RIP WHM

[HyperiusUltima]

To be honest as a WHM main I don't feel like AST is going to be ridiculous in 3.4. Though I do agree that from what I've seen in the thread AST does pose a threat to WHM in the terms of mitigation and cards they can draw(again, RNG). With Redraw buffed up to 30s along with +15s extra card holding time, AST can wait out the CD to keep drawing other cards if they're looking for that specific Royal Road card for AoE or anything else since it's the same CD as drawing.

As for heals, I still think that WHM has the better output, but AST still threatens WHM's identity as the main healer due to AST's Synastry, Increased Buff Time from Celestial Opposition, and the new Guaranteed Crit Benefic II(which has the same proc rate as WHM Free Cure II) trait. The only thing discerning this is probably how AST handles its MP compared to WHM, where AST has to rely on Lumineferous Aether(24s 80 potency MP Tick) and Ewer(by drawing), while WHM has Assize(+10% MP and a choice of 300 pot Damage or Free Medica on a 90s CD), Benediction(100% HP Recovery. Best Instant Heal in the game), Tetragrammaton(Free Cure II with a high potency on a 60s CD), and I fail to understand why nobody even mentions Asylum.

Asylum is definitely better than Collective Unconscious in terms of being able to do other actions while your healing bubble ticks. AST has to stop whatever its doing and not do a thing for the duration of CU(or until they move) for 10% Mitigation plus a HoT, whereas WHM can continue doing other actions such as DPSing or something.

Honestly I can see the raid groups taking WHM over AST for safety due to Cure III. However everything can shift to AST once raid groups have had experience and they can feel free to DPS more or gain more from AST's Cards and Buffs(especially Celestial Opposition the way it's going to be soon). SCH no longer is the top contender as always due to said Fairy Heals and being the only class with reliable shields pre-3.4, so honestly I can see the dream of X/X Healer Compositions happening at the very least.

The only thing that SE needs to keep in check is WHM's Identity and AST's power. Again, they did say they were going to keep a check on it and adjust it in 4.0, but at least the healer balance is a lot better in 3.4 than it once was.

[KDSilver]

....

I don't think Asylium is really that much better than CU.
On one hand,it is because WHM can use this and keep healing right after, but you don't always stand here just doing nothing as an AST until the end of the duration of CU.
You usely put it to get the regen then go back to what you were doing.
But what's wonderful with CU is that the regen stick on you once you entered CU area PLUS, it's really super strong! 150 of potency during 15s (even probably 25 with CO !).

So they are both great on their own way (even if i personnaly think that CU is really stronger).

[xjia]

No other healer class beats White mage's pure healing power. Cure III, assize, Benediction...etc.
There is actually a comparison btw Scholar and Astrologian (3.4patch ), turns out that new AST healing + shield is much powerful than a scholar , but that doesn't mean theres no place for a scholar in Raid.

The reason for picking a scholar not only for his shield, but his utility- eye for eye/adlo spread, indomitabilty, and others, last but not least , his faery which is really hard to balance by just adjusting the numbers (Yoshi did mentioned before).

What i really dissapointed was not whether they buffing/nerfing one class, its the "laziness" in balancing a class by just adjusting numbers.
Eg: Draw- 60 reduced to 30secs, this skill increased from X-to Y, reduced from Y to Z
"extended from 15 to 20y, 120% of HP restored to 150%"

[Anchored0wl]

Yall need to spend less time crying about white mage being replaced by diurnal and start preparing to learn how to heal without being carried by embrace :^)
Winter is coming.

[Teraluna]

Yall need to spend less time crying about white mage being replaced by diurnal and start preparing to learn how to heal without being carried by embrace :^)
Winter is coming.

It's the usual reaction whenever a class gets some changes. All of a sudden it's the prefect class, and all other comparable role classes are resigned to the bin. Never correct in either of those.
WHM has great skills which aren't headline now, simply because they've been used effectively for so long.
Best to ignore the knee jerk reactions and carry on playing the classes you enjoy.

[Astraxus]

For me at least, Benediction, Tetragammaton and Cure III are probably the three main reasons why WHM is still more than viable for raid content. What I would love to see is having Stoneskin II as an insta-cast ability with a suitably long cool down that can be used in battle, which I think would plug a very noticeable gap in the WHM skill set.

[Teraluna]

For me at least, Benediction, Tetragammaton and Cure III are probably the three main reasons why WHM is still more than viable for raid content. What I would love to see is having Stoneskin II as an insta-cast ability with a suitably long cool down that can be used in battle, which I think would plug a very noticeable gap in the WHM skill set.

That I like!

[FeliAiko]

RIP WHM because of buffs to a Sect designed to encourage WHM-AST pairings instead of XXX-SCH ones?

Makes sense.

[Kabzy]

RIP WHM because of buffs to a Sect designed to encourage WHM-AST pairings instead of XXX-SCH ones?

Makes sense.

Diurnal is currently competitive with WHM, and it's also being buffed significantly via cards / CO. As there are already a lot of d.ASTs out there, this gives them even more of an edge over WHM. So while it's not quite RIP, I can see some cause for concern.