Linker 1 is mostly PvP linker, you can do fine in PvE but people prefer higher ranks of Linker instead of you generaly, as more ranks on that, when MM gets balanced, won’t help you as much since you rarely get to aim more than 5 targets ad TBL.
The thing is ranks of linker are pretty good to be honest, it’s futureproof because it adds damage to your whole party, considering only Elememes can hit that many mobs.
Wiz 3 > Linker 3 > Warlock 2. Best PvE combination possible probably.
Wiz 3 > Linker 2 > Necro 1/3 > Warlock 0/2. Solo PvE build. Necro is the best 1 rank filler if you are not taking Linker to it’s 3rd circle. Remember Flesh Cannon has a fixed cost, don’t know but its 250~500 silver. Necro 3 can have good damage output but you are still mostly useful because of Linker 2 at rank 8.
Wiz 3 > Linker 1 > Sorcerer 2 > Warlock. Sorcerer 2 adds a flat DPS modifier amount to your damage, it gets very high if you have a full INT build in mind and mostly no costs since everyone has to spam SP potions from a certain point on. Considering agains 1vs1 stationary target he can do ~66% the DPS of a Frost Cloud, and even using crazy matq values on my calculations it never dropped below 60%.
In meta game you have a limited number of spells you can cast, if I do only Ride, Theurge, Familiars, JP, HK , QC, MM, Sleep, PoA, Mastema, I can already have a mostly unstopabble rotation. That is the point where Temple Shooter becomes good, he will be your DPS add when you can only improve your rotation by TRADING spells.
What I mean is. Wiz 3 > Linker > Sorcerer 2 means you are taking 6 ranks taking mostly DPS “buffs”, this build, ET wise, will still rely on another Rank 2+ linker (generaly a Chrono 3 aswell) and on you playing good enough to make your party profit from both Linkers, which becomes sort of Hard with Pass.
Wiz 3 = quickcast = +50% magical damage.
Linker 1 = 50 single-target hits x500~600% agains 5~6 pack of mobs every 22 seconds. Remember base attacks are growing quickly, anyone can do 10k+ hits now.
Sorcerer 2 =
Summoning = DPS addup = (~1600 + (2~3 atq/level) + (7 atq/STR points, low on TS) + (4 x INT)) * 112,5%. % comes from 25% chance to crit for +50% crit damage.
Familiars = +10 hits to any spells, auto-aim, chance to do AoE, works with warlock dark % attribute, quickcast and his owns attribute for very high multiplier. More than 1k base damage/bat.
Servant = +5 AoE attack ratio to party (pretty good for Sman and Archer, which is sort of the Rank 8 trend), other 4 buffs for free points that don’t take buff slots.
Salamion = 10% to proc burn and blind every 2 seconds and ~1,5k damage every 2 seconds, burn damage on full INT build is good.
The point is, if you want support buffs, Linker 3, if you want DPS buffs, Linker 1 > Sorcerer 2 and, if you want to have flesh cannon, Linker 2 > Necro 1 > Warlock.