What zones can a bard reasonably 1v1 solo in using primarily melee?

[Loadsamoney]

Using only melee buff/debuff songs, single target DoT's, healsong etc, and assuming decent gear (full Lambent set, Crystaline Short Sword and Symphonic Saber, Sash of the Dragonborn, 65HP rings) what can a Bard expect to be able to reasonably engage 1 on 1?

Are High Keep Guards or Splitpaw Gnolls an option, for instance? Or Terrors/Geodes/Spiders in CC?

No, I don't want to Swarmkite (though I'm okay to do some Fearkiting in outdoor zones like Great Divide).

[Legidias]

At what level? Also, lambent isn't decent gear. It basically gives you no useful stats but looks pretty. My condolences if you bought a set.

Strictly melee with just songs (and equivalent gear) bards can 1v1 most things any other melee can, except monks. So basically any blue / light blue in Vanilla / Kunark. Slow by itself, even at only 20-30% is a huge game changer and you self haste up to near cap. If you get too low and mob isnt, you can always mez mob and regen up.

Besides AE kiting and fear kiting, charm kiting is also very useful.

[rajax]

As long as you can Mez it and it doesn’t gate or summon you can melee it down as a bard. Bard melee output takes a noticeable hit compared to the other classes post 20 when everyone else has double attack. Every level after that bard melee just seems more lackluster especially once you have a full twist of DoT effects for solo/duo work.

So as mob Hp and damage output scales so much higher 40 and 50+ you are looking at more and more minutes of slowly regenning your hps after a handful of combat rounds while keeping your single target mezzed and hoping you don’t have a bad string of resists on mez and slow songs. If you really want to melee at end game you need a partner to add damage and keep fights from lasting forever.

[Loadsamoney]

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

At what level? Also, lambent isn't decent gear. It basically gives you no useful stats but looks pretty. My condolences if you bought a set.

Strictly melee with just songs (and equivalent gear) bards can 1v1 most things any other melee can, except monks. So basically any blue / light blue in Vanilla / Kunark. Slow by itself, even at only 20-30% is a huge game changer and you self haste up to near cap. If you get too low and mob isnt, you can always mez mob and regen up.

Besides AE kiting and fear kiting, charm kiting is also very useful.

I didn't buy Lambent, I'm actually thinking of getting Imbued Koada'Dal, as I can pass it on to a Cleric later on (would be a High Elf Cleric). But using the full set means no Haste item, so I'd only be using the pieces that show on my character: Chest, Legs, 1 Bracer, Boots, Gloves, Arms and Helmet.

[Crede]

Melee is fine until level 27. At that point, just switch to charming mobs. It costs no mana so from 27-50 you can basically nonstop charm kill if you know wtf you're doing and time your breaks and watch your health. As you get more single target Dot's, this gets even more powerful as you're sitting back loading them up in addition to charm dps. I was doing solo dungeon crawls in that level range that no twink/enchanter could have kept up with. Regen bp/fungi helps with this(which I'd save your pp for along with a nice drum). It gets even better at 45 if you pick up a singing steel bp. Unfortunately the higher level charm costs mana, but they're still one of the fastest levelers out there and you can switch to melee/fear kiting while you regen mana during that time.

[Legidias]

Imbued koada dal also sucks but looks pretty on bards. Crusty set is where you want to go for cheap.

[Troxx]

As a bard it really depends on your level. Up to 30ish the lack of double attack doesn’t set a bard back a lot. At higher levels 1v1 with melee isn’t impossible, it’s just pointless. You will do a lot more damage and have a lot less downtime twisting single target dots, slow/snare and regen when you can’t safely fear kite. When you can safely fear kite you still kill faster with instruments and dots than you ever will with raw melee. In terms of what you can kill ... an above poster nailed it on the head. If you can realistically mez it you can solo it. It might take forever, but you can do it.

[Troxx]

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

Imbued koada dal also sucks but looks pretty on bards. Crusty set is where you want to go for cheap.

That set in particular makes safely lull pulling dubious at best. The negative charisma completely negates the good aspect of of the armor - unless a person plans in carrying around another full armor set to swap out to when you’re inevitably called on to pull for a group. I had to pass on crusty for my paladin in lieu of a more expensive cultural amor set because of this [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Legidias]

cha only affects critical lulls and doesnt affect resist rate. Lvl >>>>>>>> cha for lulls.

[Loadsamoney]

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

Imbued koada dal also sucks but looks pretty on bards. Crusty set is where you want to go for cheap.

Isn't all that Cha penalty really, really bad for a Bard?

Armor doesn't have to be cheap, and Imbued Koada'Dal I'm leaning towards because when I eventually make a Cleric, I can use it on that on toon too. Otherwise I go questing for the Lambent armor.

Or get someone to make me some really cheap Fine Plate.