When starting crafting in FFXIV, focus on one job before opening the entire workshop. Your first syntheses are mainly about gaining experience, so buying endgame gear or stockpiling unsellable items can quickly fill your bags and drain your gil reserves.
Disciples of the Hand craft weapons, armor, jewelry, potions, meals and furniture. Each class uses different components, but they all share the fundamentals of synthesis.
Key takeaways
- Start with one crafter and add a gatherer useful for its recipes.
- Upgrade the main tool first, then the pieces that improve your stats.
- Complete class quests as soon as they become available.
- Use leves, Ishgard and deliveries instead of producing useless items.
- Save expensive materia for difficult recipes or a specific market goal.
Choose a crafting class around what you want to make
The eight classes are Carpenter, Blacksmith, Armorer, Goldsmith, Leatherworker, Weaver, Alchemist and Culinarian. The official crafting and gathering site presents their product families. Your choice therefore depends first on what you want to craft or sell.
| Target items | Recommended job | Useful gatherer |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons and metal pieces | Blacksmith or Armorer | Miner |
| Jewelry and accessories | Goldsmith | Miner |
| Fabrics and light armor | Weaver or Leatherworker | Botanist |
| Potions and dyes | Alchemist | Botanist and Miner |
| Meals and consumables | Culinarian | Botanist and Fisher |
| Wood and furniture | Carpenter | Botanist |
A crafter paired with a Miner or Botanist offers a straightforward starting point. Buy rare or distant components if their price remains reasonable. Leveling all eight jobs while purchasing every ingredient from the Market Board can quickly exhaust your gil.
Follow class quests and the Crafting Log
Join the guild for your chosen class and equip its main tool, which replaces your combat weapon. Then open the Crafting Log and select a simple recipe.
- Accept your guild’s level 1 quest.
- Check the components before every synthesis.
- Use the first-time crafting bonus once on easy recipes.
- Return to the guild whenever a new quest becomes available.
- Change tools when your progress becomes insufficient for your current level range.
Quests sometimes require a specific or high-quality item. Prepare it before selling your output. The official crafting quest database helps you find a missed step.
Complete recipes without wasting CP
Progress completes the recipe. Quality increases the chance of obtaining an HQ item when the recipe allows it, while CP are used in particular for quality actions and certain bonuses.
At first, prioritize completing the recipe. Add quality only if your durability and CP allow it: a long high-level rotation adds nothing to a recipe intended for leveling.
Common actions changed with Dawntrail. Reflect, Advanced Touch, Standard Touch and Observe are among the adjusted actions. Check your action bar instead of copying an old rotation.
Upgrade your gear in the right order
Prioritize the main tool. Then replace the pieces that increase your stats, followed by accessories. If a recipe lacks progress, the tool is often too old or your gear level range is insufficient.
Compare quest rewards, NPC vendors and the Market Board. Materia are rarely needed while leveling; save them for collectables or demanding recipes.
Use leves, Ishgard and deliveries to level faster
The Crafting Log works well for the first levels. Then move on to leves suited to your level, and check the number of requested items before using your allowances.
The Ishgard Restoration requires level 60 and the quest “Litany of Peace.” Once unlocked, Potkin in the Firmament offers recipes and gathering points for characters from level 20 onward. Collectable deliveries provide experience and scrips.
At level 50, look for “Inscrutable Tastes” after meeting the scenario prerequisites. This quest unlocks collectables. Wachumeqimeki deliveries at level 90 also require it. Official 7.51 notes set the weekly total for custom deliveries at twelve.
Prepare each crafting session
- Check the next class quest and the item it requires.
- Choose one main activity: Crafting Log, leve, Ishgard or delivery.
- Prepare all components before synthesizing.
- Replace the tool if your progress becomes too low.
- Do not sell an HQ item reserved for a quest or leve.
- Do not buy materia before you genuinely need it.
To compare other progression loops, our gaming features, our video game news and recent publications bring together the site’s content. In Final Fantasy XIV, a prepared session lets you gain experience while limiting unnecessary purchases.
Keep track of crafting action changes in the official 7.0 patch notes and the official jobs portal.
To keep following the topic, also see our article on [Guide] Final Fantasy XIV Steam Deck settings: 30/40, our article on Mario Kart World online: habits that keep you safe.
Frequently asked questions
Which job should you choose first?
Choose the item family that interests you. Blacksmith with Miner and Culinarian with Botanist offer straightforward starts.
Should you level all eight crafters at the same time?
No. Level one job, stabilize its gear, then add the others. Their components differ even though the synthesis basics are shared.
When should you change your main tool?
Change it when progress becomes too low to finish recipes in your current level range without excessive actions.
When do you unlock collectables?
From level 50, once you have met the scenario prerequisites for “Inscrutable Tastes.” They are used in particular for scrips and certain deliveries.
How do you access the Ishgard Restoration?
Reach level 60 and complete “Litany of Peace.” Dedicated recipes are then available in the Firmament for crafters level 20 or above.
Verified sources
These links allow you to verify the key information used in this article.
- na.finalfantasyxiv.com: The official Crafting & Gathering guide confirms the eight Disciples of the Hand and three Disciples of the Land, along with their specializations.
- na.finalfantasyxiv.com: The official Lodestone database lists the Carpenter, Blacksmith, Armorer, Goldsmith, Leatherworker, Weaver, Alchemist and Culinarian quest series.
- na.finalfantasyxiv.com: Official 5.11 notes, 2019-11-19: Ishgard Restoration prerequisites, recipe access from level 20 and delivery rewards.
- na.finalfantasyxiv.com: Official 7.0 notes, 2024-06-28: maximum level 100, crafting action changes, collectables and Wachumeqimeki delivery prerequisites.
