What does everyone think about those AST buffs?

[Luvbunny]

I don't get the negative "AST is OP" vibe - AST is now working as intended. A fully functional healer who CAN GIVE YOU BUFFS at a more consistent rate, and CAN heal at similar rate to their counterpart. WHM is your defacto "THE HEALER", SCH is your "DPS HEALER" and AST is your "BUFFS HEALER". Each healer now has their own specialty.

AST heal SHOULD consume far less MP, it is working as intended. SCH is by far far far far far more efficient healer out of the three. WHM is your safety net healer. AST cannot and will not be able to match SCH aetherflow when it comes to MP recovery, but at least AST consume less MP per heal. All of you "negative nancies", please kindly STFU, either go play AST before crying chicken little, or shut your trap. Trying to chime in on the "AST is OP bandwagon" ain't gonna help since as it is now, SCH is still the most OP healer with the best abilities overall, and the best mana recovery, and emergency "oh shit" tool. WHM come second in place, with its unrivaled healing potency and party MIND boost. AST is the third in position, but now AST has a place with decent buffs and healing ability.

[BroodingFicus]

I don't get the negative "AST is OP" vibe - AST is now working as intended. A fully functional healer who CAN GIVE YOU BUFFS at a more consistent rate, and CAN heal at similar rate to their counterpart. WHM is your defacto "THE HEALER", SCH is your "DPS HEALER" and AST is your "BUFFS HEALER". Each healer now has their own specialty.

AST heal SHOULD consume far less MP, it is working as intended. SCH is by far far far far far more efficient healer out of the three. WHM is your safety net healer. AST cannot and will not be able to match SCH aetherflow when it comes to MP recovery, but at least AST consume less MP per heal. All of you "negative nancies", please kindly STFU, either go play AST before crying chicken little, or shut your trap. Trying to chime in on the "AST is OP bandwagon" ain't gonna help since as it is now, SCH is still the most OP healer with the best abilities overall, and the best mana recovery, and emergency "oh shit" tool. WHM come second in place, with its unrivaled healing potency and party MIND boost. AST is the third in position, but now AST has a place with decent buffs and healing ability.

As someone who only leveled a WHM pre HW after AST was announced with the full intent of becoming one when they were released, I can see both sides of this. I haven't seen many SCH's worried. It's WHM's who feel that by buffing the healing potency in such a way, they are starting to step on what niche market WHM has. Which is, as said, only that they overall have more heals. WHM can still pull people out of the abyss very well so I don't think they are going anywhere and I'm very happy they buffed AST as I love the look and wanted to try them. I just wish they had done it with more focus on their cards, which is what makes them unique. Between the three the line between a WHM and a AST is the one that got blurred so I expected to see them concerned the moment I read the notes. I think they might be justified in that though I don't get the 'DOOM IS NEAR' crowd at all. I'll admit I did look at it and feel a bit like I'd been asked to share my lunch while SCH got theirs all to themselves, but I'm not upset per say. Everyone has the right to their opinion.

[Dalvy]

I am glad that they normalized potency on spells. I have more reasons to run this class in raids. But Noct shield still doesn't stack with SCH, and can be potentially better than our shield...

[Luvbunny]

I am glad that they normalized potency on spells. I have more reasons to run this class in raids. But Noct shield still doesn't stack with SCH, and can be potentially better than our shield...

So? It should be better, and potentially better. I have no qualms about it. SCH + Fairy is still far better than AST lol. But AST now is good, with its own deck of card buffing potential that actually can be manipulated to last forever and ever, and make up the lack of DPS from AST. It is working as intended. Each healer now has their own place, and bring their own special abilities to the table. All these players crying "the final nails in WHM coffins", please wake up and stop being delusional and crying chicken little. WHM at level 60 pretty much destroy AST in healing category, it is the BEST healer in the game, who can also DPS just as good. Now you have choices and options when it comes to your healer combo, and as always, in the hand of good players who communicate with each other, double AST do have the potential to be an absolute beast, and can rival the tried and true WHM + SCH set.

[Arragomis]

I agree with Luvbunny

[Kumori_Kumo]

From a longtime Scholar, congratulations Astrologians! I'm happy for you. But you stay in your regen sect or I'mma papercut ya!

[Shikiseki]

Ran Expert Rou again after a loooooong time as AST again and I have to say, healing is very comfortable now, just as on my SCH (even though I seem not to be brave enough to be dps-ing that much). Still those 30sec balance aoe buffs are so nice to look at .
Though I feel like it's ok that their base healing toolkit is on par now with the others, they should have focused more on the buffs (like making draw more often).

The only bad thing that I think that shouldn't be here is Noct Aspected Benefic being that powerful: Instant cast, lower mp cost, higher migration due to higher shield - it should be on par, not better than Adlo (outside crit but you that's our Cure II, AST has Benefic II for that as well)

I guess we'll just have to wait and see

[Verrin]

the astro buffs piss me off, they now do everything better, now wheres the whm & sch buffs???

[Fevelle]

the astro buffs piss me off, they now do everything better, now wheres the whm & sch buffs???

This is how I felt when I read the notes. I don't get how an hybrid can be better than both specialists. I don't really have anything against it, it's just a game and I don't care playing a job that is a bit less powerful than others, but my heart keep saying a no-no to the changes.

[Luvbunny]

This is how I felt when I read the notes. I don't get how an hybrid can be better than both specialists.

LOL are you serious? AST is better than WHM or SCH??? LMAO, no. AST is never going to be BETTER, the job is now EQUAL when it comes to healing capability, and it also brings its own set of "buffs" to the party. It is a healer who can provide decent buffs to the party, but now, AST healing potency is nowhere lacking like it was before.