Clothcraft Guide by Abosherpa

Category:Guides
== Clothcraft Guide by Abosherpa ==
I started crafting with about 250,000 gil already put aside just for this. There are some really great synths you can use, there are also some synths that will drive you nuts and make you want to cry, and there are others that are sheer pleasure to synth, due to the fact they are profitable if it's done right.
First rule of Clothcraft skill-ups... Synthesis Support. I had leveled Alchemy upto 52 on my main character and I leveled cooking to 72, and I have to say I totally underestimated the value of synthesis support. I really didn't become serious into crafting until I had decided to start leveling up my Clothcraft. 
Second rule of Clothcraft skill-ups... Cheap synths vs. level of the synth. There are some awesome skill-up synths that seem just out of reach depending on how brave or risky you feel like making your synth options. If there is a cheap synth that is a few levels above the benchmark you are strivnig to attain during your current crafting session do it. It will save you gil in the long run.
Third rule of Clothcraft skill-ups... Farm clusters en-masse. You have no idea how much gil you can save, if you choose to farm as many clusters as you will require. Majority of the crystals you will need in clothcraft are lightning crystals, earth crystals, and wind crystals. Other than that, I haven't really used a whole lot of others thus far. I started clothcraft buying lightning crystals and clusters by the score, and I found that in the first 25 levels of crafting, I probably blew 50-60k gil, easily. When you look at your turn-around time or costs when it comes to your skill-ups and inventory space it's good to have a mule that can supply you with the plethora of crystals you will need. For lightning crystals, I went and farmed 60 lightning clusters in Behemoths Dominion within a 3 day period, a few hours both sessions. First of all the place is hardly occupied, lightning weather is there on a regular basis, and you can get normally 3-7 clusters per weather session. Take a few days and camp out the zone, and you will save yourself an incredible amount of gil just by having a lot of lightning clusters already farmed. On Fenrir server Lightning clusters/crystals are between 1500 to 2000 gil a stack. So I saved roughly 120,000 gil in farming my own clusters. 
Fourth rule of Clothcraft skill-ups... farmed items vs. bought items. Sometimes it's much more feasable to buy the items you need from the AH vs. farming them. This will depend on the price fluctuation on your server. Some items may be worth faming, while some may be worth just buying. Perfect example is Spider Webs during the Rainbow Road between level 70-80. 
Fith rule of Clothcraft skill-ups... Camping the Guild vendor. There are certain times of the week where costs will go down for the items you want. Saruta cotton, crawler cocoons, etc. Will often be down around the 187 gil each area, on various days. Just keep an eye on the Guild vendor when you can. Remember that once you clean the vendor out of the item you are camping him for, the next day the price on that item will be incredibly rediculous. So you may want to consider other options for the next several game days, because it will take at least 5 game days for the price to drop again. And remember, the Guild vendor WILL run out of the item you want, so get there early (at 6:00 game day when they open, not on a Firesday to camp your items)
Sixth rule of Clothcraft skill-ups... Find crafters who can help you with cheaper synth gaps. When I was on the silk range in my clothcrafting, an awseome synth for me was Silk headbands. It requires Carbon Fiber, which is an Alchemy synth. I was lucky enough to have an Alchemy mule with level 90 Alchemy, and saved myself some massive gil by using a character with max fame in Bastok, and buying the bomb ash from the NPC and having it all crafted right there. 75,000 gil made me roughly 12 stacks of Carbon Fiber. So, ask your friends who are crafters to help you along the way! 
Seventh rule of Clothcraft skill-ups... start building your guild points EARLY. Buying your fletching, and spinning key items early in the game will definately pay off during your skill-up phase. When you get higher, you won't have to waste your time and GP on them because you will have them VERY early in the game, and you can bank your GP for your Spectacles and Apron faster. These key items will pay for themselves in crafting materials costs alone when it comes to the amount of crystals you will be using.
 
