Unlocking SMN potential in abyssea.

[Neisan_Quetz]

If it doesn't have dangerous AoE/auras you might as well melee, not like you're doing much else, otherwise yea stay out of range.

[Dallas]

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.

What about melee SMN is new? Spirit Taker has been an effective tool for MP recovery for years. 3 of 3 end-game staves have melee potential.

Yes, it's all about the pet, but melee works better than back line.

[Evilvivi]

Adding to what Dallas said, if you have time to get an EMpyrean Staff, that becomes an even more useful tool for MP recovery, esp. in Abyssea. You can SMN/SAM and have DD atmas on, and maintain MP off of the Empyrean WS. SMN might not be the best melee job, but it can be an effective melee job.

[Malamasala]

In the end of course, it should be a question about what is most fun, not most efficient. Unless you play FFXI as work.

[Korpg]

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.

only time a SMN should melee is when they are soloing NMs and want to proc blue during blunt time, or maybe that odd chance the red proc is earth crusher and you have the right subjob for it.

[Neisan_Quetz]

Or you know, when the mob doesn't have dangerous AoE/auras/status effects, and with 45 seconds min on BP timer you're not doing much else.

[Evilvivi]

only time a SMN should melee is when they are soloing NMs and want to proc blue during blunt time, or maybe that odd chance the red proc is earth crusher and you have the right subjob for it.

You know Myrkr is not a blue or red proc? and it is a perfectly good reason for SMN to melee? Hell, if I had a Nirvana I would slap that on and spam the crap out of Garland of Bliss.

[Korpg]

You know Myrkr is not a blue or red proc? and it is a perfectly good reason for SMN to melee?

Why would you get a Hvergelmir anyway? Unless BLM/SCH/SMN are you only jobs, there are much better emp weapons out there for you to get. Even if BLM/SCH/SMN are your only jobs, Fay Crozier is a better staff for SMN when it has -3 perp cost on it. Why? Because avatars are the actual damage dealers, not the summoner.

SMNs are like PUPs, the pets do the damage, the SMNs direct the damage.

Hell, if I had a Nirvana I would slap that on and spam the crap out of Garland of Bliss.

You don't need a Nirvana for Garland of Bliss, but I see why you would spam *any* weaponskills on it.

Nirvana > Hvergelmir always.

[Malamasala]

It is all about maths. -Perp is a guaranteed saved MP. Spirit taker and myrkr is a TP rate based saved MP. If you are afraid of the mob, or it has high def and you have no myrkr, stick with -perp. Else you'll most likely do much better from WSing.

Just like a THF doesn't full time evasion gear, only when they want to avoid attacks. Wear what suits the situation.

[Neisan_Quetz]

Why would you get a Hvergelmir anyway? Unless BLM/SCH/SMN are you only jobs, there are much better emp weapons out there for you to get. Even if BLM/SCH/SMN are your only jobs, Fay Crozier is a better staff for SMN when it has -3 perp cost on it. Why? Because avatars are the actual damage dealers, not the summoner.

SMNs are like PUPs, the pets do the damage, the SMNs direct the damage.



You don't need a Nirvana for Garland of Bliss, but I see why you would spam *any* weaponskills on it.

Nirvana > Hvergelmir always.

How is Fay Crozier a better weapon while meleeing if you can melee and use myrkr to recover MP I don't even understand that one... Smn's best melee weapons are Nirvana and Hvelgirmir (although for purely meleeing, that is, mp isn't an issue, Hvelgirmir is behind due to Myrkr dealing no damage and at 300% Nirvana gives approximately 45% OaT effect to both Smn and Avatar), there isn't better melee weapons for Smn aside from Claustum due to its higher base damage compared to the other to, not to mention the added Refresh effect on GoT and the 25% WS dmg boost at level 90.

Your Pup comparison is flawed because the Pup either did as much damage as the Puppet on melee friendly mobs, or post level cap easily outdamages it.