Clothcraft Guide by Ohgami

=A Guide to Speed Clothcrafting?=
So this is a very heavily modified guide I saw on the FFXI AH forums (apparently from Spicyryan's Mule Floppyseconds). I striped out many extra synths that mostly involved making gear. Yeah we know how well that sells nowadays. 
The guide is designed for quick and easy skilling not for money. For that well I dunno look at the AH maybe and see what's selling.
Important things to remember as with any craft is to get the skill items and food. Yeah we won't make much money but it's better to keep losses to a minimum.
==General Points of Knowledge for Clothcrafting:==
These are some General Points of Knowledge from Byrthnoth's other guides. Though slightly modified to fit this craft, the information is pretty much universal.:
* Always use Kitron Macarons. Curio Vendor Moogle is your best bud here.
* I prefer to start synthing something when I'm 5 levels below it (with advanced support) and then will take it past cap if it's useful or particularly cheap. Sometimes you end up with longer gaps than that, but it's not ideal unless it's a REALLY cheap synth (Yagudo Fletchings!!). Everything listed will show a range from when you can probably start making the synth and then move on when I hit the cap. You can still get skill up to 10 over it's cap at a 66-75% rate. So that's a good thing to keep in mind if materials run scarce.
* There are now two guild NPCs. One of them is always open and sells kits and mats, but the materials are typically more expensive than the least expensive normal guild NPC price. Buy from whichever has the item for cheapest. Not all items are available on both.
* Change your job to WHM or RDM and set the 30 synths RoE quest. You eventually want to be level 70 on this character so you can wear a torque. RoE quest won't get you there, but it will get you to 25 or 30 so you can cast Sneak/Invis.
Your major cost with this guide is going to be Crystals. There is somewhere in Ru'Aun Gardens with 4 elementals of a given type close together, and you can just farm them over and over for clusters. You get about 1.5-2 clusters/kill with TH, so it takes about 2 hours of farming a given element to get 10 stacks of clusters and you will probably not need anymore to hit 110.
The 2 primary crystals you'll use are Wind and Lightning with Earth more frequently early on.
* Wind: The corner closest to AAHM on the Genbu side has Wind Elementals.
* Lightning: Luckily on the same island close to AAEV. Use that Home Point warp to get to the island.
* Earth: More out of the way than the other 2 but luckily you will only need a large amount early on. Getting to the island use the AAMR Home Point and go past the Ice Elementals.
==Gear up:==
If you have a job over level 20 and have your mount DO THE QUEST The Young and the Threadless. You won't regret it. The latent will work from Skill 1-40. So get a move on. Assuming you are maining Clothcraft or just putting your other crafts on hold. Start up the guild points and start accumulating points as soon as you can.
Item 	Bonus 	Obtained From
Trainee Scissors 	+1 (Latent Effect) 	Quest - The Young and the Threadless
Magnifying Spectacles	+1 	Guild Points (70,000)
Weaver's Apron 	+1 	Guild Points (100,000)
Weaver's Smock 	+1 	Synergy
Spinning Wheel 	+1 (Key Item - Moghancement: Clothcraft) 	Guild Points (50,000)
Gilt Tapestry 	+1 (Key Item - Moghancement: Clothcraft) 	Guild Points (150,000)
Weaver's Sign 	+1 (Key Item - Moghancement: Clothcraft) 	Guild Points (200,000)
Weavers' Stall 	+5 (Key Item - Mega Moglification: Clothcraft) 	Synergy
Weaver's Belt 	+3 (Enchantment - Advanced Synthesis Image Support)	Guild Points (10,000)
Weaver's Torque 	+2 	The Shrine of Ru'Avitau (Treasure Casket)
Kupo Shield 	+3 	Mog Bonanza
=The Crafts:=
After getting a stockpile of crystals, materials and the Trainees Scissors, it's time to get down to binniss.
==Amateur==
1-3
* Go to Windurst Woods (F-12) and buy the Moko Grass from Meriri for 20 gil each. She is one of the permanent Guild Merchants so the items are always in stock and she never closes shop... Poor workaholic.
3-6
* Nothing to it really. Use your thread and make cloth.