Eighth rule of Clothcraft skill-ups... when you start getting higher in level and closer to the level cap for the item you're crafting, your skill-ups will become few and far between. Change up what you are using for synth support and lower the increment to push the synth. So if you start with Advanced synth support and your Spectacles (total of +4 to your clothcraft, 3 for the Advanced [paid] support, and +1 for the spectacles) you can push higher synths, and as you get closer, you can change it up, go to unpaid support (+1 support), and your spectacles (+1 support) and swap in or out either form of support as you go.
== Level 1-10 ==
;Chocobo Fletchings x 6 (2)
Wind Crystal
:Chocobo Feather x 2
This is a cheap synth. Buy your chocobo feathers from the NPC, and just syn these until you hit your cap at level 2. NPC the fletchings.
;Cape (8)
Earth Crystal
:Grass Thread x 1
:Grass Cloth x 2
;Grass Thread x 4 (8)
Lightning Crystal
:Cape
This synth works really well if you buy capes from the NPC at the guild. Instead of crafting up the cloth and thread, save yourself some gil and buy the capes for REALLY cheap from the guild. You can continue skilling up by re-synthing the capes and desynthing the capes until you cap out at level 8. I loved this easy bridge. Use Synth support from level 2-4, then free ball it to 8 from there. Save a cape and turn it in to the NPC as soon as you get level 8 so you can keep synthing.
== Level 10 - 20 ==
Cotton Thread (Caps at level 11)
 Lightning Crystal
 Saruta Cotton x 2
 Yields = Cotton Thread
This is where the Guild NPC will come in handy. Buy it when it's very cheap and stock up on the cotton thread while you can. You can sell it and actually make gil, or you can keep it and use it on your next set of synths. 
Cotton Cloth (Caps at level 12)
 Earth Crystal
 Cotton Thread x 3 (Lightning Crystal + Goblin Armor = Cotton Thread x2)
 Yields = Cotton Cloth
Once you hit about level 10, and you have crafted up a boat load of Cotton thread, you can use some of it to make your Cotton cloth. 
**NOTE** if you are interested in farming Red Moko Grass, you can make a killing crafting up Red Grass Thread and Cloth used in Baron's gear. But since you are still a newbie crafter for Clothcraft, why waste your time, and just go on to something that makes you skill up.
Linen Thread (Caps at level 19)
 Lightning Crystal
 Flax Flower x 2
 Yields = Linen Thread
This can be a very cheap synth if you buy the materials from the NPC when they are at their cheapest point normally 187 gil to 200 range you should be able to make this profitable.Buy quite a bit. Use some synth support until you hit about level 16 or 17 then free ball it. Trade in your Cotton cape as soon as you hit level 18 and continue synthing til you cap out at 19.
== Level 20-30 ==
 
Linen Cloth (Caps at level 22)
 Earth Crystal
 Linen Thread x 3
 Yields = Linen Cloth
 OR
 Wind Crystal 
 Yagudo Featherx 2
 Yields = Yagudo Fletching x6
Again this can be profitable if you are crafting Linen Cloth. Use free support if you need, and just synth til you cap at level 22. If you run out of Linen thread, or it's an "off" day at the Guild NPC, buy some Yagudo feathers they run about 34-41 gil each or something silly like that. VERY VERY cheap way to skill to 22.
 
Heko Obi (Caps at level 27)
 Earth Crystal
 Cotton Cloth x 2
 Grass Thread x 1
 Yields = Heko Obi
 OR
 Lightning Crystal
 Heko Obi x 1
 Yields = Grass Thread or Cotton Thread
I love these synths where you can synth and desynth an item, until you run out. You can buy Heko Obis normally from the AH, or you can use some of your banked up Cotton Cloth and Grass thread from other synths to just keep pounding away at these skill-ups. Use Advanced support if you are experiencing a lot of breaks. Heko Obi's are your guild rank up item. Save one when when you're skilling up and trade it in, when you are working on your next set of synth skill ups.
 
