TLDR: Templar healers are about to lose 86% of their healing output and much of their group utility if all of the PTS changes make it to the live server in June.
The removal of major mending from the Templar and replacement with minor mending is an immediate 17% nerf in a Templars healing effectiveness (25% healing buff diminished to a measly 8%). DK’s also lost some consistency in their source of major mending, but at least they still have a source! Templars are supposed to be the group support/utility class, the HEALING class! ZOS reasoning for this change was that it was simply too easy to maintain the buff on the Templar class… well the Wraden is going to have a source of Major Mending that is just as easy with their passives. Templars need a source of major mending plain and simple. I get that it was easy to maintain the Major Mending buff on a Templar, but at least give it to the class elsewhere! There are plenty of ways to reward skilled played with Major Mending, for example they could make the current passive only apply to channeled focus and not Ritual (a much smaller radius ability that is harder to stay inside of when trying to avoid damage from bosses, mobs, mechanics, other players, etc.). Another idea is that they could give 6 seconds of Major Mending after completing a Healing Ritual (an unused channeled ability would become useful for once). There are countless other ways they can provide the healing class the main healing tool in the game.
Also, keep in mind that the loss of Major Mending is ON TOP of the blanket sustain nerfs to EVERYONE! I get that they wanted to nerf sustain, but they hit it too hard! They are clearly balancing the game around the broken CP system. Just to test out the effect of these changes on my healing capabilities I went into the PTS with the EXACT same healing gear I am currently wearing in the live server. Keep in mind I am currently built for sustain, not big heals. Also, I used BoL in the following example just to test the drop-in healing skill output. I do not spam this skill in PvE or PvP, I only use it when someone is below 50%… Here are my results:
Live Server: I could cast 16 BoL before tapping out of Magicka. It took 30 seconds to regen back to full with no other buffs.
PTS: I could cast 11 BoL before tapping out of Magicka. It took 34 seconds to regen back to full with no other buffs.
The reduction from 16 to 11 BoL’s is a 69% reduction in the numbers of healing skills I can cast before running out of magicka. Keep in mind that this sustain nerf is on top of the loss of Major Mending! When we add the two nerfs together we get an overall reduction of 86% in healing effectiveness!
I am not even going to touch on the nerfs to Repentance, BoL, or the now non-unique skill of Spear Shards with the changes to Mystic Orbs. I used to be able to help my team in PvE by healing and providing meaningful sustain, now I will be blowing kisses your way while bosses and mobs beat you to death. Actually, I won’t be in there helping you at all if all of these changes go through… R.I.P. Templar healers…