I) 0-9 Lots of Little Chips
Almost every recipe in bonecraft requires a bonechip. Go early to the bonecraft guild and buy em, get them from the AH (Windurst AH will be the most expensive), excuvate them, or go to Gusgen mines and farm skeletons.
Bone Hairpin (4) -- Wind, Bone Chip x1 npc: ??? gil
Bone Arrowheads (9) -- Wind, Bone Chip x2 AH in San d'Oria
Bone Hairpin is a very simple synth, sell at AH for slight profit, or to vendor for break even.
Arrowheads are gold in bonecraft (usually), and you will learn to love em. Sell them in San d'Oria for profit or level wood working and make your own arrows for the most profit.
II) 9-25 Mad Mandy and Many Rings
The first synth looks like a sink, but if you're creative, you will break even. The second two will break even on AH or be a loss to vendor. Dont worry about losing money here, stage III will bring it back!
Cornette (14) {Gold (14)} -- Wind, Bone Chip x1 + Brass Ingot x1 madragora mad quest
Bone Ring (17) -- Wind, Sheep Tooth x1 + Bone Chip x1 npc: 309 gil
~~Bone Pick (23) {Wood (6)} -- Wind, Giant Femur x1 + Ash Lumber x1 npc: ??? gil
Beetle Ring (25) -- Wind, Beetle Jaw x1 AH any city, npc: 603 gil
Cornettes can be a break-even or small profit synth, if you are creative about it. First level goldsmithing to 3 from {Copper Ingot (3) -- Fire Crystal, Copper Ore x4}. Sell the copper ingots at the AH in Bastok for profit (if you buy copper for 10 gil at guild or airship vendor). Then level goldsmithing to 9 from {Brass Ingot (9) -- Fire Crystal, Copper Ore x3 + Zinc Ore x1) and save these for the cornettes. Make as many cornettes as your inventory will hold.
Then create a mule character in windhurst and give all the cornettes to that character. The mule will then turn the cornettes in for the Mandragora Mad quest, and eventually earn enough fame to get a scroll of aspir. See When You Get Tired of Farming for details ;). Thanks Jute! When you sell the scroll, you will have earned enough to break even on the whole package!
Bone Ring sells for break even to vendors, or you can try your luck at the AH for a little more profit. If you like sheep farming, kill some in Konstant Highlands and your bound to get tons of these. You can also use the skins to start leveling leathercraft, because your gonna need it at later levels.
If you want to bridge the 8 level difference you can try to make some bone picks(With ~3 or greater woodworking skill). I didn't; I went straight to Beetle Ring.
Beetle Jaws are fairly expensive and rare, and npc sellback for Beetle Ring is a loss. You can try your luck at beetle farming in Junger Forrest(or anywhere beetles roam), but I warn you that the jaws are hard to come by. You can also try to desynth (Beetle Jaw (25) -- Lightning, Beetle Ring x1) the ring to get back a beetle jaw and a chance at skillups. Beetle rings are also used for the Give your moogle a break quest, so you might be able to sell alot during the saturday-sunday-monday time frame.
III) 25-53 Arrowheads Galore
Welcome to the wonderful world of arrowheads. For the next 28 levels you will skill solely off these wonderful things. Arrowheads are great synths, because if you sell them in San d'Oria, you usually can make out with a slight profit. Arrowheads are constantly in demand from woodworkers, because most woodworking guides follow the same pattern of synthesizing arrows. (beetle -> fang -> horn -> scorpion). So sell them in sandy, ah them there, mule them there, park your bazzar out of the wood workers guild, these suckers will fly off the shelves. And if you are a syntaholic like me, you can level woodworking and bonecraft at the same time off these suckers!
Beetle Arrowheads (33) -- Wind, Bone Chip x1 + Beetle Jaw x1 AH in San d'Oria
Fang Arrowhead (38) -- Wind, Black Tiger Fang x1 + Bone Chip x1 AH in San d'Oria
Horn Arrowheads (43) -- Wind, Ram Horn x1 + Bone Chip x1 AH in San d'Oria
~~Carapace Mask (45) -- Earth, Crab Shell x1 + Dhalmel Leather x1 npc: ??? gil
Scorpion Arrowheads (53) -- Wind + Scorpion Claw x1 + Bone Chip x1 AH in San d'Oria
For beetle arrowheads, you can farm the beetle jaws from beetles in Junger Forest or elsewhere.
For fang arrowheads, you can farm the fangs off the tigers in Junger or Beaudacine Glacier. The AH price per fang will probably always be priced higher than 700 gil because of the San d'Orian quest (3 fangs for 2100),
For horn arrowheads, you can farm the horns off rams in La Tiene or Konstant. This is also a great time to level Leathercraft using Ram Leather, otherwise you can sell the skins in San d'Oria.
If you want to do a bridge synth, make a few Carapace Masks. I just went straight to scorpion arrowheads and did not regret it.
For scorpion arrowheads, you can farm the scorpion claws off of scorpions in Maze of Shrakahami, but by just purchasing claws from the ah, you can make 400-800 gil a synth on my server! Skillups slow down drastically at 50, as you need to do about 30 synths per level from now on. Advanced synth support is a must for the large gap here.
IV) 53-60 It Tastes like Fiend Blood
Just two more synths and you've made it all the way to 60! Go ahead and celebrate, and make some beetle ring +1's. You've earned it!
Blood Stone (57) -- Wind, Fiend Blood x1 + Grass Thread x1 + Giant Femur x1 AH any city
Scorpion Ring (60) -- Wind, Scorpion Shell x1 AH in Jeuno
Blood Stone consistently sell at any ah for about breakeven (on my server). But if you have to npc them, they only net 23-26 gil ><.
