Summoner power - before endgame

[Wiseman40]

I just became a summoner. It's my first advanced job.

I got lucky on the leeches (carbuncle ruby on the FIRST one!) but then spend 9 hours trying to get the weather.

Anyway, it's currently obvious from the opinions of some high level summoners around me that it's pretty much horrible to be a summoner before endgame, at which point summoners are fantastic.

Well, although I do appreciate the endgame power, that's a long road for me and I'm a little concerned that if I decide to stick with summoner I won't be able to do certain things that I enjoy doing.

What're your opinions on summoner power before endgame?

I hear summoners are some of the best soloers at endgame, which sounds like fun, but that they can't do it at all before that.

As a midlevel summoner, could you kill easy prey?

I know a lot of new players ask the solo question about every job they come across and I'm no exception, but it does interest me, even though I rarely do it.

[Susurrus]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

Summoners mainly use thier avatars for enhancing the party, along with some attacks and enfeebles.

Like it or not, most SMNs find thier spot in the party as main healer most of the time, especially once they get Cure III from WHM sub.

[Jei]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

Summoners don't get any useful ability from their summons until around level 30 or so. 32 I think you will get Garuda's blinkga, your first party friendly spell. Then again at 40ish you'll get stoneskinga which is even more useful in exp pt.

Anyway, try get the job to 30 and see if you like it. Your role won't change much from this.

[Kardor]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

Well basically - due to most ppl are to ignorant and lazy to try other things out - you will be Healer for a longer time and will be this even in Endgame for some ocassions.
BUT you should be aware that Summoners are basically Supporters with a wide range of abilitys. You are no Healer DD or buffer - Smn is all this in one job.
Your role in a Party is basically dependant on how well this party peforms if you have a Paladin as main tank you should focus on Defense and Healing abilitys for Paladins cant do much w/o support. If you have a Good Ninja Tank you can also participate in Magic Bursts or even Skillchains which do with good lvled Skill an often underestimated Damage.
Burning Strike,Double Slap,Earthen Ward,Aerial Armor and the Tier II Magic Blood Pacts will be Good friends in the Mid Game.

Concerning the Solo part you shouldnt consider this before you have Carbuncles Mitts and therefor a free Carbuncle with Light Staff(51) and Austere(50)/Vermy(59) before this its not recomendable.

You see the most important thing you have to learn is to estimate the Situation your Party is in correct so you dont fire a 100mp+ Bloodpact to deal low dmg when your Party is in need of Protection of Cure. Summoner isnt an easy job and ppl have lots of prejudgements against it but if you do your Job well youll find Partys where you can play how you like as long as you keep always an eye on your Partys needs.

Uhm i hope this helps.

[Wiseman40]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

Well I chose summoner for the three roles that you mentioned (DD, buffer and healer) so I'm not victim to a misconception there. I'm sure things will work out. It seems like a challenging yet rewarding job.

It seems difficult enough to keep people away from it in spite of the addition of Diabolos, and possible future addition of Bahamut or other traditional summons.

[Kardor]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

ya it is once you got the flow its really funny^^.
And if its your first advanced dont feel gimped later on for you will see ppl with the ub3r gear at the same lvl as you are, but keep in mind most ppl play smn as 2nd or even 3rd job to 75 ^^.

And iam hoping for Bahamut too but even IF he will be implemented as Summon i doubt it will be in less then a year. And Phoenix will be most likely the next Summon to obtain.
PS Do CoP missions as soon as you can , Smn usually find a spot in pts there^^.

[Gwynn]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

You'll get Shining Ruby from Carbuncle at 23 (I believe, might be 24), and Aerial Armor from Garuda at 25. These will be your only good buffs for a while, assuming you won't have Fenrir and Diabolos.

[Khidir]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

Shining ruby is 24 but before 70 i believe smn doesn't get the most powerful attacks we heal most of the time during parties and enhance thru earthen ward and aerial armor I recommend investing in as much mp+ gear as possible as well as mp regen (including staves Hq if you can afford it)

I swear SE should lower the cooldown time between bps to 30 secs or make it a bp a min for the same avatar that bped

Smn is a very versatile job like rdm bst nin it has many uses and it will take you many places if you have the time to invest into it

Smn aren't really seen as powerhouses unless they 2hr MB by pts unfortunately do to the bp limit

[Medalink]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

Summoner is not all end-game. Once you hit 50+ you begin to be very usefull. Haveing free carby (@51) is insane. Summoner can solo anything just about, its all in the time it takes.

Medalink

[Omniblast]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

There are some problems with previous posts.
Vermy's requirement is 59 not 61, Austre's 50 not 61.

@ 51 SMN do great soloing Incredibly Tough enemies (i.e. Bombs) when they have a Light staff or Apollo Staff with Carbuncle's Mitt. Quest for Carbuncle Mitt is difficult without higher level help. Carbuncle Mittens walkthrough

Realistically, I didn't solo till 54, in Ifrit's Cauldron.

Spira's Summoner's Guide to Soloing

Some of my chains when I soloed at 61 in Uleguerand Range. I soloed for 14k exp to go from 61 to 62.


I could have gotten more if I had use the other band instead of Empress Band.

Other than that, you are waiting for 65 & 66 for Fenrir's Eclipse Bite & Spirit Taker respectively. That becomes your main tool for farming. SMN/THF FTW.

[Wiseman40]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I'm extremely excited about the summoner experience. I'm level 15 now and have soloed it so far (but then, you almost have to). It took a while, and I'm ready for parties.

Ironically, it seems that when summoners are finally able to solo again is about the same time they become most useful to parties.

Although there are some nice buffs to be had before 50, parties don't tend to look for smn in the upper end of the low level range.

I'm a little concerned about the 20-40 levels in particular, as there will be almost nothing I can do to solo, and I anticipate few party invites.

[aegina]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

summoners get invited to parties all the time starting at level 22 as a healer job

at lvl 22, you learn cure 2, and you can main heal if you have a good backup healer. relax, summoners get tons of invites. all mages do, really.

[Caspian]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

The one piece of advice I could give you is to get the other avatars (exlcuding fenrir and diabolos) asap. People will understand that your are unable to do the prime battles, this being your first advanced job, but you will need to the mini primes (or whatever they're called) to get the other main summons. They're just way too useful.

[Wiseman40]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

The one piece of advice I could give you is to get the other avatars (exlcuding fenrir and diabolos) asap. People will understand that your are unable to do the prime battles, this being your first advanced job, but you will need to the mini primes (or whatever they're called) to get the other main summons. They're just way too useful.

I've always wanted to get them asap - they're the reason I'm a summoner...

[Caspian]

Re: Summoner power - before endgame

Cool cool. Seen a few running around that only have like one or two and continue to exp. When I ask them, they tell me that they're unnecessary and basically to f*** off. Good to know there's still people out there committed to their job.