Quote Originally Posted by Anvaire View Post
I agree that holding bahamut for 1-2 gcds wouldnt hurt but for 5-10 secs? I can't see how that would ever be a good idea.
This part of your response is contradictory. If you delay bahamut by 2 gcds and Pheonix by 2 GCDs you’ve done it by total 10 seconds. 2 GCDs x 2.5 standard GCD length that SMN should stick close to is 5 seconds. What I’m saying is, you’re saying you don’t want to delay 5 seconds but say that it’s alright to delay 5 seconds. And no the idea is that you keep your major cooldowns to align with everybody else’s to maximize damage. If you align Searing Light with other CDs then it’s even more a gain. After reviewing my own statement there are a few more sections where you would delay SL, but most of them all have to do with ensuring that they stay as closely lined up with other 120 cooldowns. And keep in mind that Bahamut and Pheonix are possibly your biggest damage moments. While the rest are good too, Bahamut and Pheonix are just ever so slightly better.

It’s also good to point out that if you keep your rotation to the 2.5 GCD standard and at 90 use all of your skills that you get during normal rotation it should be near impossible to not delay Bahamut/Pheonix in a way that’s comfortable with the rotation and keeping it in line with SL. The only way I see it as being a gain is if it allows you to slip in another stance overall. And even then I’d like to see some calculations on how beneficial that is in the long run. I’m no theory crafter but I imagine the fight would need to be long enough for 11-12 stances to have already passed, which means minimum 10 minutes of the boss being on the field and targetable and having every opportunity to use stance and still have 55-110 seconds left in the fight and at that point it also then begs the question on if it’s more beneficial to not force SL to drift more than it already will and just shave off those 55-110 seconds or close enough.

Sorry for the long analysis, it’s a very complex situation I feel.

Honestly I’m surprised that with all of the changes to SMN they kept the 55 stance. It was what created stance rushing and very unusual gameplay in SHB. Given how streamlined and simple they made it.