I've got most spells, and I think all the healing ones (I don't have 60, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70, 76, 79, 80, 83, 84, 95, 97,100; so 90 down, 14 to go...until a few hours from now, but hey, who's counting?)So I start with the healing staples:
White Wind (13), Pom Cure (58), Gobskin (59), Angel Whisper (72), Exuviation (73), Stotram (85, just got recently but trying to figure out the point of since Exuviation does the same healing...I guess Stotram has a larger range but higher MP cost...), Angel's Snack (88)
Then there's the slate of utility spells:
Blood Drain (17), Off Guard (20), Flying Sardine (24), Diamondback (29), Mighty Guard (30)*, Moon Flute (39), Aetheric Mimicry (77), Basic Instinct (91)*
*If soloing things.And then some damage spells:
Song of Torment (9), Bad Breath (28), Ram's Voice (33) [for Ultravibration], Feather Rain or Eruption (44/45), Shock Strike (47), Glass Dance (48, got just before maint tonight, FINALLY!), Electrogenesis (53, spam filler), Surpanakha (78), Ultravibration (92), Nightbloom (104)
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Overall, it works, though some things I probably have better stuff than when I initially put together the build, and I need to work out more of the things that don't conflict/share CDs with the stuff I do have (like I think I can add the triple Trident, for example)
It's not perfect and some of this is "general use" kit that I use since I can generally make minor adjustments (remove a couple and sub in some other things) and do whatever I feel like at the time. I will tend to cycle some things out based on the situation, like Ram's Voice + Ultravibration is useless in Trials, and I tend not to need Mighty Guard (or Basic Instinct) with a party. But the 6 healing spells are always must-haves, and have different use cases. Exuviation (and now Stotram) are useful for AOE healing, Pom Cure for spot healing and Tank healing, Angel's Snack if the HoT is needed, and Angel Whisper for revives. Exuviation is also used for removing debuffs.
After that, DoTs seem not to stack well, but Nightbloom is for AOE and burst window DoTing, while Song of Torment is a more general use DoT or for while Nightbloom is on CD. The other Primal abilities are used on CD during a burst phase, with Supra stacked to 4 (or at least 3) before being pumped out. Off-Guard is generally used on CD, though can be shifted if the fight needs it or some spells need it for burst to line up. Flying Sardine is used for interrupt needs. Bad Breath is one of those spells you don't want to overwrite other things with, but it has some nice side-effect debuffs that can be useful. Ram's Voice and Ultravibration are useful in 4 man runs. And Blood Drain along with Lucid Dreaming for MP management.
And Electrogensis is just my Glarespam filler spell.
General gameplay is maintaining DoT (Nightbloom having priority over Song of Torment), using Primal spells on CD after Off Guard debuffing the enemy in the opener and then generally on CD after that (again, Supra at 4 stacks), and Electrogenesis filler. It's basically WHM with a ground targeted Assize, an alternate more powerful DoT once per 2 mins in the burst window, a Misery that doesn't require casting anything else in Shock Strike, a second Misery on a 90 sec CD instead from Glass Dance, and Glare is an AOE with electric effect.
Oh, and GCD heals...actually matter; there are no oGCD heals to fill with, and so your healing plan is more based on Angel's Snack availability, since the rest of the healing spells (Raise aside) are 100% available but do different things.
It...actually shockingly plays a lot like WHM, which has thrown me off, but I kind of like it. I like actually GCD healing and actually being mildly concerned about MP but also having a spamable MP tool if I need chunks of it.
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Though I think - again, have picked up more spells since my initial build - there's room to improve on stuff and probably some more spells I can add. I still haven't figured out entirely which things do and don't overwrite/share CDs. I really want to get Matra Magic (best damage spell in the game, I heard? Just need 10 more spells...)
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I agree with the "niche through scarcity".
You have fewer options, and so they're more distinct. The only real overlap at all is Exuviation vs Stotram (when you don't need to cleanse), as Pom Cure does something different, White Wind has a different use case (if you need to heal a lot and can have a lot of health yourself but also have a lot of MP), and Angel's Snack has the CD.
I like NOT having "an instant free 'everyone's full health now' button", honestly. A lot.
Fair that the DPS options aren't really a lot. It is nice, though, that you can kind of pick the spell animations (aesthetics, but that matters!) and kind of alter it a bit. Like I could use Feculent Flood instead of Electrogenesis if I'd prefer a line to a circle AOE on the target, or prefer earth to lightning. Abyssal Transfixtion can also be used, but is single target only, so has no real advantage there unless you need the paralysis.
I do agree the DPS isn't that advanced - I had thought it was, but when I really started thinking about it, it's one 30 sec DoT (replaced during burst with one 60 sec one, but they don't stack), an oGCD like Assize, and two GCD damage attacks. Basically if we added Plegma to WHM with a 90 sec CD (for Glass Dance), you basically have WHM without the Lilies or oGCDs.
Though...I happen to like that, so...
