FFXIV Armorsmith Leveling Guide L1 to 80 | 5.3 ShB Updated

Shadowbringers Updated! “How bad can it be?” Armorer power leveling to 80! ARM Levequest Items comparisons and value moves per tier!

ARM Leveling Guide 64-70

MIN & BTN Leveling Guides updated. Other notes...

Botanist Leveling to 90, as well as Miner Leveling to 90 are updated for the Endwalker tier. Older tiers needs some fixing, although I modernized what I could quickly – I placed the important notes on the top of the aforementioned guides reflecting the major things that you need to take note of.

I will post a personal update soon, for those that are curious…

ShB 5.3 UPDATED! Dwarf Beast Tribe and Ehll Tou

Recent Update Log

5.3 Updates

  • Dwarf Beast Tribe quests added in ShB tier as a notable EXP source.
  • Ehll Tou added as Custom Delivery client option.

Previous updates

  • Kai Shirr added as Custom Delivery client option in ShB tier.
  • L70 to L80 section essentially revamped: New Skills & Rotations! 5.2ish was a clusterF. Skills changed TWICE in a short span of time. All is well now!
  • L70+ Gear recommendation:  Yellow Scrip gear is now recommended, for a number of reasons (Mainly, barely need stats for 70 to 80 leveling)

The grind continues!

ARM Leveling Guide – Navigation: [0-15] | [15-35] | [35-50]
[50-60] | [60-64] | [64-70] | [70-80]

Armorer Leveling 64 to 66

Gear Check Reminder II

If everyone followed the guide, their gear will now be caught up. Here’s what you should be packing… (Copied from previous page, just to remind you)

SlotItemLevelCheap Meld ICheap Meld II
WeaponHigh Steel Doming Hammer62AnyAny
OffhandHigh Steel Pliers63AnyAny
ChestBloodhempen Doublet of Crafting61Competence III+Command III+
HeadBloodhempen Turban of Crafting61Competence IVCommand IV
GlovesGaganaskin Halfgloves61Competence IVCommand IV
BeltRuby Cotton Apron62Cunning IVCunning II
PantsBloodhempen Skirt61Cunning IV+Command IV
BootsGaganaskin Shoes61Cunning IV+Command IV
EarringLarch Earrings63Cunning IV+Cunning III
NeckLarch Necklace63Cunning IV+Cunning III
WristLarch Bracelets63Cunning IV+Cunning III
RingLarch Ring63Cunning IV+Competence III
RingLarch Ring63Cunning IV+Competence III

Reach 409 CP. I don’t care how you achieve this, but do it.

CROSS CLASS SKILLS! FIX 'EM UP!

Here are the 10 cross-class skills you should have for all your classes.

ALCARMBSMCRPCULGSMLTWWVR
I2CZCZCZCZCZCZCZ
BBToTToTToTToTToTToTToT
SH2I2BBI2I2I2I2I2
MuscleBBSH2SH2BBBBBBBB
InnoSH2MuscleMuscleInnoSH2SH2SH2
WNMuscleInnoInnoWNMuscleMuscleMuscle
MMInnoWNWNMMWNInnoInno
FSWNMMMMFSNameMMWN
RecMMFSFSNameBrandFSMM
OPENFSRecRecBrandRecRecFS

I hope you’re familiar with what these are. Muscle is Muscle Memory from CUL, MM and FS are Maker’s Mark and Flawless Synthesis from GSM.

Important Notes:

** CUL and GSM need to cross-class a “Name” and “Brand” of any element.
** All classes except ARM and WVR have access to Reclaim AND Maker’s Mark + Flawless Synthesis.

Since ARM and WVR have to choose between access to “MM+FS” rotations or “Reclaim“, I personally chose “MM+FS” since it’s very unlikely you’ll fail any manual craft with that. Reclaim on the other hand has its uses. Since most rotations require more than 55 CP to complete, you can choose to reclaim if you feel non-HQ is inevitable.

Up to you, buddy…

Reclaim. *snicker*” –
Mahiko Sans Fukkius

L64 Unlocked Patient Touch

Patient Touch is pretty good, huh? Great for RNG gambling rotations. But for now, you can simply replace the first Hasty Touch II of any rotation with Patient Touch.

It’s optional, but a slight improvement IMO. While it increases your odds to fail by a tiny bit, it increases your HQ success chance but quite a huge margin.

