Kunal's [Guide]All things bard

Subject: Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Wed Sep 14, 2011 8:43 pm

All Things Bard.

STATUS OF COMPLETION: 42% DONE

Table of Contents

☼ Update Notes
☼ Introduction
☼ Builds
☼ The Basics
☼ Pros and Cons of a Bard
☼ Legend
☼ Way of the Wind Bard
☼ Way of the Water Bard
☼ Way of the Light Bard
☼ Way of the Triple Hybrid Bard
☼ Bard Misconceptions and Studies
☼ Suggestion Queue

Update Notes

◙ 08.19.11: Pure light is done.
◙ 07.17.11: Added "Multi-Bard Buff Stacking" myth.
◙ 07.17.11: Pure water build is done.
◙ 07.12.11: Added new feature: Keep track of my build.
◙ 07.12.11: Pure wind build is done.
◙ 07.10.11: Added Pure wind descriptions.
◙ 07.10.11: Added All the skeletal framework of each section.
◙ 07.09.11: Added in Bard Skills and Basics.
◙ 07.09.11: Guide is born; basic backbone.

Introduction

Hello, and welcome to my guide! My name is Kunal and I am currently a Lv65 bard from Eyrda. I have used at least 18 talent compasses now testing our viable builds for the bard and how effective they are in PvE/ PvP situations.

Now the reason why I am making this guide is because I want to enlighten bards-to-be without them having to wade through countless hours of posts, but at the same time help out bard veterans (like myself) with any questions they may have. I am also very open to suggestions, as I want this guide to serve the community in its fullest potential. So please, if you do have a suggestion, tell me and I will add it to my Suggestion Queue. Now without further ado here is All Things Bard.

Builds

As I stated earlier, I have at least 18 talent compasses on builds. I will list the builds I have tested. These will be the builds I will comment on. Format of points will be like this: (wind/water/light). NOTE: These builds are from a Lv65ish perspective.

♫ Pure Water (0/45/0)

♫ Pure Wind (45/0/0)

♫ Pure Light (0/0/45)

♫ Water-Wind (14/31/0)(As of 7.16.11)

♫ Water-Light (30/15/0)

♫ Wind-Water (35/10/0)

♫ Wind-Water (26/24/0)

♫ Wind-Light (25/0/20)

♫ Light-Water (0/8/38)

♫ Light Water (0/11/34)

♫ Light-Wind (14/0/31)

♫ Triple Hybrid(14/18/13)

♫ Triple Hybrid (5/5/35)

♫ Triple Hybrid (9/20/16)

♫ Triple Hybrid (22/11/12)

♫ Triple Hybrid (8/16/21)

When I said I spent at least 18 compasses, you may be asking how is it possible to spend them all on different builds? Well, I have tweaked certain trees a bit. But the changes are rather insignificant for me to post them. Also, for the purpose of this guide, I will only focus on the foundation builds.

The Basics

Even though I do not feel it is necessary to repost basic bard info, I feel that this guide would not complete without me doing so; so I will.

Bards are one of the more complex classes in the game. From Osloh starting point, it may feel easy, but later on a bard has an arsenal on buffs. If there is one slip up, a bards buff chain may be disrupted and it is extremely hard to fix when engaged in battle.

Bards utilize The Measure which is the system where notes are administered to make a buff. As a bard, skills will give off certain notes (C,D,E). You must cast certain skills, in order, to activate a buff. For instance CCE played in any order wil cast Courage: your party attack buff.

Later on in the game, maintaining buffs will a role of the bard. I like to think of bards as like a That-was -easy button, especially wind bards. Although parties early game can survive without them, bards catalyze the time it takes to do a certain thing. Late game, bards help out with offheals to let the priest focus on healing the protector, or dying DPS.

When you hit Lv20, you will have an option of specializing into three trees: water, wind, and light. Wind is often known for their buffs, speed, and anti-CC ability. Water is known for strong CCs, mana drains, high DPS. Lastly, light is known for their superb healing ability, combat res, and defense measures. I will go into more detail in the next section.

Before we move on to the next section, I wanted to say one more thing. Bards shine endgame. So, if you think you can mash your keys to the top, go play warrior or mage instead. I also want to make this very clear: at early levels, pure builds will be your friend. I do not recommend going hybrid until 55+, with the exception of a Wind-X bard (which can start at 50+). Early game is a little challenging, but hey, the hard work pays off later when you have your buff arsenal.

