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

[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.

[Egilmn]

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

I can't provide mana regen on par with an enchanter.

Depends on how you mean, bard casting cantana and spamming their level 32 mana song which is instant will give far more mana than clarity 2 per given amount of time. If you are not spamming these things then c2 is better, as it is always working for the entire duration.

And after I hit 51, I lose all charm/cc ability for the most part unlike enchanters.

Not sure where you got that idea, mez cap is 55 and your charm cap is 51. Regular enc mezzes are also 55 cap and their charm is 53 cap, although no enchanter wants to use boltran's since it costs too much mana. Allure is 51 cap. Boltran's is only used when necessary.

[Troxx]

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

I can't provide mana regen on par with an enchanter.

Ummm ... what?

Enchanter:

Clarity2: 11 mana/tick
http://wiki.project1999.com/Clarity_II

Bard:

Cantana of replenishment: 11-12 hp/tick + 12-13 mana/tick
http://wiki.project1999.com/Cantana_of_Replenishment

Cassindra's Chorus of Clarity: 7 mana per 3 second cast
http://wiki.project1999.com/Cassindr...rus_of_Clarity

Cantana lasts 18 seconds (3 to cast), giving you theoretically 5 potential casts of the 7 mana per 3/sec cast before the cantana refresh is required. That last theoretical cast is pretty stupid to shoot for, so I never really tried to pump more than 4 cassindra's between cantana refreshes.

Result?

In 18 seconds an enchanter clarity buff gives a caster 33 mana.
In 18 seconds just singing cantana a bard gives a caster 39 mana.
In 18 seconds with cantana + cassindra a bard can give a caster 39 + (7x4) = 67

Full tilt a bard can easily add 22 mana a tick.

[Ion Blaze]

Dang, I thought they didn't stack. Well that is going to drastically change how I play songs in groups now. Does Hymn of restoration also stack with cantana? I'm thinking Cantana, Clarity song, HP Regen, & Haste/ATK buff for standard 4 song twist? What would you recommend? Right now I typically run Clarity, HP Regen, Haste/ATK, and Slow/Snare on mobs.

[MiRo2]

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

Cassindra's Chorus of Clarity: 7 mana per 3 second cast
http://wiki.project1999.com/Cassindr...rus_of_Clarity

...

Full tilt a bard can easily add 22 mana a tick.

More if the bard has an epic, as it affects the singing component of Chorus.

[skarlorn]

End this thread before any more spaghetti comes out!

[Rivera]

This has become a not so subtle "Play Group Bards" ad. Which I completely agree with. Group Bards are fun and very valuable.

[Coriantum]

I will say it all depends on how you play.
Bard and Enchanter are both fun to play.
I never understand why people oppose those two classes.
Put à Bard in a group and you improve all members, put him with an enchanter and you become invulnerable.
Bard haste song and mana song stick with Enchanter Haste and Clarity.
Meaning more 2x more dps.
By the way I just played a group with 3 Bards 2 Enchanter and 1 Necro.
Never had seen a group killing so fast.
Bard song was enough to heal and with 2 charmed pet and Bard dps mobs standed less than 10 sec.

In Fact, playing a Bard switching 3 song is pretty easy and straight looking, but being able to switch 4 is mastering the skill. (5 is a challenge)

Enchanter Need more preparation and understanding of your environment as being a cloth wearer mistake is less forgiving.

If you want survivability and the taste of CC job run Bard.
If you want complexity and more thinking with a lot of risks, play enchanter.

Both are active and none get annoying.
(I would just say that enchanter can do the best jokes in game, illusion, mem blurr and sentinel can give you tons of fun)

[skarlorn]

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

In Fact, playing a Bard switching 3 song is pretty easy and straight looking, but being able to switch 4 is mastering the skill. (5 is a challenge)

since when a challenge more difficult than mastery?

fucking KEK

also, this guy doesn't realize that bard haste doesn't stack with ENC haste, nor can bards charm monsters above the very low 50s.

[Aalderon Crystafire]

Our level 60 Haste (+10%) actually does stack with both Enchanter haste as well as our other haste songs. It will not break the haste cap, however.

-Worn Haste
-Spell/Song Haste
-V2 Song Haste