[PF] Which summons are the best?

[AttilaTheGeek]

Title says it all. I've only ever played blasty casters in the past, so with my Sorcerer (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=494440) I'm looking for a more control/debuff theme with summons. I have spare spells known slots up to level 8- which ones should I take?

[Arbane]

All the Summon Monster spells from III on up are good, but a Sorcerer would probably want to skip every other one or even all but each third, to save on precious spells known.

[doko239]

For my part, this is how I see it:

SMI: Riding Dog
SMII: Small Elemental
SMIII: Aurochs or Wolverine
SMIV: Medium Elemental
SMV: Large Elemental or Ankylosaurus
SMVI: Huge Elemental or Succubus
SMVII: Greater Elemental, Roc, Tyrannosaur
SMVIII: Elder Elemental
SMIX: Nalfeshnee, Trumpet Archon, Ghaele Azata

Edit: Misread the OP. I'd say don't bother with SMI or SMIII, but I'm a big fan of summoning Air Elementals, so that might be bias. All the others are worth it in their own ways, but especially take SMVI; Succubi's spell-like abilities are nuts.

[Karoht]

Here's a full listing of all the SLA's that summons get, past SMIII


SMIII
Dretch (CL 2); (SLA) 1/day cause fear (DC 11), stinking cloud (DC 13).
Lantern Archon (CL 3); (SLA) At Will aid, detect evil.

SMIV
Hound Archon (CL 6); (SLA) Constant detect evil, magic circle against evil At Will aid, message.
Mephit (all SLA CL 6); Air blur 1/hour, gust of wind 1/day. Dust blur 1/hour, wind wall 1/day. Earth soften earth and stone 1/day. Fire scorching ray 1/hour heat metal 1/day (DC 14). Ice magic missile 1/hour, chill metal 1/day (DC 14). Lightning shocking grasp 1/hour lightning bolt 1/day. Magma pyrotechnics 1/day. Ooze acid arrow 1/hour, stinking cloud 1/day (DC 15). Salt glitterdust 1/hour. Smoke blur 1/hour, ember storm 1/day. Steam blur 1/hour. Water acid arrow 1/hour, stinking cloud 1/day (DC 15).

SMV
Babau (CL 7); (SLA) Constant see invisibility At will darkness, dispel magic.
Bralani (CL 6); (SLA) At Will blur, charm person (DC 13), gust of wind (DC 14), wind wall 2/day lightning bolt (DC 15), cure serious wounds.

SMVI
Erinyes (The Furies) (CL 12); (SLA) At will fear (single target, DC 19), minor image (DC 17), unholy blight (DC 19).
Lillend (CL 7); (SLA) 3/day darkness, hallucinatory terrain (DC 18), knock, light
1/day charm person (DC 15), speak with animals, speak with plants; Spells 3rd (2/day) charm monster (DC 17), cure serious wounds 2nd (4/day) hold person (DC 16), invisibility, sound burst (DC 16), suggestion 1st (5/day) charm person (DC 15), cure light wounds, identify, sleep (DC 15)
0 (at will) dancing lights, daze (DC 14), detect magic, lullaby (DC 14), mage hand, read magic (DC 16)
Shadow Demon (CL 10); (SLA) At will deeper darkness, fear (DC 18), telekinesis (DC 19) 3/day shadow conjuration (DC 18), shadow evocation (DC 19) 1/day magic jar (DC 19).
Succubus (CL 12); (SLA) Constant detect good, tongues At will charm monster (DC 22), detect thoughts (DC 20), suggestion (DC 21), vampiric touch 1/day dominate person (DC 23).

SMVII
Bone Devil (Osyluth) (CL 12); (SLA) At will dimensional anchor, major image (DC 17), wall of ice.
Vrock (CL 12); (SLA) At will telekinesis (DC 18) 1/day heroism.

SM VIII
Barbed Devil (Hamatula) (SLA CL 12); At will hold person (DC 17), major image (DC 17), produce flame, pyrotechnics (DC 16), scorching ray (2 rays only) 1/day order's wrath (DC 18), unholy blight (DC 18).
Hezrou (SLA CL 13); At will chaos hammer (DC 18), unholy blight (DC 18) 3/day gaseous form 1/day blasphemy (DC 21).

SMIX
Astral Deva (SLA CL 13); At Will aid, detect evil, discern lies (DC 20), dispel evil (DC 21), dispel magic, holy aura (DC 24), holy smite (DC 20), holy word (DC 23), remove curse, remove disease, remove fear 7/day cure light wounds, see invisibility 1/day blade barrier (DC 22), heal.
Ghaele (CL 13); SLA Constant detect evil, holy aura (DC 21), see invisibility
At will aid, charm monster (DC 17), cure light wounds, dancing lights, detect thoughts (DC 15), disguise self, dispel magic, hold monster (DC 18), greater invisibility (self only), major image (DC 16) 3/day globe of invulnerability 1/day chain lightning (DC 19), prismatic spray (DC 20), wall of force. Spells 7th holy word (DC 21) 6th banishment (DC 20), heal (DC 20) 5th flame strike (DC 19) 4th death ward, dismissal (2) (DC 18), divine power, restoration 3rd cure serious wounds (3), searing light (2) 2nd aid, align weapon, bear's endurance, lesser restoration (2) 1st bless, command (DC 15), divine favor, obscuring mist, shield of faith
0 (at will) detect magic, purify food and drink, stabilize, virtue.
Glabrezu (SLA CL 14); At will chaos hammer (DC 19), confusion (DC 19), dispel magic, mirror image, reverse gravity (DC 22), veil (self only), unholy blight 1/day power word stun.
Ice Devil (Gelugon) (SLA CL 13); At will cone of cold (DC 20), ice storm, persistent image (DC 20), wall of ice (DC 19).
Nalfeshnee (SLA 12); Constant unholy aura (DC 23) At will call lightning (DC 18), feeblemind (DC 20), greater dispel magic, slow (DC 18).