Woodworking guide by CtownWoody

CONTAINS SOME OUT OF ERA INFO
Woodworking Guide 1.1
0-60+
By Ctownwoody of Asura
Disclaimer: This worked for me and is based on my research and efforts on Asura. Prices have increasingly normalized in the last 18 months, but I still suggest going to ffxiah.com to research your particular server.
== Woodworking Tips ==
1. Logging sucks. Don’t do it. The logging points are either well-camped, like in Ghelsba Outpost, or are spread far apart and are a bitch to run between, like pretty much everywhere else. Either buy your logs at AH or at guild in Sandy.
2. Lumberjack, Lumberjack, Lumberjack. Unlike other Guild Point skills you can buy, this one is always worth the effort. Nothing saves time when synthing hundreds of arrows or bolts like the ability to make the lumber more quickly and cheaply, especially when you start HQing.
3. Some regional vendors sell logs, like Norvallen, that are a little more expensive than the base price for the guildshop but have a larger supply.
4. Always, always, always research the AH before starting on lumber projects. The market for various lumbers varies greatly by where other people are in their Woodworking skills, even more so than other crafts.
5. You’ll be buying almost everything from the Guildshops in Northern Sandy, Carpenters' Landing and al Zahbi, or the AH. The only other places to travel involve Regional Vendors and/or Quivers.
6. Pay attention to which Nation is in First for Conquest Rankings. That one will have the NPC for bundling arrows in quivers. With any luck the same Nation will control Norvallen, for a limitless supply of Arrowwood and Ash Logs.
7. It's all about the sub-crafts. Smithing for some weapons and furniture, as well as bolt heads. Alchemy gets you Bast Parchment for Ninja-tools and bolt heads. Bonecraft for arrowheads from 0-91 in skill. Goldsmithing and Clothcraft get you advanced Furniture, a great source of profit. Fishing lets you break rods easily (for repair).
8. Recharge your profits. Power-crafting, especially in Woodworking, can have stretches where you lose gil and stretches where you can make good gil. Learn when to pause and make up lost gil before continuing on.
== Guide Itself ==
==== 0-10 ====
*Arrowwood Lumber (2)-Wind Crystal, Arrowwood Log—Make these up to cap and save them; you’ll use them later.
*Maple Lumber (5)-Wind Crystal, Maple Log—Make up to 5, it’s cheap. Sell some at AH for profit if you can, but you may want to save them for later.
*Workbench (7)-Earth Crystal, Lauan Lumber x4: The lumber is cheap and plentiful at the Guildshop because it's only used for making some furniture. TEST ITEM and a decent dump-synth if you get the lumber at minimum price and cheap crystals. Get to 8 between these and Ash Lumber (below); the exact mix is up to you.
*Ash Lumber (8)-Wind Crystal, Ash Log—Make these to 8, it’s cheap as well. Sell at AH for profit if you can, but you’ll be using these later anyway.
==== 11-20 ====
*Bolts (15)-Earth Crystal, Bolthead, Ash Lumber—Pick a type. There are a lot of them. If you have sufficient Alchemy and can level up by making one of them, then that’s probably your best shot. Otherwise, find the one that sells the best (fastest/most profitable) and make them up to 16, or beyond. You can Quiver these, to increase the amount you can sell at one time.
**It was pointed out to me that plain old Bronze Bolt Heads are a way to go for cheap, since a lot of WW100+3 mules (crafting mule /= RMT) make the Alchemy-related bolts for profit, using 50+% HQs to lower costs.
*Maple Table (16)-Earth Crystal, Maple Lumber x4—-These are the cheapest furniture for Gardening around. They are smaller and more powerful than Workbenches and infinitely cheaper than Oak Tables or Bahuts. However, the market is too slow to sell them on the AH. However, they NPC for almost 90% the material cost and friends might want some for their mules, etc. TEST ITEM as well.
