Feedback on the current 5.0 design philosophy for healers.

[Ekimmak]

The aetherflow combat requirement is most likely so that people stop holding up the raid so they can start with a full deck.

... I don't see why they can't just have something like "5 second cooldown outside of combat". It might be more work, but surely that's better than breaking SCH's legs off.

[Endeleon]

The aetherflow combat requirement is most likely so that people stop holding up the raid so they can start with a full deck.

... I don't see why they can't just have something like "5 second cooldown outside of combat". It might be more work, but surely that's better than breaking SCH's legs off.

People keep saying this, but in all my time I have NEVER seen a raid or anything wait for a Scholar's Aetherflow cooldown. Y'all need to stop with this nonsense. It's never happened. Not in EX, not in Savage, not in Alliance.

[Enla]

People keep saying this, but in all my time I have NEVER seen a raid or anything wait for a Scholar's Aetherflow cooldown. Y'all need to stop with this nonsense. It's never happened. Not in EX, not in Savage, not in Alliance.

Maybe they mean for SMN? I do remember people in the Healer forum speculating the nerf was to SMN and that SCH got slapped with it as well due to the dual nature of Arcanist. Likewise I've never had anyone wait on Aetherflow. The only time that's happened is when I'm completely out of MP and am trying to get at least back to half before continuing, but that's happened... Three times in group content I can remember? Normally if I'm out of MP I just stop casting for a bit to top myself up of late.

[HyoMinPark]

Very well thought-out post about the healers, and especially AST. I have to agree with most of what you wrote (though, I would put CU in the definite cons category when one compares it to the new Sacred Soil trait SCHs get at level 78). Small correction, though: Sleeve Draw has the same CD as Divination. It’s 180s now. I believe it’s used during your Divination window (under most circumstances outside of the opener to get your seals for the first Divination), but it begins to make the opening sequence for AST kind of clunky. A lot of double-weaving and throwing out cards—which I’m normally fine with—but you have to hope your MT is safely in the hands of your co-healer sometimes because you’re too busy juggling. And the payoff for all the busy-ness just doesn’t feel worth it: +6% for 15 seconds is just...sad. I don’t know of any other way to describe it.


I leveled AST to 80 after finishing the MSQ, and I have to say it was a shock. I also felt as if I was unnecessarily wearing training wheels, and that becomes even more obvious as I go through the same content on WHM. My healing felt noticeably weaker, as if I was having to work twice as hard to achieve the same results prior. The cards were so underwhelming that sometimes I didn’t bother with my “Always keep Draw on CD” mentality that I’ve had since I picked up the job in HW. I felt kind of worthless sometimes.

Celestial Intersection is nice, but I really dislike Horoscope, and wished it functioned closer to the new Plenary Indulgence on WHM, where you get that second healing after using Helios/Aspected Helios. Yeah, it would probably be overkill sometimes, but it would be much better than Horoscope > Helios > press Horoscope again and, if not, oh crap it just fell off. Neutral Sect is also really nice, but it sucks that it’s only available at level 80.

I’m leveling WHM now, and it’s night and day for me. Honestly, I may end up switching to a WHM main after AST being my go-to healer for 2 expansions now. I can comfortably heal and DPS in dungeons, even with larger pulls. Holy may not top the charts like it used to, but I still feel powerful and the Stun is very useful as mitigation on the tank for autos. Misery requires unnecessary healing sometimes, but at least it feels satisfying to do. Nothing in AST’s kit has really hit me with a sense of satisfaction from 70 to 80. Just...disappointment. And it honestly makes me really sad.


I can’t say much on SCH, as it’s always been my least played healer and I haven’t touched it yet in ShB. But most SCHs I meet echo the same thing: it’s boring and unsatisfying to play now.