Healing 'big' pulls on Astro

[Leiloni]

Well my experience in speed runs is if I use regen before the tanks starts pulling the mobs stop catching the tank and start attack me. I'm starting to use Noct for trash mobs now since I'm used to SCH and i'll let you know how it goes.

Well that's why you never use a Regen until after a tank is finished pulling. Wait until he's stopped and has aggro on everything, then pop the Regen and the extra healing is nice alongside Benefic spam. I usually just make sure they have a Stoneskin up before they pull and unless they over pull or are undergeared it should be fine.

But there's something about that one big pull near the start of AKHM that no matter what healer I'm playing on, I always get tanks that can't live through the entire thing. Even on my WHM with Divine Seal up. I think it has something to do with the fact that that 2nd pull is iffy if the tank isn't perfect and most end up pulling the entire hallway so keeping them alive through the start of it is very difficult. That paired with the fact that in Duty Finder, you're playing with ilevel 110, so you don't overgear that dungeon by all that much.

[winsock]

I was curious about AST and considered the possibility of switching mains from my WHM. Ultimately, I didn't end up switching with speed runs, AoE healing, and large pulls in mind.

Lower potencies, no access to eye for an eye, and no hps cooldowns.

On the one hand after reading this thread I feel like I dodged a bullet. On the other.... It's such a cool concept for a class, and I'd probably main it if it was a bit better at handling stuff like this

[Nadirah]

I find noct to be okay on trash but on boss fights with a lot of damage going out? Sucks. No other healer/fairy to make up for the loss in ability to recover damage.

Feels like a war of attrition with slowly declining hp pools.

[Dyvid]

snip.

Yea, I'm used to being SCH so I would galvanize tank before he started so I didn't as much HP to restore when the fight actually starts, since SCH doesn't have that healing oomph that WHM has. Regardless it's clear Noct needs some love.

[Mirakell]

I was used to using shields at trash pulls and then switching to regens for the boss fights for extra heals which is why I think I was in the other stance when attempting that pull
I'm used to playing as a Scholar which is why I may be feeling more comfortable in my mind using shields but I'm seeing that I have to get out of that mindset xD

Just cleared Vault last night - that last boss was hellish to heal but we got through >.> xD

[YuiSasaki]

used to play SCH too, but Nocturnal is just... meh.. compared to SCH at least

and yes, the vault is mainly some kind of a healer-test.

[Dyvid]

I do wish Noct Benefic and Helio would stack to at least come closer to SCH galvanize and help close the gap on Diu.

[Tyla_Esmeraude]

I find especially in level 50 content that as an AST, I have to spam Bene II until I'm out of MP. On my WHM I could easily just Regen the tank, pop out 3 Holy's and throw out a couple Cure I's, regardless of how big the pull was. But as an AST, with no AoE skill at this level I can't really do anything to help with DPS, not that it matters because I am Bene II spamming until I'm out of MP basically every single pull.
.

Not saying AST doesn't need tweaks because I agree it does. However, at lvl 50 I didn't have problems with MP, maybe it was the party setups? Not killing mobs fast enough? I do however agree that Gravity isn't as good as WHM's holy... I manage to use it sometimes, when I see the tank not taking a lot of damage, but I'm always nervous to switch to Cleric's when Essential Dignity is down. On WHM I do have more space to breath.

I'm at lvl 54 currently and running Sohm Al, I really haven't had much trouble, even with stupid tanks running to pull as soon as we enter, without protect. The only time I've ran out of MP was when one of the DPS died on the last boss and I had to raise him, then the other DPS died. I had to raise the SMN twice! lol then he died again, for the 3rd time. At this point I had no more MP to spare for another raise, I cured myself and the tank with 10ish% left on the boss and I have no idea how the hell I did that sitting at less than 1,000 MP. lol I spammed cards on him, Balance, Bole, whatever useful came up. used Aspected Benefic on him and myself and tried to stay alive that way, i didnt have enough remaining mp for Benefic spams.

Think I managed to use LA twice during that fight. What I've been doing now is use it earlier than I would SoS on WHM. Seems to be working for me. I think there's a reason we got LA at lvl 8, right? To use it more often maybe?... I hope. ._.; Still grasping the job.

[Alahra]

I'm at lvl 54 currently and running Sohm Al, I really haven't had much trouble, even with stupid tanks running to pull as soon as we enter, without protect.

Personally, I didn't start having trouble until Aery. There's an uptick in the incoming damage there, and I started really noticing the difference between tanks in STR accessories and those in VIT ones. Vault is also kind of taxing (especially if someone messes up on the final boss).

[fanservice]

used to play SCH too, but Nocturnal is just... meh.. compared to SCH at least

There was an interesting line of thought regarding nocturnal sect's aspected benefic vs SCH's adloquium beyond the potency difference and the potential of an OP shield on crit.

Interestingly enough it's about instant cast, and having to deal with recast vs a normal cast.

If a SCH casted adloquium, the moment the cast is over, they can begin to cast a followup physic. Often times this means the shield will hold for most of, if not, all of the 2 seconds before the physic lands. Likely more time if it crits.

If a noct sect AST casted aspected benefic, by the time the ~2.5sec GCD is over from casting aspected benefic, the shield likely broke, and you can then begin to cast your next ~2 second cast-time heal, or hope you have an instant benefic 2 proc on hand.

The shield ironically fails at buying time because it's applied before you can begin to do anything else for the next ~2.5 seconds, sans essential dignity. I forgot who said it first, but it is a valid point.

Of course there are benefits to having an instant-cast, though weaker adloquium, but when consistent pressure is going out and you have the option of just standing there chain-casting benefic 2 for more potency/slightly, and very little extra MP, you may as well do that instead. This isn't even counting the possibility of having a HOT rolling from diurnal sect-aspected benefic rolling.

Chaincasting aspected benefics in nocturnal stance is... actually not too bad of an idea in both theory, and practice compared to benefic 2 spam though;

-It's a safe bet the shield breaks by your next cast
-Has a little less potency-over time as pure benefic 2 spam (but beaten by diurnal sect aspected benefic HOT +benefic 2 spam)
-costs slightly less MP
-usable on the move

In my humble opinion though, there's little reason to bother using nocturnal sect at all outside of pre-shielding the group - which I would rather have medica 2 anyway, unless that shield prevents a kill -, or if you know you'll never stop running around during a fight where the tank is consistently getting his ass kicked, and you want to throw out instant cast heal+shield at nearly benefic 2-level potency without nerfing yourself with lightspeed. Super situational, but it's a use /shrug.

and yes, the vault is mainly some kind of a healer-test.

lol really? Last boss is an AOE fest, and one of the few things I'd prefer to use Eos on sure, but like most other things, the dungeon is easier with less stupid people getting hit by stuff before that. As a SCH, I'd barely call it a test. At worst, its 'How fast are you to press indomitability/lustrate?'.