Learning how to properly play AST

[Rongway]

You'll pretty much be full-timing Diurnal Sect. As has been noted before, you can put up a Nocturnal Aspected Benefic before a trash pull, or Nocturnal Aspected Benefic on the tank and Nocturnal Aspected Helios on the party before a boss, but whenever you do this, make sure you give yourself enough time to switch back to Diurnal before the pull or you'll be locked into it until everything dies. You don't really want to be caught stuck in Nocturnal ever; the only time to use it through a battle is in a 2xAST party. Diurnal is a better choice even when you're paired with a WHM because of MP and effective potencies.

Once you get to 60 you can do this thing...
Synastry -> Collective Unconscious -> Swiftcast -> Aspected Helios -> AoE Card Buff -> Aspected Benefic -> Time Dilation -> Celestial Opposition -> Cleric Stance -> Luminiferous Aether -> 20x Gravity
and as long as you don't have a DRK, you can stand (float?) there casting Gravity forever without healing the tank and without running out of MP.

If you're going into a duty that won't sync you (it is for your current level), prepare:
Stoneskin yourself, Spread an Arrow or Balance, Royal Road a Ewer or Spire (as of 3.1 this shouldn't fall off as long as you don't sync).
Once in the dungeon, after the barrier goes down you can Lightspeed->Protect-> 3xStoneskin on the other party members; this will mitigate any issues with in-a-rush-with-a-deathwish tanks and the party can get going and start with the killing. The party will appreciate your preparedness and effort in minimizing entry downtime.

AST has a solid ability set, and if played right you won't feel inferior to the other healer jobs. If for some reason your heals feel weak after 50, ask yourself if you're remembering to use Synastry. On top of the redirected heals, it also gives you a 20% healing potency bonus.

If you use Lightspeed as an Oh Shit button, remember that its full potential lies not in making your heals instant but rather in allowing you to perform actions in between heals without costing any time. For greatest effect, use off GCD abilities in between your lightspeed heals (ex.: Lightspeed -> Benefic II -> Essential Dignity -> Benefic II -> Luminiferous Aether -> Benefic II -> Disable -> Benefic II -> Draw). If you don't weave oGCDs into Lightspeed heals, then really you might as well have just used Swiftcast instead of Lightspeed, because the first spell is the only one saving you any time.

[416to305]

Once you get to 60 you can do this thing...
Synastry -> Collective Unconscious -> Swiftcast -> Aspected Helios -> AoE Card Buff -> Aspected Benefic -> Time Dilation -> Celestial Opposition -> Cleric Stance -> Luminiferous Aether -> 20x Gravity
and as long as you don't have a DRK, you can stand (float?) there casting Gravity forever without healing the tank and without running out of MP.

Synastry increases Collective Unconscious as well? I didn't know that, I thought it just increased actual magic spells not abilities? Would love to find out as I didn't realize that, otherwise I'd use it before CU often then.

If you use Lightspeed as an Oh Shit button, remember that its full potential lies not in making your heals instant but rather in allowing you to perform actions in between heals without costing any time.

I don't entirely agree with this. You're forgetting to mention that Lightspeed lets you cast while moving for most spells. I use it all the time, can run to one end of the arena, pop Helios, and then to the other and do it again if necessary. Great for those instances where people are spread out, especially since it reduces MP by 25%. 90% of the time I use it it's while running or moving.

[Parawill]

Synastry increases Collective Unconscious as well? I didn't know that, I thought it just increased actual magic spells not abilities? Would love to find out as I didn't realize that, otherwise I'd use it before CU often then.

No.

I would also use Luminferous Aether in tandem with Celestial Opposition to get an extra tick or two of MP, thus getting you more MP in the long-run.

[Nekotee]

I do agree
And I should add that even for the shield noct AST is stronger but not mp efficient which reduced his overall efficient

Whm is better in aoe heal only because of cure 3 (and a bit of assise which os à free medica EVERY 90sec)
Otherwise they are mostly on par
=> same efficiency, AST ability to extend HoT, possibilité to create à 5% shield on everyone (spread bole), shield+HoT channeling (collective unconscious)

[Kacho_Nacho]

In addition to all this fantastic advice regarding your abilities, OP, I have to add my own two gil.

