One of most frequently asked questions is: What is an example of a good opener?

Update exclude-list for Best in Slot solver. 27th 2016 Added Patch 3.4 items. 1st 2016 Added Patch 3.35 items. Updated 简体中文 version to patch 3.2; Jun. 15th 2016 Fixed a bug where GP/CP of certain items wasn't added to the total. 11th 2016 Updated loot tables. Fixed materia slots on Carbonweave items. Hey guys, today I want to share with you my actual Gear-Set for my tanks, that I tried to max out as best as I could with my casual possibilities. The best thing with this gear is that you can. The Summoner is a character whose strength lies within the minions they summon to fight by their side, instead of in the overrated endgame weapons that everyone else uses. So step aside, solar-clad, cat-throwing players; there's a new sheriff in town. Anyway, the Summoner works highly different from the rest of the Terrarians. Whilst it might not be the best of classes when it comes to damage output, its use of the air helps it create damage that is certainly worth mentioning and even bragging about. It might not be as high as the likes of the Samurai or the Summoner, but you can still expect to get on well with DPS that it offers.

While they form only fraction of total fight time, for Summoner the opener is very important to set the scene for all of our timings.

In this section we’ll cover:

• our preferred opener methods
• the reasoning & importance for various timings

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All of the openers are intended for single target & use Ifrit.

• Place Ifrit-Egi beside the boss. This will not aggro the boss.
• Prepull Ruin III (hardcast) @ roughly -2.5s. Adjust with ping in mind.
• Sic (pet stance) @ roughly -0.7s. Adjust with ping in mind.
• GCD 1 Egi Assault + Energy Drain + Tri-disaster
• GCD 2 Egi Assault II + Tincture
• GCD 3 Egi Assault + Aetherpact + Dreadwyrm Trance
• GCD 4 Egi Assault II + Lucid Dreaming + Enkindle
• GCD 5 Ruin III (instant) + Fester + Tri-disaster
• GCD 6 Ruin III (instant) + Deathflare + Summon Bahamut
• GCD 7 Ruin IV + Enkindle Bahamut + Fester
• GCD 8 Ruin IV
• GCD 9 Ruin III (hardcast)
• GCD 10 Ruin III (hardcast)
• GCD 11 Ruin IV + Enkindle Bahamut
• GCD 12 Ruin III (hardcast)
• GCD 13 Ruin IV + Energy Drain + Swiftcast
• GCD 14 Ruin III (instant) + Fester

The 3rd GCD DWT Opener is our standard 2 min alignment opener for Further Ruin & pet action consistency by providing a sufficient time buffer to ensure ghosts do not happen.

1st GCD DWT Opener

Image + Video example coming soon(tm)

• Place Ifrit-Egi beside the boss. This will not aggro the boss.
• Prepull Ruin III (hardcast) @ roughly -2.5s. Adjust with ping in mind.
• Sic (pet stance) @ roughly -0.7s. Adjust with ping in mind.
• GCD 1 Egi Assault + Tri-disaster + Dreadwyrm Trance
• GCD 2 Egi Assault II + Energy Drain + Aetherpact
• GCD 3 Ruin III (instant) + Tincture
• GCD 4 Egi Assault + Lucid Dreaming + Enkindle
• GCD 5 Egi Assault II + Fester
• GCD 6 Ruin III (instant) + Deathflare + Summon Bahamut
• GCD 7 Ruin IV + Enkindle Bahamut + Fester
• GCD 8 Ruin IV
• GCD 9 Ruin III (hardcast)
• GCD 10 Ruin III (hardcast)
• GCD 11 Ruin IV + Enkindle Bahamut
• GCD 12 Ruin III (hardcast)
• GCD 13 Ruin IV + Tri-disaster + Swiftcast
• GCD 14 Ruin III (instant) + Energy Drain + Fester

The 1st GCD DWT Opener is our go to when encounters favour Trance rushing (using them on cooldown).

Typically in the Rush timeline Tri-disaster is not clipped under buffs and is saved to be used during the DoT refresh towards the tail end of the Bahamut window of the opener.

Clipping TriD In The 120s Opener

In the majority of situations when using the 2 minute cycle opener and timings, the Tri-disaster reset should be used to clip & snapshot our DoTs into the full suite of raid buffs not only for the tremendous initial gains in the opener but also to set a consistent timeline with our DoTs in relation to future raid buff timings, where every minute we will have a Tri-disaster under buffs.

Only in specific circumstances, such as e3s (Leviathan), should you consider otherwise in order to reduce potency losses with regards to downtime, especially if you can skip a hardcast DoT set.

As an example to show how important the damage difference is for DoTs, consider this before & after comparison from before 5.10 with no DoTs then the addition of Chain Stratagem, Battle Litany, Trick Attack (at 10%), Bole, Divination, Technical Finish, Dragon Sight, our own Devotion & a Grade 2 Tincture:

As of 5.30 Tri-disaster has 150p on hit damage, further emphasising the importance of catching what is effectively a 1050 potency OGCD under raid synergy which is Summoner’s highest total potency from a single action.

1st GCD: ED -> TriD (120s)

Having Energy Drain as the first weaved OGCD is to ensure suitable alignment down the line for future recast timings in particular those during Demi-Summons.

While there is a small chance of losing a DoT tick initially, the odds of this are low enough to not require Tri-disaster first.

3rd GCD: Aetherpact -> DWT (120s)

Aetherpact in the early weave slot is to ensure a proper 3rd GCD Devotion timing. This will keep Devotion on a timeline in concert with other 15s raid buffs such as Chain Stratagem, Technical Step & Trick Attack, while maintaining alignment that is best for most raid compositions.

4th GCD: Early Lucid Dreaming (Both)

Lucid Dreaming is not required for potency nor MP sake, however, having it as an early weave ensures the timing of the subsequent Enkindle to be a late weave for raid buffs as mentioned above.

If you find yourself prone to clipping on double weaves, you can omit the Lucid Dreaming & time the late Enkindle weave manually.

4th GCD: Late Enkindle (Both)

It is better to late weave Enkindle in the 4th GCD to ensure consistency with snapshotting specific raid buffs that may be cast late such as DNC’s Devilment & AST’s Divination.

6th GCD Summon Bahamut (Both)

The 6th GCD Summon Bahamut timing is to ensure pet actions resolve and do not ghost.

Ruin IV after the 1st Akh Morn (Both)

By replacing a Ruin III with Ruin IV this optimises a 100 potency base gain into raid buffs (300p vs 200p).

This does require a SwiftcastRuin III at the tail end of the Demi-Summon rotation. If in progression you find yourself needing to save Swiftcast for the first minute of an encouter, instead hardcast Ruin III & save the last Further Ruin stack for the last instant GCD in the Bahamut window.

If movement in an encounter requires an instant GCD to replace a hardcast at a different timing you can shuffle the GCDs to a degree, however, be mindful as to how this can impact Wyrmwave timings.

Also keep in mind that one big goal is to reduce unnecessary Ruin II casts. Consider what sequence lets you achieve that given the situation unfolding.

Due to the instability of the opener in practice and how prone it is to ghosting for players across all regions it has since been shelved.

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully these openers provide a framework to think about when certain approaches are the more sensible choice for dealing DPS.

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As with any encounter, think about how your cooldowns play out as a fight progresses.