Every class in Final Fantasy XIV has a unique twist that makes them fun to play and feel distinct from one another. In the case of the Astrologian, that includes the Astrologian Cards, which play a big role in how the class is played and in its identity.
Since their introduction back in Heavensward, they have become a much simpler mechanic, but players may still find the class and its love of tarot cards intimidating.
To help you get to grips with this class’s unique feature, we put together this guide with all the details on the Astrologian Cards in Final Fantasy XIV, including their uses, arcana, and the spells associated with these cards.
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What is the Astrologian in Final Fantasy XIV?
The Astrologian job is a healer job released in the Heavensward expansion, which uses a mix of spells to heal and support the party or raid and uses unique mechanics involving tarot cards.
This job is unlocked once you reach the Heavensward expansion and complete the quest “Stairway to the Heavens” found at the Athenaerium Astrologicum (X:15.2, Y:10.0) in the Ishgard. The job begins at level 30.
What are the Astrologian Cards in Final Fantasy XIV?
The Astrologian Cards are a unique mechanics of the Astrologian job, allowing them to draw tarot cards that can buff other players and work towards buffing the Astrologian.
Most of the abilities associated with the Tarot Cards are unlocked when you get the job at level 30, though there are a few more you unlock as you level up that add some extra depth to the cards, which we will detail further in this guide.
Astrologian Gauge and Arcana
The Astrologian Gauge is the tool you use to see which cards you have drawn and are ready to use. It also displays some additional information about Astrosigns (or Seals, as more players call them) and your major and minor arcana. None of that will make sense now, so let’s break it down here.
Major Arcana
Major Arcana cards are the main cards the Astrologian class uses and provide buff to other players. Depending on which card you have and which job type you play them on, this effect can vary in strength. You use the Draw action to draw one of these cards and add it to your Astrologian Gauge ready to use, and the spell has two charges on a 30-second cooldown. You use the Play action to put it into effect.
There are six major arcana cards, with three being for tanks and melee DPS, while the other three are for ranged DPS and healers. By playing the right card to the appropriate class, they will receive a 6% buff to their damage for 15 seconds, and by playing an opposing card on a job, they will only receive a 3% buff.
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The card names and the respective job type you should aim to play them on are as follows:
- Tank and Melee – The Balance, The Arrow, The Spear
- Ranged/Healer – The Bole, The Ewer, The Spire
It can be tricky to match the names to the right class, but there is a helpful tip to ensure you always make the most of your cards. Each card has a colored border that denotes which job type you should play the card on while it sits on the Astrologian Gauge. This border is blue for the tank and melee cards, and for the ranged and healer cards, this border is purple. If you remember this, you should have no problem casting the right card on the right player.
If you draw a card that isn’t very helpful in your current situation, you can use the Undraw action to return it to your deck or the Redraw action, which lets you draw a different card to replace your current one.
Astrosigns and Astrodyne
At level 50, your major arcana cards get a new quirk that adds some extra oomph to their usefulness, and this time it affects you. From this level, your cards will have a small symbol on the top of the card in your Astrologian Gauge, with three in total, which make up pairs of cards that share the same symbol. These pairings and their respective symbols are as follows:
- Solar (a red sun icon) – The Balance, The Bole
- Lunar (a blue full moon icon) – The Arrow, The Ewer
- Celestial (a yellow half-moon icon) – The Spear, The Spire
When you play a card after unlocking this mechanic, the symbol associated with that card will be stored on your character and displayed at the top of the Astrologian Gauge. You are able to store three of these Astrosigns.
Once you have three symbols, you can cast Astrodyne, a level 50 spell that grants you a different amount of buffs depending on the number of unique symbols you have stored when you cast it, all of which last 15 seconds. These are listed below:
| Name | Unqiue Astrosign Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Harmony of Spirit | 1 | Gradually restore your MP at a potency of 50. |
| Harmony of Body | 2 | Reduces the cast time, recast time, and auto-attack delay by 10% |
| Harmony of Mind | 3 | Increases damage dealt and healing potency by 5% |
After casting the spell, your Astrosigns are consumed, and you can begin the process again.
Minor Arcana
Now, we get to the final part of the Astrologian’s card-based mechanics, the minor arcana. Unlocked at level 70, this spell gives players a few extra cards to play and use that act separately from the major arcana, have no Astrosigns or different versions, and only consist of two cards with static effects. These cards are displayed next to the major arcana cards in your Astrologian Gauge.
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The two cards this ability uses are the Lord of Crowns and the Lady of Crowns. Lord of Crowns is the damage ability that deals damage with a 250 potency to enemies in a 20 yalm range, and Lady of Crowns is the healing ability, with a 400 potency heal for you and party members in 20 yalms of you. This spell has a minute cooldown and can only be used in combat.
