I keep running into Astro running Shields in Farm PTs as a SCH. (Why?)

[Elamys]

I have the opposite problem, I like to go diurnal when I'm with a WHM on easy content simply because it's more heal per cast and I have access to another regen.

But even if the boss does nothing that could make a shield remotely useful people still ask me to go nocturnal because '' shields''

Preventing damage is still strictly better than healing up the damage later, so you should be going Nocturnal with a WHM even if the shields "don't seem very useful".

[Risvertasashi]

Preventing damage is still strictly better than healing up the damage later, so you should be going Nocturnal with a WHM even if the shields "don't seem very useful".

I've stopped asking ASTs to switch now. True, I'm on WHM so it's not as bad as SCH have it but it still grates. I can literally feel the overheals ticking away.
But, there are hills to die on and the DF is certainly not one of them.

Frankly, Diurnal is the better stance. Even with a WHM, Diurnal 'should' be used unless shields are absolutely needed (as in, attacks will oneshot the tank/party without the shield. Even most savage/extreme content does not meet this criterion). Saying that preventing damage is better is just flat out wrong. Regens are vastly more effective than shields, allow more uptime for DPSing, are more MP efficient, and so on.

*'should' as in optimal play. If you just find Noct more fun, then by all means use it.

[MoroMurasaki]

Frankly, Diurnal is the better stance. Even with a WHM, Diurnal 'should' be used unless shields are absolutely needed (as in, attacks will oneshot the tank/party without the shield. Even most savage/extreme content does not meet this criterion). Saying that preventing damage is better is just flat out wrong. Regens are vastly more effective than shields, allow more uptime for DPSing, are more MP efficient, and so on.

*'should' as in optimal play. If you just find Noct more fun, then by all means use it.

I would agree here. I enjoy double regen healing, though there are certain weaknesses that you just can't fully cover with it. Some of my favorite o5s&o6s runs were double WHM. The throughput of regens is nothing to laugh at.