What do you think makes Astrologian so strong?

[Heilstos]

It's a very interesting question. I think the strength of the astrologer can be justified by the flexibility of the healing forms and the pure support in the form of a damage buff through the cards (which, however, is called an unimaginative idea by some of the community).

Let's take a look at Diuanalfrom:

Because of the possibilities that hots can put, there is a high HP for the astrologer, although this health output is influenced by OGCDs.

Thus, these OGCDs enable the astrologer to ensure a regulated healing flow. The problem with the story, however, is that players need to understand how these OGCDs pack together. e.g. let the bubble be stacked with CO by the astrologer and therefore no aspected Helios has to be used.

Now look at the Nocturnal form:

This healing form is underestimated by many players! Because in the first place this form should not catch up with HPS output. Rather, this form should negate damage as best as possible (so that it hardly needs to be healed). In this case, too, the nocturnal field (created by asp. Helios) and CO are both stacked together and a larger shield can be built up. If we look at the bubble astrologers it is so that they keep in line for 20 seconds (!!!) there is a 10% mitigation buff (which can be extended up to 40 seconds) on a 60 second CD additionally a healthy AoE heal with Helios.

Flexibility has its costs, doesn't it?

Since Shadowbringers and the neutral sect. the astro completely breaks through the force of the stances. (Only 20% boosted for 20sec and every 120 sec). So that the disadvantage "your stance influences your healing form" is no longer as important as ever.
In Diurnal there are shields that are welcome and in Nocturnal there are hots that support the Co. Healer in both forms.

If you feel you can do everything, where is the disadvantage?

The card system is stressful to play, which is also okay with the strong heal output from the GGCDs.Another weakness of the astrologer is the lack of a second mana regeneration effect the functionality of this spell is so enormous that the mana cost reduction cannot be taken as an integral part of this talent. This could be avoided by the piety of Marteria, which makes much of the community reluctant. However, it is noted for new players.

[AnotherPerson]

ASTs do better on average because they have better sustained healing output. WHM are still on top for raw healing with regens, SCH still have better shield abilities, but in terms of letting heal over time work their magic, AST beats them both due to stacking abilities in this specific scenario.

ASTs can both shield and stack regens - and Regens are known to be more effective in potency. However, they are hit heavier with a death because both regens and shields are weaker, which causes them to raw heal to make up for the loss when incoming damage is greater than what the regens can keep up. The problem is that ASTs lack mana sustainability compared to the other two so this problem is magnified significantly on death. Most of the times however, ASTs will not be dying as content is very easy or they are forced to learn content to use Earthly Star properly.

With pure raw healing and some regens, WHM has answers for a lot of mistakes. SCH naturally has answers to mistakes even if they don't have as potent as WHM in heals because shields add a pure HP buffer. ASTs have an answer for both but to a lesser extent. However, on a more general level - when players are playing optimally and doing mechanics, a lot of damage can be neglected - which means a lot of pure raw healing isn't needed. Damage doesn't happen as frequent so what this translates to is that ASTs are more streamlined to fit encounter design moreso than the other two by enabling regens to work.

They also have a lot of flexibility and variability with the card system - giving them a lot of things to do to support the team - at the same time they have a lot of weaving to do within A GCD window so they're constantly busy.

Basically, ASTs have a better average floor to adjust but a higher skill ceiling than the other two. This is also due to the ShB nerfs to healer kits overall. ASTs were technically supposed to be on the weaker side, but they were nerfed to the point where it becomes very difficult to play at the start of ShB since their HoTs/Shields aren't good enough that they had to be buffed to compensate. They were also buffed because a lot of people dislike the card system currently to the point lots of people still wouldn't play AST based on loss of identity.

