Thread: Consolidated Scholar 4.0 Feedback Thread

While I do reckon that SCH was overnerfed - and I clearly see a buff incoming in the next patches - this dire situation is making me re-evaluating some options we have.

For example, there is no longer any excuse for NOT using Selene or Eos manually. Our DPS "rotation" is stupidly dull now, which means that we have no issue multitasking and micromanaging the fairy. Apart from the usual spamming Embrace manually on the tank (which should give us a few more seconds to DPS than by simply leave her spamming by herself) we can also dust off the old Physick + Embrace macro. At 307 ilvl, those two heals combined add up to around 10-11k without crits.

In short, I think we should consider the fairy as an active part of our toolkit now rather than passive. I know that many Scholars were doing this already, but I've seen a lot who don't.

Also, I am going back to Eos for the time being as the bonus provided by Fey Wind at this point is not worth anymore, I fear.

This being said, SCH clearly got the short end of the stick, especially on the AOE dps part, but do not despair - hopefully SE will realise this soon enough.

Originally Posted by Remilia_Nightfall

Also, I am going back to Eos for the time being as the bonus provided by Fey Wind at this point is not worth anymore, I fear.

I don't believe Fey Wind has ever been worth it outside of as part of a pet-swap opener.

Originally Posted by AlphaSonic

To get gold in fates you just need to spam heals and overheal. It's not about being efficient, it's about generating aggro.

I thought they changed that a while back to prevent tanks from just Provoke/Flash spamming?

not tried ex yet so hard to say about balance issues. but the general feel of the job, feels better. we had so many dps tools to choose from, and optimizing ur dps and heal usage in a fight like A11S took a considrable effort, at least for me, i could only dps efficiently in the first half of the fight. i welcome some of these changes with simplifications of our dps tools, i think if SCH was hit on the DPS side, it's fine as long as the other dps can make up for the loss of DPS.

on healing side, i do have some mana issues sometimes, but it's not too great. looking forward to try more content before i can understand better how we fair.
in any cause, i am leveling whitemage as a 2nd healer now. i don't think i can put all my eggs in 1 basket.

This is my first time posting here. As a SCH main, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on the situation, as many have before me.

SCH has been killed. Plain and simple. It is not just about the nerfs, it is also about the buffs given to other Jobs. When speaking about how SCH perform, it is important to think about how other Jobs, it's to say AST, perform.

First off, the nerfs. There is our DPS nerf, of course. Even though we are "not supposed to dps," the fact is that SCH has the least DPSing tools left at its disposal, and those that are left were nerfed. AST even gained two more DPSing options, whereas we got none. Maybe we're not supposed to DPS, but when on downtime, what else can we do? Why give AST more options? And with the nerfs, our DPS is laughable. Bane, is the best example of this. And no, the fact that the nerf may have been targetted to SMN isn't an excuse. SCH could easilly have gained a "Enhanced Bane" trait. Problem solved and the SMN AoE is still balanced. Even on single target our DPS is nerfed due to the loss of two DoTs, why didn't we get an upgrade?

The nerf to the fairy heal is a major one. SCH doesn't have any regen skills at its disposal nor does it have any big heal spell. Our big heal skill (Lustrate) is locked behind Aetherflow stacks, we get 3 every minutes. The same is true for our AoE heal. The reason why it was designed that way is precisely because we got the fairy to compensate. But by nerfing the fairy, the delicate balance upon which the Job rests is compromised. Worse, our MP management is severely nerfed as well, even counting lucid dream. Because Adlo costs more, our MP goes down far more quick.

It means to stay on top, we need to use Energy Drain, which spends aerthflow stacks that we thus cannot spend on healing. But if we can't heal with stacks, we need heal with out spells that drain out MP. Healing with our stacks, we don't get enough MP to go on once they're exhausted. Of course we could dissipate the fairy, but that is not a good design. The very reason we need aetherflow stacks is because we have the fairy. And to get more, we need to sacrifice the reason we need them? I trust you are seeing why this is problematic. Of course, it is possible to still remain on top, more so with team help. But this isn't a MP issue the other healers encounter as much, and it leads to my next point.

Everything SCH can do, AST does it better. Its shields are better, cost less and are cast instantly. The support we bring to the team with Fey Wind and Strategem is laughable compared to what AST can do with its cards. And AST got the big heals SCH lacks, with whatsoever no downside. AST is more enjoyable to play and can perform better than a SCH with less efforts. SCH is inferior in every aspect to an AST at the moment. I am not saying to nerf AST, but SCH should be able to stand on its own. It was designed to be the Off-Healer, but the gap between SCH and AST is such, SCH cannot even begin to compete. SCH's unique flavor, to be a healer who can dps, was killed.

Last but not least, the new skills. And that counts for WHM too- We got basically no useful skills. Either they compensate for a nerf (such as the Aetherflow trait) or they have no good use (Fairy Link). And again, AST got all the cool tools. New AoE, options to lessen the card's rng from being a pain. Strategem is interesting, but unless it is buffed, how can it compare with a single expanded Balance?

SCH (and to an extent, WHM) needs buffing. It is not fun nor is it recommended to play. It has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. AST is more fun and can do everything better, and that's not how a balanced game should be.