Astral Ascent: Collective Guide

Here you have the link Google Docs [docs.google.com] so you can contribute and be part of this collective guide

HELLO EVERYONE THAT COMES NOW THAT THE GAME IS OUT
I DID MY BEST HERE AND I HOPE I CAN HELP YOU
IF YOU THINK I SHOULD CHANGE ANYTHING LET ME NOW IN THE COMENTS
THANK YOU SO MUCH

Characters and Signature Spells

Each character has some spells that are unique to them and some that are common to everyone. On top of that, there is a Signature Spell that you always have and ties with the character, it’s personality, backstory and their playstyle.

Ayla

Assassin who fights with knives
Her signature spell allows you to quickly dash to a nearby enemy that appears marked. The mark gives you extra damage against that enemy for a time.
Useful to start a fight or to stick to an enemy that moves too much.

Kiran

Loud fighter whose knuckles speak for him
His signature spell blocks attacks that hit you in a short amount of time and then unleash a powerful blow.
Useful especially against bosses when you know their attack patterns

Octave

Octave attacks using magic guns, so he has some range. It is important to know that he deals more damage the closer you are. So you can play him far from the targets and try a on-hit build or try to burst them close up
Octave summons a moving drone that launches rockets. At the end of its life-time, it is thrust into an enemy and explodes.
Useful all the time, in small battles and boss battles. Think of it as an extra damage output.

Calie

Calie is also a ranged character, but she attacks by throwing gems which pierce. They stay on the screen forever. At the start, they can be a maximum of 5. You can keep attacking and a new gem will appear.
The thing with her signature spell is that those gems go back to you and hit every enemy in the line.
I recommend using that as often as you can, since is free damage that you can weave into your attack chain.
Important to note that some upgrades to his signature spell transform her gems to other things and those thing could not come back as the gems do

5th Character (Not available yet)

This character was kickastarter goal that will be available soon (tm)

Meta Progression

Between runs, you can get better stats or some forms of currency to start a new run, unlock spells or simply cosmetic clothes.

The NPC for this are the Peddler, Zim-Zim and Oloon
The Peddler is basically a shop. It is divided between the characters and the common spells, so you can decide if you want to stick to one character or try to unlock everything equally.

Zim-Zim allows you to buy progression such as extra health, extra mana for spells, keys for the beginning of you run or other perks

Oloon uses the tickets you found to unlock cosmetic clothes.
To unlock and buy these things you need Yalee Tickets
Yalee Tickets are found by playing. They are easy to spot, but rare to find. You can change the appearance of your Shoes, Boddy, Legs or Hair


Auras are somewhat unlocked as you play and Barbeque is the NPC where you will find them. There you can see what they do on each of their three levels

There is also a telescope that lets you pick a buff. Each day 3 new ones will be there, and you can swap to another one before entering a new run.

Sire Bapy
The Capybara with albinism will be there for you to reward you as you play. There are a lot of different achievements and most of them will be completed as you play. Others will reward you by doing something special like

Papa Yalee
Papa Yalee is the loremaster. As you play and find different spirits of the different characters that are in the game, you will unlock parts of their story. This way you will understand better why they are in the Garden, what thay want to achieve and they relationship with each other

Runs

To start a new run you have to talk with Sova. This game has co-op, so two players can do a run at once.
Each run lets you fight in 4 worlds: Earth, Red Barrens (Fire), Coral Archipelago (Water), Crimson Highlands (Thunder)
The Zodiacs (final bosses), enemies and traps are unique to each world
Each time you enter a new room you get some stars, that roughly tells you how hard that room is going to be. On how to spend those stars, go to Currencies

Run Progression

At the start of each run, you have 4 basic spells at level 1 with only one gambit slot available.
As you go, you will find other spells that you would want to use. Each different spell cost 1-3 mana. Usually the ones that are more expensive are better, but it is up to you to decide which spells suit your playstyle.

Spell levels give 10% extra damage. You can upgrade spells in Exploration Rooms and in Pavo’s Ruins

Gambits are extra effects that trigger when the spell is used, like summoning creatures or extra damage.
A spell can have up to 4 gambits, which you normally have to unlock and find.
Each spell can have an “elemental” affinity. Spells with no element have lower damage ceiling than elemental spells, they can only reach +50% on the “element” section of damage, while elemental spells can get to 100% if you fill all their slots with the same element.

Improvements from world to world

At the start of each new world you can improve your character’s signature spell and basic attack.
In the first world, however, only your signature spell is possible, but you can change one of your spells for another that is offered.

