Summoner beginingsFollow

Look here for summoner guides/discussions: http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?fjob=15&mid=1188823663309266438&page=1

You should try to get them all, but no one will blame you if you can't get Fenrir, Diabolos, Odin, or Alex right away.

You can solo all of the other ones as a level 20 SMN. Here is a guide to doing it: http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/jobs.html?fjob=15;mid=1092674588861471843;page=1

Or if you have a higher level job, you can solo the harder versions of them. Anything 75+ should be able to solo or at least duo them. I would assume Fenrir is easily soloed with the new level cap now, too, especially since some jobs could solo or duo him at 75, but if you don't have a high enough job, you will need help. Start working on CoP/ToAU missions so you can eventually get the other three. Odin, especially, is a lot of fun in abyssea.

For just about any mage job 82+, you won't go wrong with /RDM. At really low levels, go with /WHM. Eventually, /SCH becomes better than /WHM with all its job abilities that help save and regenerate MP and the ability to cast aspir.

At the current level cap each of these subs offers:
RDM: stoneskin/blink/phalanx, refresh, convert, single-target bar-spells, Cure 3
SCH: light/dark arts, strategems, reraise, sublimation, status cures, drain/aspir, sleep, cure 3, weather spells that can be paired with gear like our relic head to reduce perpetuation costs
WHM: stoneskin/blink, divine seal, aeo bar-spells, cure 4, auto-regen, reraise



Edited, Feb 26th 2011 5:40pm by RizzoRazzle

Edited, Feb 26th 2011 5:41pm by RizzoRazzle

Wow those guides are old....is there anything more updated?

Thanks very much for the help Rizzo, I am on Asura as a matter of fact :)

Rizzo provided a lot of great information to help you get started. I just wanted to add that I think /WHM gets a bit short changed in this analysis. RDM and SCH clearly provide much better options for MP restoration but /WHM still has utility at higher levels. In Abyssea, /WHM will allow you to help proc both red and yellow weaknesses if needed. /WHM also provides status cures and particularly Stona which will never become available from /SCH. It also gives access to Haste (/RDM will too eventually) which is handy when you don't want to use Hastega. It is definitely a sub I would recommend leveling all the way. I feel the same way about SCH and RDM as well.

Slightly off topic, and somewhat of a repeat to what I posted in a different thread a few minutes ago:

Get your Carbuncle Mitts as soon as you possibly can, they are level 20 and absolutely amazing.


Edit: more info...
Low level soloing is almost entirely carbuncle based, whether you have the mitts or not, so get those mitts! And pick up the FoV refresh, it will do wonders for you.

Astral Burn parties will require you to have Shiva and Ramuh. Some people are for or against them... I'm not going to past judgement, just let you know you need these two avatars.

Eventually Garuda and Titan will give you hastega and stoneskinga, respectively. But, realistically, by then you should already have all the avatars.

Odin and Alexander, the level 75 avatars that only work during astral flow and only are obtainable after completing ToAU, have lost a lot of their luster. I almost never use Odin anymore due to Shiva putting up fantastic numbers with the right atma and I have only ever used Alexander on a Dynamis Lord zerg.

I would recommend picking up at least one spirit pact, it doesn't matter which. Some go for as little as 5k. The reason for this is if something goes horribly wrong and you lose your avatar you can pull out a spirit... they summon very fast. Also, they take very little physical damage. This will give you time to run far enough away to summon an avatar or give you a chance to hightail it for the zone. Hiding behind a spirit has saved me even on a difficult level 90 solo. It's never my preferred method of handling a situation, but it's always in my toolbag.

Best of luck!

P.S. I'm also on Asura. Had no idea so many of us were in here :D

Edited, Mar 4th 2011 5:06pm by Thydonon