Cheat Sheet for New AST

Hello. Leveled AST to 60 several weeks ago and read great guides on AST sects and what the cards do and so on. But they all assume I know other jobs. I've only played healer classes.

Sure I know thank tanks or a non-mobile BLM might need damage mitigation and that ranged spell-casters can use reduced mana costs and that it's great when you can give Balance to the whole party. Each card makes sense so match TP bonuses to classes who use that, same for mana bonuses and so on. In large pulls favor dps with strong AoE.

But from things I've read on these forums it seems like some cards that help more than one class are favored more for one than another because of the mechanics of the class and relative impact on each class, so that "duh, this class takes priority for Arrow, and that class takes priority for Spear."

So are there a few simple rules for some of these cards that apply 80% or more of the time for AST noobs so we can learn on the job without making a mess of things?

Any help?

Arrow should unilaterally go to BLMs first (at least relative to the 3.x era; not sure how jobs have changed but I bet not THAT much); failing that, MNK or NIN. SAM also has a self-haste, which implies to me that they'd also be a good Arrow target, but I don't have enough data to declare that universally.

Bole is a main tank move, pretty much.

Ewer these days I feel should go to the SCH or SMN if you yourself don't need it as AST. The ACN class as a whole feels pretty gimped from the Aetherflow nerf.

Spire has less value because of better TP consumption and management from melee classes, IMO. Outside of saving it for dungeons when your melee is AOEing, you're mostly better off Royal Roading or Minor Arcanaing it.

Balance goes on your highest DPS, if not AOE'd to the group. If you don't have a parser, SAMs and RDMs are decent targets, as are BLMs and MNKs if the latest parses are indicative of anything. Not sure who takes priority in an AOE scenario, but I guarantee BLMs are never a bad choice there either.

Spear is actually not bad for BRD now IF you can align it with their song cooldowns and stuff. In pugs, either RR/MA it or use it on yourself if you think you'll need Lucid Dreaming/Essential Dignity/Largesse etc. in the next 30 seconds. Spear is usually EASIEST to use on yourself, but I do think BRD can get some good mileage out of it now if you can coordinate with macros or on VOIP.

Basically what lore said. Plus you'll learn and be able to understand what works for not only the individual jobs, but for your party as well. For instance, BLM is always a good choice for balance, but if you have a move intensive fight with many AoE and your choixes are between a BLM and a DRG, giving the balance to the DRG is better since the buff will have more uo time over the BLM who cant attack and move as easily.

If you want strictly a "cheat sheet", the only one that actually works is to fish for Balance and undraw or royal road everything else. There are simply too many if-then-else scenario's for a cheat sheet to fill and still be considered a cheat sheet. I could provide you with an elaborate response on what my line of thoughts are when playing Astrologian, but that goes way above a cheat sheet and may not be what you're looking for

Indeed, the goal of ast cards if to have a aoe balance because it has the more impact on the party.
BUT

If you waste more than 2 draw, then it's better to actually try to use efficently the cards you get rather than burning or throwing everything.
Arrow is the second choice by default.

Then a Bole can help (on the MT, a little useless in AOE especialy if there's not heavy aoe damages).
Ewer just in case when practising a trial.
Spear could be useful for yourself if again, practising and learning mecanics, so you're CD come back sooner (mana regen, largess...)

Try to fill your spread first, then your royal road. This allows use to use your "fails" more often.
Spear also ups in value at the start of a fight or just before tank busters, dps push phases, and some add phases where people will be blowing CDs left and right, albeit most would still prefer balance/arrow here. Also Spear reduces the CD of Draw when its used from that slot, another reason to selfie it.
DO NOT use single target Ewer on BLM or DRK, theyre pretty much immune to it or domt need it 99% of the time, generally this is good for yourself, the co-healer, RDM/SMN (be nice with it when they help with rezzing), BRD, and PLD.
Spire, post rez assistance for physical chars, AoE assistance for physical chars, other than that its probably the best one to use for expand.
Bole to tanks, and if luck allows large group dmg phases.
Balance/Arrow, virtually interchangable whenever you can, most people prefer balance tho.
Once you learn a bit about the other jobs and the encounters it gets a bit easier but Balance > Arrow > Bole> Ewer > Spire > Spear in terms of easiest to use to hardest to use.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KDSilver

Indeed, the goal of ast cards if to have a aoe balance because it has the more impact on the party.

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I'd argue with that the goal is to use with whatever you have. Each duty/encounter has a limited amount of cards to use and any cards not used for anything is a waste. While there are techniques to try and force out the result you want - More often than not an expanded/extended Balance -, these are not fool proof.

I think judging by the rest of his post he means aoe balance is viewed as the holy grail of AST draws in most situations, which is usually pretty true.

I will say, for the Op, my one big bit of AST advice past the good info here about cards: Don't forget Celestial Opposition and Time Dilation when choosing cards, especially the former as it works on everyone in your party including yourself. The ability to extend all the targets beneficial effects is incredibly powerful if you use them correctly.

A single cast balance or arrow with a Time Dilation on the right dps can be worth not storing it in the hopes you can aoe it sometimes, plus, it seems to make them feel special and give you comms ;)

People have advised Royal Roading Spires.

Do not do this in light parties.

Spending two draws on an AoE 50% potency card will never be as effective as two single cards on the best target (or spending two draws on a 200% duration card). Throwing Spire at even a caster is a better option than Roading it, to ensure your next card is not gimped (but throw it at an actual TP user anyway).

Extended Card is mostly equivalent to Card + Card; though Card + Card can be better depending on expected remaining time in the fight.

Extended Card >> AoE Card in light party, and by extension, Card + Card is better than AoE Card.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rongway

People have advised Royal Roading Spires.

Do not do this in light parties.

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Id say this advice is more based on what you can do in the next 5-10s. If its just your draw, and you have no spread card yet... Redraw sure, if you redrew and got it w/ no spread but sleeve draw is up, using it for RR has a decent turn out rate, odds of arrow/balance in either spread or draw slot arent horrible. If you already have something you want aoed in spread slot, auto RRing spire is a good option. If you already have aoe RR set, probably better off poofing or minor arcana-ing it depending on your lvl.

My general goal for AST is to try to get something out of every draw. That something may be a royal road or spread for later, but I try to make sure a card goes on someone every other draw or so. So generally royal road, then use the next card. Sometimes theres an extra draw because I want to hold it for later, or one less because I drew something I want to use right away, but generally about every other card gets given out.

By all means, use your card manipulation to try and fish for what you want, but I'd rather throw out some buffs than nothing even if if means occasionallg drawing a balance without a royal road prepared.

Having said all that, as a rule of thumb: balance and arrow go on dps, spear goes on tanks or CD based dps (bard songs, aetherflow, mudras) bole goes on tanks, ewer and spire are usually RR or redraw bait but if I'm stuck with it I'll just see who has the least of that resource.

[edit] havent played AST above 60 yet, minor arcana may change some of this.

Minor Arcana at Level 66 will mean you get something useful out of every draw.