Alchemy Guide by Arayne
Alchemy 0-100 By Arayne
Welcome to my Horizon focused guide to Alchemy for skill and profit! This guide is designed with the intent to focus more on skill ups than on profit, but profit can be made while leveling up your skill. Before we get started, we should quick go over a couple quick things:
Skill level differences and difficulty crafting
The further away you are from a craft’s cap, the easier it is to skill up! The downside to this, though, is that it is far more difficult to craft the further away you are from the skill cap.
1-2 levels away from cap - Redundant zone. Unless you absolutely want levels in this area, due to ease of materials or gil potential from a craft, you should never craft in this range. That being said, my guide DOES have a few crafts we take to cap, just for those stated reasons.
3-5 levels away from cap - Ideal crafting zone. This range is the most ideal simply because you can get the materials, and not have to worry about needing support. Simply get your materials and crystal, and craft!
6-8 levels away from cap - Advanced Support Zone. This range you will want to grab advanced synthesis image support, which grants a temporary +3 to your skill, and allows you to craft recipes like they were in the Ideal crafting zone, with a chance to get higher skill up numbers if it works! This range is great, but requires you to be attached to the advanced support guild member’s hip the entire time, and you don't skill up if you break. Pick your poison.
9-15 levels away from cap - Difficult zone. This range is best avoided, because even with Advanced support, you are too far away to successfully craft reliably. That being said, should you manage to craft, you’re pretty much guaranteed to skill up. I use this as a “I’m going to force my way to the next craft” thing, but you will not see that in this guide. 16+ levels away from cap - That synthesis is beyond your current skill. Can’t even attempt.
Desynthesis and you:
Desynthesis is the process of breaking down a finished project into basic ingredients in an attempt to get back key items to either repeat the process, or sell the product on the auction house. It is rare to get skill ups from it on retail, and as this server is more accurate to retail than previous servers, it will be unlikely to get you as much skill.
Money making options
Money making options in alchemy are few and far between. That being said, you should always keep an eye out for other means to make money. Just remember that most money options will not be available until you can HQ, or High Quality it. All potential money making options will be outlined in bold and italics, and REGULAR BOLD IN CAPS WHEN ONLY HQ WILL NET YOU PROFITS.
Important NPCs
Adb-al-Raziq - The Guild master. He is the one that you can sign up to the guild itself, and turn in your test items to rank up. He is located in the “Alchemy Guild in Bastok Mines. Once your level ends in an 8, I HIGHLY recommend you pay him a visit with a test item.
Azima - Advanced Image Support. Help pay for her eye surgery, and she will give you a temporary +3 to your skill for a nominal fee of 30g x your rank level. So, 30g to start, 60 after you rank up, 90g after that, and so on. This allows you to skill up on a craft that is a little further away, but it doesn’t allow you to test any sooner.
The Guide itself
Now that we have covered the basics, we can move on to the meat of the guide. This guide is going to have a format that allows you to follow at any level you are at! Simply look at your craft level, and find the item I recommend! The format for this guide will be
(recommended level to start and finish i.e. 0-5) ITEM NAME (Level Cap) - Recipe - Notes will be written right after with instructions such as “Save this item for a later recipe” or “Desynth this item”
TEST ITEM - starting at level 8, any time you skill up to a level ending in 8, you can turn in a test item to increase your skill rank, which raises your skill cap. For example; you start with a cap of level 10, and cannot skill higher than 10 until you turn in a test item to the NPC Adb-al-Raziq.
Level 0 - 10
0-5 BEESWAX (5) - Fire Crystal, Beehive Chip x3, Distilled Water: Welcome to Alchemy, when you farm the chips, this will be your main source of cash, for a long time. In Gustaberg, there are a LOT of bees that you can farm. Make the chips into beeswax, and make a good amount of cash. Because this recipe is used a LOT by higher level alchemists, and many do not want to do the scut work. Use this to your advantage, and remember that a stack can get you around 10k, so do NOT cheat yourself out of cash, because it is needed. SAVE THE HONEY YOU FARM!
5-9 CORNSTARCH (9) - Lightning Crystal, Millioncorn x2: Quick. Easy. Cheap. In and out, and to the next recipe.
9-12 POISON DUST (12) - Lightning Crystal, Yellow Globe x2: Hold on to these dust, you will need them shortly.
TEST ITEM: ANIMAL GLUE (7) - Fire Crystal, Bone Chip x2, Rabbit Hide, Distilled Water: This recipe is here as a go to for when you do guild points, as many of the recipes will be putting a status potion on a weapon. Never forget this recipe, and KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE MONEY ON IT WHEN YOU CAN HIGH QUALITY IT.
