The Art of Bardage

[MuffinCITY]

First started as a ranger but found bard to be more enjoyable. I'm level 23 now with basically banded, I hear bards don't really need gear but I would like to get some pieces with stats here and there as I am able to afford them (for my own personal satisfaction).

Should I prioritize armor over weapons? I currently am using a Crystalline Spider Fang in mainhand and fine steel for offhand.. I've got about 700pp from doing rabid animal quests, bandits and willowisps in the Karanas. I have read a bunch of opinions but I prefer a forum dialogue to discuss... if anyone can spare a moment for suggestions I would greatly appreciate it!

- Freebass the Bard

[Cen]

Bards use tank stats mostly. Look for lots of AC, HP, Resists :D easy. Its been determined that charisma and dex arent worth a sacrifice of equal tank stats.

[Evia]

With 700 id get a magic weapon to replace the fine steel and buy HP rings/earrings. Id look into getting at least a mm drum and gypsy lute too.

[Zipity]

Unless you have an epic you probably shouldn’t be using weapons, as a bard amplifying your songs with instrument mods will benefit your group more. Solo you can swarm or charm kite or drum dot without ever getting hit. I’d say save up for a walrus skin drum

[Legidias]

HP/AC rings then instruments (if you at least have store bought).

You can get plat fire wedding rings x2 cfor 400-500 p and MM isntruments for like another 100p. Last bit of money can get you like a sionache's partisan or something.

While yes instrument use probably benefits group more, its boring as fuck and you'll want to melee some, and especially to keep skills up (defense is important too).

[Vizax_Xaziv]

Don't even buy the instruments - you're nearly Mistmoore CE-group level just XP there and you'll easily and quickly get the MM Drums and Lute (and the NODROP Gypsy Lute is actaully a bit better - same modifier and has +5MR on it). It's also much more rewarding to earn the items while XPing than it is to buy them!

Get some 4ac/45hp rings (don't spend the premium for the 6/65 rings right now). Get yourself some CHA jewlery (CHA necklace / DEX/CHA rings) and get yourself a pair of +7MR Bracers. All that stuff is relatively cheap.

You can pickup bronze platemail armor in either Unrest or Mistmoore as well! Look to get yourself an Unrest FP group and get a Bloodstained Mantle - another easy to acquire item!

Once your level 30+ look to group at "Mistmoore CE" camp and "Unrest ghost" camp to get your MM instruments and some jagged bands and/or Dwarven Workboots respectively!

[Jlpstrtkng]

I read this title as the art of bondage at first

[MuffinCITY]

I read this title as the art of bondage at first

Would have been a better title tbh.

Thanks for the suggestions all, I actually already had hp/ac rings that a nice fella hooked me up with (also gave me the Crystalline Spider Fang) so I think I'll focus on getting the instruments and maybe just replace the cloth pieces I'm still wearing with some higher ac stuff so I don't get ass blasted.

Looking forward to seeing you all out in the world.

[Swish2]

Would have been a better title tbh.

Thanks for the suggestions all, I actually already had hp/ac rings that a nice fella hooked me up with (also gave me the Crystalline Spider Fang) so I think I'll focus on getting the instruments and maybe just replace the cloth pieces I'm still wearing with some higher ac stuff so I don't get ass blasted.

Looking forward to seeing you all out in the world.

Treat your bard like you would a rogue. Aim not to get hit or draw aggro. If you're the tank, do something about it so that there's an actual tank in the group. It will benefit the cleric and group efficiency hugely, particularly if there's no enchanter clarity about <3

Survivability is still important but I've encountered some bards who want to be the tank in the group, and as a former cleric... it's just not a good idea vs a warrior/pal/SK, even with very good items.

[MuffinCITY]

Good advice, Swish! I am not going to even try to tank... I much prefer a support role. I'm looking forward to pulling a bit and learning zone layouts, providing CC and general support.

I didn't get to experience much back in the day, I played a druid based on a recommendation from a friend, but later realized he just wanted free ports later on... and I didn't much enjoy the class. Bard seems great so far, quite a few tricks up their sleeve and seems they can accomplish much on their own if no groups are available.

[Talon]

Well bards are the fastest leveling class in the game via solo swarm kiting. Much faster than any group experience. You can also charm or fear kite very effectively as well. Their whole toolkit of fears, snares, charms, lulls, invis, etc allows for some fun solo dungeon diving.

