Smithing Guide by Ctownwoody

Category:Smithing
Smithing Guide 1.0
0-60
by Ctownwoody of Asura
Sons of Valkurm Linkshell
Disclaimer: This worked for me and is based on my research and efforts on Asura. Prices are increasingly normalized, but I still suggest going to ffxiah.com to research your particular server. I would use particular care in this craft because it has changed greatly since I started down this road.
== Smithing Tips ==
1. This is the least profitable craft to take to 60. Goldsmithing is the most expensive and Cooking is the cheapest, but both offer good shots at profit. In Smithing, you'll be attempting a lot of times to simply break even. 
2. The Myth of Mining: Mining does not save you gil when crafting. Mining makes you gil by selling what you mine; crafting makes you gil by increasing the value of the ingredients. If you were to mine up 10k worth of ingredients and sell them for 6k, you did NOT save 6k by mining; you lost 4k by crafting what you could have sold.
3. Smithing as a skill isn't profitable, per se, but it is used very often as a sub-craft in every craft except Cooking. You'll want to level this out of a sense of obligation, if nothing else.
4. There are actually plenty of profitable synths in Smithing but they sell slowly and/or are prone to flooding, and thus I do not recommend making them for skill. If you are truly taking your time or incredibly stubborn, you can make these for skill. At most, I would only recommend making 12 for a few points of skill and then selling them at your leisure.
5. As noted in #3, there are a lot of items that require /Smithing to make and some of them are used in this Guide. Typically, they tend to be easier to make, sell faster, stack better, and are more profitable than anything that uses Smithing as the main-craft.
6. Basic Pattern is 4 Ores -> Ingot -> Sheet -> Attach to Weapon/Armor. Sometimes, there is a Sheet -> Scale step in there. Unlike when I use this in Goldsmithing, you'll use this formula, because the resulting armor will often sell close to break-even, if not at a profit to Guildshops. However, you might end up skipping the Sheet -> Scale step and finding the scales (Iron and Steel especially) on the AH, where they will be cheaper.
7. One method, widely recommended, for getting cheap synthesis materials if not outright sellable items, is Desynthesis. Goblin Helms and Mail and their Moblin equivalents are standard low-level ones. Antican and Quadav Armors are more used by top-tier Smiths for gil. Please, be aware that Desynthesis is tricky, with a high failure rate, so assume at least a 50% failure rate on attempts and maybe a 33-40% rate at breaks.
8. Camp the AH! Especially Jeuno. Some crafters, for some bizarre reason, will make the scales for skill and then dump them on the AH for cheap. Their idiocy is your gain.
9. As you will no doubt conclude after a careful reading of this guide, you will need an absolute ton of Iron Sheets, more than any other item except crystals. I would recommend finding, making, or identifying a friend with Sheeting, a Key Item that is used in both Smithing and Goldsmithing. This method can make you tons of Sheets faster and cheaper than you could yourself. Also, if you plan to take Smithing beyond 60 (see this guide for advice), you will want the Key Item for yourself because you won't stop using massive amounts of sheets at 60, or even 66.
10. Bastok, Sandy, and Whitegate (for those that have access) all have Guilds with Guildshops (plus a small, under-stocked shop in Mhaura). They offer the same ores, generally, but Bastok and Sandy buy different sets of items, including ones that you will make for skill. As a rule of thumb, Sheet-based items sell in Bastok, and Scale-based items sell in Sandy.
== The Guide Itself ==
=== 0-10 ===
*Bronze Ingot (2)-Fire Crystal, Copper Ore x3, Tin Ore--Cheap and easy to do. Now, pretty cheap to get on AH and from Guilds as well. Save them if you make them, but you can skip .
*Bronze Sheet (4)-Fire Crystal, Bronze Ingot--Easy, cheap, shouldn't take more than 2-3 stacks from 2 or 3-4 stacks from 0 skill. You can make these or buy these. Pretty cheap at this point.
*Hatchet (8)-Fire Crystal, Maple Lumber, Bronze Ingot x2--Woodworking sub of 2, which isn't a problem. At lowest prices from Guilds, these are cheaper to make, before HQs, than they are to buy from NPCs. Make a couple of stacks to sell on AH for various quests/missions.
*Bronze Scales (10)-Wind Crystal, Bronze Sheet--Make to cap, sell them at a loss to an NPC, and get over it. There isn't a lot here but the good news is that this is cheap as anything you'll see, despite the increase in Wind Crystal prices.
TEST ITEM: Xiphos(8): Fire Crystal, Giant Femur, Bronze Ingot x2--Get one somehow. Bonecraft 2 as a sub might make you fail but only maybe.
