I don't think I'm cut out to be a healer. x_x

[NocturniaUzuki]

Adding DPS to your healer rotation, especially in Lv60+ dungeons, is really something for advanced Healers - especially if the tank is pulling anything more than 3 mobs. In order to DPS on large pulls you need to know exactly what you have the time to do and how you will recover from it. If you want to cast a DPS spell while the tank requires constant Benefic II casts just to survive, you're going to need to somehow create that time. For AST, you don't have many options in this regard. One thing you could do is use Largesse, put an enhanced regen on the tank, and that might let you cast a single DPS spell occasionally. Alternatively, if you're in Nocturnal Sect, you might try using Aspected Benefic for the shield, the using a DPS spell. But overall, AST is not the best class to DPS with on healer. Its actual DPS potential is low, even if you have time to be DPSing. The current top DPS healer is WHM. What WHM can do is top off the tank, use DB, then Holy spam to stun the enemies a couple times, letting you fit in a few casts. You can also use oGCD heals between these casts after the stuns wear off. You can do this on AST too, but it's important to be aware of whether you will need those oGCDs to save the tank later. If the tank is actually taking more damage than can be sustained just with Benefic II/Cure II spam, then you'll need to use oGCD heals/shields to match the incoming damage. If you used all of those oGCDs to enable healer DPS earlier, then the tank is going to die.

So ultimately, it really comes down to a lot of judgment calls from the healer on how much damage the tank is going to take.

[Maxilor]

But overall, AST is not the best class to DPS with on healer. Its actual DPS potential is low, even if you have time to be DPSing.

Haven't leveled Astro very high but I can already tell that Astrologian is unique in that most of their DPS comes from bettering your teammate's DPS through cards. If I have time I'll DOT a few mobs, but otherwise I find it better to just focus on Healing/Card Management.

Am I right in my thinking?

[OcieKo]

Haven't leveled Astro very high but I can already tell that Astrologian is unique in that most of their DPS comes from bettering your teammate's DPS through cards. If I have time I'll DOT a few mobs, but otherwise I find it better to just focus on Healing/Card Management.

Am I right in my thinking?

Yep even on a dummy feeding itself cards, AST is bottom of the barrel DPS. After Star Bomb and trying to spread Combusts, honestly your average pull might only give you time for 2-3 gravities in lvling content before mobs start dying. Bosses we can buy ourselves quite a bit of time tho.

Basically at the moment I wait for the tank to pull everything they want to pull, but if they start taking a lot of damage fast, I throw Regen AB on them, otherwise I wait until they stop pulling to put Regen on them. I'll start with Benefic 1 to keep them over 80%, but if he takes more damage than I can heal, I'll use Benefic 2 instead. If they take an especially large chunk of damage I'll use Essential Dignity. I throw in Earthly Star to supplement healing as well as do damage and I use any Lady of the Crowns I get as a back up Essential Dignity to use when ED is on cooldown.

For AOE I'll use Helios unless the team is taking consistent damage or they took a big hit and are safe for a while before another hit comes, for those times I use the regen Helio. I use Nocturnal Sect for older dungeons as it seems more effective and usually the shield lasts for a whole pull or a good bit of time on a boss fight.

Get in the habit of watching your average heal numbers and your Benefic 2 crit numbers (for procs). Then you can change to bigger gaps of health, i.e. I Bene 2 crit between 24-30k atm, so if its procced ill let a tank slide down to 20-25k missing before I cast, and hold off the bene 1 for a bit to allow it. When you know its going to crit because of the proc, Bene 2s MP and GCD efficiency skyrockets, also if your using lightspeed a lot, it cuts CD time for that off.

Also learn where your Earthly Star's non-crit is at and try to maintain the tanks health right where ES will cap em out, or they will be down that far when it naturally explodes. If your willing to wait it out its effectively a free Bene 2 with a perk of topping off derpy DPS.

Big habit I'm having trouble with myself is using lightspeed more often, but its quite nice for spam AOE heal phases with its 25% cost reduction and super short half sec Helios, AHelios casts. Not just a spam Bene2 button. Also nice as a booster to Lucid Dreaming/Celestial Opposition Combo, less mp used, more mp regened. Downside tho, might as well not DPS while its up, given that it makes it even worse.

[Taika]

Haven't leveled Astro very high but I can already tell that Astrologian is unique in that most of their DPS comes from bettering your teammate's DPS through cards. If I have time I'll DOT a few mobs, but otherwise I find it better to just focus on Healing/Card Management.


Am I right in my thinking?

Haven't played SCH and my WHM isn't 70 yet so can't compare numbers, but in expert dungeons my low item level AST has been able to do over 1k average DPS throughout the dungeons in addition to using cards to boost party DPS, so it's definitely worth it.

Get in the habit of watching your average heal numbers and your Benefic 2 crit numbers (for procs). Then you can change to bigger gaps of health, i.e. I Bene 2 crit between 24-30k atm, so if its procced ill let a tank slide down to 20-25k missing before I cast, and hold off the bene 1 for a bit to allow it. When you know its going to crit because of the proc, Bene 2s MP and GCD efficiency skyrockets, also if your using lightspeed a lot, it cuts CD time for that off.

Also learn where your Earthly Star's non-crit is at and try to maintain the tanks health right where ES will cap em out, or they will be down that far when it naturally explodes. If your willing to wait it out its effectively a free Bene 2 with a perk of topping off derpy DPS.

Good advice here!

[LazyTitan87]

Adding DPS to your healer rotation, especially in Lv60+ dungeons, is really something for advanced Healers - especially if the tank is pulling anything more than 3 mobs. In order to DPS on large pulls you need to know exactly what you have the time to do and how you will recover from it.

IDK, I just kind of guess.