Summoner/Fighter
DPS build for PSO2

The Best PSO2 Builds by Odealo

1. Introduction

Summoner is the Pet Class of Phantasy Star Online 2, and a very strong one at that (Pet Classes are famously hard to balance in MMOs, especially for PvE, and summoner is no different; he can breeze through content other Classes struggle with). Thanks to a plethora of different Pets he can choose from, Summoner is very versatile and fun to play, but also quite hard to master (although, entry-level for this class is rather low, so it's great for beginners as well). Summoner's Pets deal very high damage and there is a Pet for pretty much any combat situation (melee single-target DPS, AoE DPS, Long-Range support, Tanking, Ranged DPS, you name it). Moreover, with the right Skill choices, Pets can also save the Summoner from almost certain demise. To balance this, Pets also require a lot of work; they require a lot of set up, have to be leveled, and fed with special Candies that are often difficult to obtain, all of this makes Summoner very time-consuming to optimize. Overall, Summoner is one of the strongest, forgiving, and fun-to-play classes in PSO2. 

The Sub Class of choice for our Summoner build is the Fighter, as he currently provides the highest offensive power boost. Thanks to this combination, our Summoner/Fighter build performs very well as a Damage dealer in both Solo and group play, which makes it very flexible and enjoyable to play. Thanks to its solid defenses, it is also very forgiving and beginner-friendly, which does not mean that veterans will find it boring, mind you. 

Important note:  This build idea adopts a lot from the JP version of the game and might be slightly reworked as we get to do more thorough testing for the PC version. Nevertheless, it will provide a very solid base for beginners who want to delve down the path of the Summoner, and help you understand the basic playstyle and principles of the Class. 

You can also check other PSO2 Builds created by our team right here: Best PSO2 Builds

2. General Information and playstyle

The Summoner has the ability to control powerful Pets that aid him in combat. He works in tandem with them which turns every fight, Summoner gets involved in, into 2v1 and makes soloing content surprisingly easy. Thanks to the fact that Pets take care of the frontal assault, Summoner is able to avoid incoming damage by simply staying away from melee combat. He also has access to strong defensive abilities and his pets bolster his defenses as well; they can even save Summoner in back-to-the-wall situations. On top of that, there is a pet for almost every combat situation, which makes Summoner one of the most flexible damage dealers in the game. 

3. Build's PROS & CONS

4. Skill Trees

Our recommended setup was made for a level 75 Characters (the current cap on the English/North American server) with the Summoner main class and Fighter sub-class. For the Summoner's side of things, we have chosen Skills that are focused around maximizing Pet's damage output without forgoing essential defenses like Dia Master. Fighter Skill Tree was used to supplement the build's already high damage output with even more offensive power, which results in a truly deadly yet sturdy Skill setup. The complete Skill Trees look as follows: 

MAIN CLASS: SUMMONER
Core Summoner Skills:
	Dia Master - Damage that would otherwise incapacitate you will be taken by your Pet instead, moreover, you will be invulnerable for 6 seconds after the effect triggers (when maxed out). Extremely powerful life-saving ability and one of the main reasons why Summoner is a very forgiving class; with this, you will survive grievous mistakes.
	Alter Ego - Your Pet deals 20% more Damage for 60 seconds, however, you receive 80% of Damage suffered by your pet (in addition, no instead, mind you). Very powerful offensive Cooldown, especially while in groups when your Pet is less likely to be focused by enemies.
	Assist Share - When you switch pets, the Pet that is called back will pass his active buffs (Pet Sympathy, Deband, Shifta, etc.) to the Pet that replaces it. This skill makes switching Pets much more convenient and efficient, and it costs just 1 Skill Point.
	Pet Switch Strike - With this, all your Pet's attacks will be carried out with Melee Power, which greatly synergizes with your Fighter Subclass.
	Summoner's Mark - Gives you the ability to mark your Targets; Marked Targets receive 15% increased Damage from you and your Pet. We use 8/10 here, as the only difference between 8, 9, and 10 is the Cooldown (if something dies within 5 seconds, it is not worth it to mark it anyway, so 5s Cooldown provided by 10/10 here is hard to justify).
	Pet Sympathy - When you respond to your Pet's Resta or Shifta requests, your Pet's Damage and HP Recovery will receive a boost for 90 seconds (double HP Recovery Rate and 20% extra Attack Potency).
Sub CLASS: FIGHTER
Core Fighter Skills:
	Melee Power Up (1, 2 & 3) - These three Skills provide a substantial DPS boost, as not only they affect your Pet thanks to Pet Switch Strike, but also scale with buffs like Shifta.
	Valiant Stance - Increases Damage your Pet Deals to an enemy from the front. This stance is active by default.
	Wise Stance - Increases Damage your Pet Deals to an enemy from the back. Switch to this stance if the enemy has a rear weak spot.
	Adrenaline - Gives your Deband and Shifta buffs an additional 30 seconds duration. They are still capped at 60 seconds, but the bonus means that you can refresh them to their full duration without fully charging them. For just 1 Skill Point this is extremely good.

5. Recommended Gear

LEFT RING
Leaping Dodge (L)	Gives you access to the Leaping Dodge Skill that allows you to gain verticality, which makes locking on weak spots and selecting priority targets much easier. You are also immune to damage during the Leap, so this doubles as a defensive measure.
Defense Techniques (L)	This ring affects your Blind Escape by shortening its travel distance and making the animation faster. This allows you to dodge enemy attacks more quickly and reposition faster.
Nearby Auto Target (L)	Makes your pets automatically attack nearby enemies. Very handy for when you lose control over your Pets (while knocked down, for example). Please note that this ring's effect does not change with its level, so leveling it up is not mandatory.
RIGHT RING
Precision Hit PP Gain (R)	Your Active PP restoration is increased by 20% while you are attacking the enemy's weak point. This ring comes in handy when you are in dire need for more PP; good to have, but not mandatory.
PP Conversion (R)	Gives you access to the PP Conversion Skill. Using the skill will increase your natural PP regeneration rate and reduce your max HP by 30% for 20 seconds. It has 90 seconds Cooldown. This Ring will allow you to restore your PP quickly when other options are not available/on cooldown.
Hunter Physique (R)	Gives you access to the Hunter Physique Skill. When activated, the Skill reduces your Damage taken by 10% and makes you immune to knockdown effects for 25 seconds. It has 60 seconds Cooldown. A very solid defensive ring that makes you immune to one of the most annoying forms of Crowd Control used by bosses.
UNITS
++ Ray Set	Ray set will provide you with the highest boost to both PP and Melee Attack, which makes it an optimal choice, however, any other set with high ATK and PP bonuses will also work.
MAG
Melee Attack	Thanks to the Pet Switch Strike Skill, this build relies purely on Melee Attacks so you need to use the S-ATK/Melee Attack Type Mag and evolve it accordingly.

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