Is SCH + AST the meta?

[Halfgeeek]

I was curious on the world first savage race, and checking through most of the contender streams, they run SCH + AST combo.

Some don't stream so i don't know their healer combo, but it seems odd that SGE is missing, is it due to recovery issues?

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

I was curious on the world first savage race, and checking through most of the contender streams, they run SCH + AST combo.

Some don't stream so i don't know their healer combo, but it seems odd that SGE is missing, is it due to recovery issues?

Possible reasons:
1.) Expedient is REALLY strong, making SCH a tad more versatile in different utility than SGE. This does not mean SGE is weak, just that SCH has something those groups prefer.
2.) More players are more experienced playing SCH than SGE due to SGE being newer. It may also be that they simply prefer playing Scholar.
3.) AST damage buffs + SCH critical up from Chain Stratagem to increase raid dps further.
4.) Maybe they didn't bother with Sage yet.

Sage really isn't bad for healing / shielding / mitigation, it has a pretty good amount of it. It is just that it is a bit more like it is like what WHM is to AST but to SCH instead.

[Nizzi]

I think most people who are trying to prog at that level and have been playing for hours on end today are more than likely just playing what they're comfortable with and have a lot of experience on, and SCH+AST was "meta" most of ShB.

[Halfgeeek]

Well, I did ask some of the streamers why they picked SCH over SGE for the barrier healer, and they said a few reasons:

1. Expedient for helping with mechanics (lots of movement)

2. Better recovery, can pop Dissipation to get 3 AF instantly instead of waiting for Adersgall.

3. Emergency Tactics more useful in prog than Pepsis.

[Risvertasashi]

I was curious on the world first savage race, and checking through most of the contender streams, they run SCH + AST combo.

Some don't stream so i don't know their healer combo, but it seems odd that SGE is missing, is it due to recovery issues?

Some groups are running sage. One is running SGE+SCH which is particularly interesting, and has the potential to become the meta due to its high performance in high end content until now.

But it's too early to say what the meta is yet. Things are still settling. Once groups are through the content and start optimizing kills week to week, then the meta will take shape.

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

Some groups are running sage. One is running SGE+SCH which is particularly interesting, and has the potential to become the meta due to its high performance in high end content until now.

But it's too early to say what the meta is yet. Things are still settling. Once groups are through the content and start optimizing kills week to week, then the meta will take shape.

SCH SGE is an unorthodox comp that I kind of half-predicted to happen, similar to how SCH ASTnoct was viable even if unnecessary. But now that Sage isn't like Astro and can just choose to go regen, a double shield comp is very much a viable thing - especially since you don't need to actually use Galvanize / Eukrasia shields to justify playing them. Or you could alternate between them, depending who has Indom / Ixochole ready or who has the edge in MP economy.

Really happy to see more unorthodox comps entering the game.

[Semirhage]

I am not shocked in the slightest that WHM is, yet again, for the fourth expansion in a row, so horrible that calling it "competitive" with the others is cackle-worthy.

[Liam_Harper]

I'd imagine Sage vs SCH is mainly preference. Sage is still a solid pick. We're still in the prog phase though, which is a whole different game to when the fights are on farm.

AST is an easy pick because one pure healer is good for early prog, so why not take the pure healer that brings raid mitigation, tons of oGCD's and strong GCD heals. SGE/SCH comps might pick up later, but AST will likely never be a bad choice.

Apparently there's a 4th healer too, but we don't talk about that...

[Acece]

I'm impressed at how bad whm is lol, so much for the "prog healer."

[Silver-Strider]

I'm impressed at how bad whm is lol, so much for the "prog healer."

Yeah but those free rezzes are super helpful. It doesn't matter that we can't meet enrage due to all the deaths because I have a free rez /s

To all the morons that said Thin Air changes were good because Free Rez, use your Free rez to revive my WHM because that dude is beyond salvation.