Unlocking SMN potential in abyssea.

Ok I have been testing stuff to see how SMN can be a better DD in abyssea ^_^ without all crazy nice emp weapons and relic stuff.

Heres what I have found and it works awesome for me.
Summoner / Sam yeah i know its weird but bear with meh!
Put any accuracy melee gear you have on tp shouldn't be a problem. I would suggest using atma of ultimate, MM, and RR. You can switch Ultimate out with the pandemonium atma i just don't have it ; ;. I have capped staff skill + merits 335 add 8 merits to that lol. Anyways i tested this and came back with amazing results!!! My Ifrit was dealing 3.5k+ and i was doing 700-1.5k. I suggest any smn to try this :D! Maybe not solo but with a group would be better lol.

If going for damage on a specific element use an element atma equal to that of the avatar, in Ifrit's case Smoldering Sky. Gardua and Pred claw with RR/MM/VV is also an option that does good damage, depends how badly you need refresh.

Yeah that's a good route too ^_^

Well, ive been testing some atmas to see a good damage output. I usually use RR/Stout Arm/AaO for Predator Claws. But using RR/AaO/Apocalypse gives a more constant 4k+ dmg but does abit less dmg when the later crit procs. For Heavenly Strike, i use MM/Ultimate/Beyond which does arounds 4.6k. Just got my 2nd +2 and was gonna test it out this monday, but unfortunately couldnt due to the recent events. I really wanna get Hell's Guardian and replace it with MM for HS. SMN/SAM seems pretty good if your in a xp pt. Id prolly use Garuda for Predator Claws, VV/RR/Stout Arm and Full Swing spam. I think that combo could out parse most melee. I kinda wanna try it now lol.

ZAD ITS SO AMAZING you gotta try smn/sam i out DDed quite a few melees lol. And if your already doing melee atmas you will be suprised on your dmg output lol. . . . If you are well geared or have full afv3+1 etc and a rdm in your party just do all 3 melee lol then watch yourself go . . . . .your like a crack DD with a staff XDDDDD

The +attack on Stout Arm doesn't really do much for avatars if you're already using enhances avatar attack pieces, Harvester would probably be a better option if only stacking Str, or Gnarled for a higher crit rate on Pred Claw.

In an xp party I can see this being ridiculously effective, and I'm looking forward to trying it out when servers get back up. However, when outside of xp, solo or otherwise, I stick to the back-line and let the avatar do the work. I'm 3/5 af3+2, with the MAB staff+2. Heavenly strike does around 5k on trash mobs with MM/Ultimate/Beyond. I have a few Titlacauan(sp?) pops, for Undying atma (20% ice attack), in hopes it will replace MM and give an increase in dmg. I tried Baying Moon/Ultimate/Beyond and found out that it gave no more dmg than MM.

Jeff, welcome to cliff's end. Make yourself a good melee staff and take the jump. I'll see you at the bottom! :D

Here's the problem with meleeing alongside the avatar: the avatar never got any better. The SMN did.

A fully armed SMN now outpaces the avatar by a long shot. Enmity shot through the roof. Keep at it. The more of us that hit the enmity wall, the sooner SE will install a door.

So here's my advice. While you are enjoying the golden age and melee beside your avatar, stop using all magical atma. Every hit will be stronger, not just the WS/BPs. You can add thousands of damage just from melee. Plus, with the best physical atma, your Spirit Takers will give you all the MP you need. It's so much mp at the end, you don't need *any* perp gear.

Yeah i love doing this because alot of people are like WTF SMN/SAM IS AWESOME!!!!!!! Alot of summoners limit themself to there pet which if they went just a little outside of the box they would realize how awesome they really are. I mean even / war would be amazing i havent tried it but with all the double att% atmas and triple att atmas you would hit plenty enough times to keep on TPing mobs.

SMN is a PET JOB everything you do should be to help the pet not you. You are nothing the pet is everything. What Jeff is saying is hey lets be DRG where the pet does decent and master does all the work. I have pure DD like drg to fight front line the fact is that SMN is a back line job. I like that you think outside the box but the fact remains that the avatar is the star of the job not the smn.