Maximize SMN rotation and dps during phase 4

[Soulburn32]

^ Still looking for an answer on the please and thank you

[paradigmfellow]

I am considering going SMN as my main DPS class. I am looking for just a simple answer on this.

The soldier with stoneskin, can you or can you not hurt it with your dots?
If no then your only option is Ruin correct?
Are you only applying dots so you can you bane them over the the knight?

From my understanding the dots are damaging stone skin. Once the skin is down, then the damage to the soldier is increased drastically. You still want to keep up with the dots on the soldier.

[KopiKopi]

and for this reason I was shunned by my FC when we tried turn 4. I was told SMN is too weak for it. T_T

Ask your FC go fly kite. Smn does a lot of dmg assuming if the person playing it knows how to properly play it. Depending on parser to check how a smn is doing is the most idiotic thing 1 can be doing. It's a known thing parser is not able to track a lot of things properly especially for smn. This is the reason why parser should not even have existed due to how idiots tend to misuse it in the right way. As far as my experience goes, even without the use of parser, I already got numerous comments telling me they can feel the dps difference in a run with and without my smn. I only get comments from ppl telling me my smn dps is sick than anyone telling me my dps is bad.

[Zholi]

I was kicked out of a Turn 4 group last week because of my "low DPS" on parser. The group's composition was terrible (2 BLM, 1 SMN, 1 BRD), so they were unable even kill phase 2. The core of the group seemed to be a static, and they would call out parser results after every attempt. I tried to explain to them how the parser works, but it didn't seem to get through to them, and they accused me of making excuses for my "poor performance," and that their SCH does more DPS than me on SMN even though he has NQ relic and +30 MND (I checked this SMN on lodestone, and he has 55 less INT, so this notion is pretty laughable).

Unfortunately, this is what happens when idiots get ahold of a parser. They attempt to use it to diagnose their "problem areas" without even knowing the first thing about how it works. They think that because it is a computer program, it must be impartial and correct in what it says. I've never had a problem clearing that turn with a competent group, and I've certainly never seen a group fail so miserably. Being used as a scapegoat is very frustrating.

[paradigmfellow]

I have an update! Thanks to everyone's input I was able to beat turn 4!

[Pwnznewbz]

I use Ifrit on turn 4. This is going to be considered an unpopular move, but the ultimate ifrit move is an aoe dot. You can land it on all of the bugs/mob groups, while still throwing out some stuns for rooks. Also, Garuda's knock back negatively impacts the group if it goes off just 1 time (even though you would micro manage garuda-egi).

My FC group has Phase 4 on farm, so I feel confident in this move. You will not have the highest dps on this fight. But, you can do a lot to ensure victory such as Shadowflare or Eye for an Eye on the knight/soldier tank. Also, ruin 2 and blind can win this one.

Edit: just read through the pages of comments. Surprised to see so many summoners say they were booted from the group. My dps is always competitive with our blm in the party... he wins 1 turn, while I win the 2nd. Keep at it! Summoners are strong dd and can really help the group with the debuffs!

[Zholi]

snip

I have my own static that I lead, and my DPS is generally above our BLM, though it depends on the situation. We just had so many people gone this week for various reasons (PS4, etc), that I decided to pug this turn. I find parser results in this fight can be very, very strange, and I think it mostly has to do with what phase a group fails at. Because this group was so bad it could only successfully clear phase 1, the results were skewed toward the BLMs, who do more damage on a large amount of targets. As imperfect as the parser is, I am almost never beaten in DPS (maybe 5% of the time? even that may be too generous), and that's knowing the parser is underestimating my damage by a significant amount. This is why I am nothing short of dumbfounded by this group's behavior. I was easily the most geared, experienced, skilled, and successful person in their group.

[EasymodeX]

Current parsers shouldn't be significantly underestimating SMN DPS.

That aside, wiping on p2 of t4 is going to lead to very skewed numbers towards BLMs and DRGs, who gain ridiculous numbers on p1.

SMNs should be annihilating parses on p2, 3, 5, and 6, although 6 depends on how your group does the phase. BLM/DRGs could spike on that phase.

[xxalucard]

Current parsers shouldn't be significantly underestimating SMN DPS.

That aside, wiping on p2 of t4 is going to lead to very skewed numbers towards BLMs and DRGs, who gain ridiculous numbers on p1.

SMNs should be annihilating parses on p2, 3, 5, and 6, although 6 depends on how your group does the phase. BLM/DRGs could spike on that phase.

You know a parser that accurately parses shadowflare (parse it at all, even?), dots, raging strikes + dots, contagion + dots, bane resets, and all of your AoE damage? Cause I sure don't....

If a SMN is annihilating a parse that can't even correctly gauge a significant % of his dps, I'd worry about the other DPS classes in the group. (Though, who knows, the parser may be equally ineffective for them too)

[EasymodeX]

You know a parser that accurately parses shadowflare (parse it at all, even?), dots, raging strikes + dots, contagion + dots, bane resets, and all of your AoE damage? Cause I sure don't....

That's ok, because the parsers are being updated fairly often.

IIRC basically all of them should be (a) modeling DOTs and (b) tracking Bane now that they are correlating mob debuffs with other events. The author of the ACT plugin says that his DOT modeling includes Raging Strikes and that he was working on Contagion. I remember reading a reference to tracking some effects via the buff on the player (IIRC this applies to Shadowflare), but I don't recall checking the actual parse to see if it was there or not.

If a SMN is annihilating a parse that can't even correctly gauge a significant % of his dps, I'd worry about the other DPS classes in the group.

Or maybe Summoners are broken.