Level 10 - 20
12-16 MERCURY (16) - Lightning Crystal, Cobalt Jellyfish x4: Go to Bibiki Bay. Talk to Mep Nhapopoluko, buy as many cobalt jellyfish as you can afford. They are 9g each, so it shouldn’t cost you too much. Synth ALL of them. Hold on to all of your mercury, and get ready for the next step. Then AH the rest of them. If done in moderation, this recipe is a great cash grab, as mercury sells quickly and well. It isn’t as much cash as Beeswax, but it does sell faster, without having to farm. While on the way to Bibiki Bay and back, clear out the leeches. This will net you another boost in cash from the Bird Blood.
16-18 POISON POTION (18) - Water Crystal, Mercury, Poison Dust: This recipe is a great recipe. It's a TEST ITEM, it's a great way to make money, and it only makes one potion per craft, meaning that there is no way a higher level crafter can come in and take the funds from you. These potions are needed for many Chains of Promathia fights, including the Promys and Diabolos, Dynamis - Bastok, and Dynamis - Windurst.
18-20 ECHO DROPS (20) - Water Crystal, Honey, Sage, Distilled Water: Unless you High Quality on Silent Oil, you are LOSING MAJOR PROFITS on making it at this time. This recipe isn’t much better if you didn’t save honey, or ignored Beeswax for some reason, but I’d rather spend the money on a somewhat lesser used material than the one that is going to set you back hardcore because you ran out of beeswax.
TEST ITEM: POISON POTION (18) - See Above.
Level 20 - 30
20-28 BLINDING POTION (28) - Lightning Crystal, Mercury, Nebimonite:You will need Advanced support for this, and this recipe is a little more expensive than the Poison Flour version, but gives more skill, and you can accumulate the items quicker. You STILL have Mercury, right? Save one as a TEST ITEM.
28-31 BLIND BOLT HEADS (31, Smithing 14) - Wind Crystal, Bronze Ingot, Blinding Potion, Animal Glue: Normally, I do these guides with the mindset of “You don’t need another craft to get to 60”. The bolt head recipes are all the way up, so it is best to just get the 14 skill (Make sure to view MY GUIDE to get there quickly) and move on.
TEST ITEM: BLINDING POTION- See above.
Level 30 - 40
31-32 ARTIFICIAL LENS (34) - Fire Crystal, Glass Fiber x2: This isn't a good craft, but it will get the annoying 9 level gap out of the next recipe. You'll be more happy with this when you get your craft up higher, and can actually MAKE the Glass Fiber.
32-37 POTION (40) - Water Crystal, Lizard Tail, Distilled Water, Sage: This recipe is so cheap and convenient, it is a shame it is so high, and so close to the next convenient recipe. Avoid Firesand if you have no smithing or goldsmithing to make bullets.
37-42 VITRIOL (42) - Water Crystal, Treant Bulb x2: The Bulbs are cheap on the Auction House, and the recipe this is used for is a very common one to use.
TEST ITEM: FIRE SAND (40) - Earth Crystal, Bomb Ash x2, Sulphur: Just go make it. The stuff can be found at the NPCs. It is expensive this way, but manageable.
Level 40 - 50
43-45 ACID BOLT HEAD (45 Smithing 14 ) - Wind Crystal, Vitriol, Bronze Ingot, Animal Glue: These babies are used a LOT by Woodworkers for thieves. Make yourself some for your own use, and know that while it may not be better to HQ these, sell them on the Auction House, and then use the profits to buy your own, making your own bolts/arrows feels good. Period. You feel like you are self-sustaining.
45-51 HOLY WATER (51) - Light Crystal, Distilled Water: This recipe is used a lot in CoP and anything that can curse. It is highly profitable. Tired of Beeswax? Welcome to another form of cash.
TEST ITEM: FIRE SWORD (46) - Earth Crystal, Fire Sand, Iron Sword, Slime Oil: A popular low level sword. This is made in attempts to make Flame Swords, and dumped. Grab one off the Auction House.
PAUSE
You’ve just turned in the last test item you will need to get to 60. If you want to go to 100 with this craft, it will cost you quite a bit of gil, and most of the options here are just high quality of major consumables like Silent Oil, but there are things like Hakutaku Clusters that will make you a LOT of money. If you want to go further, make sure you find a woodworking main to make Divine Sap later! You two will become best friends.
Level 50 - 60
51-53 HOLY BOLT HEAD (53) - Wind Crystal, Holy Water x2, Bronze Ingot: A bridge to keep from blowing your brains out on sleeping potions.