Armorer Levequests @ 64

ClassLevelQtyItemTypeLevequest NameBest?
ARM641Doman Iron Greaves of MaimingSGreaving3
ARM641Doman Iron FrypanSHome Cooking1
ARM641Doman Iron Tassets of FendingTEn Garde and On Guard3
ARM 64 Levequest discussion

Doman Iron Frypan is the best one in this tier. The other two are so laughably bad they’re not worth discussing. If you can miraculously buy the cheap off the MB, sure.

But, having said that, the previous tier’s High Steel Ingot is still “best” in terms of cost.

ARM 64 to 66: What I did in this tier

Well, I told you to prepare didn’t I? The High Steel Ingot submissions are what’s going to push you through the majority of this tier.

However – you can supplement your EXP and save quite a few leves by making Oroshigane Ingots. YOU WILL USE MANY OF THESE as they’re a submission for BSM, and a precursor to Tama-hagane Ingot which is the next “value leve” for ARM.

You may want to wait for L65 gear upgrades before spamming Oroshigane Ingot (submit High Steel Ingots first) – it can be tough. Speaking of gear upgrades, make the 65 CUL Frypan, and 66 ALC offhand.

Grinding Armorer 64 to 66

You better start with Oroshigane Ingots – you’re gonna need quite a few of these. Try to balance it out, but don’t worry too much about extras.

Important notes and events in this tier

Optional Rotation: L64 40DUR 1058DIFF

These were extremely hard at level 63~64! I TESTED THESE WITH A MINIMUM OF 934 CRAFTSMANSHIP (slightly above the gear check above). I suggest waiting until 65 to do any L64 “ingot” grinding.

Or I could be wrong in my notes – simply test it out first. If Name > Brand > Brand works for you, great. Waiting for the L65 shirt and Mainhand ensures this. Here’s the rotation:

/ac “Comfort Zone” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Inner Quiet” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Waste Not” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Steady Hand II” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Patient Touch” <me> <wait.3>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <me> <wait.3>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <me> <wait.3>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <me> <wait.3>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <me> <wait.3>
/ac “Master’s Mend” <me> <wait.3>
/ac “Great Strides” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Steady Hand II” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Innovation” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Basic Touch” <me> <wait.3>

/ac “Great Strides” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Byregot’s Blessing” <me> <wait.3>
/ac “Steady Hand” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Name of Fire” <me> <wait.2>
/ac “Brand of Fire” <me> <wait.3>
/ac “Brand of Fire” <me> <wait.3>

THIS CERTAIN “MACRO” HAS NAME AND BRAND OF FIRE. PLEASE ADJUST IT TO YOUR CLASS. CUL AND WVR HAVE NO BRAND OR NAME SKILL SO CROSS CLASS ANY ONE OF ‘EM.

L64 80 Durability?

If you’re hellbent on crafting a 64 or 65 with the “base set” described above do so at your own risk. It’s VERY VERY doable using Maker’s Mark type rotations and manual crafting.

But like I said, I WOULD ADVISE HOLDING OUT UNTIL L65! If you plan on crafting for any sort of grindlike activities, the shirt and weapon help loads.

At L65 we will be having the 80 Durability “end-all” rotation.

L65 ARM Class Quest

Rewards are Manipulation II, which is a great skill. Our rotations will be based around it at L66.

You also get an NQ Main hand weapon (sucky), and Kudzu tier left-side NQ (also meh). They’re NOT worth it.

But HQ versions? Hmm…

L65 Gear Update: Kudzu Shirt & Main Hand

HQ Kudzu Robe of Crafting (Cheap Meld: Control III+ x2)

This is a VALUE upgrade since it straight up annihilates our old shirt. It’s worth it. It also feels good buying this knowing all our classes can use it. The other left-side slots are technically optional.

HQ L65 MH: Doman Iron Raising Hammer (Cheap Meld: OPEN / Any)

Can’t complain here. The HQ 65 main hand completely obliterates previous tiers BiS weapon.

After buying these upgrades, you are functionally equal, or superior, to Heavensward “BiS” crafters that spent millions pentamelding their gear. It’s both a happy and sad moment, as the circle of a crafters life continues…

THE REST OF THE KUDZU TIER IS OPTIONAL: It will make HQing easier with zero HQ materials. It’s completely up to you. I did NOT upgrade gear but it’s easy to see how you will benefit from them.

