Which is the more active class, Enchanter or Bard / How to play them?

[Cleric4]

Originally Posted by Spyder73 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Bard songs are not great - no reason to twist 5 when all anyone wants 55+ is Cantina and maybe a damage shield...Bards are inferior to almost every other class in the game for any purpose besides running in circles killing low/mid level trash

Cantata + Chorus x 3

[Aalderon Crystafire]

Originally Posted by Borak [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

It's hard to take someone seriously when they've probably seen the icon on their screen for hours on end and can't remember it's spelled Cantana, not Cantina.

It's actually supposed to be Cantata - typo on Verant's part. They fixed it later but we haven't applied that yet to P99... I'll have to check the timeline.

[Fifield]

Originally Posted by Spyder73 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Bard songs are not great - no reason to twist 5 when all anyone wants 55+ is Cantina and maybe a damage shield...Bards are inferior to almost every other class in the game for any purpose besides running in circles killing low/mid level trash

you have no idea what your talking about

[Sonark]

All I'm getting from this is that Bards and Enchanters play like every other class plays now on Live.

I.e. a lot of hot keys and a lot of things to pay attention to.

[Lhancelot]

Originally Posted by Spyder73 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

TLDR: Bards have to wear themselves out to provide marginal buff utility while providing 0 DPS, no ability to CC at the high end, no ability to charm at the high end, no ability to do much of anything besides sing a lame regen song and talk about how much skill it takes to provide buffs no one actually wants or needs.

rofl Spyder just ruined any chances I will ever pick up a bard again as a mess-around alt. I already hate the finger tapping insanity.

When it's explained as Spyder has done here, there's no reason to ever play a bard.

Carpal Tunnel is real, and when all that work is redundant it's idiotic playing a bard.

Thanks Spyder, for clarifying it.

[Cecily]

I want an epic bard in my rogue groups for Atk song + Atk proc, regen, resists.

[zanderklocke]

Originally Posted by Cecily [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I want an epic bard in my rogue groups for Atk song + Atk proc, regen, resists.

In addition to increased Atack song and increased Attack epic proc, they are providing a significant damage shield with both the DS/resist song and McVaxius Rousing Rondo (even more if they swap in sky horn) when in main tank group.

That's why bards are put in the main DPS or tank groups. Resists and mana/hp regen are nice, but the extra Attack and Damage Shield are probably more beneficial in raiding.

[Fasttimes]

Originally Posted by Spyder73 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I stand corrected then - once Bards get their epics they are essential to any raid forces DPS group so they can add 30 attack power for 3 minutes from Dance of The Blade... Or I guess you could always just get Call of The Predator that has a 1.5 hour duration and adds 40 attack power.

They stack and rondo has +attack which is buffed by epic too.

[Lhancelot]

Originally Posted by Fasttimes [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

They stack and rondo has +attack which is buffed by epic too.

[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Rondo attack buffed + epic would be amazing.

[Ion Blaze]

As bard this is what I have done:
1) Swarm kited solo & 2) grouped (fast exp grind), 3) charm kited solo & 4) grouped (had no dps in all healer group so I had to be dps), 5) fear kited solo & 6) grouped (can handle most caster mobs this way), 7) snare kited solo & 8) grouped (I snared and held aggro on mobs while melee only group gave dps), 9) aoe mezzed 15+ mobs in Unrest/Crushbone simultaneously when we got trained (we survived and killed them all), 10) provided critical MR/buffs to ToFS group that was getting mezzed and charmed by enchanters on level 2, 11) tanked for guk groups, and 12) single target crowd control now. Ultimately, I have found that as a bard I can group with anyone and make them better. I consistently run groups that don't need tanks or healers because no one takes damage with snare or fear kiting which means fast exp and 0 down time for meditating. I can be healing, tanking, dps, crowd control, buffing, and etc. I don't think an enchanter has the same raw ability.

The enchanter's leg up is that they specialize with their abilities as opposed to a bard. I can't aoe mez anymore at 39 but an enchanter can. I can't provide mana regen on par with an enchanter. I can't charm like an enchanter. And after I hit 51, I lose all charm/cc ability for the most part unlike enchanters.