Endwalker Healer changes: new info from the Media Tour

Last Updated on: 16th October 2021, 08:28 pm

With the end of the Media Tour news embargo, numerous FFXIV content creators from around the world have been flooding their subscriptions’ feeds with tons of info about all the class changes, job feel, and general Endwalker news which was guarded until now. While I did write a preliminary article about each class’s changes in the Job Actions trailer, some info is either out of date or speculation that was off the mark. I plan to remedy that now, so here are the Endwalker Healer changes!

Do note that the information is subject to change between now and the release of Endwalker. This applies especially to potency numbers, but we can still glean some ideas as to how the team wishes to balance the jobs based on general potency numbers.

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White Mage

White Mage is probably the class that received the last changes overall. As with all the other healers, White Mage had its single target and AoE damage moves upgraded to Glare III and Holy III respectively. Rest in peace Glare and Holy II, we never knew you and never will.

While Fluid Aura was removed, Aquaveil was added, giving a 15% damage mitigation to the selected party member for eight seconds. Thin Air was also… heavily nerfed, only making the next spell cost 0 MP with two total stacks. Divine Benison also received another stack, which is nice. The level 90 skill, Lilybell, is placed on the ground and can heal the party up to five times. Each time the White Mage is dealt damage, a 400 potency AoE cure will pulse. If the five stacks aren’t used up, the remaining stacks will be used all at once as an AoE heal with each acting as 200 potency.

Scholar

As with the other healers, Scholar received buffs to its single target and AoE attacks in Broil IV and Art of War II.
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That’s all the changes to Scholar’s damage kit.

On to healing, Scholar actually received a good bit more than people expected based on the Job Actions trailer. Alongside the universal cast time reduction to 1.5 seconds for healers, numerous players from the Media Tour describe the fairy as being notably more responsive, able to get effects out in the 1-second weave window between spells. Scholar also received a one-minute cooldown heal which enhances maximum HP by 10%, healing that amount, and then increasing heal potency on that target for 10 seconds. Fey Blessing also no longer costs Faerie Guage, and as such, all gauge can be spent on Fey Union.

The new mobility action is notably better than we expected, also reducing damage taken by the party for 20 seconds. This is one of the longest active damage mitigation effects in the entire game. Alongside the shields on Succor and Adlo being increased in percentage, Scholar truly does look to keep the identity of THE shield healer.

Astrologian

Astrologian is easily the healer with the most changes overall. Fall Malefic and Gravity II are the upgrades to its main attacking spells in line with the other healers. Divination now has no seal requirement and always gives the party a 6% damage buff. The seals are now used for a move called Astrodyne. Based on the number of seals the Astrologian has, it will gain the following buffs: a slight MP regen for one, a cast time and auto-attack delay for two, and a healing and damage buff for three. It should be noted that two seals provide both of the first two buffs and that three seals give all these buffs to the Astrologian at once. While there isn’t a cooldown on Astrodyne, it can only be performed after three seals have been obtained, which is to say roughly 90 seconds after the first usage. Earthly Star also got a notable damage buff, which is cool!

Changes have also been made to the Lord and Lady of Crowns. As a new action usable once a minute, Lord is a 250 potency AoE attack and Lady is a 400 potency AoE cure. As of now, there looks to be no way to manipulate Crown Draw’s outcome, and I do have fears that Astrologian’s damage will be too dependent on RNG due to the Crowns and Astrodyne. Redraw has also been changed from a three-stack action to one which allows a single redraw per Draw usage. This really just amounts to less card manipulation and thus less control over RNG. As a minor adjustment for this, Draw has become a two-stack action.

On the healing side of things, Nocturnal Sect is gone. However, Neutral Sect remains, offering Nocturnal’s effects on Aspected Benefic and Helios. Additionally, Celestial Intersection will be receiving another stack. Exaltation is a new skill on a one-minute cooldown that reduces a party member’s damage taken by 10% and offers a 500 potency cure after the duration. Macrocosmos, a new two-minute cooldown with a cast time, does 250 potency to all enemies and gives a buff to players which, when activated or upon the effect’s expiration, heals half of the damage taken during the effect.

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While Sage may be stealing the show right now, the Endwalker Healer changes aren’t all bad. The universal cast time change is AMAZING for weaving without optimizing more than usual. Scholar looks to actually have a pretty good healing kit compared to what was originally shown off, and Astrologian may as well be a different class. Sorry to the White Mage mains though… While I can’t say I love all of the Endwalker Healer changes, I plan to raid on Astrologian this upcoming tier due to all the changes which look to keep it a busy support healer!