summoner pointless without avatars?

[Zanar4]

Im thinking of trying summoner, however i feel like the job would be pointless because i havent unlocked the major avatars ifrit titan etc. can i still have fun and play as an efficient summoner from lvl 1 without these avatars, and just use spirits and carbuncle , and still make a good summoner? or should i work my tail off doing the avatar quests and finding high lvl help? wat should i do?

[Kronikle66]

Whether you'll have fun or not rests soley on you. Usefulness? Not very. Summoners alone aren't needed for any party, and with only Carbuncle, the best you can do is maybe Cure or Protectra/Shellra. You'll be almost completely reliant on your sub job.

-Kronikle

[Deedlit]

If you plan on getting avatars, you need to open the job first and obtain the necessary tuning forks (this is described in many other threads).

I assume since Kronikle66 is only in his low 30s, he hasn't experienced PTing with a summoner that uses stoneskinga in addition to blinkga, and hastega, etc - not to mention the fenrir abilities. However, you DO need more avatars besides Carbuncle if you plan on leveling above 10, so...

[Bamce Sylph]

w/o avatars you are a whitemage w/ a huge mp pool (comparitivly speaking) and that may be fine until 30ish, after that, starts to kind of loose intrest, especially w/o raise until your summoner is 50. just food for thought

[Zanar4]

wow that freakin blows

[Teefa]

Even with avatars...you won't become useful until 25...and that's if you have Garuda. The level 2 spells like Fire II, Aero II, etc.....are majorly gimped. They do half the damage of the level 1 spell.

Which is why I don't see the point in people subbing SMN if its only 11 or something. At least take it to 25 for the Mp-Regen when you hit 50.

[Mikeb]

Without at least some of the primes Summoner is worthless to a party.

[Teefa]

I had most of the primes when I started leveling my SMN. Being in Valkurm...I rarely brought out any avatar to attack when there was no WHM. You are basically a back up healer till 25. SMN isn't a worthless class pre-25 with just carbuncle. If you have a WHM in your party, then you are going to give your WHM a break since you will be doing the back up healing.

Sure the avatars get one physical attack. But they're accuracy is really poor. 90% of the time, the attack will miss. So you really are just wasting your MP at the moment.

Yeah, SMNs can most likely solo mobs up to 25 with avatars. But that'll take a long time as the only thing you could probably take on is Decent Challenges or less. And maybe also buying some expensive MP gear and juices and foods to keep your summon out longer. But by then, the requirement to get to your next level is going to take forever if all you are getting is 50exp.
I'd opt for a PT instead of buying all that juice for now.

But beyond 25. I can say its not worth to take it any further. But by 25 you have the Auto-Refresh And it'll serve as a good sub for a WHM or RDM when you hit 50 on those jobs.

Otherwise, I don't see the harm in people leveling a Summoner with just carbuncle up to 25. At least you are past the horrors of Valkurm and Qufim.
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Summoner is a hard class to raise, but its not a very expensive class in my opinion. It's a support class and the abilities you use are ones that you have to aquire by fighting the avatars. Maybe if you buy the Spirit Pacts...but after that you are set on your spells. No more buying a spell every level like WHM, RDM, BLM, etc. etc. All these things can be used at level 1. All you have to worry about is maintaining your gear as you level up. So I can more reasons why people would go SMN as it isn't a class that drains your pocket like mages or NIN tanks or RNGs. But then...it's also a class that takes awhile to level since you will most likely be overlooked if a WHM or a BRD is available. But in my server...both those classes are at an all time low and SMNs with avatars are popping up everywhere.

[Zanar4]

Dont elementals do good damage though, like cant elementals be used instead of the primes? i heard some guys fire elemental cast flare for like 900dmg or sumthin

[almighty_boof]

SMNs are poping up in Garuda? Sense when? the only ones I see are in the 30s and up. I can't remember the last time I saw a SMN in Valkurm or Qufim. Also WHMs, there are too many >_< I can agree with you on the BRD thing though, which is one of the reasons I became one.

[Rigsta]

Originally posted by Zanar4
Dont elementals do good damage though, like cant elementals be used instead of the primes? i heard some guys fire elemental cast flare for like 900dmg or sumthin

If you're at a level of SMN equivalent to the level of BLM required for the ancient magic, have the spirit out and attack for something like 70 seconds and it will cast it's ancient magic.

[Deedlit]

Im thinking of trying summoner, however i feel like the job would be pointless because i havent unlocked the major avatars ifrit titan etc. can i still have fun and play as an efficient summoner from lvl 1 without these avatars, and just use spirits and carbuncle , and still make a good summoner? or should i work my tail off doing the avatar quests and finding high lvl help? wat should i do?

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