Is SMN good/fun/interesting/etc.?

Reception is pretty mixed overall. Some really enjoy it, some do not. Overall it is much simpler and much more approachable than Summoner was in Shadowbringers. However, don’t trust the opinions of other people on the internet for how the job feels. Play it yourself and form your own opinions!

Okay, but how good is it compared to other DPS?

Short answer: It is totally fine. Unless you are a hardcore speedrunner or optimizer, Summoner is good enough for all content.

If you’re really interested in job balance, go to the #bot_spam channel on the Balance Discord and use the command !faq ewbalance.

How do I know which opener to use?

You want to reference your raid composition in deciding. If you are heavy in 15s buffs, the fast Garuda opener is better. For a list of jobs by buff duration, visit the #smn_resources channel on the Balance Discord for more information.

How/when do I use Ruin IV?

Prioritize using it whenever you can make use of the cleave or need the mobility. Otherwise, use it wherever you wish, as long as it is not inside a Demi summon. Don’t waste it by letting Further Ruin drop.

I'm starting a fight with both a Demi summon up AND primal gems. What do I do?

It depends on the time you end the phase you’re fighting or your killtime. Here’s the general decision making flowchart:

Ask yourself: Will I lose a use of a Demi by delaying?
If yes -> do not delay Demi.
If no -> ok to use primals and delay Demi.
If I don’t know -> do not delay Demi.

I'm using the SpS set but now my Demis don't align with burst windows. What do I do?

That’s normal and intended. If you’re running a SpS build, your Demis no longer line up with your party’s burst. This is fine, because you will be gaining more Demi phases over the course of a fight. Do NOT delay your Demis by inserting a lot of of Ruin IIIs in these builds. At that point, you are just running a strictly worse Crit build, and it is bad.

What loot should I get from normal mode raids?

For a general use set that minimizes spell speed we recommend you follow this priority:\

Week One - Gloves and Feet
Week Two - Pants

For a set that is heavier on SPS, we recommend you follow this priority:\

Week One - Head + Ring
Week Two - Chest

What BiS set do I choose?

The general Crit focused set (that’s the 2.48 set) is likely to be better in most content, so if you are not interested in adapting multiple sets to different niche content, it’s better to choose the 2.48 general use Crit set. Speed build sets are only listed for those that really want to go fast, or optimize to particular fight timelines in a similar vein as the Extreme trial sets listed.

My team is asking me to delay my burst and searing light for buffs. What do I do?

1. Always use Searing Light with your team’s buffs, no matter what. If they delay it, you delay it.
2. Hold Festers whenever possible to place as many in buffs. If you can afford to delay Energy Drain without losing a use to place four Festers in buffs, you should.
3. You should almost never delay your demi for your team’s buffs. It will require you to use extra Ruin IIIs, and each extra Ruin III is a significant potency loss. The cost of aligning your burst in buffs is higher than the potency you would gain by aligning with buffs. There is sometimes, very rarely, an argument to use one or two extra Ruin IIIs, at most. Any more than that quickly becomes mathematically impossible to gain enough potency from buffs to offset what you would lose.