WHM Vs AST Healing Comparison at 50

[GideonHighmourn]

Everyone can keep saying AST can buff this and this and save the party! or Boost the damage!

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AST buffs are not even close to reliable, which makes them not good. The most you can do... and best i can see.. is use Spread to save a Bole for the tank in a spike damage situation.

This is what people don't understand. Yes, on paper, it all looks AMAZING and AST can pull lots of utility. However, it's 100% unreliable and random. You can't pick and choose from the list what you're getting; you can just cross your fingers and hope you'll get something useful. If Sacred Soil, Divine Seal, Presence of Mind, Fey Wind, etc. only had a 1 in 6 chance of casting successfully, they'd be equal; however, that's not the case.

[Staris]

This is what people don't understand. Yes, on paper, it all looks AMAZING and AST can pull lots of utility. However, it's 100% unreliable and random. .

It depends on your goal, if your trying to beat something 100% of the time, yes random will hurt you. However, if your striving toward beating something as quickly as you can, with the least amount of gear / time invested than random buffs with a higher potency are better.

Example, if your going for server first kill. You'll be making tens or hundreds of attempts anyway it is inevitable you will be buffed over alternatives eventually. This could be the difference from beating it an entire lockout earlier due to gear limitations / player skill limitations.

I guess if your waiting until your fully geared, and the Mr. Happy Video Guide is out, and plan on 1 shot every boss your first attempt, you would be correct.

[GideonHighmourn]

It depends on your goal, if your trying to beat something 100% of the time, yes random will hurt you. However, if your striving toward beating something as quickly as you can, with the least amount of gear / time invested than random buffs with a higher potency are better.

Example, if your going for server first kill. You'll be making tens or hundreds of attempts anyway it is inevitable you will be buffed over alternatives eventually. This could be the difference from beating it an entire lockout earlier due to gear limitations / player skill limitations.

I guess if your waiting until your fully geared, and the Mr. Happy Video Guide is out, and plan on 1 shot every boss your first attempt, you would be correct.

So your logic is that AST is good simply because there as 1 in 100,000,000~ chance that you might draw the Balance card the first time, every time, for the entire encounter, and beat the raid because of it?

Right.

If only progression worked that way, so a 10% damage buff is all it took to beat it.

Also, AST buffs don't have higher potency unless RR'd, and that's also random. Sacred Soil, Fey Wind, Cleric Stance ... All 100% reliable. AST? Nope.

[Staris]

So your logic is that AST is good simply because there as 1 in 100,000,000~ chance that you might draw the Balance card the first time, every time, for the entire encounter, and beat the raid because of it?

Right.

You don't need balance every time for it to be a buff.
Arrow works too, possibly the TP buff too for certain fights, 1 in 3 chance or 1 in 2 chance, add in shuffle and your better off.

Example bismark EX - you only need it during the jump on back phase so you have 3-4 chances to pull it, you can pre cast the royal road before the pull even start. Very often raids have very specific timed DPS checks. While bismarks may be a joke you never know what the raids will include.

[GideonHighmourn]

You don't need balance every time for it to be a buff.
Arrow works too, possibly the TP buff too for certain fights, 1 in 3 chance or 1 in 2 chance, add in shuffle and your better off.

Example bismark EX - you only need it during the jump on back phase so you have 3-4 chances to pull it, you can pre cast the royal road before the pull even start. Very often raids have very specific timed DPS checks. While bismarks may be a joke you never know what the raids will include.

In that same example, it's much easier and more reliable to just use Selene on SCH, and/or to use Cleric Stance as WHM or SCH to add DPS to the group.

It'd probably provide higher overall DPS, and is also 100% reliable.