== Level 30-40 ==
Soil Hachimaki (Caps at level 31)
 Wind Crystal
 Linen Cloth x 2
 Yields = Soil Hachimaki
 OR
 Lightning Crystal
 Soil Hachimaki 
 Yields = Linen Thread 3, 4, 5 or 6
This is a pure loss synth. You won't loose a whole lot if you do it right. If you desynth to get the skill-up you can normally get enough thread to make yourself 1 Linen cloth back. Get synth support of course to minimize breaks. 
Wool Thread (Caps at level 35)
 Lightning Crystal
 Sheep Wool x 2
 Yields = Wool Thread
This is another synth where it is really great to buy from the Guild NPC. However if you go and farm sheep, you can often get sheepskins which you can craft into sheep wool on your own effort, and possibly make upto level 4 Leathercraft while you're working at it. 
Wool Cloth (Caps at level 37)
 Earth Crystal
 Wool Thread x 3
 Yields = Wool Cloth
Synth those threads until you cap out. Wool can make you gil too if you do it right. :P
 
== Level 40-50 ==
Sanjaku-Tenugui (Caps at level 41)
 Earth Crystal
 Cotton Thread x 2
 Cotton Cloth x 2
 Yields = Sanjaku-Tenugui x33 
 OR
Bird Fletchings (Caps at level 42)
 Wind Crystal
 Bird Feather x 2
 Yields = Bird Fletchings
Now with the first synth (Sanjaku-Tenugui) This synth can make you gil too, you will suffer some breaks and gil loss at the start, but chances are you will make many stacks of sneak tools for NIN or /NIN people. This tends to sell very well on the AH. 
You can normally buy the bird feathers really cheap on the AH in the various cities. Which is great. Synth these til cap, and go to the next item. Just NPC the fletchings, they kinda suck, and take a while to sell on AH, so you can either break even with the NIN tools, or you can loose gil with the bird fletchings. Depends on how much time you want to spend on either crafting your mats for the nin tools synths to minimize loss, or whether you want quick and dirty for a very small amount of loss in the grand scheme of things.
Velvet Cloth (Caps at level 45)
 Earth Crystal
 Silk Thread x 1
 Wool Thread x 2
 Yields = Velvet Cloth
Velvet cloth is a great synth to make gil on. If you craft all your own mats (minus the Silk Thread and just farm it from Crawlers wherever you can find them or heck buy it from the AH) you will make a profit on cloths. They do not necessarily sell so fast, but they 
are used in a gobbie bag quest, so they do sell, they are also used in several other synths so. Make yourself a bit of gil and minimize the losses. :D
== Level 50-60 ==
Silk Thread (Caps at level 51)
 Lightning Crystal
 Crawler Cocoon x 2
 Yields = Silk Thread
Ok.. I both loved and hated this synth. Reason being is that I ended up synthing Silk thread for near 20 levels of crafting. Camp the Guild NPC for crawler cocoons, when he is selling them for around 187 - 220 gil, or else you will loose gil out 
cannot stress this enough, unless you want to really loose out on a lot of gil. You will need so many earth crystals upcoming and lightning crystals you really need to have a mule to just hold them all, and send them as you go.
Save EVERy silk thread you make, and do NOT sell them, they are precious and valuable. 
Insect Fletchings (Caps at level 52)
 Wind Crystal
 Insect Wings x 2
 Yields = Insect Fletchings x 6
I cannot stress the value of this extremely cheap synth. Normally a stack of wings can sell for about 500 gil. That's chump change in the grand scheme of your crafting gil surplus. These are VERY good to synth when Crawler cocoons are expensive at the guild and you just 
want to get the skill ups. 
Silk Cloth (Caps at level 53)
 Earth Crystal
 Silk Thread x 3
 Yields = Silk Cloth
Save these, save these, save these! If you have to even mule a few stacks. Seriously save every last one. You will be making Silk Cloth for another 15 levels at least of crafting. So be prepared to see the NPC's at the guild for weeks to come.
Green Ribbon (Caps at level 62)
 Wind Crystal 
 Silk Cloth x 1
 Yields = Green Ribbon
== Level 60-70 ==
Ok.. you may be saying.. WTF? Why are you doing a 9 level gap in synths. This is where you will find synthing frustrating. It's a cheaper option than some of the synths between these level's. Make sure you have your Spectacles and get advanced synth support for every 
synth between level 53 to 59ish. You will have a grand total of +4 in synth support from this. So if you technically look at it this way, starting it's like having a level 57 synth skill, so you are forcing a 5 level synth gap. Which isn't so bad, if you don't have synth support and spectacles at all.
NPC these Green Ribbons. They will allow you to break even. :)
Silk Headband (caps at level 68)
 Earth Crystal
 Silk Cloth x 1
 Carbon Fiber x 1
 Yields = Silk Headband
Yes.. I can imagine you groaning and complaining now. Will the silk road ever end? The answer is maybe?!?!? LOL Keep on visiting that rotten NPC and tell him that you need him to supply more crawler cocoons. If you decide that you are going to buy the silk cloth or 
thread to craft the silk on the AH you are going to suffer huge loss with this synth process. Your best bet is to keep working on the Silk Cloth stacks, and get an Alchemist to craft you about 7-10 stacks of Carbon Fiber. Keep visiting that Advanced Synth NPC, and 
then craft like a fiend, and NPC all the Silk Headbands. You will get about 2210 gil for each one you NPC. Which if you have a high level alchemist craft those carbon fibers, you will break even, or make a small profit. It's really not so bad.
Black Chocobo Fletchings (Caps at level 72)
 Wind Crystal
 Black Chocobo Feather x 2
 
