In the 1.4.0 version of Terraria, the path of being Summoner Class really makes me think about the game differently. 
Knowing that the 1.4.1 update is just around the corner & a few tweaks & updates to the Class are bound to happen, I wanted to explore much of what we got with the current state of the game, so we can perhaps compare it to the even newer version once it finally releases.
It's important for me to note the fact that I'm already extremely happy with the Summoner Class in its current state, though some of the changes being made to the Class, that we are all likely aware of by now, I'm not against in the least. Making certain items & equipment for the Summoner available sooner was never something I'd be against, as breaking progression sequence can be fun sometimes, though making an item such as the Pygmy Necklace, a pre-Hardmode option, isn't exactly the same thing. In my eyes, it's no different an item bonus than crafting a Summoner Potion or grabbing a Bewitching Table, it's pretty inconsequential if you'd as me. That being the case, the move from the item being locked behind Hardmode, only makes sense & it's an ever-so-slight power boost that'll be very much appreciated. Everybody wins!
I'm comfortable having this discussion now, only because it's been made very clear that the changes we've seen so far in the 1.4.0 update, won't be adjusted too dramatically. I was deeply concerned about Summoner Class losing it's identity & it's unique design, because of many, overwhelmingly poor suggestions made by the community. I'm very happy that the developers listen to our criticism & feedback, but that can sometimes be a double-edged sword. I've watched a few games I love spiral out-of-control, only because the developers spent more time pandering to the loud, opinionated voices in the community & less time deciding on their own, what was best for the health of the game. I love Terraria, it's my favorite game of all time now & I would've hated to see that very same thing happen here.
Sometimes identity is much more important than ease-of-access, it's important to keep this in mind; when a game is designed well so that some secrets or spikes in difficulty are understandable or reasonable. Summoner for example has every right to be obscure in my opinion, because it's certainly not the only game in town. I don't need to go down the obvious list of choice a player has to play this game, but I will say that going off the beaten path is a nice change of pace. Nearly everything about the Summoner Class screams unique & I wouldn't change that for anything! Here's an example of my summarized experience in 1.4.0, with the idea that I know nothing about this game, except for what I do know.
- I wasn't looking for a Finch Staff, but now I know that they grow on trees, no wait, they actually spawn underneath them; well that's different! I've never made Giant World Trees a priority in any play-through I've ever done in Terraria. This is a small, but welcomed change in my book.
- What I did know about, were Summoner Potions, & since a starting Minion is possible (outside of slime Staff), making a mad dash for the Underground Jungle, right from the start makes much more sense. Everything you need is there, from the bait, to the fishing spots. You no longer need the Merchant to start fishing right away, because of the Can-o-Worms item!
- Now you've got two Minions & this wasn't a thing before, even if you gave yourself a Slime Staff as a starter weapon in 1.3.5! You absolutely had to unlock the Merchant NPC to start fishing, so Minion progression was locked behind the Dungeon, Queen Bee or coins .
- The addition of the Whips is obvious & there's much debate about them as Main Weapons; here's my personal take on them. "They can be skipped entirely...", as in my own play-through, I didn't really give them much attention aside from experimenting. It felt normal & organic to use them in closed spaces, when I was swarmed by enemies, or in certain instances I could cheese enemies, or enemies would hide within cave/ Dungeon walls. I wrote them off as Utility Weapons, but never Main Weapons. Intentional or not by the developers, they were a cool addition to the game, but far from essential. Either way, the Zoologist plays her role in that small aspect.
- Though this isn't exclusive to Summoner, I immediately start fishing for better items & loot the moment I have access to better fishing bait, as we all know, doing non-combative tasks as Summoner Class is pretty simple. Standard stuff if I must say, but I get pretty decent, Class Neutral items that make exploring 10x easier (Spelunker Potions, Sailfish Boots, Tsunami in a Bottle, Reaver Shark, Extractinator, etc).
- At this point I was powerful enough to just do a LOT of exploring, so I wasn't very worried~ much about Summoner being stronger, but I did make a mental note of all the Spider Caves I'd explored, mostly in the Tundra Biome, since they're the easiest to find. More examples of the lil' things I did know...
- Everything up after this point was pretty standard, kill the Queen Bee or kill Skeletron. I don't recall which I did first, but the Bewitching Table & Bee Armor are obvious upgrades that'll carry you all-the-way into Hardmode. In 1.4.1, the Bee Items will be greatly improved & Beenades didn't seem to bee... on the list of things to nerf. Everyone pretty much agrees that Summoner is fine once we get here, but there are a few complaints about Whips that are likely to be addressed. Let's also not forget that Pygmy Necklace is gonna be a thing...
That was pretty much my experience, if I was to focus on what I know now, compared to me just taking the game at face value. I didn't see any gaps in the Summoner Classes' progression whatsoever. Even with the under-powered Bee Items help, with the Hive Pack equipped, the Minions were doing amazing work. I can only imagine what it'll be like in 1.4.1. I obtained the Vampire Frog Staff using Bee Tools & defeated the Old One's Army the same way, easily. I was even able to survive Hardmode with Bee Tools up until the World Corruption started getting out of control, then swapped to Spider Gear (Master Mode).
I'm saying all of this to explain how different Summoner is from every other Class, & this is just how I progressed without really thinking too hard about it. This progression path is quite unique & I don't want it to be diluted, or merge into the same progression paths as other Classes. No crafting, no swapping stuff to other places, no swapping stuff to other Enemy Types... NO!
- I like that Spider Caves are an essential part of Summoner progression.
- I like that fishing is yet another option for unique Summoner Gear & special enemies, that can be totally skipped.
- I like that Enchanted Sword is a target enemy for Summoner, that is typically ignored by other Classes.
- I like that Holiday Events are completely optional, but are something most Summoners will likely participate in.
- I like that Summoner can essential skip mining for ores altogether, which is mostly unique to its Class.
- I like that most Invasion Events can be completely skipped with Summoner's progression path, until late Hardmode.
These are just some of the small details that make Summoner unique, that I can think of without too much digging or Wiki browsing. I'm glad that it's not going to change much in 1.4.1. 
