AST: Nocturnal vs Diurnal

[Ninimo_Babamo]

I think if you ask most Astrologians that are clearing endgame content, they will agree with me in that Diurnal Sect is a good bit more powerful than Nocturnal Sect.

In Diurnal sect, you can use both Time Dilation and Celestial Opposition to aid your HoTs increasing their duration along with any cards you have on the affected players. In Nocturnal Sect, your shields break when the damage they prevent is done, leaving Time Dilation and Celestial Opposition free to be used for cards.

But when an AST utilizes the cards and HoTs properly as well as the buffs, Diurnal pulls ahead a great deal because each time you use Time Dilation or Celestial Opposition, you're doing way more healing in the long run.

Nocturnal shields break SCH Galvanize shields while Diurnal HoTs stack with WHM HoTs, but AST Hots from Diurnal will not stack with a fellow AST, however two WHMs can easily stack theirs. First of all, this gets very confusing to a new AST because they have no idea what will work and what will not.

A couple of things need to change here. First, don't make an AST feel forced to play as a sect they do not enjoy when paired with another AST. It takes a lot of fun out of the class; allow for their HoTs to stack just like a WHM. Second, change their shield from Nocturnal Sect effect from a damage absorption effect to a damage negation effect. Something small, but also something that will not break just because X damage was taken. Change their shields into a very small maybe 5% at most damage negation effect, thus allowing it to stack with Galvanize and also be effected by buffs like Time Dilation and Celestial Opposition. The single target effect from Aspected Benefic could produce a larger effect than the aoe version so it would not feel like it has become useless.

[Beyondgrave]

Iirc our hots do stack with each other

[Rewind]

Nocturnal Stance is incredibly weaker and almost unplayable.

This is mainly due to the fact that shields don't stack and yet the mana cost remains the same. This non-stack includes stacking aspected helios and aspected benefic and stacking with SCH succor and adlo - though you would rarely take double sch to anything so you wouldn't heal in nocturnal with a SCH. Nocturnal shields are slightly lower potency as well in comparison to SCH potency.

In diurnal atleast you have the opportunity to stack aspected helios and aspected benefic on one player - you don't feel like you are wasting mana overriding the spell.

The MP cost in nocturnal stance outweighs the benefits. Maybe some free cast procs on Aspected benefic or helios would make nocturnal stance more attractive.

[rylai]

Iirc our hots do stack with each other

They don't unless they've recently fixed it.

(Unless you're talking about Aspected Helios/Benefic which do. Just to be clear.)

[RiisWolf]

The Nocturnal Sect needs a better boost in power than 5%. The asp. benefic is more efficient than Stoneskin, it costs less, heals, instant cast, is as powerful for most players (pure vit tanks) your ilvl, and it can also crit. However, you will be putting in more work with healing in general than Diurnal Sect. Nocturnal Sect is for healing only, and even though the barriers are helpful, the bonuses makes this sect pretty much broken even if a White Mage in the party with you. And having a White Mage in the party will increase everyone's Mind stat.

Diurnal Sect's regens are nothing to write home about, but they will stack with a WHM's regen effects. The asp. Benefic costs more than Regen and has a weaker effect, but unlike the WHM's Regen it does do an instant heal. Diurnal Sect is the go to sect for all things. You cast spells faster, which boosts your healing AND DPS, where as Nocturnal Sect only benefits healing.

[chumsy]

I dont understand why they didnt allow SCH and AST shields to stack, they come from completely different jobs, so it should, as they do with regens with WHM. the AST class is so broken right now, i suspect they will fix it as the expansion matures.

[MidnightTundra]

WHMs regens stack and SCHs shields do not. It is the same concept here. AST and SCH shields don't stack as well. They don't want shields trivializing mechanics. Regens don't dramatically boost your effective HP; shields boost your effective HP.

AST is far from broken. It's just a tad bit weaker than the other two healers at the moment.

[Tyla_Esmeraude]

I've rarely used Nocturnal. Only when there's a WHM in party during easy 8-man dungeons just to get more familiar with it. I've also used it when solo'ing FATE NM's in the new areas (lvl 59 NMs, I was lvl 58 AST at the time) to try it out. Needless to say, I realized that Diurnal would've made the soloing easier. The shield is just not strong enough when you are getting crit hit 3 times in a row lol and I ended up using more MP trying to keep myself alive. I wish Nocturnal was more useful, I really like the moon icon, it's cute. D:

[chumsy]

WHMs regens stack and SCHs shields do not. It is the same concept here. AST and SCH shields don't stack as well. They don't want shields trivializing mechanics. Regens don't dramatically boost your effective HP; shields boost your effective HP.

AST is far from broken. It's just a tad bit weaker than the other two healers at the moment.

Aside from the fact theres never a reason to be in nocturnal stance. They could just have the shields potency be reduced when stacked, like 50%. At least youll get something out of it rather than just an expensive cure I. As it stands now: WHM/SCH > WHM/WHM > SCH/SCH > WHM/AST > SCH/AST > AST/AST.

[MidnightTundra]

You're missing the most important part of Nocturnal Stance's Aspected Benefic. It's 354 mana cheaper than Adloquium and Aspected Benefic is instant cast (I value mobility a lot).

There's never a reason to be in Nocturnal because there hasn't been a fight in 3.x where we needed mitigation. SCH is just preferred over AST because the job is just better.