WHM getting progressively more unnecessary in content?

[Yeol]

Nope. PLD hasn't been optimal for progression since DRK was introduced in 3.0.

Absolutely DRK>>>>PLD in A12S cause it's all magic, again. Their Dark Mind cooldown cuts down on tank swaps and also brings more DPS. Despite PLD buffs, and QoL changes last cycle they are still quite a bit behind.

I know that DRK is better for A12S than PLD. But A9S-A10S-A11S PLD can do them just fine.
In our group we used PLD/WHM for progression and DRK/AST when farming.
A12S is a different story.

So PLD replaced by DRK and WHM replaced by AST.
It would have been better if we went DRK/AST from the beginning. But WHM/PLD make things easier when learning (A12S is an exception).

[technole]

No one cares about healing per second when the party doesn't die, what matters is the dps a healer can contribute.

Yep, I like to look at "casts per minute" as a healer measurement. What are they doing when a heal isn't necessary? Are they taking advantage of every GCD that they have or are they standing around for seconds that could have had cleric and DoTs thrown at the boss rather safely. The better healers in this game are making full use of the time they have when a heal isn't necessary, even in-progression. Better phase pushes means less to heal.

It would have been better if we went DRK/AST from the beginning. But WHM/PLD make things easier when learning (A12S is an exception).

Yeah, PLD is perfectly fine in A9-11S. I will say DRK is unfairly favored in A9S for DPS because they can easily toss AoE damage to the adds and Faust.

Our DRK only goes PLD in A10S since it's easy mode for the job in a sense, boss is physical, hardly much AoE. Still, the higher DPS contribution from DRK can't be understated. Then you got Delirium if you aren't bringing MNK for the INT down, and the "optimal" melee comp doesn't include them. But PLD Devine Veil is helpful for the heavy stuff like Eternal Darkness and Whirlwind spam.

We actually were WHM/SCH in the first weeks of the patch through A9-11S. But that was my co-healer's choice after having cleared Midas Savage as WHM. She would go AST in some lockouts during progression and weeklies, then switched permanently after our first A11S clear since the buff meta was too good, and hadn't looked back.

I still preferred AST in A11S-A12S over WHM anyday even during progression. Synastry shines in A12S, and Disable/CU also helps SCH. More mitigation, means less healing, and room for both healers to DPS more.

Cure III was kind of WHM niche in A6S and A8S but you could handle it just fine with AST. This tier it's good for A11S Photon everyone spam, but light speed covers that too, honestly just a bit better since you are moving for lasers.