Learning how to properly play AST

[Sleigh]

So I'm messing around with this job and some questions (only at 30).

1. Should I just be using Benefic 2 over Benefic 1 or will that kill my MP?

2. In terms of my DPS abilities, which ones should I stick to? Stella seems worthless.

3. I don't have them yet, but when should I use an Aspected Benefic/Helios over normal ones? Is that a pre-pull sort of thing?

4. What cards should I give to what classes and/or which ones should I just discard (once I get the ability to do so)?

1. The standard answer is no because the MP efficiency of Benefic 1 is FAR better than Benefic 2, but TBH it's very situational. Often Diurnal Aspected Benefic and the occasional Essential Dignity are enough to keep a tank afloat while you DPS or do mechanics and the only time you need to heal a tank up is in large amounts, and if you're MP's high enough, it's kind of wasteful to use Benefic 1 time wise. In big pulls often Benefic 2 is what you need to do. Benefic 2 is more time efficient, and if you can get away with it MP wise, you actually should be using it (if you're DPSing).

It depends on the content and your MP needs. It's not so black in white. I used to use Cure 1 and Physick more in ARR than I do now in HW, as now there are so many emergency heals for any healer and tank damage is lower than ever.

2. Combust 2 > Combust > Aero > Malefic 2 spam (Malefic if no Malefic 2). Stella is for the Heavy, something you occasionally (but TBH rarely) need to inflict on enemies, typically in raid.

3. In Diurnal, you want nearly 100% uptime of AB. AH is also your go-to AoE heal, you typically only Helios if you NEED to Helios. In Nocturnal, you will use AB as your Benefic II replacement more or less, and you should roughly use it as you would use Benefic II.

4. It's a page or so back, someone did a good overview.