L65 Rotation Update: 80 Durability

This is a TEMPORARY ROTATION mainly to show you how to complete recipes of this difficulty onward. It will be updated to its final form in ONE LEVEL (66), so it’s up to you if you wanna learn this one. It’s very similar to it’s final evolution.

L65 80 Durability “showcase”

/ac “Muscle Memory” <wait.3>
/ac “Comfort Zone” <wait.2>
/ac “Inner Quiet” <wait.2>
/ac “Waste Not” <wait.2>
/ac “Steady Hand II” <wait.2>
/ac “Patient Touch” <wait.3>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <wait.3>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <wait.3>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <wait.3>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <wait.3>
/ac “Manipulation II” <wait.2>
/ac “Steady Hand II” <wait.2>
/ac “Basic Touch” <wait.3>
/ac “Basic Touch” <wait.3>
/ac “Basic Touch” <wait.3>

/ac “Great Strides” <wait.2>
/ac “Byregot’s Blessing” <wait.3>
/ac “Ingenuity II” <wait.2>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <wait.3>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <wait.3>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <wait.3>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <wait.3>

But here’s the thing – I experimented with this rotation at L66, but I can only imagine extreme niche scenarios wherein “I2 CSIIIx4 + CSIIIx1” (my prior rotation) is better than “MM + I2 CSIIx4”. Lemme know. But, I’m pretty damn sure this works from 65.

L66 Gear Update: Offhand

HQ Doman Iron Pliers is a massive stat upgrade, and you should be buying or making one of these. If you want to meld it, Control III+.

L66 Unlocks Prudent Touch

Prudent Touch. Read it.

With Prudent Touch and Manipulation II,
we will now rise into godhood.

 

Armorer Leveling 66 to 68

I’ll put it up here since it’s very important: The following rotations are “the final form” of both 40 and 80 durability crafts. You can use these “macros” to learn how to manual craft them.

L66+ “Obliterator Rotations”

L66+ 40DUR 'Annihilator'

As implied, this rotation will crush any 40 durability from here on out.

/ac “Comfort Zone” <me><wait.2>
/ac “Inner Quiet” <me><wait.2>
/ac “Steady Hand II” <me><wait.2>
/ac “Patient Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Basic Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Prudent Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Prudent Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Prudent Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Manipulation II” <me><wait.2>
/ac “Steady Hand II” <me><wait.2>
/ac “Prudent Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Innovation” <me><wait.2>
/ac “Prudent Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Great Strides” <me><wait.2>
/echo I am nothing without Mahiko Senpai <se.1>

/ac “Byregot’s Blessing” <wait.3>
/ac “Ingenuity II” <me><wait.2>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <me><wait.3>
/echo Macro #2 complete T-thank you M-Mahiko Senpai <se.14>

L66+ 80DUR 'It that Destroys'

And this one will eradicate 80 durability recipes from now onwards.

While I can’t say I tested every niche “undergeared” scenario, this work of art CRUSHED every recipe at or near its level.

/ac “Muscle Memory” <wait.3>
/ac “Comfort Zone” <wait.2>
/ac “Inner Quiet” <wait.2>
/ac “Steady Hand II” <wait.2>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <wait.3>
/ac “Hasty Touch II” <wait.3>
/ac “Basic Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Basic Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Basic Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Manipulation II” <wait.2>
/ac “Steady Hand II” <wait.2>
/ac “Prudent Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Prudent Touch” <me><wait.3>
/ac “Prudent Touch” <me><wait.3>
/echo Macro #1 complete I am nothing without Mahiko Senpai <se.1>

/ac “Great Strides” <wait.2>
/ac “Byregot’s Blessing” <wait.3>
/ac “Ingenuity II” <wait.2>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <wait.3>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <wait.3>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <wait.3>
/ac “Careful Synthesis III” <wait.3>
/echo Macro #2 complete T-thank you M-Mahiko Senpai <se.14>

However...

I did not test these under all stress tests to prevent stupidity like “I have L62 main hand and L63 offhand and tried to craft L70 Ingot“. These recipes will carry you past certain gear upgrades at certain times. But don’t be greedy man, upgrade your damn gear to be safe.

I did not test these on recipes absurdly higher than my current level. Be responsible. They’re good rotations absolutely brimming with value but please… test it out first if you know you’re doing something dumb.

As long as your gear is up to date (the final mandatory gear upgrade is 67 main hand)

“Here… Now… Your ascendance is complete.”
– Mahiko “Deus Factorem” San

Leveling from here is mostly a formality, and it’s only a matter of time before you hit 70. Just a little more to go!

