It's really only useful if you have another AST in your party, since the diurnal HoTs don't stack for whatever reason.
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AST is on the same level as WHM if not better. Anyone saying otherwise is misinformed or just has not played with a good AST. The problem lies in the fact that everyone is to familiar with WHM and due to the bad start from AST very few invested in the class and are already committed to WHM. There are plenty of us who have cleared A3S and a handful that have cleared A4S. You'll prob see a lot more of them in the next month or so.
We don't talk about Nocturnal Sect and comparing us to SCHs though...
AST is pretty unbalanced on level 50 on 60 it is after latest changes a good healer. I main sch but swap for roulette, alex and ex primals randomly between the 3. MP is still an issue without ewer if people derp mechanics... else I see only a DPS "lack" on AST as Gravity doesn't have the holy stun but thats a minor issue I see or rather don't really care for.
If I want pure heals I rather WHM, if I progressive raid something I rather SCH though.
Well with the recent changes the Heal as much or more than a WHM now. Their spells potency are exactly the same as WHM. AST got synastry which makes him heal even a bit more. So the only AST could envy from WHM is Assize (as a healer), but they offer a lot more in a support way with the cards. So in terms of Healing (not dmg) they can be better and even be a sorta SCH wannabe with Nocturnal. AST regens dont have exact same regen tick as WHM but their initial heal is high. Its just that people like to overuse Medica 2 to be lazy at healing.
I've healed A1S ans A2S with WHM and AST.
The AST has its moments. But the overall performance of WHM is still better.
Lets look at the 4 dolls in A2S.
Their cleaves hit very hard, every tank has 2 of them and they life long.
As WHM I start over, beside the cures, with regular HoTs and the bubble (for both tanks). After the bubble ran out I spread sealed HoTs. When the sealed HoTs are over, I still have Tetra, Assise and Bene for fast recovering from cleave hits, that let the tank drop beolow 15%.
On AST I have for all of this 1xSynastry and 1xED. Yo.
It's viable. It's... Alright. It's not detrimental but I don't think it has its niche yet. Which is sad because I'd like to bring it to Savage more.
Diurnal is mostly fine. Any more tuning and it would really start to step on WHM's toes. Some will say it already does. I don't really agree with it but it means it's probably close to being balanced.
Nocturnal Sect doesn't touch a SCH's mitigation tools and it doesn't synergize well with AST's CDs (namely Time Dilation and Celestial Opposition).
I kind of wish they'd make it so Celestial Opposition in Noct Sect would spread AST's card buffs and Noct A. Benefic to party members in range. This would alleviate some of the RNG (you could now AOE some powerful effects on demand but on a decently long CD with a lot of planning), would make it competitive vs. Deployment Tactics and Fey Covenant (which will always be important tools in early progression especially when you have damage like Cascade and Mortal Revolution) and would give some appeal to Noct AST. Right now it feels too much like a poor man's SCH without a fairy.
Personally, Diurnal and Nocturnal both have their strengths and weaknesses. But, you really can't deny that stacking Diurnal Aspected Benefic and Aspected Helios, and Collective Unconsciousness with Synastry up then Time Dilation is pretty powerful. :eek:
WHM is still the better healer. They have healing bomb with Cure 3 which AST has nothing to compare that with and the same can be said about Assize. Divine Seal's cd is 30s shorter than Synastry's. There aren't many opportunities to use Synastry to its fullest. The only time I can thinkof is during double prey in A1S and the hand spilt in A3S.
While Collective Unconscious is the better cd than Asylum, you have to be close to those affected and you are unable to act during it. Also while the cards are great, they aren't reliable enough to be taken seriously.
When comparing Lightspeed and PoM, PoM is better since it can be used as a dps buff.
MP management, WHM wins again
Burst healing, WHM...
AST only really has party support over WHM
This is coming someone who prefers healing as an AST over WHM too. I just refuse to be blind to the obvious
Once again alot of misinformation here.
1. AST have better mana management then WHM. WHM has 15 seconds of shroud and 10% from assize and free cure 2 procs compared to the AST\\\\'s 20 seconds of shroud, mana reduction from lightspeed, the chance to draw ewer cards every 30 seconds, and the ability to use spear on yourself and drop shroud to 96 second cooldown.
2. You don\\\\'t need to channel CO. You put it up you reduce damage from a big hit everyone gets the regent and then you take it down. Takes almost no time at all and has a million uses in A3S cause you stack for every single cascade.
3. Cure 3 has only has a use in A3S during cascades but is totally unneeded and pointless ovearhealing. Much better to put up Medica 2 as it will cover the next set of splashes.