Summoner Demystified: A Guide for Beginners

[Alisa180]

Hi, everyone! Just jumping in with an update!

I'm working the 'level by level' guide as promised, though its taking longer then I anticipated. I've also started leveling PLD and oh god I have so much new understanding and sympathy for tanks now.

While writing a sub-section on SMN mobility, I hit something of a wall since I realized it was impossible for me to move while hitting any D-pad related abilities on the crossbar. >_<; I've been experimenting with a KB/M set-up, but...I think I'm too set on the controller scheme to adapt properly. I need to work on my crossbar arrangement.

I'm now curious. Were the 'ideal' rotations made using a controller or a KB/M set-up? Because speaking from experience, hitting all those buttons at the right time is just a little more difficult with a controller then with KB/M. I'm looking at Sleigh's Opener and seeing oGDC combos like 'Swiftcast+Fester' and 'Painflare+Killing Strikes' and going <_<; Maybe its just the way my crossbar is set-up right now, but those combos are hard to hit within 2.5 seconds.

Anyway, this is a formal request for example crossbar set-ups, because SMN's sheer amount of abilities makes playing it on a controller...Well, interesting. XD. Hotbar set-ups will also be welcome.

[OneWingedSora]

I have been using Sleigh's opener just fine on a controller. Just gotta have nimble fingers :P

[FeliAiko]

As someone who played the majority of SMN on controller before switching for HW, it really comes down to what is comfortable for you, which will differ per player. For example, do you find it 'easier' accessing the left side of slots (LT/L2 + D-Pad & Face Buttons) or the right side? Do you prefer using the DPad while moving or the buttons instead? It's those kind of questions that can influence where you put your skills.

For me, general rule of thumb was: GCDs on buttons, Aetherflow skills, Pet Commands and Buffs/oGCDs on D-Pad. Certain exceptions had to be made though. If there's skills you always use back to back, place them next to each other, and so on.

[Alisa180]

I have been using Sleigh's opener just fine on a controller. Just gotta have nimble fingers :P

Can you show me your crossbar? Or tell me it? I really do need hard examples there aren't nearly enough for SMN (whereas there are no shortage of hotbar set-ups).

[Alisa180]

The holidays are over, and I thought I'd jump in with an update. The leveling guide is still in progress, and more then halfway done.

I wanted to mention a recent development. I parsed myself for the first time in months, and got 980 over 7 minutes. I joined a new FC, and one of the members, a skilled SMN himself, agreed to critisize my opening (*not* the 'easy' one I posted in the guide, its changed as I've gotten more skilled.) My goal was to finally break 1000.

Less then two minutes into my opener, he informed me I was parsing at 1100. A glance at mine confirmed it. Keep in mind this was less then a DAY after I parsed myself. (I'm i195 at the moment).

0_0

For all intents and purposes, my opener was the same. Or seemed to be. I have only the vaugest idea on what might have been slightly different. On one hand, it was encouraging and a hell of a breakthrough. On the other, god knows if I'll be able to repeat the feat.

I'm going to put up the 'leveling' guide as soon as its done, but after that I hope I'll be able to make another section for the endgame based on my own experiences and growth as a SMN.

TL;DR Have officially gone from noob to potentially raid-worthy. Also, leveling guide is still coming.

[FeliAiko]

In light of this thread, I've gone back and forth in my head over making a SMN Beginner's/Leveling Guide of sorts, divided into 4 parts (15-30, 30-50, 50-60, then 60 & Endgame) with sub-sections for each.

So after a considerable lull in activity concerning this project (despite the excerpt I put out a while back), I've wound up working on it again. I'd say it's about 80-90% complete now (although constant last minute additions and revisions to already complete sections doesn't help the cause), largely just the Level 60 segment to deal with now. Trouble at the moment is trying to present it in a way where it's not seen as infringing or outright repeating what other established, accomplished guides have mentioned but we'll see how it goes.

Rather than provide another excerpt like before, I'll post the Contents List so you can get an idea of what I've covered and what I aim to deal with accordingly:

*edit* Guide is more or less done now, barring any last minute revisions (story of this project's life really). Just need to fill in the Introduction section.

(Note: Titles subject to change)

Austerities of Magic
A Summoner Levelling Guide
by Feli Cilvia of Odin (EU)

Part I: Introduction
- Aim of Guide (Under Construction)

Part II: Summoner: An Overview
- How DoTs work
- The Pets
-> Pet Micromanagement
-> Pet Survival
- Aetherflow
- Utility: More than a DPS?

Part III: Level 15-30: Learning the Art
- The Starter Opener
-> The Starter Opener: AOE
- Level 30 - Bane: The Turning Point

Part IV: Level 30-40: Expanding the Art, Part 1
- Cross Class Checklist
- Three's A Crowd
- The Expanded Opener
-> DoTs and Buffs
- Level 35 - Fester: Another Turning Point
-> The issue with Bio and Fester
- Level 38 - Ruin vs Ruin II
- More Utility Skills

Part V: Level 40-49: Expanding the Art, Part 2
- Ifrit-Egi vs Garuda-Egi
-> Pet buffs
- Level 46 - The 4th DoT
- The Expanded Opener, Revised

Part VI: Level 50: The Evoker
- Enkindle: One Skill To Rule Them All
- How To: Shadowflare
- How To: Stutter Step
- The 2.x Opener

Part VII: Level 50-56: Sustaining the Art
- Level 52 - Bringing the Pain
-> Painflare vs Bane
- Level 54 - Ruin Comes in IIIs
- Level 56 - The Tri-Fecta

Part VIII: Level 58-60: Elevating the Art
- Level 58 - Enter the Dragon
- Maximising Dreadwyrm Trance
-> Maximising DWT: AoE
- Aethertrails in the Sky

Part IX: Level 60: The Dreadspawn
- Deathflare: The Exclamation Point
- Aethertrails in the Sky II
- The Level 60 Openers
-> Level 60 Opener: AoE
- How To: Expert Roulette
- How To: Trials and Raids (Under Construction)

Part X: References and Acknowledgements

[Alisa180]

After several weeks of delays, plenty of additional experience with Summoner on my part, and straight-up writer's block, I'm proud to announce I've finally finished the leveling guide! Complete with (somewhat) proper formatting even! Oh yeah!

I'm probably going to go back and do some revisions at some point, maybe tweak with the formatting a bit. But for now, I'm just going to bask in this accomplishment. My late Valentine's Day gift to you all!

As always, comments and criticism are welcome!

[Zaj_Quilos]

As a SMN i never use Blizzard....

[Sidra]

As a SMN i never use Blizzard....

Blizzard 2 is the best GCD related AOE DPS SMN has once Things are Bane'd and MiasmaII'd. For DPS optimization it gets some play in dungeons and A2S.

[Sleigh]

B2 in AoE situations often nears Deathflare's contribution, and we all see how drastically the mob HP goes down from Deathflare. In a good 30-60s encounter B2 will outstrip everything but DoTs, while R1/R2/R3 is as crap there as it is during single target.

Don't skip B2, it adds up over time. A lot.