New to 3* and above crafting - need some advice

[juniglee]

Hi all,

So I'm starting to get into 3* crafting, and I just made my HQ Artisan's File last night.

I currently run with this rotation:

Comfort Zone
Inner Quiet
Steady Hand II
Piece by Piece x2
Hasty Touch until 20/80 or 10/80
Master's Mend II
Steady Hand
Great Stride
Ingenuity II
Innovation (skip if Excellent at this step)
Byregot's Blessing
Careful Synthesis x3

- I use Trick of the Trades where possible. For every Trick of the Trades proc, I use Basic Touch over Hasty Touch.
- I refresh Comfort Zone and Steady Hand II whenever they fall off.
- Definitely use Basic Touch on Excellent proc.

I can't help but feel like I'm missing something here. Admittedly I've only ever done macro-crafting, so to do them manually is a little nerve-wracking (I got 98% on my File last night).

Is there anything I should change? Anything I can improve on? Anything I should know before heading into Master Book II token crafting, or 4* crafting?

I'm planning to smash out crafting soon, so I'd like to know how to craft better.

[scarebearz]

You should be aiming to restore dura a 2nd time.

I don't know your stats, but I'd recommend using something like PbP - RS x2 - CS2 for progress.

Use the saved CP to try and get a 2nd mend2.

- Definitely use Basic Touch on Excellent proc.

Before the BB it's best to mostly ignore Excellents, unless but if you have dura/sh2 up just use a hasty, if you would have otherwise used a progress skill.

If you have excess CP Basic can be used, but you should still have CP for a 2nd Dura restore move.

Use Ing2 only if have excess CP, for added quality, but it's better to use the saved CP geting more stacks and finish with GS-Inno-BB.

[StouterTaru]

The basic things you try and see if you like:

• use PbP outside SHII, it's 90%
• use Rapid Synthesis, your 3 star progress can be brought down to PbP, 2xRS, CSII. That can save you durability and CP.
• INGII is about a 30% boost to progress steps on 3 stars, but less than a 7% boost to touches/BB. If you don't need it to complete your progress, don't use it for BB.

[juniglee]

You should be aiming to restore dura a 2nd time.

I don't know your stats, but I'd recommend using something like PbP - RS x2 - CS2 for progress.

Use the saved CP to try and get a 2nd mend2.

Before the BB it's best to mostly ignore Excellents, unless but if you have dura/sh2 up just use a hasty, if you would have otherwise used a progress skill.

If you have excess CP Basic can be used, but you should still have CP for a 2nd Dura restore move.

Use Ing2 only if have excess CP, for added quality, but it's better to use the saved CP geting more stacks and finish with GS-Inno-BB.

MM2 consumes a lot of CP though. Assume minimum 3* craft requirement stats of 393 craft, 375 control, and about 386 CP after HQ Bouillabaise. Unless I don't use Basic Touch at all, and just hang onto every ToT proc, then maaaaaaybe I might be able to go for a 2nd MM2, but otherwise I feel like I will be very CP starved at the end, and not be able to use SH - GS - Ing2 - BB - CS. I ended my File craft at 38 CP remaining, without a 2nd MM2, so I don't know where I would have fit in a 2nd MM2.

The basic things you try and see if you like:

• use PbP outside SHII, it's 90%
• use Rapid Synthesis, your 3 star progress can be brought down to PbP, 2xRS, CSII. That can save you durability and CP.
• INGII is about a 30% boost to progress steps on 3 stars, but less than a 7% boost to touches/BB. If you don't need it to complete your progress, don't use it for BB.

Oh, I thought I should have as many boosts up as possible. Not sure how many % I would have been at without Ing2, but I will give it a shot.

So I guess I will open with PbP once, then towards the end, I use Ing2 after BB, then do RS x2 and CS2. Does that sound about right?

[scarebearz]

MM2 consumes a lot of CP though. Assume minimum 3* craft requirement stats of 393 craft, 375 control, and about 386 CP after HQ Bouillabaise. Unless I don't use Basic Touch at all, and just hang onto every ToT proc, then maaaaaaybe I might be able to go for a 2nd MM2, but otherwise I feel like I will be very CP starved at the end, and not be able to use SH - GS - Ing2 - BB - CS. I ended my File craft at 38 CP remaining, without a 2nd MM2, so I don't know where I would have fit in a 2nd MM2.

You should not be using Basic Touch except very rarely.

As I said, don't save CP for ing2.

• use PbP outside SHII, it's 90%

Personally not keen on that one, for the sake of 5cp, can end up needing to spend an extra 15cp and 10 dura.

90% things fail far too frequently for my liking anyway xD

[juniglee]

You should not be using Basic Touch except very rarely.

As I said, don't save CP for ing2.

Ok will give it a go then. I was under the assumption that I should replace a Hasty Touch with a Basic for every ToT proc, but it's true that will only put me at one possible MM2.

[scarebearz]

Ok will give it a go then. I was under the assumption that I should replace a Hasty Touch with a Basic for every ToT proc, but it's true that will only put me at one possible MM2.

Does not have to be a 2nd Mend2, can be Manip/Mend1, but Mend2 x 2 is the aim.

With CZ used atleast twice, but ideally 3 times.

Again it's situational.

[StouterTaru]

Personally not keen on that one, for the sake of 5cp, can end up needing to spend an extra 15cp and 10 dura.

90% things fail far too frequently for my liking anyway xD

Like I said, try it and see if you like it. There is no set best way for top level crafting, just good ways and bad ways. Using PbP in or out of SH is good either way.

So I guess I will open with PbP once, then towards the end, I use Ing2 after BB, then do RS x2 and CS2. Does that sound about right?

If you use INGII, have it hit BB as well. The PbP, 2xRS, CSII doesn't need INGII to finish if your craftsmanship is high enough, which I think it is if you can attempt 3 stars. Do the 2 RS under SHII early on, get them out of the way so you're not counting on them to hit.

[giantslayer]

Prioritize building IQ over saving CP for ingenuity and innovation. Another successful touch and another stack will go further than either of those buffs.
If your stacks are maxed, a regular hasty touch is worth as much as adding innovation onto BB with GS (12.5%).
[Maxed IQ brings your control to 300% of base, and innovation adds 50. 50/300 is 12.5%. BB maxes at 300%, which doubles to 600 with GS. A hasty is 100. 100/600 is also 12.5%.]

The key to making the master 2 books is to get more touches than you need to fill IQ.

I don't bother with Ing2. It is too expensive for what it does on 3* IMO. I have Ing1 available for 1-2* where it really helps, and use it on 3* as a filler between GS and BB at the end of I have CP and am fishing for a good condition. I use 3x Rapid 2x CS for 3-stars, with no ingenuity.

[Ellatrix]

http://www.ffxivcrafter.com/

Play with this for a while.