Conjurer - Combat skill rotation question.

I am finding there is a awkward 'hole' in my combat skill rotation, it may be that I am still too low but reading the skills still to be collected and what cross class skills are available I dont see the skill to plug this 'hole'.

I do a Stone I (to apply Heavy) -> Lightning I -> Aero I -> Stone II spam (Fluid if needed to make room, others skills depending).
The issue is there is a wait after Aero I where I cannot apply any skills while waiting for the GCD (2.5 secs) and it makes the combat feel disjointed, is this something I will just need to get used to ?

Combat chains - I heard and seen in some videos other classes getting combat chains, however I havent seen a set of skills with the CNJ...it seems to me the CNJ gets a chain for fighting equal or higher level mobs irrespective of the skills used.
Is the combat chain melee class specific , and the chain I see is a different chain to the chain that highlights specific skills to be used next to gain a chain ?

(added Combat chain paragraph as an edit to by pass limit)

my point of view: don't quote me I may be wrong in which healing isn't my main line and my WHM is only LVL31. I don't believe their are any chains in that class/job. Your main focus is protect/healing. You have your option of course to cleric stance for more combat potency use of your aero and stone, along with your debuffing, etc.

I think cjn(whm), acn(smn,sch) and maybe thm(blm)---DOM. These don't have chains compared to DOW classes as I seem to see it. Chains as I assuming your referring to the combos with rotating dotted lines around the combat option.

I actually like the way Aero is instant cast as that lets me tag enemies during Fates.

For combos, nope, mages never have them but they do get procs instead. When you get to a higher level, you'll have special instant casting and free spells that are triggered off other spells being used, namely Cure. Just wait for it.

Waiting for the GCD for Aero I is just something you'll have to get used to. Aero II has a cast time, so that won't feel the same when you get it, but you can have II and I active at the same time, so you'll still be casting I and waiting it out.

Exp chains are completely different from skill combos. You get an Exp chain on any combat class when you kill monsters equal to or greater than your level within a certain time limit (which shows under your Exp bar). Skill combos are available for melee classes (and not MNK; MNK skills function similarly to combos, but they aren't strictly combos like GLA, MRD, and LNC get). Mages and archers get other ability bonuses instead. For example, once you get Freecure, using Cure I gives a 15% chance to make your next Cure II within 15 seconds free.

Welcome to the crap dmg that is Conjurer. When you get into higher levels you will be using the AOE spell Holy, which really sucks your mana dry, but its better than nothing. The combat chains you are probably referring to happen most often while in fate grind parties. When you have a party of 8 and a stack of mobs you will see chains going off.

I did a CNJ crossbar setup video: http://youtu.be/mT53s-XNxWI
Even if you aren't using a gamepad, I explain the reason behind skill locations for "rotation" style positioning.

Basically when I'm healing, I'll shoot off an aero and thunder right off the bat to do some damage over time while I heal. If I'm not healing, just soloing, I still start off with aero (damage over time) then move into some stone.

Depending on the situation, I might shoot off some thunder or ruin within that pattern.

Sometimes I even start out with aero, thunder, stone, then ruin... of course I'm in cleric stance for offensive bonus and I have my healer chocobo out...

Hope that helps.

I generally don't really bother with inflicting heavy. It's not useful unless you're trying to kite it, and time spent kiting is time not spent casting other spells. I usually start a fight off with Aero II, then aero (By starting with Aero II, I spend the cast time of that spell "out of combat"), then thunder, then stone II spam while keeping DoTs up. Once I'm in combat, my rotation switches to aero, then aero II, reason being that aero has a longer duration, and that way they wear off at around the same time for me to put them both back up together.

For field mobs:
Cleric Stance -> Stone II -> Thunder & Aero -> Fluid Aura -> (Stone I/II* optional) -> Repose -> If mob still alive, poke with stick.

The just watch the mob die in its sleep =.=
With a high enough attack magic potency, the mob will die without need for Stone I/II before Repose.

You can wait for final DoT tick and poke remaining HP with stick.
Fluid Aura CD will finish by this time.
Or Stone to death a second mob while waiting and repeat.