SMN BIS 2.3

[YanderePrincess]

Yes, but you have to consider micro managing your pet on top of OGCD abilities. Any loss in using a GCD skill from shortening the Recast time is wasted damage. (Fester+Contagion, Rouse/Spur Aerial Slash, Bane)

Spell Speed is completely counter productive to SMN design and is a terrible stat.

You can use pet abilities even while casting a spell that isn't instant-cast, so I don't really get the issue here. You can easily just keep casting non-stop as you activate pet abilities with no time lost. How much SS you have has no impact on your ability to use OGCD and Pet Abilities without losing DPS.

[Hakmatic]

Breaking Vines in T6 and Cursed Shriek in T7 are examples.

And BiS, while obviously most helpful in raids (considering you actually need to raid to obtain it) is for everything.

I dont even play smn, but those are poor examlples. Breaking vines..., is dots up? Then ruin2. Dots falling off? If its time for bio you can run an re apply, then ruin2 or just stand where you are and re apply the rest, dont forgey swift cast, no one demands it for shadowflare. Shriek is terrible example the boss can be targeted pretty much the whole time, use a ruin 2 while you run then go about your business.

[Judge_Xero]

Breaking Vines in T6 and Cursed Shriek in T7 are examples.

Not to nit pick, but those aren't good examples.
Breaking vines takes like half a second with Sprint, and Dots don't typically need a refresh during them.

Shriek is an 8 second counter, so plenty of time to refresh dots if required before moving into position.

I don't think there's actually any scripted or random parts of a fight that effects Summoner and would require faster casting.

[Judge_Xero]

You can use pet abilities even while casting a spell that isn't instant-cast, so I don't really get the issue here. You can easily just keep casting non-stop as you activate pet abilities with no time lost. How much SS you have has no impact on your ability to use OGCD and Pet Abilities without losing DPS.

Yes, but there is timing of skills as well.

Take T8 as an example when Dreads spawn.

R2 on Boss, Rouse, Bane, SC Shadow Flare, Virus on Dread/Obey, R2, Fester, Aerial Slash, Ruin.
You need to fit a lot between that GCD, and while pet commands can still be used during a cast, the pet buffs can not.

Edit: (Was on phone and typing is a pain) Also add in the time to actually use the skills, whether mouse click or keyboard bindings. (or Gamepad ><)

[YanderePrincess]

Yes, but there is timing of skills as well.

Take T8 as an example when Dreads spawn.

R2 on Boss, Rouse, Bane, SC Shadow Flare, Virus on Dread/Obey, R2, Fester, Aerial Slash, Ruin.
You need to fit a lot between that GCD, and while pet commands can still be used during a cast, the pet buffs can not.

Why're you using Aerial Slash on a single target?

[Kyroc]

He was talking in T8 during dread spawn, so 2 targets

[YanderePrincess]

He was talking in T8 during dread spawn, so 2 targets

Ah, missed that part.

Well, even with a 1.5s cd (which you would never have, but using that extreme value to make a point), you could easily Ruin II > Rouse > Bane > Swiftcast Shadow Flare > Virus > Ruin II > Fester > Ruin. The only part that might would be iffy there is the Rouse > Bane > Swiftcast, but you could easily shift the Rouse or Bane to after Shadow Flare without really losing much of significance (since you're getting the Shadow Flare up slightly faster that way to compensate). With a more realistic SS'd casting time of 2 seconds, even the Rouse > Bane > Swiftcast isn't an issue. And, without any SS at all, you're going to actually have -too much- during the GCD for your OGCD rotation listed and will be waiting while doing nothing for part of it.

Using Obey and Aerial Slash are non-issues because you can do that while doing any of the above. They're not something you have to "fit in between GCD."

And, there are easy ways to make the pet actions even easier to use in there. I have Bane macro'd to also tell Garuda-Egi to use Aerial Slash when I activate it. I also have a second Ruin II that's a macro that gives the Obey command, so I can either have Garuda switch targets by clicking Obey or by casting Ruin II.

[Maero]

So the gear is pretty much what i already have for my blm (minus Skyla Robe)
A FC member got the book of spades and myself was considering it as well.

[NightReach]

http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/NHO3

Thats probably what I will use at some point, but since im already true 110 w/ book I couldnt care less anymore, the dps difference is negligible at best. You should view gear as glamour to show off instead of clutch to beat content, since when we downed T9 most of us were under i95. I use ifrit for T6/T8, garuda for everything else.

[Dwill]

I dont even play smn, but those are poor examlples. Breaking vines..., is dots up? Then ruin2. Dots falling off? If its time for bio you can run an re apply, then ruin2 or just stand where you are and re apply the rest, dont forgey swift cast, no one demands it for shadowflare. Shriek is terrible example the boss can be targeted pretty much the whole time, use a ruin 2 while you run then go about your business.

How is this even relevant to having DoTs with a cast time that requires clipping ? Could you explain that in a coherent sentence ?

Not to nit pick, but those aren't good examples.
Breaking vines takes like half a second with Sprint, and Dots don't typically need a refresh during them.

Shriek is an 8 second counter, so plenty of time to refresh dots if required before moving into position.

I don't think there's actually any scripted or random parts of a fight that effects Summoner and would require faster casting.

I have a feeling that whatever example I choose will be nitpicked anyway and I don't want to enter a battle of "ifs.

No one is saying Spell Speed is a good stat but to say it is near useless is a lie.