arcanis.me/_posts/2017-07-01-ffxiv-astrologian.md

---
category: en
type: paper
hastr: false
layout: paper
tags: ffxiv, astrologian
title: FFXIV Astrologian guide
short: ffxiv-astrologian
---
Astrologian is stance based healer, which can play-main healer role as well as
off-healer one. This guide aims mostly to help new users which just got job
crystal and have no idea how to play as astrologian. In other hand I hope some
experienced users may find useful some tips as well. Please note I'm not going
to describe each skill, so for descriptions and so on please follow
[the link](http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/jobguide/astrologian/).

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# Disclamer

As I said this guide does not explain _each_ skill, just does some core skills
and their basic usage, so please read skills descriptions first. Also it is not
the best guide, but it is just one of point-of-views by raiding healer. This guide
does not teach you how to play in casual content (like usual 4-ppl dunges), it
aims mostly how to play in end-game content. No pictures (yet?).

Guide is actual for 4.05.

Special thanks to Nan Talion (Odin) for reading this template and pointing out
some shortcomings and vaguenesses.

**NOTE** this guide is currently under development.

# Stances

Astrologian has two stances:

* Diurnal Sect

  Your stance when you are going to play as HoT-based healer, boosts your healing
  potency by 10% and adds HoT effects to Aspected skills.

* Nocturnal Sect

  Your stance when you are going to play as shielding healer. boosts your healing
  potency by 15% and adds shielding effect to Aspected skills.

# Healing efficiency

* `HPS = (Potency * Targets) / max(cast, recast)`
* `Efficiency = HPS / MP`

## Main skills

* Benefic

  * potency: 400
  * base HPS (for all targets): 160
  * efficiency: 0.33
  * comment: main healing skill if targets HP is above 50-60%

* Benefic II

  * potency: 650
  * base HPS (for all targets): 260
  * efficiency: 0.24
  * comment: main skill if targets HP is below 60-70%

* Helios

  * potency: 300
  * base HPS (for all targets): 960
  * efficiency: 0.67
  * comment: main AoE healing skill

You can see than Benefic - Benefic II window is 50-70%, it depends on several
factors: for example, if you need to heal target as soon as possible you would
prefer Benefic II. Just try to use Benefic II on as low HP as you (and tank)
comfortable - for example, I found that during dancing on Susano Extreme Benefic
is more than enough despite the fact that lightning deals damage which is more
than 50% of DPS' HP.

## oGCD skills

* Essential Dignity

  * potency: from 400
  * comment: main oGCD healing skill; as soon as it is scales on target's HP
  should be never used if HP is above 50%. Obviously it should be never used
  _after_ Benefics (exceptions are healing WAR/DRK after their Holmgang/Living
  Dead in which I prefer Benefic->Essential Dignity->Benefic II combination).

* Collective Unconscious

  * potency: 150 * (15 / 3) = 750
  * comment: see notes below

* Earthly Star

  * potency: 720 (fully charged)
  * comment: see notes below

* Lady of Crowns

  * potency: 50
  * comment: see notes below

General rule - use them by CD.

## Stance based skills

* Aspected Benefic/Nocturnal

  * potency: 200 (200 + 200 * 2.5 = 700 with shields)
  * base HPS (for all targets): 80 (280)
  * efficiency: 0.06 (0.19)
  * comment: should be used when you need to shield single target or when you
  need to heal someone as soon as possible

* Aspected Benefic/Diurnal

  * potency: 200 + 140 * (18 / 3) = 1040
  * base HPS (for all targets): 416
  * efficiency: 0.29
  * comment: should be used when you need to heal someone as soon as possible,
  you might wanna keep it up on tanks

* Aspected Helios/Nocturnal

  * potency: 150 (150 + 150 * 1.5 = 375 with shields)
  * base HPS (for all targets): 400 (1000)
  * efficiency: 0.22 (0.56)
  * comment: should be only used to mitigate incoming party damage

* Aspected Helios/Diurnal

  * potency: 200 + 40 * (30 / 3) = 600
  * base HPS (for all targets): 1600
  * efficiency: 0.89
  * comment: in general you wanna keep it up for party members after incoming
  AoE damage leaving about 80% on each party member, for example it was my main
  skill during first phase of A10S and A11S. Avoid use it if party's HP is about
  full and no incoming AoE damage expected in 10-15 sec

General rule - never spam any of it.

## Short notes

* As far as you can see Diurnal sect is more powerfull for healing abilities than
Nocturnal (but I'm not taking into account difference in healing power though).
* Benefic is more efficient than Benefic II, but requires additional GCD, which
can be used to pew-pew.
* Helios is not such good as Aspected Helios/Diurnal is (unlike WHM, Cure III of
which is the best).
* Aspected Benefic/Diurnal is even better than Benefic II.