*Walnut Lumber (19)-Wind Crystal, Walnut Log—If they are profitable or break-even, make some; if not, skip ahead. The rise and fall of Bahuts made this very difficult to predict, almost day-to-day. Proceed at your own discretion (informed by your own research, naturally). The logs go for 640 from the Guilds (either in Sandy or Carpenter's Landing), which is 7680 per 12 + crystal cost.
==== 21-30 ====
*Maple Sugar (21)-Lightning Crystal, Maple Log—Usually profitable at AHs, you want to take this to 21. It is pretty profitable when Sandy is in last place (or else Raimbroy’s Grocery sells them) and even more so when no one controls Fauregandi, limiting the supply of maple logs.
*Yew Lumber (22)-Wind Crystal, Yew Log—If these sell at a profit, make a stack or 2, if not, skip ahead.
*Yew Wand (23)-Wind Crystal, Yew Lumber, Yagudo Feather--A good use for some of the Lumber. The 20-40 area has gotten a lot more competitive and profits are tighter than when I went through it, so it might be worth the level, even if you just NPC these. Sell the HQs for a profit, if you get that lucky.
*Chestnut Lumber (28)-Wind Crystal, Chestnut Log—If profitable, make them; if not, skip them. You’ll notice that these are pretty demand sensitive in price, and the lumber is sometimes as cheap (2k each, though) as the logs.
*Shihei (29)-Wind Crystal, Black Ink, Bast Parchment x2--These are the ninja tools for Utsusemi, so they are in huge demand, but also are made in huge quantities. People make Woodworking 100+6 mules to HQ this synth and sell them. You won't be able to make much or any profit on making these, but you'll want the extra level or two when you start Oak Lumber.
TEST ITEM: Harp-Earth Crystal, Coeurl Whisker, Chestnut Lumber x2: Unless you made your own lumber, you can buy this on the AH cheaper, as HQ Instruments are common profit items for Woodworkers. Not terribly cheap to make, but not hard to get the ingredients if needed.
==== 31-40 ====
*Book Holder (31)-Earth Crystal, Holly Lumber, Lauan Lumber--A bridge and not that expensive but doesn't return even 50% of costs. As I said earlier, 20-40 has gotten harder and harder of late. At this point, I'm advising these as part of the bridge into Arrow-territory, where you can cap at 39, 42, 49 and 59 on profitable and well-selling arrows.
*Mizu-Deppo (34)-Earth Crystal, Chestnut Lumber, Bronze Sheet, Distilled Water--A ninja tool for the elemental wheel. If you get the lumber cheap enough (and buy the sheets ultra-cheap at the Guild, which they always are), these are profitable and sell well. If Sandy is in first, you can use Wijnruits to make the NIN-equivalents of Quivers.
**NOTE: Smithing 7 is the subcraft as well. If you have Smithing 4-5 at least, you shouldn't have a problem.
*Oak Lumber (35)-Wind Crystal, Oak Log—Oak is where lumber starts getting expensive per synth really quickly. You just want to bridge these until you can start Beetle Arrow (39), but only do if the lumber is profitable.
*Kawahori-Ogi (39)-Earth Crystal, Bast Parchment, Bamboo Stick, Animal Glue--Another NIN tool and also profitable if you get the ingredients for the right price. I'd suggest these either as a lead-in to Beetle Arrows or as something to finish getting you to 39 if Beetle Arrows fall short.
*Beetle Arrow (39)-Earth Crystal, Beetle Arrowheads, Arrowwood Lumber, Chocobo Fletchings—Make these bad boys up to 39, sell for profit at AH. These are quiverable arrows as well, which is why they sell well, especially to RNG and SAM. Get used to the feeling of making arrows in batches of 99 synths at a time; they are several more stages just like this one.
**Per Talk Page, please be aware that you'll have to make your own Fletchings. It's Clothcraft 2 and dirt-cheap. The Arrowheads are bit more problematic. They are Bonecraft 33 and can be hard to find on some servers.
TEST ITEM: Traversiere-Wind Crystal, Oak Lumber, Parchment: As with all NQ musical instruments, you might find it cheaper on the AH as a result of failed HQ attempts, or making your own might be cheaper. Whichever works.
