What makes WHM special? Nothing anymore.

[Slib]

I have been reading this thread with great interest, as I just got my first class to 60 yesterday (WHM). My AST is 51. And I am truly unsure as to which class I want to focus my eventual esoterics on.

From what I've gathered, the WHM has cooldowns that allow it to push its healing beyond that of the AST, and to have a bit more DPS and mana longevity.
But the AST has this entirely additional unique Cards system, while replicating most of the WHM's AE healing toolkit. It just seems that the AST can do most of what the WHM can do, but can also explore this entirely additional Cards-based system, or switch to shields. It just seems like the AST offers more variety? It seems that the White Mage has slightly stronger AE heals, but the AST has AE heals and an entirely different realm of gameplay. When I hit Assize on my WHM, it doesn't really feel like I'm engaging a unique system, but I do get that sense when I'm flipping through Cards on my AST.

Doing A1S and A2S as a WHM an Astro (post buff) I can say Astrologian is better for those fights by far. MP was actually better on my astro than my white mage due to less mp costs of heals and get an ewer card or two with 20 second duration AE compared to 15 seconds Shroud (Spear card lowers these cds too). I could solo heal any harsh mechanic like double prey + tank buster thanks to synastry + 40 second cooldown OGCD healing ability with only benefic 1's and no 2's. Synastry allows some hardcore burst healing.

Then you are buffing the group and kill fights faster...yeah I'd go with Astro if you want to be the better healer in the group assuming you play it to its max.

If you aren't hardcore raiding and want to enjoy the job you enjoyed the most getting to level 60, then do that. White Mage and Astro are both viable healers for end game. Do what you enjoy then.