Elemental Mastery needs to unlock much earlier

[Jaquan]

Looking at this from gameplay and job quest perspective I feel the earliest they could implement it would be maybe around level 60 but not via summoning but through pseudo-trances. As in reworking the animation of using your egi/demi into trance, allowing the option to use Impulse for new effect and ending it after we spend both charges/run out of time. Thematically it would tie with the latest power up from story perspective while adding part of benefits from demis

[CasterSvarog]

I wouldn’t mind having weaker versions of those actions unlock earlier, just as long as that gameplay variety in general is made available at a notably earlier level than 86.

Heck, they don’t even need to do much, just remove or weaken the 430 potency hit from Slipstream, reduce mountain busters potency, and unlock Crimson strike at a later time.

Edit: Completely forgot about summoners strength in lvl 70 ultimates, if they do this, it’ll have to be done in Shb levels

[ReiMakoto]

Tbh the only thing that would hold this idea back is damage numbers. From what I’ve heard at level 70 or so, SMN is really, really strong. So something will likely have to give to bring those down to the lower levels.
Personally I’d sacrifice Enkindles damage and either give it an extra charge of have the cooldown be reduced at at around level 80.
Otherwise, I would love to see the elemental mastery trait be available sooner. The difference between level 85vs86 is staggering

This is the real sticker. In 70 ultimates SMN does so much damage its not even in the same ballpark as the other dps.

[CasterSvarog]

This is the real sticker. In 70 ultimates SMN does so much damage its not even in the same ballpark as the other dps.

I complete forgot about that, and taking a look at UWU and UCOB logs Summoner is top of the board on all rankings, outdoing Samurai and Ninja by, what I would assume, a pretty decent amount. So they would definitely have to reduce the damage summoner already does or move elemental mastery to the Shb levels.

[MellowMink]

I was kind of surprised to not see Summoner have any tweaks made to it for the Patch 6.2 updates; I’m still hoping that this particular thing is at least discussed at a future live letter or interview, since it seems like something that would improve complexity for a huge majority of instances.

[Ayden]

I already had this empty feeling when I was leveling the job from lv80-86. Can only imagine doing it from lower level is a lot more suffering. I totally agreed Elemental Mastery needs to unlock much earlier. Astral Impulse/Flare and Deathflare can be pushed to lv70 when we obtain Summon Bahamut. As for being too powerful at lower level, the potency can probably be balanced with some traits.

lv58 Astral Flow, Crimson Cyclone, Crimson Strike
lv60 Mountain Buster, Slipstream


lv70 Summon Bahamut, Astral Impulse/Flare, Deathflare
lv80 Summon Phoenix, Fountain of Fire/Brand of Purgatory, Rekindle


lv86 Something new

[MellowMink]

I already had this empty feeling when I was leveling the job from lv80-86. Can only imagine doing it from lower level is a lot more suffering. I totally agreed Elemental Mastery needs to unlock much earlier. Astral Impulse/Flare and Deathflare can be pushed to lv70 when we obtain Summon Bahamut. As for being too powerful at lower level, the potency can probably be balanced with some traits.

lv58 Astral Flow, Crimson Cyclone, Crimson Strike
lv60 Mountain Buster, Slipstream


lv70 Summon Bahamut, Astral Impulse/Flare, Deathflare
lv80 Summon Phoenix, Fountain of Fire/Brand of Purgatory, Rekindle


lv86 Something new

Something like that would be nice, like partial gem skill availability or some mechanically weaker version of the current Level 86 skills. Right now, the job is much less interesting in lower-level content, which happens to include a significant majority of all current instances.

[Raikai]

Had to doodle my own wishes for a 7.0 SMN new level 100 trait, alongside getting those QoL regarding its own implementation:


It could make the SMN kit full circle, as they would visit every aspect of the Elemental wheel, whith Bahamut and Phoenix also representing Umbral and Astral polarities. For this new set of gemstones they could go with a cast time oriented cycle, as opposed to the insta-cast dominance on the first set of stones.

I'm greatly bothered by Fester too... okay, an oGCD... but it doesn't really matches this new Summoner. I wish Fester would be an unique ogcd depending on the Demi you have on your gauge (active or not).

[Supersnow845]

SMN does way too much damage in the level 70 ultimates because as soon as you unlock Bahamut you get access to ark morn and bahamut’s damage is the same in level 70 content as it is in level 90 Content, they could easily add more abilities to the lower levels by nerfing bahamut’s initial potency rather than introducing him at level 70 with his level 90 potencies

Not that they care about old ultimates but rebalancing SMN’s frankly disgusting damage in old ultimates should not be a barrier to fixing this jobs frankly horrible levelling experience, seriously the job before 86 plays like a healer (yes that’s an insult) and above 86 plays like a level 60 job

[MellowMink]

Had to doodle my own wishes for a 7.0 SMN new level 100 trait, alongside getting those QoL regarding its own implementation:


It could make the SMN kit full circle, as they would visit every aspect of the Elemental wheel, whith Bahamut and Phoenix also representing Umbral and Astral polarities. For this new set of gemstones they could go with a cast time oriented cycle, as opposed to the insta-cast dominance on the first set of stones.

I'm greatly bothered by Fester too... okay, an oGCD... but it doesn't really matches this new Summoner. I wish Fester would be an unique ogcd depending on the Demi you have on your gauge (active or not).

This artwork is amazing and badass, and I would love to see any other job-related drawings from you too! I really hope that the developers see your post in particular, and thanks for suggesting these cool upgrades!

As for the four skills current related to Fester, I would rather have them than nothing since they’re at least some brief oGCD variety every minute, although I’m definitely not opposed to their current forms being slightly augmented while a summon is out as well; the more variety, the better.