I don't think its fair to call this "Main Healing"

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Really, this is almost absurd, most PTs these days where I'm invited to "main heal" I just really spam two things over and over - Stoneskin and Phalanx - and maybe, just maybe throw out a cure. Capped out my EXP at 75 today in a colibri PT, I think I cured maybe ten times tops and two-three times that was just AoE Regen II.

Its so powerful I actually do object to the idea of stacking too many mages into a PT. I suppose in a way that for a WHM or RDM this would be great since they won't run low on MP and can focus on Haste cycles, but when that third healer mage is casually tossed in PT, I feel like we're inviting someone and giving them nothing to do.

I suppose WHM or RDM could become pullers in PTs where a SCH is present, though.

Still, whether its just a RDM or RDM+BRD/RDM+COR/COR+BRD, I seldom get below 800 MP. I just wish there was something more I could actually do. I'd ask for Haste from main, but then, that would be totally broken. SCH+SMN would be sick support and SCH+BLU isn't bad either.

When its not colibri, Enspells are good for most days of the in-game week. Its not a bad option and I guess if you have a lot of /NIN dependant players, tossing out an Accession Aquaviel would just further survivability. It does have quite a duration. Where elemental AoEs are a threat, there are barspells

Dunno, just seems like this could get boring real fast, but thank goodness SCH is welcomed in so many things, there's nice variety in the job. Doesn't seem to matter where I go as a main healer, though. I did a Bibiki Bay PT the other day. EXP was slow, but it was pretty safe overall considering how deadly Hobgoblin Bomb Toss generally is.

Before I would comment that SCH was like the SAM of mages, but after so many PTs, I'm starting to thinks is more like a PLD with constant Rampart.

Guess I just want to find a way to make those merit PTs a little more exciting, though to be fair, I could just go manaburn if I got tired of spamming AoE SS/Phalanx.

[Karinya]

Re: I don't think its fair to call this "Main Healing"

I just wish there was something more I could actually do.

Fight something besides colibri and you'd have this ability called "Dark Arts", it's pretty cool.

Yes, obviously when you're fighting one of the weakest monster types in the game *and* probably most of your party is /NIN and bouncing hate around, very little actual healing will be necessary; the fact that you have an AoE Stoneskin only accentuates that. If you fought something that could fight back it would be different.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: I don't think its fair to call this "Main Healing"

Fight something besides colibri and you'd have this ability called "Dark Arts", it's pretty cool.

Yes, obviously when you're fighting one of the weakest monster types in the game *and* probably most of your party is /NIN and bouncing hate around, very little actual healing will be necessary; the fact that you have an AoE Stoneskin only accentuates that. If you fought something that could fight back it would be different.

Constant shifts from Light Arts to Dark Arts - particularly where Addendums are frequently needed - is not a terribly effective means of using the job. While in some situations its not totally unreasonable to stay in Dark Arts and support cure, a lot of the time SCH is called to be main healer in any kind of balanced or melee oriented melee PT.

Now, its true you could use WHM and not have to use Addendum: White for a lot of things, but, you'd lose two things you'd never have to tap Addendum: Black for had you subbed RDM instead (at least, this is at 68+), in addition to one enfeeble that's beneficial to the PT:

Sleep
Dispel
Gravity

Granted, these will come at a higher MP cost than had I used them under Dark Arts and the casting time is penalized as well under Light Arts, but the additional MP cost is marginal and you wouldn't lose any Enfeebling magic skill since both Light and Dark Arts account for Enfeebling skill as of the March update, not to mention both AF body and legs give +15 enfeebling skill.

All that aside, as I stated earlier, even some of the nastier EXP camps are pretty harmless with SS/Phalanx up.

One thing I think that would remedy this lack of things to do would be if SE added more weather-triggered gear. People have no issues grabbing Minuet Earrings for when they have a BRD around, having more gear in the system that had latents triggered by weather spells could make things more interesting. Like a haste earring triggered by Windstorm or something.

