Summoner: Improving your DPS by making the GCD work for you

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Originally Posted by NintenPyjak64

In Single Target fights (Primals and the like), PLD wouldn't and shouldn't use Flash. You'll generate a lot more enmity quickly by using your ST combos and your buffs, you'll be wasting your GCD with Flash in these encounters. Most fights where this might actually matter won't, because there'll be a blind immunity anyways.

Plus I notice (as WHM) that Blind does practically NOTHING on trash mobs anyways. They'll still hit and the duration of blind makes it almost worthless as a debuff. Maybe it's bugged like all the earlier final fantasy games?

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The point of Flash in the examples I listed is exclusively for the blind effect, and it is NOT insignificant. On those three fights I listed, blind very rarely makes no difference, and can often make a huge difference (e.g. completely negating Triumvirate/Mountain Buster).

The greater point is this: should Ruin 2 have blind? Would it be better without it? When I'm on Paladin, in the relevant fights, I find it incredibly annoying that blind is unnecessarily put on DR because of Ruin 2.

Also keep in mind that if you use ruin 2 you will also be regularly landing auto attacks (assuming you have them enabled which you should). book whacking does a decent amount of damage actually.

I could count on 1 hand the number of times blind has saved me from a MB or Tri. It's not really even worth considering for reliable mitigation. So Ruin II all you like.

On the contrary, I was once in a Titan hard group where everyone but me died right toward the end (I guess they were excited they were going to win and got sloppy with dodging). I was the only one left, and kited him around the arena with Ruin 2 while Garuda-Egi continued to damage him. The blind effect saved me from dying to a Mountain Buster, and I was able to finish off his last sliver of HP. Yay, blind! In actuality, it was probably only a few seconds... but without that blind, it would've been a wipe at 1%.

Anyway, using Flash explicitly for blind in Titan hard seems to be a thing of the past. Many tanks and healers now have better gear and know how to mitigate damage better... Also, they are more comfortable with the fight. BUT... I would not say it is insignificant or not noteworthy. If we are discussing Ruin 2, it should be mentioned how it affects other blind effects. At the very least, future summoners will be aware of the blind effect and how monsters will build up a resistance to blind in general (whether it be Ruin 2 or Flash or any other ability).

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Originally Posted by Argyle_Darkheart

The point of Flash in the examples I listed is exclusively for the blind effect, and it is NOT insignificant. On those three fights I listed, blind very rarely makes no difference, and can often make a huge difference (e.g. completely negating Triumvirate/Mountain Buster).

The greater point is this: should Ruin 2 have blind? Would it be better without it? When I'm on Paladin, in the relevant fights, I find it incredibly annoying that blind is unnecessarily put on DR because of Ruin 2.

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ruin 2 was probably intended to be used strategically during fights (probably by a scholar) rather than used a filler to use off-gcd abilities without losing damage

so yeah it should probably lose the blind since most summoners aren't going to use blind to help with a mountain buster or something

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Originally Posted by Freyt

When I got Ruin II I didn't know why it was an upgrade. Just realizing it was instant cast was enough to convince me about the ability.
It's a DPS increase. The time you save not casting IS used for other things, and you never cancel your spell to avoid AoE's.

It's true you might lose out on Fester usage, but I kinda think it's worth it. Energy Drain is already instant damage itself, it's not as if you're only using it to heal your mp, and it requires very little setup compared to Fester. Not to mention I generally have 3 ticks of Aetherflow ready for when the skill itself comes off cooldown, then I'll just use Energy Drain > Ruin II > Energy Drain > Ruin II > Energy Drain > Ruin II > Aetherflow, only cutting into that if I need to reapply a DoT. It's a bit of instant damage for the SMN which it normallylacks, so it's a nice change of pace. Fester probably will result in more damage in the long run, though I'm not sure about that when you're comparing using Ruin instead of Ruin II.

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Thanks for the reply, Energy Drain will hit for around 400 whilst Fester will hit for circa 800, it is double the strength. Also there isn't much of a point in using an Energy Drain followed by a Ruin II because it's mana inefficient and defeats the purpose. You should not have to use Energy Drain unless you're resurrecting people left right and centre (and a SMN should always Swiftcast+Raise instead of a healer to save them the mana/aetherflow stacks if available). I would recommend you don't use Energy Drain and just keep a closer eye on when Ruin I or II is more appropriate. If you use Energy Drain you are significantly gimping your DPS, quite a few Ruin IIs+Off-GCD abilities are required to make up for the loss of time and dps from not using Fester instead.

Hope this was helpful.

Ruin II --> Energy Drain --> Ruin II --> repeat etc. is good for burst damage.

Plumes, magitek bits, anything that won't last long enough for dots to be worth it. Also make sure to send your pet after the target (Garuda usually doesn't need to move much). Burst damage can actually be good enough to take down certain adds solo (various bombs in CT etc.)

Bumping this as there have been quite a few SMN questions asked lately.