How to Be a ACN/SMN.(Accepting any and all feedback)

I'm trying out my first Ranged Class at the moment and figured I'd go with ACN/SMN.
So with that being said, I was wondering what rotations are used from the lowest level and up, where your attributes are going, and how you use your Pet.(Not literally how you go about summoning one.)

As I said before, any and all feedback is welcome. I've skimmed around and haven't really found anything useful as far as ACN/SMN go. So any help will be greatly appreciated, please and thank you. Prefer tips from those who have experience with the Class but once more, any is welcome. Thank you.

I am currently levelling my SMN to 50 so far I just hit lvl42 and my rotations are like this

For single enemy

Bio, Bio 2, Miasma, Virus, Atherflow, Fester, Ruin 2 and repeat

for group of enemies

target marked mob

Bio, Bio 2, Miasma, Virus, Atherflow, Bane, Tri Disaster and Fester with a Ruin thrown in if time.

As for my pets, I'll be honest I let them attack the mobs and leave them to their own devices, ill heal as and when their hp gets low and I just recently aquired Rouse so that will be incorpareted shortly

There's this post, with a little discussion.

Unfortunately, I can't elaborate much, as my ACN is only lvl 16. . .

The ACN has been my favourite class and i level up almost fast and got all jobs (SMN and SCH both Lv 50) . In fact when i have problem in some main scenario quest i use my SMN and solve the problem. I begun as a PGL but when i discovered ACN i loved that class.

My rotation for SMN is the same as Jaynan Tesla said. As a said before i have my SCH but i feel afraid to play with that roll i think it is too much responsibility, any suggestions?

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Originally Posted by JaynanTesla

I am currently levelling my SMN to 50 so far I just hit lvl42 and my rotations are like this

For single enemy

Bio, Bio 2, Miasma, Virus, Atherflow, Fester, Ruin 2 and repeat

for group of enemies

target marked mob

Bio, Bio 2, Miasma, Virus, Atherflow, Bane, Tri Disaster and Fester with a Ruin thrown in if time.

As for my pets, I'll be honest I let them attack the mobs and leave them to their own devices, ill heal as and when their hp gets low and I just recently aquired Rouse so that will be incorpareted shortly

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There is a few things wrong with your rotation.

You want to start with your longest DoT which is Bio2 and go down based on how long the dot lasts for when you start a fight. By doing a Bio2, Miasma, Bio rotation you can get two festers off without having to reapply any of the dots. This allows you to be a bit more bursty in a shorter period than if you would have to reapply. You also want to get in the habit of doing this rotation because it grants the most bang for your buck when you use Contagion. You are also not getting your best bang for your buck when using Bane while doing your rotation either. Your Bio by the time you can hit bane without having massive SpellSpeed stacking to take done the GCD would be 7sec on the Bio if it doesn't get reset and since it is a 15% chance you can not count on it resetting.

Also, with the anti-virus crap that Yoshida put into the game using Virus whenever ya feel like is no longer the greatest idea since you will need to be saving it for o shit moments and don't want to have the 1min immunity to it when you need it the most.

I also personally hate using Ruin2 unless I am in a very movement intensive fight like Titan battles. The extra MP really isn't worth it. Simple Ruin Spam is the way to go when you don't have to move much.

Once you level some more you will want to throw in Miasma2 after Bio. Usually with me I cast Bio2 and Miasma as soon as I can and then while running towards the target to get in range of Miasma2 cast Bio since it is instant and then when in range hit Miasma2.

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Originally Posted by JaynanTesla

I am currently levelling my SMN to 50 so far I just hit lvl42 and my rotations are like this

For single enemy

Bio, Bio 2, Miasma, Virus, Atherflow, Fester, Ruin 2 and repeat

for group of enemies

target marked mob

Bio, Bio 2, Miasma, Virus, Atherflow, Bane, Tri Disaster and Fester with a Ruin thrown in if time.

As for my pets, I'll be honest I let them attack the mobs and leave them to their own devices, ill heal as and when their hp gets low and I just recently aquired Rouse so that will be incorpareted shortly

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Whatever you do OP, _DON'T_ do this. ^

Basically, there is no 'rotation', because doing good DPS relies on keeping DoTs up all the time, and with varied timers, the order of spell casting is always going to be something you determine on the fly..

An example single target (ST) spell casting order: Bio II, Miasma, Bio -> Fester (wait for Bio to land first), Miasma II, Contagion, Shadow Flare, Ruin, Ruin II -> Fester, Ruin, Bio, Miasma, Ruin, Bio II, etc.

Your goal is to clip (replace before the timer expires) the DoT as late as possible, without creating time where the DoT is not up at all. Do this with all 3 DoTs.

The AoE spell order will generally be similar to the ST spell order, except instead of Fester, you will be using Bane to spread DoTs. You will be casting Bio II, Miasma and Bio on an un-DoT'd mob, Bane the DoTs, until everything has DoTs. Assuming you have Swiftcast, it is a good idea to get Shadow Flare out first so it can be ticking on everything as you're DoTing it all up. (which usually takes upwards of ~18 seconds for 5-8 mobs) It is good to use Contagion on the first set of DoTs, so that the DoT expiration of the first set lines up better with the expiration of the second set. (assuming you have 5 or more targets) After everything has Bane'd DoTs, you'll toss out a Miasma II and start spamming Blizzard II until either a) everything is dead or b) stuff needs new DoTs.

