Final Fantasy XIV has many classes that gamers can try out once they enter the world of Eorzea. However, only a few jobs are unique as the famed Astrologian class. Using the power of the stars, this class is one of the most vital support classes in the game. However, this job features complicated skill rotations and complex setups. It is always the best move to consult an FFXIV Astrologian guide so that players can optimize their characters.
Astrologian Overview
This job is only one of the game's several support classes, including Sage and Scholar. Astrologians call upon the power of the stars to provide healing and protection for their teammates. While reading the stars and tarot cards may be fun, this class is one of the most complicated support characters in the game. However, playing an Astrologian correctly and efficiently can make this complex job one of the most substantial supports in Final Fantasy.
As a support class, the primary responsibility of Astrologians is to ensure that their teammates do not die. Players will need to learn how to juggle the skill rotations of the class. Effective Astrologians also study the mechanics of raids and boss fights to effectively use their abilities. This job requires extreme analysis and decision-making skills.
This class needs to be constantly casting skills to ensure optimal efficiency. While Astrologians are mainly supports, they can still deal out damage. When no one needs healing or protection, characters from this job can also provide various buffs that should be consistently up. This class can give damage-dealing abilities to ensure that they are not idle.
How to Unlock Astrologian?
Since the class is not part of any starting class, it cannot be played right away from the very beginning like other jobs. Gamers will also have to complete the main scenario quest for the Heavensward expansion. Astrologian can then be unlocked once players reach level 30 in any Disciple of War class.
After satisfying these conditions, players will have to go to Ishgard to talk to Jannequinard. The NPC will hand out the first Astrologian mission. Upon completing the first quest, the class will be fully unlocked along with its job stone.
Gear And Materia
Since Astrologians' core function is to provide consistent healing, "of Healing" sets are players' best go-to gear and accessories. These types of equipment provide additional Vitality and Mind stats. These stats significantly increase the HP and MP of those who wear them.
There are different choices for the type of Materia to be used on the set. All of these melding materials can significantly boost the functionality of Astrologians. Here are the best Materias for this complex support class:
- Piety
- Critical Hit
- Determination
- Direct Hit Rate
- Spell Speed
Piety is arguably the best stat for many support classes since it increases the MP regeneration speed. Supports tend to be mana hungry due to the number of spells they put out. However, Astrologians will eventually hit a point where they will have almost full HP for most fights. This Materia can be swapped out for other melding materials when this happens.
Critical Hit is the second-best Materia for Astrologists. This stat enables damaging abilities and healing skills to Crit, which dramatically boosts the offensive power and sustainability of this class. Determination is a good alternative since it provides an overall boost to damage and healing spells. Direct Hit Rate is a decent option. However, since attacking isn't the strongest feature for Astrologians, it is not that highly recommended.
Spell Speed is also one of the best Materia for this class, but it is only effective until the casting and recasting speed has no more extended benefits than much from the Materia. Generally, Piety would be the safest pick among all of these materials. However, Critical Hit and Spell Speed are the best substitutes for those looking for an alternative.
Required Missions
Aside from leveling up, there are several quests that players need to complete to gain access to many abilities. Several skills will only be used once specific tasks are satisfied. Here are the relevant missions that Astrologians need to complete:
- A Lesson in Patience (Lvl 40) - unlocks Redraw
- Ewer Right (Lvl 40) - unlocks Gravity
- Loved by the Sun (Lvl 50) - unlocks Synastry
- Conviction (Lvl 54) - unlocks Malefic II
- Trumped (Lvl 58) - unlocks Collective Unconscious
- The Hands of Fate (Lvl 60) - unlocks Celestial Opposition
- Foxfire (Lvl 70) - unlocks Minor Arcana
How to Play Astrologian?
Most of this class' abilities are white magic. Basically, an Astrologian's kit is healing and more healing. Here are all the healing and buffs spells for this job:
Healing
- Benefic – heals HP for 500 Potency
- Benefic II – heals HP for 800 Potency
- Helios – restore your own and other party mate's HP for 400 Potency
- Aspected Helios – heals your own and other nearby teammates' HP for 250 Potency and applies 150 Potency HP regen for 15 seconds
- Aspected Benefic – restore a target's HP for 250 Potency and applies 250 Potency HP regen for the next 15 seconds
- Essential Dignity – cure's target HP for Potency inversely proportional to the amount of HP left
- Celestial Opposition – cure your own HP for 200 Potency and party member's HP for 100 Potency regeneration
- Celestial Interjection – cure target's HP for 200 Potency and applies a barrier that blocks damage equals to 200% of the amount of health healed
- Synastry – links yourself to another teammate. Whenever a healing spell is cast on yourself and other party members, the linked teammate will recover health equal to 40% of the ability used.
- Horoscope – heals nearby teammate's HP
- Earthly Star – cast an AoE heal on a targeted area
- Macrocosmos – deals AoE damage for 250 Potency to the first enemy it hits, which decreases for each enemy hit (This attack is needed to trigger Microcosmos)
- Microcosmos – provides a healing add-on to Macrocosmos that gives healing proportional to 50% of Macrocosmos damage.
