when do you start investing the super rare masterworking materials into your characters? Is there any point at this stage or should I wait until I higher level? Is there a chance that I will get plenty more +3 guard fade obsidian (and other mats)?
That's a really good question and I'd be interested in what other people think as well. Here's my strategy:
TL;DR: Farm the must-haves, spend time growing your portfolio of FT mats, use the best that you have right away -- even on a mediocre schematic -- FT mats don't do you any good sitting in your inventory.
I use a combination of farming and opportunistic application during crafting.
There are some FT mats (Fade-Touched Masterwork materials) that I consider essential to certain builds. For example, rogues have to have Hidden Blades, at least two tiers. Necromancers have to have Walking Bomb. Ranged attackers need Veilstrike. Solo runs or all-Trials runs have to have heal on hit, etc., etc.
So when I plan out a run, I also plan out how I'm going to acquire those essential FT mats. For example, I'm doing a DW Assassin run right now and currently have almost no useful FT mats to speak of. So a priority for me is to do a farming run in the Exalted Plains.
Side-bar: What makes for a good farm? One, it has to have the stuff you want in large quantities. Two, it has to be readily accessible, not at the end of a long quest. Three, ideally, it has to have a never-ending supply on a frequent respawn rate.
One of the two versions of FT Ring Velvet procs Hidden Blades x4. Corpses drop Ring Velvet. Where do you find Corpses? The ramparts of the Exalted Plains or the Fallow Mire. I prefer the Exalted Plains because there are other mats there that I want also, like Snoufleur, Halla, Rashvine and Bloodstone. Plus, like the Fallow Mire waters, if you don't set fire to the pits in the ramparts, the Corpses respawn forever, so, endless supply. The rampart in front of Citadelle du Corbeau is possibly the best Hidden Blades farming location of the entire game. I think I picked up 3 of them just in one run through that area, that last time I was there. All it takes is time and patience.
One other source of FT mats worth mentioning is Trial Rewards. Even with all Trials enabled, the drop rate is super low, so this isn't my main method, more of a windfall. But when a reward does pop up, I shamelessly save scum the Special Shipments chest until it gives me something I want. Some of the drops are FT mats, in particular, FT Plush Fustian Velvet for Hidden Blades x5.
So those are the must-haves. What about the rest? I'm pretty obsessive about hunting critters, mining nuggets and fighting mobs that drop cloth. The more I collect, the more FT mats I end up with. **It's a numbers game and the best way to make a low drop-rate work for you is to increase volume.** It's easiest to collect Metal mats, so those are the FT mats I tend to have the most of.
Finally, application. Obviously, the stuff I purpose-farmed goes straight into crafting. For the rest, I don't agonize over whether it's a waste to put it on a second or even third-rate schematic, because I've got spares in my FT portfolio. I always have enough that I can just pick whatever makes sense, opportunistically, at the time of crafting. **Even if you only have one, use it! It's not doing anything for you in your inventory. You can always get more.**
I tend to favor offensive FT mats over utility or defensive mats, so I'll exhaust all the attack ones before I use the rest.
For example, say I'm making some gear for a mage. If I have the FT mat for Immolate, Shield Bash, even Poison, I'll use that. If I don't, I evaluate based on whichever FT mat would give the best utility buff available. For a mage, it's often going to be something like FT Paragon's Luster for Heal 20% of damage taken over 10 seconds. If there's nothing else, I'll go for defense, like the other version of FT Paragon's Luster, 10% chance to grant 3 seconds of Walking Fortress.
A note about mods: On PC, there are plenty of mods that basically make FT mats available to you without having to farm. I'm using one myself, though I didn't install it until after I got to Skyhold. If you are a PC user and want to save time, mods are a fine way to do that. For console users, you'll have to do things the hard way, as described above.
So that's it. That's the strategy I've evolved since I started playing back when the game was first released. Let me know what you think. Corrections and contrary opinions welcomed.
ONE LAST THING: One of the things that allows me not to worry about "wasting" a top quality FT mat on a mediocre schematic is because A) I favor offensive FT mats and B) **I always have the highest base damage weapon equipped**. The ( B) is very important. Ability damage bonuses are calculated from weapon base damage, not from DPS. That makes it very easy to know which weapon schematic to pick to craft at any given time -- the one with the highest base damage. When two weapon schematics base damage's are within 1 or 2 points of each other, say 14 vs 16 for a staff, I'll consider secondary buffs to decide which to craft. **EXCEPTION**: The one time I break this rule is if the highest base damage weapon does not have upgrade slots. If I have the mats to create upgrades that buff Critical Chance, Critical Damage and/or Attack, it's often better to go with a slightly lower base damage if you can add the upgrades.
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