Quote Originally Posted by Gemina View Post
I didn't bring up Baelsar's Wall because I feel it's relevant content, I brought it up because I carried a group through it despite adjusting to the AST changes, which were significant enough to affect how the job plays before max level.

Let's face it, if it can't get the job done @50, 60, 70; it's not going to get it done at 80 either. At the time of my post, I had not run HS with my AST yet but I've taken it through it several times now, and what I have surmised about the job has not changed. I still casted plenty Gravity outside of LS; lots of Benifect IIs, etc. Still no MP problems. There was one wipe, but silly DRK pulled wall to wall after the first boss, and didn't use Living Dead. Other than that, healing was not an issue in there.

To your credit though, even HS isn't all that good of a reference point to gauge any of the healers in ShB considering at 72 all of them just get upgrades to their DoT and filler spells; hardly a game changer. Running 70+ dungeons however, does give AST access to Sleeve Draw, which allows for better efficiency with Divination. I already have my own issues with that skill, which I pointed out in my last post.
You're still missing the point. Baelsar's Wall has been nerfed, thereby making it completely pointless as a comparison. AST being capable of healing gimped content does not mean it will measure up with current content. For reference sake, I can mass pull Xelphtol on DRG with Bloodbath. That's how weak the mobs are. You claim Holminster Switch isn't a good reference point except... it is. The mobs there aren't nerfed into the ground. This, in turn, makes huge pulls much harder on AST than any level 60 dungeon. My BFF, having recently leveled AST had no issues whatsoever with the old content regardless of small pulls or wall to wall mega pulls. With the 70+ dungeons, she was struggling on MP mightily. Why? Because like I said, those mobs aren't a complete laughing stock.

Quote Originally Posted by Gemina View Post
That really is a huge discrepancy if that number is true. If it is true, it's going to get addressed. However, AST DPS by itself was always a snorefest. What makes made it interesting was all the weaving they get to do between Malefic/Gravity spamming. They still get to do this. Between my filler spamming, there was a consistent amount of draws, redraws, plays, and minor arcanas keeping me busy. Those three charges of redraw fill quickly, then add sleeve draw on top of it all and it feels like I'm always drawing cards. This means that those 6% buffs are consistently going out, and almost feels like upkeep than an actual buff. We're going to have see those savage numbers ran to see what exactly an optimal AST is doing to rDPS to really know.
Except... they don't. AST struggles so much right now that weaving in Gravities outside of Lightspeed can easily get the tank killed if they do giant pulls. WHM does not have this problem whatsoever nor does SCH. That is the fundamental issue people have beyond how boring AST has become. It simply cannot heal like the other two while also having all its utility significantly reduced. I would like to believe the devs will address this quickly but DRK, WHM and MCH waited the entirety of Stormblood before their needs were addressed. Forgive me if I lack faith AST will see immediate attention by 4.05.