AST is not versatile. It is locked into a stance from the start of the encounter to the end. It lacks the insta cast abilities that allow the other two healer jobs the room to manoeuvre and be versatile in the encounter.
The defence of AST being it shouldnt be able to heal to SCH or WHM level due to cards is fallacious beyond belief. Both this jobs can heal the encounter far better than the AST can and bring more with them. The AST has lackluster buffs that rely in attempting to tame RNG to get anything out of them. If, as you argue, it is a support healer, then it has to be able to replace the need to take a MCH or BRD into a raid. Can it do this? Nope, not at all. If we persue this support argument you make, the choice for a raid team should be which one of the AST, MCH and BRD is taken for support. Take an AST then you take 4 nonsupport DPS. Its weaker at healing than WHM and SCH, and it support functionality is far far far far weaker than BRD and MCH. Both things its supposed to do it cant.