As far as Garuda goes (you're going to want to always use Garuda, and anyone who says differently doesn't know what they are talking about), keep her on Obey, so that she only uses Wind Blade. You'll need to do the Aerial Blast (AoE spell) and Contagion on your own. If you need an immediate Contagion, issuing a Steady to Garuda right before you need it (to avoid another casting or two of Wind Blade) will allow you to get it as soon as you press the button, rather than waiting on her to finish what she is doing.

Don't use Miasma II on single targets unless you plan to Contagion it. Don't use Ruin II unless you need to move (to dodge a mechanic) or need to cast an off-GCD spell like Bane/Fester/Energy Drain/Enkindle/Rouse/Spur/etc. Don't use Bane or Fester until the final of the three DoTs is actually showing on the mob. (it takes a second to register between you sending the spell and the server acknowledging it and applying it) Don't use Sic for pets. Don't use Ifrit. Try to use all 3 Aetherflow charges every minute. Use Energy Drain as little as possible. When using Raging Strikes, cast it before your DoTs. Try to Contagion any RS'd DoTs to get more damage out of the buffed versions.

I'm sure there is more, but take half of what you read with a grain of salt, because a lot of people who think they know what they are talking about (like this guy I quoted) are dreadfully wrong. Until you get to know the class, you probably won't be able to distinguish the obvious bad advice from the good advice, so look for people to back each other up on what is good advice before you accept it as gospel.

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Originally Posted by Maku

Once you level some more you will want to throw in Miasma2 after Bio. Usually with me I cast Bio2 and Miasma as soon as I can and then while running towards the target to get in range of Miasma2 cast Bio since it is instant and then when in range hit Miasma2.

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Worth noting (just for sake of completeness) that you wouldn't Miasma2 on a single target unless you were also using Contagion. Also, you kinda want to be in melee range anyway, because the occasional auto-attack is just free damage.

Just wanted to add, that you're all assuming you can be in melee range... Miasma II shouldn't be used if there is a mechanic that will make it dangerous to run into melee range, or to stay there for that matter.

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Originally Posted by Craiger

Just wanted to add, that you're all assuming you can be in melee range... Miasma II shouldn't be used if there is a mechanic that will make it dangerous to run into melee range, or to stay there for that matter.

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I can't think of any ST content where you can't be in melee range, except perhaps BC Turn 5 phase 4/5.

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Originally Posted by T0rin

Use Energy Drain as little as possible.

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I only disagree with what is underlined, energy drain can be used effectively when no other mobs are available to fester, no point having it sitting there when it can drain points off the main target mob.

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Originally Posted by Cons

I only disagree with what is underlined, energy drain can be used effectively when no other mobs are available to fester, no point having it sitting there when it can drain points off the main target mob.

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Right, that would fall under 'as little as possible'. That's why I didn't say 'never use it', because there are situations where it Aetherflow is up, should be cast, and you have a single charge you need to use, and there is no reason to Bane or Fester.

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Originally Posted by JaynanTesla

I am currently levelling my SMN to 50 so far I just hit lvl42 and my rotations are like this

For single enemy

Bio, Bio 2, Miasma, Virus, Atherflow, Fester, Ruin 2 and repeat

for group of enemies

target marked mob

Bio, Bio 2, Miasma, Virus, Atherflow, Bane, Tri Disaster and Fester with a Ruin thrown in if time.

As for my pets, I'll be honest I let them attack the mobs and leave them to their own devices, ill heal as and when their hp gets low and I just recently aquired Rouse so that will be incorpareted shortly

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You also don't want to use tri-disaster unless you need a long term bind which will be incredibly rare. Blizzard II is much better as your aoe filler(just dont burn all your mp doing this).

-Key point is always have Bio2, Miasma, and Bio up. If it's single target use Fester, if it's trash mobs use Bane, and if you're running low on mana use Energy Drain. When Fester is on cooldown or the filler time before your next DoT rotations use Ruin or Miasma2.
-Never ever spam Ruin2 for the simple reason of blind diminish returns. If you have a GLA/PLD, don't use it. If you have a MRD/WAR, only use it once every 15 to 20 seconds.
-Always use Blue Carby in party unless the tank is having problems, then you can use Yellow Carby on mobs the tank isn't fighting.
-Keep Carby/Garuda on Obey and Ifrit on Sic, Spur and Rouse often.
-When using Shadow Flare, try to place it right at the Tanks feet so it hits the mobs but it's not over the tank (this can be annoying for tanks and sometimes makes it hard to see AoE).
-Level THM to gain access to SwiftCast and ARC for Raging Strikes.

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Originally Posted by Viridiana

Worth noting (just for sake of completeness) that you wouldn't Miasma2 on a single target unless you were also using Contagion. Also, you kinda want to be in melee range anyway, because the occasional auto-attack is just free damage.

