Quote:
I do not have tricks of the trade.
Get TotT.
You only need Alch 20.
This is ridiculously easy to do; ALC15 is do-able merely by making everything on the list (the guild sells all of the needed materials).
From 15 to 20 is even easier! You just need a bunch of ethers and do the Levequest "Morning Glass of Ether", which is also ridiculously easy: The Levequest NPC is in the Adventurer's Guild and the turn-in is in the alley just outside of said Guild. Rinse, repeat. You'll have 20 in no time flat.
TotT won't guarantee an HQ Oak bow, but it is a good start.
If you still can't make it, consider also using Leves to get CUL up to 37 for Hasty Touch + Steady Hands 2. With THOSE, failing to HQ the item with at least 2 HQ materials is almost unheard of. CUL is also very easy to "Powerlevel" with Levequests; there's usually at least one Levequest that features ridiculously easy to make items (Grilled Trout, Grape Juice, Cornmeal, etc) that are turned in nearby.
If you want to HQ anything whatsoever, getting those 3 abilities ASAP is very crucial.
Failing everything else, just skip the stupid quest for a few levels. Getting new Tools/Grand Company equipment/better clothes/jewelry will make HQing that Bow easier and you aren't
forced to do the quest ASAP and the rewards the quest offers are easily found on the MB, usually for cheap (for the non-craftable tools).
My craft levels are in the 30s 'cept for CUL41 and BSM43 and I haven't done a single guild quest since 15.
Edited, Oct 7th 2014 5:52pm by Lyrailis