I'm just gonna repost what I put in the healer subforums re: The Balance change:

Quote Originally Posted by loreleidiangelo View Post
Despite the salt barrage from both ASTs and non-ASTs over the changes, I'm actually pretty happy with them. Balance's previous contribution to an "average" raid group was about 600 DPS overall considering relatively stable median RNG (ie AOEing one successfully every 2 minutes). Now that contribution is down to 300 DPS, NOT factoring in the new Spear change or any possible "extra" AOE Balances people might somehow be able to squeeze out of being able to click off card draws now. 300 extra personal DPS is easily a value WHMs and SCHs can reach, and assuming all three can handle the healing load of Omega Savage today more casual/midcore raid comps SHOULD be letting their healers roll with whatever they're most comfortable with (hardcores will probably still mandate an AST, but they're the types to get a lot more mileage out of Balance anyway, even in it's neutered form).

Seriously, this is the change I've been calling for since the middle of Heavensward, and I'm glad the developers finally listened. Even now Balance is STILL going to be "jackpot card número uno", but at least now the impact it has is less severe, which in turn makes the impact of NOT drawing it less severe as well. I'm looking forward to being viewed more as a universal utility provider and less of a walking DPS dispenser, at least on a personal level.
Basically, the original buff was smaller than what people probably thought it was but still a little too high for the contributions if WHM and SCH to match. Now, at least vis-a-vis to overall DPS/group DPS buffs, all three healers are pretty close in numbers and shouldn't be as discriminated against on the value of "brings more DPS" alone.

I'd hazard that WHM brings better throughput and sustain, but AST brings better utility even taking into account the Balance nerf. (New Spear is nice, and by lowering Balance's value the devs have indirectly raised the value if the other cards as well.) SCHs I think could use slightly lower mana costs on Adlo and Succor to aid their sustain a bit, and Fey Union still seems a little underwhelming, but their oGCD heal efficiency and Chain Strategem still leaves them in the progression game IMO.