summoner dps how to do it

[RaizeGraymalkin]

So I'm looking to mess around with Summoner again and I was used to Bio II, Miasma, Bio...but reading through this I'm seeing some different orders. What's the general consensus now or is it situational?

Also in regards to auto attacks, SMN's only auto attack when up close or is that incorrect? So should I actually be fighting in melee range to get a DPS increase or am I misunderstanding that? I usually fought at range, but it's been a while.

[Havenchild]

So I'm looking to mess around with Summoner again and I was used to Bio II, Miasma, Bio...but reading through this I'm seeing some different orders. What's the general consensus now or is it situational?

Also in regards to auto attacks, SMN's only auto attack when up close or is that incorrect? So should I actually be fighting in melee range to get a DPS increase or am I misunderstanding that? I usually fought at range, but it's been a while.

Others may attest to it, but I have never had a better opener than starting with Bio II, Miasma, Bio order. I would still say that is the best order of things in regards to the opener.

SMNs auto attack in melee range only. Yes you should be in melee range whenever you can for a solid DPS increase. You will auto attack per Instant Cast skill or whenever an auto attack lines up with the conclusion of casting a skill. When you have more then one melee, weave in and out of mechanics to stay in melee range as long as possible.

SMN is a melee class at it's best. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise regardless of all the ranged skills.

[Judge_Xero]

So I'm looking to mess around with Summoner again and I was used to Bio II, Miasma, Bio...but reading through this I'm seeing some different orders. What's the general consensus now or is it situational?

For me it's situational depending on the pet I'm using. (at least for the opener, otherwise you just reapply as they fall off due to the different timers)

Ifrit I do Bio - Miasma - Bio 2 - Because Raging Strikes is 20s and Bio is 18s this allows me to get two buffed Bio's. If I did Bio 2, Miasma, Bio, then Raging Strikes would fall off before I would reapply Bio again unless I clipped it at like 8 seconds.

Garuda is different because I will only use Raging Strikes with Contagion, and with it being the ideal AOE pet, I will want Bio to have a lot of time left when I Bane it due to it being 40 Potency/tick VS 35 Potency/tick. So that's where the Bio2, Miasma, Bio order comes to play.

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The other thing I like about starting with Bio while using Ifrit is, since it's instant cast I don't have to click Obey like when casting a non-Instant Cast spell in order for Ifrit to start attacking, otherwise he would wait until the spell actually hit before going to attack whatever you are attacking.

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But in saying all that, if I have Ifrit out and I'm having to do some AOE damage that requires Bane, I will do Bio2, Miasma, Bio.

[Havenchild]

The other thing I like about starting with Bio while using Ifrit is, since it's instant cast I don't have to click Obey like when casting a non-Instant Cast spell in order for Ifrit to start attacking, otherwise he would wait until the spell actually hit before going to attack whatever you are attacking.

A precasted Shadow Flare does the same thing, and technically gives you more DPS in your open as well assuming the boss is pulled into it.

[Judge_Xero]

A precasted Shadow Flare does the same thing, and technically gives you more DPS in your open as well assuming the boss is pulled into it.

Yeah I guess it would since you would place it between the boss and tank path, it should pull the pet as soon as the boss enters it. I don't think it relies on the tick to happen but I'd have to check on a dummy.

After second enkindle ifrit can reach 180 dps+ and your own dps should stick around 360~ dps in 7 - 8min fight I can do around 540~ dps without any kind of potions. Also using zeta myself because dreamdyrm book have kinda shitty stats.

Oh wow. 540 DPS in an actual fight? or that is on a dummy over 7 - 8 Minutes?

Not sure why but my own damage falls to like 330 DPS while I can keep Ifrit around 190 DPS using the pet skills on CD (Flaming Crush, Crimson Cyclone) + pet buffs of course. (Dummy only) In a real fight my Ifrit falls to like 175, or around 140 in a fight like T13

[Sunako]

Oh wow. 540 DPS in an actual fight? or that is on a dummy over 7 - 8 Minutes?

