WHM Vs AST Healing Comparison at 50

[Eudyptes]

Also, a number of the cards are either questionable or downright worthless.

The Spear is absolutely pointless (no pun intended), and the Ewer and Spire seek to rectify a problem that shouldn't exist to start with (ie the target running out of MP/TP).

The Spear, while weaker than the other cards, isn't worthless. You just need to be selfish with it. Personally I like to hold it when I get it and use it directly before Luminiferous Aether. Combine this with the occasional Ewer and mana issues aren't much of a problem. I find that in 8 mans, using the Spear like that on myself and using Ewer on the other healer tends to be a good balance at keeping everyone happy. But if you, as an AST, are still having mana issues, you can always just use Ewer on yourself as well.

Also, I can't see how much TP anyone in my party has, and AoEing it ensures that it'll likely be 50% useless as most classes either use MP or TP (with a select few using both).

Both Ewer and Spire are best used on single targets, not AE. Save the AE buffs for Arrow/Balance since that's really where the AE buffs are going to pull ahead. As far as seeing their TP pool goes, since this is a reduction not a refresh, casting on them"early" isn't as much of a problem. I'd say anyone with 800~ TP and actively attacking a target is going to get the full benefit of it. Just prioritize the classes who burn through TP, like MNKs.

But really, all of the buffs are kinda limp noodles, and seeing as how we're contending with RNG to determine which one we get, that isn't going to work in the long term.

And this right here is one of the bigger problem with the people in this thread. The card system is great when used properly, but it's not the crux of the class. It's more like the icing on the cake.

I can't say I have leveled AST myself. But as going with a friend and leveling with him with me being the DRK...Even with some randoms as well, I see ASTs struggling to keep people up when crap hits the fan. Big pulls? It's a huge challenge. Constant AoEs(Hi Vault)? It's a challenge. We even went back to T13 to try and get weapons and it was apparent that AST could not do ANYTHING if their counterpart is gone. It's simply too much for them. Megaflares, Spike damage on MT, etc.

The point everyone is making that while the BASE numbers are similar, what they can do EFFECTIVELY in the long run is not anywhere as good as WHM and SCH.

I don't know what to tell you, cause I can't see what they are doing wrong. All I can say is I don't seem to be having these same issues.