The 6th Ministry's Secret: A Summoner's Guide (v2)

ItemSet 349110
80% fastcast without /rdm assuming at least 6% on merlinic
There is plenty of room for insticast items (I usually only do that for avatars)
impatiens, witful belt, lebeche ring, Weatherspoon ring, dalmatica +1 (6% fc, 3% quick magic)

Nice, any gain from using grio with fast cast augs for more QM? QM supposedly caps at 10.

Edit: never thought of using older Dalmy for QM :O

I used an older Dalm for QM but it isn't really necessary on Merlinic/witful jobs these days. Impatiens, weatherspoon, witful, and Lebeche cap you. You can consolidate impatiens and Lebeche into perimede if you don't need the 10%FC JSE cape, but the gains are kind of minimal.

I usually avoid swapping weapons whenever possible in the off chance that I can melee with my avatar. I'm sure you could work Grioavolr in there somewhere with no trouble though. That's one of the main reasons I wish they would add the mab back to nirvana since magic pacts are one of the few things left that I am forced to lose my tp on.

you can cap both fastcast and QM in one set. I currently believe you cannot cap BOTH in one set without swapping weapon/ammo/grip, swapping to weatherspoon might change this.

http://www.ffxiah.com/item-sets/340923

This part is done on the edits, waiting for more sets to be posted before I dive into that.

BG-wiki and everywhere else is missing favor potency with 575 skill, Favor +3 and the gift for most the avatars. If anyone wants to test and provide that information would be greatly appreciated.

The few I could test quickly:

596 skill and +3 favor

40 evasion from Garuda
28/tic regen from Carbuncle
102 defense from Titan

Carbuncle : 28 HP (+1)
Diabolos : 8 MP (+1)
Titan : 102 DEF (+5)
Garuda : 40 EVA (+3)
Shiva : 42 MAB (+3)
Ramuh : 24% Critical Hit Rate (+1%)
Cait Sith : 28 MDB (+2)

No new favor tier at 645 skill. 575 seems to be the cap and the next tiers could be only reachable with gift/horn.

Guess no one else wants to post this one >.<
BP Recast
ItemSet 349123

469 + 55 = 524 Summoning Skill (Need at least 512)
-10 Delay Gifts
-7 Delay II
-15 Delay I
+3 Favor
Favor Gift
Can fill slots with -enmity gear or DT gear if you're ambitious.


Listing a beginner set with this because it's the first thing any new SMN usually asks me.

Beginner SMN Set:
ItemSet 349124
425 + 94 = 519 Summoning Skill (Need at least 512)
-13 Delay II
-15 Delay I
+3 Favor

Augments: Conveyance +5 Summoning Magic Skill, -3 Ability Delay II
Espiritus Path D

Alternatives:
Summong Magic Skill: See Summoning Magic Skill set
Recast: shomonjijoe +1, convoker's bracers +1, convoker's doublet +1, glyphic doublet +1, yinyang robe, apogee dalmatica/+1, apogee mitts/+1
Only if no Beckoner's Horn: convoker's horn +1, glyphic horn +1, accord hat +1

Doesn't cap recast, but you can't without gifts.

Sets left to do if anyone wants to help:
Avatar DT
Avatar Engaged/TP
Hybrid BP
Cure
Cure Weather
Self Cure
Cursna
Elemental Siphon
Enfeebling/Magic Acc
Nuking
Garland of Bliss
Shattersoul
Enhancing Skill
Enhancing Duration
Refresh
Stoneskin
Claustrum

I think that's it, let me know if I missed anything. Also thinking of putting a lot of these in the other sets section to separate them from "core sets" like perp, and bp sets.

So first of all, kudos to all of your hard work for updating the guide with some current information. But I think...maybe..this might be getting a bit of overkill. Of course there is some situational use in every set you have listed, but I if people want to make their self stoneskins better or phalanxs stronger, I think they can figure it out. They come to a SMN guide looking for how to play Summoner - most of the micro level stuff is mostly the same across all jobs. Having so much stuff risks drowning out the really good or highly useful stuff people would come to the guide for, I think.

You do realize those sets are in the current guide right? :P In fact, most are already listed in the guide, and the new ones except claustrum are just modifications to existing sets, self cure and cure weather for example only change a few pieces. SMN is a mage job, mage jobs always have a lot of gear to lug around but a lot of it is transferable. So don't agree at all basically. If you're playing smn without any of the mage stuff at all then you aren't really playing it to it's ability let alone design.

