Current thoughts on SCH vs AST (Fun casual)

[Nirurin]

I main a paladin, and generally play tank in mmos, but I want to take a break when I hit 50 and am thinking of picking up a healer. My FC has a good White Mage, so I'm thinking Scholar or Astrologian first.

Wanted to hear what the current state of them are, such as the "fun to play" factor, as the few threads I've seen comparing them are mostly old, and I have heard AST has had some buffs?

AST -
Pro - Card mechanics seem a fun mechanic, and would be useful for FC parties. The stances seem interesting too, but seems only one is deemed "good"?
Con - The weapon looks a bit odd/clumsy. Nitpicking really, being fun to play is more important, looks I can play with (glamours)

SCH -
Pro - Everyone says it's the best. (Maybe because the fairy heals for them!) They can dps a lot more. Also comes with summoner as an added extra.
Con - Not a big fan of the fairy look, or being the most common healer. Again, not a dealbreaker.


So yeh, thoughts?

Thanks. 3 levels to go!

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

With this kind of question you're about to either:
awaken the kraken
stir the beehive
summon satan

I'll give you a more proper response later. For now, this serves as an "inb4"

[Nirurin]

With this kind of question you're about to either:
awaken the kraken
stir the beehive
summon satan

I'll give you a more proper response later. For now, this serves as an "inb4"

Yeh I figured, I know there's a lot of... overprotective people in this game. Suffice it to say, I like all 3 of the healing classes, which is why the decision is being difficult. Tanking will always be my main, I just wanted a fun alt. I hear AST is good in PVP too which could be useful, but then scholar gives me summoner...

Anyway, hopefully people will restrain themselves from too much anger and hate. Leads to the dark side, y'know.

[TatoRazzino]

You'll need to level CNJ/WHM until you get Stoneskin anyway, so you could start there. Also, both SCH and AST have their pros and cons and they're both hard to master in terms of healing, so CNJ/WHM is a better choice for people who never healed before.

One more thing: do you have Heavensward? Because if you don't, you can't play AST. I ask this because you said you want to take a break when you hit 50 (not 60).

[Nirurin]

You'll need to level CNJ/WHM until you get Stoneskin anyway, so you could start there. Also, both SCH and AST have their pros and cons and they're both hard to master in terms of healing, so CNJ/WHM is a better choice for people who never healed before.

One more thing: do you have Heavensward? Because if you don't, you can't play AST. I ask this because you said you want to take a break when you hit 50 (not 60).

I have CNJ to ... I cant remember, 15ish, for paladin already. But as my guild has a WHM main already I didn't want to dedicate time to making another one (unless it turns out it's the only one I enjoy playing as!) Figured I would test out the other choices first.

Also I do have heavensward, but I have done a lot of tanking lately and thought I deserved a break haha. 50 seemed a good idea as it gives me a lot of content unlocked, and I can buy my room in the FC house ^^

[TatoRazzino]

I have CNJ to ... I cant remember, 15ish, for paladin already. But as my guild has a WHM main already I didn't want to dedicate time to making another one (unless it turns out it's the only one I enjoy playing as!) Figured I would test out the other choices first.

Also I do have heavensward, but I have done a lot of tanking lately and thought I deserved a break haha. 50 seemed a good idea as it gives me a lot of content unlocked, and I can buy my room in the FC house ^^

Then you could start leveling ACN until you unlock SCH. You need to complete the Main Story until you get access to The Holy See of Ishgard to unlock AST anyways, so you might as well do it as SCH. You'll have plenty of time to see if you like the job.

SCH has a healing style based on shielding and burning cooldowns/stacks to deal with spike damage when needed. It has less tools built in their GCD to deal with damage, though, which makes it a more complex healer than WHM. Basically, you have to be able to predict damage before it's dealt for a lot of the SCH tools to be effective. If you can't do that or if the damage was too big for your shields to hold, you'll have to burn stacks/cooldowns to heal through damage you couldn't prevent from happening.

