Alchemist Has BEEN REBORN!!

[Nekotee]

Glass Fiber is also confirmed to be the new Ehcatl Sealant, so ALC specialists won't be rolling around in gil as easily. (They'll still be rolling around in gil, though)

well... crap I was wrong XD

And having it as 2-star also makes it relatively easy to get to, especially with the i180 set being available with blue scrips.

Please no... carbon stuff is far better

[Fyce]

Please no... carbon stuff is far better

Newcomers in crafting (like me, still in the leveling process) will probably purchase i180 gear for their specialists class with blue scrips, and upgrade them to i200 with red scrips, while slowly getting a set of i170 done for the rest of their classes. I don't know if I'll overmeld that i170 though, at least not immediatly.
Don't forget the tools too.

[Blankstar]

I don't know if I'll overmeld that i170 though, at least not immediatly..

Unfortunately, you cannot overmeld the carbonweave gear. You can still reach 3.2 3* levels with the carbonweave gear + 170 right side gear fully melded. The good news is the new right side gear isn't really a huge upgrade over the 170 stuff, so you can just keep that and focus on Ironworks gear after.

The bad news is it does not seem possible to make the new Ironworks gear (i190) with just the i180 gear + carbonweave melded with V materia, but my math may be off.

I strongly recommend picking up a set of the i170 right side gear (astral birch and Aurum Regis) and penta melding it like this: http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/UC96

You can give yourself a little breathing room by melding Vs into the cabonweave gear, or using a pentamelded griffin leather tool belt.