BSM + ARM Strategy

Last Updated: Dawntrail (Patch 7.3+)

Why Level Together

Blacksmith and Armorer are the best crafter pairing in the game. Both use metal ores and ingots from Miner.

• Same ores (Copper, Iron, Steel, Mythril, Darksteel...)
• Same ingots (craft once, use for both)
• Same shards (Fire + Ice)
• One Miner feeds both jobs
• Both make gear for multiple combat jobs

Material Synergies

Shared Ingots (Both Jobs)

Ingot	Level	BSM Uses	ARM Uses
Bronze Ingot	1+	Knives, Pickaxes	Shields, Helmets
Iron Ingot	15+	Swords, Hatchets	Plate Armor
Steel Ingot	25+	Broadswords, Lances	Heavy Shields
Mythril Ingot	30+	Advanced Weapons	Advanced Armor
Darksteel Ingot	40+	High-level Weapons	Tank Gear

BSM Makes for ARM

Material	BSM Level	Used For
Iron Rivets	10+	Plate armor joints
Steel Rivets	25+	Heavy armor assembly
Metal Plates	Various	Shield faces

ARM Makes for BSM

Material	ARM Level	Used For
Bronze Rings	5+	Weapon pommels
Iron Rings	15+	Tool assembly
Chainmail	20+	Wrapped hilts

The Strategy

1. Level Miner first — keep 5-10 levels ahead of crafters
2. Gather ores in bulk — same session supplies both jobs
3. Craft ingots — shared between BSM and ARM
4. Craft BSM items until out of ingots
5. Craft ARM items with remaining materials
6. Repeat at next tier

Retainer Strategy

Set Miner retainers to gather ores while you craft.

Retainer Level	Venture Type	Target
1-20	Quick Exploration	Random ores
20-40	Mining	Specific ore nodes
40+	Highland Exploration	Mixed materials

Key Products

BSM Products

• Weapons — Swords, daggers, axes for DPS jobs
• Tools — Pickaxes (MIN), Hatchets (BTN), Knives (CUL/LTW)
• Components — Rivets, rings, plates for other crafters

ARM Products

• Plate Armor — Heavy armor for tanks (PLD, WAR, DRK, GNB)
• Shields — PLD exclusive, always in demand
• Crafting Tools — Frying Pans (CUL), Alembics (ALC)

BSM + ARM: Levels 1-50

Recommended Level Progression

Miner	BSM	ARM	Focus Materials
10	1-10	1-10	Copper + Tin = Bronze
20	10-20	10-20	Iron Ore = Iron Ingots
30	20-30	20-30	Iron + Bomb Ash = Steel
40	30-40	30-40	Mythril, Darksteel
50	40-50	40-50	Cobalt, Electrum

Gathering Phase

Miner Session (Supplies Both Jobs)

• Western Thanalan → 200 Copper Ore, 100 Tin Ore
• Western Thanalan → 200 Iron Ore
• Eastern Thanalan → 150 Mythril Ore
• Coerthas Central → 100 Darksteel Ore
• Mor Dhona → 100 Cobalt Ore
• Collect 500+ Fire Shards, 500+ Ice Shards

Time Savings: One gathering session supplies BOTH crafters!

Crafting Phase: 1-10

Ingot Prep (Both Jobs)

• Bronze Ingot (1) — Copper Ore + Tin Ore

BSM First

• Bronze Knives (level 3)
• Bronze Pickaxe (level 5) — MIN tool!
• Bronze Ingots to level 10

ARM Second

• Bronze Rivets (level 5)
• Bronze Buckler (level 8)
• Bronze Celata (level 10)

Crafting Phase: 10-30

Ingot Prep

• Iron Ingot (12) — Iron Ore × 3
• Steel Ingot (25) — Iron × 2 + Bomb Ash

BSM 10-20

• Iron Rivets (12) — ARM needs these!
• Iron Hatchet (16)
• Iron Daggers (18)

ARM 10-20

• Iron Chain (14)
• Iron Scale Mail (18)
• Iron Kite Shield (20)

BSM 20-30

• Steel Rivets (25)
• Steel Broadsword (26)
• Steel Lance (28)

ARM 20-30

• Steel Plate (24)
• Steel Cuirass (26)
• Steel Hoplon (30)

Crafting Phase: 30-50

Ingot Prep

• Mythril Ingot (30)
• Darksteel Ingot (40)
• Cobalt Ingot (45)

BSM 30-50

• Mythril Rivets (32)
• Mythril Claymore (35)
• Darksteel Pickaxe (42)
• Cobalt Knives (48)

ARM 30-50

• Mythril Plate (32)
• Mythril Cuirass (35)
• Darksteel Armor (42)
• Cobalt Frying Pan (48) — CUL tool!

Cross-Crafting Benefits

BSM rivets go into ARM armor. ARM rings go into BSM weapon pommels. You're always making progress on both jobs!

BSM + ARM: Levels 50-100

Best Methods for Dual Leveling

Option 1: Cosmic Exploration (Recommended)

All materials provided! Ideal for both jobs.

• No gathering required
• Alternate between BSM and ARM missions
• Self-contained 10-100 leveling

Option 2: Ishgard Restoration (50-80)

• Gather in Diadem with Miner
• Craft Skybuilders' items for massive XP
• Same materials feed both jobs

Option 3: Traditional Crafting

Continue the 1-50 pattern with expansion materials.

Expansion Materials by Tier

Expansion	Key Materials	Location
HW (50-60)	Mythrite, Titanium, Adamantite	Coerthas Western, Dravanian
SB (60-70)	Koppranickel, Molybdenum, Chromite	The Fringes, Azim Steppe
ShB (70-80)	Dwarven Mythril, Titanbronze	Kholusia, Lakeland
EW (80-90)	Pewter, Chondrite, Ilmenite	Labyrinthos, Garlemald
DT (90-100)	Turali Bismuth, Ra'Kaznar, Sungilt	Shaaloani, Living Memory

Cross-Job Dependencies

Both BSM and ARM need materials from other crafters:

Material	Source	Used By
Leather Straps	Leatherworker	ARM (armor padding)
Cloth Lining	Weaver	ARM (armor interior)
Lumber	Carpenter	BSM (tool handles)
Glue	Alchemist	Both (bonding)

Daily/Weekly Routine

Daily

• GC turn-in for BSM
• GC turn-in for ARM
• Beast tribe quests (same materials benefit both!)
• Set Miner retainers to gather ores

Weekly

• Custom Deliveries (no gathering required!)
• Challenge Log entries

Beast Tribes by Level

Level Range	Beast Tribe	Notes
50-60	Moogles	Heavensward
60-70	Namazu	Stormblood
70-80	Dwarves	Shadowbringers
80-90	Loporrits	Endwalker (Studium)
90-100	Yok Huy	Dawntrail

Efficiency Tips

• One Miner session — supplies both BSM and ARM
• Craft ingots first — then split between jobs
• Cosmic Exploration — eliminates gathering entirely
• Miner retainers — set and forget for passive ore income
• GC turn-ins — check BOTH jobs daily
• Leves at level caps — 50, 60, 70, 80 for quick pushes

Time Savings

Leveling BSM+ARM together saves 30-45% total time compared to leveling separately.

This is the most efficient crafter pairing in the game due to 95% material overlap!

Endgame Value

BSM Endgame

• Crafting/Gathering tools (always in demand)
• Weapons for new raid tiers
• Rivets and components for other crafters

ARM Endgame

• Tank gear (PLD, WAR, DRK, GNB) — 4 jobs use it!
• Shields (PLD exclusive but always needed)
• Frying Pans, Alembics (CUL/ALC tools)