White Mage is falling behind while Astro keeps getting buffs

[HyperiusUltima]

I’m starting to believe that the only place WHM has at this point in the tier is O10S and Akh Morns, because AST outplays it by a mile and a half on Diurnal. Based on what I’ve seen, there aren’t as many mechanics that require Cure 3 to power through that AST can already provide through cards and regens(40 pot).

I think that to fix WHM and give it a place to stand out would be to break the job itself, similarly to how they broke BRD and AST as a job back in Heavensward. It’ll give them time to understand what’s wrong with WHM, similarly as to how they figured out what was wrong with AST.

[IanFrench]

Maybe its not AST or WHM, maybe it's simply that the other job, all three healer roles should be equally viable.
It's unfair to have one job secure a place and the other two fight for the one left.

[IttyBitty]

Maybe its not AST or WHM, maybe it's simply that the other job, all three healer roles should be equally viable.
It's unfair to have one job secure a place and the other two fight for the one left.

WHM *can't* compete with SCH for that spot (since WHM isn't a mitigative healer), so we don't waste our time making a deal out of it.

Until mitigation is massively devalued in favour of raw healing, this will continue to be the case.

[Seredeelfer]

WHM *can't* compete with SCH for that spot (since WHM isn't a mitigative healer), so we don't waste our time making a deal out of it.

Until mitigation is massively devalued in favour of raw healing, this will continue to be the case.

Preventing damage is (almost) always going to be preferred to healing it up afterwards, at least in every game I've played. I think the devs tried to address this with Primordial Crust, an interesting approach.

[Risvertasashi]

Preventing damage is (almost) always going to be preferred to healing it up afterwards, at least in every game I've played. I think the devs tried to address this with Primordial Crust, an interesting approach.

In FFXIV, HoTs are vastly more efficient and powerful than shields. The use case for shields is when the party or tank cannot survive a big hit without them, or if there's a White Hole-esque mechanic following up on such a hit. Otherwise, in optimal play, shields are typically not worth the cost and time (exceptions: benison, the blackest night, and other oGCD shields that are free or low cost).

Saying SCH's strength is in shields is a misassessment, otherwise Nocturnal AST wouldn't be so bad (even during that patch where they were buffed upwards so much). SCH's strength is in having a pet that can dispense a variety of heals at no MP cost and no GCD cost. Including the most powerful single-target HoT in the game by several times, and a very powerful party HoT.

Of course the shields aren't bad, especially something like a critlo deploy. But they're on the GCD and costly - both in terms of MP and DPS. Good scholars avoid shielding as much as possible. And they do have the powerful HoTs to do so.

This is also why even in a WHM+AST composition, Diurnal AST is preferred unless someone absolutely cannot survive without the shields. The HoTs are just so much more powerful and efficient.

[LadyKairi]

I’m starting to believe that the only place WHM has at this point in the tier is O10S and Akh Morns, because AST outplays it by a mile and a half on Diurnal. Based on what I’ve seen, there aren’t as many mechanics that require Cure 3 to power through that AST can already provide through cards and regens(40 pot).

I think that to fix WHM and give it a place to stand out would be to break the job itself, similarly to how they broke BRD and AST as a job back in Heavensward. It’ll give them time to understand what’s wrong with WHM, similarly as to how they figured out what was wrong with AST.

To be honest, you don’t even need a whm for o10s. My static uses sch/ast and we don’t have any issues. A well timed ES and Indom pretty much accomplishes the same thing, then regens can top everyone off.