Shadowbringer: Summoner Changes Discussion

[Len]

Here are some of the core changes to Summoner coming in Shadowbringers. What are your thoughts on Summoner in Shadowbringers?

Note: If any of the information contained within this post is incorrect or there is a change I missed, feel free to post a correction.

Aetherflow

• Energy Drain grants us full Aetherflow charges and deals 100 potency, while Energy Siphon grants us the same effect while dealing 40 potency in an AoE.
• Energy Drain and Energy Siphon are on a 30s cooldown, down from our current 60s cooldown on Aetherflow.
• Down to 2 charges of Aetherflow, but we receive 4 Aetherflow charges in a minute versus previous expansions 3 charges every minute.

Firebird Trance

• Reduces cast time by 2.5 seconds, making many of our spells instant cast.
• Enhances Ruin III to become a 250 potency and Outburst into a 300 potency AoE Phoenix-based spells with higher potencies.
• At Lv.80, entering Firebird Trance automatically summons Demi-Phoenix.
• Entering Firebird Trance causes Dreadwyrm Trance to go on cooldown (60s).

Dreadwyrm Trance System

• Reduces cast time by 2.5 seconds, making many of our spells instant cast.
• At Lv.72, entering Dreadwyrm Trance a single time grants us the two stacks of Dreadwyrm Aether we need to summon Demi-Bahamut.
• 10% magic damage buff Dreadwyrm Trance previously gave us is removed, and instead our cast time is reduced by 2.5 seconds, making a number of our spells instant cast.

Demi-Bahamut & Demi Phoenix

• Demi Summons only cast Wyrmwave/Scarlet Flame on GCDs.
• Demi-Phoenix casts an AoE healing spell with regen around it upon being summoned.
• Revelation functions as Demi-Phoenix's Akh Morn, a 680 potency spell with damage falloff for multiple targets, usable twice while up.

Ruin Interactions

• Each Ruin's potency is increased when used on targets with both Bio III and Miasma III applied. +50 potency for each dot applied.
  
• Bane no longer consumes Aetherflow and is on a 10s cooldown, and our Ruination buff applied by Tri-disaster can be spread using Bane at Lv.78 with the Enhanced Bane trait.
  
• Ruination increased to 30 seconds at Lv.76 with the Enhanced Tri-disaster trait, and also boosts the potency of our new 70 potency AoE filler, Outburst.
  
• Multiple Further Ruin procs can be stored, with the media tour build capping at four stacks.

Egi Changes

• Summoning an egi is now instant cast and costs no MP.
• Egi special abilities have been consolidated into two abilities that change based on the current egi summoned and are used by the Summoner through Egi Assault I and Egi Assault II.
• Enkindle's recast time down from 180s → 120s. (Further Ruin procs no longer decrease the cast time of Enkindle.)
• Ifrit-egi deals higher ST damage, and all of Garuda-egi attacks, including auto-attacks, are AoE.
• Garuda-egi's ability Egi Assault II ability, Slipstream, places a small AoE effect on the ground for 30 seconds dealing 20 potency called an "Evergale"
• Titan-egi's ability Earthen Armor creates a shield on you for 20% of your maximum health.

Ability Removals/Reworks

• Summoner abilities: Aetherflow, Shadow Flare, Sustain, Rouse, Tri-bind
• New AoE filler spell: Outburst - 70 potency AoE
• Egi abilities: Contagion, Radiant Shield, Earthen Ward, and Shockwave

Thoughts
Overall, I'm happy that the core synergy of our abilities has been greatly improved.

Titan-egi is strange. It doesn't really excel in any one area and is only really useful for the shield it applies to us using Egi Assault I.

Demi-Phoenix’s “Everlasting Flight” AoE heal upon being summoned is absolutely pitiful. Even should the potency be increased, why do we have a heal?

Firebird Trance automatically summoning Demi-Phoenix at Lv.80 is strange considering that Demi-Bahamut has no such effect.