Ninja: Guide to Ninja Tool Recipes and Saving Money

==Introduction: why bother crafting?==
Everyone knows that crafting just isn't that profitable any more, so what's the point? People ask me that all the time. The answer is: to save money. If you can synth your own Ninja tools you can save a few thousand gil easily. A quick review of FFXIAH.com shows that synthing a stack of each tool from ingredients bought directly from the AH could save you 10k. That includes the recipes that would make a loss! If you avoid those synths (wise) then you could save as much as 18k. And that's on just one stack of each. If you then consider farming the expensive items and getting ingredients from an NPC you save even more.
Some of you are now probably thinking, "Wow, I could actually make money selling this stuff!" That's true, but bear in mind that you'll be up against: a), RMT who'll drop the price to make a sale; and b), people with 100 skill running HQ3 for almost pure profit. Combine a) and b) and you already have problems. Also, note that the profit margins are also very slim in almost all cases. The savings only add up across the whole range of tools. Feel free to try though...
PLEASE NOTE: While I have done my best to check cross-server prices on ffxiah.com, nothing is set in stone; Prices go up and down. I suggest you carefully research all the costs involved in any synth before you commit to it. Even consider the cost of transport and teleports. It all adds up.
==What do I need to do this?==
The purpose of this guide is an overview, with hints on where to save even more money, it's not a step by step guide.
The following things are essential:
* Access to most areas (Airship pass, Kazham, Aht Urhgan, Chocobo License, Teleport Crystals)
* Know how to use regional merchants properly
* Know how to use ffxiah.com to check prices
The recipes for all the Ninjutsu tools are capped at the following levels for the following crafts:
:Clothcraft: 41
:Woodworking: 46 (with the addition of Jinko for Yurin: Ichi)
:Smithing: 23
:Goldsmithing: 31
:Alchemy: 50
:Cooking: 11 (NOTE: only as a subcraft for Sairui-Ran)
Bonecraft and Leathercraft are not used directly in any synth.
==Where do I start?==
Ninja tools break up into three groups: Enfeebling Tools, Elemental Tools and Buff Tools. If you want to focus on only one group you can avoid certain crafts. This is explained more below. All recipes yield x33 items, except Tsurara, which yields 10x.
===Enfeebling Tools===
The main craft for these tools is Alchemy. Cooking is need for one recipe and Clothcraft and Smithing for another. This is probably the group where you can save the most money.
:
Item 	Spell	Craft (level)	Crystal	Ingredients
Kaginawa	Hojo 	Clothcraft (29)
:	 	Bronze IngotGrass ThreadManticore Hair
<noinclude>
:A good synth to skillup on when leveling Clothcraft, be wary of the 15 Smithing subcraft, though.. Grass Thread is cheap (well under 100gil) from the Weaver's guild in Windurst. Bronze Ingots can be bought directly from the Smithing Guild in Bastok for under 100gil (if you are lucky!) or you can buy the ingredients and smith your own. Manticore Hair can be farmed pretty easily if you want.
:
Item 	Spell 	Craft (level)	Crystal	Ingredients
Sairui-Ran	Kurayami	Alchemy (28)
:	 	Bast ParchmentBird EggBomb AshKazham Peppers
<noinclude>
:This is a great synth. The alchemy guides suggest this as a major skillup synth because it is so cheap to make and sells well. Don't be put off by the Cooking subcraft - you can easily level the craft in just a few hours in Windurst. Bomb Ash can be purchased for as low as 483gil from a vendor in the Metalworks. Kazham Peppers are cheap from the Cooking guild in Windurst, the regional Vendor for Elshimo Lowlands, or from the docks in Kazham. bird eggs can also be purchased from the Cooking guild in from the vendors in the airship boarding areas. Kurayami is also well worth casting ;)
:
Item 	Spell 	Craft (level)	Crystal	Ingredients
Kodoku	Dokumori	Alchemy (19) 	 	Elshimo FrogLugwormShell Bug
<noinclude>
:The biggest cost for this recipe is in the frogs, which are never in stock and often overpriced (yet the recipe is still profitable with the cost of the frogs!), so the trick to this recipe is getting the Elshimo Frogs. The frogs can be fished up in Yuhtunga or Yhoator Jungle with Fly Lure + Halcyon Rod. Alternatively, Elshimo Frogs can be farmed very easily from any of the Sahagin just outside the entrance to Sea Serpent Grotto. You can also steal a Silver Beastcoin from them, which can be sold or used to make Silver Ingots (thanks to Scudmissile on Ramuh)
:Shell Bugs can be bought from Bastok AH for very little usually since they drop off Quadavs. Get the Lugworms from your local NPC.