Once you get higher levels your role in groups will be almost exclusively puller/cc/mana bot. If you like support roles, then you can’t go wrong with a bard.

[Swish2]

As long as you have a decent ping. If you're not so lucky you become an awesome group bard who knows how to put together a good melody :)

[rekreant]

Important to remember that bards still have competition for mobs, even if its often only from other bards.

[Lune]

Not criticizing, just legitimately curious, is there any reason for a non-raid group to bring a bard over an enchanter?

Never played a bard before, kind of want to make one as an alt, but I don't want to end up in another depressing situation where some other class drastically outshines me in every single one of my non-raid roles. I already have a ranger.

I know from personal experience most of the time when I group with a bard I'm thinking "Man, I wish we had an enchanter instead", but the bards are usually shit and just afk playing manasong

[Talon]

All things equal having an enchanter is more effective than a bard. Having charmed pet dps, aoe mez, keeping haste and clarity always up wins. But fuck, we’ve been killing the same damn mobs for 20 years. If a bard is competent it’s going to be fine.

That said, I often find myself wishing I had made an enchanter after I spend an hour or two pressing various buttons every four seconds on my bard.

[MuffinCITY]

Not criticizing, just legitimately curious, is there any reason for a non-raid group to bring a bard over an enchanter?

Never played a bard before, kind of want to make one as an alt, but I don't want to end up in another depressing situation where some other class drastically outshines me in every single one of my non-raid roles. I already have a ranger.

I know from personal experience most of the time when I group with a bard I'm thinking "Man, I wish we had an enchanter instead", but the bards are usually shit and just afk playing manasong

I'll admit, that's a bit of a shame... but I know the classes aren't balanced in this game and I accept that. Since I doubt I'll ever raid much or take it too seriously, I can't get upset if groups will take an Enchanter over my Bard. My goal is to enjoy the game and not worry about fast leveling (although I admit I did swarm gorge hounds from 18-23, and I actually had a lot of fun doing it).

My next goal is to find a guild with some like-minded people that want to have adventures and explore the less traveled areas... my play time kinda sucks though, I have a 2-month daughter with an odd sleep schedule so I can only really play super late night PST, usually 10 or 11pm til about 1am.

[Francois]

Not criticizing, just legitimately curious, is there any reason for a non-raid group to bring a bard over an enchanter?

Never played a bard before, kind of want to make one as an alt, but I don't want to end up in another depressing situation where some other class drastically outshines me in every single one of my non-raid roles. I already have a ranger.

I know from personal experience most of the time when I group with a bard I'm thinking "Man, I wish we had an enchanter instead", but the bards are usually shit and just afk playing manasong

Bards can be more effective pullers than monks in most situations.
We have the highest DS in the game (stacks with mage & druid too).
Our mana regeneration stacks with enchanter mana regen.
Most of the stats (including +ATK) stacks with enchanter buffs.
We have great CC, especially if we have a little bit of room to move.
If a bard is actually instrument swapping for PBAE songs we can get pretty decent damage rolling as well.

[Mon Feb 04 02:21:52 2019] a phase spider has taken 45 damage from your Denon`s Disruptive Discord.
[Mon Feb 04 02:21:52 2019] a phase spider has taken 75 damage from your Denon`s Bereavement.
[Mon Feb 04 02:21:52 2019] a phase spider has taken 53 damage from your Selo`s Chords of Cessation.
[Mon Feb 04 02:21:52 2019] a phase spider has taken 42 damage from your Chords of Dissonance.

Most of all, they're interesting to play. I have a couple other classes that I mess around with, but bard is the most fun for me.

[Legidias]

If bard mez or charm breaks, they don't insta die like chanters do.

[Zipity]

Bard can pull, hp/mana regen (better than any class), CC, rune,DS, haste,slow,snare, fearkite ,charm adds nonstop if played to full potential... there are definitely situations in group where bard > ench most notably if your group doesn’t have a cleric or torp sham...

[Terrel]

Echoing what Franswa, Legidias, and Zipity said, and pointing that a bard has more versatility than other classes. So if your group starts out looking like tank/healer/chanter/dps, and your chanter leaves, your bard slides right in. In some configurations, bard regen is all you need for heals. Or a bard can function as a tank (particularly effective when they get AoE snare.) Or can kite in any # of ways.

For those reasons, they ARE the most interesting class to play. You don't always do the same things the same way, like other classes.

[Legidias]

Bard mez is also the best spell cancel in group xp situations. Just perma spam it and you never get hit by wiz mobs