What's the "best" AoE classes in the game for specific situations?

[Hitome]

Specific situations?

Garuda = Summoner.

Raging Strikes + all DoTs and Shadowflare on Garuda. As soon as adds are about to pop, you set Tri-Disaster to bind and keep them from scattering. Bane to spread the DoT love. Adds dead.

swiftcast > flare = 1.6k damage to all plumes; if it crits, plume is dead. This takes all of 2 seconds.

BLM destroys SMN on Garuda.

[Zenmaku]

On top of that, caster classes are the only ones that can consistently AoE without running out of resource...tp is bad and in prolonged situations you will run dry (hell it doesn't even have to be very prolonged, in 8 wide volley's a bard is dry, 3 more with invig).

This was my point on why DRG > Bards, besides having a higher potency GCD skill with a 10% damage buff, we have a stronger invigorate and our skills cost less TP than theirs. Even if they get a "free" proc, just ours costing less essentially means we get a "free" ability use every 3 uses compared to their "chance" at a free skill.

BLMs might be kings of damage for AOE, but they are also kings of dying instantly if they happen to damage too much and aggro half the Turn 4 mobs. Where DRG can tank Turn 4 adds just fine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tTWd20MYI

[pandabearcat]

swiftcast > flare = 1.6k damage to all plumes; if it crits, plume is dead. This takes all of 2 seconds.

BLM destroys SMN on Garuda.

Yep, not to mention, bane refuses to work on garuda about 90% of the time.

You'll get like, 3 plumes baned, even if you use it when they're all on her butt and had done tri-disaster (which, also, refuses to work half the time).

[Youmu]

Specific situations?

Garuda = Summoner.

Raging Strikes + all DoTs and Shadowflare on Garuda. As soon as adds are about to pop, you set Tri-Disaster to bind and keep them from scattering. Bane to spread the DoT love. Adds dead.

Seems like a lot of work. I just use flare, and the plumes are all dead.

snip for length.

My group doesnt have this problem. At most, I'll have agro on one mob that mightve been crit too hard off a flare. One use of surecast for my next flare is all I need to take care of that. The only reason BLM would take mass agro during AOE portions is if theyre popping cooldowns/ethers for flares, which you should not be doing - the extra AOE DPS is unnecessary then, save CDs for dreadnoughts.