:
Item 	Spell 	Craft (level)	Crystal	Ingredients
Jusatsu	Jubaku	Alchemy (37) 	 	Bast ParchmentBeastman BloodBlack Ink
<noinclude>
:This is a decent synth to save money on if you are in the process of leveling Alchemy or already have a high level of alchemy (do NOT start these right after Sairui-Ran, a 9 level gap with a 2500gil ingredient is a good way to throw away gil). However, do not let the profit column on ffxiah fool you. Factoring in potential breaks (for every Beastman Blood you lose, you need 6 successes just to split even), this is only minor savings at best. 60 Alchemy and 45+ Woodworking turns this decent synth into a great synth (and great savings).
:
Item 	Spell	Craft (level) 	Crystal	Ingredients
Soshi	Aisha	Woodworking (32)	 	Grass ThreadBlack InkBast Parchment x2
<noinclude>
:
Item 	Spell	Craft (level) 	Crystal	Ingredients
Jinko	Yurin	Woodworking (46)	 	Aquilaria Log
<noinclude>
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===Elemental Tools===
The main crafts for these tools are Woodworking, Smithing, Goldsmithing and Alchemy. Clothcraft and Cooking are not needed at all.
:
Item 	Spell 	Craft (level)	Crystal	Ingredients
Tsurara	Hyoton	Alchemy (6) 	 	Distilled Water x2Rock Salt
<noinclude>
:Regardless of whether you want to craft the other tools you should defintely do these yourself. You can level Alchemy from 0 on this synth and if you farm ice crystals/clusters it's super cheap. Buy the Distilled Water and Rock Salt from NPCs. If you are starting with 0 Alchemy, you will need Synthesis support to be able to craft these with a decent rate of success (6 levels under the cap also means no skillups on failed synths). Aht Urhgan Whitegate is a good spot as there is easy access to guild support and ingredients.
:
Item 	Spell	Craft (level) 	Crystal	Ingredients
Uchitake	Katon	Woodworking (26)	 	Bamboo StickGrass ClothToad Oil
<noinclude>
:If you can get the Toad Oil from the NPC you might save some money making this yourself depending on your server. An alternative, and maybe a good one, is to desynth Tonberry Lanterns. You should be able to do this and get HQ1 results (2x Toad Oil)once you reach Alchemy 20ish. Grass cloth can be purchased from the clothcraft guild in Windurst for ~80gil a piece. Uchitake can also be as cheap as 66 gil each (about 6.5k a stack) from Tenshodo merchants so check the prices on AH.
:
Item 	Spell 	Craft (level) 	Crystal	Ingredients
Hiraishin	Raiton	Goldsmithing (31)	 	Copper IngotSilver Ingot
<noinclude>
:Goldsmithing is notoriously expensive to level and the chances of saving enough money from making these to recoup the total loses from getting to 31 are very unlikely. As above: try the tenshodo merchants and check AH prices. If you already have goldsmithing leveled for a subcraft or as your main (you big spender, you), these can be worthwhile to make if you make your own copper and silver ingots (silver ores can be as cheap as 315 from the guild - don't waste your beastcoins on this).
:
Item 	Spell	Craft (level)	Crystal	Ingredients
Makibishi	Doton	Smithing (23)	 	Iron Scales
<noinclude>
:Sadly, although this is a fairly low level synth, you need Iron, and Iron is not cheap. It is possible to buy the Iron Scales straight from the AH and break even on some servers on some days. If you are in the process of leveling Smithing, then most likely this is one of the recipes you will be making.
