Need some Opinions on AST, SCH, and WHM

[khadmon]

Greetings Everybody!!!

So I been trying to weigh the pros and cons of the healing classes for myself. I am still trying to pick between AST, SCH, and WHM. My AST is 58, my SCH is 55, and WHM 52. What I like about AST is they can compliment different healing styles, already have a reactive healer then go proactive. The cards are really fun but RNG can be a huge bummer. SCH I enjoy the fairy but I am sometimes not always the best at being proactive so that is a bummer some and trying to worry about my dps output cause I know to DPS when I am not dealing with healing. WHM I love the burst heals but sometimes I feel bland playing them. I am looking towards endgame and would like to eventually be a raid healer and was wanting to know what class has a easier time catching up if they are not proactive enough, I know all healers should try to be as proactive as possible. Just wanting some opinions. Thanks all!!!

[Rewind]

Level them all. Healing gear is generally shared beside left side eso.

WHM is the best healer for pure HPS and recovery from damage. Probably good if you have poor latency or get anxious raiding/ are a beginner.

SCHs are expected to know how to heal and DPS. It has a higher DPS skill cap than the other two. If you and your group aren't fussed for quick progression most likely can just focus on healing.

AST varies depending on your co-healer. The cards can be a major distraction so you really need to do your research and know how fights work. IMO has the highest skill cap overall to play efficiently.

[Sleigh]

In terms of catching up and being proactive, AST has the hardest time recovering a bad situation since its burst AoE heal capabilities are the weakest and while it has a very nice emergency heal, it only gets one per 40s while WHM can have 2 at a time, SCH 1-9 depending on how you look at it.

I think AST is the hardest healer currently in a raid environment. I would shy away if you're worried about it, they have a lot more to do constantly and a lot of relevant but situational CDs. WHM and SCH are simpler and their options for a situation are much more obvious.

[carbonx]

I think leveling them all to 60 is good for learning the classes, and what you do and do not like about them.

From my experience, I'm a great WHM, a good AST, and a proficient SCH. I found AST to be similar to WHM, but not as well suited for burst healing and the cards can also be a struggle, as you should be trying to strategize with them as much as you can (RNG permitting). As for SCH, I tend to focus too much on DPS and forget that I need Aetherflow for Sacred Soil and other fun things. Basically, I can keep everyone alive with clutch uses of Covenant and Virus, but as for actually playing the class to it's potential? Never.

Play what you enjoy, though, because practice makes perfect.

[GideonHighmourn]

Having played all three at 60, I think Rewind pretty much nailed it. The difference between AST and WHM (in healing) is that WHM offers slightly more burst AOE and AST offers more bust single target healing; however, AST does play slightly differently than WHM and playing cards properly requires a lot of practice so it doesn't become a distraction. SCH offers a nice middle-ground between single-target and AOE healing, IMO, but requires more micromanagement than WHM because of the pet.

All three healers are perfectly viable, and any non-stacked comp works fine. Pick what you enjoy playing the most!