First of all, I wanna say that most of my practical experience is pre-Assassin update. I used to play as a Summoner as my main character on the Blackbird server. Right now, I started a new Alt Spectral Master, but since he's still pretty low level (around 85), I don't wanna give my opinion on the practical side post-Assassin update yet. However, I've been really interested in the update since the first rumors on Korean servers and I've been researching, reading material, watching videos... So, here are the answers:
I was playing with an Arcana Lord and he was a great damage dealer, we shared similar damage output. However, due to his modus operandi, he would attract mobs during PvE. Even though he wasn't a tank, the mobs hardly turned their attention towards me once we started attacking. The same happened with the Spectral Master, whether I was using Nightshade or Spectral Lord. Of course, with their respective proportions and intrinsic characteristics, each Summon had different damage output, performance, and behaviors.
First, I built a fighter/melee build with Arcana Lord, but later I switched to a Mage build. I made sure to test both and found that the Mage build was more effective. With Spectral Master, I went straight for a Mage build based on my experience with Arcana Lord and research, and stuck with it.
Before the Assassin update, I played with 2 Summoner classes: Arcana Lord and Spectral Master. I started with Arcana Lord but due to some issues, I switched to Spectral Master.
We have come to the point that I would like to address and that there would be an exchange of ideas, opinions, a healthy dialogue. I changed classes from Arcana Lord to Spectral Master due to a few factors:
1) The defenses of the Summon, whether they were M.Def or P.Def, were very low already in PvE 85+ and in PvP the Summon hardly withstood 2 hits from an opponent of equal level;
2) The Summon's attack in PvE was proportional to mine, and together we were very effective in that situation. But when it came to PvP, it dropped drastically. When I switched to Spectral Master, I started using Nightshade more, and due to its characteristics and the prediction of the damage that would be inflicted, I left it more as an assistant, meaning that in terms of damage, it became irrelevant;
I'd like to make it clear once again that my goal, whether in-game or here on the forum with my comments and private messages, has always been to help. I've always enjoyed conversing and Lineage 2 has always been an opportunity to exchange ideas, experiences, and knowledge. That's why I've always enjoyed forums, and with the release of the new Guardian server and update, I encounter new players every day, both in the game and in the version. And the part of the game I enjoy the most is conversation, exchanging ideas, and helping out. Whenever I see a message in the all-chat asking for help or tips, I make an effort to respond and help. I don't expect anything in return, never have. I hope G11 can reconsider and, if possible, give us their opinion on Summoners after the Assassin update. I would sincerely appreciate it.