Summoner Rotation, Openers, and Abilities (Patch 6.5) - FFXIV

Players looking for an easy job to pick up and learn in Final Fantasy XIV don't need to look any further than the Summoner. This magical ranged DPS has an easy rotation all the way through the leveling process, is easy to understand, and even easier to master. 

Since its rework in 2021 with Endwalker, Summoner has a long, but simple rotation with a formulaic order that can be altered to match whatever the fight calls for. There are no difficult gauges or features to understand about the job, making it pretty easy to pick up and learn for those who are new to the MMO. 

Not only is the rotation not difficult to learn and master, but the mobility of the job has made Summoner one of the best choices for high-end content because of how quickly the rotation can be altered so that the player can move around the area and not lose a single GCD. There are very few spells with a longer cast time, making Summoner one of the most mobile magic DPS jobs. 

If you’re looking for a general guide on all things Summoner, check out the all-around Summoner Guide.

The basics of the Summoner job

The Summoner’s rotation revolves around three main things: Searing Light, demi-summons, and the three primal phases. Knowing when to trigger these and in what order to trigger them is essential to learning the rotation, but the job is fairly forgiving, and intentionally so. In order to give players the maneuverability to tailor their spells to the fight they're engaged in, the primal phases have a lot of wiggle room to make sure Summoners have the mobility they need based on when they need to move versus when they can stand still and hard cast. 

Summoner is one of the only two DPS classes that can resurrect their party members, the Red Mage being the other. This, paired with the healing utilities it gets during the Phoenix phase, makes the Summoner a great addition to any party. It has solid DPS to go along with its party utility, and boasts one of the longest party-wide buffs FFXIV has to offer with Searing Light.

While the Summoner is a pet class, most of its actions no longer come from the Carbuncle. The pet AI has always had its problems, making this a positive change for the job. In Patch 6.1, Searing Light was made to originate from your character, rather than from your pet. This means you don’t have to worry about your buff getting delayed if your Carbuncle is moving when you cast it, making your buff window a lot more reliable in timing. 

Summoner’s rotation

The level 90 rotation for Summoner is pretty lengthy, but the flow is not hard to maintain. You’ll juggle different phases of summons, keeping your demi-summons properly aligned with the two-minute buff window. Your party buff is Searing Light, a wide-range ability that increases the damage dealt by every nearby player. The opener sets you up for success and the rotation flows naturally afterwards, as long as you keep Searing Light off cooldown to maintain timing with the party’s buff window. 

Introduction to the primals

The three primals a Summoner can bring to the battlefield are Ifrit, Titan, and Garuda. Each of these three beasts has different spells that proc once they've been summoned. During the primals phase, it generally doesn't matter what order you bring each one out in. You can choose the primal to bring out depending on if you need to move soon, or if you are able to stay still. All primal summons cause damage to your target and nearby enemies, and allow you to use their respective abilities.

• Ifrit: If you come to Ifrit's phase when you're having to move around a lot because of mechanics, you'll need to master slide casting. This is the only primal with cast bars on most of its abilities. Summoning Ifrit will allow you to use the single-target Ruby Rite and multi-target Ruby Catastrophe. Additionally, it allows you to use Crimson Cyclone, a gap closer that has you dashing to your target while damaging it and all nearby enemies. Upon use, this ability procs into Crimson Strike, which is another area-of-effect spell. These two do not have a cast bar and give you some mobility during the Ifrit phase.
   
• Titan: Titan's abilities are an instant cast, so you can run around as needed while maintaining your DPS. Summoning Titan will allow you to use Titan's single-target Topaz Rite and multi-target Topaz Catastrophe. Each cast of either of those skills will proc Mountain Buster. The Titan phase will see you pressing those two buttons very quickly, making this phase fairly speedy. During your burst phase, it's recommended to use Titan before any of your other primals because of the freedom of movement it gives you, and its high damage potency.
   
• Garuda: If you need to move around to avoid mechanics, Garuda is a good choice. Casts during this phase are instant, meaning you can move around however you'd like for the entire time this primal is on the battlefield. Summoning Garuda gives you access to single-target Emerald Rite and multi-target Emerald Catastrophe. The only spell that isn't an instant cast is Slipstream. Most Summoners recommend using Swiftcast before casting Slipstream so that there is no hard cast during this phase. Using Swiftcast on Slipstream is not a dps gain, but it does allow freedom of movement. If you might need Swiftcast for Resurrect, it’s worth considering standing still to cast Slipstream. Keep in mind that Slipstream requires the enemy to be inside of its circle, so if your target is moving around a lot, you might want to choose a different primal until you're sure Slipstream will be effective.

Burst windows and demi-summons

The Summoner has two burst windows, each focusing around one of the demi-summons. These are powerful summons that change Ruin III into more powerful demi-summon GCDs. Your goal is to get six of these GCDs off in each demi-summon Trance, without stacking too much spell speed onto your gear. Instead, opt for the slowest spell speed that still allows you to fit those six of these spells in before your trance ends. 

• Bahamut: Your first demi-summon, Bahamut, provides you with high DPS skills and is part of your two-minute burst window. Whenever Bahamut is up, Searing Light should be used alongside it. Make sure to use all your Bahamut skills before its Trance runs out. Your single-target GCD is Astral Impulse, and for Multi-target, you’ll use Astral Flare. Both of these spells have an instant cast, making it easy to weave and even double-weave oGCDs during this phase. Your oGCDs are Deathflare and Enkindle Bahamut, both of which do massive damage. Rather than inflicting damage upon its summon like the primals do, Bahamut will continuously attack your target the entire time it’s out.
   