[Rilifane]

Several reasons:

1. very mobile thanks to fastcasts, almost completely negates uptime loss even while learning fights; you can even ferry mechanics so others can move less and keep better uptime
2. free single weave every Malefic cast, making our oGCD heals 100% free while WHM and SCH have to pay opportunity costs outside of dot refresh or ED Ruin II for SCH
3. least dps loss and more gain from GCD heals thanks to Neutral/ Horoscope/ Synastry IF you actually have to hardcast - which doesn't happen at all in most fights
4. free mitigation from CU on relatively short cooldown (although timing and placement in Diurnal is admittedly more difficult than pushing Temperance)
5. wide array of oGCD heals, some of them extremely strong like Earthly Star
6. cards and Divination are % bases which are prone to power creep and outperform raw dps extremely early; escpecially if said raw dps is prone to dps loss from moving/ healing

AST combines powerhouse free healing with easily sustained dps uptime and least dps loss from GCD heals.
If not for the annoying "targets both healers" mechanics you would see a lot of solo heal parties with AST pop up.

The only minor drawback AST has is the MP economy which can be easily circumvented by melding some Piety or switching to Piety gear and buff food for prog.

Now look at the Nocturnal form:

This healing form is underestimated by many players! Because in the first place this form should not catch up with HPS output. Rather, this form should negate damage as best as possible (so that it hardly needs to be healed). In this case, too, the nocturnal field (created by asp. Helios) and CO are both stacked together and a larger shield can be built up. If we look at the bubble astrologers it is so that they keep in line for 20 seconds (!!!) there is a 10% mitigation buff (which can be extended up to 40 seconds) on a 60 second CD additionally a healthy AoE heal with Helios.
.

Why would you chose to hardcast before the damage just so you have a shield and have less to heal afterwards when you can simply eat the damage (provided that the shield isn't absolutely vital for survival) and let free, strong regens heal it afterwards? Unless you need the shield to survive, it's less efficien and costs you time and MP you could've spent elsewhere.
CI in Noct is crazy good for tank upkeep but the shields from Asp. Helios are probably the least interesting thing about Noct. Not to mention you can plan Neutral IF you absolutely need a shield.

[Absurdity]

SCH still have better shield abilities

Quick PSA that Succor is literally worse than nocturnal Aspected Helios potency wise.


Now does that mean that SCH has worse shields? Not really but it's still ridiculous to me.


Nocturnal AST: has Celestial Opposition, a 250 potency aoe shield oGCD on a 60 seconds cooldown.


SCH: has Seraph's Consolation, a 300 potency aoe shield with 2 charges on a 120 seconds cooldown...and since SE decided to make the fairy braindead again after fixing it in SB that's basically also an oGCD.


Nocturnal AST: Aspected Benefic, a 500 potency instant cast shield.


SCH: Adloqium, a 375 potency (not factoring in the bonus on a crit) shield with a base cast time of 2 seconds. You could use Recitation to make it a guaranteed 750 potency shield but that means you're basically giving up 1 Aetherflow.


Nocturnal AST: Aspected Helios, a 250 potency aoe shield with a base cast time of 2 seconds.


SCH: Succor, a 225 potency aoe shield with a base cast time of 2 seconds.

[AnotherPerson]

Quick PSA that Succor is literally worse than nocturnal Aspected Helios potency wise.

Now does that mean that SCH has worse shields? Not really but it's still ridiculous to me.

Oh, when I refer SCH has better shields I mean they have better flexibility in shielding and potential shield values. For shielding values alone, AST and SCH shield values are in competitive range.

Yeah, looking at GCD AoE, potency wise Succor is worse. I do think SCH needs a buff in that regard. Thankfully the difference is that unlike AST, SCH has abilities to bolster their true potency value on their spells which are already fairly close in effective potency. I believe Nocturnal Asp. Benefic vs. Adlo is really a difference in job flavor - Adlo is weaker unless it crits and grants a double shield that it overpowers an AST asp. shield. Adlo is either a 375 potency shield or a 750 potency shield with a crit with 300 potency heal. With Fey illumination, Adlo becomes 412 potency/825 potency shield with crit and a 330 potency heal. With Dissipation, Adlo becomes 450 shield vs 900 shield with crit and a 360 potency heal. while AST's asp. benefic is a flat 500 that doesn't change with a 200 potency heal. If they gave more shield power to SCH, they would have to change the amount of raw healing done.

