Aster is the Elite Pathfinder who holds the Stinging Thorns Badge, and he waits at a camp in Rosetower Woods with a team built entirely around Grass. Every fight is the same three creatures, so once you know their roles and bring the right elements, the five-minute timer is comfortable rather than tight.
Quick answer: Field a Wind, Fire, or Dark team, lure his aniimo out of Leafy’s Vitality Blooms healing field before engaging, and focus down Thornblade and Melloblum first within the 5:00 limit.
Aster’s team and elemental weaknesses
Aster brings three aniimo to every round, and they stay the same whether you take the Challenge at Lv 45 or the Rematch at Lv 60. All three are Grass types, with Leafy carrying a second Water typing. Wind, Fire, and Dark attacks all land hard, so build your squad around those elements. Wind is the single best pick because it hits all three of them for extra damage.
| Aniimo | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|
 Thornblade (Milady) | DPS | Grass |
 Melloblum (Queenie) | Support | Grass |
 Leafy (Regis) | REGEN | Grass / Water |
Thornblade and Melloblum are the two that actually threaten you, since both hit hard. Bring a healer or shielder to absorb that pressure. Thornblade’s skills raise its own basic attack damage and build Melloblum’s Rose Mark, which lowers Melloblum’s skill cost, so leaving Thornblade alive too long makes the whole team more dangerous.
Leafy barely deals damage but it is tanky and acts as the team’s healer. If your main DPS is too weak, you can run out of time against it. Push your main DPS to at least 2800 CP so you can cut through Leafy before the clock expires.
Thornblade punishes you for casting into it, so watch for its counter whenever you queue up a skill at close range.
Where to find Aster and how to unlock the challenge
Aster camps in Rosetower Woods, close to the Bloom or Whiterose Tower fast travel locations. To unlock his Elite Pathfinder challenge, first defeat him in the Promotion: Core’s Nurture quest. After that win, you can return to his camp for repeat challenges.
The Challenge is tuned for Lv 45. Clearing it and continuing to talk to Dr. Lewis unlocks the Lv 60 Rematch, where Aster’s Held Items activate their advanced effects and his team hits even harder.
Strategy for beating Aster
Pick a Wind, Fire, or Dark counter team
Since the entire team is Grass, the strongest aniimo you can bring all share Fire, Dark, or Wind typing. Any of these cover the whole fight well.
- Scorchhowl, Inferlupa, Flamerion, Helgon, Infergon (Fire)
- Rookey (Dark)
- Cornet, Tubster (Wind)
If you run Scorchhowl as your main DPS, pair it with a Break aniimo or one that has a crowd control skill so its Burn Breaker is guaranteed to connect.
Pull his aniimo out of Leafy’s Vitality Blooms field
Leafy casts Vitality Blooms, which drops a magic field underfoot that restores EP every second to Grass-type teammates inside it for 12 seconds, and it also restores 1% HP per second through upgraded Turf. The skill has a 20-second cooldown. Dash away from the field and drag the fight to open ground before you commit, so Aster’s team loses that free energy and healing.
Break the team fast with Rookey’s Ballistic Guard
Rookey is especially strong here thanks to Ballistic Guard. The skill puts Rookey into a state that raises its damage reduction by 20% and greatly boosts its interruption resistance, and every time Rookey is hit it fires a shockwave dealing damage equal to 10 Might. Because Thornblade and Melloblum attack in multiple hits, they trigger that shockwave over and over, piling onto their Break gauge quickly.
Rookey is Dark and does not resist Grass, so it takes real damage while tanking. Bring a healer to top Rookey up when its HP drops.
Keep your distance from Thornblade
Thornblade’s melee attacks are brutal up close. Keep dashing to hold space rather than standing in its reach and eating the hits. A well-built Cornet is a clean answer here: it can use Wind Bomb Rush while flying, letting it strike Thornblade from above without ever entering melee range.
Aster Elite Pathfinder rewards
Clearing the challenge grants its first-clear rewards once. Beating the Lv 60 Rematch also unlocks the Thornblade Assassin title along with the Stinging Thorns Badge.
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Safaris | 400 |
 Irisalis Petal | 1 |
 Starcryst Essence | 6 |
| Report Card | 2 |
| Besauce Fragment | 2 |
Confirming the win
You clear the duel by defeating all three of Aster’s aniimo within the five-minute limit. A Battle Won banner appears and the game automatically returns you to Rosetower Woods, where Aster congratulates you on passing the practical assessment. For the Rematch, he hands over the Stinging Thorns Badge on screen, confirming the clear.
