Thread: 3.3 AST adjustments

Originally Posted by DarkmoonVael

I can kind of see where you are coming from but its not quite the same. AST has Swiftcast/Lightspeed Helios, and that's all it has. It can not boost it aoe healing capability like a WHM or SCH can with oGCD. A WHM can still swiftcast a medica and use assize directly after. A SCH can use emergency Succor then use indom after (or even plain succor, as it still more aoe healing output a AST can do with a single GCD when used alongside indom).

To compare "near instant aoe" is a misnomer, since all you are doing is comparing each healers aoe healing spell that has been used under swiftcast.

Using an oGCD (Lightspeed) to make every AoE heal to land 2.5 seconds earlier is a boost though. It increases healing rate in the moment it matters, even if the AST has to pay for it later by not landing any GCD heals for 5 seconds. If a WHM or a SCH uses swiftcast they only gain that burst for one heal, then they have to wait for the global cooldown + cast time of the next heal. AST can keep throwing instant heals until danger is over, essentially gaining one extra heal on top of the usual rate of heals. At the same time they are saving some MP. While Lightspeed may look like a Swiftcast, it's effect lasts longer and that's where the cooldown's strength lies.

Here's a demonstration of what I mean (and my amazing Paint skills ) using some example spells:



The red part is where SCH could use Succor over and over but I think most agree that Succor spam is not very efficient. The yellow part is on the left side for clarity but healers would likely start pre-casting the first heals so they land right after damage has been taken. For SCH Deployment would be used before the hit and the rest right after. For AST you could replace the A. Helios with CU if it's up, and then cast A. Helios in place of the first Helios.

EDIT: Changed pic a bit because I play SCH so rarely I forgot a few spells