Topaz or Ifrit-Egi, which is useful in dungeon areas?

[Delily]

Can you explain why Topaz tanking would make the tanks job harder?

Gouge and Shining Topaz both generate enmity. Plus, ifrit-egi's attacks do more damage..

[Najara]

Gouge and Shining Topaz both generate enmity. Plus, ifrit-egi's attacks do more damage..

Yes, they generate enmity. But enmity is only stolen if there isn't sufficient aggro on the mob in the first place.

[Ecks007]

Yes, they generate enmity. But enmity is only stolen if there isn't sufficient aggro on the mob in the first place.

It becomes a constant battle because, yes a tank can generate enmity enough to hold the monsters, but all of Titan-Egi's attacks generate emnity as if he was trying to tank. Tanks then have to put even more effort into making sure their enmity is the highest because they have a Summoner's pet constantly trying to battle it away from them as that is Titan-Egi/Topaz Carbuncle's job.

And as others have said already. It's quite easy to keep Ifrit-Egi alive. Use Sustain relatively frequently when you see it taking damage. Or do yourself a favor and level up Thaumaturge/Black Mage for Swift Cast so that if you aren't going to keep Ifrit alive with Sustain you can at least instantly re-summon him when he dies.

It makes no sense for a summoner to use their tanking pet unless it's some kind of already agreed upon strategy in party of abnormal make-up. (ie. no tank class/job)

Is there a sustain option for Ifrit? Can't remember, but I only have it for the Topaz.

Sustain is a lvl 18 Arcanist skill. It is used with all pets to give them a heal over time. When you get Rouse at lvl 42 it can be used before Sustain to boost Sustain's healing effectiveness (as well as Physick/Cure heals on your pet).

[Najara]

It becomes a constant battle because, yes a tank can generate enmity enough to hold the monsters, but all of Titan-Egi's attacks generate emnity as if he was trying to tank. Tanks then have to put even more effort into making sure their enmity is the highest because they have a Summoner's pet constantly trying to battle it away from them as that is Titan-Egi/Topaz Carbuncle's job.

And I say people who make this argument are blowing it out of proportion. As if having Titan take damage for them is such a dreadfully awful thing. There is no battle, just ego.

[Ecks007]

And I say people who make this argument are blowing it out of proportion. As if having Titan take damage for them is such a dreadfully awful thing. There is no battle, just ego.

Um.. yeah. In case you hadn't noticed there's a threat bar by each player's name.

Having your tank pet out does pose problems for another tank. Now yes, a good tank can still keep aggro. But why are you as a Summoner lowering your dps for having a tank pet out when you already have a functional tank? (granted if you don't have a functional tank, or a terrible one, then that might be cause to have your tank pet out.. but otherwise.. no)

[Parodine]

And I say people who make this argument are blowing it out of proportion. As if having Titan take damage for them is such a dreadfully awful thing. There is no battle, just ego.

To some extent, I agree. That a pet taking damage for the tank isn't a bad thing. But a Summoner's role should primarily be there to DPS, so unless the tank is inherently terrible, you're gimping your DPS output by not using a caster or attacker pet in that situation.

[Kyros]

And I say people who make this argument are blowing it out of proportion. As if having Titan take damage for them is such a dreadfully awful thing. There is no battle, just ego.

It disrupts the battle. As DPS, having the mob turn around is extremely annoying for position-based attacks. As a Tank, you can either fight the pet for hate or let it get it. If for whatever reason the pet has it and I have to move the enemies, typically the SMN won't move the egi, and now we have mobs split not getting hit by AoE's until I move them back to the egi (IF, too often its ranged mobs that wont budge).

Also, all this comes at the cost of... doing less DPS. There is simply no reason to do this unless your Tank is absolutely horrible, which is a valid excuse to get Topaz out.

Also for the OP. Do Ifrit till Garuda. Learn to use Sustain, and by the love of gods OBEY the pet. Ifrit will do its stun randomly if not obeyed and that will build resistance on the mobs (On top of doing less damage).

[Najara]

It disrupts the battle. As DPS, having the mob turn around is extremely annoying for position-based attacks. As a Tank, you can either fight the pet for hate or let it get it. If for whatever reason the pet has it and I have to move the enemies, typically the SMN won't move the egi, and now we have mobs split not getting hit by AoE's until I move them back to the egi (IF, too often its ranged mobs that wont budge).

I suppose the things you're mentioning is something that you can only learn by experience. Typically I know exactly where I can use my Titan-egi without it influencing anything, and I use it to benefit the less experienced tanks.

[RiceisNice]

I suppose the things you're mentioning is something that you can only learn by experience. Typically I know exactly where I can use my Titan-egi without it influencing anything, and I use it to benefit the less experienced tanks.

As people have said, it's pretty annoying and detrimental to melee dps that requires the enemy to be stationary (which includes them not turning around) for positional bonuses. And speaking from a warrior perspective, early level fighting for aggro will take time away from me using maim combo, and even then you're lowering your overall dps to compensate (when you're going in as a dps role no less.)

To put it in perspective;
A. The tank and titan/topaz are fighting for aggro. This is not needed and best base scenario is that you're losing out on dps.
B. The tank can't hold aggro properly and they stay on the titan/topaz the entire fight. This is something on the tank's end...most of the time anyway.
C. The tank is undergeared and will die relatively fast tanking one pull, and you use titan to hold off aggro on one of them...in which case that's on the tank queuing into an undergeared dungeon to begin with.

In the case of B, there's better ways of them learning to tank without you having to interfere and stealing aggro off them...because really the important thing is that they keep aggro off of the dps and healer, not your tanking summon.

[Lemuria]

I suppose the things you're mentioning is something that you can only learn by experience. Typically I know exactly where I can use my Titan-egi without it influencing anything, and I use it to benefit the less experienced tanks.

The best help you can do for inexperienced tanks is to give them advice. They won't learn by having Titan tanking on their behalf, it's merely a crutch.

Topaz/Titan tends to do more harm than good when summoned in a party as it can turn the enemy around to face the summoner and mages. When this includes cleave based attacks, such as gigas' swings it can easily do a lot of damage to less armored players who may not realise to move out of the way due to the constant back-and-forth aggro. It's simply bad form to use it as standard, and even your starter pet Emerald Carbuncle is preferable to a Titan summoning.

I speak here equally as a Summoner, a Healer and a Tank. I've seen the best and the worst it can do and can honestly say it has no place in a party.