What is the point of a bard?

Getsmurfed · #1 08-20-2013, 08:06 PM

Feels as if a bard only shines in small groups, and even then most groups aren't willing to take on a bard for fear of acquiring a "wasted" spot. I rolled a bard as my main, and have reached high 50s. Currently working on my epic, and doubting the reasons I rolled a bard. They're supposed to be a high utility class. But some play in the raid scene it feels as if I do nothing useful in a raid scenario barring extra mana regen and resists. I rolled a class that is completely useless to solo with and only useful in the rare raid scenario. Will I only be able to fully play my class in the small group scenarios? Keeping in mind this is my first time ever playing EQ, and I feel like I am more than competent at my given utilization. I just feel wasted in anything more than 5-6 people.

In the current game status it seems like bards are completely useless outside mana song, and MR for the rare fight that does something resistable. I know that a bard is indispensable for dragon fights, but the current state of the server is such that getting one is a cold day in hell that TMO or some other zerg guild hasn't poop socked / bothered poop socking the fight.

TL;DR are they useless until Velious barring a few encounters for resistance in the raid scene?

senna · #2 08-20-2013, 08:07 PM

To PL all the other useful classes

Sarius · #3 08-20-2013, 08:10 PM

A bards roll in raids is resists, mana song, and OOS (if it is even in game at this point). That is the class you rolled. A good bard is always welcome in a group with me, as they are the most versitile class in the game. Nothing better than having a speedy bard chain pull in an outdoor zone!

Tecmos Deception · #4 08-20-2013, 08:12 PM

They are the opposite of completely useless... kind of.

They're useful in many different ways. Unfortunately none of the things they are good at (except for mana twisting and resist songs) are better than what a shaman or enchanter or melee dps or healer can do. So in a raid where you've got a couple chanters and a slew of wisdom casters and a bunch of rogues/monks DPSing... none of the things a bard does really seem to make a big difference (again, unless you need mana/resists).

If you make a point of forming groups of casters who need your mana song, you'll have a lot of happy casters in your raids, assuming you aren't needed to do resists for a tank or whatever.

Once you have your epic you can proc it and twist some songs that give awesome +attack, which will make the melee DPS drool over you as much as twisting mana songs makes the casters drool.

Sarius · #5 08-20-2013, 08:12 PM

To your point tho, a bard is not useful against most Kunark bosses that get killed by an over-whelmingly large raid force. A bard can certainly be the difference between life and death for smaller raids tho (provided they can get a target).

Aaron · #6 08-20-2013, 08:17 PM

I always ask for a bard in my group on raids. A well-played bard is pretty legit.

Getsmurfed · #7 08-20-2013, 08:19 PM

So it was pretty stupid to roll a bard as a main, it'd make a good alt for utility is pretty much what I'm catching.

contemptor · #8 08-20-2013, 08:22 PM

Quote:

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

So it was pretty stupid to roll a bard as a main, it'd make a good alt for utility is pretty much what I'm catching.

Bards can awesome if played well. Can save an entire group on some dragon AEs. Can still CC pretty well. Some of the best non-stop groups I have had in seb have been with bards.

thieros · #9 08-21-2013, 01:06 PM

Quote:

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

Bards can awesome if played well. Can save an entire group on some dragon AEs. Can still CC pretty well. Some of the best non-stop groups I have had in seb have been with bards.

Bard played right can rock your world. seb crawls, hs, chardok. anywhere you want to go. As a puller, I'd have to say they do the best. Monks split and all, but ive seen bards pull in seb single mobs constantly so literally a constant flow of exp. I heart a good bard

Tecmos Deception · #10 08-20-2013, 08:27 PM

Quote:

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

So it was pretty stupid to roll a bard as a main, it'd make a good alt for utility is pretty much what I'm catching.

I didn't mean to give you that impression.

I dunno. I guess I'm bad at explaining it.

Bards can do all kinds of stuff (melee, cc, mana, regen, haste, slow, pull, freaking damage shields and runes and dispels and resists, tons of stuff), but at the same time the things they're best at are incredibly specialized (stacking attack songs in melee group, stacking mana songs in caster groups, stacking resist songs on AE bosses).

None of the specialized things really have a place in a normal group because you very rarely have 4-5 casters who are in desperate need of mana such that ALL you do is twist mana songs, and you very rarely have 4-5 melee such that it is the best use of your time to sing attack songs, and normal mobs aren't so hard to resist (or so important to resist) that you need to spend your time making sure resist songs are up and never dropping. In a raid, even just a 3- or 4-group raid, the odds are pretty good that you can be doing one of these things though.