Essential Ninja Equipment Guide by Dibble/Sandbox

==What no NIN gear guide?==
Yeah, that's what I thought. Instead you have a list of all the possible gear that a NIN can wear. Awesome...
So, in the vein of this great guide I decided to start a guide for NIN covering what special gear you really should have. By special I mean something with a worthwhile stat bonus, not just the next possible basic armour upgrade. Also, I'll only list HQ1 versions of gear and not HQ2. While HQ2 is almost always better it's often amazingly rare and stupidly expensive. If you can afford it, craft it, borrow it or even steal it then by all means do.
Remember this is a guide; depending on your race or play style you might prefer different gear but this is a pretty good start!
Please also note that this guide is aimed at people who are actually interested in NIN as a job; not for those who just want NIN37 for Utsusemi.
==Red Hands, Blue Boots and Iron Rams==
If you don't have time to get the uber hands (Ochimusha Kote / Ochiudo's Kote / Horomusha Kote) and/or uber feet (Sarutobi Kyahan / Fuma Kyahan) then you'll need to go with the Iron Ram Chainmail Set. The more pieces of this set you wear the bigger the bonus, so the benefits of wearing an individual piece are limited. Therefore if you do have the pimp hands and feet you'll want to skip the Iron Ram gear.
==Fourth Set==
The currently incomplete Fourth Haube Set could provide a very respectable, complete armour set for NIN. However, you do need to wear pretty much the whole set for the big bonuses. Also, unless you have the means to collect around 200,000 Allied Notes at a significant rate (i.e. a 75 melee job) it will take a long time to get the whole set!
==WS modifiers==
The two main Katana WS base damage modifiers are STR and DEX. Therefore, to maximise your WS damage (and enmity) you want to macro in as much STR and DEX as you can before you WS. Gear that adds attack is useful too.
If you have a separate WS build you can also macro this in if you lose hate, which will increase your damage and hopeful pull some hate back.
==The guide==
Below is a list of recommended gear per slot. Rare/Ex gear is in italics. Gear marked with WS, Enmity or Throwing should generally be macroed in as necessary.
===Weapons===
*Level 15: Gassan
*Level 16: Mokuto +1
*Level 28: Fukuro
*Level 30: Nikkariaoe
*Level 40: Anju + Zushio
*Level 48: Sai x2
Plenty of options here but the following should be considered essential:
*Level 70: Fudo x2
*Level 71: Kodachi of Trials
*Level 72: Senjuinrikio - BROKEN Only
*Level 73: Perdu Blade
===Ranged/Ammo===
*Level 15: Rogetsurin (Ranged)
*Level 18: Shuriken (Ammo)
*Level 40: Junior Musketeer's Chakram (Ranged)
*Level 43: Junior Musketeer's Chakram +1 (Ranged)
*Level 63: Bomb Core - Don't throw it!
===Head===
*Level 14: Cotton Headband
*Level 24: Emperor Hairpin/Empress Hairpin - use if you've got it
*Level 26: Dodge Headband
*Level 43: Walkure Mask - WS
*Level 65: Wivre Mask
*Level 68: Fourth Haube - WS (esp. with other Haube gear)
*Level 70: Optical Hat
*Level 75: Walahra Turban - Haste/Spell Cast
===Neck===
*Level 7: Wing Pendant
*Level 21: Spike Necklace - WS only from 38-60
*Level 33: Peacock Charm / Peacock Amulet - use if you have it
*Level 38: Spirit Torque
*Level 60: Chivalrous Chain
*Level 65: Evasion Torque - Evasion
===Earrings===
*Level 14: Silver Earring +1 x2
*Level 24: Mythril Earring +1 x2
*Level 29: Dodge Earring x2
*Level 35: Drone Earring (debatable whether to keep the Dodges or get these)
*Level 50: Velocity Earring
*Level 52: Melody Earring - Evasion Skill +5 under Song or Roll
*Level 54: Eris' Earring - Enmity
*Level 55: Spike Earring or Fang Earring
*Level 72: Suppanomimi - get it if you can
*Level 75: Brutal Earring
===Body===
*Level 13: Power Gi
*Level 16: Bone Harness +1
*Level 20: Mercenary's Gi
*Level 25: Windurstian Gi
*Level 40: Jujitsu Gi
*Level 45: Iron Ram Chainmail / Brigandine
*Level 50: Nokizaru Gi
*Level 55: Royal Knight's Chainmail
*Level 55: Jaridah Peti
*Level 57: Scorpion Harness - people will laugh at you if you don't have this
*Level 58: Ninja Chainmail - Dual Wield
*Level 59: Haubergeon - WS
*Level 71: Antares Harness - replaces Scorpion Harness
*Level 72: Enkidu's Harness - WS replaces Haubergeon
===Hands===
*Level 15: San d'Orian Gloves
*Level 21: Beetle Mittens +1
*Level 25: Windurstian Tekko - Throwing
*Level 34: Ochimusha Kote / Ochiudo's Kote / Horomusha Kote - see notes above
*Level 45: Iron Ram Mufflers - see notes above
*Level 55: Jaridah Bazubands
*Level 60: Ninja Tekko - Throwing / WS DEX
*Level 68: Fourth Hentzes - WS (esp. with other Haube gear)
*Level 72: Enkidu's Mittens - WS
*Level 72: Dusk Gloves
===Rings===
*Level 14: Reflex Ring
*Level 14: Courage Ring - WS
*Level 30: Venerer Ring/Rajas Ring
*Level 43: Mermaid's Ring - Enmity (luxury item)
*Level 49: Ecphoria Ring 
*Level 50: Garrulous Ring / Unyielding Ring
*Level 54: Sun Ring - WS
*Level 74: Flame Ring - WS
===Back===
*Level 12: Traveler's Mantle
*Level 21: Night Cape
*Level 24: Nomad's Mantle
*Level 38: High Breath Mantle - Enmity
*Level 30: Mercenary Mantle - Enmity
*Level 61: Amemet Mantle
===Waist===
*Level 15: Warrior's Belt +1
*Level 38: Survival Belt 
*Level 48: Life Belt
*Level 43: Swordbelt +1 - WS
*Level 50: Swift Belt - Haste 
*Level 60: Potent Belt
*Level 72: Warwolf Belt
===Legs===
*Level 16: Bone Subligar +1
*Level 25: Federation Sitabaki
*Level 25: San d'Orian Trousers / Bastokan Subligar
*Level 45: Iron Ram Breeches - see notes above
*Level 52: Ninja Hakama - Nightime/Throwing
*Level 50: Nokizaru Hakama - Enimity (luxury item)
*Level 55: Royal Knight's Breeches - WS
*Level 64: Arhat's Hakama
*Level 68: Fourth Schoss - WS (esp. with other Haube gear)
*Level 75: Byakko's Haidate - Haste / WS DEX
===Feet===
*Level 7: Bounding Boots / Leaping Boots - use if you have them
*Level 16: Bone Leggings +1
*Level 25: Windurstian Kyahan
*Level 39: Sarutobi Kyahan / Fuma Kyahan - Haste
*Level 45: Iron Ram Sollerets - see notes above
*Level 55: Jaridah Nails
*Level 63: Arhat's Sune-Ate - Enmity
*Level 68: Fourth Schuhs - WS (esp. with other Haube gear)
*Level 72: Fuma Sune-Ate - Haste
*Level 72: Rasetsu Sune-Ate / Enkidu's Leggings