==== 41-50 ====
*Fang Arrow (42)-Earth Crystal, Fang Arrowheads, Yagudo Fletchings, Arrowwood Lumber—These are superior in stats to Beetle Arrows in every way except they don’t quiver, which makes this an optional bridge because it will take a long time to sell 33 individual stacks. However, you can take your time selling them if you have the storage space, find a friend who needs them in batches, or bring the ingredients along for RNG and SAM.
*Flower Stand (44)-Earth Crystal, Yew Lumber, Lauan Lumber--A bridge that's cheaper per synth, if unprofitable, than Fang Arrows, especially for those getting sick of the ton of Arrowwood Lumber you'll be making. Both lumbers are cheap at the Guild, but check the AH to see if you can't get a better deal on the Yew Lumber.
*Rosewood Lumber (45)-Wind Crystal, Rosewood Log—This is also a bridge. Only do these if they are profitable and only to that extent. Each log should run you 2k, mostly at the AH, or did when I was at this stage. Commonly used for most Furniture synths at higher levels.
*Bast Parchment (45)-Lightning Crystal, Elm Log, Distilled Water, Moko Grass--These used to be too expensive to make for skill. However, Logs are down enough in price now that I can recommend this as a possible bridge to Horn Arrows. Sell or re-use as is profitable (note: not necessarily Shihei). Alchemy 29 as a sub-skill. Please note that each synth makes 1 stack of Bast Parchment, so if you are going to skill up with this, either make sure you have enough space to store it or use it to make to make NIN tools.
*Horn Arrow (49)-Earth Crystal, Arrowwood Lumber, Horn Arrowheads, Bird Fletchings-Pretty much the only use for Bird Fletchings, so if you can find someone making them, they’ll be ecstatic to get rid of them for cheap. Make these until you hit 49. They quiver, they sell well, and they are relatively cheap, because they are the best arrows from level 29 until level 40. You can try these right out of Beetle Arrows at level 39, but only with Advanced Support, or you risk too many breaks to be profitable.
TEST ITEM: Rose Wand: Wind Crystal, Rosewood Lumber, Black Chocobo Feather-Standard wand-type test item, but the single black feather can be a pain to get. The citizens of the first-place Nation in Conquest Rankings will have these available at the Chocobo Stables, in case the AH doesn't have any singles.
==== 51-60 ====
*Mahogany Lumber (51)-Wind Crystal, Mahogany Log—This is just a bridge. Only do these if they are profitable and only to that extent. Do you see a pattern emerging now of Arrows, Lumber/Bridge, Arrows? It holds true from mid-20s until 72. It'd hold true longer if there were more viable arrow and lumber options above Demon Arrows and Ancient Lumber.
*Meifu Goma (53)-Earth Crystal, Firesand, Cotton Thread, Koma, Arrowwood Lumber--Makes x33, NPCs for around 37 each, barely breaks even at best, but breaks even as a bridge that you can NPC for a fast turnaround. Sub of Clothcraft 11, and Alchemy 46, so not for those with just Woodworking.
*Scorpion Arrow (59)-Earth Crystal, Scorpion Arrowheads, Arrowwood Lumber, Insect Fletchings—These are your best friend. Make these until 59. That may take up to 4 stacks of Arrowwheads, which is 396 synths. This is why Key Item: Lumberjack is so vital after you hit 50. Quiver and sell as you go along.
TEST ITEM: Kaman: Wind Crystal, Elm Lumber, Bamboo Stick, Silk Thread, Wool Cloth-Cheaper to make than buy on the AH, the Bamboo causes problems at times. ONLY turn one in if you are going beyond 60 to 100 (past 60, it's 100 or bust).
==== 61-70 ====
*Chest (61)-Earth Crystal, Rattan Lumber x3, Lauan Lumber x2-This is a great synth for power-leveling at 61; it is dirt cheap relative to level. It's a nice little bridge to get your skill into range for Demon Arrows.
