WHM Vs AST Healing Comparison at 50

[RichardButte]

Never mind. I was mistaken.

[GideonHighmourn]

And I hate to say it, but I think this is about right: AST is a support/buff style healer that can seriously swing the tide of battle with the right card combo. We can save a tank with a 25% damage reduction for 15 seconds (or a 10% for 30). We can give the whole group 15% more damage for 15 seconds, eeking out that last bit of damage in a DPS race or give them 10% damage reduction, effectively throwing another bubble on the group.

Which ability gives the entire group a 15% damage buff? I must be missing something.

[VitalSuit]

We can save a tank with a 25% damage reduction for 15 seconds (or a 10% for 30). We can give the whole group 15% more damage for 15 seconds

Our 40 sec cooldown "OH SH*T" button is probably the best I've ever seen in a healing class in an MMO: "You just dropped to 10% HP? Here, have a completely full instant refill!"

AoE damage buff will be 5% not 15%. Benediction can do the same thing as an "oh crap" heal but on a much longer cooldown so I agree with you on that, a 40sec CD Lustrate isn't all that bad but Lustrate is still better.

I confess I lack proper knowledge of the card system but people here are proposing a team wide AOE buff?

Yes, if you Royal Road either the Spear or Arrow cards you will get the ability to AoE your next card used but at 50% less potency. So if I were to Royal Road Spear and then draw Balance (10% increased damage) I can give it out to the entire party but at 5% damage.

[GideonHighmourn]

Yes, if you Royal Road either the Spear or Arrow cards you will get the ability to AoE your next card used but at 50% less potency. So if I were to Royal Road Spear and then draw Balance (10% increased damage) I can give it out to the entire party but at 5% damage.

Does it effect the entire party, or is there a specific radius of the effect, similar to Cure III or Deployment Tactics?

If it's a small AoE, I don't see stopping DPS to group up to get a small DMG increase being that effective, especially since you've given up a previous (DPS) draw to do so.

[VitalSuit]

Does it effect the entire party, or is there a specific radius of the effect, similar to Cure III or Deployment Tactics?

If it's a small AoE, I don't see stopping DPS to group up to get a small DMG increase being that effective, especially since you've given up a previous (DPS) draw to do so.

It does have a radius but honestly in most groups you're going to be pretty close together so they don't miss those aoe buffs like Succor. If I see a BLM, BRD, or MCH standing at max range I usually yell at them because they get no buffs from either me or the WHM/SCH (although WHM aoes have much MUCH larger radii).\

Also don't misunderstand Spear. It's by far one of the worst cards in the deck simply because the only way to get any use out of it is to plan with the other players and that never happens. I either use it on myself if I need to cast a long cooldown skill (Aetheric whatever, our Shroud of Saints skill) or I Royal Road it for the AoE buff.
Basically the way it works is Spear lowers the cooldowns of your abilities (those skills off the global cooldown) only if you have the buff on you BEFORE you use it. if you already used the skill and then get spear on you it's a waste because it does nothing. That's why it's considered worthless.

Nothing from arc = wtf my virus T-T

Yeah we have Disable which is only used for tankbuster skills or party wide AoE and since it only affects the next attack it's pretty dificult to land it properly.

[GideonHighmourn]

It does have a radius but honestly in most groups you're going to be pretty close together so they don't miss those aoe buffs like Succor. If I see a BLM, BRD, or MCH standing at max range I usually yell at them because they get no buffs from either me or the WHM/SCH (although WHM aoes have much MUCH larger radii).

How large is the radius? Yes, in most groups you're going to be in the same general vicinity, but radius plays a huge factor in how many people it will effect.

Again, if it's like Cure III (5y?), I don't see it hitting many people outside of maybe the melee DPS.

If it's closer to Deployment Tactics (10y) or Succor (15y) I can see it hitting a larger number of people, including melee and ranged.

[VitalSuit]

How large is the radius? Yes, in most groups you're going to be in the same general vicinity, but radius plays a huge factor in how many people it will effect.

Again, if it's like Cure III (5y?), I don't see it hitting many people outside of maybe the melee DPS.

If it's closer to Deployment Tactics (10y) or Succor (15y) I can see it hitting a larger number of people, including melee and ranged.

It's about the same as Succor range maybe a little smaller just make sure you cast it on yourself instead of the tanks/dps that way you can hit everyone like if you're casting Succor obviously since it spreads from the target it was casted on E.G. yourself

[RichardButte]

AoE damage buff will be 5% not 15%. Benediction can do the same thing as an "oh crap" heal but on a much longer cooldown so I agree with you on that, a 40sec CD Lustrate isn't all that bad but Lustrate is still better.

Oh whoops. I thought Bole and Balance were giving +150% when royal roaded and spear and arrow were giving +50% and the AoE...

Probably because of how SE refers to exp bonuses. Usually they're talking about ADDING the percent to whatever you're earning. :\

In that case, that's really not that great...

[Aphel]

And I hate to say it, but I think this is about right: AST is a support/buff style healer that can seriously swing the tide of battle with the right card combo. We can save a tank with a 25% damage reduction for 15 seconds (or a 10% for 30). We can give the whole group 15% more damage for 15 seconds, eeking out that last bit of damage in a DPS race or give them 10% damage reduction, effectively throwing another bubble on the group.

Our 40 sec cooldown "OH SH*T" button is probably the best I've ever seen in a healing class in an MMO: "You just dropped to 10% HP? Here, have a completely full instant refill!"

If AST's heals were on par with WHM and SCH, there'd literally be no reason to play anything but AST for a healer...

Yeah, our heals are going to be weaker, but we have a number of other strengths to compensate.

Sorry but your numbers are all wrong. The most we can afford is 15% damage reduction, and that is with a RRed Bole. We can reach 25% with Collective but we would be UNABLE TO CAST OR MOVE for that entire duration.

Sure we get a 40sec CD IWIN button but hey, Scholars get 3 lustrates. They can use all 3, sacrifice their pet and immediately use all 3 again with increased potency. We get 1! Yay! On a 40sec CD! NICE! Whitemages get Benediction/Tetra, and Divine Seal + Medica II/Cure III is almost overkill. When your entire party gets smacked to 20% health, pray tell what tools do ASTs have to get everyone up quickly?

I understand we can never replace Whm and Scholars, they are the kings at what they do. But please look carefully at the level 50+ AST skills and tell me that some of them aren't almost borderline rubbish.

[GideonHighmourn]

Sorry but your numbers are all wrong. The most we can afford is 15% damage reduction, and that is with a RRed Bole. We can reach 25% but we would be unable to cast or move for that entire duration.

Sure we can a 40sec CD IWIN button but hey, Scholars get 3 lustrates. They can use all 3, sacrifice their pet and immediately use all 3 again with increased potency. We get 1! Yay! On a 40sec CD! NICE!

I think it's primarily people who don't play SCH/WHM normally who think Dignity is super OP. Myself and my WHM friend both find it underwhelming, due to it's 40s cooldown; better hope no one fudges up more than once a minute or so!

Another thing to consider is that Essential Dignity is a lower-level skill than Lustrate, Tetragrammaton, and Benediction; I'd think it was the best skill ever if I got it before level 30, as well. WHM/SCH lack the insta-cast emergency heal until around 50. So, at level 30, doing Brayflox, it's gonna seem amazing. Then you'll get to level 60 and start doing more challenging content where dropping below 60% (the point where Dignity>Benefic II) happens more than once every 40 seconds ... It won't be so awesome.