=== 11-20 ===
*Boltheads (14)-Wind Crystal, Bronze Ingot, Animal Glue, Status Potion--All of these aside from Bronze Bolt Heads require some level of Alchemy to make the potion and then to make the bolthead. This is the principle reason why my Alchemy-mule got his Smithing skill to 15. The list is Blind (31), Acid (45), Holy (53), Sleep (67), Venom (76), and Bloody (81). Make to cap, one or multiple types.
**Note: You can try to make the plain Boltheads from just Bronze Ingots, but they don't sell well. However, it's easier that way, if you don't have the Alchemy.
*Iron Ingot (20)-Fire Crystal, Iron Ore x4--This will be the only time that you make these. Ever. The ore costs 675 at the guild, check the AH for cheaper samples, and the Ingots cost 2700 each (675 x4 = 2700), so buying the ingots is cheaper but you need the skill for now and it only costs a crystal per attempt. Never, ever ever buy either for more than the listed prices.
*Paktong Ingot (20)-Fire Crystal, Zinc Ore, Copper Ore x2, Kopparnickel Ore--These are a good example of that "profitable but slow" synth. It's used almost exclusively for Gobbiebag quest and the ore is a drop from Bugbears in Movalpolos, so don't count on large supplies or high demand, but consider it if you see a chance.
TEST ITEM: Aspis: Fire Crystal, Ash Lumber, Bronze Sheet x2--Easy enough to make if you are in Sandy or buy from the Guild if you are in Bastok.
=== 21-30===
*Iron Sheet (22)-Fire Crystal, Iron Ingot--Time was, that this up-coming series was extremely profitable. Now, not as profitable, but it is the best way to get rid of your newly-made Iron Ingots. Don't sell the Sheets yet, though. Just cap on these before moving onto Scales/Makibishi.
**Update: After passing 26 in skill, you can turn Iron Ingots into Sheets at a profit. People use a ton of Iron Sheets from mid 30s to 45 and then from mid 50s to 66.
*Makibishi (23)-Wind Crystal, Iron Scales--Ironically, this is the third of the three synths for disposing of your Iron Ingots but second in terms of skill. Turn one Sheet into a Scale then into a Makibishi in order to attempt to maximize your skill-ups. A good item for Ninjas spamming the wheel.
*Iron Scales (26)-Wind Crystal, Iron Sheet--Second in the Iron Ingot Sequence, but the top in terms of skill. Make one, then turn it into Makibishi. Once you hit cap on Makibishi, just make these until you cap, then make them into Makibishi.
*Steel Bullet (30)-Fire Crystal, Steel Ingot, Firesand--Alchemy 49 as the main-craft and you can't make Steel Ingots yet but look for them on the AH. This isn't cheap, around 50-60k per stack made, but profitable. These are the premiere bullets for non-Rangers.
TEST ITEM: Bilbo: Fire Crystal, Silver Ingot, Iron Ingot: Goldsmithing 7 as a sub-craft, but you might be able to buy one on the AH for cheaper than it takes to make this.
=== 31-40 ===
*Iron Cuisses (35)-Earth Crystal, Iron Scales x2, Cotton Thread, Leather Trousers--Camp the AH for Iron Scales, at 2k each or less. Make these in Sandy and beware of the sub-craft of Leathercraft 5. If you do all that, these NPC to the Guildshop at break-even or better. Even if you have to make your own scales, cap on these.
*Iron Greaves (36)-Earth Crystal, Iron Scales x2, Cotton Thread, Leather Highboots--Same pattern you'll use again with Steel Scales, same sub-craft of Leathercraft 5, same principles of camping the AH, etc. However, just use left-over Iron Scales from Iron Cuisses because the Greaves cost almost as much to make as the Cuisses but NPC back for less.
*War Pick (38)-Fire Crystal, Ash Lumber, Steel Ingot--Get the Steel Ingot for around 3.5k or so and this will NPC at Sandy guild for a profit, in batches. Woodworking 6, which can Ash Lumber, is required as a sub-craft. Easier than finding cheap Iron Scales, but not sure on the Guilds' tolerance for a lot of these at once.
TEST ITEM: War Pick: Fire Crystal, Steel Ingot, Ash Lumber: Beware the Woodworking 6 sub-craft; it's just enough to cause issues. Make or buy it, whichever is cheaper.
=== 41-50 ===
*Iron Mittens (41)-Earth Crystal, Iron Sheet, Lizard Skin--Leathercraft 10 as a sub-craft. A cause for concern if your skill is only at 5, but not that big a worry otherwise. This is the first Iron Sheet armor you'll be making and begins your need for large amounts of Iron Sheets. The Iron Mittens sell to NPCs at the Bastok Guild this time, for almost the cost of an Iron Ingot. Make these until 39-40 tops.
