Question about dots as Arcanist/Summoner/Scholar

[Xanikk999]

I am reletively new to the game so I'm not sure about this one question I have. My arcanist job is level 26 now and I have a spell called Bio II. I know it stacks with Bio but should I be using both bios on one target to optimize damage? I want to optimize my damage output. Is it worth casting all my dots including the weaker versions on one target?

[Sleigh]

Yes, especially once you get a skill called Fester as SMN where you need all 3 DoTs up for it to be effective.

Basic rotation/upkeep is Bio II > Miasma > Bio > filler, refresh them in that order at 1-2s left on duration as they individually fall off. It gets slightly more complicated as you level but that's the gist of it. The biggest variation you'll have, especially in dungeons, is not using long DoTs on enemies who will die within 12s or so, but once you get Bane you'll mainly have high DoT upkeep on every enemy in dungeons, at level 30.

[loreleidiangelo]

The general consensus is that if the mob will die in 9 seconds or less, you only apply Bio and just do Ruin spam instead of applying Bio II/Miasma. If the mob will live between 9-15 seconds you'd apply Miasma and Bio and then Ruin spam. If it will live longer than that you put up all three dots. That's pretty advanced play, though - at your level I'd just focus on applying and upkeeping all three while using Ruin in between refreshing them.

[Kona_Nightwind]

Yes. It's been along time since I leveled SMN but you have 3 main dots you keep up at all times bio, bio2, and miasma. You also get miasma 2 but that's an aoe dot. When you get fester, you need to have all three of those dots up to get the most out of fester. Those three dots are the bread and butter of SMN/ARC/SCH? Dps.

[Bishop81]

As everyone above have said.

Just because you see a II or III doesn't mean it's an upgrade version of the spell. It's really a "different" spell. You are suppose to make use of all of them - when appropriate.