When observing regen healer kits, it is evident that WHM provides far less party mitigation utility than AST.
WHM feels the most trapped by its role, as AST has so many mitigation tools even with that regen healer tag. But this disparity in tools is also compounded by AST having both the highest healing and raid contributing damage ceiling of any healer. The difference in tool kit begins to be apparent in high end content such as savage and ultimate where mitigation (albeit not completely a healer responsibility) is often the bar in which bosses test a group's ability to impact the full party's effective HP stat beyond HP restoration, which WHM is sorely lacking relative to all other healers regardless of Regen/Shield tag.
WHM's playstyle and kit features less proactive usage of its skills outside of temperance, lily bell, and asylum. Often limited to reactively Afflatus/GCD healing the party after damage occurs as opposed to reducing the damage before it is incurred. Every other healer, including AST, makes many proactive choices regarding the SEVERAL shields and party mitigation tools available to them (most of which are tied to 1-2 min OGCDs).
Dawntrail's latest addition, Divine Caress, feels okay to use, but "okay" for a lvl 100 ability tied to an existing 2 min CD is underwhelming for a job already deprived of mitigation tools. The regen feels like an after thought given how much HP restoration throughput you already have access to (consider the uptime of regens provided by a sacred soil/kerachole + whispering dawn/physis). I believe a stronger shield and separate CD would be preferred by most WHM players than a regen that would be sufficiently compensated for with the surplus of restoration tools already available.
I would be interested in a 1 minute CD presence of mind, akin to light speed, synching with Afflatus Misery and a burst style akin to tanks. If you feel like WHMs would be conflicted with healing and doing damage during 1 minute bursts, then perhaps consider making healing GCDs used during presence of mind extend the duration by a GCD so it's a net neutral in that case. Or don't and make WHMs juggle the choice of damage or healing (i.e. optimization/choice, which is a good thing for players to have even on easy jobs).
Likewise, not starting with a blood lily to spend in the opener seems to put WHM a bit behind compared to other healers. This design seems dated, especially in consideration of the recent DRG life window changes. I would be in favor of starting with a free Afflatus Misery at the start of combat to put into the 1st set of raid buffs.
In summary, WHM is lacking in party mitigation, proactive gameplay, and opener burst. I believe any of those changes would help bring it more in line with the current designs of other healer jobs this expansion.
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WHM feels the most trapped by its role, as AST has so many mitigation tools even with that regen healer tag. But this disparity in tools is also compounded by AST having both the highest healing and raid contributing damage ceiling of any healer. The difference in tool kit begins to be apparent in high end content such as savage and ultimate where mitigation (albeit not completely a healer responsibility) is often the bar in which bosses test a group's ability to impact the full party's effective HP stat beyond HP restoration, which WHM is sorely lacking relative to all other healers regardless of Regen/Shield tag.
WHM's playstyle and kit features less proactive usage of its skills outside of temperance, lily bell, and asylum. Often limited to reactively Afflatus/GCD healing the party after damage occurs as opposed to reducing the damage before it is incurred. Every other healer, including AST, makes many proactive choices regarding the SEVERAL shields and party mitigation tools available to them (most of which are tied to 1-2 min OGCDs).
Dawntrail's latest addition, Divine Caress, feels okay to use, but "okay" for a lvl 100 ability tied to an existing 2 min CD is underwhelming for a job already deprived of mitigation tools. The regen feels like an after thought given how much HP restoration throughput you already have access to (consider the uptime of regens provided by a sacred soil/kerachole + whispering dawn/physis). I believe a stronger shield and separate CD would be preferred by most WHM players than a regen that would be sufficiently compensated for with the surplus of restoration tools already available.
I would be interested in a 1 minute CD presence of mind, akin to light speed, synching with Afflatus Misery and a burst style akin to tanks. If you feel like WHMs would be conflicted with healing and doing damage during 1 minute bursts, then perhaps consider making healing GCDs used during presence of mind extend the duration by a GCD so it's a net neutral in that case. Or don't and make WHMs juggle the choice of damage or healing (i.e. optimization/choice, which is a good thing for players to have even on easy jobs).
Likewise, not starting with a blood lily to spend in the opener seems to put WHM a bit behind compared to other healers. This design seems dated, especially in consideration of the recent DRG life window changes. I would be in favor of starting with a free Afflatus Misery at the start of combat to put into the 1st set of raid buffs.
In summary, WHM is lacking in party mitigation, proactive gameplay, and opener burst. I believe any of those changes would help bring it more in line with the current designs of other healer jobs this expansion.
Continue reading...