Thoughts from a 60 AST & 60 WHM

[Vill_Castiglioni]

-cut-

And your oversight is to how I stated that it is lower potency and is more difficult to play ON PURPOSE. They aren't going to make it easier, because that wasn't what they wanted or planned on when they created the job. It is a complex job, where you must use all your skills correctly and timely to be successful.

[Loutail]

I played WHM 2.0-2.2, playing AST now. I don't have WHM to 60 yet, currently 55. Here's my $0.02.

When I started with AST, I had MP issues. Mainly because I was playing it like a WHM, which isn't efficient. So I looked at potency per mp-spent with AST vs WHM and the AST wins except for AB vs regen.... of course. I've trained myself to keep my finger away from AB unless necessary, which I've surprisingly found isn't too often. I'm not having any MP issues in all of the floors of Alex. Looking at parsing data I'm regularly healing right under or as much as my static's SCH(1100-1400 "enchps") and consistently doing more DPS on single targets(300-400AST/200-300SCH). The fairy's healing puts the SCH's healing ahead overall though(200-250selene,500-600eos).

[Loutail]

Also, while doing Bismark EX if RNG played into my favor on cards during the shell burn I saw at least 3 dps go from 1000-1100 dps to 1300. I saw that scenario twice in one night, once with an aoe balance and again with an aoe arrow.

So I honestly think the AST is fine. Once I set my mind to "sustaining" my MP has stayed up and people haven't died from a lack of heals. Add on the strong DPS buffs in burn phases and you've got a very sought after role. With that said, I will be leveling my WHM to 60 and using it in fights with my static where DPS burns are not the concern and pure healing thru-put is required.

[Khyan]

I played WHM 2.0-2.2, playing AST now. I don't have WHM to 60 yet, currently 55. Here's my $0.02.

When I started with AST, I had MP issues. Mainly because I was playing it like a WHM, which isn't efficient. So I looked at potency per mp-spent with AST vs WHM and the AST wins except for AB vs regen.... of course. I've trained myself to keep my finger away from AB unless necessary, which I've surprisingly found isn't too often. I'm not having any MP issues in all of the floors of Alex. Looking at parsing data I'm regularly healing right under or as much as my static's SCH(1100-1400 "enchps") and consistently doing more DPS on single targets(300-400AST/200-300SCH). The fairy's healing puts the SCH's healing ahead overall though(200-250selene,500-600eos).

SCH does more damage if played well. You have more damage over time skills than other healer jobs and one GCD dps skill. I think your SCH wasn't focused on his dps, just my opinion. Even on single target.

[Vill_Castiglioni]

SCH does more damage if played well. You have more damage over time skills than other healer jobs and one GCD dps skill. I think your SCH wasn't focused on his dps, just my opinion. Even on single target.

IDK, Malefic II + DoTs including Aero is pretty awesome on single target. It's spectacular when DPS suck.

[Risvertasashi]

Still, people are complainng about mp management being rough. It's really the same as WHM if you're playing the class right. No one here who is saying they're having trouble with management sounds like they're taking the steps to keep their mana pool up.

I don't think you're giving us enough credit here. Yes, a new healer might be firing off benefic 2 when there's no immediate upcoming damage and benefic will do, or might forget to use synastry with both MT and OT taking damage-- but a lot of us are experienced healers and know that MP management is more than just the MP regen ability.

AST's healing actually isn't that complex. It's a subset of the 50 WHM kit with some tweaks. It's not like SCH where you have multiple resources to manage (pet, pet CDs, stacks, MP, a lot of mitigation abilities that can be somewhat situational, etc) -- AST has only MP.

Now cards are a bit more complex but cards don't heal.

[PetiteMalFleur]

snip

Have you healed Ravana ex?

The job is really fun and does fine in 4 man content. It is when you get in long, protracted fights that you'll see the struggle. Spread is used to save spear removing any control over rng. Card buffs are hoarded for yourself.

I've completed Ravana on both scholar and astrologian and while I didn't need a turret the shortcomings of the job are glaring, especially for mana management. I'm constantly behind in healing and spend a great deal of time idle trying to recoup mana when I'd be dpsing on my scholar. Having to spend so many cards sustaining myself instead of buffing the raid destroys the fun of the job in endgame raiding.

I am going to vehemently disagree that a properly played whm has mana issues. I used to main whm and never needed ballad. My current whm static member never needed ballad even in T13 progression at sub I 120 with the scholar pushing dps full time. Heals are stronger, they have a self heal buff, regen is more efficient than aspected bene. They also now have a second CD for mana recover that does both aoe damage and heals. Your are correct, there is no comparison between the two classes because at level 60 whm far outpaces ast in so many ways.

Such a shame I won't be playing this job.

[Alahra]

IDK, Malefic II + DoTs including Aero is pretty awesome on single target. It's spectacular when DPS suck.

Aero's use for AST is debatable. It has the same total potency as Malefic II, but only if you get all 6 tics (which you aren't guaranteed because of the server pulse). It does have a cheaper MP cost, though, which does matter for AST, especially when DPSing.

[Vill_Castiglioni]

But in situations where you can use it, it's still helpful then and not useless.

[SuzakuCMX]

And your oversight is to how I stated that it is lower potency and is more difficult to play ON PURPOSE. They aren't going to make it easier, because that wasn't what they wanted or planned on when they created the job. It is a complex job, where you must use all your skills correctly and timely to be successful.

Outside of the card mechanic the job is very simple. Making the job significantly weaker on it's main role (healing) is not making it "more complex." It's just making it worse than SCH/WHM. If AST could heal as well as SCH/WHM minus the use of cards or the use of healing buffs, then AST would be comparable. But it can't because its potencies are lower across the board in Diurnal, it lacks a way to stabilize the group, and it has nothing to fall back on when shit hits the fan. Nocturnal Stance makes the potencies exactly the same as Cure I/Cure II, but in that case your shield is awful and you still don't have as many tools to help with your healing.