6-10
* The cotton can be farmed off Mandys in Tahrongi and Buburimu. The cotton from Meriri is a bit pricy at 500 per so it's best to get as much as you can from the other Guild Merchants since the price is usually 79-200 gil. Alternatively if you were going to be forced to spend 500 gil on the cotton (and you need 2) the Cloth. Kit 10 for 400 gil and Cloth. Kit 15 for 650 gil might be a better direction. But make sure you keep at least 7 threads for the next couple of tests.
6-10 - *Alt path*
* As I said above this might be better to do.
*Test Item Level 8*
* Make these to use up your Grass Thread and Grass Cloth and sell to vendor but, keep 1 for the test to Recruit.
==Recruit==
10-12
* If you skipped Cotton Thread I understand.
10-15
* Again since cotton can be a bit scarce you could save money doing these instead of the Cotton since the cost is lower. But using this to skill up to 15 is ok as well take your pick on which ever is cheapest.
11-16
* Just convert the thread and sell the excess.
15-19
* Buy as many as you can from the Guild Merch. They go for 187 - 1,000 each. The Airship Merchant also sells them for 225-275 gil each depending on if your Nation is 1st in Conquest.
19-21
* Just convert your Linen Threads if you have any.
15-30
* OK here is the good one that will last quite a while. You can farm these from the Yagudo in Sarutabaruta and also the Aragoneu Regional Vendor. Just go to the Nation who has control of Aragoneu and buy all you want. If no one has Aragoneu... well get to farming ya lazy ass. The Synth Caps out at 22 so you can ride this to 32 if you want and honestly why wouldn't you?
*Test Item Level 18*
* Again use up your Cotton Materials from earlier and again keep one for your test. If you skipped the Cotton stuff well at least make 1 cape cause that Taru won't let you by succeed on your good looks alone.
==Initiate==
Keep doing those Fletchings.
*Test Item Level 28*
* Make your test item and move along, nothing to see here.
==Novice==
30-35
* Alright enough of those Yagudos. If you have any levels in Leathercraft go get some Sheepskin and make Sheep Wool from it. If you don't have any levels you will now. And really it's an EASY item to farm. Now get ta work.
32-38
* Yup no different than the other thread to cloth. Since this Caps at 37 you COULD ride it 47 but why? Well Take your test and see what's next.
*Test Item Level 38*
* I guess she has a costume party to go to. Either that or she's doing a feather boa striptease.
==Apprentice==
Once you hit 40, it's time to take the Trainee's Wheels off. Your Trainee Scissors are no longer going to be a factor. Sorry. But it was fun while it lasted and you SHOULD have started and built up enough Guild Points to at least get the Magnifying Spectacles right?
37-46
* MOAR FLETCHINGS, RAWR!! Seriously bird feathers are plentiful so might as well ride this one out as much as possible, right? It caps at 42 so I say ride this one til you get to Silk Thread. Farming the feathers is easy since you get to kill 2 birds with one stone. Farm your crystals and kill every flamingo you see. 
38-46
* A cheap and easy synth alternative to bird fletchings since grass thread is cheap to obtain. Plus, they're legal to use and sell in states like Colorado and Washington.
46-51
* Ahh here we go. Remember all those cocoons you got back in the day in Crawler's Nest... Yeah this. The guilds do sell them but really you should get out more. Save those threads you make and the ones you get from drops. You'll need em for the usual and obligatory Silk Cloth.
47-52
* YES! More Fletchings!! Really you could just do both this and Silk Thread. If you are REALLY brave and don't care about losses you can start this at 43. Plus you're getting too pale spending all that time inside crafting. You could use the Vitamin D.
*Test Item Level 48*
* Yeah, just need one of these.
==Journeyman==
50-53
* So, time to put those threads to use. I say ride this as much as you can, say 57 or 58, until you can reach...
50-55
* Too pooped to do more fletchings? Well there's this and the cloth.
52-57
* Good thing about this other than the obligatory thread in to cloth is obligatory, is these are used for Scholar AF+1 and Reforged AF for BLM, RNG, COR and PUP as well as BLU AF creation. Those jobs will love you long time for making these available on the AH or hookin' a brother up..
57-62
* More, more, more! But seriously start this as soon as you can and ride that pony til it's dead!
*Test Item Level 58*
* Make this 1 and move along.
==Craftsman==
62-67
* The Fletchings will continue!