*Tarutaru Fishing Rod (65)-Wind Crystal, Walnut Lumber, Silk Thread--A bridge, marginal at best. These NPC to Fishing Guilds for around 1k and to normal NPCs for around 900. If you HQ the Walnut Lumber from Logs (best guild price is 640 per log), and get the thread very cheaply (10k per stack is best I've ever seen), then this is almost break-even. However, as I said, it's a marginal bridge.
*Feyweald Lumber (67)-Wind Crystal, Feyweald Log--Woodworking from 62-70 or so can make 4 items for Succor to the Sidhe and Woodworking 67 makes Feyweald Lumber for those items as well. Frankly, this is a bridge only as the lumber NPCs for 600~700 each and breaks even at current AH prices. However, crafting for your friends is an automatic response that you want to encourage in them long-term.
*Demon Arrow (69)-Earth Crystal, Demon Arrowheads, Black Chocobo Fletchings, Arrowwood Lumber—The fletchings are a dump synth for Clothcrafters; you should be able to get them easily. The arrowheads aren't cheap but can be made by anyone with Bonecraft ~58+ for extra profit. Cap these arrows out, which might take 4-5 stacks of arrowheads (that's 396-495 synths!)
TEST ITEM: Ebony Wand-Wind Crystal, Ebony Lumber, Giant Bird Feather-Make or buy, whichever is cheaper, but moving beyond readily-available test items, FYI.
== POST 70 GUIDE ==
Only start down this path if you intend to take your Woodworking past 70.
==== 71-80 ====
*Ancient Lumber (72)-Wind Crystal, Petrified Log--These vary from profitable to not, so I didn't add them initially. Increased interest in Chocobo Raising, and hence, Chocobo Digging, has steadied the supply and made these worth including. Between this and the next item, get as much skill as you can stand because Commodes stink.
*Hume Fishing Rod (72)-Light Crystal, Broken Hume Rod--Break-fishing can be tedious and hard to find the right fish that you can both hook and drain of stamina. Only then can they break the rod and not just the line. If you have a job 34+ (or can cast Sneak and Invisible), the waterfall (aim at the waterfall itself, not just the stream) in North Gustaberg is great places to take a few stacks of Meatballs and break rods (either crafting there or just bring 2-3 dozen rods if possible). Fishing will break the line or rod every time you get a (!!!). Bring extra rods and lots of bait, plus Light Crystals. I had a Fishing of 48 when I did this stage and the fish were easy to reel in.
*Ice Staff (75)-Wind Crystal, Ice Bead, Ebony Lumber--Since Ores became a common drop in Abyssea, and ToM staves came out, the market has crashed. NQ Elemental staves NPC for around 7.5~7.7k each, which is less than the cost of Ebony Lumber nowdays. But if you find a Goldsmithing skill on the ores, especially Ice Ore, which is around 3k, you can both get a good bridge to 75, if all else fails. I think Commode is still your better option for this gap, though.
*Commode (77)-Earth Crystal, Rosewood Lumber x5--These sell to NPCs for just under 5k each and if you get lucky with the lumber supply, that's about break-even. This is also the TEST ITEM.
*Noble's Bed (78)-Earth Crystal, Gold Ingot, Gold Thread, Velvet Cloth, Mahogany Lumber, Silk Cloth, Rosewood Lumber x3--This also takes Clothcraft of 56 and Goldsmithing of 50, both of which I had before starting this synth. Only about 2 sell per day (not bad, actually) and the total cost is just over 40k each, but they sell for at least 60k each. Make a dozen or two and sell them or give them to your LS/friends. This could be considered a gil-restocking item except that you should use it for skill in the face of what comes next.
*Ebony Pole (79)-Wind Crystal, Ebony Lumber x2--These used to be a decent bridge but Ebony Lumber is now the lynch-pin for 1 synergy recipe and have shot up to very high levels. NPCs for 4.4k to the Guild Vendor. Bridge only if desperate.
