AST Sect Theory

[Apeiron]

Again, you are completely ignoring the bonus healing offered by Diurnal's HoTs in favor of upfront healing with lower overall output. Not to mention Aspected Benefic is also instant cast and Benefic II is not; so the "upfront" heal of Nocturnal is even less so, since it's back loaded with a cast time compared to Dirunal's Aspected Benefic.

Dirunal > Nocturnal for healing throughput and efficiency; it doesn't need to be tested. Diurnal still has access to Benefic II, so you can easily stack HoTs and Benefic II if needed; Benefic II isn't exclusive to Nocturnal, and even while more potent in Nocturnal, isn't worth forgoing healing tics for when paired with SCH (which is what you're suggesting). The HoT's that Diurnal offer more than make up for the 5% difference.

You also lose out on CU's healing ticks, which while situational, are usually far more preferred to 10% DMG reduction. Also combined with CO + Dirunal HoTs, Dirunal pulls way ahead of Nocturnal for MP efficiency.

What bonus healing? If the HoT doesn't place the party in a better state with incoming damage like the fairy or WHM HoT does, that's not bonus healing. At best that's dead-even and that's only acceptable because it doesn't hurt the party, but neither does it provide any real benefit.

A. Benefic is an instant cast in Diurnal at a potency of 190 + 100/18 seconds. If we run with Dyvid's numbers, we can substitute 100 potency for ~500 HP, and 190 potency for ~1,000 (leaning to the lower end). That places A. Benefic alone at a return of ~4,000 HP if no damage is being done. If damage for Alexander Savage is 2k at the low end, with spikes of upward or greater than 4k, A. Benefic isn't doing much. It isn't until you pair it with shields (adlo more than likely) Divine Wind, A. Helios, other regens, or more healing spells than should be necessary, that it helps get ahead. And most of that is to help keep one person up while others get a neat regen from A. Helios so that things aren't quite so "ogawdno". Helios will get your party up faster in Nocturnal sect and should be considered more reliable than trying to stack resources for regen.

In Nocturnal, your basic healing spells that you focus on are more potent, and are better suited for single target which is where you'd be needed. You're not going to utilize A. Benefic for it's lower healing and greater cost for sub-standard shields unless you're with a WHM and you know there are mechanics which must be shield against. Benefic alone is twice the potency of A. Benefic when in Nocturnal, and there isn't a need to shield because, as every SCH likes to remind Noct AST, they can keep shields up.

I'm not attempting to ignore that Diurn and Noct have the same basic spells, but with weaker potencies and when paired with a SCH less regen to stack, it doesn't look to me as if the HoT really makes up for allowing the AST to stack its stronger healing potential with the SCH plenty strong healing kit.

I'm not sure if I want to dance around with CU atm, as I haven't yet gotten that level. I've been primarily arguing off of what I've already got, and asking for people to help fill in the missing bits until I'm at 60 running Alex.