Against dummy and solo. In fight it depends lot since slashing debuff + blunt debuff + foe + multitarget dps increase your dps. In WoD I have done often 560+ first 2 bosses. In t13 highest I have done is around 500 dps.

[Panteleon]

For me it's situational depending on the pet I'm using. (at least for the opener, otherwise you just reapply as they fall off due to the different timers)

Ifrit I do Bio - Miasma - Bio 2 - Because Raging Strikes is 20s and Bio is 18s this allows me to get two buffed Bio's. If I did Bio 2, Miasma, Bio, then Raging Strikes would fall off before I would reapply Bio again unless I clipped it at like 8 seconds.

Garuda is different because I will only use Raging Strikes with Contagion, and with it being the ideal AOE pet, I will want Bio to have a lot of time left when I Bane it due to it being 40 Potency/tick VS 35 Potency/tick. So that's where the Bio2, Miasma, Bio order comes to play.

I love you. I thought I was crazy because, when the thread initially got going, so few people were talking about this.

With single target, it's such a big difference in damage to start and end RS with Bio I (before Contagion... yes I still use Garuda single target) that I couldn't understand why nobody was acknowledging it as the de facto opener. If you cast a Ruin, it's only 80 potency + 20% buff from RS... so 16 extra? If you use the same GCD for a Bio I reapply, it's 5 more ticks at 40 potency = 200... + 20% is 40 extra! Then if you Contagion after the RS is done, you get 15 more seconds on everything (and all maintain their RS buff for the remaining 15sec). Why would anybody just do a Ruin in that slot? Or blow their Contagion after only the first three (unless they need to Bane)?

You're also absolutely right about Baning, too. Bio I needs to go last in that situation, but I don't think it matters whether Bio II or Miasma goes first. You're still going to lose 3-4 seconds worth of tick from the first DoT for casting time on the subsequent DoT's; at that point, Miasma and Bio II have the same potency. It's the same loss, whichever you cast first.

Here's how I do it now:
- X-Potion of Intelligence
- Raging Strikes
- Bio I
- Bio II
- Miasma
- Fester
- Ruin II
- Quickcast (within Ruin II GCD)
- Shadowflare
- Miasma II
- HQ Potent Potion of Poisoning (within Miasma II GCD)
- Bio I
- Fester
- (+/- Another Ruin II under the RS here, depending on timing flubs)
- (Now that RS is over)
○ Contagion
○ Ruin II ->Rouse/Spur -> Ruin II -> Enkindle

EDIT: And, honestly, only reason I don't use Ifrit is because I'm uncomfortable getting a parser and haven't figured out a way to account for travel time and such for his melee attack (does he miss at all or readjust in fights?). Ifrit really is better DPS-wise? That wasn't just a fad?

[Havenchild]

EDIT: And, honestly, only reason I don't use Ifrit is because I'm uncomfortable getting a parser and haven't figured out a way to account for travel time and such for his melee attack (does he miss at all or readjust in fights?). Ifrit really is better DPS-wise? That wasn't just a fad?

Ifrit is superior all around even with some travel time. Add a MNK and a War/ Nin for slashing debuff and you are far above what Garuda can give you.
To compare I used to use Garuda for T11 add phase and with a single caster I could maybe get 520 ish or so on an ok run, (pet loses alot of DPS in that add phase with that switch back to Ifrit).
When however I got rid of Garuda even for that add phase and just focused my node down with Ifrit on the Melee node, the parse was over 558. Definitely shouldn't look down on Ifrit ever now and learn to main it.

Garuda is only good for 2 phases atm in all of final Coil, MAYBE 3.

1) T13 - When the Storm Spawns, fully buffed DoTs + Bane on at least 4 targets + fully buffed Enkindle
2) T12 - Bennu Rebirth Phase, RS Dots + Contagion + Bane.
3) MAYBE - T10 Add phase, but you will burn over 1k MP on this fight which is very very costly, due to the nonstop duration (assuming you're not Energy Draining)