*Lu Shang's Fishing Rod (80)-Light Crystal, Broken Lu Shang's Rod--I debated this point because this is the hardest thing in the game to break. But, if you managed to get to Fishing 90+ and wanted to be able to repair your rod when hooking Liks, here's your chance to shine. You can't lose the rod unless you are on the ferry or airship when it is docking.
==== 81-90 ====
*Mithran Fishing Rod (83)-Light Crystal, Broken Mithran Rod--These are much much harder to break than Hume Fishing Rod. I have literally tried every large fish that is reported to break these outside of the Legendary Fish (Skill 100+). I recommend Sliced Cod + Qufim Island to break these; either fish on the NW or the SW side of the island for Gigant Squid and Three-eyed Fish respectively. I had an easier time landing the Squid than the Three-eyes and would occassionally catch Three-eyes as opposed to breaking the rod but some Squid got loose due to "lack of skill" messages. This was with Fishing in the low 50s.
**Minor Note: You'll need a job at least at 44 to avoid aggro from the Goblin Bounty Hunters running along the coast.
*Mythic Wand (84)-Wind Crystal, Ancient Lumber, Phoenix Feather--Another wand. This time, though, the NQ sells at a decent profit, if slowly, or NPCs for almost 3000. At best, a bridge or a synth/desynth combo. Getting your skill up to Kabura Arrow time is not easy nor cheap, sadly.
*Teak Lumber (85)-Wind Crystal, Teak Log--The logs, on Asura, sell for around 3-4k each and the lumber NPCs for a bit over 2k. A decent bridge.
*Mithran Fishing Rod (87)-Wind Crystal, Rainbow Thread, Rattan Lumber--Make these, break these, sell the broken rods. That's the only use. Lather, rinse, repeat until you aren't afraid to start Kabura Arrow. The broken rods sell at around 1/day, so you may want to balance sales of broken rods with selling some unbroken ones directly.
*Mythic Harp (90)-Earth Crystal, Coeurl Whisker, Ancient Lumber x2--These cost just over 7k to make at current prices and sell for just over 7k to NPCs. As such, this will join the many possible bridges in the 80s.
TEST ITEM: Mythic Pole: Wind Crystal, Ancient Lumber x2-This is an idea for a possible bridge as well but involves making, de-synthing, and repeating until no lumber left. Make or buy, if possible, but these don't hit the AH often.
==== 91-100 ====
*Kabura Arrow (91)-Earth Crystal, Bamboo Stick, Ram Horn, Giant Bird Fletchings, Karimata Arrowheads--Bonecraft 53 as a subskill. They sell for a profit, you can always get the Bamboo Stick from Tenshodo Merchants or Regional Vendors, there's always at least one stack of 99 arrowheads and fletchings on the AH and the arrows quiver for easy storage. Your only limiting factor is Ram Horn. Farm them with a few stacks of dark crystals, tea leaves and distilled water for the leather or just suck it up and buy a ton at the AH. This is your last major for-profit item until you reach 100, so take it to cap.
*9-Drawer Almirah (91)-Earth Crystal, Ebony Lumber, Mahogany Lumber x4, Gold Thread, Ancient Lumber, Silk Cloth--Just when everyone had written these off, SE released a patch that redid Furniture in a major way. These are once again profitable.
**Note on latest patch (Sept 08): Using a Dye to change the color of these is possible but the recipe is Clothcraft 75, so find a friend to dye them for you, or to sell to for dying-purposes.
*Divine Lumber (92)-Wind Crystal, Divine Log--Once, this was expensive as heck to make and was reserved for a post-Sky celebrator synthing. Now, with Abyssea, much cheaper/easier to buy the logs (~5k on Asura, which seems almost average). Lumber makes Togi cursed gear, which means you can double-up on these if you have Urushi but you'd just be losing even more gil. Just the base synth will cost you a few K per synth, but new options are always nice.