:
Item 	Spell	Craft (level) 	Crystal	Ingredients
Kawahori-Ogi	Huton	Woodworking (40)	 	Animal GlueBamboo StickBast Parchment
<noinclude>
:Get the Bamboo Stick from an NPC and you could save 3k a stack. With 60 Woodworking / 60 Alchemy (see the Shihei section, below), this becomes a great synth - Tier3 HQs on the Animal Glue, Tier1 HQs on the synthesis.
:
Item 	Spell 	Craft (level)	Crystal	Ingredients
Mizu-Deppo	Suiton	Woodworking (34)
:	 	Bronze SheetChestnut LumberDistilled Water
<noinclude>
:Another good option with 60 Woodworking. Price is greatly dependent on cost of Chestnut Lumber / Chestnut Log. You could make your own lumber from the logs once you reach 28 Woodworking, but you will lose all of your potential savings whenever you lose a log. However, with 60 Woodworking the log to lumber recipe would be a Tier2 HQ, making it possible to save a decent amount (perhaps even make a small profit!) on this recipe. Buy Bronze Sheets from the Smithing Guild in Bastok, they are almost always at the minimum price of 86gil.
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===Buff Tools===
The main crafts for these tools are Clothcraft and Woodworking. No other crafts are needed. You can still save money here but margins are tight. If you don't mind breaking even then go crazy.
:
Item 	Spell 	Craft (level) 	Crystal	Ingredients
Shihei	Utsusemi	Woodworking (29)	 	Bast Parchment x2Black Ink
<noinclude>
:RMT gold. At best you'll break even. All materials are best bought from AH as they are crafted only. If you wish to craft the Bast Parchment you'll need Woodworking (45) and Alchemy (29). With 60 Alchemy and 60 Woodworking, you can actually save some money crafting these. With 60 Alchemy, the inks are a Tier 3 HQ (either the Cone Calamary or the Nebimonite recipe, depending on which is cheaper on your server). 45 Woodworking lets you make your own Bast Parchment (1378 minimum price for log, which is far less than one stack of Bast Parchment). 60 Woodworking is the minimum for Tier 2 HQs on the actual Shihei synthesis - 29+31 = 60. The two chances at HQs (inks + Shihei) and the savings on the paper make it possible to save money on this recipe. 
:
Item 	Spell	Craft (level) 	Crystal	Ingredients
Shinobi-Tabi	Tonko	Clothcraft (34)	 	Cotton Cloth x2Grass ThreadSaruta Cotton
<noinclude>
:Cotton Cloth is cheap these days, so it isn't as much as an issue as before. However, your main saving comes from farming Saruta Cotton in Tahrongi Canyon or Harvesting in West Sarutabaruta. As you only need one Saruta Cotton per synth one farming session could make you invisible for a very long time. Grass Thread can be purchased from the guild for ~50gil each.
:
Item 	Spell 	Craft (level) 	Crystal	Ingredients
Sanjaku-Tenugui	Monomi	Clothcraft (41)	 	Cotton Thread x2Cotton Cloth x2
<noinclude>
: These days the prices of cotton (both thread and cloth) have fallen quite a bit, so synthing this is roughly break even depending on server, IF you don't get any breaks. Unfortunately, breaks are inevitable, so this is only worth considering if you are doing Clothcraft as your main craft.
:
Item 	Spell 	Craft (level)	Crystal	Ingredients
Kabenro	Myoshu	Alchemy (50) 	 	BeeswaxWater Lily x2
<noinclude>
==Ninja Guides==
* Ninja: Elemental Wheel
* Ninja: Tools of the Trade
==Thanks==
If you contribute to the guide please put your name and server here. Thank you!
*Skanless - Diabolos
*Scudmissile - Ramuh
*Sadok - Leviathan
*Briag - Asura
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See also: Ninja