Opinions on superior body gear for SMN?

[Havenchild]

Because pet damage relies so heavily on Int and you can't make good use of Spell Speed there are no crafted items that are comparable for SMN.

I wouldn't say Int doesn't have an affect on overall damage but I will say it's not as big as you or many others are assuming.

I've been at ilvl126 for a very long time using this build: http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/Q53Z, and I have managed to consistently outdps countless other well played SMNs at ilvl130 with better party setups then my own.

I am a very staunch believer that DET has a very big role in SMN damage overall. Bigger I would argue sometimes then INT.

Not many believe me on that front though but whatever.

(Don't want to create another SMN thread so asking here even if a bit off-topic)

Is there any discussion/link discussing crafted BiS for SMN? (e.g. what piece and what melds) Are there any crafted gear at all that beats DW and IW when melded?

Kirimu Boots of Casting is one of the only pieces worthy of being called BIS with 25 crit and 6 Acc melded in.

If you use most of the current 130 gear, you'll find that you're choosing between SS / DET or ACC/ Crit.

This leads you to stacking alot of Crit because you need the accuracy. However, Crit past 540 has diminishing returns from my testing so it is better to stack DET for that purpose. You also should maintain your spell speed somewhere in the 370-385 range to perform optimally (closer to 370 when possible). Dropping beneth 370 will lead to a many slow shadow flare casts and DoT casts.

The shoes in particular will help you pick up your crit to a respectable 525+once you have very high DET and overall will help you pull out really big numbers.