Pheonixhawk wrote:Any tips for a low lvl smn through the dunes main healing? I understand I don't get cure II until lvl 22, but I know I will need to be able to main heal as a smn. So im expecting it. Any tips on main healing from lvls 10 - whatever lvl they stop being main healer?
Tips for main healing at those low levels:
Have a backup.
RDM most of the time works fine for the bigger cures.
Make sure the RDM knows he/she is on backup!
(On personal experience note, I prefer a rdm over a brd when partying on summoner on every level.
As I also buff the party on smn the bard's melee buffs will overwrite my Ballad, Next to that a RDM can help me out much better with healing duties.)
Summoners have a real hard time at lower levels as they don't get bigger cures until much later.
Bring MP food, Melon or Rolanberry pies. You'll be spamming cure 1 a lot!
Avoid Astral rings! Spamming cures will get you hate guaranteed, you don't want to die in one hit.
Don't make your party fight stuff that is too hard for them, you only have cure 1 and if they pull mobs that are out of their league you're guaranteed a wipe.
Chain the sod out of T mobs instead of fighting VT/IT mobs in the dunes unless you have a PL.
Usually you get exp faster then those that kill VT/IT as well.
Frankly the dunes are more of a hell for a summoner then for any other job.
Later on when you can equip Carbuncle mitts bring out the drinks and keep Carbuncle out to get TP.
Healing Ruby is a very decent hate free cure which gets better the more TP Carbuncle has.
Another Blood Pacts which is very helpful from level 19 and up is Thunderspark from Ramuh.
This will do a significant amount of damage at those levels and leave a very potent paralyze.
I was using this pact until early 40's where it lost it's potency against other BPs.
When do smn stop being main healer?
If I may be so blunt: never.
Even after level 70 the summoner is still invited to regular exp parties as "main healer".
A summoner however does get tools later on which will help greatly like earthen ward from Titan which is a party stoneskin.
Ecliptic Howl which is a pretty nice Evasion/Accuracy buff and when you get a decent amount of skill over cap Hastega is a very good buff.
Before you get skill over cap Hastega only lasts 1 minute so it's not worth using before that point.
At later levels a good rdm will take over the healing duties as well as make you able to do the buffs to help the party.
In a good party you'll be relying more on your Blood pacts then on your sub job.
Summoner is a very versatile job, don't try to go in a certain direction but try to find a ballance.
Every party is different and you'll find new ways to play it.
If I had to answer the question what a summoner's role in this game is.
I'd have to say, undetermined.
Skilled at everything, master of none.
(Bets two nice warm Cookies that Shira is gonna respond to this post within 3 replies)
Cookies?
Gimme!