Teach me how -SMN-

[Bunsen]

snip

You may not be a master SMN, but I am and what you said is on point!!! I agree with everything he said

[Ehayte]

I do have SMN to 50, with an extreme weapon and not much else. I have 2 accessories left to finish i90'ing my SCH, then I will be focusing my Myth on SMN so that I can have a Tank, Healer, mDPS, and pDPS on the same char : D

I have been messing with SMN in some HM dungeons and stuff (I'm at like loli65 with 3 i90 tank accessories or something, just because I don't even have darklight casting ones). I get the dot rotation and up-time management and I understand MP management with Ruin/Ruin2, what I am having trouble with is managing Garuda just because I didn't play SMN AT ALL from 35-50, so I have Enkindle, Spur, Contagion, and Sic that are all pretty much totally foreign to me. I understand weaving abilities and all that, and I'm fairly comfortable with managing aetherflow on my Banes/Festers/Energy Drains.

My questions:

- Will contagion'ed DoTs be baned with the original duration, or will the extended duration be applied?
- When is the absolute "best" time to use contagion (I'm assuming when Bio is about to wear off?), and what do I do with that extra time? Just Ruin1 spamming, using a Fester if applicable, Virus, Eye for an Eye, etc? I always feel like I'm left with not much going on as a SMN with only 3 (and a pretty situational 4th) dots to apply.
- How do I manage Enkindle/Rouse - besides: "Use it when you are in X situation, always" how should I intermingle Rouse/Spur/Enkindle?
- What other pet micro management should I be aware of? I play on PS4 and I really only like to use 24 hot-buttons (1 X-hotbar and another 8 buttons accessible by holding both triggers down), but if I need to add another set to be able to not be a sucky end-game SMN I will : D

Thank you for reading through my ignorance, and thanks OP for starting this tread!

[AarinEphemera]

@Ehayte

1. Yes, extended duration will be applied.
2. It varies depending on situation. Most of time I use Raging Strike > Apply Bio II, Miasma, Bio > Fester > Miasma II (If you close to enemy) > Contagion. This rotation will make your DoT hits harder with longer duration.
3. On my SMN, I tend to use Rouse+Spur when they're not on cooldown to maximize damage output from pets. Some are pretty situational, example is to use Garuda-Egi's Enkindle on large mob pulled or need slight burst damage (Example : Titan heart phase). Make sure Spur+Rouse is up to maximize Enkindle damage output.
4. You want to put Obey on your hotbar, as well Contagion so Garuda doesn't derp and use Contagion at wrong time. I made a macro for Contagion so I don't need to spam Contagion key in order to apply it to the enemy. You might want to experiment with your hotbar more so you feel comfortable to control your summons.

[Thaliss]

I am just wondering about when you summon your pet, its stats are calculated on your base stats including gear (potions has no effects)

So I am trying to get jewelry sets for different summons. For Garuda, obviously no need but wondering how good Ifrit would be with more str.
That would be to do before a fight and switch back to SMN jewelry.

The drawback is that when you cast ROUSE/SPUR then the stats are calculated again to what you are currently wearing

Probably tested somewhere

[Zike]

- For Ruin/Ruin2, it's best used as one of your GCD abilities once all the standard DoTs are up. You can push with Ruin2 spams when you need to take something down quickly and don't mind the extra MP loss, otherwise for long term fights where you need to keep a good supply of MP, stick with Ruin1.

I think it's important to note that there is no dps difference between Ruin and Ruin 2. The only times Ruin 2 would dps something down faster is in conjunction with a fester or if you are on the move. Otherwise, the only difference is that the Ruin 2 damage comes out at the beginning of the GCD rather than the end. If you are simply spamming Ruin 2, you are only wasting MP.

[xxalucard]

I think it's important to note that there is no dps difference between Ruin and Ruin 2. The only times Ruin 2 would dps something down faster is in conjunction with a fester or if you are on the move. Otherwise, the only difference is that the Ruin 2 damage comes out at the beginning of the GCD rather than the end. If you are simply spamming Ruin 2, you are only wasting MP.

No, that's mistaken. Spamming ruin II at close range means that you get extra auto-attacks on top of the ruin damage (you auto attack while waiting on the GCD). It's not a waste of mp when you combine it with auto-attacks, because it's more damage. And if you stack on the boss anyway and mp isn't an issue for the particular fight, then that's what you should be doing.

It would be a waste of mp to spam ruin II while standing far away from the target the entire fight (Turn 7).

[LineageRazor]

1. Yes, extended duration will be applied.

As a newish SMN, one thing I'm curious about is the 15% chance that Bane'd dots will have their duration reset to full. If you use Contagion, then Bane, and that 15% kicks in - what happens?

Option 1: Nothing. Any dots at or above full duration are unaffected. I think this is most likely, but don't know, so that's why I'm asking.

Option 2: It will it REDUCE the duration of your dots to their normal full duration. This would suck.

Option 3: It will treat the Contagion as an increase to the full duration of the dot - meaning dots would be reset to their full duration plus 15 seconds. This would be awesome!

Anyone know which of these is the real story?

Also, when that 15% kicks in, does it reset all dots, or does each dot have its own 15% chance of reset?

[Ardan]

They fixed that already LineageRazor. The bug was that if, by chance, the 15% chance effect happened, it would reduce the contagion'd DoTs to their original duration. So to answer your question, option 1.

