Yet another SephEX question... Noct AST HPS?

First of all: yes, I know HPS doesn't work the same way for healers as DPS does for, well... DPS. XP But I know there is an "average" that gives a good gauge as to whether or not you are pulling your own weight and healing appropriately.

Did SephEX with a new static the other day (and managed to get to Storm of Words or whatever it is, only my second time there!), and someone was parsing. After we were done, my WHM healing partner asked for his HPS, and I did too, because I'm not as used to Noct as I am Diurnal and the last time I did SephEX my WHM partner wanted me in Diurnal because it seemed like there weren't enough heals there. This time around though... healing was SHOCKINGLY easier. ._. I don't know if it was my shields or what, but the damage just seemed to either be greatly reduced or we managed to immediately get everyone up again after big hits with well-timed heals.

Yes, I know, it seems pretty logical that shields = less damage... but I still worry that perhaps I'm being carried along by the other healer. ;;;;

The WHM's HPS was around 3k, and mine was around 2k. We both had an overhealing rate of around 30% (which will be worked on, obviously). Coming in at around 2k seemed shockingly low to me, but then the person parsing mentioned that the parser doesn't take into account the amount of damage being shielded? I was shielding the party quite frequently (save for I think one spot where I spaced out and the WHM had to give me a poke, lol ;;;; ) from what I recall, and AoE healing just as much. I'd throw a few Combusts/Combust IIs out where it felt like I had a gap (and fully DPSing during the buff mechanics in Phase 3), and spot/focus heal as necessary.

If this number IS too low, anything I can do to improve it, aside from being a bit more proactive? ^^; My current ilvl is 216, and that is very steadily increasing as I get my Midas NM/Lore gear. I haven't melded yet (thought I don't think the WHM did either, since WHM wasn't his main), since I figured I'd get off my butt and level crafts so I can do that myself, but since that process seems to be excruciatingly slow, I might just cough up some money to have someone in Idyllshire do it for me. :|

On the other hand, if all is well and good... This thread has no purpose! \o/

First of all, HPS isn't a particularly relevant metric as damage comes in predictable spikes in this game and the required HPS is set extremely low in most fights. Healing is a matter of timing more than anything.

2k for a Nocturnal AST seems about right in Sephirot Ex. You don't and can't heal as much as a WHM or Diurnal AST (or even a SCH and their faerie) because you're not relying on HoTs as much, with Collective being your only source of Healing over Time. Shields obviously aren't being accounted for when you're parsing, although you can still dig the parse to math out how much damage you've shielded.

It doesn't strike me as odd that it was easier than stacking regens. Regens are your friend in this fight, but shielding considerably lowers the panic levels. You're probably doing fine.

I average around 2.2k with Noct AST; 2.5k was the highest I've hit with Noct, but when I hit that high I was carrying a scary PF WHM with slow reaction times. I usually hover around 2.6k on WHM when I'm not overhealing like crazy. You're fine.

2K sounds about right. To answer your question about the parse, Shields are two components - the heal and the shield which is based on your heal. Even though it's technically a 300+5% potency AoE heal for Aspected Helios, the parse is actually only counting 150+5% due to the nature of shields (use similar math for Aspected Benefic).

Diurnal gives you more overall HPS because HoTs are awesome potency for their GCD and efficient for their MP cost and you generally want to keep it up 100% of the time to maximize that benefit. For example, Aspected Benefic Diurnal is 1,030 potency in a single GCD (over 18 seconds). Nothing in the AST (or any healer kit aside from Regen) can really compare to that kind of efficiency in a single GCD.

Overall 5K total HPS w/ 30% overheal sounds right for the fight and I don't feel you have anything to worry about. I was in Sephi EX a few nights ago and I was Diurnal AST with 2.9K HPS while my SCH partner was 2.3K HPS just to put that into perspective. I've also been in a Sephi EX with a really good Diurnal AST who was basically doing 3.4-4K HPS and I was sitting down at around 700-1K HPS while rocking 650 DPS by the time Phase 1 was up and our numbers eventually shrank to something like 3K for them and about 1.5K for me without too much of a hitch in P3.

TLDR: YOU'RE FINE! =D

Yay, thanks for the answers guys! \o/ Makes me feel lots better about continuing this fight in Noct. (WHM was actually talking in our LS earlier saying how he liked having the Noct AST+WHM combo in that fight, so all the better.)

Noc AST is surprisingly very good at Sephy Ex due to the outgoing AoE damage that can be covered with Helios as well as the spike damage that can be covered with A. Benefic. In fact, I'd say Noc AST is better for Phase 3 than SCH purely because of instant shields and Lightspeed for the pillars. Although Deployed Tactics is the strongest AoE mitigation there is...watching Seph's ult do no more than 200 damage gives me healer orgasms when I manage to deploy a Crit Adlo.

I do love me some Lightspeed on the wind phase. WHM feels so slow there in comparison. There's something intensely satisfying about being able to instant shield both people with Earthshaker marks too - but maybe that's just me.

I feel like Noct AST can make a solid solo heal run of Sephi EX without too many issues due to the nature of the fight and how their toolkit interacts with the fight. I'd like to try it one day just to find out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ghishlain

I feel like Noct AST can make a solid solo heal run of Sephi EX without too many issues due to the nature of the fight and how their toolkit interacts with the fight. I'd like to try it one day just to find out.

