Noct isn't super good as solo-healer effuciency, frankly, but it's definitely nothing to bugger off when paired with a WHM in a raid environment. A Largesse shield completely negates the knockback in Susano EX, for example, which for some classes GREATLY alleviated rotation frustrations and DPS capacity.

I feel like people are kinda ignoring the elephant in the room that is 20% 30-second Balance, though, with all this talk about shields and MP efficiency and whatnot. IMO as long as that card stays the way it is AST will always be guaranteed a raid slot (unless their healing is nerfed to total crap), no matter what kind of tweaks they give to WHM and SCH. This MIGHT be me underestimating the other healers' level 70 kits somewhat with that declaration, but I doubt it. Balance is too good ATM.