Edit: thank you for the thanks tho, not sure why everyone was so wanting to update at the start and now no one else is posting.

Also I feel stoneskin in particular is pretty core to SMN in the age of apogee sets. Turning sub 1k hp to over 1300 effective hp is a pretty big deal and I'd often die without it.

I think you are misunderstanding me. I am not saying I don't, or people shouldn't use sets to enhance their self cures/stoneskins or any other spell they may cast or skill they may use.

But, and this is speaking for myself who has been playing SMN about a month - those aren't things I'd need from a SMN guide. What blood Pacts are people using and how are they gearing them? What are some of the dmg mechanics? What JSE pieces should I go after first and why? Whats the best way to cap delay, and where can I get stuff for Elemental Siphon? I'd imagine it's similar for most peeps. For a lot of the smaller cross-job true for any mage stuff I can almost just copy stuff from another lua and just check to see what may need swapped out because SMN can't wear it. A Summoner guide doesn't necessarily need to be a FFXI mage guide. Anyway just my 2 cents - keep doing your thing if you disagree.

I appreciate the feedback, most people aren't even giving that atm :(

I guess FFXI came a long way, I remember a time when SMN's ability to cure with a big mana pool and refresh was the only thing people cared about vs the job.

Those things are covered and first, this is mostly finishing out the rest the sets. though, which JSE capes to get first and why will change on if you want to do magic, or physical first. The best way to cap delay I listed above, but that too will and can depend on your job points and what gear you already have so I listed alternatives. The where you can get it was never really answered for any of the gear, though you can click on the links to the gear, then click bg-wiki or wikia links to find that out. Also the cure gear you have on smn isn't going to be comparable to whm, or even brd, rdm or sch, so you do need specific sets for the job.

Edit: Too, it's up to you if you wanna use sets, especially those in the other sets section.

Edit: deleted all way too much info and non SMN related info for a SMN thread.

TLDR: just because it's true and accurate doesn't necessarily mean it has to be in the guide. The players who play SMN will gear their self cures and stoneskins correctly will do so regardless of what's in the guide - while the mass amount of info might turn away people who just want to check how to gear their Flaming Crush - who will never gear their stoneskin anyway - cept how they will do crappy dmg too.

Anyway - this is your guide, and this is a game not a business. Do as you like...was just giving my opinion...and perhaps way too much info on my thought process.

I get what you're saying, brevity is important. That's why no textwalls or in depth opinion pieces (outside their normal issues anyway), and as little text as possible. Visual with gear sets, abilities, and a few extra sections like pet food, augments to shoot for, and skillchains. I think cure set and stoneskin set in particular are far too important to leave out. Avatar DT and TP are things I put off a long time before doing them, but I've found a lot of value in them. I actually rarely use my nuke set but SE sure piles on nuking gear for SMN to use. I get what you're saying though :)

I appreciate the feedback, though, not really my guide just the one doing the most work on it atm ;-;

ItemSet 349135
50% cure potency, -37 enmity, +58 healing skill
Path A: MP+50 "Cure" Potency+7% Enmity -6
Path B: Healing Magic Skill +20 "Cure" spellcasting time-7% Magic Damage Taken -3%
MND+30 and Cure potency +10
hachirin-no-obi(chance of no mp cost), beatific earring, chatoyant staff and Twilight cape (aurorastorm), Vocane ring kunaji ring and asklepian ring (self cures), lebeche ring, Janniston ring

ItemSet 272053
capped pdt and 19/tic regen.
Pet: Damage taken -10% and Regen +1
Pet: damage taken -4% and Regen +3
Pet: Acc +30, attack +20, Regen +10
tali'ah seraweels +1, artsieq cuffs, handler's earring

ItemSet 283445
Pet: Acc +30, attack +20, Haste +10
varar ring +1, varar ring, Tali'ah set +1, Convoker's set +2

I'll help with Garland of Bliss when I get home from work. Also, in order to help fulfill Floor Objectives in Omen, we (SMN) have been breaking out the Tali'ah set for WS.

Good times for Summoner Accuracy.

Refresh is a mixed bag because of the combining of Avatar Perp and Refresh. The guide itself doesn't even have a Refresh set (that I can see), so presumably it would be stacking max Perp then Refresh everything else.

But it might not be that simple with Dark Matter augments and updated gear.

EDIT: Nevermind. I see the Idle set, but it's not current. Obviously DM-augmented Merlinic hands and feet would take precedence in those slots. Asteria Mitts+1 are also good but dependent on how your Unity fares.