*The Big One (93)-Ice Crystal, Gold Sheet, Titanic Sawfish, Beetle Blood, Beeswax, Animal Glue, Saruta Cotton, Ebony Lumber, Mahogany Lumber--One of the rarest of items: 8 different ingredients into 1 synth. You pretty much will have to take custom-orders for these; tell your friends, offer to sign them, etc. They make Moghancement: Fishing Skill which you can either get with the 150k Guild Point item or through this. The Titanic Sawfish are extremely rare and hard to catch and the Beetle Blood is more often sold to NPCs after dropping from HNMs or level 85+ Wyrms. Oh, and finally, Alchemy 52 and Goldsmithing 41. But if you are making these, you are either break-synthing them or have insane crafting skills.
*Bookshelf (94)-Earth Crystal, Mahogany Lumber x3, Tufa x3--Tufa is exactly 20,400 at the Goldsmithing Guild in Bastok. No more, no less, nowhere else. These now have 20 Storage slots, so they are still break-even. Best storage furniture for Goldsmiths or Blacksmiths, especially ones trying to break-synth. Technically, Goldsmithing 5 as a sub-skill, but if you have Woodworking at 90+, there's no reason not to have Goldsmithing of 5.
*Bloodwood Lumber (95)-Wind Crystal, Bloodwood Log--Logs are cheaper than the lumber on the AH, so, this is a good chance to make a little gil while skilling. Supply of the logs will be an issue, even if they weren't dropped from Abyssea, because the other way to get them is Logging around True-Sight mobs that either can't be slept or link. Lumber can make a few items, none of which really sell.
*Lacquer Tree Sap (96)-Water Crystal, Lacquer Tree Log--Sales have been dropping in these items, but they are still profitable, especially if you find an Alchemist working on Urushi, which uses this by the ton. Judge for yourself when you get to this stage.
*Divine Sap (97)-Water Crystal, Divine Log--Since the crash in Divine Logs added Divine Lumber to the guide, I'm adding the Sap as well, which is the key ingredient in Cursed Beverage, a Cooking 99 synth. Each of these synths yields enough sap for 4 of the cooking synths, so talk to your cooking friends as Cooking 99 ain't easy to reach.
*Cythara Anglica (98)-Earth Crystal, Ebony Lumber x2, Ancient Lumber x2, Coeurl Whisker--Much much debate went into adding these and even more went into retaining them. Ebony Lumber fluctuates but the harps NPC for about 6k, so consider it. However, with some HQing, I can live the cost, especially considering how rare Lancewood Logs are.
*Lancewood Lumber (99)-Wind Crystal, Lancewood Log--Unless your Dynamis-LS is extremely generous, if you have one that does runs just for your benefit, this will hurt. Logs can cost up to 10k, and NPC for just over 2k. However, 99+ suffers from either really really expensive and slow-selling synths, or synths that are purely losses.
*Level 100 Synths: Good luck with the last level. I've added the three most common methods below. Two of them require Guild Point Key Items for anima-related crafting.
** Option #1 Iron-splitter Wind Crystal, Walnut Lumber x2, Adaman Ingot--The most common method. Requires a Smithing of 60, which means that you can break-synth if your Smithing is under 45, but really, you want to have the Smithing skill because this is #1 in a tag-team tandem. Beware that Adaman Ingots can go really high in price.
*** Steel-splitter Wind Crystal, Steel Walnut Lumber, Iron-splitter--The follow-up. Both are WW100, Smithing60 synths, you can HQ the anima-made lumber, and the whole package NPCs for 3.8k or so. Adaman Ingots are the big cost, so watch prices carefully and/or help Smithing friends to unload any excess they may have.
** Option #2 Jacaranda Lumber (103) Wind Crystal, Jacaranda Log--Prices have fallen considerably since ToM came out (I love my Stingray +2) and since Abyssea occassionally dropped these logs. Not much you can make with these that's a good sale (2 nifty furniture for decoration), with run 5~7k on the AH and NPC for under 3k. Cheaper up-front but more supply issues and no tag-team. Weigh the pros and cons.