Pros and Cons of the Bard

Let us start with the general bard.

Pros:
♪ High amount of mana
♪ Strong solo class
♪ Armor is dirty cheap
♪ High versatility
♪ Very Fun
♪ Sleep
♪ Always wanted in parties, especially after 45+

Cons:
♫ Extremely squishy, especially endgame
♫ Low HP
♫ Somewhat high mana consumption
♫ Normally targeted first in any PvP instance
♫ Generally a poor class
♫ Slower at leveling

I really do not know. These do not look too appealing, but if you guys can think of any others that apply to bard in general, just tell me and I may add it on.

◄Bard Skills►

There are some guides out there that already cover bard skills, but they are outdated, so I will post up updated skills bard can get. This includes rumored skills from CN FW. NOTE: These pictures were taken when I was Lv65, so the power levels will differ. These are skills for EVERY branch of bard.

◄Bard Racials►

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Naturalextraction

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Blessingsoftheelves

◄Wind►

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Chordofwind

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Rhapsodyofwind

◄Water►

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Chordofwater

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Rhapsodyofwater

◄Light►

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Chordoflight

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Lightsonata

◄Measure Buffs and Blessings►

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Ariasurge

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Ariaicewind

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Movementcourage

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Hymnmajesty

[Movement: Fantasy] Grants the party 20 evasion when the bard casts an EEC sequence. The bard gets 10 extra evasion. Lasts 20 seconds (I will put a picture when I hit 70, or if someone wants to donate me a picture).

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Songofwind

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Songofwind

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Sonataoflife

◄Utility Skills►

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Tunelesssound

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Divinecomedy

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Noteofrest

The Legend

Now that we are acquainted with the basics of what it means to be a bard, I can finally go into my favorite part: builds. I want to provide a little key or legend, so you know what to expect and when to expect it.

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Barlegend

The Way of a Wind Bard.

Wind Bards personify the grace of their element, providing benefits to themselves and their allies.

◄Specific Skills►

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Soloofwind

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Movementsongofwind

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Voiceoffreedomv

☼ Pure-Wind

★★★★☆ /(Lv55-CAP)/ ♪♪♪♪♪♪♪/ ♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

Pros:
♪ Extremely strong buffs
♪ Reduce healing of people by 30%
♪ Have the longest sleep
♪ Song of Wind gives immunity to snares and slow
♪ Voice of Freedom helps them out of silences, stuns, sleeps,etc.
♪ Speed up instance runs
♪ Can cast Courage out of battle
♪ Evasion skyrockets after sleep
♪ Hold more buffs in their measure
♪ Highest accuracy of the bards
♪ Can reduce accuracy of enemies
♪ Strong DPS when buffed
♪ 2nd most mana efficient

Cons:
♫ Squishiest of the bards
♫ High CD skills
♫ Only viable DPS when buffed
♫ Normally targeted first in any PvP instance
♫ Favorable armor is hard to find
♫ High learning curve; don't shine until higher levels

Rating Explanations.

Difficulty. Lets first talk about why we gave the pure wind bard a 4/5 on difficulty. Firstly, wind bards are the squishiest of the bards; this allows enemies to gank or solo wind bards easily. Also, they lack the damage of a water bard (when unbuffed) and lack the survivability of a light bard.

Optimal Levels. Wind bards also lack a solo factor the other two branches have at earlier levels, thus they really don't flourish until 50+ when they get their Rhapsody of Wind to help them buff. This is why their optimal levels are above 50+. Their extra C chord helps them maintain the most amount of buffs in their measure.

PvP Rating. Wind bards earn a 6/10 as a PvP rating. This is mostly because their PvP capability is very situational. They take time to become a significant threat, and by the time they are a killing machine, they are dead. But, when placed into a group, a wind bard is a tempest of fury. Their anti-cc helps their team push all boundaries and their attack stacks, not to mention they have a long sleep. 1v1, to be honest, will be a rare occasion for a wind bard.