 Yields = Black Chocobo Fletchings x 6
I personally loved this synth more than a lot of other synths I have done. It was a huge break from just synthing silk cloths, it was a plain and simple synth. Buy the black chocobo feathers from the NPC at the Chocobo stables. YOU MUST BE FROM THAT CITY TO BUY, 
AND YOUR CITY MUST BE IN FIRST PLACE TO BUY. Max fame makes a difference in the cost. If you can buy them from the AH cheaper, feel free, but at least the NPC will not run out.
On Fenrir server 1 stack of 99 Black Chocobo Fletchings would fetch 50K. I was making about 12K per stack of fletchings. They didn't sell overly fast, but they were profitable. I was never so relieved to see this synth on the list.
Rainbow Thread (Caps at level 78)
 Lightning Crystal
 Spider Web x 2
 Yields = Rainbow Thread
After doing near 20 levels of synthing on Silk, I almost thought I was going to dread Rainbow thread. I was fairly surprised. I started out by buying the Spider Webs off the AH, and realized that at 2K each web, and the fact that the market fluctuates with how many 
are on, and when I craft, I just want to craft... I got really tired of camping the AH for the 2K gil Spider Web. So off I went to figure out where to farm these suckers. Do not waste your time going to Eastern Altepa Desert, Korolokka Tunnel, Wester Altepa Desert or 
any other hooker dive that the wiki says you can get them as drops. They have a very low drop rate in these zones and it's really not worth the waste of your time. If you have a level 75 JOB, I found it really easy to farm these buggers. Go to the puk camp where there are Soldier Phedero's and Ameritats, and Aht Urhgan Addercops OH MY! These suckers tend to drop about 20-25 Spider webs in 2 hours of farming. My saving grace was /BST. Bring some CHR gear such as an Apollo's/Light Staff, a Corsette, and a few CHR rings, and charm the pucks in the area, and get them to tank the Aht Urhgan Addercops. They die relatively fast, you can get skill ups if you need, and there is normally a lot of puks around to charm. 
Level 35 BST is a good choice. If you have a 75 THF/NIN that's not so bad, but the kills can be relatively slow. Either way this is PURE profit. Eventually when you get to Rainbow Cloth, you are going to be making a good chunk of gil for future crafting. On Fenrir server Rainbow Cloth sells for roughly 20-25K per single cloth. Lets do the math. Aht Urhgan Addercops drop Earth Crystals, and Spider webs at a very good rate(BINGO). You've already farmed your Lightning crystals. Free drops = profit. Even if 
you bought the Spider Webs from the AH at 2K per Web, you are still making 10-12K profit (roughly). 
**NOTE** I am still on level 79 clothcraft, very quickly making my way to level 80. I will update again when I get the opportunity, and figure out what I want to synth between 80-90.