AST has some of the most beautiful spell effects in the game. There is no getting around it, the job is flashy.

So, make sure you step up and look the part. No bleah glamors for you!

You aren't some boring academic Scholar, or a pale clad priestly White Mage, you are an ASTROLOGIAN! You are supposed to be as grand as a Victorian Painted Lady decked out with star and moon shaped rainbow crystals!

Embrace your job and dazzle your fellow party members! It's a job requirement!

[Nekotee]

Wait a sec lightspeed do not make your spell instant it reduced the cast time
Aspected helios still have a cast time (suuuuuuper short but still forbid you from using while running)

Be careful with this spell
Look awesome but you burn your mana even with -25% comsumption

[416to305]

Wait a sec lightspeed do not make your spell instant it reduced the cast time
Aspected helios still have a cast time (suuuuuuper short but still forbid you from using while running)

Be careful with this spell
Look awesome but you burn your mana even with -25% comsumption

Yeah, Aspected Helios you have to stop moving but literally for 1-2 secs. Normal Helios you can cast while running, same with Benefic II, Exalted Detrament, trying to think of some others. I don't use it for Aspected Helios, usually just for those times when the whole party is under 50% HP. Lightspeed plus a few hits of Helios usually brings everyone right back up, and the 25% MP reduction is a huge help.

[Lyrica_Ashtine]

Wait a sec lightspeed do not make your spell instant it reduced the cast time
Aspected helios still have a cast time (suuuuuuper short but still forbid you from using while running)

Have you tried? :P

[Rongway]

Once you get to 60 you can do this thing...
Synastry -> Collective Unconscious -> Swiftcast -> Aspected Helios -> AoE Card Buff -> Aspected Benefic -> Time Dilation -> Celestial Opposition -> Cleric Stance -> Luminiferous Aether -> 20x Gravity
and as long as you don't have a DRK, you can stand (float?) there casting Gravity forever without healing the tank and without running out of MP.

Synastry increases Collective Unconscious as well? I didn't know that, I thought it just increased actual magic spells not abilities? Would love to find out as I didn't realize that, otherwise I'd use it before CU often then.

No, I use it there because Collective Unconscious takes up to 3 seconds to apply itself, and don't want three seconds of Aspected Benefic ticking away while I'm waiting for Collective Unconscious to take effect. For me it's purely a timing issue, not because it gets bonus potency (it does not). You could also swap Aspected Helios and Collective Unconscious to take advantage of Aspected Helios having the longest duration, but I prefer to Swiftcast+AspectedHelios as I'm running away from the danger I might have just put myself in by running to the tank. Again, timing, and your situation might be safe to do Aspected Helios first.

Wait a sec lightspeed do not make your spell instant it reduced the cast time
Aspected helios still have a cast time (suuuuuuper short but still forbid you from using while running)

Be careful with this spell
Look awesome but you burn your mana even with -25% comsumption

It still gives you a short enough cast time that you can cast anything except Ascend while on the move.

If you use Lightspeed as an Oh Shit button, remember that its full potential lies not in making your heals instant but rather in allowing you to perform actions in between heals without costing any time.

I don't entirely agree with this. You're forgetting to mention that Lightspeed lets you cast while moving for most spells. I use it all the time, can run to one end of the arena, pop Helios, and then to the other and do it again if necessary. Great for those instances where people are spread out, especially since it reduces MP by 25%. 90% of the time I use it it's while running or moving.

I respectfully submit that, yes, while it is useful in this situation, aside from explicitly split-party battles (ex.: Fist), the real problem is that everyone else should take more care not to be so spread out that you have to use two heals where one should suffice.

Something I'd like to see happen is people learning that when there is an AST in the party, they should be close enough for an AoE buff to hit everyone without us having to ask them to (Gather together.); this would relieve issues with missed AoE heals as well.

[Nekotee]

Yup if your using aspected helios you have to stop (just à frame) at some point to let cast start and let your latency take the end and allow you to cast on run.
For helios... It's instant so yeah full run do not anti-cast you


This could change the more spellspeed you have...
Because the closer you are to 2,5 sec cast the more instant your spell are