Tonic & Summoning Stone Discussion

Tonics are a somewhat new addition to the game and are pretty popular, especially everlasting ones. Summoning stones may not be as popular but they can be beneficial in battle.

This thread is to discuss your favorite/least favorite tonics (like what's the msot fun/stupid, etc.) as well as the best summoning stones (like what was the best thing you got from a mysterious summoning stone, either by skills or looks), etc.

Basically share your thoughts on any tonic and summoning stone in the game.

First off, I'll say that I really enjoy the tonics. Among my favorite things to turn into are the baby black moa, rainbow phoenix, saltspray dragon, and ooze. I find it irritating when I turn into something I've had 50 tonics of (Grentch, snowman, and candy corn). I don't care much for the golem or yeti either because I see so many of them.

Summoning stones, I don't see the point in summoning a Grentch or snowman; they use snowball skills and die after about 5 minutes, 10 if you're lucky. I enjoy the ooze because its skills are pretty helpful, plus it looks cool. Same with the smoke phantom. I don't like the sin summoning stones because as soon as you attack they charge in, try to tank, and die instantly. Too bad the sins are awesome (raptor and rabbit). Gaki is pretty beneficial, but it looks funny (pot bellied goat in a thong rofl). Siege turtle = epic since it can obviously siege things. Kveldulf looks cool and it takes damage since it's a tank, so I enjoy it too.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Anyone else?

all stolen

i would like to be able to summon fire imp even at level 20.

I like both the Mysterious Tonic and the Mysterious Summoning Stone, because it's always a surprise what you turn into, or what ally you will get.

However, I'm a bit annoyed with the Saltspray Dragon that spawns from the Stones. They tend to block my view with their huge wings, and their wooshing sound gets interrupted over and over (therefore the sounds is restarting again, woosh, woosh, woosh....) because he doesn't travel at the same speed as you do. Thankfully, it gets killed quickly enough.

Hmm you know i never though of it really.

Me being a star wars fan though i really like the Golem Tunics and summoning stones.. but i barely use them honestly.. especialy the stones....But they just lie on my storage.. il use them when i get home from works then =)

Overall, I think both are a nice addition. Tonics are a fun and slightly silly way to sit around as a drunken, dancing ooze, which I fully support. Summoning stones are a nice little boost without being ridiculous, although I have found myself having trouble finding a situation in which they are worth using, one significant enough to be worth the cost of the stone, yet in which a single NPC will actually help enough.

I would like to see tonics get a bit more use, perhaps in a form that can go in explorable areas. It would be really nice to have a way to change combat animations and sometimes get a new look, something not quite as wild as the tonic forms, but still nifty.

For example, if you could get Disguises from different humanoid enemies, then take on the form of a Kurzick, an Outcast, a Kournan, a Jade brotherhood, etc. Make it a green item you can toggle on and off, one that isn't consumed when used, and it could be a fun change in the midst of adventuring.

both are pointless inventory fillers
source of lazy 'content' (recycled monster models)

Mercantile summoning stone is the best, hands down.

Merchant summoning stones are the best and perhaps the only one worth using in general PvE besides the Geki.
However, the mysterious summoning stone is fun just to use for kicks or if you're doing VSF as the perma and need a decoy to get all the centaurs off you.

I don't think I've ever used of either one.

The September tonic (The flying head) is absolutely ugly, I hate that one so much.

Summoning stones are not worth the trouble, either they die extremely fast in HM or when you zone at level one in the dungeon after 15 minutes they are gone.

Why spend 1k on something that lasts 1 minute in battle?

Aye... the Awakened Giant Head... looks dreadful.

Mysterious Tonics/Stones are just a bit of fun. I would never buy the Stones though, lets face it, some of them are lucky to survive 1 fight... i remember when we were doing FoW HM... i summoned a Black Beast of Aaaarrrgggghhh! An insanely big Beetle... it died in the first fight.

For tonics, my fav so far is the Saltspray Dragon and the Asura. What I do like about these mysterious tonics is that they seem to be a great talking point in some more populated towns and outposts. Plus, everyone loves surprises.

For the summoning stones, I really like them. I've been working on Guardian titles so they're a nice addition in some missions where time is a factor for bonus portions. My fav so far has been a raptor. It's nice to have one on MY side for once.

My only annoyance is my summoned creature disappears if a cut scene is played in a mission and I'm left with the summoning sickness.

Juggernaut and seige turtle are two of the best. One causes lots of AoE knock downs and the other gives energy regen

Why? I can see how they would have been quite nice pre-keg nerf, and I was in fact thinking of trying kegging again because of them. I found myself limited to ~45 minute keg runs, due to filling inventory with id'd golds to vendor...

However, most vanquishes/missions/elite zones/eotn dungeons/farming I've done, I've really had no need for a vendor (I salvage whites/blues into iron/dust/granite/scales).

weapons are usually worth more than the materials you salvage them from

I don't really care for tonics...I basically just use them for the party points :P.

I love summoning stones, on the other hand. They provide just a little bit more damage/serve as a better meat shield than a pet or a minion would. I've gotten like 7 0 mysterious summoners from Nicholas, but the best and most useful (in my eyes) I've gotten from them is the Black Beast of Argghhhhhhhh.

You gotta put a lot of effort into getting the Juggernaut killed. I watched him tank the Enduring Golem on lvl 2 of Oolas's Lab for the entire time I was running the matrix back and forth in HM. Also got him at the end of Ravens Point HM. The entire party wiped and he was still taking names. He was fighting the Plague of Destruction and 4 other destroyers and lasted 9 seconds! Epic.

I love both the mysterious tonics and summoning stones.

Most of the times though i turn into a white moa, and i summon bees. That annoys me >.<

yeah it feels like I get certain summons like moa all the time and others I've never gotten like black beast of arrrgrrgghh or preist of balthazar. is there a % chance for what form you get? perhaps we need to do some research

I find the merchant useful during my vanq's. Funny thing is it can actually fight...yesterday it took out a charr seer in HM and then right after i sold my useless junk to him.

Oh and on topic siege turtle is one of the best that comes from the stones. Nice AoE and the thing is huge