Hey guys! Ready to dive deep into the Summoner (SMN) job in Final Fantasy XIV? This guide is all about mastering the level 90 rotation, so you can unleash some serious damage and become a top-tier damage dealer. We're going to break down everything from the basics to advanced strategies, ensuring you can confidently navigate raids, trials, and everything in between. This guide is tailored for the current Endwalker expansion and aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Summoner's rotation, including the optimal use of abilities, weaving, and burst phases. Whether you're a seasoned player or a fresh SMN, this guide will help you refine your gameplay and maximize your damage output. Let's get started, and let's get you summoning like a pro! The Summoner has undergone some pretty significant changes over the expansions, and its current iteration focuses on maintaining a consistent damage output through a combination of DoT management, efficient ability usage, and well-timed burst windows. The core of the rotation revolves around summoning various Egis and Bahamut to do the heavy lifting of dealing direct damage, with the Summoner supporting through strategic ability usage. Mastering this dance of summons and abilities is the key to achieving peak performance. This guide covers everything from the initial skill selection to the advanced techniques needed to optimize your DPS. We'll be focusing on the key phases of the rotation, the importance of maintaining DoTs, and the optimal use of your powerful summons, including Phoenix. We will also cover proper weaving techniques to ensure you don't lose any valuable GCD time. So, buckle up, and prepare to become a master summoner! Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t get discouraged if it takes a while to master the rotation. With consistent effort, you’ll be blasting through content in no time.

Understanding the Summoner's Gameplay

Alright, before we jump into the nitty-gritty of the rotation, let's make sure we have a solid grasp of what makes the Summoner tick. At level 90, the Summoner is all about summoning various Primal entities to do the dirty work while you weave in and out of the abilities. The general gameplay loop involves maintaining your damage over time (DoT) effects, summoning your Egis (Ifrit, Titan, and Garuda), and then unleashing the big guns with Bahamut and Phoenix. A key aspect of playing Summoner effectively is knowing when to use your various summons and ensuring you are not clipping your Global Cooldown (GCD). Understanding the basics will allow you to do the level 90 rotation properly.

• DoT Management: Keeping up your Ruin IV and Searing Light is critical for consistent damage. You'll want to reapply these DoTs before they fall off to maximize your overall DPS. Proper DoT management ensures that you're constantly dealing damage even when you’re not actively casting spells. This proactive approach keeps your damage output high and steady. DoT's also allow you to weave in abilities without losing damage, maximizing your damage potential.
• Egi Summons: Ifrit, Titan, and Garuda. These are your bread and butter, used during the opener and throughout the fight to fill gaps in the rotation. Summoning these Egis and using their respective abilities at the correct times is essential for maintaining your damage output. These summons provide you with additional damage through their unique attacks and contribute to a smooth flow in your rotation. Proper utilization ensures you are never wasting any cooldowns.
• Bahamut/Phoenix Phases: These are your burst windows. Bahamut and Phoenix provide significant burst damage and are essential for maximizing your DPS during these periods. This is where you really get to shine and showcase your ability to deal massive damage in short bursts. Each has unique abilities and different benefits, understanding when to use each is crucial.
• Weaving: Efficiently weaving abilities between your GCDs is key to avoiding lost GCDs. Practice and timing are key. Weaving abilities involves using your off-global cooldown (OGCD) abilities between your GCD abilities to maximize your damage output without delaying your GCD casts. This ensures that you're constantly dealing damage and using all of your available skills effectively.

The Level 90 Summoner Opener

Let’s get into the opener, the foundation for every fight. Getting the opener right sets the tone for your entire performance. The opener is designed to maximize burst damage, setting the pace for the rest of the fight. The opener involves pre-casting, setting up your DoTs, and then unleashing a series of powerful abilities. Timing is key, so make sure you practice this. The correct opener ensures you are dealing maximum damage right at the start. So let’s break down the optimal level 90 Summoner opener:

1. Pre-pull: 2 seconds before the pull, pre-cast Ruin IV. This helps you start with a DoT up and running. Pre-casting is a critical part of the opener; it helps you get a head start on your damage.
2. Pull: As soon as the pull timer hits zero, immediately use Energy Drain followed by Summon Carbuncle. This triggers your opener and allows you to build gauge.
3. DoT Application: Immediately after, apply Searing Light (make sure the tank has aggro first!) followed by Ruin IV. This begins your DoT cycle, which must be maintained. Make sure you apply your DoTs at the start of the fight to get the most out of them.
4. Egi Summon: Summon Ifrit, and immediately use Crimson Cyclone. This is the first of your summon phases, use the right Egi for the rotation.
5. Weaving and GCDs: Weave Fester and then continue with Ruin IV in the GCD.
6. Egi Rotation: Follow with Crimson Strike and Burning Strike.
7. Bahamut: Summon Bahamut. This is when you deal the most damage in the opener.
8. Bahamut Skills: Use Wyrmwave followed by Enkindle Bahamut.
9. Finishing the Opener: Use Fester as you are finishing the Bahamut phase to close out the opener phase. Remember, this is a general guideline; slight adjustments may be needed based on fight mechanics and party composition.

