AST vs SCH?

[KDSilver]

Aspected benefic shield is actually 575 potency.
Why ? Because Nocturnal Sect has a passive healing potency increase of 15%, and 250% of barrier of the initial potency.

Aspected Helios shields are 258 potency.

Adlo is 300, critadlo is 600.
Succor is 225.

Aspected Benefic (575) > Adlo (300)
Critadlo (600) > Aspected Benefic (non crit)
Aspected Helios (258) > Succor (225)

Also, the reason Ast have fewer mana cost is because its mana managment is a bit different from scholar which has Aetherflow every 45s (with the trait), energy drain and lucid dreaming, which are pure mana regen while Ast only has Lucid Dreaming and lightspeed, which half cost, but doesn't bring mana back.

As for which one's the best.
Potencies alone, Ast wins (except for a deployed critlo from Scholar,which is 600 aoe).
But to really tell which one's the best at "shielding" (i'd say mitigating), sch is better for various reasons (more sustained and free heals thanks to the fairy and aetherflow action), better "mitigation" overall (sacred soil 30s, fairy magical damage buff).
Ast relays far more on his shield alone, and sometimes on Collective Unconciousness but its CD is longer (and the bole is RNG,but you wouldn't want to erase a party dps buff for mitigation).

So while Aspected Benefic being so powerful is awesome,that's more the whole kit that also matters.

The difference is however not that significant once in combat cause, sch "weaker" potencies are enough to mitigate incoming damage.
Ast shields are a lot stronger because, like I said, it relies more on those as a mitigation healer.