Looking for updated AST learning material

[Ayrel]

First of all, hello there everyone.
I've picked up FFXIV recently, coming from Black Desert.

I enjoy this game a lot so far, especially since I like playing support classes again. But I'm also quite overwhelmed, as one tends to be when starting out with a new MMO.

I've started looking for AST guides/videos/anything than can help me improve, but I'm kind of unsure of how to discriminate between useful and outdated material right now.
As far as I've seen there have been a lot of changes to a lot of skills/mechanics with Stormblood.

Which is why I came here looking for help from people with more overall experience in playing this class.
I know trial and error is an alternative, but I don't really like making big mistakes and letting a party down because of lack of knowledge/skill or being inefficient.

Thank you in advance for anyone who is willing to help me, I hope I will be able to return the favour one day.

[Lyrai_Celestine]

There is not much in the way of "Outdated" skills, but there are indeed a few major changes. Keep this in mind when watching HW-era guides, such as:

• Cross class skills are replaced with Role skills, eliminating the need of grinding certain classes to obtain a skill
• Luminiferous Aether -> Lucid Dreaming role class skill
• All other cross-class skills such as Protect, Swiftcast, Eye 4 Eye, are all in role skills.
  
• New Job Gauge which will track everything related to cards.
• Draw, Spread, Royal Road can be discarded at anytime.
• One of the cards has changed. The Spear is now a critical hit up.
  
• Nocturnal Sect has stronger shields, but weaker healing.
  
• Combust II, Malefic II, and Malefic III (64) is now an upgrade to its predecessors. Just an upgrade of the former instead of a 2nd spell.
  
• Synastry is now a self-tether that will heal yourself 40% of the healing done to the target. Largesse is what you want for 20% extra healing, which is a role skill.

Now for the new skills in Stormblood:

• Earthly Star (62) is your most important skill learned in Stormblood.
• Earthly Star erects an AoE on your chosen point. It doesn't do anything at first, but will give a big burst of AoE heal and damage when detonated. Its potency is increased when it is kept for at least 10 seconds, and will detonate by itself at 20 seconds.
  
• Minor Arcana (68) is a new skill that will convert a drawn card into Lord or Queen of Crowns by random. Lord gives you a burst DPS. Queen gives you a burst heal just like Essential Dignity.
  
• Sleeve Draw (70) draws a set of cards for Draw, Spread, Royal Road, and Minor Arcana. Will not overwrite already drawn cards.

[RickiFake02]

There is not much in the way of "Outdated" skills, but there are indeed a few major changes. Keep this in mind when watching HW-era guides, such as:
[*]Nocturnal Sect has stronger shields, but weaker healing.

[*]Synastry is now a self-tether that will heal yourself 40% of the healing done to the target. Largesse is what you want for 20% extra healing, which is a role skill.[/list][/LIST]

Two problems here:

1: Nocturnal Sect gives a 15% healing potency increase while Diurnal Sect gives a 10% potency increase, so I am unsure why you think Nocturnal has weaker heals.
2: Synastry doesn't heal yourself. It heals your target for 40% of whatever single-target heals you cast on yourself or other party members.

Everything else seems spot on

[Johaandr]

Two problems here:

1: Nocturnal Sect gives a 15% healing potency increase while Diurnal Sect gives a 10% potency increase, so I am unsure why you think Nocturnal has weaker heals.
2: Synastry doesn't heal yourself. It heals your target for 40% of whatever single-target heals you cast on yourself or other party members.

Everything else seems spot on

Almost weak. Diurnal brings regen (HoT) ofc so its kind of stronger in terms of healing. Besides 5% aint that much. But it is true that noct has slighty stronger heals by 5% extra with a strong shield. I rather bring diurnal for dungeon instead of noct bcuse noct is a mana killer sometimes.

[Ayrel]

Thanks a lot for the input so far, I guess with that general overview I can extract quite a lot of knowledge from older guides etc.

So, as I understand the sect swapping.. Is it somewhat accurate to say that you would prefer diurnal sect for trash dungeon mobs and nocturnal for big boss fights?
Leaving aside the 2nd healer of course, I guess if you have a SCH with you nocturnal seems kind of weak..

Also, do you usually go for a specific combo of royal roaded/drawn cards whenever you can get it/leave a particular spread up for a long time or do you just spam out every buff as soon as possible on the most viable target?

[Cynfael]

So, as I understand the sect swapping.. Is it somewhat accurate to say that you would prefer diurnal sect for trash dungeon mobs and nocturnal for big boss fights?
Leaving aside the 2nd healer of course, I guess if you have a SCH with you nocturnal seems kind of weak.

Noct AST is overall a stronger barrier healer than SCH; however, you would want to complement the SCH's shielding with Diurnal rather than fight for shields.

Personally I prefer Noct unless paired with a SCH or another AST using Noct; both sects are strong, so you can play how you want, barring the aforementioned suboptimal pairings.

[Elysaine]

Just got my AST up to level 63. I've tried both diurnal and nocturnal sects to heal with. Personally I prefer to play diurnal and having hot's like the white mage has. I'm better at healing stuff then having to predict what the future might bring when it comes to shielding people.

Both sects are completely viable. The sect you'll be using is probably the play style which suits you the best. Hot's vs shields basically

If you're in an 8 man party with 2 healers, then it depends on the other healer which sect you should be using. If the other healer is a Scholar, then go diurnal. Shields don't stack. With a White Mage both sects work. If the other healer is a fellow Astrologian, you both should be using different sects.

[Issildia]

I've faced similar problems with a lack of AST post 4.0 guide material, but basically what everyone has said covers the changes. I've found that I prefer Noct sect most of the time and especially in boss fights.

[Scox]

Honestly, there is no better guide then practice. Run a bunch of palace of the dead at higher levels to get use to the abilities and some dungeons. AST is fairly straight forward and a lot of fun to play.

[RiaDovvinias]

Just got my AST up to level 63. I've tried both diurnal and nocturnal sects to heal with. Personally I prefer to play diurnal and having hot's like the white mage has. I'm better at healing stuff then having to predict what the future might bring when it comes to shielding people.

I had the opposite reaction, to be honest. My AST is 68 at the moment, and from the moment I got noct at 50, I loved it. But tanks didn't seem to care for it, because they always clicked off my shield. But, as it turns out, high level DRKs (I haven't leveled mine that far so I don't know when) can pop their own shield that will give them mana. I don't know if other tanks think it's the res from diurnal's hot, which can send a lot of enmity your way, but especially if I'm in a 50-60 dungeon with an under-geared tank, I like shields. It gives me a moment to heal a DPS or draw a card before popping another heal on the tank.