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I use Miasma2 on single as well. And I agree about being in melee range but when a battle starts I just get my casts off as soon as I can.

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Originally Posted by Maku

I use Miasma2 on single as well. And I agree about being in melee range but when a battle starts I just get my casts off as soon as I can.

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I assume you're using Contagion with it, as I pointed out? Otherwise, it's strictly worse than Ruin.

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Originally Posted by Viridiana

I assume you're using Contagion with it, as I pointed out? Otherwise, it's strictly worse than Ruin.

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Sorry I forgot I was in the DPS forums. Yes when on SMN I only use M2 with Contagion. Sorry I mainly play SCH and was having a discussion about that in a different thread got confused. Use M2 no matter what on SCH cause I can heal while it DoTs away.

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Originally Posted by T0rin

Whatever you do OP, _DON'T_ do this. ^

Basically, there is no 'rotation', because doing good DPS relies on keeping DoTs up all the time, and with varied timers, the order of spell casting is always going to be something you determine on the fly..

*snip good advice*

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I agree with 99% of what Torin says, and think it's a great starting template for those first playing SMN.

A couple of weeks ago I recently started taking advantage of auto-attacks as a Summoner, and they actually add up to a lot of damage.

If you can safely stay in melee range of a boss, you can get in an auto-attack in between spells. You cannot auto-attack while casting, but after things like Bio, Ruin II, Bane, or Fester, your queued auto-attack will instantly hit.

Because of this it's actually a DPS gain to use Ruin II more than usual, and the only reason I go Ruin ~ Ruin II in something like the extreme primals is because it helps manage MP.

Otherwise, if MP permits and you can safely be in melee range without wiping the raid, spamming ruin II more often can lead to more DPS with the auto attacks hitting during the GCD. It messes up the blind, yes, but usually the tank doesn't rely on that blind anyway.

With relic+1 or the extreme primal book, each auto attack hits for around ~66 damage, and crits for 100+ damage. I originally thought the attacks would be negligible, but it's like having another DoT up 24/7.

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Originally Posted by Maku

Sorry I forgot I was in the DPS forums. Yes when on SMN I only use M2 with Contagion. Sorry I mainly play SCH and was having a discussion about that in a different thread got confused. Use M2 no matter what on SCH cause I can heal while it DoTs away.

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This makes no sense at all. Why would you use M2 when you can simple use a Ruin or Ruin 2?

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Originally Posted by Uninstall

This makes no sense at all. Why would you use M2 when you can simple use a Ruin or Ruin 2?

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Because with contagion the tics & initial hit add up to more than a crit ruin.

I tested a contagion'd miasma 2 just now on a dummy, and the damage was:

Initial hit: 53
Tics: 26 26 27 26 25 27 26 26 26 27

Added together I got 315, which is about the same as a crit ruin. However, in that random test, NONE of my dot tics crit. Assuming that one or two of them crit, it would be more damage than possible with a crit ruin (higher than the possible crit range).

Just for reference, my ruins crit between ~300 and ~326 (outside of a party, unbuffed).


Another thing to factor in is the way some bosses work (jump / disappear & reappear), and the fact that your dots, including Miasma II, can give extra tics while the boss is off screen, or at least give you some extra damage the same moment they become targetable/vulnerable (if they are invulnerable during phase changes).

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Originally Posted by xxalucard

Because with contagion the tics & initial hit add up to more than a crit ruin.

I tested a contagion'd miasma 2 just now on a dummy, and the damage was:

Initial hit: 53
Tics: 26 26 27 26 25 27 26 26 26 27

Added together I got 315, which is about the same as a crit ruin. However, in that random test, NONE of my dot tics crit. Assuming that one or two of them crit, it would be more damage than possible with a crit ruin (higher than the possible crit range).

Just for reference, my ruins crit between ~300 and ~326 (outside of a party, unbuffed).


Another thing to factor in is the way some bosses work (jump / disappear & reappear), and the fact that your dots, including Miasma II, can give extra tics while the boss is off screen, or at least give you some extra damage the same moment they become targetable/vulnerable (if they are invulnerable during phase changes).

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I am talking about when he's on his Scholar. :/

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Originally Posted by xxalucard

If you can safely stay in melee range of a boss, you can get in an auto-attack in between spells. You cannot auto-attack while casting, but after things like Bio, Ruin II, Bane, or Fester, your queued auto-attack will instantly hit.

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fyi
Auto Attacks start queueing about the last 1/4th of a cast.

If you just continually cast every GCD, every 5-6 casts you'll see an auto attack netting 5-6 DPS.

Along with that, auto attacks CAN go off during the cast, in that last 1/4th or so.

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Originally Posted by Uninstall

I am talking about when he's on his Scholar. :/

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I was waiting to see if this is what you meant. I use M2 instead of Ruin because of the instance cast (I pretty much only use my SCH for end-game high movement content) and I use M2 instead of Ruin2 for constant damage because I don't like to Blind the mob when it isn't needed.