General Astro PvP Tips

Posted this originally in another thread, but with all the hate on the new Astro thought I'd share it here as well. The tips are mostly pertaining to 4v4 Feast, but many are universal and can be used in any PvP.

I've probably played at least 25% of my matches up to Gold as Astro, and the rest on a mix of everything else. I've tried all of the healers and, unless nothing changes with Broil, then Astro is in a very solid place right now and can definitely be competitive. Below are some of the biggest changes from old PvP to the new PvP that need to be learned.

Lightspeed is no longer something to hold onto. If it's up and the enemy team is in DPS mode, use it. Its primary purpose is MP reduction, so take advantage of it for Bene 2 spam as needed.

Synastry is on such a short CD, make sure you are moving it between targets as often as you need to. If you heal a synastry'd target, they will receive a second heal shortly after your main one for 25% of the original.

Cards are much much better now. Draw cooldown starts immediately upon you pressing Draw, instead of when you use the card. Don't spam your card, instead sit on your drawn card if you don't have an immediate need for it and use it when you most need it.

Always be casting Bene 1, even if you only heal for 1 hp. This keeps LS spam going. You can LS every minute with the way it works now. It's crazy good.

Take Bolt and Muse as your actives. For passives, take decreased recast, increased healing potency (or resistance duration against a good tank), and increased MP regen.

Kite, kite, kite. Astro is incredibly mobile, especially with the Bene 1 into insta cast. Hug the trees, walls, whatever you can. SAM's will hate you.

I can agree with most of OP but I can give some perspective from about 50-60 games so far in FL.

AST is probably the best overall FL healer due to rapid fire heals. Being that you might be babysitting multiple people with high I would say sit on your lightspeed until split damage is coming out so you can benefic 2 spam to stop multiple bursts happening. If you don't think you can heal a single target through bursts with just benefic 1 + 2 casting its time to Deorbit them to force the enemy to disengage. Lightspeed is also incredible for surviving a retreat from an enemy alliance.

Bolt and Muse are the only additional skills worth slotting in FL.

Passives though I would say take increased action speed for faster heals with MP regeneration and increased heal potency as your other 2 passives. Outside of Assize there are no more aoe heals so in situations such as node during Secure or caster LBs you will need heals as fast as possible to keep your party going.

This is good stuff and maybe I will consider trying out AST again since it's my favourite class but I still can't help but feel iffy about it. (deorbit being a useless skill in 99% of Feast matches mostly does that, having a whole skill less than the other healers is :/ )

But there is one thing, Synastry DOES boost your healing by 25% on the target. Unless they changed it completely from how it works in Wolves Den Pier. I could probably look through Stream

The actual main heal number isn't boosted, but the target still receives that extra 25%. I tested it myself live on stream, here are screenshots before and after Synastry and I can give you the clip on Discord since I'm not sure they allow twitch clips here.

http://i.imgur.com/XuyQOU1.png
http://i.imgur.com/SurlFiQ.png

Notice how the Synastry target receives an extra, smaller heal?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Korihu

But there is one thing, Synastry DOES boost your healing by 25% on the target. Unless they changed it completely from how it works in Wolves Den Pier.

The actual main heal number isn't boosted, but the target still receives that extra 25%. I tested it myself live on stream, here are screenshots before and after Synastry and I can give you the clip on Discord since I'm not sure they allow twitch clips here.

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Good catch. I'll edit OP, definitely didn't see that since it's so small and off to the side. Just verified it with a video I had from a match in Feast, so definitely not specific to WDP.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Korihu

(deorbit being a useless skill in 99% of Feast matches mostly does that, having a whole skill less than the other healers is :/ )

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I accidentally interrupted my melee's Limit Break by using Deorbit on him as he was readying it. :( This skill feels very clunky to me and seems to have potential to do more harm than good at times, at least in Feast!


Thanks for posting these tips, Koltik! AST is my main job for PvP and I was originally very disappointed with the changes they've made to it, but I think it's just a case of my not being used to the new way of playing it, since it feels so different to me now. I tried out your suggestions earlier and it did seem to help, so now I'm looking forward to playing around with it more!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Graci

I accidentally interrupted my melee's Limit Break by using Deorbit on him as he was readying it. :( This skill feels very clunky to me and seems to have potential to do more harm than good at times, at least in Feast!

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Only real uses I found for Deorbit in Frontlines are when retreating with one of your party members is lagging behind and in danger of being killed or when one of your overzealous party members with no awareness of their surroundings is about to be mobbed (and 80% of the time they run right back in to their deaths, not knowing what just happened).