67-72
* You can't stop the Fletchings!
==Artisan==
So Yeah, now is where you need to decide if you wanna go further. If this is where you wanna be, continue. Just remember the skill ups past 70 are less frequent. If this will be a main Make the Test Item and Let's GO! Let's Go, Let's and GO!
*Test Item Level 68*
* Why this is supposed to be "difficult" I have no idea but give her the stupid Doublet.
72-78
* SPIDERS!! Time for one of the reasons Spider Webs use to be so prized.
72-77
* Yup If you REALLY can't get enough of Fletchings... They live. Finally a reason to go kill Lolibri again.
78-80
* Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
78-80 *Test Item*
* Meh. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
==Adept==
77-82
* The fletchings will continue until ...you're... done, I guess.
82-85
* Yeah, used for Gobbiebag VIII. Mats are easy so you can do this if you want. If not, Guess what I got for ya?
82-87
* Yup you guessed it, MOAR!
88-90 *Test Item*
* Double Meh.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
==Veteran==
Really at this point I'm not here so just peruse the clothcraft page and go from there. For just skilling up here's a couple of suggestions.
90-93
* This or...
90-95
* That! Pick your poison.
91-96
* In demand for the cloth.
92-97
* In demand for Geo AF and Relic.
93-98
* Good to make for PUP AF+1 upgrades I suppose.
93-98
* Could be trouble getting the mats but you'll need 2 for the test item.
95-100
* Wahoo! You're not getting off that easy!
Test Item Level 98
* Well here you are. Once you reach 98 talk the Guild Master and he will unlock the Way of the Weaver (Key Item) with the Guild Points NPC. Buy it and a Terra Crystal. Along with the mats make the Cape and hand it in. Now you have past the FINAL Test.
==Plaiter's Esu.:== 
Now that you are Expert Rank the best thing to do is pause and start your Plaiter's Esu. Below I'll outline the best route to go. You will need a LOT of Guild Points so I HOPE you have been stockpiling them. 
Go to Port Jeuno just past the MH HP is a NEW NPC Mewk Chorosap. Talk to her and she'll give you the Plaiter's Aspis. This starts with a -30 Skill and as you complete synths it will eventually go away. This number corresponds to the Craftsmanship % on the shield. 
The best way is to raise your craftsmanship is to alternate between 3 Synths. Just cycle through those 3 using the Synthesis menu -> History. If you break just use the /lastsynth command to repeat the failed synth. I personally macro'd /lastsynth. Keep doing those using Kitron Macaroons, in Adoulin with Ionis with Advanced Support on. Once you have Craftsmanship @ 100% take the Aspis to the Guild Leader and he'll give you the Craftsman's Crystal: Clothcraft. From here you'll have to make Crafting Sets to accumulate Crafter Points. The Guild Point NPC will sell the Analysis Crystals for 5400GP a stack. Here HQing the synths gives you more CP. You will need 11000 CP to get the 3 items needed to make the Plaiter's Ecu.
For your Sets to make these 2 seem to be the best ones to do:
*Sadly although Set 45 has the cheapest materials the points received will be much lower than Set 64. IF you really have the GP to use (looking at upwards of over 100k GP) then by all means do the 45 Set. If not get to farming those Silk Threads you slacker.
Now once you have all the parts, grab an Earth Crystal and make this recipe.
Now you have this beauty that'll give you +1 Clothcraft. Not quite a Kupo Shield but it'll do for now.
==Expert==
Maybe more fletchings? Nah, you got this. Any of these plus the Porxie Fletchings you could ride to 110. Up to you really. 
103
* Here we go time to get your Hex on. These are aren't made so much to actually unhex like the old days but for making the vexed version. Gonna need Leathercraft and Goldsmithing on this one.
100-105 or 110 if you want
* ALWAYS a demand for these. Needed for AF reforge. Make these as much as you can.
Pretty much the bulk of the synths after Sif's Macramé is Hexed, followed by Bewitched and Vexed. So that's when you'll probably start commissioning them.
=Special Thanks:=
* Thanks to Spicyryan for the frame of this guide. Ryan, Make sure to give Floppyseconds a treat for being a good mule.
* Thanks to Mudcake for the extra alternatives. The Hemp Gorget comment practically wrote itself.
Category:Craft Guides