Connecting the DoTs: A Summoner Guide

[Havenchild]

I have one question from A4. I have watched few video from A4 SMN pov and SMN most of time sacrifice himself in the pentacle phase. I wonder how it is good idea sacrifice summoner since you lose pet and mana and you need swiftcast for the ress then hardcast pet? Do dots really do that much damage while you are dead that cover other sacrifices?

No, they do not. Groups that sacrifice their SMNs and down the fight, only can do so because they are making up the DPS (in strides) elsewhere. Sacrificing a SMN might have the biggest Raid DPS loss of all the classes. Now in theory, you would without a doubt need to save Aetherflow for when you come back but you still need to put up DoTs and manual summon your Pet and the rev time for a SMNs DPS is decidedly longer than any other class. This goes double for groups that ignore Straf Dolls to meet the overall DPS check. You are crushing your SMNs DPS considerably. Mana Burns + Suicide, honestly that SMN should just go BLM at that point or just accept the carry cause that's literally what it is.

Now on another note, if the SMN was the lowest DPS to begin with, it potentially makes sense to sacrifice them also. You do want to keep your highest single target DPS members on the boss for as long as possible.

For my group, we sac the NIN/MCN/WAR for the first and second pentacles and the third would be healers and OT. With FC buff there's no double weakness and we are certainly on track to beating the enrage with no issue.