# Core mechanics

Actually astrologian is not only healer (I think it is even _not_ healer), but
it is party buffer. Each buff can be improved by Royal Road. The following table
represents basic card usage in my opinion.

* Arrow

  * good choice in case if you don't have balance. Basically the best card
  for BLM, not bad for other casters (including healers). Please note that
  frequent usage on resource limited jobs (like physical DPS) may cause issues
  with these resources (TP for physical jobs, MP for casters). _Does not_
  increase DoTs potency. May has some other usages, for example, my co-healer
  found it is useful if you need to ressurect several people in limited time with
  no Lightspeed and Swiftcast cooldown (To be honest in my opinion it is trash
  uses anyway: Enhanced Arrow gives you 20% of 8 sec base cooldown which is
  still too low.)
  * enhanced: not the best combination, in my opinion the best usage is to buff
  BLM
  * expanded: alternative to AoE Balance
  * extended: same as non-improved version

* Balance

  * your main buff, any DPS likes it, but better use it to the best one, because
  it scales on current DPS value. To be honest in my practice it may cause some
  agro issues as well
  * enhanced: the best choice for this improvement, should be always followed by
  Time Dilation if possible
  * expanded: the one of the best Astrologian buffs. Prefer to use it on pull.
  Should be extended by Celestial Opposition it if possible
  * extended: same as non-improved version

* Bole

  * good for tanks especially when no CDs left
  * enhanced: good for incoming tank buster, you might wanna Time Dilation it as
  well
  * expanded: situational buff, I found it useful on savages tries in minimal
  item level to mitigate incoming large AoE damage, you might wanna extend MT
  buff as well, more likely should be never stacked with Celestial Opposition
  * extended: same as non-improved version

* Ewer

  * can be used for SMN after ressurection or to healer, but better Royal Road it
  * enhanced: never use it
  * expanded: never use it. This one is really never
  * extended: never use it

* Spear

  * any DPS is OK with this buff currently, but better use it to jobs which have
  crit-based traits - for example, BRD or MNK. Note that it still has less time
  than Balance or Arrow.
  * enhanced: mostly jobs with crit-based traits, not such good choice for Time
  Dilation as Enhanced Balance is.
  * expanded: alternative to AoE Balance
  * extended: same as non-improved version

* Spire

  * can be used for physical DPS after ressurection or on TP issues, but better
  Royal Road it
  * enhanced: never use it
  * expanded: never use it. This one is really never
  * extended: never use it

Short notes:

* None of these rules (expect for Expanded Ewer/Spire) are mandatory.
* Never use macros for cards.
* Be sure that card is in CD or you have drawn a card and it is more than 15-20
sec left. If you have drawn one and you see no usages in more than 15 sec - try
to convert or hold it (or withdrawal it if no choices).
* Additional note to previous one: never let drawn card fade out.
* In general Balance is still better than Arrow, because Arrow does not boost
DoTs and oGCD skills. In other hand priority of Balance and Spear is questionable.

## Minor Arcana

* Never hold it. Lady of Crowns is a good oGCD alternative to Benefic II.
* If you don't see usage for current card in 10-15 sec, and can't or don't want
to hold it or Royal Road it - convert to Minor Arcana.

## Lightspeed

* Very useful when you need to heal and move in one time.
* Very useful when you need to spam healing and want to safe some MP.
* Should be _never_ used when you are DPSing.

## Synastry

Situational skill which should be used when you need to heal several targets,
usually the best target is tanking player (during add in A11S, while dancing on
Susano EX and so on). Almost useless when you want to increase potency of healing
to single target.

## Time Dilation

Should be only used to prolong card buffs, but it would be cool if you will prolong
other buffs (like Aspected spells) as well. Better usage is to prolong Enhanced
card versions, but please note that prolonged buff will not be stacked with your
Draw CD anymore.

## Collective Unconscious

Should be used to mitigate incoming AoE damage basically by CD. The one of the
best usages is on rephases (if there is incoming damage of course), because it
can be extended by Celestial Opposition with damage buffs after (in this case be
sure that you have already drawn card and ready to buff party). Please note that
you need some time to buff being applied, so you need to stay for several seconds.

## Celestial Opposition

The one of questionable astrologian skills. In my opinion the only one usage for
it is to extend party Expanded buff (like Balance or Arrow). Never use it to
extend your own buffs (e.g. Lucid Dreaming). Also I should note that it can be
used to stun multiple enemies if it is required by fight mechanics (like A6S
adds).

## Earthly Star

In short - know fight. Teach your party to stay in circle (it is easy, trust me,
just don't heal outsiders). Despite the fact that you basically want to use it by
CD, it is better to hold it a bit to heal party during incoming AoE damage. The
best usage should be in about 15 sec before incoming damage - so you can detonate
sphere in any time and will get maximal healing and damaging effect.

