Style Choice: Superior Summoning or Evolved Summon Monster?

[The Chort]

Let's say you're a 2nd level Summoner with Augment Summoning. You're about to hit level 3 and you're looking to take one of two feats: Superior Summoning or Evolved Summon Monster. Which do you take?

If I had to guess, Superior Summoning is more powerful. d3+1 14 Str Eagles vs a 20 Str Horse with either a bite attack or the mount evolution to make his hooves primary attacks. But more than raw power, I imagine sticking with 1 summon is less of a headache for the rest of the table. On the other hand, I do have a rogue in the party who appreciates all the flanking he can get.

So which would you choose, and why?

Rules Question:

Has Paizo made an official ruling on which evolutions you can take with Evolved Summon Monster? I've seen people mention you can't take mount because the monster isn't a quadruped eidolon or you can't take claws since it doesn't have the limbs evolution. Honestly, I find that that dubious. I think my GM would readily allow me to apply claws to a wolf or whatever seems anatomically reasonable.

[Just a Mort]

Superior summons as evolved summons has been nerfed. No reach or pounce evos can now be added. Furthermore, evolved summons only adds 1 evo point, ability score improvement costs 2 evo points. So no 20 str horses.

[The Chort]

Just a Mort wrote:

Superior summons as evolved summons has been nerfed. No reach or pounce evos can now be added. Furthermore, evolved summons only adds 1 evo point, ability score improvement costs 2 evo points. So no 20 str horses.

Right, it was officially changed to exclude pounce or reach. How about mount or claws? Actually, given they had to specifically spell out that you are forbidden to take pounce lends credence to the idea that you're allowed to take mount even though it's "only available to eidolons of the quadruped or serpentine base forms" You could make the same case for claws.

A horse naturally has 16 Str, so augment summoning will bring it up to 20 Str. Although I wonder if Earth Elemental is simply the better summon?

[The Chort]

I'd say Pounce and Reach are almost trap evolutions anyway. You tend to just summon the monster next to its target anyway. Evolved summon monster can do some cool things, look at a horse with augment summoning:

2 attacks: +0/+0 to hit, d4+2* damage

Now let's add in Evolved Summon Monster. Either:

Bite: Add a 3rd attack. +5 to hit, d8+5* damage

or

Mount: Hooves improve. +5/+5 to hit, d4+5* damage

*Didn't include smite damage

[Just a Mort]

Mount is pretty good, but wait till you get earth elementals. You'll summon em, never look back.

+7 to hit, 1d6+8 dmg, assuming earth mastery. Most creatures come with a bite attack already. Or you don't want the bite because it prevents them from 1.5 str dmg on their slam.

[The Chort]

Just a Mort wrote:

Mount is pretty good, but wait till you get earth elementals. You'll summon em, never look back.

+7 to hit, 1d6+8 dmg, assuming earth mastery. Most creatures come with a bite attack already. Or you don't want the bite because it prevents them from 1.5 str dmg on their slam.

Actually, there's this clause: "Evolutions that grant additional attacks or enhance existing attacks can be applied only to Medium or larger summoned creatures." So you can't. And as you say, you wouldn't want to anyway. The earth elemental can also do +6 to hit, 1d6+11 dmg, if power attacking.