Armorer Levequests @ 66

ClassLevelQtyItemTypeLevequest NameBest?
ARM661Doman Steel Tabard of FendingSArt Imitates Life3
ARM661Tama-hagane IngotSSmells of Rich Tamahagane1
ARM661Doman Steel Greaves of StrikingTSweeping the Legs3
ARM 66 Levequest discussion

Tama-hagane Ingot is the “endpoint”. This is the “Omega Levequest” for ARM in Stormblood tier. No levequest in the further tier(s) will surpass the raw value of this.

Doman Steel Tabard of Fending and Doman Steel Greaves of Striking are not only terrible in comparison, but just plain terrible “80 durability” crafts. I feel dumber just by typing out this paragraph.

ARM 66 to 68: What I did in this tier

Luckily, I told you in the previous tier to craft a metric ton of Oroshigane Ingots. Not only are they used for BSM submissions, they’re a prerequisite to our best friend, the Tama-hagane Ingot.

“Look no further”. Tama-hagane Ingot is the levequest submission that will allow you to reach that place…

From here your road is pretty much set in stone.

Make the 67 CUL frypan while you’re at it. Ignore the 68 ALC offhand, it’s optional.

Grinding Armorer 66 to 68

More Oroshigane Ingot and Tama-hagane Ingot shenanigans.

Important notes and events in this tier

L66 Off Hand Weapon

For ARM, that would be Doman Iron Pliers. HQ version of this is mandatory.

L67 Main Hand Weapon, Focused Synthesis

For ARM, that would be Doman Steel Raising Hammer. HQ version of this is mandatory.

L67 also unlocks Focused Synthesis, which is a damn good skill. I used it in many a fresh 70 rotation to “proc” Manipulation II in the latter end of progress.

L68 ARM Class Quest

The rewards are meh. You get a choice of any Tier V crafting materia, which is welcome I guess. Choose whichever you need (honestly, CP is a good bet). Or what’s most expensive.

You also get the L68 NQ off-hand, which is pretty bad.

Finally, hitting 68 gives you Focused Touch, whose primary use is to squeeze one more touch unsupported by Steady Hand.

L68 Marid Leather Bolero? 68HQ Offhand?

L68 Marid Leather Bolero of Crafting HQ (Cheap melded with Competence III+ Command III+) I would say now it’s mandatory. It should spiritbond fast enough so you won’t feel too bad about it. I initially thought against it, but I’m gonna go ahead and recommend this.

L68 HQ Doman Steel Pliers? Honestly, I didn’t bother and it didn’t affect me. At least we save one gear piece worth of upgrades.

Armorer Leveling 68 to 70

“There are two type of people who reach this hallowed place. Those who have Leves… And those who do not.”
– Mahiko “Did not” San.

How painful the final step is will largely depend on how FAST you clawed upwards. Having said that, if you took it easy and HAVE LEVES – abuse the living daylights out of them since they will serve you almost no purpose once your DoH levels are done.

Armorer Levequests @ 68

ClassLevelQtyItemTypeLevequest NameBest?
ARM681Molybdenum Armguards of ScoutingSSpoony is the Bard3
ARM681Molybdenum Headgear of MaimingTHeads Will Roll3
ARM681Molybdenum Kite ShieldSSee Shields by the Sea Shore3
ARM 68 Levequest discussion

This tier is filth. Under no circumstances, ever… at all, should you pursue any of these levequests. There is no point, reason, or motivational gain for doing so. It defies logic, economics, and the general faith in humankind.

They’re bad too.

That being said, you may find a glimmer of hope that some guys sold them on the market board for cheap. Good luck with that.

ARM 68 to 70: What I did in this tier

Continue along the Tama-hagane Ingot path. It is the main path onwards.

You can save a few leves making Molybdenum Ingots. They’re very useful for the endgame and beyond, and for getting Yellow Scrip tier turn-ins! You won’t be sad to make ’em now. Don’t worry if they pop out NQ.

Oh, you need those Ingots for BSM turn-ins, but HQ should be inexpensive off the MB…

Just a little more! Hang in there, you’ll be forged in no time.

Grinding Armorer 68 to 70

Continue with Oroshigane Ingot, Tama-hagane Ingot, and augment with Molybdenum Ingot.

Important notes and events in this tier

This tiers materials are heavily used

So always check the market board for cheap mats. Whether it’s for red or yellow scrip, lots of crafters use the 68-70 tier materials so they should be abundant and fairly priced off the market board.

