Can we un-gimp SMN in Frontlines?

[Brianmj]

Stun, stun, stun, stun. Spell interrupted. Knock back. Spell interrupted. Equanimity (YAY). Mias - stun. Fluid auraed into enemy party. War uses some kind of “scorpion-> get over here” move. Full Swinged -> Flared -> Shoulder Tackled -> Aeroed -> dead.

The aforementioned is what all mages goes through. However, BLM, SCH and WHM have abilities to reduce spell interruption or make it not a problem. Fluid aura is sick in that it not only knocks back the target it also roots them, preventing them from using abilities and spells. Then they can Swiftcast -> Respose another target. Scholars *sigh*… everybody knows how much of a pain it is to try and take a SCH down. After nuking a SCH down to 10% and waiting for the GCD, their HP bar just goes : Lustrate->Lustrate-> Embrace->LOL! BLMs have manawall/ward. They can take a few hits and get off an AOE sleep if needed.

In contrast, SMN have a very weak crowd control ability - Tri-Disaster. I’m toying with it now in frontlines, but it doesn’t seem to have any meaningful effect other than bind (does not prevent abilities from being casted like fluid aura) which gets EASILY removed in the heat of battle. SMNs are the weakest mages defense wise - we get taken down very easily.

So with that, I’m not asking for a pvp specific abilities that puts SMN on equal footing with the other mages, but I am asking for Egi improvements. If the Egis can follow at sprinting speeds, they surely should be able to chase down a target at sprint speeds. Ifrit Egi could chase a target while attacking - this would be a big help when kiting. Another thing, please do something about Ifrit-egi’s AI. If I want Crimson Cyclone or Inferno, he should not auto-attack three times before deciding to do it. Garuda-egi had an issue with being unresponsive a few months ago. I guess since Ifrit-Egi is so unused and nearly always on sic hardly anyone noticed. But yes, I am finding myself mashing Enkindle just to get him to do it. And can something be done about Ifrit just deciding on his own to go off and attack another target? I don’t what that is. Is he being provoked? I haven’t been able to make out who he’s targeting cause I’m frustrated in trying to get back on my target. SMNs do not have defensive capability (haven’t tried out titan, but the thought of doing that makes me want to cry) and it really gets frustrating to be interrupted by bard’s arrows that do 20-40 damage. Any of the aforementioned boost (Ifrit-egi attacking while sprinting <- I would really like this) would be greatly appreciated and, I feel, would un-gimp SMN. And just, why, why is my raise ability disabled in pvp?

[Odd]

Fluid Aura prevents abilities in pvp? It doesn't in pve.

[CodingSession]

Never played SMN in Frontlines, but I kinda agree with you. Out of all DoMs in Frontlines, SMN is my last priority to attack/interrupt. It goes WHM > SCH > BLM > SMN.
I think it's because SMN is too reliant on DoTs, which just suck in Frontlines. A Medica II is all it takes to render all those DoTs useless.

Maybe SE should buff the egis to compensate?

[Warlyx]

instant cast :
swiftcast , surecast , pvp skill , instant dot , ruin 2 , pet that can keep dpsing even if smn goes behind wall/pillar ....

utiltiy/CC:

healing debuff ,virus , snare , root aoe (tri disaster, blizzard 2), eye for eye (healers will love u for that)

awesome burst oportunities , healing spell (disabled i think? no sure)

trick : dot up a pet (in the middle of the enemies > BANE) , healers are fast dispeling party members but pets ? no1 cares

[Ladon]

In my wildest dreams, they would completely rebalanced the Egi's and give Ifrit pure damage skills, Titan defensive skills (manaward/wall type ability that it can cast on the user) and Garuda would be CC with knockback and bind abilities. That way the Egi's would actually be of situational use both in PVP and PVE rather than just basically being different skins for damage.

[Brianmj]

Fluid Aura prevents abilities in pvp? It doesn't in pve.

You know what I think it is. Right after being fluid auraed,my first instinct is to try and interrupt repose (cause that what always comes next) with ruin 2. But since I can't turn to face the WHM, I can't cast. Fester and energy drain you need to face the target to use. But not aetherflow. Maybe aetherflow will work, but why am I using that right before being put to sleep? But I swear there were times when I was facing the WHM and couldn't cast. I got to look more into this.

[SeraviEdalborez]

You know what I think it is. Right after being fluid auraed,my first instinct is to try and interrupt repose (cause that what always comes next) with ruin 2. But since I can't turn to face the WHM, I can't cast.

That's your fail. As a caster you shouldn't really have this problem. Mash the hell out of facetarget if you think they're going to hit you with Fluid Aura. If you weren't already facing them anyways.

[Amelia_Pond_Behemoth]

Change to scholar. Problem solved.

[Volsung]

Aside from being in the middle of things and being stunlocked to death, be sure to be at a safe distance
if possible. This is a great place to unleash garuda rouse spur enkindle, and raging strikes 3 DoTs, contagion
Bane. If you're too close into the action chances are a pld will be all over you making your life hell, because
you will be unable to cast anything.

A swiftcast tridisaster will help you evade some sticky situations.

Hope that helps, but yes stunlock sucks

[Najara]

I disagree. I love SMN in the front line. I haven't lost a single 1v1.

Vs Melee
Equanimity > Bio II, Miasma, Bio > Fester > (Aetheric Burst + Wither if necessary), Ruin II, Energy Drain, etc and they're dead.

Spur and Rouse + Garuda Enkindle blows them up as well.

Vs BLM
Swiftcast > Tridisaster > Move behind them > Bio II, Miasma, Bio > Fester, etc etc
Worst cast scenario is they use Purification, but then you just use Surecast > Tridisaster, heal up and start it over again