Low Level HQ

[BassGhost]

I'm currently diving into crafting and using the lazy leve leveling strat. I'm also trying to do it on the cheap so I want to be able to HQ my own items. I have only a 50 BTN at my disposal for materials and buy anything else for cheap on the MB. So my question is what is the best method to HQ leve items at low levels? Background info on what im working with:

-37 CLN, 35 CRP, all others to 15

The current method im doing is the hasty touch spam which obviously can be a little RNG at times. Is this the best method when using all HQ items or is there something else I should be using?

[Huckster]

Hasty Touch FTW! That's what I did when I leveled my crafting jobs (all 50/50). Try to get HQ gear for required level (main and off) and craft HQ leve items - the best thing is to pick up leves from the city and then deliver to specified location - best exp-wise. And dont forget that when you have HQ gear its easier to get bond to convert into materia.

[AttacKat]

Try different skills out based on what is available to you.

This is a JP site, but I am sure after using it a few times, you will get the hang of it ... http://yuyuko.chu.jp/ff14/CCG/

[SummerRider]

You are just ahead of me in levels.
-30 CLN, 25 or 26 in all others

I've been doing a more or less a hast touch spam with Steady Hand I and Inner Quiet. I know for the lower level (level 15) recipies I almost alway HQ my items using NQ items. It's much more of a gamble for the higher stuff. For example getting my CLN up to 30 from 25 I used levs. I think I turned in 10-15 items and only one of those came out to be NQ.

Here was the page that I was using to HQ items at low level. reddit page

Quoting from that page:

Must have abilities for this method

Cooking lv15: Hasty Touch (100% progress, 50% chance of succes, 0cp)
Cooking lv37: Steady Hand 2 (this is easily one of the best, but it's a lot works to unlock)
Alchemy lv15: Trick of Trade (give you 20CP on a good, no cost)
Goldsmithing lv15: Manipulation (10durability every turn/3 turns)
Carpenter lv15: Rumination (Give you back CP for every stack, up to 60).

For rumination, the amount/stack restored was posted by stevenl4 in this thread)

Highly recommended

Blacksmithing lv15: Ingenuity (lower the synth level to your current level)
Armorer lv15: Rapid Synthesis (250% progress, 50% chance of success)
Leather Craft lv15: Waste Not (Cut the durability cost by half for 4 turn)

I didn't include the lv 50 abilities, because they are a pain to obtain, and you don't need them to HQ reliably, but most of them are worth getting (except armorer).

Quality Phase gambit

#1 Inner Quiet
#2 If there is a "Good" rating --> Trick of Trade
#3 If there is "Excellent rating" --> Advanced Touch
#4 If Durability is at 20/40, 10/70, or 20/80, use Manipulation or Master Mend II (Manipulation for
40 synth, Master Mend II for 70/80 synth)
#5 Steady Hand 2 (SH1 until then), and reapplies every 5 turns
#6 Hasty Hand spam

If, and only if you have plenty of IQ stacks, and got some CP that is about to be wasted, feel free to blow them on a "Good" rating for the large quality boosts

In fewer words, we could simplify it to Inner Quiet > Steady Hand > Hasty touch, with Trick of Trade on every "Good" rating. That's essentially what it come down to.

The get the progress done:

Progress Phase gambit

#1 Rumination
#2 Recover Durability with Manipulation
#3 Steady Hand 1 ( uses 2 if you plan to go with Rapid Synthesis)
#4 Ingenuity I or II if you can drop the synth level by 2-3 or more
#5 Standard Synth (100% success, 150% progress), Rapid Synth (70 or 80% success
with Sh2 and SH2 for 250% progress)

And lastly a macro to just get the basic low level components made since using the above info will take the NQ stuff and turn it into HQ product.

/action "Steady Hand II" <me>
/wait 1.6
/action "Basic Touch" <me>
/wait 2.5
/action "Basic Touch" <me>
/wait 2.5
/action "Basic Touch" <me>
/wait 2.5
/action "Master's Mend" <me>
/wait 2.5
/action "Basic Synthesis" <me>
/wait 2.5
/action "Steady Hand" <me>
/wait 1.6
/action "Basic Synthesis" <me>