Quote Originally Posted by Rahaya View Post
SCH + AST is the top party buffing combination for DPS. A2 clear with AST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWfPcG43yrA for example. If your party composition is not optimal for Selene (*cough* SMN *cough*) and it runs up your TP bill, or you'd much rather time DPS buffs for burst phases rather than a passive haste, AST works better. It's the only healer that can grant TP/MP. Synastry is amazeballs. Single target AST DPS isn't too shabby. Perhaps the WHM isn't god tier and can't shoulder all of the healing burden. AST would be contributing DPS anyway, where my SCH would be babysitting.

How about, it's fun?

AST is not perfect right now, but a lot of the complaints about it that I've seen are a bit off base.
You completely missed my reason maining AST. I play it because it's fun and I'll probably still play it because, well, it is fun. I'm not changing my main either.

Both times the AST used Synastry in the video, a WHM could just throw up Assize between them and passively regen them both. They were stacked closely together.

RNG is still RNG. I've had plenty of times where my cards don't line up for a burst phase where as I can just time or save Fey Wind when the burst phase shows itself.

My highest AST parses are 811 for 2 min (lucky rolls with damage buffs) and 760 for 3:11 on a dummy. I know all about their single target damage. WHM still destroys them and SCH edges ahead slightly because oGCD nukes. AST AoE damage is the worst by far for how much mana I am expending.

What if the AST isn't god-tier (if we're taking player skill into account)? That's more healing I have to do on SCH because they naturally can't keep up where as the WHM naturally restores more HP aka more time for me to DPS as SCH.

Keep in mind, if AST was completely useless like people claim on this forum, I wouldn't play it. I noted it's strengths that immediately stand out to me.