Assize

[Raminax]

Sadly? It gives WHMs a very powerful tool with flexibility. Look at Lightspeed and it's auto -25% damage. I'm thrilled I can choose.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I still very much love Assize. I'm just commiserating with the OP on how I initially felt about it. I'm over the whole mild disappointment bit.

I certainly wouldn't trade Assize away for drawing 7 Spires in a row!

[Sida]

I usually use it mainly for Mp Regen, that is, I don't cast it unless I have room enough for the mana it gives. Apart from that, as soon as I do have room for that mana if it's up, if situation calls for group heal I cast it for that, otherwise in CS for damage. I think it would be rather overpowered if it could be good and beneficial for both damage and healing at the same time and the potencies would have to be dropped. I rather like it now that I can use it as fairly good tool for either.

[tjw]

Assize is an amazing MP management tool. On top of the 10% MP regain, it either acts as a Medica, or a beefed-up Holy, saving you at least either 1297 or 1768 MP depending on your needs, not to mention a slight topping of the other side of HP/damage. It's one of the best tools introduced to a healer in 3.0.

[deos]

trash pulls - CS on, give them hell
easy bosses - see above
easy bosses that spawn adds - wait for the adds, then see above
hard bosses with much aoe dmg and bosses with hard mp management: use it for healing and/or mp-management
i totally love this skill <3

One-shotting the feathers in Neverreap is my favorite use since ~NO ONE~ kills these danmed things and I hate debuffs.

i really love seeing the random dps run around aimlessly until they realize i oneshot the feathers already XD

[Ghishlain]

Assize is arguably one of the most powerful AoE attack spells in the game due to both it's Potency and Range so it's generally best to use it as an offensive skill with MP restoration than a healing skill with MP restoration. However, the best WHMs will know when to use it as a healing abilities. Just a matter of practice and understanding the fights you'll be participating in. You'll most likely use it more as a healing skill in Savage tier Alex than anywhere else.

[MXMoondoggie]

One-shotting the feathers in Neverreap is my favorite use since ~NO ONE~ kills these danmed things and I hate debuffs.

It's a good add killer and it means the DPS don't need to be changing their focus from nuking the boss. It's good in Fractal on last boss also since if you position right you can do 50-100% damage on all targets saving a ton of time on the weak robot adds. It's a multi use skill but mostly best for me weaving it into attacks so I do damage and get an MP boost. Most often save it for add phases but have used it as a group heal on occasion for a quick top up.

[spelley]

It's a good add killer and it means the DPS don't need to be changing their focus from nuking the boss. It's good in Fractal on last boss also since if you position right you can do 50-100% damage on all targets saving a ton of time on the weak robot adds. It's a multi use skill but mostly best for me weaving it into attacks so I do damage and get an MP boost. Most often save it for add phases but have used it as a group heal on occasion for a quick top up.

Assize from WHM + Dragonfire Dive on middle add is a pretty quick way to deal with those adds and requires minimal focus switch.

[ViDare]

Assize from WHM + Dragonfire Dive on middle add is a pretty quick way to deal with those adds and requires minimal focus switch.

Swiftcast > Holy> Assize during the cooldown will usually wipe them if you ever wanna show off

[Saseal]

I'm sort of baffled by this, considering it's an all-in-one move.

What's the best use for this? For damage or the "free" Medica? Or is it dependent on situation?

I've used it both in and out of Cleric but I feel like I'm missing something every time I use it.

Definately situational. Clericed = high AoE damage, non-clericed = high group heal.
It holds the same Yin-Yang thing that WHM's seem to have - high burst offense (dps) OR high burst defense (heals).

-For ex, in Trials and bosses I tend to save Assize for group healing unless I'm wholey confident in myself and the team that I won't need it. I'll use it as a free, emergency, completely instant medica. Also when I've mis-timed a moment needing to pre-cast Medica/II or Cure III and pop it right as the damage is taken on the party to make up for it.

-If there's lots of monsters/mobs, no one needs heals or it's a total DPS race (Bismark), I'll throw it with Cleric for the sake of damage (or Bismark instance, use it on the chiton between PoMed Stone IIIs, and use a divine sealed + SCed Medica II just before jumping on his back as a method of healing for the wind DoT). As someone mentioned, I also use for the feathers in Neverreap, as well as the flame balls of the last boss in Vault. Doesn't outright kill them, but does take a good chunk out of a lot of them.

-In cases of MP need, I'll use it in the instance that Shrouds is down and I'm nearly OOM or 45% and below. People may not need healing and it's too dangerous to switch to Cleric for damage with that CD timer... but if I randomly pop un-clericed Assize without healing need, it was probably for a tidbit of MP for whatever reason I see.

[technole]

The best part of Assize isn't the 300 AoE dmg potency or the instant medica.

It's the 10% MP regen which based off of your PIE, making that stat even better to have more of now. Before 3.0 many would say you would stack as comfortably as you could. Now the more PIE you get, the more you'll be restoring. In a 13 minute fight in savage with about 13k MP you'll get it off about 8 times, which can be over 10k MP restored. Nevermind I didn't even mention Shroud, or natural 2% PIE regen as well. Big boy MP regen to say the least, helping burst DPS and healing progression. It should be used strategically, almost always on-cooldown to get the most from it.