The only thing I would change of AST

[tjw]

I get what you mean with Ninjutsu, though until AST it was the only CD that functioned that way, so I feel like it could have been treated like the outlier among secondary-effect CDs, rather than the necessary precedent for Draw or Spread. But the Forbidden Chakra doesn't actually go either way. It has zero cooldown interaction with Meditation, its prep or primary effect. The fifth Meditation changes Meditation to the Forbidden Chakra outright; the fifth ability/weaponskill cooldown doesn't actually trigger any lockout of TFC apart from animation lock, nor does TFC itself trigger any cooldown for Meditation. I don't see the relation...

Forbidden Chakra works similar to Spread, rather than Draw/Ninjutsu. The ability actually has a 5 second cooldown which is practically negligible, however, much like how Spread goes on cooldown after using the spread card but Draw doesn't, Forbidden Chakra goes on cooldown but not Meditation.

And the only precedent for Draw's cooldown mechanic is Ninjutsu. No other ability before Heavensward had multiple abilities stemming from a singular source as Ninjutsu and Draw does. So it makes sense for those two to share the same cooldown mechanic.

[Shurrikhan]

Forbidden Chakra works similar to Spread, rather than Draw/Ninjutsu. The ability actually has a 5 second cooldown which is practically negligible, however, much like how Spread goes on cooldown after using the spread card but Draw doesn't, Forbidden Chakra goes on cooldown but not Meditation.

The TFC cooldown itself does nothing as it takes 4.8s + activation time (considerably more, depending on your ping, than .2s), though, unlike Draw. I'm honestly not sure why it's there--it makes zero difference. Like Ninjutsu, it may give precedent programming to some extent, but there's no similarity in gameplay effect. TFC's 5s CD does nothing. Similarly, there is no reason to hold a Ninjutsu, except to prep for a coming add to get the oGCDs out of the way; it advance the CD, and cannot be woven. A delay in Draw's card use, however, is weavable, often ideal for the buff's target, and yet the AST is punished for doing so solely by nature of that cooldown's trigger timing (on release, rather than on use - 1 click just to see what you have, another to use it). In either case though, my point is that AST gameplay would feel more powerful through its own unique toolset, while gaining QoL changes that make it feel both more tactical and yet lenient, if Draw and Spread simply triggered the cooldown the other way, in the background (like TFC's pointless 5s CD while restacking Chakra). Though, ideally, I'd still want those slight changes to Ewer/Spire (combine) and Spear as well. Those are all the changes I'd want for AST.

[Archvile78]

I mainly use CO + Luminiferous Aether, that extra 5 seconds of MP regen is handy. Sometimes, i also use it to stun big pull then immediatly chain it with CU.

[Alistaire]

I mainly use CO + Luminiferous Aether, that extra 5 seconds of MP regen is handy. Sometimes, i also use it to stun big pull then immediatly chain it with CU.

Exactly this. A stunned pull right before Collective Unconscious means 4 more seconds of uptime and pretty much negates the possibility of using CU then needing to avoid an aoe so fast that the regen doesn't apply.

Also I've said this in several other threads and it's as true here:

You can't balance jobs based on individual abilities. No ability "needs a buff". Only jobs. If a job underperforms, you buff it by buffing one or more abilities. You might as well say foresight needs a buff. Sure it's underwhelming but it's a tool all tanks have access to, and nobody says "man I wish tanks could foresight better"; it's the whole package that counts.

And yes AST overall is still underwhelming, so the idea of buffing this ability isn't necessarily a bad idea. But if it's a good idea it's not because of the ability itself but the job using it.