Please Tell Me If WHM is OKAY or Not

[Sarim]

In situations demanding heavy healing, the WHM is still the king. Big pull, and the tank is not using cooldowns correctly? Just heal through it, np. As SGE, you will struggle much more there (been there, done that).

Unfortunatly though, in most "normal" situations, heavy healing is not needed. And then you start to look at the bonuses other healers bring to the party (WHM doesn't have any really), or the obvious mp/cast time differences between WHM and the other "pure healer" AST.

I would still say WHM is a perfectly fine healer (and it is still my main), it only seems weaker if you compare it to other healers.

[ty_taurus]

In situations demanding heavy healing, the WHM is still the king. Big pull, and the tank is not using cooldowns correctly? Just heal through it, np. As SGE, you will struggle much more there (been there, done that).

Unfortunatly though, in most "normal" situations, heavy healing is not needed. And then you start to look at the bonuses other healers bring to the party (WHM doesn't have any really), or the obvious mp/cast time differences between WHM and the other "pure healer" AST.

I would still say WHM is a perfectly fine healer (and it is still my main), it only seems weaker if you compare it to other healers.

Um... This is kind of an odd statement. I suppose if you pretend that the other healers don't exist, then yes, WHM is the best healer in a WHM-only lens.

Casual content is realistically irrelevant for this type of discussion. Each healer is lightyears ahead of being capable of clearing any content, but high-end raiding actively threatens players with defeat--something dungeons can't even hope to achieve. It's in these situations where defeat is a real concern that players want to start looking at the nitty gritty, because even if an advantage is small, it's adding room for error that may just be the thing that separates a wipe from a clear. If you're in a party as a WHM that hits enrage when the boss is at 1%, there's a very real possibility that had you gone AST or SCH or SGE, you might've met that.

That's not to say that WHM is incapable of clearing or is bad at clearing. It's just difficult to advocate for it when it really doesn't have anything the other healers can't do and better. You can clear all of savage as a WHM and not really have any issues, but a lot of players might prefer the advantages the other healers offer to better there odds that any given messy run could result in a clear instead of a wipe.

[Rilifane]

I use to really love WHM but I've been leveling other healers, only because I've been warned WHM is not worth the effort. Is it true? PS, the character listed on the forum is not my main.

WHM is perfectly viable and can clear all content. However, the more demanding the content, the more you'll notice its weaknesses, like being MP negative by nature or having fewer tools than all other 3 healers to deal with incoming damage.
Any content up to savage will not strain any healer's toolkit and even for savage, the 1st and 2nd turn usually have fairly low healing requirement, so it only starts becoming more obvious in the 3rd and 4nd turn or in ultimate.

If you're mostly doing roulettes, some expert dungeons, maybe some Extremes here and there, play whatever you want. If you want to tackle the most difficult content (later savage turns & ultimates), it at least helps to be aware of weaknesses or have another healer at hand if you prefer to play whatever is more beneficial for the team. But you can play WHM just fine, if you want to. Most groups don't care who plays which healer as long as they get the job done somehow.

In situations demanding heavy healing, the WHM is still the king. Big pull, and the tank is not using cooldowns correctly? Just heal through it, np. As SGE, you will struggle much more there (been there, done that).

Unfortunatly though, in most "normal" situations, heavy healing is not needed. And then you start to look at the bonuses other healers bring to the party (WHM doesn't have any really), or the obvious mp/cast time differences between WHM and the other "pure healer" AST.

I would still say WHM is a perfectly fine healer (and it is still my main), it only seems weaker if you compare it to other healers.

Since you mentioned SGE, I'll make a comparison between SGE and WHM.
So we have a tank pulling big in dungeons but not using mitigation, lots of single target heal required.

SGE has a total of 5023 free single target heal potency per minute on average, not factoring in Kardia auto heals except for Soteria, snapshotting heal buffs or using Rhizomata.
If you're dpsing for 50% of the time, Kardia auto heals amount to 1560 before 85 and 2040 at 85+. And we're talking about dpsing only 50% of the time which is... quite low even for tanks not mitigating.
6583 until 85
7063 at 85+ when only dpsing half the time

Level 90: Zoe + Pneuma, 900 potency on 2min = 450 potency/ minute
Level 80: Panhaima, 1200 potency on 2min = 600 potency/ minute
Level 78: Enh. Kerachole, 500 potency on 30s = 1000 potency/ minute
Level 76: Holos: 300 potency on 2min = 150 potency/ minute
Level 70: Haima: 1800 potency on 2min = 900 potency/ minute
Level 62: Taurochole: 700 potency on 45s = 933 potency/ minute
Level 60: Physis II: 650 potency/ minute
Level 35: Soteria (+85 trait): 510 potency on 90s = 340 potency/ minute,
without trait it's 280 potency per minute

WHM has 3833 free singlet target healing per minute on average, without factoring in heal buff snapshotting.
In big pulls, at 74+ (Misery), Solatus becomes dps neutral/ a dps gain, so it's additional 1400 potency below 85 and 1600 additional potency at 85+.
3833 until 74
5233 until 85
5433 at 85+

Level 90: Lilybell 1000 (auto heal, as tank damage doesn't trigger it) on 3min = 333 potency/ minute
Level 66: Divine Benison 500 potency on 30s = 1000 potency/ minute
Level 60: Tetra: 700 potency/ minute
Level 56: Assize: 400 potency on 45s = 533 potency/ minute
Level 52: Asylum: 900 potency on 90s = 600 potency/ minute (did they keep the instant tick on ground target aoes?)
Level 50: Benediction: ~2000 worth of potency on 3min = 667 potency/ minute

Adding to that raw healing potency alone, SGE recovers Addersgall every 20s and out of combat, so you'll start every pull with at least 2 Addersgall, WHM recovers Lilies every 30s and only in combat.
SGE gets 21% MP back through Addersgall heals alone, WHM gets roughly 11% from Assize and TA.
WHM's strongest GCD is 800 potency for 1k MP, SGE's strongest GCD heal is 840 for 900 MP, instant and gives a slight damage return.
SGE can also freely weave and move while aoeing, WHM has to clip and is less mobile.
WHM has Holy stuns but far less mitigation overall.
SGE can shield or aoe on the run, WHM can use Regen/ Solace but not aoe.

