Intro & Some Noob Questions

[Troxx]

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

Really poor advice IMO. Melee is a great tool for a bard and extremely important to skill up when you're at low level. I've leveled up multiple bards on classic live and again on P99. Really the only point I've found where the math actually leads you to higher dps/faster kills without melee is at the very high end when you just simply can't take any hits. 50+ is when I put away the weapons and pull out the drums to solo 50-60 via charm/ drum dot kiting. In the mid range the DPS boost from instruments is lower than the DPS boost from swinging your arms (melee doesn't reduce your ability to twist songs, just slightly modifies the effects of applicable songs). Ultimately you are likely mixing both swapping instruments and weapons in and out constantly through battles if you're a truly great bard.

Additionally some fights just require melee like if you're going to solo some of the mobs for your epic. I also often times bust out the melee on raid targets as well. Atleast when you're raiding in a guild where you actually matter and you're not just some mana pump bot that stands there mostly useless.

Disagree. My first main here was bard and to 60. It’s been a long while since I’ve played him so I don’t recall the exact levels where you get your dots/charms … but bard melee dps is just plain bad. It’s ok until 20s to maybe 30 but it takes a nose dive. Once you get your first charm, that is by far the best dps/kill rate apart from swarm kiting. For single target dps 40s and onward you will do more with stacking your dots with instruments than you would with melee weapons. For groups, your most valuable contribution starting the moment you get it is hymn of restoration with a lute.

Keep your skills capped. Melee at low levels when benefits exist and the melee discrepancy remains small.

When I see a bard constantly meleeing 40+ and NEVER bagging their weapons for instruments, one of 2 things happens:

1. I politely inform them and help coach them to play a hard better. They listen and adjust play style accordingly. Everyone profits and fun times are had (current and future).

2. I politely inform them and they make no changes. Mental note taken to avoid grouping/playing with them moving forward.

Bards are heavily armored mobile casters beyond level 20-30. Pretending you’re helping by hitting things with lower skill caps and lack of double attack is just bad.

Everything changes, of course, if and when they get epic. That proc is just really nice and it’s an all-type instrument.