This is actually very fun, but it requires more practice. WHM is far simpler in this aspect, since you have healing tools to deal with any kind of damage after it has been dealt.

AST has both healing styles, which you can choose from according to your personal preference in healing or when you need one of the styles to meet duty requirements. Since it can buff the party with cards, it has some weaknesses in healing/shielding, mostly in the AoE department, but their single target healing/shielding (when critical hits are not happening) is possibly the highest in the game. It's a complex job to master because you need to know a lot about how the game works, including the basics about the DPS rotation of every single job in the game; if you don't know that, you won't be able to play AST properly or at least make it equivalent in performance when compared to WHM/SCH.

I main AST, and it's my favorite healer so far, but I acknowledge that it's harder to play than the other two in some aspects and that may be frustrating to a lot of players out there.

If you're more interested in Dungeons than in hardcore end-game content, I'd choose SCH and not AST.

[Sleigh]

SCH's easier, synergizes better with WHM/AST than WHM + AST, and its raid mitigation is by far the best with Super-Virus, Fey Covenant, Soil, and Deployment Tactics Adlo. SCH has better MP, better AoE, better DPS.

You don't compare AST to SCH. SCH is Sir Smoke-A-Lot ... WHM is Nasty Nate, AST is Squirrel Master. Sir Smoke-A-Lot lets Nasty Nate and Squirrel Master tango over the fish's soap while he sits comfy at his home, smoking a lot.

[Nirurin]

SCH's easier, synergizes better with WHM/AST than WHM + AST, and its raid mitigation is by far the best with Super-Virus, Fey Covenant, Soil, and Deployment Tactics Adlo. SCH has better MP, better AoE, better DPS.

You don't compare AST to SCH. SCH is Sir Smoke-A-Lot ... WHM is Nasty Nate, AST is Squirrel Master. Sir Smoke-A-Lot lets Nasty Nate and Squirrel Master tango over the fish's soap while he sits comfy at his home, smoking a lot.

I understand what you're saying, but that's one hell of a way of saying it lmao.

Then you could start leveling ACN until you unlock SCH.
....snip....
If you're more interested in Dungeons than in hardcore end-game content, I'd choose SCH and not AST.

This whole thing was really helpful thanks

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

SCH's easier, synergizes better with WHM/AST than WHM + AST

This much is true. Astrologians can technically fulfill the mitigator role in a way Scholar does, but it's nowhere as good. Among the healer combinations - without duplicates - White Mage + astrologian feels ass compared to White Mage/Astrologian paired up with a Scholar. Doesn't mean it's not viable, there are groups out there who actually do this and I've helped groups do savage as an Astrologian with a White Mage. It just feels less... optimal

.

As you've mentioned aspects as "fun" and "the other healer" in your Free Company, whichever healer you'll ultimately decide on is your choice alone. There are some things to consider. Primarily; what do you consider fun? Instant gratification? Busy jobs? Dexterous jobs? Quick decision making jobs? All three healers has the aspect of "planning" and "managing" and, as much as some people want to deny it, a good share of the (endgame) community expects a certain degree of healer DPS. You could shrug it off and join the posse of "not my job". This does come with a certain stigma the community will brand you with.

So while we're on this topic, do elaborate the elements you like to define as "fun". That will help us help you more than some random opinions scattered left and right

[Nirurin]

So while we're on this topic, do elaborate the elements you like to define as "fun".

I don't usually like simple/repetitive roles. Paladin (early levels) was slightly dull (I preferred the look compared to warrior) but I didn't notice it much because I was still learning all the dungeons etc, simple was good. Now I'm higher level I have more tools to play with, as well as cooldowns to keep track of in big fights. (I do intend to make a DRK eventually, not anytime soon).

All healers are complex enough for me, as healing as a job generally requires a fair bit of concentration.

I guess cool flashy and entertaining moves and animations are a plus, I suppose AST gets points for being new and having gravity haha. Shame it's 52 and not 50, I hear that causes it to be unusable quite often (roulettes I guess).

I use a ps4 controller, if that makes any difference. I think scholar is doable using controls, even with the pet commands.