Any consensus on most important stats for WHM/SCH?

[Ashkente]

Theoretical Scenario: If you are fighting Twintania and for the whole fight you had to cast Cure 1 without ceasing and not have to worry about serious overhealing or movement you would cast Cure 1 about 308 times, assuming you complete the fight as fast as 12 minutes.

With lesser spell speed, the number would be closer to 294 (let's use this for det and crit build)

In this theoretical situation, Spell Speed would WIN by about a single percentage, increasing more the longer the fight is. However, there is not a situation in the game where this has come into play, as you need to move around frequently in these fights, making constant, uninterrupted healing impossible, and thus Spell Speed, pointless.

Consensus: Gear however the hell you want between Spell Crit and Determination. The difference between gearing for spell crit or determination for a white mage is small enough to be completely negligible.

[Fynlar]

1. SoS, Aetherflow, Energy Drain management are key to 'good' & 'high-level' play. Being dependant on BRD is a failing on the healer's part. If you need to rely on BRD and other players pumping out enough DPS to end the fight before you run dry, you're doing it wrong.

You don't know this for sure. Sometimes people are just taking too much damage.

Please don't assume healers aren't using their MP tools. WHMs in particular, because SoS is rather inferior to Aetherflow.

[Maku]

For SCH I am full Crit. Crit shields on t5 make mine and the other healers job so much easier. DET on SCH is what I stack second if I can to help my fairy.

For my WHM I am currently mostly crit but working on a full DET build (just used my SCH stuffs at first).

Spell Speed is worthless. Every fight has set patterns. If people are not stupid or having crazy lag issues you never have to worry about casting faster.

[Asakura93]

I'm building my WHM as a Determination > Spell Speed WHM, as I don't enjoy having to "rely" on Crits that, for me, like to crit when it's more overheal than actual healing.

And, honestly, if SE changes things about upcoming boss fights I can see Spell Speed actually being a thing.

Basically for me:

SCH = Crit > Determination
WHM = Determination > Spell Speed

EDIT: There must be a reason why the Allagan Cane has Spell Speed, right..? ...Right? ._.

[kukurumei]

1. SoS, Aetherflow, Energy Drain management are key to 'good' & 'high-level' play. Being dependant on BRD is a failing on the healer's part. If you need to rely on BRD and other players pumping out enough DPS to end the fight before you run dry, you're doing it wrong. Piety alleviates an issues 'SOME PLAYERS HAVE'. "I've never run out of mana as a WHM" - Said no one ever.

I somewhat disagree, in that while PIE can't be stacked enough to make a huge difference, as a healer you can never have enough MP pool for brutal phases. Sure you may or may not need it, but it sure as heck is easier when you have a larger MP pool to brute force things, that make that 10% chance of problem into 5% chance of problems.

It is doublely so for sch, since sch rarely accumulate threat like whms, so they can abuse that and succor spam through parts, that otherwise don't need succor spam, but can do some great things.

Primal EX for example, succor spam in parts is great. It may not be needed, but it is quite convenient and if you have a good MP pool, it's really can be a deciding factor if your party is just not that pro/attentive/experienced.

A good example is Titan ex, add phase. If both healers, tanks and dps are all doing what they are doing, Only 1 succor is needed for that weak double stomp. But If you spam succor through it, even if the other healer isn't as good, if the MT isn't dodging cross bombs, if Melees aren't doing moving right. That succor spam will prevent a death, and possibly a wipe. Sure it may eat up half/2-3rd of your MP pool for a small phase, but it's Titan ex, that's worth it.

Same with Vit. A key number is around 4.2k life or higher. A lot of things can be brute forced. I rather sit more comfortable at 4.4k+ if I can. Can derp on a a lot of things and just heal through it as oppose to being razor edge do-die.

end game has a lot less to do with healing power and more to do with healing bursts, Det and crit just doesn't make so much difference as trying to eliminate derping moments IMHO.

