SMN needs more utility in FL

[auron_seifer]

I agree. SMN has almost nothing to defend themselves beside Tri-bind.

Well ofc you do, all I ever see you do on these forums is ask for buffs/nerfs, and usually you're dead wrong on almost everything you beg for.

[Evangela]

Well ofc you do, all I ever see you do on these forums is ask for buffs/nerfs, and usually you're dead wrong on almost everything you beg for.

More like you're wrong. Because SMNs in this thread are saying the same thing.

[PotatoTree]

At this point they're pretty much nerfed to the ground. Nerfed AoE damage with the pain/death/dot nerf (not that aoe is super important in FL) and nerfed burst. Now they can't even dps crystals. Remember that SMN has almost no reactionary defensive CC other than swift-bind, no big instant self heals like second wind/recuperate (physick gives like no hp), and no way to "cancel/lock" an enemy move (trying to cancel with laggy pet stuns/knockbacks is not a thing). They were always a glass cannon, but they've kinda nerfed away the cannon part. 1v1 with a good melee where both sides have full buffs, a SMN is basically screwed unless you have room to retreat and have your pet get a few hits off. It wouldn't be as bad if enkindle would actually not take like 2gcd to go off if at all so that I can actually time it with part of the burst.

And people say they are mobile. They are pretty good at chasing, but any job with a ranged slow/bind or a closer is good at chasing now especially with the sprint TP change. Only BLM would be weaker here. In running, SMN are pretty bad. Again, no reactionary CC other than swift bind which if you can use it on them then they are also close enough to use a closer and stun, and no big reactionary self heals/shields.

I say either miasma heavy should come back, or misty veil should put a heavy. That would give at least one more escape option in a 1v1. Either that or give a fetter ward like skill to SMN, allowing for some sort of stun protection while escaping.

Really the biggest thing going for SMN is the pet, which in a 1v1 can even the field by getting a few free hits off on the opponent while the SMN is safe far away. It puts pressure on the opponent to make a move.

[yumeyume]

The recently dps nerf on ice for caster is bad. I can see the difference and it is a big nerf. Caster is not dps on the ice and they rather kill instead of helping. SE should have nerf dps on all ranges not caster only because brd/mch is now so OP. They can dps the ice plus killing other especially caster at the same time. And it is true, smn doesn't have much crowd control on the field especially after the nerf. I just feel like smn just gets REKT big time. As a long time smn, I actually have to go bard so I can dps on the ice and play foe for smn friend. I love smn but the nerf and no utilities of crowd control is not helping smn at all. This is like telling us to change our job.

[SuperZay]

SMN nerfs were too harsh. In rare cases when I still que as a SMN I don't even bother with manually casting dots unless Tri-disastered, nerfed Bio has 160 total potency over 12s when Ruin III has 200 potency in 2.5s. That's where traited Mana Draw is really useful, to spam more Ruin IIIs outside of DT. The whole burst including Enkindle now barely shaves off 70% HP when it was an almost guaranteed kill before.