Currencies

Quartz
Quartez are pink crystals that you can obtain either killing enemies, opening chests or destroying other resources that you don't want to use. They are used in the shops to buy spells or gambits

Keys
Keys are used to open the rifts that you encounter in the Exploration Rooms. You can earn them, primarly, in Fight Rooms. There are other methods, but this is the most reliable

Stars
The number of stars that a new room has will tell you its difficulty. Then, you can use it in Andromeda's Bar to upgrade your character stats.
Elite foes also give you stars by slaying them. Destroying certain items, such as auras you don't want, is another way to earn them.

Healing Shards
By killing enemies sometimes you will earn a Healing Shard. You can hold up to 6. Then you can consume them to heal yourself.
Don't worry to keep your healing shards at 6, since everyone you earn after that will auto heal you by a small amount.

Room Types

Exploration Room

Go to the end of the level, slaying monsters and getting chests and quartz along the way.
In this type of room is where you can find Yalee Tickets, Memories of the characters in the game.
In this kind of room there’s always a big lock. To open this, you will have to spend 3-5 keys (you have to choose). 3 keys will get you a Pavo Feather or a Stone Altar. Pavo Feathers will improve your spell level, making it hit 20% harder. Stone Altars give you a choice between 3 of these: Strength, Attack Speed, Armor, Mana, Health or Crit Chance. If you spend that, the Feather will give you 2 levels or you can pick 2 stones from the Altar.

Fighting Room

You get in, you get trapped, you kill every enemy until the barrier opens. These rooms always give you keys.
Sometimes a Zodiac will appear at the beginning and give you a challenge, like don't get hit or end fast, in which case your reward will be better, normally a couple more stars.

Eclipse Room

Hard fighting rooms, with a bunch of elites and lots of foes. It gives probably the most amount of stars.

Sun Room

In this room, you can pick any type of Gambit. Then, you will pick a gambit of that elemental affinity with the highest rarity. The good thing about this room is that gambits you pick here change the elemental affinity of the spell you put them in.
Say you have a fire spell and you like it more when it freezes. Sun Room is the answer

Moon Room

Here you will be given a choice of two powerful spells that mimic the attack patterns of the Zodiacs.

Echo Room

A room with 4 free choices of friends that are either invoked with your signature spell OR provide a passive benefit. These friends are people from the pre-first stage room (Nova, the Chameleon, other playable characters, etc.), each providing different bonuses.
Of note is one of the Chameleon bonuses, which transform all stat altars into giving random stats, but you get to upgrade 3 stats.

Andromeda’s Bar

Three main things you can do here:

• Andromeda’s Drinks: Spend your hard earned stars to improve your stats, the same as in a Stone Altar. Every drink has a cost of 8 stars
  
• Shop: Spend quartz to buy spells, gambits or gambit slots for your spells.
  
• Inside the Bar: Sometimes one or more Zodiacs will be inside. If you speak to them, you will have a chance to get their summon. Mind that it replaces the one you already have. The Inside is only available if you already have a summon and there is another Zodiac that you have defeated at least one time.

There is also an altar to spend stars and gain health shards to heal.

Cestus Cave

The big whale will give you a choice between three gambit types. You can then pick up all 3 gambits in which one of them is always a gambit slot

Pavo’s Ruins

Spend health to improve your spells. The first one is free, but the next ones are paid and each time the health cost increases.
Specially useful if you can use it 2-4 times

The Forge

Here you can choose one of these:
Improve all your current spells by 1 level
Get a choice of a new spells between three possibilities
Unlock a gambit slot in all your spells

Telluric Ruins

This room only appears in the first world, normally 3-4 rooms into it. It gives you a new spell.

Yalee Kingdom

You can get new Auras here. Auras are passive effects, usually tied to movements like the stomp or the dash, but each one is different. At the beginning there is only one to pick, but as you play and rescue more Yalee, you will have the ability to choose between 5 different ones.

Andromeda’s Trials

Not really a room type, since it’s inside the Exploration Room. Sometimes you will find an altar that when interacted will send you to a Trial. In these trials you don't have to get hit and must reach the end to get a drink, similar to the ones you buy in Andromeda’s Bar. They are tricky, but once you figure out how to do them, they become easier.

Quiet Room

Recover health and mana. Additionally, you can spend stars to refill your healing shards.

Boss Fights and Challenges

Challenge Room

After you face some bosses they might appear alone in a run with a proposal for you: face their challenge and they will ‘accompany’ you. If you accept, you’re teleported to a special room where you’ll face that particular boss’ challenge. Each boss has their own unique challenge.
After you beat the challenge, your character is teleported back to the previous room where you met the boss and its symbol will be on the ground for you to grab and then choose the next room.
The symbol allows you to summon that boss once its gauge is full, all summons do some damage and also have some effects (Leo burns, Capricorn buffs you for a time, etc.). It’s important to note that if you beat a challenge for a boss that may appear as the boss of that stage, it won’t be selected by the wheel in the Boss room (you can never face Virgo while Virgo is accompanying you, same for all bosses).

