What AST needs to set them apart from other healers

[ChocoChick]

AST needs more emphasis on what they bring to the table that other healers don't; that is their buffs.

AST's healing and shield potency is lower than WHM/SCH for good reasons, but no other healer can bring buffs quite like AST through their card system. However, their current buff potency isn't high enough to consider the buffs are turning tide for the AST. They are only a nice additional tool to bring small buffs, but in my opinion the potency isn't quite there to call them really great.

For example, having a 20% damage reduction on bole would mean a 10% damage reduction AoE which is pretty good. However a 10% damage reduction on bole makes a 5% damage reduction AoE which is quite minor. I honestly don't mind if the duration of the buff is lowered (time dilation and celestial opposition can help with this) but I feel like the AST needs to excel more in buffs in order to set them apart right now.

[ChocoChick]

Another interesting topic would be allowing AST to switch stances during fights.

It would be great because if encourages a form of stance dancing and would give AST more to do with skills like combust and aero that doesn't put your skills on a GCD. If you could switch stance, it is almost mandatory that AST and SCH shields should at least stack. Is it too OP if they do? If so, at least make the AST shield to be reduced in potency by 50% and the SCH shield to be kept at 100% potency.

What I wonder is, is it really giving AST too much flexibility if this was allowed?

I am not sure if this is the reason why SE didn't allow the switching of stances to be done for AST, but I honestly think the benefits of making the class even more interesting and complex outweighs the negatives (if any).

[cgbspender]

AST can already switch stances, and pulls out quite a significant amount of dps.

[Eudyptes]

For example, having a 20% damage reduction on bole would mean a 10% damage reduction AoE which is pretty good. However a 10% damage reduction on bole makes a 5% damage reduction AoE which is quite minor. I honestly don't mind if the duration of the buff is lowered (time dilation and celestial opposition can help with this) but I feel like the AST needs to excel more in buffs in order to set them apart right now.

But that would also mean 30% dmg reduction on the MT for 35 sec, or 20% for 50 sec. Same for dmg, etc. It would end up making AST pretty OP. Honestly I think the buffs are fine as is. Bole isn't too great when used in its AE form, but it's amazing for single targets. Same with Ewer/Spire. Arrow/Balance on the otherhand are great with just the 5%, because in 8 mans it's effectively a 40% overall dmg or speed increase. And Spear, while I still believe it needs an "on use" effect, is still good for self use. All the cards have their place, and knowing where that place is is part of the class.

I've been playing AST a lot since it was released, and honestly I think that the class is in a good place in most aspects. The only real area it needs help is in its CDs. Many of them need to be buffed, or flat out revamped. I wouldn't be upset if they made cards less RNG reliant, but that's not a must. Mainly it's just the CDs.

[Shamirah]

expanding our buff should not lower their potency. In a perfect world it takes us 60 seconds to get an aoe buff. But, in reality, it takes more than that since you can't decide which cards you'll draw, so i really don't see the need of nerfing the potency upon expanding.

[Gallus]

What I would do with AST is make the cards far less situational. Card that gives 10% more damage is ok. Card that gives 10% more attack speed is ok.
However, the other 4 cards are too situational. 20% MP and TP reduction for the next 15 seconds feels almost like an insult...either remove those or add a straight gain to TP, MP like...recover 100 TP in the next 15 seconds or...recover 500 MP in the next 15 seconds (like a mini shroud of saints without reduced enmity).
Remove bole. Literally. That thing is useless. You can't rely on randomly having a card that reduces damage by 10% on the stuff that will matter, so 90% of the times will be a dead card. And lastly...the recast card.........is kind of meh........ (please people SAVE ALL YOUR CD CAUSE I'M GOING TO DRAW A CARD AND IT COULD TURN OUT I DRAW THE RECAST ONE LOLZ).
I'd either remove it or completely rework it into something like 3% crit bonus crit on everyone.

[Eudyptes]

However, the other 4 cards are too situational. 20% MP and TP reduction for the next 15 seconds feels almost like an insult...either remove those or add a straight gain to TP, MP like...recover 100 TP in the next 15 seconds or...recover 500 MP in the next 15 seconds (like a mini shroud of saints without reduced enmity).
Remove bole. Literally. That thing is useless. You can't rely on randomly having a card that reduces damage by 10% on the stuff that will matter, so 90% of the times will be a dead card. And lastly...the recast card.........is kind of meh........ (please people SAVE ALL YOUR CD CAUSE I'M GOING TO DRAW A CARD AND IT COULD TURN OUT I DRAW THE RECAST ONE LOLZ).
I'd either remove it or completely rework it into something like 3% crit bonus crit on everyone.

Please actually play AST before commenting on how to fix it. None of the cards you mentioned are issues, and all of them have their place if you know how to use them.

[Remilia_Nightfall]

Was there the need for yet another thread about this?

[MidnightTundra]

The average tp usage for a ninja is around ~60 tp per GCD.

They get about 9~ GCDs in at 20 seconds with huton up.

60 * 0.20 = 12 reduced tp usage per GCD.

12 * 9 GCDs is 108 tp saved on average from the Spire card being thrown on a ninja. Halve that when you expand it to your group (outcomes may vary).

You saved the ninja an extra 2 (kinda) GCDs to be used. I don't think the spire card (or ewer card) is worthless but I do think it needs a duration increase. Spear is very useful in coordinated set ups when voice com is a thing.

The cards are fine but I feel Bole/Balance/Arrow should be 20s while Spire/Ewer/Spear should be 30s. I thought about Draw being a 25s CD too but I think that might be a bit too much.

[Vlady]

Astro being able to switch stances is pointless. I can switch a job and be stronger then a astrologian. Maybe put in a cool down to let them switch sects in battle. 5 minutes. The buffs need to be strong enough that Astros buff dps more then a scholar could provide personal dps or remove partial randomness from cards.