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I remember feeling this way about Rav EX. It worked! (once my static finally let me)

I approve Ghishlain
I start running it as SCH first but i notices that if my co-heal WHM had some trouble it was sometime hard to keep up with emergency spell or heavy healing spell

On the opposite doing it as noct AST I got Nice shield and a great healing output thansk to the sect
Plus since 3.2 mana management is far from being a problem XD

I've never had the pleasure of co-healing SephEx with a Noct AST when I'm on WHM, it's always a SCH, but I've been told by multiple WHMs that I'm nice to heal with (on Noct AST).

I'd be interested in other WHM's opinions, or AST opinions from someone who primarily Diurnals the fight. Do you like Noct AST for all of the AOE in SephEx? Or do you dread them and would rather have a SCH co-healer?

I feel like my biggest weakness as a Noct AST in comparison to SCH is my lack of AOE instant-heals; we lack something as strong as Indom and I've seen many SCHs with amazing use of Emergency Tactics. We have Swiftcast and Lightspeed, and I tend to save Lightspeed for the heavy damage during wind phase.

I would say that there is no weakness for the noct AST
Because if indom is great for an emergency heal
The AST can just helios and do the same... Plus helios do not have 30sec CD unlike indom

Plus if you lightspeed it it's super strong and you can make the whm cry in a corner.
(Lightspeed got a medium cooldown duration that make it useable many time in the fight
(Enhanced spire can make it down to 1min CD !)

Having run Sephi EX on both SCH and Noct AST, I prefer Noct AST because Lightspeed + Helios / Aspected Helios trivializes the P3 add phase (especially if your using MCH/BRD LB3 to blow up the wind + all the adds at once) and if for some reason my healing partner derped at that point I have much more recovery potential on Noct AST versus SCH. SCH only has a single Indom every 30 seconds and if I have to be hitting Succor over and over in a solo heal situation, I go OOM very very quickly. This is versus being able to hit Helios hard over and over on Noct AST without a care in the world on MP (especially with Lightspeed's 25% MP reduction). I actually feel I have more MP problems on SCH than I do on AST if I'm pushed to heal hard if my partner happens to derp just because of the way the SCH kit is structured.

There is a concern to make sure DPS is on point during P2 because if Sephi gets too much LB Noct AST can't mitigate hard enough since SCH has Deployment Tactics + Adlo at that point but that generally isn't a big issue.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nekotee

Plus if you lightspeed it it's super strong and you can make the whm cry in a corner.
(Lightspeed got a medium cooldown duration that make it useable many time in the fight
(Enhanced spire can make it down to 1min CD !)

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Did you mean enhanced Spear, or does spire do something extra that isn't listed in the tooltip?

Yeah spear
My auto correct change it without me noticing...
*facepalm*

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ghishlain

There is a concern to make sure DPS is on point during P2 because if Sephi gets too much LB Noct AST can't mitigate hard enough since SCH has Deployment Tactics + Adlo at that point but that generally isn't a big issue.

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Yes, Phase 3 wind is best for Lightspeed, I agree.

I've actually never had the issue of not being able to mitigate damage well enough in add phase. If your damage is that slow, you probably won't be killing Seph before enrage. Most decent farm groups finish before 42% even with casualties. If I do find I need that extra healing oomph, I use Synastry with my Aspected Helios (which is usually up from CD since I use it at the start of adds, unless the group is super fast). Also, Stoneskin.
Edit: This honestly isn't going to be as much of an issue from here on out though, especially in farm groups, since people are having multiple pieces of 230 gear and, at least on my server, almost everyone has their 220 weapon for their main job. My AST/WHM/SCH are sitting on over 15.5k HP without melded Vitality, unless I'm weakened. That's something like 50% LB bar with a Shield and Stoneskin.

To Nekotee: depending on group composition, there's a high possibility I wouldn't be giving that Spear to myself. Depending on your tanks, they might need it for towers, assuming you are lucky enough to even draw one at the right time. When dealing with our overall healing capabilities and weaknesses, I tend not to consider our cards; it is random and there are times when we won't have the opportunity to do X or Y that are only capable with cards at all (eg, enhanced Spear as you say. I probably wouldn't be RRing that Bole in Phase 3 to get an Enhanced buff, because you can use it to help mitigate the tower damage, which is physical).

The last rotation of SephEx is one of those times where I'm actually hoping for a Spire though, because MNKs burn through their TP there by about the middle of the second rotation.

I do agree card are so random
And I do admit that first i was pissed to have enhanced spear... And turn it good by applying it to mysedf and reduce my own CD

I would love to use spear on my tanks but the problem is that it only work on not used CD and I can't predict if the tank will use them or not and which one
On the opposite yeah an enhanced bole would be great for'the tower since it's 15% réduction
(If i'm not Wrong bole work for all damage either magical or physical)

In my case last phase of sephirot is hard with my static because most DPS still haven't understand the punch part and either die, get bumped or eat an ein sof puddle... Which cause DPS loss and unnecessary healing =S

...

I might stole the move about synastry... I tend to forgot about the enhanced healing...
That could help a lot