Shadow Flare needs a new effect.

[Bigcat9715]

Shadow flare has a nice animation and it covers a wide range, but it's near useless when it comes to battle. To the normal enemies it's fine the damage is barely noticeable, but at least the slow effect works until you get to the boss, then it becomes a unless ability. I haven't ran pass T5, so I don't know if it works in SCoB or FCoB. Would it be broke if Shadow flare had a weak version of vulnerability up?

[Ricdeau]

I'd recommend not thinking about Shadowflare as a utility ability, but rather a damage dealing ability with builtin utility. It's useful when that part of it works, but the damage on Shadowflare is very valuable on both Summoner and Scholar. Also if they changed the debuff to vulnerability it would be overpowered unless they put a cooldown on it which would potentially make the arcanist crowd unhappy.

Edit - I should probably elaborate a bit further. I view Shadowflare similarly to stuff like Steel Peak and Spinshatter Drive. Both of these moves stun, but for the most part you can't stun anything important so they are just used as damage dealing abilities for Monk and Dragoon. The bit of utility on them comes in useful every now and then typically in dungeons, but not much else.

[melflomil]

Yah use it for extra damage, i think some people would only say use it with/on
-swifcast
-multple mobs
-before a pull
-if you're waiting mobs to spawn\
Or you will lose dps

[m3eansean]

Shadow flare has a nice animation and it covers a wide range, but it's near useless when it comes to battle.

Hahahaha. Oh man, you couldn't be more wrong. Sure, its not as powerful as your Bio's and Miasma, but Shadowflare must always be up if you are serious about SMN dps. It is useful in both SCOB and FCOB, it is useful in every dps situation. Please respect Shadowflare and try to keep it up at all times, along with your other dots.

[Bigcat9715]

I'd recommend not thinking about Shadowflare as a utility ability, but rather a damage dealing ability with builtin utility. It's useful when that part of it works, but the damage on Shadowflare is very valuable on both Summoner and Scholar. Also if they changed the debuff to vulnerability it would be overpowered unless they put a cooldown on it which would potentially make the arcanist crowd unhappy.

Maybe it's just me, because I play both SMN and BLM, so I see Smn underwhelming. SMN abilities like Miasma 2 and Shadowflare has such a low potency that the only way to make them good is if you have them up all the time. Hell I barely see other Smns use miasma 2 when I'm running dungeons.

[Viridiana]

Maybe it's just me, because I play both SMN and BLM, so I see Smn underwhelming. SMN abilities like Miasma 2 and Shadowflare has such a low potency that the only way to make them good is if you have them up all the time. Hell I barely see other Smns use miasma 2 when I'm running dungeons.

Shadowflare has 250 potency. That's not a low potency.

[Ricdeau]

Maybe it's just me, because I play both SMN and BLM, so I see Smn underwhelming. SMN abilities like Miasma 2 and Shadowflare has such a low potency that the only way to make them good is if you have them up all the time. Hell I barely see other Smns use miasma 2 when I'm running dungeons.

I don't play casters so I can't comment too much. I understand Summoner is not in the best position right now, and we are expecting some tweaks come expansion. However, what are you finding underwhelming about it? Is it just DOTs vs high damage nuking that you find underwhelming? Potency over time attacks are generally some of the strongest abilities in the game (especially ones that can AoE).

Shadowflare has 250 potency. That's not a low potency.

Not to mention each tick has it's own chance to crit.

[Malevicton]

has such a low potency that the only way to make them good is if you have them up all the time.

[Skeith-Adeline]

It doesn't need any new effect.

[cgbspender]

Hahahaha. Oh man, you couldn't be more wrong. Sure, its not as powerful as your Bio's and Miasma, but Shadowflare must always be up if you are serious about SMN dps. It is useful in both SCOB and FCOB, it is useful in every dps situation. Please respect Shadowflare and try to keep it up at all times, along with your other dots.

Please enlighten me ?