PvE Rating. Wind bards are just amazing for PvE. They would deserve a full 10/10 for PvE, but there is one problem: when running instances, they can get one-shot by bosses quite easiliy. Also, they may spend tons of money on health and mana pots to sustain themselves. I actually ran an experiment with my pure wind build vs. water build vs. light during a Welkin Castle run. It was carefully controlled, had the same techniques, same people, etc. Light bard: 1 hr. 12 min. Water bard: 1hr. 2 min. Wind bard 43 min. Wind bard buffs just wrecked us through the mobs and bosses. They act as catalysts and can make any awful party superb. This is is why Wind deserves a high PvE rating.

Optimal Situations. Wind bards normally do not fare very well against any class in 1v1, not even other branch bards. However, they shine in group situations. Two crucial areas where they prosper the most is in guild wars and in the PvP arena.

Equipment and Gems

Equipment

Gear that you buy should possibly have:

♫ Wind mastery
♫ Wind attack
♫ Crit chance
♫ Crit defense
♫ Crit dodge
♫ Attack
♫ Accuracy
♫ Health

Gems

Gems that you need the most:

♫ Eagle-Eye
♫ Bloodstones
♫ Ragefire
♫ Goldspark
♫ Crystalline
♫ Twilight

Talent Build.

Other Significant Findings.

☼ Wind-Water ☼

☼ Wind-Light ☼

The Way of the Water Bard.

Lovers of somber and dulcet harmonies, Bards who focus on Water magic confuse
and cripple their enemies with their songs of doom.

◄Specific Skills►

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Sonataofwater

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Ariasongofwater

Kunal's [Guide]All things bard Triplepara

☼ Pure-Water ☼

★★★★★ /(Lv20-40; Lv60-CAP)/ ♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪/ ♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

Pros:
♪ Strongest solo bard
♪ Contain an arsenal of slows, freezes and interruption
♪ After their sleep, they stun an enemy of 3 hits
♪ Very mana efficient
♪ Mana drains can disable enemies very quickly
♪ Evasion stacking makes it harder to hit a water bard
♪ Shield blocks 40% of incoming damage
♪ Shield also recovers HP and Mana
♪ Least squishy of the bards
♪ Higher crit. chances
♪ Triple Partita, Note of Rest, and Ripple Mastery make skills extremely spammable
♪ Strongest Raw DPS (stronger when buffed)
♪ Can reduce accuracy and attack of opponents
♪ Often avoided from ganks because of the "shield mentality"
♪ Armor is easy to find
♪ Low learning curve

Cons:
♫ Earlier, it takes forever to put up your Ice Wind
♫ Very limited buffing
♫ Mana is significantly lower
♫ Least supportive of their parties

Rating Explanations.

Difficulty. Water bards deserve an overall 5/5 because of their flexibility in PvP, PvE, and solo situations. They are the least squishy of the bards, making them shine at early, and late game. However, from around 40-60, they lose their high status. This is because other classes have more to contribute, and have more skills that can disable or anti-clock water bards. But overall, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Optimal Levels. As I was stating earlier, early levels and late levels are very nice for a water bard. The solo ability makes it possible for water bards to kill quickly, and level quickly. But, when it comes to PvP after 40 and before 60, water bards just don't have the factor that made them shine earlier. But, when they 60, they get another D chord, and they are back to the top.

PvP Rating. Water bards were made to PvP. They shine in almost any PvP situation, and usually wreck it. They normally run out before a party to cripple a deadly melee with their slows. They also have their shield that allows them to stay in the battle, their sleep which has a stun right after (it's very invaluable to me), and some OP mana drains.

PvE Rating. Water bards are just as nice at PvE as they are with PvP. Their slow avoids them from being hit, which saves them from spamming HP pots. When they need a little mana, they let monsters hit them with their shield on, and this also reduces their mana potion usage. Their talent also reduces their mana consumption, which helps alot.

Optimal Situations. Water bards are amazing in 1v1. They shine in instances as a DPS, and papercut heal bard. Also you will always see a strong party in arena with a water bard, this is where they shine the most.

Equipment and Gems

Equipment

Gear that you buy should possibly have:

♫ Water mastery
♫ Water attack
♫ Crit chance
♫ Evasion
♫ Attack
♫ Accuracy
♫ Health

Gems

Gems that you need the most:

♫ Eagle-Eye
♫ Bloodstones
♫ Ragefire
♫ Goldspark
♫ Mistshroud
♫ Azurecloud

[SIZE="5"]Talent Build. [/SIZE]

Other Significant Findings.