## Sleeve Draw

* Should be used by CD.
* Should be never used if you have drawn card.
* Should be never used if you have Minor Arcana.

You _can_ use it if you have holded card or you already have additional effect.

# Role skills

## Mandatory

* Lucid Dreaming - should be used to restore MP and/or to reduce generated agro.
Basically you want to use it by CD.
* Swiftcast - must be used for target ressurection. In general it is used to cast
skills with cast time more than GCD (Aspected Helios for example). In theory it
can be used to cast damaging skills while moving.
* Largesse - healing CD.

## Optional

* Cleric Stance - damaging CD, should be used by CD mostly, but should be never
used if you are going to spam heal.
* Eye for an Eye - actually I never used it, but someone may find it useful.

## Situational

* Break - the only one usage if you need to Heavy targets, for example, orbs in
A6S. Mostly useless for DPS.
* Protect - by the way, you can cast Protect and replace it by another skill.
Usually one healer in party is enough to have it.
* Esuna - has no application in savages and extremes, but sometimes may be useful
in casual content. You should have it if there is Doom debuff (like Omega V4).
Usually one healer in party is enough to have it.
* Rescue - just move knockbacked target to you. The one of usage examples is
Susano Extreme.

## Trash

* Surecast

# The best opener deck

* Hold Balance
* Royal Road Ewer or Spire
* Lord of Crowns
* Balance is drawn

Never use Sleeve Draw for your opener, let party wait for your deck, trust me,
they wanna have good numbers during opener. Expanded Balance should be followed
by Celestial Opposition. Balance can be replaced by Arrow or Spear, but they are
not so good as Balance is.

# Gearing and melding

In general you might want to prioritize stats in the following order:

Mind >> Crit Hit >> Determination ~ Spell Speed > Piety

* Some people [say](http://dtguilds.enjin.com/davidsastguide) that until you get
Crit Hit more than 2700, Determination is better. I cannot verify or deny it
because have no ability to do precise metering. In general Crit Hit is better
than Determination at least because of Lightspeed procs.
* Another question is Determination vs Spell Speed. Before 4.0 usually Spell Speed
and Determination had close values of stat weights. I would recommend you to
prioritize Spell Speed over Determination as soon as it allows you to be more
mobile.
* You should get Piety as much as you are comfortable. But it should has the
lowest priority. Try to use some Ethers.
* You _can_ meld Direct Hit (healers gear does not have it itself), but it does
not affect your healing potency, so I would prefer Crit Hit.

# Potions and food

Get some good HQ Ether potions and Mind ones. Ether can be used to restore your
MP (it is probably not so actual with 4.0, but still useful sometimes, for example
right after ressurection). Mind potions is a good alternative to Largesse.

In other hand you can choose any food you like and comfortable. I would prefer
to up crit and spell speed.

# Healing and damaging

Being a healer you must maximize your DPS and minimize your HPS. It also should
be accompanied by 99% uptime (when you cast anything). General tips are:

* Never heal to 100%. The only one possible exception is healing tanks before
tank buster (I'm not talking about doing mechanics here - like Doom, or Living
Dead). Good choice is Aspected Helios with HoT effect. You are good if your
overheal is below 20-30% (some overheal is allowed because of HoT effects or if
you are going to shield members with full HP).
* The previous mean that in general you don't need to keep tank's HP full. 50%
and no tank buster expected? Okay, no heal for you then. Good example is Susano
Extreme first phase - the only one skill I used to heal MT is Essential Dignity
and Aspected Benefic sometimes.
* Know fight and your cast time, try to heal tank right after tank buster. It
means that you need to start casting Benefic (II) during tank buster cast, not
after. Same for AoE healing.
* Use Benefic for spamming. It is more efficient and has Benefic II proc.
* Check if you have Benefic II proc, critical healing with Benefic II is cool.
(but don't use it if you can heal just by Benefic).
* If you are main healier - your goal is to heal party, don't hope and don't
trust your co-healer, if someone died because of lack of healing - it is your
fault. In other hand if someone got additional damage because of mechanics -
teach them to heal themselves.
* In other hand if you are off healer - healing is not your issue. Ask when your
co-healer needs help, and cast some Helios. But shielding tank on tank buster is
usually mandatory in this case. If someone dies you are responsible for ressurection.
* As I said - know the fight. You don't need to heal party right after they got
damage, usually you can wait several GCD (or use Aspected Helios/Diurnal). If
they don't do mechanics they will die in this case of course, but it is not your
issue ("dead DPS has zero DPS" ©).
* Combust II should be always up. Good time to use it - while you are moving -
you can't cast anything with castbar, whereas Combust II has insta-cast.
* If you have more than 1.5 sec free - cast Malefic III. You probably don't wanna
cast it too much having Lightspeed.
* For adds in savage content (like A12S) you can use Gravity, it can be
accompanied by Swiftcast by the way.