Healing a few more is nice, but spamming more then I need, raising more then I need, and getting hit more then I need, just feels a lot cleaner.

[Tinks]

In this theoretical situation, Spell Speed would WIN by about a single percentage, increasing more the longer the fight is. However, there is not a situation in the game where this has come into play, as you need to move around frequently in these fights, making constant, uninterrupted healing impossible, and thus Spell Speed, pointless.

Here is the thing with spell speed. Unless you have a full static that you play exclusively with, it isn't a useless stat. It isn't so much the spamming cure that makes it useful, because you should never have to do that for extended periods, even in a PUG. What makes spell speed useful is being able to get that cure off on a DPS that just got hit by a plume and still dodge in time. Spell speed increases the window in which you can move and your spell still cast.

The thing with the crit/det/spell speed arguments is that its entirely about preference at this point, because none of them make significant enough difference to make one ground-breakingly better than another. I go spell speed because I find that being able to move sooner at the end of my casts is more valuable to me and my playstyle than a slightly higher cure because I tend to run with consistent and reliable tanks, but less reliable DPS. Its the unexpected moments that make spell speed more useful. I also enjoy DPSing; being able to weave Aero II and Aero in between cures is fun for me. To each their own ^_^

[Ashkente]

Here is the thing with spell speed. Unless you have a full static that you play exclusively with, it isn't a useless stat. It isn't so much the spamming cure that makes it useful, because you should never have to do that for extended periods, even in a PUG. What makes spell speed useful is being able to get that cure off on a DPS that just got hit by a plume and still dodge in time. Spell speed increases the window. More...

While I understand what you are getting it, if you have teammates getting hit by plume it's better to let them die, as they are likely to make the same mistake many times later. I've not once run into a situation outside of my static where I thought "Gee, I really need .16 seconds off of my cast time to save that dumb DPS player who keeps getting hit."

I can see Spell Speed being a build when we get into the 700/800s, for when you get that high you'll have close to a whole .50 off of your GCD, and that is huge!

[Gurpsmeister]

There's a lot of opinion, not much of a consensus.

GOOD NEWS HOWEVER

No matter what you go with, it works. Healing is not a challenge in ths game, it's very direct and very simple. So if you stack SS, Crit, Det whatever you can still get the job done just as good as the next guy. My advice, go with the style that works for your...or base it off of what looks coolest.

[Tinks]

While I understand what you are getting it, if you have teammates getting hit by plume it's better to let them die, as they are likely to make the same mistake many times later. I've not once run into a situation outside of my static where I thought "Gee, I really need .16 seconds off of my cast time to save that dumb DPS player who keeps getting hit."

If you have a dumb DPS that keeps getting hit, its better to replace them, not just let them die. It isn't so much a black or white issue. I've run in a lot of PUGs with random DPS, and its pretty common that people get hit once or twice by something silly through a run. Whether it's not moving fast enough for eruption, or walking in to searing in ifrit ex, miss-timing a plume dodge, or hell just a DPS having blood for blood up during stomps in titan. Random stuff happens. I'm not saying you can't deal with it just fine with a DET build, I'm just saying that I've developed a playstyle that essentially exploits the fact that my spells still go off when I move, and it works well for dodge-intensive fights. We've all had those moments where you have to move mid cast and its frustrating. I just have it a little less frequently.

[Heofonum]

snip

While I commend your attitude and awareness that it's your play style that can accommodate a SS WHM, I feel the need to interject and ask.... why?

We can all voice countless scenarios where this stat or that stat looms biggest for better WHM play, but wouldn't static play of the toon itself dictate the higher outcome? Increased regen, medica II's and medica from which we're known for are just the very few examples of reliance healing. Why don't SCH's follow this logic to stack SS too?

I don't think giving the reason that "quicker heals makes better WHM" holds any worthwhile ground, especially since this reasoning holds hands with the excuse "because of derps and twerps, I must build for mistakes". That's backwards planning, not forward thinking.