Connecting the DoTs: A Summoner Guide

[Sanguisio]

Because ifrit and titan use skill not spells.

I would suggest use demon for now if you dont need he HP, but keep the AUG IW for the patch

[Delta041]

Skimmed through the thread so sorry if this has been answered already.

Why is it a good idea to use flaming crush and crimson cyclone with Ifrit?

[Fatshine]

Skimmed through the thread so sorry if this has been answered already.

Why is it a good idea to use flaming crush and crimson cyclone with Ifrit?

It's a DPS increase. I used to think since Burning Strike is 120 potency and on a 3 second cool down. BS + auto attack was all I needed. Flaming Crushing and Crimson Cyclone are 110 but those numbers add up in the end. Just think about it. 120 + AA, or 120 + 110 + 110 + AA.

[ShinryuReishiki]

It's good because Ifrit's attacks aren't on a shared GCD. Normally it's Burning Strike, 3s, Burning Strike, 3s, etc.; when you weave in another attack, it becomes Burning Strike, Crimson Cyclone, Burning Strike, Flaming Crush, Burning Strike, 3s, and so forth. The animations may delay Burning Strike by some fraction of a second, but it still ends up a significant gain to weave them in.

Yeah, I'm not really sure how Magic VS Physical Damage works. I just thought that mobs had lower MDEF than DEF so magic hit harder. Then we get tossed something like Raiton which is magic and hits like a physical attack.... So maybe it is just based on MD vs PD and Maim and Mend. (Are pets effected by Maim + Mend?)

I've been going with the WD theory just because the difference between PD to MD appears to be proportional to the difference between damage between per potency between you/Garuda and Ifrit. I feel like Maim and Mend does affect them, as Wind Blade (100 pot) does appear to do about 25% more damage than Ruin (80 potency). The Japanese description for Maim and Mend makes sure to specify that Auto Attacks do not receive the 1.3x boost, but doesn't mention any other exclusions.

[Fatshine]

Oh hey I am featured #SMN4LYFE

[Jikillia]

i prefer to use bio first going bio - bio 2 - miasma.
this way i can cast bio twice within the time limit of rs, making opening looking something like this

RS - BIO - BIO 2 - MIASMA - RUIN 2 - FESTER - SWIFTCAST - SHADOWFLARE - BIO - CONTAGON

this way fester can be casted straight after miasma or bane in case of aoe and have bio put on for extra 18 seconds

[Minorinz]

i prefer to use bio first going bio - bio 2 - miasma.
this way i can cast bio twice within the time limit of rs, making opening looking something like this
RS - BIO - BIO 2 - MIASMA - RUIN 2 - FESTER - SWIFTCAST - SHADOWFLARE - BIO - CONTAGON

I do that too depending on the boss's movements or I have to move back and forth then use a poison pot with miasma on the second bio :'D

[pandabearcat]

Please remember that "snapshotting dots" is not in and of itself anything 'special'. There is nothing that "snapshotting" dots does that is different from any other attack during RS and other CDs.

With that said, simply treat dots as an upfront nuke when determining the value of cooldowns.

So now bio is simply a "nuke" with 240 potency. With RS, it becomes 298 potency. Simple as that. You'll note it gains 48 potency - this is slightly more than 1 tick's worth, so we'll take that into consideration in just a second.

The big deal with Bio first is that you delay your first fester, meaning its harder to fit fester into the rotation. So if we consider this, with 0 spell speed, it will take you

[Bio II] > [Miasma] > [Bio|Swiftcast|Fester] is the first rotation, so it takes you roughly 6.5 seconds to get a fester out. This gives you 16.5 seconds for the second fester, or if you think about it, 3.5 seconds of leeway.

If you bio first, it turns into

[Bio] > [Bio II] > [Miasma] > [Ruin II|Swiftcast|Fester] so it will take you ~9 seconds for first fester.

This gives you only 1 second of leeway. Now, in an ideal scenario, this will work, but...you're playing with fire here. This is my primary motivator in not Bio first. Now, if you remember our potency discussion, you gain 48 potency for Bio during RS. Since fester is 300 potency, you gain 60 potency for doing it during RS. Needless to say, if you miss out on the second fester, you will lose more dps, and Bio is not worth it.

We also consider whether or not it is worthwhile to clip Bio prior to end of RS, for the Bio II > Miasma > Bio opener. In this opener, Bio comes out roughly around 5 seconds, with lets say .5 second delay from RS animation and Bio delay. So with 5.5 seconds, we have ~14.5 seconds before end of RS, meaning we can fit at most 5 more GCDs (6 total including first Bio GCD). This is almost exactly 3 seconds left on the tick, which means we lose on average 1 tick. Since 1 lost tick is 40 pot and RS is 48 potency, this is tentatively good. However, this comes at the cost of losing a RS II instead, which gains 16 potency, so is a loss overall. Thus, do not preemptively refresh your Bio if you do the "standard" opener.

Back to the opener you proposed, again the sticking point is whether or not you can put in that second fester. Another note to point out is, if you did not precast shadowflare, this delays your sflare for another GCD. So, again, not optimal. Loss of an sflare tick + RuinII bonus will cost you any benefit.

[Judge_Xero]

Great points Pandabearcat.

The big thing that sold me on going back to the Classic Opener was the Pre-Cast of Bio 2. If you practice timing it so your cast goes off just as the boss is pulled you are essentially 1 cast ahead of having opened with Bio. That 1 cast will translate to an extra Ruin @ 80 Potency. So right off the bat you are further ahead. (before having to worry about clipping, fitting in that 2nd Fester before RS falls off etc)

The reason this never occurred to me while comparing the two initially on a training dummy was due to me opening with Shadow Flare and then going into RS Bio etc, and after so much practice I could edge slightly ahead of the Classic Opener. But on a practical fight with SF placed and pre-cast Bio2, the Classic is just too good.

[Jikillia]

snip

I suppose it really comes down to the type of encounter and how comfortable you are. I do recall my opener didn't allow second fester to land due to boss becoming invuernerable or simply untargettable and if I can save that 2~3 seconds on first fester it will help me land on it.

Just a food for thought though :3 I always find alternative opening on different opening handy.