Astrologian tips and tricks

[Geardagas]

Spire and Ewer should always be used Especially if u have a bard within the group... SPEAR is not useless for ninja it is strong it allows them to do more mudra attacks then usual and is very useful vs tank busters to get tanks cooldowns back faster for future busters ...Bole u must always throw on the tank 10% dmg reduce even know it small it helps ......Arrow is useless apart when used with a blm with lay lines

Spire/Ewer are useless, extending requiem might amount to .0000000001% the dps gain that balance or arrow would do. They are extremely situational buffs, and situational + rng is a fail combination. Arrow is literally always useful, no matter what DPS you put it on it's going to be a DPS gain. Bole is almost never useful on its own, like I said 'just throwing' it on the tank is pitiful support compared to royal roading it and buffing a balance or arrow.

The thing about spear is that extended royal road is infinitely more useful than spear itself.

[GeekMatt]

We're all gonna vary our play style from eachother a bit, but I'd recommend MiKaris guide to newbies. http://www.ffxivrealm.com/guides/bel...ast-guide.116/

[Aqua_Amaiyo]

I honestly find the only use for Spear (typically for me), is throwing it on myself before I refresh my own mp using Luminiferous Aether, only to decrease the cool down on the skill if I'm having MP issues (which doesn't happen often but it happens). I typically use Balance and Arrow on dps using extend or enhance, but again, situational. There's honestly been times where a player "knows" what they're doing, using their skills and cool downs correctly, but doesn't have the gear to do the damage needed to get the job done; I sometimes would arrow or balance on them to help them out if the other dps is pushing a good amount of damage, but i don't focus them. Bole I almost always RR or let it fall off (if I'm holding a card or have an effect that I'm saving for a card) or I shuffle it.

But let's be honest, there really is no definite right or wrong to using the classes cards. Here and now situations are unpredictable. Ast's can really only prepare for the possible future. So nearly every play style people use with the class and it's cards are going to constantly differ because we can never predict the unpredictable, only prepare for it. Literally Ast's card system is a perfect example of situational use and RNGesus.

[Xyth]

Expanded Balance / Arrow is always the top choice to use. 5% may not seem a lot, but having that on 8-man content for 20 secs after using Celestial Opposition, then casting Time Dilation on the top DPSer. I have the parse window up, and within the 20 secs of buff, the party wide DPS shoots way up. I certainly do not agree with this guide and tips at all.

Cast a single Balance on a single DPS for 10%, when casting balance on 8 people for 5% for a combined 40% damage increase.

[Staris]

Enhanced Duration or Potency Ewar on Self + Luminous + Light speed + Celestial (on all 3) = A1 Savage down at full mana.
Nuff said.

[Ghishlain]

I think the most important thing about being AST is being adaptable and having the situational awareness to understand where a card should go. AST is the only job in the game where you need to have some knowledge of how every single class/job in the game plays so you can make a well informed decision with your card selection.

By straitjacketing yourself to a specific set of rules for your card usage, you're just undermining your maximum potential as an AST because you don't consider specific aspects of fight. Certain cards will be more beneficial in specific fights and even in specific parts of a fight. Spire and Ewer lose their effectiveness at the beginning of a fight but can be invaluable later in a training dummy intensive fight like T8 or if someone dies and is Raised, Spire / Ewer can get them back in the fight much faster.

Don't give yourself rules to use card, give yourself options and see how they mesh with the fight you're in.

[Zaj_Quilos]

I love keeping Ewer in my spread for any MP strain moments. Very useful.

[Koopatroopa]

Following a guide on what to give to who is pointless considering you need to think on the fly and adapt to the current situation. That's what's going to set apart between the good Asto's and the mediocre.

[Geardagas]

Enhanced Duration or Potency Ewar on Self + Luminous + Light speed + Celestial (on all 3) = A1 Savage down at full mana.
Nuff said.

Actually there's alot more to be said, namely that the amount of mana you have at the end of an encounter is completely irrelevant.

If you're running out of mana, there's a much bigger problem going on.

[VitalSuit]

@OP Make up your mind with bole, you say not to royal road it, you say not to spread it and then right under that you say that it's good to spread it...
Why wouldn't you royal road bole anyways? If the tank won't be taking any meaningful damage anytime soon the 50% extra potency is good if you have time dilation ready.

Spire/Ewer are useless

lol no.