Another WHM chicken little sees the sky falling. The sky is an AST.

[Exiled_Tonberry]

It's always been this way, and it always will be so long as WHM keeps it's identity as a pure healer. It's just way too razor thin and flimsy of a idea to build on. A healer that can heal slightly more than the rest, yet brings absolutely nothing else of value. This along with SE's idea that all healers should be able to equally heal content just makes WHM come off as redundant.

That's why whenever I hear of AST or SCH buffs, I get nervous, because WHM is already barely relevant past the progres phase and pugs. And just like with DRK, SE seems adamant of their claim that they're perfectly ok and need nothing else as they continue to add buffs after buffs to the other two healers.

SCH is already, once again, the best healer bar none, and AST is looking to tighten up the small holes it had, MP and clipping. Meanwhile what about WHMs enmity gain? What about WHMs lack of any utility whatsoever? This is just going down the same path 3.3 did at this rate.

[Sylvain]

, I get nervous, because WHM is already barely relevant past the progres phase and pugs.
.

So the only moment where it actually matters basically? I mean, I understand many people enjoy optimisation and clearing the boss a few seconds faster. I used to be hardcore progression in WoW Tbc to Cata, so I know what optimisation of the very last little dps% is
But I've personally got my experience from a guilde which valued progression above personnal achievement / raid achievement. In otherwords, we didn't care how good the first kill was as long as it was dead and we'd use anything to reach that kill before. And once dead we wouldn't change much if anything EVEN if there were potentially more optimal solution as gear and experience would carry us through the fight anyway.

I don't say that's the case for most people but I don't think most people would rather wipe more just so that when they eventually get the kill it's 10-15sec faster than with a WHM. At least I wouldn't, as long as the boss dies, I couldn't care less if it dies in 5,30min or 5,48min. (This is also why I hate progression group going for risky cheesy strat just so they can "gain 3sec" of dps even tho it'll actually cost tons of wipe)


Same for pugs, AST buff are great when people can stay alive. On some fight I've given up using my AST when doing pugs, there's no point, people just keep dying, I rather go for my WHM and push the fight a bit forward.

WHM keep complaining that they bring nothing yet they have more uploaded parse and are on more first kills than AST.

@Moro
Regarding the buff, I would be extremely surprised if Helios get potency buff. Adjustment perhaps (like, stronger base less hots or vice-verca). I also believe it's only the range thing or maybe even a slight mana cost reduction.

As for Malefic I'm sure it's only for the card clipping. Altough I'd like to see its potency buffed a little because honestly it does bugger all and it was a pain to level up to 70 using wet blue sparks. (They're very pretty tho)

I main AST and I personally do not want to encroach on healing, I want to encroach on buff and utility.
I rolled AST because the selling points was the cards. Now personally, after looking at some log showing DPS contribution from players (so, rdps by buffs and stuff), I'm bitter to see that SCH often brings more rdps to the table than AST even with plenty of AoE balance.

So I understand your feeling regarding AST healing being buffed. As an AST I don't really wish for that. I think my healing is fine and I actually expect that my weaker heal should be patched by the other healer. What I do not enjoy is seeing SCH bringing more rdps and heal and everything than both WHM and AST.

Perhaps WHM pure healing identity would be in a better shape if healers in general were less OP. If running oom was a serious risk anytime people take remotely too much damage, if healer couldn't top a raid with 2-3 AoE heals. If overall fight would require more heal and healer had less mana I'm sure your identity wouldn't suffer.
The current issue is that healers have too much free time in raid.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much honestly
Unless the new ultimate require somehow "little" heal and lot of dps, (more than baha fight comparatively), my guess is that we'll see WHM SCH again.

[Shurrikhan]

It's always been this way, and it always will be so long as WHM keeps it's identity as a pure healer. It's just way too razor thin and flimsy of a idea to build on.

While I agree that "pure healer" is too thin a theme to build on, I don't think that's what's denying WHM value at this point. There are many things you could excuse of, or would even be a perfect fit for, a pure healer that would help to mitigate WHM's shortcoming.

For instance, you could as easily have a "pure healer" whose heals grant bonus Attack Magic Potency (say, stacking at gradually tapering effect over some 12 seconds or so, continuously fading), which would push towards tighter rDPS parity without having to go so far as to eclipse a SCH or AST's niche; it'd still largely be a WHM's or "pure healer's" niche in that it wants intensive healing dealt, but simply now rewards those scenarios further, as not to be denied from all fights and compositions.