*Iron Subligar (45)-Earth Crystal, Iron Sheet, Lizard Skin, Cotton Cloth--Leathercraft 12 this time, so make sure you have turned in a Rabbit Mantle to the Leathercraft Guild in Sandy. These sell for so much more than the Iron Mittens, but barely break-even at best. Make these to cap for the simple reason that it's better than the alternatives. 
*Mythril Pick (47)-Fire Crystal, Mythril Ingot, Elm Lumber--TEST ITEM. These sell for between 7400-8300 (depending on recent sales to the Guildshop) and cost 7k-ish to make, depending on how cheaply you can get the lumber and the ingots. Woodworking 8 as a subcraft. Frankly, again, if you can NPC these at a profit while getting skill, that's the best bet by far. Also, sell decently considering their use in getting Map of Mount Zhayolm.
=== 51-60 ===
*Darksteel Ingot (52)-Fire Crystal, Darksteel Ore, Iron Ore x3--Back in the profits again. A commonly used craft item that sells well in singles and stacks. Used in Gobbiebag quests as well. The only thing to beware is that these are a common product of Mine-bots and Gil-Farmers that use Mining. Remember to never buy Iron Ore above 675, factor that into what you pay for the Darksteel Ore, and craft like a maniac. Cap on these and enjoy the best way to regenerate your gil that Smithing can offer.
*Gorget (53)-Fire Crystal, Iron Sheet, Sheep Leather--A good level of skill for almost break-even. This was recommended to me by Danallen for those too cheap or too poor for a ton of Darksteel Ores. Also, a good extra level. The ingots are 2.7k, the gorgets sell for 3060 at the Bastok Guild, so 360 gil for a Fire Crystal and Sheep Leather.
*Darksteel Sheet (55)-Fire Crystal, Darksteel Ingot--Adding these into the mix kinda late, but a bad sequence of Steel Cuisses synths wasted a ton of carefully-hoarded Steel Scales, despite being a Full Moon + Darksday, so I need the extra little oomph provided.
*Steel Cuisses (55)-Earth Crystal, Steel Scales x2, Cotton Thread, Leather Trousers--Camp the AH for Steel Scales, at 2k each or less. Make these in Sandy and be aware of the sub-craft of Leathercraft 5. However, you do all that, these NPC to the Guildshop at break-even or better. Cap on these. (Seems familiar? I copy-and-pasted the Iron Cuisses text here and changed Iron to Steel; it really was that simple).
*Steel Greaves (56)-Earth Crystal, Steel Scales x2, Cotton Thread, Leather Highboots--Same pattern you used with Iron Scales, same sub-craft of Leathercraft 5, same principles of camping the AH, etc. The difference between this and Iron Greaves is that this extra level isn't optional this time as the next craft I recommend is a bit more advanced. Quite a bit more...
TEST ITEM: Darksteel Falchion--Fire Crystal, Steel Ingot, Darksteel Ingot x3: Make or buy as you can. Last one before 70.
=== 61-70 ===
*Nodowa (66)-Earth Crystal, Silk Thread, Iron Sheet--Yes, you are reading this right. A 10-level jump. And boy do these eat your gil. But they are decently close to break-even if you sell them to Silver Owl of the Tenshodo in Port Bastok (you are a member, right?). The only good news I can offer is that the sheer scale of the jump offers a better chance at .2 skill-ups than previously. 
*Dweomer Steel (67)-Fire Crystal, Swamp Ore, Iron Ore x3--The Swamp Ore is from Unions in Campaign Battle, fairly common and cheap on the AH. While it costs less than Nodowa to make, it sells for less as well and space can become an issue if you are trying to do a ton at once. Still, 60+ is kinda barren for Smithing at this stretch. Technically used for Succor to the Sidhe items, 8~9 of them at 67 or less, that you can sell to friends.
*Darksteel Cap (72)-Fire Crystal, Darksteel Sheet, Tiger Leather x2--These are used as the base item in about 3-4 high level Bonecraft synths, and thus sell decently at a profit. Subcraft of Leather is in the mid/upper-30s, but this synth only makes sense if you can make your own leather (right now, that's 1/3~1/4 the price of buying on AH). Only make to AH, and a better use of Darksteel Sheets than I've found for skilling up.
*Darksteel Pick (73)-Fire Crystal, Elm Lumber, Darksteel Ingot--These NPC for over 10k to the right guild NPC and the ingots are cheaper than ever. Great way to get to 70+.