dodoskin Pot Helm, Hempen Acton (Grey), Sheepskin Mitts (Grey), Hempen Kecks (Grey), Merchant's purse, and Dodoskin Shoes. I will note that they did not apparently add any rings, armlets, chokers, or earrings, so you're stuck using dated items for those. Also of note is that the body, legs, and feet get an upgrade at level 12 (So do heads and hands, but only for your lancer, not your acher), but it's the harness+subligar set, so it's debatable whether you'd consider that an upgrade...

As far as weapons go, I don't have a list... but you can search the market ward, look for a non-dated item close to your level (but not over, non-dated items REQUIRE you to have a level to equip it). Apparently the synth skill to make any given item from the new update is pretty close to when you can equip it, so hopefully you won't have any difficulty making level 11 gear.

Thank you! Being able to make Sheep Leather has changed... everything, lol.

If you go to the main lodestone site, the Synthesis section has all the new recipes organized by Level range. You can even search by item name or by materials used. A ton of the databases have been taking their sweet time updating so lodestone is probably the best resource right now. Although they don't have gear levels, you can tell what level it is by what level range it's in (ie: A recipe in the level 1-10 section will almost assuredly be 1-10 to equip). You can make gear up to 10 levels above you so if you have all your crafts at 12 you should be able to at least attempt to make any gear within the 11-20 level range.

Not to mention, you are capable of crafting up to 10 levels over your current level. if you level your craft along with your Archer/lancer, you should have no problem.