SCH's already exploit Desert Boots with Sandstorm, but beyond that, the Monsoon Tekko and some Avatar gear, there's really not that much to play with.

[Temagori]

Re: I don't think its fair to call this "Main Healing"

Yeah, I have to say that after leveling WHM to 75 I thought my main healing days were over playing as any other job. I was wrong, but I have to say that I actually prefer SCH main healing than I do WHM.

Aside from the fact I have an Aristo on my WHM and Cure V I feel like that SCH is actually attuned to be a better main healer. The amount of MP conserved by SCH simply from light arts adds up quick and with sublimation I really rarely need down time.

I love the fact that, at least at 68, I can outdmg any Tier III Black Magic spell that a BLM casts with Ebullience. That just makes me feel good that, while it's not much more than a BLM (60-80ish), I can contribute substantial nuking power as well as dispelling even with /BLM.

I have not gotten to exploit the /RDM factor since I have staticed with a DNC and the En- spells are null and void with sambas. But when I sub WHM, I feel like I truly only have to Stoneskin, Aquaveil, and Protect IV-ga and sit back and relax. While this is welcome sometimes... I have to say I have come to loathe Colobri for this reason.

With their high MdB I can very rarely drop a substantial enough amount of damage to be worth the mp contribution. That and the fact that I have to change my arts. I love SCH, but I do think that if we are not careful SE might try to find a way and "gimp" us.

I also agree with bbqkitten that we need more Weather Based gear. I personally use the weather related to the Black Magic I cast and/or the weaponskills being used. I'm sure it helps a small margin, but I have seen no huge improvement. And I absolutely love having Sandstorm + Desert Boots combo again. (Bought them a long time ago when I soloed my DRG back in the day in Alteppa lol )

I have honestly only found one party where the SAM and NIN were both utilizing the monsoon tekko and I believe there was a kyahan. This actually let me focus Rainstorm on them and helped me feel more "alive" in the party since I had a few more things to focus on as "main healer".

My DNC friend laughs at me when I get be the "main healer" since he is a DNC and 9/10 of the time is most capable of main healing with me just support healing. There is no doubt about it SCH Main Healing is a force to be reckoned with.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: I don't think its fair to call this "Main Healing"

SCH main heal actually feels preferable to WHM and far more natural than RDM main heal. I seriously doubt once I get RDM to 75 that I'll even pull it out for merits if I can just main heal or have the option of manaburn on SCH. I'll probably just cap RDM in Campaign and put it away again for events.

[Temagori]

Re: I don't think its fair to call this "Main Healing"

Yeah I have to say that I've always had a hidden, burning desire to level BLM, but the cost of a few spells at higher levels (Sleepga II) have deterred me from doing so. With SCH I can now enjoy the world very close to my WHM and a world very close to BLM.

That makes me just love SCH even more because end-game SCH has many more possibilities and there is a lot of room for customization towards whatever arts etc you pursue in any given circumstance.

I have 3 merits just waiting for merits to come out for SCH and I'm sure by the time merits do come out I'll have a healthy 10 ready to boost myself. I don't think I have been this ecstatic about a job since I first played DRG. My first true love lol.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: I don't think its fair to call this "Main Healing"

I really struggled on finding a job I liked on my Taru aside from BST. DRG was a flight of fancy, I levelled it for AF and upon getting 60, never levelled it again. Probably gonna stay that way.

BST was my favorite for the taru, but its a slow affair and I've been levelling it on and off for three years now. RDM I took to 65 before burning out on it. BRD I actually got to 75, but it made me feel like tool used for other people's ends, so I quit it, too.

SCH just as that spark of activity to it and doesn't get as monotonous as some of the other mage jobs I've played. Not to mention that, unlike my BRD, I get called by my name on SCH. SCH was also fun enough to get me interested in levelling RDM again, a lot of the gear crosses over, which is great.

I'd definately want more to do with our exclusive spells, especially the weather magic. I'm hoping lot of weather-based gear gets put into the system in time, there really just isn't enough to trigger.