Petition: Revert AST card changes

[Seraphor]

This expansion is about balance as far as healers go, and ASTs old card system was a part of that.

Bole and Ewer were balance issues. They were healer toolkit abilities tied to an RNG mechanic.
Did AST have a 10% damage mitigation every 30s? or did it not have one at all, because you might not draw it?
Did AST have MP issues, or not because of Ewer?

Making it purely offensive, means that it can be balanced against it's DPS output (pDPS and rDPS same as DPS roles) and received a more balanced and consistent healer toolkit (Hi Intersection!)

Then Crit and Speed are their own issues.
Speed is downright bad for some jobs, and marginally useful for others, only BLM and SAM can really capitalise on it.
Crit meanwhile scales exponentially over the course of an expansion, you'll notice that they've minimised or outright removed party crit buffs across the board.

So the changes are there for a reason, and they've put time and effort into making this new system and the assets it uses. It's not being reverted.

The new card buffs are actually comparable to Trick Attack... when executed correctly.
So I get it can feel like a lot of effort for not much effect. But it's basically AST's DPS rotation, while SCH and WHM have had their DPS skills gutted, AST's has been increased.

It could be tweaked maybe, and I have an idea for that myself.
The main issue seems to be that cards simply feel less impactful to use, because they’re only a 6% buff at most at any one time.
This system below I think addresses that issue at least.


Balance/Spear/Arrow: 10/6% damage increase for Melee/Ranged.
Bole/Spire/Ewer: 10/6% damage increase for Ranged/Melee
Seals are the same as they currently are, but they do not apply when Playing the card.
Minor Arcana’s are the same for each card.

Minor Arcana: Applies the Seal of the currently held card and discards that card, while generating the effect of Lord/Lady of Crowns. Can only be used in combat.

Lord of Crowns: Grants you a 5% crit buff for 10s and restores 250mp.
Lady of Crowns: Grants you a 5% healing potency buff for 10s and restores 250mp.

Divination: Bestows a party wide 6/8/10% damage buff based on the number of different Seals.

Sleeve Draw would have to be nerfed to just 2 free draws instead of three. Still enough to get your three Seals if you make use of Draw first.


Rather than throwing out a 6% every 30s consistently, you’re using card buffs less often, but for greater effect.
This gives you more impact for each single card/divination (feels better to use) and choice between single targets and building an AoE buff, plus a way to burn cards for healer utility.
There’s fewer buttons to press and less switching targets, because using Minor Arcana doesn’t require you to target anyone, and also doesn’t run the risk of failing to apply the seal.

Basically, in any 2 minute cycle, you will be choosing between four 10% single target buffs, OR one 10% single target buff and one 10% party-wide buff.
In four man content, it might be swings and roundabout which you do because you only have 2 DPS.
In eight man content, you will always want to feed your Divination. And because of how powerful this will be in eight mans, better than Trick Attack, it’ll be more equivalent to WHM’s Misery.
Plus you’ll be boosting your healing output and MP in the process. Two birds with one stone, AST would be fixed.