** Option #3 Primate Staff (101) Wind Crystal, Darksteel Ingot, Cassia Lumber x2, Yellow Rock x2, Gold Ingot, Mercury, Vermilion Lacquer--This is a horrible, horrible, horrible list of items to get together and it will only take you to WW99. But that's more than all but about 4-5 synths in the game, so don't complain too much. Smithing 47 and Goldsmithing 53 as well, so break-synthing is a possibility. I have a signed one for my DRG and MNK to skill their staff with.
*** Kinkobo (101) Wind Crystal, Primate Staff, Ethereal Vermilion Lacquer--The animas and Key Item fro the Lacquer are Alchemy and expensive because they are the same animas used in Reraise items. But again, among all the options, this may strike you as the least-bad. Alchemy skill of 21 means that you have almost no shot at break-synthing unless you haven't skilled Alchemy at all (which is slightly disturbing). Best practice is make this for friends at best, or when Adaman Ingots and Jacaranda Logs are astronomical. Suggested by ~Loneranger, Carbuncle
== Guild Point Items ==
After some consideration, I'm adding a section on the various Guild Point items that you can purchase for Woodworking. The item is followed by a (comment) with the minimum rank needed. If you are taking a craft to 100, sign up for Guild Points when you hit 28-30, because you will need them. Remember that (1) you can only sign up for one type of Guild Points at a time and (2) you lose ALL progress if you switch, so be 100% complete before moving on. Oh, and I'm not mentioning High Quality Crystals because they're a nice bonus but not something to worry about.
*Carpenter's Belt (Novice)--Don't get it. If you need the Advanced Support it offers, go to a Guild. 25 charges for 10k GP isn't worth it.
*Lumberjack (Novice)--Use 1 Wind Crystal + Bundling Twine to do synth 3 logs into lumber at once. This is the first item for which to start saving. When you start making tons of arrows and bolts and lumber for profit in general, this is absolutely invaluable getting the hundreds of lumber you need quickly and cheaper.
*Boltmaker (Novice)--Avoid like the plague. This does to bolts what Lumberjack does to lumber, however, it removes ANY and ALL benefit of HQing bolts, which is where the profit lies.
*Wood Ensorcellment (Novice)--A very nice Key Item to have because it is required for Warp Cudgels. You'll need Animas to make the Ethereal Oak Lumber but those are not hard to get from high-level Alchemists and the ones required are typically cheap. This also makes Steel Walnut Lumber, which is important for getting WW100 on most servers, but that's a side benefit, not the main one.
*Wood Purification (Novice)--There's a few interesting items you can make with this, but no one buys them often enough to be worth the cost in GP. Get for completion's sake after everything else, but that's about it.
*Carpenter's Gloves (Journeyman)--The first Skill+1 item for Woodworking. This raises your effective Skill by 1. It operates like Synth Support while equipped and is 100% golden. Get it. It will help at all stages, especially in large jumps. After Lumberjack, this is the second thing you should be saving to get.
*Carpenter's Apron (Artisan)--The second Skill+1 item, the next thing to save for. Same applies down the line.
*Carpenter's Ring (Craftsman)--Power Bows aside, there aren't a ton of items where you don't want the HQ item. While breaking the soft-cap on success-rate may be nice, I don't think this is worth 80k GP.
**I've seen one example, only one, where this is nice: Desynthing Soulflayer Staffs.
*Drawing Desk (Veteran)--The Skill+1 Furniture. This item will get you to Tier 2 for HQ Elemental Staves, so 'nuff said. Earth Aura, Strength 9 means that Yellow 6-Drawer Almirah and Maple Tables are your support furnishings for now.
*Carpenter's Signboard (Veteran)--A newer Furniture, this, when combined with the other Veteran-level Furnishing, grants Moglification: Woodworking, combining Skill+1 and reduces the chance of losing items on failed synths. Also, its stronger Aura permits (but not require) you to sell your Yellow 6-Drawer Almirahs for Yellow 9-Drawer Almirahs and drop a Maple Table or two, saving you slots in your Mog Safe.