• Phoenix: Your second demi-summon, Phoenix, has some more utility tied to it while still providing you with high DPS skills and is part of your one-minute burst. Your single-target GCD is Fountain of Fire, while multi-target ability of this demi-summon is Brand of Purgatory. Like Bahamut, both GCDs Phoenix gives you are instant cast, once again allowing you to weave or double-weave with ease. Your oGCDs are Rekindle and Enkindle Phoenix. Rekindle is a single-target healing ability, and applies a conditional regen that triggers when its target's health drops below 75% or when the buff expires. Make sure you use this on someone that needs it. If no one is in immediate need and you need to use this oGCD before your Trance ends, giving it to your tank is a great option. Enkindle Phoenix orders it to use Revelation, an ability that does massive damage. When Phoenix takes the stage, it executes Everlasting Flight, granting you and your nearby party members with healing regen. It then proceeds to attack your target with Scarlet Flame for the duration of its Trance. 

Your two-minute burst is your main burst window, which means you’ll be aligning your big party buff with everyone else’s while taking full advantage of the buffs your party is providing. As long as you use Searing Light off cooldown, you’ll have this aligned with the rest of your group. Use Bahamut during this time in the same way he’s used in your opener. Make sure to get a cast of Ruin IV and Ruin III in sometime during your primals phase, or your demi-summons’ timing will be slightly off. You want to hit Bahamut and Searing light within the same GCD to keep everything aligned. 

Your second burst window is your one-minute burst. This takes place on its own, without utilizing buffs from your party. It works very similarly to your main burst window, but uses Phoenix instead of Bahamut. Make sure you get your GCD in six times during this phase, hit all your oGCDs, and go right back into the primals phase to prepare for your next two-minute burst.

Energy Drain is an oGCD that should be weaved in during both of your burst windows, in the same way it is used during your opener. After using Energy Drain, you gain two stacks of Aetherflow. Spend both of these on Fester, another oGCD, during each burst window. 

Energy Drain also gives you a proc of Ruin IV. It is imperative to refrain from using this skill during your burst window, as all your GCDs during burst should come from your demi-summon. Ruin IV belongs in your primal phase.

Summoner’s job gauges

The Summoner has two gauges to keep track of: Aetherflow and Trance. Neither is overly involved, but you do need to know what they both mean. The Trance gauge specifically has a few different forms depending on where you are in your rotation, but all that changes is really what parts are active. 

Aetherflow

The Aetherflow gauge is very simple. It consists of two diamonds that are either empty, or filled purple. You gain these charges by using Energy Drain, and you spend them right away by casting Fester. You should not leave these charges sitting around, they belong in your burst windows as described above. 

Trance

The Trance gauge is more complex, especially at first glance. It goes through a lot of stages and can look daunting. To start off with, your Trance gauge will look empty. The Bahamut symbol has no timer, and the gems are dull and inactive.

The first change happens when you use Summon Bahamut. Bahamut will light up and display a timer, while the gems appear but are chained. The timer shows the time you have left within your Bahamut phase. The same information is displayed when you use Summon Phoenix, though the gauge changes shape to depict a Phoenix. When the timer runs out, the demi-summon and its timer disappear and the gems unlock, allowing you to enter your primal phase. 

The second change happens when you start your next phase by summoning any of the three primals. In the first picture below, Titan was summoned, changing his gem into a depiction of his aether. The timer on the right shows you the maximum amount of time you can remain in this phase, while the number underneath the gem displays how many charges you have left before this phase ends. When one ends, go right into the next one. The same information will be displayed for each primal. The gauge retains the appearance of whichever demi-summon was last on the field.

Summoner opener

The summoner’s opener takes full advantage of its long party buff and ability to access its most powerful summon right off the bat. It is fast paced, using some double weaving to cram in as much DPS as possible. Learn this opener well, because it is also how you will be using Bahamut in your burst window. To start off with, you’ll use three Bahamut GCDs before using any weaves. This is to make sure the rest of your group has their buffs up by the time you start really cutting loose. 

1. Ruin III (-1.5 seconds)
2. Summon Bahamut
3. Searing Light
4. Astral Impulse
5. Tincture of Intelligence
6. Astral Impulse
7. Astral Impulse
8. Energy Drain
9. Akh Morn
10. Astral Impulse
11. Deathflare
12. Fester
13. Astral Impulse
14. Fester
15. Astral Impulse
16. Sumon Titan II
17. Topaz Rite
18. Mountain Buster
19. Topaz Rite
20. Mountain Buster
21. Topaz Rite
22. Mountain Buster
23. Topaz Rite
24. Mountain Buster
25. Summon Garuda II
26. Swiftcast
27. Slipstream

Summoner tips

• If you struggle with slide casting, place an emote on a hotbar. When the emote is no longer grayed out, it is safe to move and your cast will not be interrupted.
• Summoners are one of two DPS classes that have the ability to raise party members. If you notice things starting to go south, remember to use this party utility. You can avoid the long cast time by using Swiftcast.
• Your summons are very large by default. While they look impressive, they can also obscure your view of the battlefield. You can change the way these summons appear via the following chat command: /petsize [petname] [size]
  It is recommended that you set them all to small, with ‘/petsize all small’

Summoner has a lot of information to it, because it has so many parts to its rotation. Despite having this many phases to cycle through, the actual rotation is easy to follow with some practice. Don’t be intimidated by the primals, you’ve bested them in the MSQ, and now you’ll be able to master commanding them in combat.