53-56 SLEEPING POTION (56) - Water Crystal, Chamomile, Poison Flour, Sleepshroom: I hate this craft. It isn’t too bad, but it feels tedious. Blast through these levels, and don’t look back. These also sell on the Auction House in stacks because of Maat Fights, but it isn’t worth focusing on.
56-61 VENOM DUST (61) - Lightning Crystal, Scorpion Claw x 2: This recipe is great for moving through the levels. Move on.
TEST ITEM: HI-POTION (60) - Water Crystal, Sage, Malboro Vine, Distilled Water: Make or buy it. Move on.
Post 60
A SECOND NOTE!!! IF YOU GO FURTHER, YOU NEED TO BE GETTING GUILD POINTS TO GET THE MOST IMPORTANT KEY ITEM OF YOUR LIFE: ANIMA SYNTHESIS. START EARLY, AND GET THEM AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE!
Level 60 - 70
61-68 VENOM POTION (68) - Water Crystal, Venom Dust, Mercury: What did you expect, Holy Swords? Cermet? Nah, you just made a bunch of dust, turn it into a potion.
68-72 PARALYSIS DUST (72) - Lightning Crystal, Three-Eyed Fish: Big fish energy here. Go to Qufim and talk to fishers, they’re usually willing to part with these on the cheap.
TEST ITEM: ACID KUKRI (67) - Mythril Kukri, Animal Glue, Vitriol: Probably best making this one, might be able to find one cheap though.
Level 70 - 80
72-78 PARALYZE POTION (78) - Water Crystal, Paralysis Dust, Mercury: What, did you expect Anima here? Oh yes, that caps at 75, but you only want to micro batch it until you get a few buyers to take their money from. Make a little anima, put it on the auction house, and sell your services, but ONLY once you hit 75. Unless you have a buyer that’s willing to deal with your breaks and potential losses.
78-81 BLOODY BOLT HEADS (81, Smithing 14) - Wind Crystal, Beastman Blood, Revival Root, Bronze Ingot: Your final Bolt head. This one is worth a lot of money, and you will be asked to make some, especially for woodworkers that want to make a big profit on bolts. Make to cap, and save some stacks to slow roll.
TEST ITEM: X-POTION (77) - Water Crystal, Sage x2, Reishi Mushroom, Hecteyes Eye, Distilled Water: Crafted only, so you’ll likely have to make it. Good luck!
Level 80 - 90
81-87 HOLY LEATHER (87) - Light Crystal, Ram Leather, Holy Water: This will sell slowly on the auction house because it is used for White Mage AF+1 gear. It also NPCs for a bit of cash, but it will be a slight loss unless bought on Auction House.
87-91 MAMUSHITO (91) - Water Crystal, Paralyze Potion, Shinobi-Gatana, Animal Glue: Did… did I just recommend a weapon with a potion effect? Yes, yes I did.
(ALT) 87-91 URUSHI (91, Woodworking 59, Smithing 21) - Fire Crystal, Lacquer Tree Sap x4, Iron Ore, Honey: Wow, another thing I haven’t done; recommend a recipe outside bolt heads with lots of crafting subs. This will make you money from woodworkers, as well as skill. They make the sap, you make the Urushi, they make items to get to 100 skill with it, and you both profit from it. It is worth making.
TEST ITEM: BLOOD SWORD (88) - Dark Crystal, Bastard Sword, Beastman Blood, Revival Tree Root: You will likely have to make this, but it is the last turn in, and feels good to make. Turn it in, and scream… welcome to hell…
Level 90 - 100
91-96 PLATINUM NUGGET (96) - Fire Crystal, Panacea, Platinum Leaf: Between this and Panaceas, you want to try to hit 98. You will be a goldsmith’s best friend and friend to elemental ore growers that fail to harvest an ore. This recipe is worth it, even if you’re using the Panacea that is the next craft to make it.
96-98 PANACEA (98) - Light Crystal, Philosopher’s Stone, Mercury, Sulfur, Rock Salt: Philosopher Stones can be a pain to get, but they can also be plentiful. It will be a toss up at times. The idea is to cap out and make as many nuggies as you can and get a goldsmith to turn those into ingots for you. Make money and friends.
98-100 PRO-ETHER (100) - Water Crystal, Dried Marjoram x3, Ahriman Wing x2, Wyvern Wing, Treant Bulb, Distilled Water: Wyvern wings and Ahriman Wings are going to be your hold up on these. HOARD THOSE UNTIL YOU GET TO THIS POINT! If you do, you may be able to power through those last few levels! Congratulations!