Scorpion rings sell at the jeuno AH for about breakeven (if you dont flood the market). Otherwise you can sell them to NPC for a big loss. Another option is to desynth the rings you make, and if you get a scorpion shell back, go ahead and craft the ring again. Dont stay too long on these because you may be able to profit significantly off the next synth (you guessed it, arrowheads).
V) 60-82 Demons, Scorpions, and Tigers (oh my)
So you've decided to take the road of bonecraft past 60. Join me on this new adventure of more expensive ingredient and more potential for loss and gain. I am slowly gaining in skill each day, and as I do, I will continue to share my insight and wisdom. If there are any +60 bonecrafters out there who can give me a few hits, reply below so I can share your knowledge.
Demon Arrowheads (63) -- Wind, Bone Chip x1 + Demon Horn x1 AH in San d'Oria
Scorpion Mask (64) -- Earth, Ram Leather x1 + Scorpion Shell x1 npc: ??? gil
~~Scorpion Leggings (65) {Leather (--)} -- Earth, Pugil Scales x1 npc: ??? gil
+ Scorpion Shell x1 + Ram Leather x2
~~Scorpion Subligar (67) {Leather (--)} -- Earth, Scorpion Shell x1 npc: ??? gil
+ Ram Leather x1 + Linen Cloth x1
Bone Patas (68) -- Fire, Carbon Fiber x1 + Giant Femur x2 npc: ??? gil
+ Crab Shell x1
~~Demon's Ring (70) -- Wind, Fish Scales x1 + Demon Horn x1 AH in Jeuno
Tiger Fangs (79) -- Wind, Black Tiger Fang x2 + Scorpion Shell x1 npc: ??? gil
+ Carbon Fiber x1
Saintly Ring (81) -- Earth, Fish Scales x1 + Ascetic's Ring x1 AH in any city
Eremite's Ring (82) -- Earth, Sheep Tooth x1 + Hermit's Ring x1 AH in any city
Demon arrowheads look to be a good profit. I quickly looked at this and if I buy the horns at the AH for 15k each, I can sell stacks for 36-40k and make a 6-10k profit; sweet! I think I will try to start these at 58 or 59 for more profit.
If the Scorpion Gear sells to npc for a decent price it may be worth the hassle. If not, move on to Bone Petas. Make your own ram leather if possible. Forget about making the Scorpion Harness for a while as a Venonous claw goes for 4 million gil + on my server.
I am told Bone Petas will sell for a loss to npc, but the ingredients are reasonibly cheap, so the loss isn't as much. Save one for your guild test.
If Demon's ring is a big money loser, move onto tiger fangs. Losing a scorpion shell is nothing compared to blowing up a demon horn.
Tiger Fangs, from what I'm told, will sell to npc for break even. You may fail alot in the beginning, but it's better than losing a demon horn. Advanced synth support is a must for the early levels ,as you will be doing this synth for 11 levels! Breaks will be common at the start, but as you skill up, they will be less common. Now may be a good time to stop and gather some guild points. The bonecraft specs and apron will cut the 11 level gap to a more resonible 9. If this truely is break even milk it all the way to 68.
The Saintly and Ermite's upgrade should be a nice treat. Ascetic Rings can be aquired eaisly in King Ranperres Tomb by killing the worms. Hermitt's Rings can be aquired eaislt in Dangruff Wadi by killing worms there. Both are frequent, I've had farming trips where I've ended up with 6! Even purchasing them off the ah will result in profit.
VI) 82-100 The Final Stretch
This will probably be an extremely expensive time. If I ever do make it to 100 i'm gonna celebrate sign myself a scorpion harness+1 :D. I have merely included all the remaining synths, as I don't know which will be worthwile. Behemoth's horns go for a million on my server, so I think behemoth ring and behemoth dagger will be out of the question. I hear that post 90 skillup rate drops in half again, so your doing ~60 Synths per level. Again more words of wisdom to come as I reach this level.
Dragon Mask (87) -- Wind, Sheep Leather x1 + Wyvern Scales x2 npc: 8036 gil
Carapace Gauntlets (92) -- Earth, High Quality Crab Shell x2 + Leather Gloves x2 npc: 6000 gil
Carapace Helm (93) -- Earth, Copper Ingot x1 + High Quality Crab Shell x2 npc: ??? gil
+ Sheep Leather x1 + Ram Leather x1
~~Mammoth Tusk (94) -- Wind, Giant Frozen Head x1 npc: 2800 gil
~~Acheron Shield (96) -- Earth, Adamantoise Shell x2 + Ram Leather x1 npc: ??? gil
Scorpion Gauntlets (96) -- Wind, High Quality Scorpion Shell x2 npc: 5800 gil
+ Leather Gloves x2
Scorpion Helm (97) {Leather (--)} -- Earth, High Quality Scorpion Shell x2 npc: ??? gil
+ Sheep Leather x1 + Tiger Leather x1 + Copper Ingot x1
Scorpion Breastplate(99) -- Earth, High Quality Scorpion Shell x4+ Ram Leather x2 npc: ??? gil
+ Sheep Leather x1
~~Dragon Ring (99) -- Earth, Dragon Talon x2 ???
Cursed Harness (100) {Leathercraft (--)} -- Earth, Coral Fragment x1 AH: Jeuno
+ Tiger Leather x2 + Oxblood x1 + Angel Skin x1
Gavial Mask (100) -- Earth, Titanticus Shell x1 npc: 500 gil
+ High Quality Pugil Scales x1 + Sheep Leather x1
Chronos Tooth (100) -- Wind, Colossal Skull x1 npc: 2800 gil
