One of the reasons the turn-based combat never gets old while playing Metaphor: ReFantazio is a fantastic archetype system. What sets the prototype system apart from other JRPG job systems is the ability to use a variety of classes.
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Adding Eupha to your party unlocks the summoner archetype lineage, and sets her apart from most other archetypes by prompting you to unlock more summons through special experiments with More rather than leveling up to unlock new abilities . However, not all pets are created equal. So what should you unlock first?
7
Summon Kissin
archetype abilities
One of the main strengths of party members using the Summoner archetype bloodline is the wide variety of types of magic damage they can inflict. Of course, this also includes electrical damage. If you have the Devil Summoner archetype, you can use the Kishin Summon ability to deal massive amounts of Electric Magic damage.
This ability summons Thor, a recurring character in the Shin Megami Tensei series and its spin-offs, and deals 2-4 moderate Electric damage to a single target. This is a good way to deal damage to a single enemy that is vulnerable to Electricity, but its only weakness is a bit of luck, and the difference between 2 and 4 is quite significant.
6
Summon Undead King
archetype abilities
One of the reasons Summoners are so useful is that they have access to damage types that are relatively rare considering what's available in the archetype tree, and one of the more difficult to access types is Shadow magic damage.
Unlocking Summon Undead King gives you access to this extremely rare damage type, and its serious damage output is perfect for taking out enemies with high HP. This ability has the potential to kill a target in one hit, but is generally ineffective against bosses. However, for standard enemies, this can save you time and help you get the sanity bonus.
5
Summon Rage
synthesis ability
If you want access to the most powerful Summoner attacks, you'll want to keep an eye on what synthesis skills are available. This is especially true if you have turn icons to spare. The selection of synthesis skills for summoners is small, but they are quite versatile.
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For example, the Fury Summon ability deals extreme striking magic damage to all enemies on the field and grants attack and defense debuffs for 3 turns. This will generally be an effective attack worthy of its MP and turn cost. But make sure none of the enemies on the field resist your attacks. Because this is a surprisingly common occurrence late in the game.
4
Summon a Fairy (Revised)
archetype abilities
Summoner Archetypes If a user puts a lot of active effort into building a pool of accessible summons, they can develop summons labeled Crystal Summons, which are augmented versions of previously unlocked summons.
One of the most effective crystal summons is the Crystal Summon fairy ability. This deals heavy ice damage to all enemies on the field and inflicts Frostbite, one of the most debilitating status ailments as it reduces damage.
3
Summon God of Harvest
archetype abilities
It's easy for a summoner to focus on whatever damage-dealing abilities they have access to. Because it's easy to make them one of the strongest party members on your team. However, sometimes this type can also be very useful in healing.
Although it is expensive, Summoning a Harvest God can completely change the tide of a battle. Even if your summoner is not fully formed, switching into combat to use this ability will fully revive all fallen party members with full HP. So if you're happy to keep Summoner in reserve, this is one ability you can invest in.
2
Summon Tyrant
synthesis ability
Perhaps most utilized alongside your summoner, Summon Tyrant, the Synthesis ability will almost always be an effective option, and it's well worth sacrificing turns and MP to do it.
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When Beelzebub is summoned, it inflicts tremendous all-round damage to all enemies on the field, and has a chance to trigger the Hex status ailment. It is nearly impossible for enemies to resist such massive damage. Hex causes enemies to take damage whenever they deal damage and makes them more vulnerable to Shadow damage.
1
Summon the Dragon God (Revised)
archetype abilities
Summon the Dragon God is one of the first abilities available to summoners, but it's one of those summons you'll definitely want to work on to upgrade to its modified form.
The modified Dragon God inflicts extreme fire damage to all enemies on the field and reduces their attack power and defense for 3 turns. Aside from its fantastic damage output, this is a great way to soften up bosses or common enemies at the start of a fight to help the rest of the fight go in your favor.