Guild Wars 2 Armorsmith 0 to 400 Guide

Guild Wars 2 Armorsmith 0 to 400 Discovery Guide by Kyzr_Relax

Hello, and welcome to Kyzr’s Official GW2 Crafting Guide.  My guild Relax came to the Blackgate server with other SWTOR converts guilds of Maven and Mouretsu.  While I’m sure most of you have already started scrolling down, for the non-tl;dr crowd, here’s a few tips:

Armorcrafting essentially follows a set pattern until 375.  The best guide I could come up with is an estimate of materials you would need, and a simple “step by step” guide.

Some Fine items unlock as you unlock the ore, and others 25 levels later.  They shift around, so you will not be making the same items at the start of each tier, but you can/will eventually make them all.

Salvage is kind of weird.  You don’t appear to get more material for using better Kits, just chances at fine/rare/exotic materials.  Now, the only way to get cloth is from salvage or drops, so I suggest you salvage all (non-rare/yellow) Cloth items, and all white gear period.  After that, I’d sell any blues or greens (unless the green has a sigil/rune you want).  Make sure you’re using Master Kits on yellows.

Each full item-set (gloves, boots, helm, shoulders) you make requires the following, and you should be making 4 of each (with different insignias):

6 Ingots, 7 Bolts, 4 Spools, 12 Fine. (Discovery Phase)
6 Ingots, 7 Bolts, 24 Spools, 32 Fine. (Mastercraft Phase)

Each tier is broken into 4 phases:

– Refinement: Turning your ore and cloth into ingots and bolts.  Make as much as you can and don’t hold back.  You still get levels for these early into a tier, and you can sell any excess you make for almost zero loss.  The higher level you get in this phase, the less you have to make in the Mastercraft phase.

– Base Craft: Making the armor plating and cloth lining.  Again, you’re going to make a lot of these, but in specific amounts.  The more accurately you follow the guide, the less material you will waste.  If at the end of Mastercraft, you may need to make more of these base items if you didn’t get out of your tier.

– Discovery: The best part.  Using the discovery tab to power through the levels and make gear.  Trick here is to not do the typical MMO grind of making hundreds of items you’re just going to vendor.  You’re going to make 1 of each and that’s it.

– Mastercraft: The worst part.  You’re still doing discovery, but it takes 8 “Fine Items” per craft.  It’s very easy to run out and have to turn to the TP to do this.  I can’t offer any advice on farming other than I hope you got enough as you leveled and to buy it from the TP.

0-75: Novice / Bronze

The worst part about this phase is the Jute.  It’s almost impossible to farm because salvageable drops are set to your level.  If you didn’t collect these in advance, just give up and go to the Trading Post.  Copper isn’t so bad.  It’s high demand pretty much keeps it a competitive market for farmers.

Materials:

200 Copper Ore
20 Lumps of Tin
112 Jute Scraps
112 Spools of Jute Thread
(4x) 44 “Tiny” Fine Items (ie: Tiny Claw, Tiny Fang, Tiny Bone, Tiny Scale)

Refinement Phase:

Make 100 Bronze Ingots.
Make 56 Bolts of Jute.
Buy 120 Spools of Jute Thread.

Base Craft Phase:

Make 8 Bronze Armor Plating for:  Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 8 Jute Armor Linings for: Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 4 Fine-Grade (Blue) Insignias using the (4x) Tiny items you have.

Discovery Phase:

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Tiny items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

75-150: Initiate / Iron

I hope you like iron.  Not only did the ratio go from 2:1 to 3:1, just when you think you’re done with iron, lol Steel.  You literally have to collect more iron than your deposit can hold (250).  Good news is that iron is pretty much everywhere and isn’t too hard to collect.

Materials:

144 Iron Ore
112 Wool Scraps
112 Spools of Wool Thread
(4x) 44 “Small” Fine Items (ie: Small Claw, Small Fang, Small Bone, Small Scale)

Refinement Phase:

Make 96 Iron Ingots.
Make 56 Bolts of Wool.
Buy 120 Spools of Wool Thread.

Base Craft Phase:

Make 8 Iron Armor Plating for:  Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 8 Wool Armor Linings for: Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 4 Fine-Grade (Blue) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have.

Discovery Phase:

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Small items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

150-225: Apprentice / Steel

Yay, more iron!  And still a 3:1 ratio.  Ugh.  At least you move up a tier in cloth, and at least for me the Fine drops at this tier started to be more reliable.