[Kirinichibon]

Also, when that 15% kicks in, does it reset all dots, or does each dot have its own 15% chance of reset?

If you only have a few seconds left on your dot duration and Bane, there's a 15% chance the Bane-d dots will be applied at their normal full duration. I don't rely on this, personally, as the bane cooldown timer with large packs lets me cast a full set of dots and miasma2 on an un-dotted mob before casting bane again.

I just view this bonus as an ok passive way for us to close the gap with BLM's big AoE casts.

[AldoVonAlexandros]

Crit BiS
Prerequisite:
Garuda-egi
1 stack Aetherflow (with Aetherflow off the cooldown)
HQ Deviled Eggs for Coil
HQ Buttons for Extreme Primals
HQ Mega-potion of Int
HQ Potent Poisoning Potion (optional)

Opening Rotation: – (skills in parenthesis are off the global cooldown)
( Raging Strikes ) Bio II >> Miasma >> Bio > ( Fester ) > Ruin II + Move to CLOSE RANGE >> Miasma II > [optional] HQ Poison Pot >> ( Swiftcast ) Shadow Flare + Contagion >> ( Rouse ) > Ruin II >> ( Spur ) > Ruin II >> ( Fester ) > Ruin > [varies in fights, read below] ( Enkindle )

Why use Miasma before Bio II??
- Miasma applies a slow, and it is crucial in some fights like Dreadknight to apply a slow immediately. Other than that, it is all the same.

Shadow Flare:
It doesn't matter if there is only one monster. Use Shadow Flare every time. Think of it as an extra DoT, so keep refreshing it. Pre-cast it on places where monsters will be.

What makes you a pro summoner is the ability to do the opening rotation correctly, when to use Enkindle, and of course.. to know when to clip your dots.

Lesson 1: Opening Rotation
Make sure to cast TWO Fester for each Raging Strikes
Use Miasma II every time Contagion is ready. Miasma II requires you to move in, so make sure to use Ruin II while moving. Never use Miasma II if Contagion is not ready since it's a waste of MP.
HQ PPP is optional, but it gives you a DPS boost.
Weave in Off-the-GCD skills always and use it with Ruin II

Lesson 2: When to use Enkindle
Always use Enkindle with Spur and Rouse pet buff up. Enkindle has a 300s cooldown but hits like a truck and is an AOE, so it is imperative to use it at the right time at certain fights:
Twintania: Use it in your opening rotation to kill Drakes faster, and use it again during Snake phase right after using LB, then use it off cooldown.
Ifrit EX: Use it in your opening rotation, then again during the last nail phase. Use it where there are two nails beside each other (also Bane there).
Titan EX normal-speed: Use it in your opening rotation and then again when first set of adds are up (also Bane there).
Titan EX Speedkill: Save it until add phase. Use Bane and then Enkindle.
Garuda EX: Use in your opening rotation, and again for plumes phase (don't hit Spiny).
Coil T1-T4: Use if off cooldown.

Lesson 3: When to clip your dots
By "clip your dots", I mean 'refreshing the dots before the timer runs out'. The right time to do it is when your DoTs are about to go below 12 seconds, and when (in 6-7 seconds):
The monster is about to "jump", for example: Titan. After doing the fight countless times, you will notice the exact times that he will jump – depends on group DPS, but you will know the HP % by then.
You know that you might be "frozen", for example: (i) Twintania Conflagrations, and (ii) Titan Gaols.

Extra Lesson: Festers and Bane and Pet
Please, for the love of Eorzea, never use Energy Drain over Fester in any circumstance. You might run out of MP, but that's why Aetherflow gives you MP back. The only time you can use Energy Drain is when Fester is down, and you wanted to Ruin II + Energy Drain combo a monster to get the killing blow.

Bane:
The function of this skill is self-explanatory, but the right time to use it is tricky. Whenever you want to Bane, make sure that the DoTs are Contagioned. Best times to use Bane:

Twintania:
Use on the Drake Adds right after you put all 3 DoTs with Raging strikes buff up, and use it again on a contagioned Number 2 Drake Add to reapply the DoTs.
Use on Conflagrations (manage aetherflow stack well here), Snakes, and Dreadknights (but reapply Miasma to slow it).
Ifrit EX:
Use on the nails that spawn right next to Ifrit.
Last nail phase: Use on the nails that are next to each other.
Titan EX Speedkill:
Use on gaols that the BLM is unable to do Double-Flare with.
Garuda EX:
Never Bane the Spiny Plume.
Use Bane when Garuda and a sister are right next to each other.

Which Pet to use and how to micromanage it:
Garuda-egi all the way, and Contagion + Miasma II every minute.
Make a macro with ALL your skills to add:
/pac "Wind Blade" <t>
Have your "Obey" skill on an easily-accessed button. I have mine on "F".
Position Garuda-egi where there is less chance that she will get knocked back.
In some cases like Ifrit AOE Pushback and Titan Landslide, you will have to manual move Garuda back in range for DPS. Otherwise, it will only sit there idling. The easy fix for this is to spam your "Obey" skill on the monster as it will go into range by itself.
Whenever you want to Enkindle or Contagion, make sure that Garuda-egi is on "obey" on the monster you want to use the skill on.

Credits goes to Artemis

source http://shinra.guildwork.com/forum/th...ow-to-summoner