WHM or AST?

[spf1200]

Hello I am going to be switching to ether WHM or AST since SCH is currently painfully boring to play. But before i do i would like to hear the opinions of those that play these classes on the changes they got in Stormblood.

The main things I'd like to know are...
Is AST as overpowered as people claim and is WHM as as bad as people claim? Just looking at the forums seems like the AST is the only healer worth anything but I'd like to hear peoples thoughts now that its been a week since launch.

[Reiryuu]

Depends. WHM is not "bad" it's just extremely boring (IMHO) and the lily system is kinda clunky and not very satisfying and PI is utter crap. WHM is functional the way white rice will keep you from going hungry. It's not very exciting unless you're one who really likes to spam holy with Thin Air and PoM up. For me it was more a meh, it's kinda fun but... it seems like this skill should be used for better purposes.

AST has been a lot of fun. I'm only 64 at the moment, but from the spell effects to the cards to the flexibility between sects it's a heck of a lot of fun. Earthly Star is a really nice tool and I use it just about every chance I get it gives me the confidence that I have an instant, very potent heal available just about whenever I need it when I pop it down at the beginning of a fight, and by the time it goes off usually a mob or two are down and the tank's not taking as much of a beating so the security blanket isn't as necessary. If you party is familiar with the spell, most of the time I've found wounded members will jump into the AoE (even RDMs!) when it's ready to pop.

[Kabzy]

I levelled SCH to 70 first and then got WHM to 70. It's so much more fun. I disagree with Rei completely that it feels clunky. WHM feels super fluid and I also don't mind the Cleric Stance change on that job. Managing Lilies for Divine Benison, as well as getting RNG procs for Plenary Indulgence keep the job interesting as they both allow you to find more windows to continue DPSing. Which I would assume is something you enjoy if you used to play SCH.

On the other hand I found AST (though it's not 70 yet) to be quite boring. They only have one DoT and one nuke. Their gauge also happens to just be for UI purposes, whereas the WHM one actually forces you to make decisions on your resources. But play both and see which you like more, as it comes down to your playstyle in the end.

[Risvertasashi]

70 AST + WHM here. WHM largely plays like in Heavensward, so if you're familiar with that... not much has changed.

If you want a busy job, I would definitely suggest AST. Whether or not you consider its heals OP... the fact that it has the card system just means there's more to do. Earthly Star is also very rewarding when you anticipate stack/party damage and set it up properly. The other side of this coin is WHM definitely has more as far as personal DPS is concerned; working out a rhythm of Lucid Dreaming, PoM+Thin Air and so on to mow down dungeon packs can be pretty satisfying... and the death of cleric stance means it's all very fluid too.

whereas the WHM one actually forces you to make decisions on your resources. But play both and see which you like more, as it comes down to your playstyle in the end.

Pro tip: To be a good WHM, you should be ignoring that gauge. Use your CDs because it makes sense to use them at a certain time, not because you do or don't have lilies, the return isn't worth it.

[Rivxkobe]

...

Your post makes no sense at all. How is WHM fluid at all with these RNG mechanics? Hint: it's not. What you do should never be decided on by if you get a Lily or Confession stack. What you do should be what is best for the situation.

Also lol @ WHM actually having to make decisions compared to AST.

[MoroMurasaki]

WHM is far from fluid but it is quite fun to play. If you start lookong at lillies as a bonus then Stormblood WHM is similar to HW WHM but with Thin Air (all spells are 0 mp for 12 secs) but the mana feels SO much more sustainable.

Also I'd argue with the huge DPS potency disparity between WHM and AST per GCD that WHM has benefited most from the removal of traditional Cleric Stance. You probably didn't feel it as much as a scholar because Selene/Eos but as a WHM being able to throw out a quick Cure 2 if things get bad in the middle of your Holy spam is so enjoyable.

Ultimaely WHM is still just a DPS heavy AST without the cards so of course in endgame people will prefer AST but if you do a lot of 4man stuff that's where WHM really shines.

Also Benediction, hot damn Bene. The reduced cooldown makes it like an accessible thing now which I feel like doesn't get said enough. Tank at under 5%? Not anymore! Lol

[spf1200]

Thx for the feedback guys. Think i'll be trying WHM just ran a lvl 50 as AST and found the card rng really annoying. Here is hoping that SCH gets fix in the future though still like they idea behide the class, but how it is right now it just seems bad

[LegoTechnic]

Honestly I find WHM and SCH play pretty similar now, so I would actually recommend AST just because the cards are a constant distraction that steal your attention, though if you don't like that then go WHM. You can even do a Cure II -> Divine Benison anytime you miss throwing out an adlo.

[Averax]

WHM is the safety blanket healer, with a wide variety tools in their kit to respond efficiently to myriad situations. They can do the most damage on their own (and squeeze in more damage in duties thanks to the Holy stun acting as damage mitigation)

AST is the utilitarian healer, their healing kit is more basic, but as a whole they are well rounded and designed to fit in where needed, as well as support the party via buffs. They do the least damage on their own.

SCH is the tactical healer, they have many tools, but they are more designed to act before the damage happens, rather than react to it. Not to say they can't efficiently react. Their fairy can support the group or offer more healing, depending on what's needed. They do average damage on their own.

Personally, i prefer AST because of how it can fit what the group needs. Unlike a 2 WHM comp where you're without any form of effctive sheilding, or a 2 SCH comp where you're overwriting each other's barriers constantly. An AST will never have this problem, and if you do get a 2 AST comp and you coordinate your cards, you can squeeze out the most buff uptime.

[Joe777]

If I'm healing I main WHM, but I'd rather have Stoneskin over Divine Benison any day.