Stikini Rings+1 in both ring slots to at least show the best possible option for that category. Apogee Dalmatica+1 for Refresh+4 (Are there any other Refresh+4 bodies?).

Thanks guys. And ya I agree on the Summoner Accuracy statement.

That'd be great ty :)

For refresh, I meant the spell refresh, you can get 5 a tic now and have it last over 5 mins, I should've clarified sorry. For smn idle that's the first set I posted iirc.

I haven't added any of my sets to the guide yet been waiting for feedback and to get them all done before I go in.


Not that I know of :O

These are great ty :) Please don't take feedback as that I don't like them.

My feedback:
Cure
* Hachirin-no-obi should be in the aurora set
* We should try to cap cure power, and list that imo using this:
Assuming your own MND and VIT, our goal would be 700 cure power in our set (I think, I thought it used to be 800 but seems bg-wiki page changed). I didn't add it up your set probably does, but I think it's useful to list.
* I know you don't like to use staff or sub slots but I do :( So listing alternatives that include them would be something I'd personally like.
* Self Cure: gishdubar sash, phalaina locket

Avatar DT and TP
* They're great, my only thing is I like to do things like, just cap avatar haste and put in as much refresh/perp as I otherwise can, same with PDT for the avatar DT set. I think listing innate defense and stout servant also helps to know how close to cap (or overcap) you'd be for each stat.
* Alternatives for pet dt: sucellus, psycloth lappas

I agree with an updated Cure set. There have been times when I've had to switch from SMN to Healer on the final boss (if at the least temporarily), so these things matter for content like this.

That's where I draw the line!

Summoners shouldn't be asked to main heal in Apex parties! >:)

Enhancing Duration
ItemSet 349139

Augments: Telchine Enhancing Duration +10, Gada Enhancing Duration +6

Self Refresh: amalric coif +1/Nq, inspirited boots, gishdubar sash, grapevine cape

Alternatives: Oranyan, Grioavolr

I been really considering using the full beckoner's +1 set for Earthen Armor. It has a really low base duration and set proc would put it around 10-11 mins. Idk if it's worth losing over 30 skill off the hands and feet though.

BOOM! This is precisely what we've done as an LS in terms of changing over our enhancing magic duration builds.

Gada is no longer inventory-1 (for those that never used it to begin with). With the Kei shield it's a superior combination - especially if you can land ED+6. With capped or near capped Magic Accuracy, this is also one of the best Enfeebling tools available when paired with Ammurapi Shield.

That's not a bad idea, you'd just have to balance that against the non proc rounds will double what you would've had (double 4 min ward it's 8 mins, double 5 min ward because you used more smn skill it' snow 10 min ward). Also, it's rarely 2x, and seems to be as little as 10% boost sometimes, but it's a good idea. I've been meaning to do something like that with set time wards too like aerial armor and reraise.

I've been wondering how I get a 15min haste sometimes. Haven't been able to figure out why. What exactly procs the additional time?

Myself and another SMN have been experitmenting with this and the resutls have been crusing. Having Flaming Crush close a 3 step light is amazing. We're doing 30-40k FC's to a whopping 60-70k Light. Why are people not utilizing this I have no idea. We've adapted this strategy against T3 Escha and Reis mobs. And we've been blowing threw them.

http://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/46440/the-6th-ministrys-secret-a-summoners-guide-v2/74/#3220396
It's 2% per empyrean piece.


Doing multistep chains with apogee is really good. The OP lists a lot at the bottom of the guide, and shattersoul -> flaming crush -> flaming crush solo skillchain has been long listed and highlighted way for smn to solo things it works on. 99k to 99k light isn't uncommon for a well geared smn in a decent setup on lower content. For higher content, we often do cor last stand to volt strike to make light.

When did they add this little tidbit?

Empyrean has
Set: Augments “Blood Boon”

Each piece of the set adds 2%, there's 3 pieces in that set I posted so that's 6%. Blood Boon will reduce the cost of a pact, all blood boon gear does. However, ONLY if that blood boon was from the empyrean set bonus, will it apply the set bonus. The set bonus has some function based on the amount of mp you saved with the blood boon proc, which varies. If you save a ton of MP you'll do a lot of extra damage on a rage pact and if it procs on a ward, it'll add duration bonus based on the amount of mp saved (the % value saved not the flat value saved). And nope, not worth using on rage pacts it hurts your average damage a lot.