Leveling your crafters in Final Fantasy XIV can be significantly accelerated by utilizing various EXP bonuses, gear, and methods. Beyond the natural Rest EXP bonus, several stackable buffs and strategic approaches can dramatically increase your crafting EXP yield. This guide outlines key strategies to level your FF14 crafters efficiently.
Road to 80 Buff: The Preferred World Advantage (+100%)
Players on Preferred Worlds benefit from the exceptional Road to 80 buff. This buff provides a substantial +100% bonus to all EXP earned until level 80. This effectively halves the time and effort required to level crafting classes up to level 80, making it the most impactful EXP boost available.
Engineering Manuals: Essential Early Level Boost (+150%)
Company-Issue Engineering Manuals and Commercial Engineering Manuals are crucial for rapid leveling from levels 1 to 21. These manuals grant a significant +150% EXP bonus specifically from crafting item completions. While their impact diminishes after level 21 as a larger portion of EXP comes from sources other than crafting completion, they still contribute to reducing the total number of crafts needed to level up. When combined with the EXP Scaling method, Engineering Manuals can further optimize your leveling process.
Helping Hand II: Free Company Crafting EXP Buff (+10%)
Belonging to an active Free Company offers another avenue for boosting crafting EXP. If your Free Company activates the Helping Hand II Company Action, you will receive a +10% EXP bonus for all successful crafting syntheses for a 24-hour duration. It’s important to note that this buff does not apply to EXP gained from Ishgard Restoration hand-ins.
Bonus EXP Gear: Leveling Gear Perks
-
Friendship Circlet: +20% EXP (up to level 26)
-
Ala Mhigan Earrings: +30% EXP (up to level 51)
Acquiring Bonus EXP gear provides a notable boost during the early to mid-levels of crafting. The Friendship Circlet offers a +20% EXP bonus up to level 26, while the Ala Mhigan Earrings increase EXP by 30% up to level 51. These gear bonuses are stackable with other EXP buffs and can be seamlessly integrated into any crafting macro rotations. However, similar to the Free Company buff, EXP bonuses from gear do not enhance rewards from Ishgard Restoration hand-ins.
EXP Scaling: Maximize Ishgard Restoration EXP
To optimize EXP gains from Ishgard Restoration recipes, utilize the EXP Scaling method. This technique involves crafting the required materials for hand-ins at the lowest possible level before leveling up. The EXP awarded from crafting scales down as your crafting level increases. Therefore, by waiting to craft a larger batch of hand-in items at the minimum level required for the recipe, you maximize the total EXP earned compared to crafting smaller batches as you level.
By strategically combining these methods, you can significantly accelerate your crafter leveling journey in FF14, making the process more efficient and enjoyable.