Here are the ones I have found:
Virgo: Kill more enemies than her. Two of her attacks will kill the dummies, so wait for her to deal the first blow and then finish it.


Taurus: Kill the flying dummies without touching the ground, by bouncing


Capricorn: Card game in which you have to remember where is each card


Leo: Hit the dummy as hard as you can to deal more damage to it than Leo


Sagittarius: Escape to the end without being hit by her.


Aries: She will create minivolcanoes that start small and slowly become bigger until they explode. For everyone you can stomp / fall attack you will gain a point. You need to get 15 in time to win. But if any volcano explodes, you will lose a point


Scorpio: Similar to Sagittarius, you have to reach the final destination. This time, going up.

Pisces: Notes will come down. You must catch the blue ones (+1) and avoid the red ones (-2). If you are at or above 30 points in the end, she will come with you

Cancer: Basileus will attack you and you will need to dodge him. If he hits you 3 times it's over


Libra: Like a QTE, you have to smash buttons in the given order. If you are playing with a controller, I suggest change the button icons to those you are more comfortable with (Switch/Playstation/Xbox)


Aquarius: He will hide in a barrel and you will have to find him. Pretty easy if you pay attention.

Gemini: This is the most ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ challenge you will ever see.
Six or so Gemini will appear, flashing on the screen and you have to find the one that is playing the animation ON REVERSE
Yeah, I don't like it, not gonna lie



Not all Summon rooms are worth your time, Scorpio is the hardest, Taurus sometimes may throw you off due to the targets moving and Leo is a DPS check, all the others are easy, however it’s a room that doesn’t reward you with quartz, stars or anything else besides the boss gauge that you may eventually summon, so, evaluate it properly if that particular room is worth your trouble.

The Void

By dimm_ddr

Minibosses. The theme is not some elemental affinity but rather just visuals. I.e. “Fire themed” does not mean that miniboss will get less damage from fire spells or more from ice. Only that their attacks look like fireballs and such. Currently I have found:

• Draco
  
  Fire themed. The attacks are not particularly large, but numerous and quite fast and are hitting strong.
  
  
• Lupus
  
  Assassin themed. The attacks are not fast or big or tricky, one of the most straightforward and easy void minibosses once you learn the patterns.
  
  
• Pegasus
  
  Lightning themed. The attacks are somewhat fast and somewhat big, but not the fastest or the biggest. I found them easier to dodge than most other of the minibosses.
  
  
  
• Hydra
  
  Can’t see a common theme for their abilities. The attacks are not very fast, but tricky as most of them are moving with your character. Dodge has to be timed much better than for most of the other void minibosses.
  
  
  
• Monoceros
  
  Ice themed. The attacks are large and strong, but not particularly fast. The main issue with dodging is the size, not speed.
  
  
• Sculptor
  
  Astral weapons themed. The attacks are large, strong and fast. For me, is by far the hardest one to dodge. With good spells and some healing can be killed before it kills you at least.

Here you will always get 10 stars, a gambit unlocker and two other gambits

Boss Room

At the end of each world, you will face one of the 3 Zodiacs that defend it. Win and you will get some health and gambits or auras.
Each boss has a meter that they fill as the battle goes on. It varies from Zodiac to Zodiac, but once they fulfill that, I would recommend to focus on dodging their attacks until they calm down, but not everyone's the same.



Taurus

Virgo

Capricorn

Leo

Sagitarius

Aries

Pisces

Cancer

Scorpio

Gemini

Acuarius

Libra

[Nonaloth]

Nice, ty.

[FranGran]

If someone comes here and thinks "why hasn't this dude uploaded a pic of some of the challenges or the mini bosses?"
I either forgot to screenshot it or haven't found it yet

[FranGran]

Oh, right, I should change that. I can't even remember how long was when it was the case

[[CHAT]wulouis0511]

Drink price doesn't increase the cost of stars now.

[FranGran]

I haven´t played in the last two patches, so if you find something that can be better written, explained or is simply new, let me know

[iiisixstringiii]

Thank you for this! Very helpful.

[FranGran]

Saw that, I will update this but I think the doc must be done from scrach. The early access changed the game so much that only changing or adding things will make it confusing

[klaus]

@FranGran i've done a lot of comments/suggestions to the doc.

[Grimgar]

I've just bought the game and was wondering how to unlock the cosmetics, I've saw it in a YT video and despite winning against Libra didn't get it yet.

[Pixp]

This is proof that this game's community is one of the best ones out there.