The Ultimate Guide to the Final Fantasy XIV Summoner (SMN) Rotation

The Summoner (SMN) is a popular and versatile job in Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV), known for its pet-based gameplay and powerful magical abilities. Mastering the SMN rotation is essential to maximizing your damage output and performing effectively in various content. This comprehensive guide will delve into every aspect of the SMN rotation, providing a step-by-step approach, detailed explanations, and practical tips.

Overview of the Summoner's Role

The SMN is a ranged magical damage dealer that excels in sustained damage over time. They summon powerful primals (e.g., Titan, Garuda, Ifrit) that assist in combat by executing unique abilities. The SMN's main role is to maintain a high uptime of its primals and cast potency-boosting spells to enhance their damage output.

The SMN Rotation

The SMN rotation revolves around two main phases:

Summoning Phase:

• Dreadwyrm Trance (DWT): Activate DWT to enter a buffed state that increases damage and energy regeneration.
• Summon Garuda/Ifrit/Titan: Summon a primal to gain access to their abilities.
• Gemshine: Cast Gemshine to gain a stack of Aetherflow.
• Aetherflow: Use Aetherflow to empower your next spell (e.g., Ruin IV, Tri-bind).

Ruination Phase:

• Ruin IV: Cast Ruin IV to deal damage while increasing the stack count of Ruination.
• Ruination: Cast Ruination to deal high potency damage based on the Ruination stack count.
• Energy Drain: Use Energy Drain to regain Energy, which is consumed by primal abilities.
• Fester: Cast Fester to deal additional damage when Ruination is active.
• Summon Deathflare: Summon Deathflare for a powerful ranged attack.

Managing Primals

Each primal has a unique set of abilities:

Garuda: Deals wind damage, increases attack speed, and grants the ability Aerial Slash.
Ifrit: Deals fire damage, increases critical hit rate, and grants the ability Flaming Arrow.
Titan: Deals earth damage, reduces target movement speed, and grants the ability Earthen Armor.

Summoning a different primal will grant you access to their abilities and modify your rotation slightly. Experiment with different primal combinations to optimize your damage output for specific encounters.

Rotation Optimization

Energy Management: Energy is the lifeblood of the SMN. Manage your Energy wisely by using Energy Drain to regenerate it and using abilities that consume Energy efficiently.

Aetherflow Management: Aetherflow stacks are crucial for empowering Ruin IV and Tri-bind. Prioritize using Gemshine and Aetherflow to maximize your damage potential.

Summoning Cooldowns: Summoning a primal has a 60-second cooldown. Plan your summonings accordingly to ensure you have the desired primal available during critical moments.

Pet Management: Summoned primals automatically perform their abilities. Position them strategically to maximize their damage and effect on enemies.

Tips and Tricks

• Pre-cast Gemshine before summoning a primal to gain an Aetherflow stack immediately.
• Use Tri-bind to group enemies together for maximum damage output.
• Utilize Miasma II and Bio II to apply damage-over-time effects to enemies.
• Keep DWT active as much as possible to boost your damage.
• Experiment with different primal combinations to adapt to different enemy mechanics and encounter requirements.

Sample Rotation

Single-Target Rotation:

1. Dreadwyrm Trance
2. Summon Garuda/Ifrit/Titan
3. Gemshine (x3)
4. Ruin IV
5. Fester
6. Ruination
7. Energy Drain (x3)
8. Repeat steps 3-7
9. Summon Deathflare

Multi-Target Rotation:

1. Dreadwyrm Trance
2. Summon Garuda
3. Gemshine (x2)
4. Miasma II
5. Bio II
6. Tri-bind
7. Gemshine
8. Ruin IV
9. Fester
10. Ruination
11. Energy Drain (x3)
12. Repeat steps 7-11
13. Summon Deathflare

Please note that the rotation may vary slightly depending on the specific encounter and your personal preferences.

Tables

Table 1: Primal Abilities

Table 2: Summoner Spells

Table 3: Summoner Buffs and Debuffs

Table 4: Summoner Stats