Connecting the DoTs: A Summoner Guide

[Sleigh]

You should probably examine/discuss Enkindle a bit. It's a bit less useful on ST than perhaps someone looking at the numbers would initially think, due to it taking up one pet GCD otherwise used for AAing. IE, Wind Blade is 100 potency, Garuda's Enkindle is 250 potency, so that's "only" 150 potency gained by using Enkindle before looking at Foe's/Rouse/Spur/TA. On the flip side, if you Enkindle two opponents, you turn 100 potency into 500 potency, a gain of 400 potency which is close to triple the gain, and worth more than 2 Enkindles on one opponent since you're not losing 2 Wind Blades in the process (again disregarding Foe's/Rouse/Spur/TA).

It's fight dependent and in most fights you'd want to use it in your opener regardless, probably, but it's food for thought.

[Jikillia]

snip

Enkindle is too underrated but for a good reason. 5 minutes cd is too much for any skills with the exception of Hollowed ground for pld. Tbh i actually believe benediction's cd can also be reduced to half and will not be called op.... ok maybe 3 minutes.

however enkindle's case it can miss-fire even if the player is above average because how the pet works. Too many times i use garuda she doesn't follow my command and waste my cd...

but if executed in ideal situation (they are all aoe in one form of another and is powerful addition to smn's aoe capability) it helps sooo much than flare.

[Cryshulvo]

I finally read it and it's beautiful =^.^= Good job! It's nice for you to put into words what it is a summoner does (or should do).

[Empty-handed]

im reading through the guide. its very nice and well written ty.

i didnt complete my reading. sigh. ;_;

as a new smn the first thing im asking myself. should i use garuda or ifrit!

my friend keeps telling me if you have a single target boss/instance without transitions use Ifrit. (prime example t8). otherwise the default is Garuda. some friends confuse me even more and say that good smn will swap pets depending on the phase.

i assume something like t13 p1 and 2 use ifrit, adds phase use garuda. ;_;

again. which pet. and when to use them?

[Havenchild]

im reading through the guide. its very nice and well written ty.

i didnt complete my reading. sigh. ;_;

as a new smn the first thing im asking myself. should i use garuda or ifrit!

my friend keeps telling me if you have a single target boss/instance without transitions use Ifrit. (prime example t8). otherwise the default is Garuda. some friends confuse me even more and say that good smn will swap pets depending on the phase.

i assume something like t13 p1 and 2 use ifrit, adds phase use garuda. ;_;

again. which pet. and when to use them?

Haha, I'm going to get to that part in the guide but whoever said phase by phase is in fact correct. There are special exceptions though.

However, you want to minimalize this to 2 swaps only in boss fight instances if you will do it..

So lets use T13 for example.
P1 and P2 you would use Ifrit.

P3 - You will use both. Garuda is the better for AoE here BUT there are limits of when to actually make the switch to Garuda. Lets say we have a few mobs next to each other. If you were to apply a set of DoTs onto one mob and bane them onto nearby mobs, If those mobs will survive for less then 18 seconds (a full duration of Bio, still use Ifrit. However if they will survive for longer then 18 seconds but closer to 33 seconds in total, use Garuda to maximize the effect on Contagion.

P4 - Ifrit again.

Using what I said for P3, the actual time to switch to Garuda would be slightly before when the Storm of Meracydia finally becomes targetable.

In terms of Dungeons, Garuda will be more useful for mob pulls on average (unless the 18 second rule applies), while Ifrit for bosses.

There's another case like T11, where the add phase requires a magic attack vs a melee on one node, so that's another way a switch will need to be made.

Another case is based off of my last example. In your party composition, if you have other magical DPS in your party who would DPS as well (SCH or BLM) and will beat the DPS of Garuda, still use Ifrit.
Again in T11 for example, If a SMN does not need help to kill the magic node in time because either a SCH or BLM is helping them or the melee is slow enough, Ifrit will still be better here.

*Super special case. T10. So while I said in my second case that the 18 second rule should determine the use of Garuda vs Ifrit, something like T10 actually disobeys this rule. In the case where there are SOLELY two mobs that a pet can hit while there are also multiple mobs more then two on the map, even should Contagion be a thing, Ifrit can STILL beat Garuda due to the 532MP to swap. The add phase but more specifically the given adds, do not last long enough as a whole to warrant the use of Garuda and 532MP, ontop of the fact that Gaurda cannot target more then 2 mobs at the same time. You can infact save the 532 MP to use for your own DPS later and win out here. The special exception to this case would be when Raging Strikes / INT potion DoTs can be baned onto the second target AND it won't take forever to die but at least long enough to take advantage of Contagion.

So basically those are the four exceptions roughly where even should Garuda technically be better in the enviorment, Ifrit will win out.

[Judge_Xero]

Again in T11 for example, If a SMN does not need help to kill the magic node in time because either a SCH or BLM is helping them or the melee is slow enough, Ifrit will still be better here.

This reminds me that Pets need special attention as far as being able to help soak mechanics. (Repelling Shot, Fireball in T5)

Like your example of using Ifrit on T11. Even if SMN is the only mage for the Cube, using Ifrit for the melee damage on the Sphere doubles to help soak Repelling Cannons making the healing requirement trivial. Thus both healers could Clerics/Dot up the Cube for more potential damage on the Cube, where Ifrit has higher potential damage on the Sphere.

[Havenchild]

This reminds me that Pets need special attention as far as being able to help soak mechanics. (Repelling Shot, Fireball in T5)

Like your example of using Ifrit on T11. Even if SMN is the only mage for the Cube, using Ifrit for the melee damage on the Sphere doubles to help soak Repelling Cannons making the healing requirement trivial. Thus both healers could Clerics/Dot up the Cube for more potential damage on the Cube, where Ifrit has higher potential damage on the Sphere.

After considering the various cases, there is still the case when Ifrit can reliably die due to soaking, in which case you lose more DPS from having to resummon the Pet again. That would depend mainly on your healers AoE game.

I realize optimal time usage to using pets is a nasty grey area to describe.

[Judge_Xero]

After considering the various cases, there is still the case when Ifrit can reliably Die due to soaking, in which case you lose more DPS from having to resummon the Pet again. That would depend mainly on your healers AoE game.

I realize optimal time usage to using pets is a nasty grey area to describe.

Oh for sure there is that possibility. I just don't think a lot of SMN know they can use their pet as an extra body for things like that though. Most fights where it is an option, it seems like SE has balanced the fight around it being an option, so players should be looking be looking for those opportunities.
But yeah, in the case of T11 if Ifrit keeps dieing and your healers aren't taking the opportunity to DPS the Cube....then get new healers. ;p

[Abylim]

So what should I be doing during an add kill phase when bursting them down is king? It wont live long usually, what should I be doing? Run III?

[pandabearcat]

Swapping pets tanks your mana, ifrit seems better for anything except extremely spread out target swaps (due to travel times), and possibly AoE contagion bane.