Contagion is way too overrated!

[mvenom]

There's no reason to make Ifrit run around. Stick it on the biggest, baddest enemy and leave it there. You don't need it to go chasing birds.

Suppose I could try it next time, we got plenty more gear since I last tried, but without pet bennus stayed alive too long. Good thing our brd just got bow so should be np

[Sanguisio]

I've done the numbers etc, Ifrit does more raw damage, but every 5minsroughly (assuming you perfectly clip dots) garuda allows a little more DPS. But this is ignoring outside buffs, crit rates etc.

At the end of the day garuda is best seen as the mp saving egi, and considering the current state SMN is in for FCOB that is what is needed. Unless the healers need MB, it will very rarely go up. Thankfully in t13 they need it otherwise I would run dry.

[Jeckyl_Tesla]

I mean, by all means, test it. Parse it over the next few nights on multiple different bosses and let people know. Though I still think Garuda is still the stronger pet, unless it's for some tank and spank fights (T8 style)

[Sanguisio]

Ifrit with 100% uptime on boss with melee debuffs with good crit stat will outdps garuda and anything she brings it seems.

But if a fight with 100% you MP is going to be hit hard.

[Judge_Xero]

Ifrit with 100% uptime on boss with melee debuffs with good crit stat will outdps garuda and anything she brings it seems.

But if a fight with 100% you MP is going to be hit hard.

Even in MP intense fights, it's far better to use Ifrit with the occasional Energy Drain, than Garuda without.

i.e.
Garuda 130 DPS
Ifrit 156 DPS

1/3 Energy Drain - ~10 DPS loss from 150 Potency over 60 seconds.

+16 DPS

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Ifrit's movement over Garuda does not have a major effect on his DPS due to both AA and BS having a 3 second CD. Due to his fast movement speed he can pretty well be anywhere between that CD. But you should keep him on the major boss for 0 downtime.

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Garuda is not the MP Conservation Pet - she is the AOE pet. Nothing Ifrit has to offer compares to Contagioned/Baned Dots 3+ Targets.

Suppose I could try it next time, we got plenty more gear since I last tried, but without pet bennus stayed alive too long. Good thing our brd just got bow so should be np

Yeah, it definitely depends on your party comp how you deal with the Bennus. My group has a BLM and Bard, so aside from a Bio and Miasma II (hits Phoenix as well) and two Ruins on the Bennu, Ifrit and I stay on Phoenix the whole time. Our bard sings Ballad during the Bennu phase so that lets me stand in melee range and burn a lot of Ruin II's to get in lots of AA damage on Phoenix as well. (I usually end the 2nd phase with 200 MP and 1 Aether stack to Bane the first group of bennus in phase 3)

If you don't have anyone else to help with the Bennu's besides the Bard in phase 1/2 then timing your dots to have >9s before the Bennu spawn to Bane, Energy Drain, Fester on the Bennu then Ruin to finish it off. That way you can keep Ifrit on Phoenix the whole time. Just watch using EG/Fester right away for pulling hate. (this is assuming you tank Phoenix in the center, which you should to accommodate SMN)
This means you'll have to save all your Aetherflow just for the Bennu, and keep all your Dots on Phoenix while killing the bennu as well.
Keep dem dots roll'n

[Sanguisio]

It's not the direct DPS garuda does, its the DPS she allows the SMN to do.

Extends buffed DOTS +Poisons and frees you up to cast more ruins.

Garuda is egi that conserves the most MP for the SMN as it will decrease the amount of DOT casts.

Both pets AOE, aerial slash has slightly more range but that is negligible in the grand scheme of things.

[ShinryuReishiki]

I've done the numbers etc, Ifrit does more raw damage, but every 5minsroughly (assuming you perfectly clip dots) garuda allows a little more DPS. But this is ignoring outside buffs, crit rates etc.

At the end of the day garuda is best seen as the mp saving egi, and considering the current state SMN is in for FCOB that is what is needed. Unless the healers need MB, it will very rarely go up. Thankfully in t13 they need it otherwise I would run dry.

Your personal DPS will be higher with Garuda, but over an extended fight, that amounts to less than what Ifrit brings, even without any slashing/blunt debuffs. I compared the two a few weeks ago over 5 minutes, doing everything I could to give an edge to Contagion such as Miasma II and Potent Poisoning Potions.

SMN: 358
Garuda: 135
Total: 493

SMN: 344
Ifrit: 171
Total: 515

I've ended up with a similar gap in actual encounters as well, and my group doesn't even have a MNK. Been using Ifrit on every fight since December without issue, only getting Ballad in T13. I only use two Energy Drains in each turn, and one of them is generally a "The boss is almost dead but I can't Fester" situation.

Both pets AOE, aerial slash has slightly more range but that is negligible in the grand scheme of things.

Usability aside, Aerial Slash has a small edge over Flaming Crush because of damage types as well; Ifrit's physical attacks do something like 70% the damage per potency that Garuda's magical attacks deal. Garuda's Aerial Blast is also quite a bit easier to aim than Ifrit's Inferno, although the latter is the stronger attack in this case.

[Eloah]

Huh ? SMN is currently the only magic job with heavy MP management problems even when everything goes smooth.

Well then i must be doing something right or wrong because my MP is never an issuse, rarely do i dip below half.

And shouldn't WHM be the only magic job with MP management issues since they don't have any decent form of MP recovery, SMN/SCH have Aetherflow and Energy Drain, and BLM have Umbral Ice, WHM only have Shroud of Saints, which everyone agrees sucks.

[Kuwagami]

Well then i must be doing something right or wrong because my MP is never an issuse, rarely do i dip below half.

And shouldn't WHM be the only magic job with MP management issues since they don't have any decent form of MP recovery, SMN/SCH have Aetherflow and Energy Drain, and BLM have Umbral Ice, WHM only have Shroud of Saints, which everyone agrees sucks.

I have zero MP management problems with my WHM (5k MP might help though), and shroud, if used well, is a very good tool.

On the other hand, SMN are forced to reduce their DPS if they want to maintain their MP, by using more Energy drain than they'd want in detriment of bane (AoE) or Fester (solo). If they don't, they're MP starved in around 4/5 minutes and can't do anything after that.

[Eloah]

I have zero MP management problems with my WHM (5k MP might help though), and shroud, if used well, is a very good tool.

On the other hand, SMN are forced to reduce their DPS if they want to maintain their MP, by using more Energy drain than they'd want in detriment of bane (AoE) or Fester (solo). If they don't, they're MP starved in around 4/5 minutes and can't do anything after that.

I rarely use Energy Drain, only in those rare instances that I actually need it, But a higher MP pool could help. I think mine is around 4k or so, since Summoners do actually have the lowest overall MP of the magic classes, ironically.