== Restocking Gil Section ==
The essence of making gil with Woodworking until you hit 100+3 and start HQing Elemental Staves (don't try until 100+3+Advanced Support on New Moon + Darkday), is in endless repetition of HQing items. Sad, but true in many ways, but the big, long-term gil maker is bolts, almost all of which are level 16 synths. At level 67, or 66+1, or 63+1+Advanced Support, you can HQ over half the time, including making a full stack with one synth. There are other profitable synths and I've broken the profitable synths into four (4) categories.
==== Ranger Stuff ====
Bolts, except for Darksteel, are level 16 and you'll HQ a lot of them. The Arrows vary in level. I've listed the ones that I think do best, in that order. Quivers refer to stacks of Quivers (12). Check your own server on ffxiah.com to be sure about relative sales-speed and profitability.
*Bolts: Acid Bolt, Bloody Bolt, Blind Bolt, Sleep Bolt, Venom Bolt, Darksteel Bolt, Holy Bolt
*Bolt Quivers: Acid Bolt, Bloody Bolt, Holy Bolt, Darksteel Bolt, Blind Bolt, Sleep Bolt
*Arrows: Demon Arrow, Scorpion Arrow, Horn Arrow, Fang Arrow, Bone Arrow
*Arrow Quivers: Scorpion Arrow, Demon Arrow, Beetle Arrow, Horn Arrow
==== Lumber ====
Lumberjack is very nice when making Bolts and Arrows but you can use it to get more out of your HQs. The following Lumbers are profitable and sell well.
*Arrowwood Lumber: Some people buy these on AH in large quanities because they are, for some reason, too lazy to make their own.
*Ash Lumber: Same for bolts as Arrowwood is for arrows.
*Mahogany Lumber: Touchy, so watch log:lumber price ratios...
*Ancient Lumber: See Mahogany
==== Wands ====
Mages of all stripes like Wands because they offer bonuses to INT and MND. HQs sell better, naturally.
*Willow Wand: HQ only, but you'll make more than a few of these for Guild Points.
*Yew Wand: Both versions sell well, probably because of capped events.
*Chestnut Wand: Again, both do well, but beware lumber prices at the AH vs. Guild Shop...
*Rose Wand: These sell so profitably, that I was tempted to not mention them, but the last wand before elemental staves
==== Miscellaneous ====
The dreaded other category of items from all over (but mostly NIN tools, hence I am considering a NIN-tools section)...
*Power Bow: Perversely, this item isn't profitable in the HQ version, since the NQ version is used in the Mog Safe Expansion Quest, "Give a Moogle a Break." Too expensive and slow-selling for skill, this can be used earlier than most of these others.
*Warp Cudgel: You'll need Dark Anima, Ice Anima, and Wind Anima, plus a Key Item bought with Guild Points, but these are profitable in the long run.
*Bast Parchment: Required for almost all NIN tools and profitable to make. Between making these yourself and HQing Black Ink or Animal Glue for the next two items, profit-city.
**I added this to the skill-up section as it sells fast enough and can be re-used for skill and profits without requiring HQs, but HQ synths on NIN-tools are so incredibly profitable, all components deserve extra mentions.
*Shihei: The quintessential NIN tool. If you aren't trying to HQ Elemental Staves, spend your time making these for mass sale, especially if your Alchemy lets you HQ the Black Ink.
*Kawahori-Ogi: Bamboo might be scarce if no Regional Vendor is selling it and Animal Glue is an Alchemy component, but these sell well.
*Furnishings: Most of the furnishings in the guide above are profitable the first time through, but as you gain the ability to HQ more and more lumber, your ability to make furniture at a profit increases as well. Remember, tell people you can make them signed furniture if you have Guild Points, and you can start to build a following/circle of friends.
If you have any other ideas, please feel free to add them in the Discussion Page or add them here to the appropriate category (just be sure to signed your additions).
Good luck!
--Ctownwoody 14:31, 14 September 2007 (CDT)
Category:Woodworking