☼ Water-Wind ☼

☼ Water-Light ☼

The Way of a Light Bard.

Light Bards weave powerful healing magic into every note; It has saved many injured allies.

◄Specific Skills►

- Solo of Light

- Song of Life

-Lightmark Fantasia

☼ Pure-Light ☼

★★★★☆ /(Lv55-CAP)/ ♪♪♪/ ♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

Pros:
♪ Can ease the role of a priest
♪ Buff chain is very synchronized
♪ Sleep also debuffs target's defense
♪ Can take the role of a priest at higher levels
♪ Heals have a 70% chance to free an ally from CC and burns
♪ Heals practically have no cooldowns after 65+
♪ Survivability is second to a water bard
♪ Self-heal can prevent near deaths
♪ Can debuff accuracy of enemies
♪ Can resurrect in combat

Cons:
♫ Regardless of heals, still squishy
♫ High CD skills
♫ Inferior DPS
♫ Normally targeted first in any PvP instance
♫ Favorable armor is hard to find
♫ Very mana deficient

Rating Explanations.

Difficulty. Overall, light bards are very easy to solo play. However, what makes them difficult is that when in groups, whether PvE or PvP, keeping heals and buffs up without losing mana becomes a major obstacle.

Optimal Levels. Light bards do not recieve a boost in their healing until 55. Therefore, they can only cater papercut heals to a party and in result do not have a solid role. Furthermore, since they sacrificed damage for healing, they will also have a hard time soloing earlier on. Their heals really pick up at 55 and again at 65 and 75.

PvP Rating. Light bards earn a 3/10 as a PvP rating. This is mostly because they are the first target in any instance. Light bards have extreme difficulty keeping themselves alive forget their team. Light bards also are the most prone to CC such as an assassin's sleep. They can be easily wiped out, and normally do not provide any benefits to a PvP group. However, if the bard does manage to stay alive for some lucky reason, then there is practically no way that bard can lose.

PvE Rating. Light bards are undoubtedly the most useful sub-class in PvE. They make up for their mediocre PvP performance with a surreal PvE experience. Light bards provide their parties with up to par heals, while granting their team protection and buffing the party's overall DPS. They provide rez's for fallen allies when the priest is still in combat or busy keeping the tank alive. Light bards would be an OP PvE class if it were not for their mana problems.

Optimal Situations. Light bards are a must in any instance runs. They do not shine very well in PvP groups but if the party manages to keep them alive, then they are a force to reckon with.

Equipment and Gems

Equipment

Gear that you buy should possibly have:

♫ HEAL EFFECT SHOULD ALWAYS, ALWAYS BE PRIORITY!
♫ Accuracy
♫ Health
♫ Mana
♫ Heal Crit Chance
♫ Super Healing Effect

Gems

Gems that you need the most:

♫ Eagle-Eye
♫ Bloodstones
♫ Azurecloud
♫ Mistshroud
♫ Solarflare

Talent Build.

Other Significant Findings.

☼ Light-Wind ☼

☼ Light-Water ☼

The Way of the Triple Hybrid.

A bard who engages with all their elements synthesizes the imminent destruction of their enemies whilst sustaining their allies.,

Bard Misconceptions and Studies.

♫ Multi-Bard Buffing (Proposed by Milesg1 and Demyx)

HYPOTHESIS: When in a party with two or more bards, their buffs will stack.

CONCLUSION: Bard buffs stack, but not as a double effect. For Courage, two bards of the same tree and level will feel no difference. A wind bard and a light bard do feel a difference however. The way the buffs actually work is that either bard may get an extra 100 attack which is not much at all, and if you watch your attack closely, the two buffs are fighting for survival. For Majesty, the buffs do stack, but they stack in a way that you get the other bards bonus defense, and the other bard gets yours. For Baptism, it flat out stacks. We will test out Fantasy when both us hit 70, but we have a feeling it will be like Majesty. Also, "stacking" does not work with more than 2 bards.

(Proven by Kunal and Jigglypuff)

[SIZE="4"]Suggestion Queue.[/SIZE]

♫ Put up PvP builds first ed"]33% DONE]

♫ Test out Multi-Bard Buff Stacking me"]100% DONE]

***all credit goes to Kunal***

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