AST : use of Spear

[ccrocker58]

snip

I'm kind of wondering the same thing to be honest. I've read on here more than a few times that Spear screws with rotations, but I can't really figure out why or how, probably because I don't DPS much. Sure, I can see how it may be less useful than the other cards due to the way it works, but how does its effect negatively impact a rotation? On my NIN, for example, I know my opener/rotation like the back of my hand and tend to focus on other things during that time. If I get a Spear, it...often does nothing for me; it shortens CDs sure, but outside of raiding, I just autopilot my opener, and everything after that is a priority system. I just don't see how having some shorter CDs would throw off a rotation.

[ruskie]

Pre pull ~5s pre pull is the perfect time for an aoe spear. This helps all the pre pull buffing jobs and it's long enough for all other CDs in the party as well. After that someone posted a good priority as well.

[MariaNyan]

There are some fixed rotation that cannot make use of it or will change too much, the longer the fight goes, the worse it gets.
Blm for example will not benefit from a shorter cd of enochain, since he will use it whole cycle before refreshing.
Drg blood of the dragon normally allows for 3 geigoskul or however you write it, but with spear they change their normally static rotation that most of the drgs wont be able to fully utilize it.

The worst thing about spear is that you need to fill in at least 1 or more cds compared to a run without as well as consider burstphases, to make it truly effective, which makes it useless in short fights are dungeons where you get no benefit or arent able to utilize those extra seconds, on top of needing extreme raidawareness. To keep it short, yourself/smn, redraw/convert and if cant nin tank yolo.