are WHMs hard to come by?

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

snip

You were so close that I almost spend the effort to push the Like button. But alas, no dice. Simply due to your summary. I agree on the points you made that a white mage learning curve is steeper, it's also less forgiving for dropping the ball in situations. However, I don't agree on that a white mage is a reactive healer (or should be). If anything, scholars are allowed to be more reactive than white mage simply for the fact they have Lustrate. However, a proactive scholar is more likely to spend that aetherflow stack on Energy Drain, rather than lustrate, or uses it to extend the time allowed to stay in Cleric's Stance. If a white mage is reactive, however, the heals may be late and someone dies for it - Remember I mentioned it's less forgiving?

Healing fundamentals are the same for both healers, however. Know your class, know the encounter and know the party. White Mages just have to be a bit more vigilant than scholars when it comes to healing. Luckily, healing for endgame content is never alone (bar e-peen reasons) and you can pick up each other's mistakes.

This post is very enlightening about healing in general. For both scholar and white mage: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post2369855

[Cynfael]

Unless I die I don't need to touch Energy Drain. Lustrate is more of a primary healing spell than a reactive one (like Cure II), since Adlo doesn't really heal enough to make it worth casting regularly, unless you're over geared for the content.

Energy Drain is a great DPS tool and shouldn't be overlooked when you don't have a pressing need to heal as quickly as Lustrate allows. I also wouldn't discourage people from using Adlo regularly since the Galvanize effect can be so powerful and can facilitate further assistant DPS with the time it buys you.

It's true that Physick is ideal for filling up large chunks of missing HP at low MP cost, which is helpful for certain phases of end-game raids where tanks actually get chunked now and then (or frequently and over a long period of time, like in T8), but otherwise it's just about keeping the tank shielded and topped off for as long as possible so that you can keep up DPS with minimal interruption.

[Cynfael]

@ Cynfael

Good point, I don't usually consider Energy Drain for DPS since I tend to need the Lustrates with the parties I get in Duty Finder. Even with galvanize, I don't usually find much use for Adlo in full party (8 member) content, but maybe that's because I'm saving my Lustrates. Succor right before an AoE is quite useful for the galvanize effect. Agree that Physick should only be used following Adlo since galvanize doesn't stack. I might reconsider my Energy Drain vs. Lustrate ratio based on your post, though. Thanks!

DF can certainly be a crapshoot, so I hear you there. If I actually need to heal, I won't be blowing lots of stacks on Energy Drain, but common DF things like Light farms are easy enough for most people that I can safely blow through my stacks in my opening DPS rotation, pop Aetherflow anew, use a couple of Energy Drain or Banes, and save one stack just in case until my Aetherflow is about to refresh again.

[Roxinova]

I agree on the points you made that a white mage learning curve is steeper, it's also less forgiving for dropping the ball in situations.

If a white mage is reactive, however, the heals may be late and someone dies for it - Remember I mentioned it's less forgiving?

White Mages just have to be a bit more vigilant than scholars when it comes to healing.

This. I main WHM, my bf mains SCH. I can let one person die in a run and suddenly, I'm the most horrible WHM in the game who needs to be taught how to play, despite clearing a lot more content than my bf. However, he can let 3 people die in a run and gets all of the commendations. It drives me insane how hard people push WHMs.