Blacksmithing is expensive but with proper HELM and/or farming techniques you can cut costs and get to 110. Currently working on the Phoenix server in FFXI with a blacksmithing mule called Descozed and this is the route currently on. A few things have changed in 20 years on the crafting skill up routes – mostly that ores are now stackable (when game came out, it was not the case) and its easier to obtain cheaper ores from NPC. Save all materials crafted unless otherwise instructed because you will need them later.
Bronze Ingot – can now take this to level 12
Tin Ingot – caps now at 26 but stop early to go to Iron Ingots. (by level 14 or 15)
Iron Ingot – caps now at 31 and take it all the way to 31.
Plain Cap – caps now at 45 but take it to 34-36 area as a bridge. Fish rusty items in Rabao. Everything else wastes materials and sell Plain Caps to NPC. Another alternative is to craft Iron Sheets from Iron Ingots.
Iron Mittens – caps now at 52. Only takes one iron sheet, and a single lizard skin that you can get a lot in Crawlers Nest or Kuftal Tunnel. NPC them and stop around 45 to 48 to begin Darksteel Ingots.
Darksteel Ingots – Caps now at 63 and do not stop until you hit 63. Ores can be easily farmed via mining Woh Gates or digging Behemoths Dominion.
Darksteel Sheet – Caps at 66 but you won’t begin until you are at 63. Once you hit cap, use sheeting to convert a few more stacks into sheets because you will need them later.
Nodowa – if you got remaining iron ingots convert them to sheets and farm silk thread in Crawlers or Boyahda. Caps at 77. Sell to NPC.
Darksteel Nodowa – Caps at 94 but stop early (by the time you hit 82 or 83). Sell to NPC. Difference is that it takes a Darksteel Sheet instead of Iron.
Adaman Ingot – Caps at 101 and you will be using them almost all the way to that point. Adaman Ore can be farmed in Gustav Tunnel if you got an i119 thief (about 20% drop rate).
Misericorde – Caps at 103 and use all Darksteel and Adaman Ingots up. The reason why to skill up on this dagger is simple – this item is used for relic weapon quest for dagger and another quest involving Oboro involving a JSE dagger. The consequences is that this dagger goes on the AH for over 150k gil depending on server and it can only be obtained via crafting. I strongly recommend wearing that ring that prevents the HQs while crafting this item. Be careful about the number you list on the AH at a time, sticking to one or two per every other day and sell slowly.
Bismuth Ingot – Caps at 113 and the ores are obtained through mining Woh Gates or by clearing reives there. The advantage of this item is due to the fact most mobs in Woh Gates (except for Snolls, Efts, and Velkk) do not aggro and there are safe mining points to camp. The drawback is the mining fatigue system. The other advantage is that it takes two cheap ores that you can get from the NPC for very cheap at this point. There is no decent stuff right now that takes Ingots but Bismuth makes the Arsay weapons that are i119 for people that have placed at least 100 job points into a job.
Midrium Ingots – Only caps at 104 but obtained by mining Marjami Ravine. This ingot is used in a quest called Vegetable Vegetable Crisis and as such sells for a good chunk on the AH. Throw a few of these in from time to time if you see the AH stock of this item very low.
Ra’Kaznar Ingot – Caps at 113 and ores are obtained through mining in outer Ra’Kaznar or through reives there. Unlike Bismuth, there is more useful items for subsequently craft namely the SU2 weapons and even the high end JSE belt for RNG/COR.
Dullahan Armor – this is a desynth and while it rarely gives you skillups, it caps in the 120 area and it results in the obtaining Akaso Cloth which is used for Geomancer Artifact Armor and is usually sold as singles in the AH.
flonne rembert gaming 