Summoner Responsibilities and Spell Rotations

[Darksword]

Only because there doesn't seem to be a thread on it yet.

First a few pointers and explanations:

Swiftcast. This is a level 26 THM job ability that you can crossclass, and it is an absolutely essential tool. Someone on Alla pointed it out to me the day the game launched, and I putzed around leveling my THM up to get it (I hated THM). I wasn't sure it was going to be worth the effort until the first time I used it. Let me be clear: Swiftcast is BROKENLY powerful on a SMN. It is an instant ability that makes the next spell you cast an instant cast, for those who don't already know. You can instant cast a summon. How might that be useful?

You're in a boss fight and the tank just went down. Swiftcast > Titan/Topaz.
You're soloing and your pet is about to die and your MP is low. Cheaper to replace him than heal him up.
You're in a fight and need to switch to a ranged pet. Swiftcast Garuda/Emerald.
Your party just got mobbed by unexpected adds. Swiftcast Tri-Disaster and move away.
You had to pause your damage rotation to help heal and need to get caught up. Swiftcast Shadow Flare.
and the best use of all: Swiftcast Resurrect to get a downed party member back on their feet instantly.

Swiftcast is OP as hell and has never left my hotbar once I got it. It is that good. I've met other SMNs and even SCHs who don't have it (instantly replace a dead Fairy), and I die a little on the inside. Please go get it. THM is mind-numbing sucky until level 15, and you will die a billion times. I hated it. But it was extremely worth it.
---------------------------------------------

Raging Strikes is a level 4 Archer ability that gives you a flat 20% damage increase on all actions for a few seconds. It is short duration and has a long cooldown time, but is also EXTREMELY powerful against bosses because the damage increase also affects our DOTs. So Bio, Bio II, Miasma, and Thunder EACH do 20% more damage over their duration. That's a hell of a lot of extra damage. Only the long cooldown on Raging Strikes makes it less useful on normal mobs. For a job that is all about being a damage dealer, Raging Strikes is essential.

--------------------------------------------

Thunder I is a low level BLM spell that you will pick up on the way to getting Swiftcast. SMNs primary damage is from DOTs, and this is an extra DOT that you can apply with similar cooldown and potency to your innate DOTs. File getting this spell under "Duh." Do note however, that Thunder DOT damage is not extended by Contagion and does not enhance Fester, nor is it spread by Bane. If you're trying to nuke an add or something similar with Fester, it is wiser to leave Thunder out of your rotation and just get the essential spells up. It IS enhanced by Raging Strikes, so do make sure to apply it on bosses!

-------------------------------------------

Now that we've covered the basics, lets look at some things about SMN.

Summons Themselves:

Your Summon's stats are directly linked to your own character stats by a modifier. If you buff your STR, your pets gain STR. If you buff your VIT, your pets gain HP. If you buff your INT, Emerald/Garuda's spells hit harder. Stat allocation for SMN isn't as cut and dry as it is for other DDs, and different builds are possible. Where many choose to max out their INT and rely on Garuda, I personally chose (initially) an even split of STR/VIT/INT. The former two greatly enhance Titan's ability to tank and co-tank, which can be enormously handy in the parties I run. More VIT also makes my character a little less squishy herself, which has certainly proven useful. If you aren't into experimenting, then by all means stick with Garuda and the straight INT build - it is proven and effective.

For much of the game you will spend your time casting DOTs and Ruin, and allowing your pet to do their own things. As the game goes on (around level 40 in my case) you will find it HIGHLY advantageous to start using Emerald Carby/Garudas Shining Emerald/Contagion move under your own control. To do this, you need to seize control of the Pet Hotbar. Make a note of the ability positions on it and create a new hotbar with the same functions from your ability menu, then go into your Character options and turn the Pet Hotbar off. You now have a pet command hotbar that you can control.

Your key moves will now be Spur (increases pet attack and defense), Obey (as opposed to the more common Sic) and Shining Emerald / Contagion. Obey will prevent the pet from using SE/Contagion on their own, meaning you can always apply it after all of your DOTs are on the target, instead of the haphazard timing the pet's AI likes to do. This can boost your total damage output by 20-30%, especially on bosses.

Rotations:

Now that we've illustrated some skills and key abilities, lets look at how to use them. My favorite rotations are listed below.

For single normal mobs: [Aetherflow] [Spur] + Bio II > Miasma > Thunder > Bio > Fester > Ruin > Ruin > Fester

For groups of adds on a normal mob (dungeon pulls) work in Bane, which spreads Bio II, Bio, and Miasma to all mobs near the target: [Aetherflow] + Bio II > Miasma > Bio > Contagion > Bane > Fester > Ruin > Ruin > Fester. Feel free to start this rotation with Shadow Flare for extra lulz.

For bosses: [Aetherflow] [Raging Strikes] [Spur] + Bio II > Miasma > Thunder > Bio > Fester > Contagion > Ruin > Ruin > Fester [Repeat]

For an add you need to burn down fast (Ruin II is chosen over Ruin because if you're burning adds you're probably at a boss and thus, need to be moving if you're not locked on it): [Aetherflow] [Spur] [Raging Strikes] [Swiftcast] + Shadow Flare > Bio II > Miasma > Bio > Fester > Contagion > Ruin II > Ruin II > Fester > Ruin II > Ruin II > Fester