Buffs
- Divination – increases damage dealt by the party by 6%
- Exaltation – buffs a target to receive an 8% damage reduction for 8 seconds
- Neutral Sect – provides add-on barrier on "Aspected" spells
- Collective Unconscious – provides an AoE shield that also has regen effects when inside the area
Tips When Using These Skills:
- Use Celestial Intersection first before considering Aspected Helios.
- Use Helios after activating Horoscope to provide substantial healing.
- Benefic should always be followed by Benefic II to Crit heal.
- Try pairing Aspected Benefic with Neutral Sect since it provides a barrier effect to the former.
- For 8-man raids, it is ideal to set Synastry with the off-tank when the main Tank is about to get healed by Benefic II.
- Be careful when using Collective Unconscious since the caster will have to stand still to avoid dispelling the ability. It is ideal to use this before party-wide damage hits.
- Consider using Celestial Interjection before a teammate gets hit by a skill or mechanic that deals enormous damage.
- Divination should be consistently up to ensure optimal damage efficiency for the party.
Damage Dealing Skills
Other than Macrocosmos, Astrologians also have several different damaging abilities, which are very straightforward. Though they are not that strong compared to other classes, they are decent enough to be used. Here are all the offensive skills of this support class:
- Malefic I-IV and Fall Malefic – a single-target attack spell
- Combust I-III – a damage-over-time ability, which players should consistently use
- Gravity I-III – an AoE attack with a 5-yalm radius
- Stellar Detonation – a skill that can be used after casting Earthly Star. When triggered within the first 10 seconds of the Aoe Heal, it will activate Stellar Burst, which will deal 240 damage potency to opponents inside the area. When triggered after 10 seconds, it will cast Stellar Explosion dealing 320 damage potency.
Astrologian Cards
While healing is one of this class's main features, its other core mechanic is what sets it apart from additional supports. Drawing out cards and playing them provides crucial buffs to the party. Aside from the insta-cast buffs, the Astrologian Cards are a vital part of the job's kit as it gives beneficial blessings.
The cards can provide various effects, from giving out powerful buffs to dealing damage to enemies. There are several types of cards that Astrologians can draw out and play. Here are the things players can draw from their deck and what they mean:
- Blue Cards – These cards grant 6% damage enhancements to Melee DPS and Tanks while providing 3% buffs for other roles for 15 seconds. This deck includes:
- The Arrow
- The Balance
- The Spear
- Purple Cards – These cards grant 6% damage enhancements to Ranged/Magic DPS and Healers while providing 3% buffs for other roles for 15 seconds. This deck includes:
- The Bole
- The Spire
- The Ewer
Astrologians need to familiarize themselves with the DPS Job icons since most of these buffs will be given. Identifying who the Melee, Magic, or Ranged are will help decide what buffs they will receive. However, the primary purpose of drawing cards is more than just providing augments.
Activating an effect called Astrodyne is the primary goal of drawing from the deck. Upon reaching level 50, cards will begin to manifest marks called Astrosigns, which players will need to track. These are the Lunar, Solar, and Celestial signs, which can be found at the top of the card outlines. While in combat, playing and drawing from the deck will the drawn character into one of the three slots appearing above the cards.
When all three slots have been occupied by a sign, Astrodyne can be activated. This ability will take effect no matter what symbols fill the slots. However, players should be familiar with the impact of having these markings. Here are the possible results from activating Astrodyne:
- When three marks of the same sign occupy all the slots – Harmony of Spirit is activated, which gradually restores MP.
- When there are at most two different signs occupying the slots – Harmony of Spirit and Harmony of Body is activated. The latter reduces the cast time for spells and auto-attack delays by 10% for 15 seconds.
- When each sign occupies the slots – Harmony of Spirit, Body, and Mind are activated. Harmony of Mind applies an increased damage buff and healing potency of 5% for 15 seconds.
Combining the right set of cards is crucial for activating the correct buffs. Fortunately, players can use Redraw and Undraw to get a chance to get a stack of three different marks.
Minor Arcana
This ability is unlocked upon reaching level 70. This skill enables players to draw either Lady of Crowns or Lord of Crowns to use for Crown Play. Both of these Arcanas have various effects. The first one will provide an Aoe Heal for 400 Potency to all party mates within a 20-yalm radius. Meanwhile, Lord of Crowns will cast an AoE attack for 250 Potency to a targeted enemy and all opponents within a 20-yalm radius.
Need to Know:
- Keep constant communications with party members to ensure that all buffs and heals are used at the right moment.
- Always watch the Tank since they tend to receive damage the most.
- Draw a card, but don't play it before a fight starts so that an astrosign is obtained right away.
- Always draw cards in between skill rotations
- Spam Malefic whenever you can
Astrologians are indeed very complicated characters to use. However, they are instrumental in pinch situations. Once a player can master its skill rotations and combinations and develop good analysis and targeting skills, they will be an excellent teammate to have in any situation.