All in all, in a poor group SGE has far better tools and reliable dps.
In a decent to good group, being able to dump Lilies on the run for instant Misery every pull puts WHM ahead in dps but it requires a tank that mitigates properly.
When it comes to healing, SGE is ahead. Period.
And it doesn't matter if something "feels" weak or powerful, numbers don't lie.
SGE has a lot more tools than WHM has and is ahead in free healing at every level range, both for ST and aoe healing, even when partly ignoring some of their mechanics/ cooldowns and has better MP economy.

If you struggled so hard on SGE, you probably made some mistakes. Which is fine, but it's not the SGE toolkit that's lacking.

[Sarim]

Since you mentioned SGE, I'll make a comparison between SGE and WHM.
So we have a tank pulling big in dungeons but not using mitigation, lots of single target heal required.

...

SGE has a lot more tools than WHM has and is ahead in free healing at every level range, both for ST and aoe healing, even when partly ignoring some of their mechanics/ cooldowns and has better MP economy.

If you struggled so hard on SGE, you probably made some mistakes. Which is fine, but it's not the SGE toolkit that's lacking.

Thanks for the side by side comparison.

But SGE at lvl 71 (Holminster Switch!) has not so much to fall back on, and that's where I caused my first wipe in like...forever? Definitely an experience thing, and me fumbling with the new skills (practiced a little before and did it as trust, but that's obviously not the same). On WHM this would not have happened though, even if I had spent all my instants/OGCDs I would still have Cure II as fallback (not even speaking of Holy). SGE does not have anything like that, making it the worse healer at that point.

You are right though, at max level things will look differently (I am not there yet with SGE). In my experience so far, SGE is excellent for most situations, its just those tight moments that I dread on that class, while I can simple power through them on WHM.

[RinaShinomiya]

Thanks for the side by side comparison.

But SGE at lvl 71 (Holminster Switch!) has not so much to fall back on, and that's where I caused my first wipe in like...forever? Definitely an experience thing, and me fumbling with the new skills (practiced a little before and did it as trust, but that's obviously not the same). On WHM this would not have happened though, even if I had spent all my instants/OGCDs I would still have Cure II as fallback (not even speaking of Holy). SGE does not have anything like that, making it the worse healer at that point.

You are right though, at max level things will look differently (I am not there yet with SGE). In my experience so far, SGE is excellent for most situations, its just those tight moments that I dread on that class, while I can simple power through them on WHM.

It's weird because after i unlocked SGE on launch day, did 2 Khloe books to get it to 71 and did holmister switch immediadly on trusts and i had a smooth time healing thancred. And for the first few days i didnt even have druochole on my hotbar because i've missed it when assigning it. Eukrasian Diagnosis for example is a 300 potency heal with a 540 potency barrier. Granted these are level 85 values and i dont remember how strong the barrier is before that but its not far behind. Youre effectively healing 840 potency which is far stronger (and ironically cheaper) than a cure II. This is on top of the tank being healed by your DPS'ing so it should be dying slower than on WHM or AST unless ofc you sacrafice a GCD on regen/apected benefic. And afterwards doing wall to wall with real players wasnt an issue either.

[LuciaMirain]

WHM needs alot of changes to be on par with the other healers. Mainly their cooldowns shortened, their potencies updated and mp economy fixed. WHM is absolutely viable and I found P1s-P3s quite easy to heal. Progging P4s second part and the doorboss required a bit of raptures due to the lack gear, but honestly I was also mostly being safe. BUT, I have a team that rotate mitigation and me and my cohealer go WAY back and plan out our heals which means that we basically manage to ogcd heal an entire savage fight.

The toolkit of the other healers are absolutely better than WHMs to a lesser cost. WHM definitely needs love. Play it if you want.

[Liam_Harper]

On WHM this would not have happened though, even if I had spent all my instants/OGCDs I would still have Cure II as fallback (not even speaking of Holy). SGE does not have anything like that, making it the worse healer at that point.

Actually, EDiag is 675 total Potency in Holminster, only 25 less than Cure II. It's fine to spam, the shield will break within a GCD on big pulls resulting in similar value to Cure II spam. It's instant cast and can be used while moving. You can buff it with Zoe. It gets a really big proc if it crits. It's cheaper than Cure II. Basically it's superior. The idea that WHM is better on big pulls than SCH/SGE thanks to Cure II is just a myth and down to experience because a 300 potency heal + shield doesn't feel as big as a health bar jumping up by 700 worth. But it is. SCH in particular has more heal power than WHM when out of oGCD's due to Embrace going off during Adlo Spam resulting in higher hps than Cure II spam.

While WHM Holy is really good, it buys you about as much time as Haima + Kardia, from which point onwards Sage has better tools to handle big pulls.