Materials:

144 Iron Ore
48 Lumps of Coal (Stacks of 10; Can get 8 on TP, or just buy 5 Stacks)
112 Cotton Scraps
112 Spools of Cotton Thread
(4x) 44 “Fine” or Middle Tier Fine Items (ie: Claw, Fang, Bone, Scale)

Refinement Phase:

Make 96 Steel Ingots.
Make 56 Bolts of Cotton.
Buy 120 Spools of Cotton Thread.

Base Craft Phase:

Make 8 Steel Armor Plating for: Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 8 Steel Armor Linings for: Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 4 Fine-Grade (Blue) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have.

Discovery Phase:

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

225-300: Journeymen / Darksteel

Holy shit.  Finally done with iron, AND the ratio drops back down to 2:1?  Aren’t you a lucky girl.  This gear is what I’d call middle tier, and actually sells pretty well.  People tend to start rushing when they hit the the level hump, and let their gear fall behind.  That’s my guess anyway.

Materials:

96 Platinum Ore
48 Lumps of Primordium (Stacks of 10; Can get 8 on TP, or just buy 50)
112 Linen Scraps
112 Spools of Linen Thread
(4x) 44 “Heavy” Fine Items (ie: Heavy Claw, Heavy Fang, Heavy Bone, Smooth Scale)

Refinement Phase:

Make 96 Darksteel Ingots.
Make 56 Bolts of Linen.
Buy 120 Spools of Linen Thread.

Base Craft Phase:

Make 8 Darksteel Armor Plating for: Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 8 Darksteel Armor Linings for: Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 4 Fine-Grade (Blue) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have.

Discovery Phase:

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

300-375: Adept / Mithril

This is a good phase to be in, because everything you make is almost certainly an upgrade.  The rare items you make @375 are both Rare 80 gear, and can be salvage for materials to make the 400 Orichalcum gear.  Good tier all around.

Materials:

96 Mithril Ore
112 Silk Scraps
112 Spools of Silk Thread
(4x) 44 “Large” Fine Items (ie: Large Claw, Large Fang, Large Bone, Large Scale)

Refinement Phase:

Make 96 Mithril Ingots.
Make 56 Bolts of Silk.
Buy 112 Spools of Silk Thread.

Base Craft Phase:

Make 8 Mithril Armor Plating for: Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 8 Mithril Armor Linings for: Pauldrons, Helmet, Gloves, Boots.
Make 4 Fine-Grade (Blue) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have.

Discovery Phase:

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the Mastercraft Phase.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” category to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

Mastercraft Phase:

Make 4 Mastercraft-Grade (Green) Insignias using the (4x) Fine items you have (8 per insignia).

Using the Insignias you made, discover 16 total items (4x Boots, 4x Pauldrons, 4x Gloves, 4x Helmets).  This should push you far enough to start the next armor tier.  If it doesn’t, use a FIFTH “Fine” item to make and discover new armor pieces.  Or, if you’re using these to make an armor set, make the pants/chest and discover those.

375-400: Master / …Mithril?

The good news is that you’re about to make Rare-Grade gear, which is a solid set for level 80. The bad news is that while most of the formula remained the same, the 300/325 tier fine items you just burnt through are still required.  And not 3, or 8, but 15 at a time.

15 Ingots, 19 Bolts, 126 Spools, 90 Fine. (Rare Phase)
– This gets you a full set of Rare(Yellow) Lv80 Gear.

The schematics are sold from the Armorsmith Trainer in any major town in one of the side tabs.  This goes fast though.  Rare-Grade gear gives several levels a time.  I also recommend buy buying all the 375 schematics to make Rare-Helmets.  The Orichalcum gear requires 5x Globs of Ectoplasm per insignia, which you get by Salvaging Rare quality or higher gear.

Conclusion:

I focused on the non-legs/chest for discovery because they were easier on my ore counts.  Granted, I struggled with cloth as a compromise during Jute/Wool, but as I started to salvage smarter, it because much easier.

I’m normally the type of MMO player that stays inside instanced PvP matches and only farms things to sell for enchantments, food, etc.  My guild always jokes about how much I hate crafting (a hate born from crafting in FFXI)  This was easily the most fun I’ve ever had crafting in an MMO, and am almost sad it’s over.

I suspect that if all these materials were collected in advance, and you used the 50% XP Buff from Chests/Gems, that you could complete this guide within 20 minutes with tons of leftover materials.  In fact, I’m pretty sure the material you would save would justify the gems cost of the buff itself, which is how I plan to tackle Jeweler when a similar guide comes out.

Thanks for reading!