SMN: What is the proper rotation for Raging Strikes, Rouse, and Spur?

How does delaying contagion allow you to get more DPS in during raging strikes? It's a pet skill that is completely independent of your own character's rotation...

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Originally Posted by Seobit

How does delaying contagion allow you to get more DPS in during raging strikes? It's a pet skill that is completely independent of your own character's rotation...

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This is from a game-pad standpoint without contagion mapped directly to the main bar. It takes a moment to switch to pet bar and pop contagion. I hadn't considered other setups until now, thus, I retract my previous statement regarding Contagion. It would not slow one down if used immediately with a different game-play setup. Though, it can be used any time before the shortest timed DoT expires and still maintain the DPS from Raging Strikes.

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Originally Posted by Headl3anger

Though, it can be used any time before the shortest timed DoT expires and still maintain the DPS from Raging Strikes.

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Yes, but the faster you use it, the faster you can use it again.

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Originally Posted by Headl3anger

This is from a game-pad standpoint without contagion mapped directly to the main bar.

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Oh okay! Yes, I suppose its difficult for game pad users. You're right in that you can use it at any point before bio (typically) expires, but also remember that the earlier you use it the more likely you'll have it sync up better.

Essentially, you can never use contagion more than once a minute. Because of lag, and garuda being a jerk, its typically a few seconds later. The more you delay, by the time RS rolls around again, you'll have 3 "delays" and there is a good chance if you delayed contagion by a couple seconds each time that it won't be up for RS'd DoTs. Of course you can also delay RS, but that also makes it annoying because of delaying.

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Originally Posted by pandabearcat

What?

Contagion takes nothing from you and can be used while you're doing anything. The only reason I can think of to delay contagion is so that you get a tiny bit extra dps from your pet during Spur/Rouse so it doesn't have to do the contagion animation (which btw, I'm not sure if it even actually delays wind blade since that has a CD).

Using energy drain during RS is a dps loss any way you look at it, starting around 20 seconds after opener when you could've gotten a third Fester.

RS is nice but its not the greatest thing ever. Its not worth sacrificing anything to put more stuff into it.

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Yes, but what if we could add just a bit more DPS?! :D It's a tool we have at our disposal and I wish to push it to its limits of usefulness.

A third Fester would be ideal and I would gladly replace Energy Drain with it! Though it takes more preparation than the rotation I suggested... I'll have to have Bio II, Miasma, and Bio all ticking before I pop Raging Strikes, then, just before Bio runs out, pop Raging Strikes, start with Fester, then continue the rotation I mentioned before without the Energy Drain! It's brilliant! Thank you for the suggestion! :D

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Originally Posted by Kevee

Yes, but the faster you use it, the faster you can use it again.

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Aha! More useful information. There are many things I don't properly consider on my own. I shall work on decreasing my delay there! (>.<)/

Your missing another Buff Hawk's Eye, its not much but it something else. Then, Quelling Strikes. Don't forget your Cross Class ability. SwiftCast, is a must too, you can throw your AOE super fast and still get in to your rotation and really do damage while not gain aggro with Quelling strikes. but remember, you burn a lot of power in this heavy boost rotation.

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Originally Posted by RegentP

Your missing another Buff Hawk's Eye, its not much but it something else. Then, Quelling Strikes. Don't forget your Cross Class ability. SwiftCast, is a must too, you can throw your AOE super fast and still get in to your rotation and really do damage while not gain aggro with Quelling strikes. but remember, you burn a lot of power in this heavy boost rotation.

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Hawk's eye literally does nothing for SMN. It boosts Dex and _physical_ accuracy.

You also don't want to be using Swiftcast inside of an RS rotation. Before, or after, but not in the middle, as you're still going to trigger a GCD if you swiftcast out a Shadow Flare or Tri-Disaster.

I use Rouse and Spur as often as they are up. It may slow your rotation slightly, but the increased dps should make up for that small delay in rotation. Besides, your dots continue to go so you will miss 1-2 ruins when putting up buffs? No big loss.

Hey everybody. Just curious while we're on the subject of rotations.... I noticed nobody mentioned "hawk's eye" or "quelling strikes"...i don't like leveling archer post RS just to get these cross-class abilities. I notice *sometimes* tank loses agro to me bet. DoT's during the ruin spam. Will i need HE or QS at end-game? will somebody notice?

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Originally Posted by T0rin

You also don't want to be using Swiftcast inside of an RS rotation. Before, or after, but not in the middle, as you're still going to trigger a GCD.

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? But the point of GCDs is to give you open oGCDs. Also regardless of the fact that shadowflare does not care about RS, you still want it up asap to avoid missing 1 tick.

[(Rouse/Spur) if you don't need to save for enkindle] > RS > Bio II > Miasma > [Bio | Fester] > Thunder > [Miasma II | Contagion | Swiftcast] > [Shadowflare | Enkindle (if you don't need to save)] > [Ruin II | Fester] > [Ruin II | Aetherflow (if you only had 2 flows saved)]

Is the rotation to get the most out of your opener, but bear in mind it eats through mana (more than the impending Aetherflow will cover). You almost MUST Ruin II to get that 2nd fester out before RS ends, unless you have enough spell speed. You must ruin II the 2nd ruin in order to get it in before RS fades as well.