First time playing Astrologian... need some advice/tips

[Averax]

It's like a WHM with cards

Quick card guide:

Balance: Damage dealt increased
Bole: Damage taken reduced
Arrow: Attack speed increased (reduces GCD too) (Don't give to melee ever)
Spear: Cooldowns decreased (does not affect GCD)
Ewer: Regenerates MP (don't give to BLMs ever)
Spire: Regenerates TP

For Royal Road

Balance or Bole: Gives next card an increased effect
Arrow or Spear: Gives next card increased duration
Ewer or Spire: Gives next card an AoE effect

Other things:

Make sure you use a different sect if paired with another AST, the effects do not stack, and you'll spend the fight overwriting eachother.

If you have an ast partner, make sure you're not overwriting their cards with your own. That is the most annoying thing ever.

If you have a SCH partner, don't use nocturnal sect, you'll be fighting over who has the better shields the whole fight

If you have a WHM partner, it doesn't matter which stance you use, the diurnal effect stacks with medica 2/regen.

Use collective unconsciousness if you're all grouped up for something, and there isn't anything else you'd need to save it for. The HoT heals for a lot.

Use disable before hard hitting boss attacks/tank busters.

Use synastry for the healing potency buff

Use lightspeed in emergencies.

Pair Luminiferous Aether with Celestial Opposition for additional MP if needed.