WHM getting progressively more unnecessary in content?

[Exiled_Tonberry]

I don't understand why dps matters so much once you meet certain thresholds for phase skipping and enrages.

The real question is can WHM's increased healing potential help recover from mistakes in valuable ways? If not, what can be done about it?

More DPS is never a bad thing. If you can finish a 5 min fight in 3 mins thanks to AST people will take it.
It's possible to do some very interesting phase skips with the power of AST. Such as A11 skipping the Lapis lazuli orbs entirely.

As far as what WHMs extra healing potency actually does for a raid.... nothing actually. The slightly higher regen potency is insignificant except on paper, which doesn't mean much in actual battle.
Cure, Cure II and Medica are actually overall weaker than it's benefic and Helios counterparts because of the sect effect on AST. Cure III hasn't been really needed since 2.0.

[Thrivaios]

More DPS is never a bad thing. If you can finish a 5 min fight in 3 mins thanks to AST people will take it.

...

I have to really agree with you here at the very least about the A11 phase skips. If I can kick off some really well timed (and blessed RNG) balances and arrows, it's easy to completely skip this phase and go straight into the next.

As for Cure III I also agree. As sad as it is there are so few instances when it's truly beneficial that I moved it to my third hotbar which is for occasional use skills. It's also only worth it when the proc happens to halve its cost.

What basically ended up happening with AST was they took the best from both SCH and WHM and pieced them together, adding in a whole other level of benefit. Like you said, in the 3 healer meta WHM needs a new gimmick basically. Healing alone isn't going to cut it anymore.