Don't forget Deployment Tactics too. Although it isn't as good as Celestial Opposition alone for raw mitigation or cd, if you pre-shield Adlo or Adlo before huge damage, SCH can spread that shield after in addition to Seraph's Consolation for more shield potency than succor. I do think Deployment tactics need a buff though, perhaps either lowering its cd and/or giving the Galvanized shield a boost even if it cannot extend Catalyze. Imo more ways to shield rather than dumping it all on one skill is much better as long as the shields aren't too weak.

That's not to say SCH isn't in a fairly terrible place right now and the fairy likes to ghost, but AST don't have as much shield flexibility than SCH - they have more survival power though thanks to being able to flop between regens and shields with their oGCDs. They do remain largely competitive with SCH though for that reason.

[YusiKha]

SCH: has Seraph's Consolation, a 300 potency aoe shield with 2 charges on a 120 seconds cooldown...and since SE decided to make the fairy braindead again after fixing it in SB that's basically also an oGCD.

Consolation is 210 potency, actually. SCH's pet actions have a 0.7x modifier due to the fairies having lower stats than the Scholar. (Earthly Star, which acts as a pet as well, is ~1x)

but AST don't have as much shield flexibility than SCH though for that reason.

SCH's only oGCD shielding is 2 within 20s on a 120s cooldown, versus AST's 1 per 60s. That's a lot more flexibility for AST than it is SCH.
SCH has an extra 10% buff they can put on their shields, but Neutral Sect's added regen more than doubles Aspected Benefic/Helios' potency.

Deployment Tactics is pretty worthless alltogether, as spreading a 375 potency shield is less effective than just casting a 405 potency Succor, also ensuring that peoples' HP is topped.
If I would change Deployment, I'd change its effects to restoring broken shields (Galvanise and Seraphic Veil, but not Catalyse) to full strength and refreshing their duration

[Risvertasashi]

Do you mean strength in DPS, or strength overall?

DPS is relatively simple - high potencies, high mobility.

Overall? Well, let's take a look at what made SCH god tier for so long. Mobility was also a component but what I wish to highlight more: "regen vs shield" has always been a very false dichotomy. SCH, despite being a "shield" healer, has some very strongest regen - and still has the strongest single-target regen in the game. ShB, then, marked AST gaining shields in its regen stance, and (more) regens in its shield stance. This, in combination with its high mobility and DPS capabilities, pushed AST to the point where SCH is no longer the guaranteed slot, and every optimal healer combination 'should' feature an AST.

SCH+AST is still very slightly stronger than WHM+AST, but that WHM+AST is competitive at all is a milestone in the game's balance history. Never before has Nocturnal Sect been this good.

As a side effect, this combination of capabilities has not only made AST such a strong asset in a standard party setting, it's also pushed AST to the point where it can solo heal content that no other healer can do.

[Absurdity]

Consolation is 210 potency, actually. SCH's pet actions have a 0.7x modifier due to the fairies having lower stats than the Scholar. (Earthly Star, which acts as a pet as well, is ~1x)

I do remember the that the fairy has lower stats, I just left it out because I wasn't sure if that is still the case since the rework. But now that you mentioned it I'm reminded of another problem I have with the current terrible Fairy design, your complete lack of control over Embrace.

[VictorTheed]

I can't remember the name of the move but it's the one that takes away cast times for a period of time, plus I like nocturnal stance's shields, so that's what off the top of my head I like about Astro.

[Absurdity]

As awful as the current card system is I like that it exists, it gives AST atleast something to do besides spamming the same button when there is no healing required. Being able to weave something between each Malefic cast makes it a lot less boring than the other two healers.