Thread: SMN 4.2 Advice

So finally I'm getting started with Sigmascape Savage. Pretty sure I'll be able to beat O5S this weekend, and probably also at least get started on O6S. For now, I can pretty consistently kill the dummies for O5S-O7S. The problem for me comes at the O8S dummy. I can usually get it between 2-4% as long as I don't flub my usual rotation, but I can't seem to kill it yet. My ilvl is currently at 353, and my stats for both crit and DH are a good amount over 1700 now. Admittedly, I'm still pretty fresh into the job, as I've really only been playing it for about a month now.

Typically in my rotation I can get two pairs of DWT out in the time limit, one full Bahamut with Aetherflow for added Festers (also using Addle + Tri-D), and I feel like I do a pretty decent job of weaving OGCDs. I can also usually get Bahamut out for the last few seconds on the timer for a couple extra Wyrmwaves and an Akh Morn. Plus I'm usually pretty good about timing my DoTs so that the only time I need to refresh is a bit before Aetherflow comes off cd to be ready for Bahamut. And before anyone asks, I'm primarily using Ifrit for the pet on sic.

So I suppose I'd like to hear from more seasoned SMNs on their experience. At this point, I'm not entirely sure if the problem I'm having is with my rotation or with my gear, or maybe some combination of the two. Any input would be appreciated!

No idea what your question is, just a bunch of random words,

put a clear concise question in your post and maybe you will get an answer.

Originally Posted by ChaoticCrimson

I can usually get it between 2-4% as long as I don't flub my usual rotation, but I can't seem to kill it yet. My ilvl is currently at 353, and my stats for both crit and DH are a good amount over 1700 now. Admittedly, I'm still pretty fresh into the job, as I've really only been playing it for about a month now.

I guess its just your gear not your rota. our midcore static cleared o7s yesterday and I had around 4800 dps with one death on ilvl 360 (about 2300 crit 1200 dh 1200 det) ... so I guess our grp will have trouble with current gear on kefka as well. we encountered 3-4 enrages with our grp in o7s until wie get the last % to kill it... so yeah maybe its just your gear... food or pots? Else I think you are doing fine like the others say

edit: oh and like Rya said use ogcd weaving like enkindle or ruin 2, etc a lot: whenever you can :3

Originally Posted by ChaoticCrimson

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SMN i350 here, been playing it for 2 years but had a reeaallly hard time catching up with SB clunky rotation. I still fail in real fights (by failing I mean I’m far from dummy numbers) but I'm ok on dummies from videos I caught. I'm in your situation : 2 ~ 5 % left, depending on crits and ruin IV procs luck. I usually can summon Bahamut for the last 20 seconds of the dummy but with only addle coming back so I miss like 4 WW.

Otherwise doing by the book or almost. For instance, I find videos of SSS O4S dummys where people were doing 5k1 DPS (no pot / food) in i340 (not sure if BiS though) just before 4.2, where I oscillated between 5k1 and 5k3, with 2 "records" at 5k4 (32 seconds left) in i336. So I think rotation wise, we're not doing so bad. Plus there is the 4.2 nerf (in i350 there are times I'm doing less than my 4.1 i336 bests...)

Small mistakes happen on tries here and there but I can spot them and I'd be damned if they cost me like 300 DPS. For instance losing one tick of the 2 DOTs on the whole 3 min is max a 20 - 30 DPS loss. That’s the kind of really small things I’m talking about.

So I wouldn't worry too much : beware for instance that on your 4 deathflares, 2 of them criting or not is like a 100 DPS difference...On O8S dummy it's 2% of his life.
I’m playing Garuda on obey cause I’m more used to it, but I recommend your way of Sicfrit since it’s less things to track. Garuda has contagion, but Sicfrit uses more APM meaning more chances to proc Ruin IV. All in all it goes the same for personal DPS (no frank advantage spotted), as for rDPS depends on the comp.

For what it's worth the SSS dummies are somewhat overtuned for lower ilvls, with the final tier equivalent being tuned around the assumption that you already have a tome weapon - so don't sweat too much if in a 3 minute encounter you're sometimes able to get close and sometimes it seems farther out of range. Damage varies incredibly in such a short encounter. With more gear it'll be a doddle!

What I advise in general is more thorough striking dummy practice than using SSS so that you've truly absorbed the current flow of the job, then put the core foundations into the real world with actual fights. Otherwise carry on practicing and making sure you're adhering to the suggestions in various guides such as Koda's image guide, Imouto's more intermediate guide. A more advanced guide is currently being worked on, but given your freshness to the job focus on the content of these.

For a more current opener where Ifrit is your main egi of choice (the stronger smn as only caster option currently), here's the Takoyaki pet swap. The pet swap is also done for more party damage proviso your healers are also dpsing.

If getting Contagion out reliably is proving difficult due to latency or ??? reasons, try my modified variant.

- Summon Ifrit before pull
- At pull countdown of 15s (15s before the engage) use Flaming Crush to put Aerial Slash on cooldown
- Summon Garuda outside of melee range (you do not want Shockwave to cause a delay)
- 15% of the time this will upgrade your opening R2 to an R4. 100p -> 200p. The value!
- Instead of Obey -> Contagion during your first R3 cast, set Garuda to Sic where you would hit Obey
- Enjoy a reliable hassle free Contagion
- Swap and resume obey or sicfrit

Opener video courtesy of Milka

synced ifrite should be fine,... but like Ryannex mentioned, weave ruin2 before/with every
ogcd move (fester, painflare etc.)

try f/pf/f instead of f/f/f at the start and towards the end too.. if not even towards the end go maybe even f/pf/ed to get a dwt at the end again if not even an ak mhorn at the end (burst the ffff out of it at the end)