Looking for advice to start crafting 1* and 2* HQ

[MeoTwister5]

I recently met the minimums for 2* crafting on WVR/GSM/CUL with food, having focused on getting HQ main and offhands (i170s and i180), while getting HQ i150 White gear on my left and basic HQ accessories on the right. Majority of my income comes from selling HQ food, which I am able to do with a basic roughshod rotation and can even get HQ from all NQ mats, so at the very least money won't be a problem. I'm now planning to make my own HQ crafting/gathering gear so I can at least save money on having to buy it from other people, and also at least some sort of pride. Further inspection of my abilities made me realize that while I'm fully capable of crafting 1-2 stars easy, any attempt to craft HQ will likely explode in my face no matter what food I eat.

I'm currently limited by the following:

1. I... uh... don't have BSM and LTW opened, so no x-class skills from them. (You can laugh at me later).
2. I only have 331/332 CP, with shitmelds on the right. If I were purely using NQ mats, I can usually get a 60-75% HQ rate on lvl55 crafts if no good or excellents pop up..
3. I don't actually use a proper rotation for HQ because I just brute brute force my way through to HQ my 50-60 crafts.

Generally speaking my main problem is raising my CP levels to the accepted levels to realistically make my own HQ gear. I have a lot of leves left over so I can easily make lvl15 on BSM and LTW at least, and I can easily learn proper rotations.

I'm just looking for advice so I can start making my own 2* HQ crafting and gathering gear rather than buy them.

[Cleanse]

If you can get your LTW up you should be able to use Rath's rotation. http://i.imgur.com/cDMsfTc.png

Check what else you may be missing as it does require a few of the jobs.

- 50 WVR
- 37/54 GSM
- 50 ARM
- 15/37 CUL
- 50 CRP
- 50 ALC
- 50 LTW

437 cp is very close to what you currently have.

[Alisi]

Well, BSM makes a lot of the main/offhands and LTW makes most of the gloves/boots, and both have skills that I personally use in my 2 star crafting. You're looking at buying them off the MB or saving up 3 weeks of red scrips for the main/offhands if you don't make them with a BSM.

[MeoTwister5]

If you can get your LTW up you should be able to use Rath's rotation. http://i.imgur.com/cDMsfTc.png

Check what else you may be missing as it does require a few of the jobs.

- 50 WVR
- 37/54 GSM
- 50 ARM
- 15/37 CUL
- 50 CRP
- 50 ALC
- 50 LTW

437 cp is very close to what you currently have.

Right now I'm focusing on at least improving my CP cap from my measly 331. With Seafood Soup its still just 381. I'm hoping to at least break 400, which is difficult right now because to make it that high I need the higher level right sides which in turn needs higher level CP for me to realistically make myself.

Likewise adding the fact that I don't have LTW and BSM unlocked to 50 means that I am limited by low CP levels and not having all the x-class skills for the ideal rotations. Right now the best I can do is compensate my weaknesses is through better food, HQ mats from the MB and maximizing the skills I DO have access. Assuming I can compensate with all that, is it realistically possible to AT LEAST have a shot at HQ gear in less than ideal situations? Keep in mind I'm doing this specifically so that I can eventually reach the point where I can do it like everyone else with the correct CP levels and correct rotations, because right now beggars can't be choosers. Once I make my own stuff I can start doing it "properly."

I should probably mention that in vast majority of my experience, once I can at least get something to 75% 9 times out of 10 it comes out HQ.

tl;dr Given my limitations in CP and x-classes, is it still possible to HQ my own gear if I started with all HQ mats (4715/9430)? If it is then are there any basic rotations I can use that does not require all the x-class skills?

[Alisi]

Right now the best I can do is compensate my weaknesses is through better food, HQ mats from the MB and maximizing the skills I DO have access.

It depends on what you're crafting. You have to understand the end game mats in this. You really, really don't want to buy them off the MB. The legendary mats are expensive enough but the others you need are all tied into the red scrip system for both crafting/gathering (it takes 2 gathering and 1 crafting to get 15 of a specific mat) and you only get 9 red scrips for gathering/crafting each week so 10 of each item can be as high as a million gil on my servers MB. All the mats are expensive. You have to have 3 fieldcraft III thingies and 2 or 3 of land/leaf/sea dusts which can be as high as 200k a piece for NQ. Etc. etc.

That said, I was able to craft HQ mats with an HQ 170 offhand, 170 HQ accessories (and belt), and HQ white level 60 gear. It was a bit hard at time. My BSM was fully geared so NQ mats didn't make a huge difference though.

I should probably mention that in vast majority of my experience, once I can at least get something to 75% 9 times out of 10 it comes out HQ.

This might be okay with white HQ 60 stuff but any of the 170? No. I get nervous if I'm under 90% HQ chance. The problem, as I said, is how much it all costs. Add to the fact that the NQ 170 doesn't sell at all. You're risking a fair bit of gathering (50 minutes) plus the mats (worth millions) with their weekly cap and, if you get that NQ, it's no better than HQ white starter stuff. It simply doesn't sell.

Level your BSM and LTW, while capping red scrips each week. When you get those to 60, you'll be able to buy a main hand for BSM and have a nice pile of red scrips to start crafting the main hands and off hands. Things will go so much easier for you then,

[Katlyna]

Given my limitations in CP and x-classes, is it still possible to HQ my own gear if I started with all HQ mats (4715/9430)? If it is then are there any basic rotations I can use that does not require all the x-class skills?

Ultimately the answer to this is yes, the question is how many hoops you'll have to jump through in the process. Alisis and Cleanse are giving you the right answers though. You find a rotation that you could potentially use. You check your distance from the minimum CP and skills you are missing. And then you attempt to close the gap with CP and modify any abilities as needed.

I'm looking at your classes now and working you a rotation up. You're going to need ARM 50 though ASAP.

[Katlyna]

Now one thing special to note is since you will NOT be using Wastenot or Wastenot II you may indeed be best off whistling (specialist rotation). Since ToTing and Satisfaction procs will be less penalized. I'm eyeing a rotation for both now. But outside of ARM to 50 you definitely are going to want more CP. Your CP is scary X.x

[Roth_Trailfinder]

With CP that low, you really only have two choices :
Craft new Hallowed Chestnut accessories and meld, or
Buy i170 accessories and meld.

http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/CUL (Or any other crafting class) is your basic tool for determining how you wish to meld, based upon stat caps. You *should* be in the 385-395 range with melded white gear. That works out to 373 with just the Hallowed Chestnut level accessories (don't forget the earring!) with maxed out CP, plus 4 more CP per piece of left side gear, including belt (which brings you to 397), but not counting the MH or OH tools at all.

Oh, for what it's worth, I have never seen nor heard of any HQ Fieldcraft Demimateria III's. So for 2 star crafting, it is impossible to reach that 4715/9430 level you speculated upon. I don't think I have ever come close to that initial Quality amount.

[Katlyna]

Here is the lowest recommended melds I push on people to meet the 2 star stats but still have CP.
No IV Overmelds: http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/TRZX (401 CP)
Specialist Only No IV Overmelds: http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/TS01 (401 CP)

[Katlyna]

Here is an example approach with Piece by Piece (You would need Armorer 50). Note as you can see even succeeding all your hasty touches this is too close for comfort. Honestly you need more CP, ARM 50 and LTW 15 IMO.


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Check List for you:
1) Get Armorer to 50
2) Get more CP ~365 to 401 is what I recommend for entry 2 star (401 = less headache)
3) Get Leatherworker to 15

If you do the above you can then use this rotation and have a really good chance of HQing items.