L68 Optional Upgrades: HQing is hard

As I mentioned previously, the 68 Main Hand is OPTIONAL.

With the “Obliterator Rotations” you should be doing very well still. However, do not think for one second that “100% HQ is possible from 0 HQ Mats”. That’s just silly, while leveling.

HQ raw materials in this tier are cheap since high level crafters don’t care about the quality of mats in this tier.

The first option is “Try to get 1/4th of your materials HQ”. So when you craft you have a slight advantage.

You want more consistency? It’s time for optional upgrades, then, which are the rest of the Marid Leather / Serge Tier.

L70 ARM Class Quest

The rewards are quite good. You get ALL Tier V crafting materia, as well as the Stroke of Genius trait.

The class quests are pretty decent, so there’s that. Aside from lore, the hype on reaching 70 is more of a relaxed “Finally…”

Armorer Level 70 and Beyond

Welp! That’s about it for Stormblood content!  IT IS TIME TO GO TO SHADOWBRINGERS TIER!

ARM Leveling Guide – Navigation: [0-15] | [15-35] | [35-50]
[50-60] | [60-64] | [64-70] | [70-80]

Join our IRL Cross-World Linkshells (socials lol): 

Contact us about anything and everything. Don't be shy! Love our guides and want to let us know? Got questions or corrections? Suggestions for improvement? TALK TO US! How, you say?

Comment below if it's about this guide. Message us on any of our socials above about anything.  We're organizing our email situation if you're into that.


16 thoughts on “FFXIV Armorsmith Leveling Guide L1 to 80 | 5.3 ShB Updated”

  1. Regarding the Lvl 76 Macro Update: I think I’ll stick to the L74 Macro as the little update is too unreliably for lower recipies than L76 if you follow the gearing update at Lvl 71. It finishes the craft before the quality step is finished.
    Otherwise many many thanks and much love tou you creating and sharing all these wonderful leveling guides for DoH/DoL. It’s a huge boost for me. <3

  2. Just wanted to throw it out there that you can buy the Titanium Tassets of Fending from Zundu Sell-It in Sea of Clouds for 11,008 gil, just in case you have the extra cash on hand to throw at it rather than have to deal with all the crafting.

  3. For me, it seems the best way to get 56-60 is by doin collectible’s.

    Titanium nuggets are 100k a turnin, wich translates the same as the leve’s more or less.

    Leveled GSM the same way, and u can go up really quickly provided u have the materials.

    Also, if you fail to achieve 250 collectible..your still able to turn them in as a leve.

  4. I’ve hit 56 on armorer yesterday and got to 58 today in about 3 hours. Since I have a miner so I’ve spent an hour gathering all mats and grind on Titanium Nuggets for collectible turn in and use commercial scrolls to boost exp, with rested exp, I net about 33K per nugget. So for 20 nuggets turn in I got roughly 2.9mil exp, it didn’t take that long imo. From 56-60 you would need about 12mil exp so it comes down to 80-90 nuggets, not to mention if you’re doing Moogle beast tribe and daily GC, it will fasten up the process.

  5. Hi,
    Armorer is my second skill im (serious) leveling. Since my GSM is maxed out i used the Mythril ingot leve from the 35-40 tier all the way to lvl 45 or so since its easy-peasy to HQ them as lvl 60 GSM. Fastest way to get past those lvls IMO

  6. Well between lv25-30 you don’t recommend to do leve Heavy Iron Flanchard but I disagree with you. I could make HQ Heavy Iron Flanchard at lv26 which I get another 100% exp extra when I turn in (55k in 1 allowance). Consider allowance are based on time I recommend to use it wisely.

    It cost more materials and money to make but if you stockpiled iron ingots (HQ) and Aldgoat leather it’s worth the exp based on allowance. I recommend this is the fastest way to reach lv30.

    But overall I love your site!!

    1. Yep courier is a good choice if you’re short on leves. As a general rule people who swim in leves wouldn’t mind the speed of singles.

    1. If leves are SCARCE to you, then it’s not recommended. Doing the crafting log + GC scroll EXP should bring you up. However, as stated above, the “courier + reverse courier” would be the most leve-efficient choice.

  7. Not sure if it’s changed but the Level 50 Armorer turn in quest is a Cobalt Haubergeon with a Heaven’s Eye Materia III.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*