[FFXIV] Pet Nuances and Explanations of Why They Do What They Do

So, I'm one of the few people who know the nuances of pets and how they work. So I'm going to give this information here in case any Scholars, Summoners or (hopefully not due to a pet rework) Beastmasters need it. But before we get into the... terror that awaits us, there are some things you just have to understand with pets:

1. Pets are not smart.
2. If a pet has to follow you, it's not optimal. (There are exceptions to this rule, but they're very niche.)
3. Summoned Pets (Fairies/Summoner pets) cannot be slain anymore, and are not affected by [most] debuffs.
4. Summoned Pets (Fairies/Summoner pets) copy your buffs. (If a rework happens and this doesn't happen, know that SCH/SMN pets will still get your buff bonuses unless they account for this with the rework.)
5. Most of the nuances with pets, including the points above haven't changed since pets were introduced in Closed Beta Phase 3 of A Realm Reborn with the addition of Arcanist, Summoner and Scholar. Don't expect any changes until Beastmaster's release at the earliest. Most of the issues with summoned pets, also apply to Chocobo Companions and Squadron NPCs.

Okay, you got all of that? Good. Lyon, Take the Wheel!

As a Scholar, your fairy summoned pet is probably the most fickle of all of the summoned pets in the game currently, with the exception of Chocobo Companions. When your fairy has to move, as stated before, they will usually prioritize moving before any other action. It is best to place the fairy in the middle of the arena if possible. Most summoned pets can ignore pitfalls, so do not worry if part of the arena is removed where your fairy is summoned. Just know you cannot place a fairy on empty space, even if there was a platform there before. In addition, fairies will prioritize their current action until it is complete, even if they have to move out of their placed spot. For instance, when you place the scholar fairy in the middle of the Garuda arena, before the pillars are destroyed, the fairy will have to move to heal anyone not in the line of sight of her in relation to the pillars. But, she also has to move back to her placed spot once she finishes that action. The majority of this nuance was mitigated by making fairy heals instant-cast however, so she can heal while moving, but she has to stop moving briefly. It should also be noted that a Fairy's Embrace has a maximum distance of 15 yalms, despite the old pet action stating that it was 20 or more yalms like other heals in the game. This is because the fairy's AI doesn't compute past 15 yalms. However, if a fairy moves to a new location as mentioned in the garuda scenario, the fairy's computing circle moves with her, so she will also attempt to heal anyone in her new spot too before fully heading back.

As a Summoner, your pets are slightly less fickle than they used to be. They still have an issue they've always had however, and that's an issue most enemies have as well: AoE readiness. When your summoned pet travels to an enemy, if it does a self-circle AoE, like Titan-Egi's, it will use the AoE the moment that the AoE is within range of the targeted enemy. This means, instead of casting your Summon at the enemy in the middle of the pack, you should cast your summon at the enemy farthest in the pack in relation to your current location. This way, your titan-egi (or carbuncle) will end up in the middle of the group to do their self-circle. This does NOT apply to the level 90 summons (EG: Topaz Titan II.) As they all do their attacks similar to the Garuda Placed AoE (on the target) from before the rework. So while doing content that allows you to be 90 or above, you don't need to worry about not having to target the middle enemy in the pack.

For Chocobo Companions and Squadron NPCs, the aforementioned nuances/mechanics/etc. all apply to them too. However, it should be noted, their AI computes differently to that of summoned pets. They will choose to heal you if you're under a specific HP range, but won't always do it if they are in the middle of a combo/etc. You can force your chocobo to only heal by changing them to Healer stance, which is ideal for anyone who solos non-group FATE Bosses such as "Roc of Ages." Also note that Choco Medica is not a good heal. So if you don't want the healer barding for your chocobo, it's recommended to not get the action, as it can prioritize it over the more powerful Choco Cure if more than one party member falls below the healing threshold.