Core Rotation and Ability Usage

Okay, so we've nailed the opener; now it's time to talk about the core rotation. This is what you'll be doing throughout the majority of the fight. The core rotation revolves around maintaining your DoTs, summoning your Egis, and efficiently using your abilities. The goal is to consistently deal damage without any downtime. This involves weaving off-global cooldowns (OGCDs) between GCDs. Mastering the core rotation ensures that your DPS remains consistent throughout the fight. Consistent damage is the key to success. Proper weaving ensures no lost GCDs and maximizes damage output. Now, let’s dig into the essentials:

• DoT Maintenance: Keep your Ruin IV and Searing Light up. Reapply them just before they expire to maintain consistent damage. Always keep your DoTs active on the target to maximize your damage over time.
• Egi Rotation: As you continue the rotation, you’ll be using your Egis. After Ifrit, use Titan, and Garuda. During the Egi phase, use abilities like Crimson Cyclone and Burning Strike.
• Gauge Management: Always try to spend your resources efficiently. Use Energy Drain to gain your resources.
• Weaving: Weave your OGCDs between GCD casts. This ensures you're maximizing your damage output without clipping your GCDs. OGCDs can include Fester, Energy Drain, and other abilities that you can use without interrupting your main cast.
• Burst Phases: During these phases, focus on using your most powerful abilities, such as Bahamut and Phoenix. Time them carefully to align with raid buffs and fight mechanics for maximum impact.

Detailed Breakdown of Abilities

Let’s take a closer look at the key abilities in the Summoner's arsenal:

• Ruin IV: This is your primary GCD spell. Use it to fill gaps in your rotation and maintain constant damage.
• Searing Light: Place this on the boss, and refresh it when it’s about to run out.
• Energy Drain: This ability grants Aetherflow, a resource for your burst phases.
• Summon Carbuncle: This sets up the rotation and starts the whole summoning experience.
• Ifrit: Use Crimson Cyclone and Crimson Strike.
• Titan: Use Mountain Buster.
• Garuda: Use Aerial Blast.
• Bahamut: Use Wyrmwave and Enkindle Bahamut.
• Phoenix: Use Revelation.

Advanced Strategies and Tips

Now that you know the basics and the core rotation, let’s dig a bit deeper. To truly master the Summoner at level 90, you'll need to incorporate some advanced strategies and fine-tune your approach. These strategies will help you optimize your DPS, improve your survivability, and become an asset to any party. Remember, practice is critical, and refining these techniques will make you a formidable Summoner. These advanced strategies involve optimizing your rotation, using your resources effectively, and adapting to different fight mechanics. We’re going to cover some of the high-level tactics that will help you excel. It is time to level up your Summoner game!

Optimization Tips

• Pre-planning: Plan your rotation around fight mechanics and raid buffs. This means knowing when to use your burst phases and when to save certain abilities. If you know that a boss is going to become untargetable for a period, adjust your DoT uptime accordingly. Planning ahead means dealing optimal damage, so you must always think one step ahead. It also ensures you are maximizing your damage when it matters most, like during a damage check.
• Resource Management: Manage your resources, especially Aetherflow and Bahamut gauge. Don't waste them, and always ensure you have the necessary resources for your burst phases. Effective resource management allows you to consistently perform your rotation and take advantage of all damage windows. By always keeping an eye on your resources, you can prevent any downtime, and that means more damage!
• Weaving Efficiency: Improve your weaving skills. The goal is to maximize your time while minimizing lost GCDs. Practice weaving to smooth out your rotation, and ensure your OGCDs don’t clip your GCDs. This will help you get those extra casts and boost your damage.
• Adaptability: Be prepared to adjust your rotation based on fight mechanics. Some encounters may require you to move frequently or hold your burst phases. Flexibility is key. This adaptability means you can continue dealing damage even when the fight becomes hectic. Being able to adapt and overcome any challenge is essential to be a truly great Summoner.

Understanding Fight Mechanics

• Movement: Learn to cast while moving. If you need to move during a fight, plan to cast instant spells or use your OGCDs to maintain your damage.
• Targeting: Ensure you are always targeting the correct enemy. This will help you avoid misclicks and ensure your abilities hit their intended targets. Quick target acquisition will prevent you from accidentally casting the wrong spell.
• Buffs: Pay attention to party buffs and plan your burst phases around them. Coordinating with your team will maximize damage.

Conclusion: Mastering the Summoner

Congratulations, you've made it through the Summoner level 90 rotation guide! By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to mastering the Summoner job in FFXIV. Remember that practice is key, and the more you play, the more comfortable you'll become with the rotation and the nuances of the class. This guide provides a solid framework for optimizing your DPS and maximizing your potential. Now, go forth and summon some Egis and destroy those bosses!

• Practice Regularly: The best way to improve is by consistently practicing the rotation in various scenarios, such as dungeons, trials, and raids.
• Analyze Logs: Analyze your battle logs to identify areas where you can improve, such as GCD uptime and ability usage.
• Stay Updated: Keep up with the latest updates and changes to the Summoner job by reading class guides and following FFXIV community resources.
• Have Fun: Remember, the goal is to enjoy the game! Embrace the Summoner’s mechanics, and make sure you’re having a good time while playing!

Keep summoning and stay awesome!