Is pre-buffing neccessary?

[aisustrong]

SS on a PLD by a SCH is very meh.
But SS on a WAR with thrill on ^^

just today i graniteskinned a war with 10k base hp with thrill up
it lasted like 2 trash pulls in pharos

[Rufalus]

I usually don't like to waste time pre-buffing, especially on bosses, it's not like you need to mitigate a huge attack right at the start of the fight. But now with Stoneskin II added, there's not really an excuse not to use it when you start, only have to wait for 1 cast.

[aisustrong]

also im kinda obsessed with stoneskin anyway
such a shame its so expensive to maintain during fights though

[DududeDude]

If you're in a position where you can try keeping stoneskin up at all times, that sounds like a situation where you could easily switch into cleric stance and add some damage.

[Okashii]

Adlo is good to use so you can start in on dps

[Lavieh]

My Wife plays SCH and doesn't have Protect set in favor for Aero and Blizzard II for DPS. Most tanks Gripe about it for a bit but she keeps everyone alive even in big speed run pulls. In dungeons really no buffs are necessary.

[Malusion]

Well from the sounds of it OP meant specifically for the easier content, not coil and such. For that... I honestly just throw protect and be done with it. The shields don't give me more DPS time, as people take so little damage the fairy can do all the healing anyway. Heck I only even put stoneskin on my cross class for PvP, I much rather just have Aero + Blizz 2.

[Urtear]

Jesus, healers...just toss up the buffs and drive on, or roll another class. You're a Whm and/or Sch to HEAL yes? Then do it, or play another class that doesn't even have to worry about it. These are most likely the same kind of players that play a healing class and enter 8 man content already in cleric stance and keep it up no matter what, forcing the other healer to pretty much solo heal. Even when the run is going bad, they keep CS up till the bitter end. Then brag about how uber 'leet their heals are...If you want to dps, roll Blm or Smn, you queue up as a healer, heal. Cast buffs and heal.

[RyuDragnier]

As a SCH, no it's not necessary, but it does help. For dungeons, I personally throw on SS onto party members as a starting measure to find out who are the troublesome DPS who are going to drive me insane (because the troublesome ones will ALWAYS lose it fast), and Galvanize before pulls simply because I want to make sure I have enough time to throw out a Shadow Flare to slow the enemies down and do some damage while I'm healing. For Trials, that Adlo is useful for at least the first strike of the fight, giving me enough time to throw on the DoT combo to help with the starting damage before settling down into my healing cycle.

[Hiruke]

I don't see any real reason to not pre-buff in 8 man content unless you are ridiculously overgeared for it. If you're doing Ramuh EX, that's not going to be the case, so, uh, pre-buff?

On the other side of it, I don't understand why people demand pre-buffs in dungeons all the time. Just, like, keep it going. The time spent pre-buffing is time we could spend fighting the boss and getting out of the dungeon faster, yeah? I'd pre-buff if they are about to pull an entire wing of a dungeon, but that's about it.