Bard Passive Rework and W and R Tweaks
Lets be honest, right now, Bard is kind of meh at everything. He's like the Lee Sin of Supports except hes sub par at everything. He has decent healing, but he overall is outclassed in everything he does by someone else. His main niche isnt even played out all that well. As a Roaming Support, his team is actually punished for him roaming since while he is roaming, he isn't supporting while doing so. He roams and gets additional damage and slow on his Meeps, but that is about it. So, I propose a large change to Bard's passive and W to put the Support in Roaming Support along with some balance changes to his Q at the end.
Step 1: The Passive 1 Ok, so Bard's passive is supposed to be WHY he roams. However, not only is it mainly used to just regain mana and give Bard more damage, Bard hardly needs to roam to do it since he can just get the chimes within the extremely long time it takes for them to fade. So, here is my new idea for Bard's passive. Don't worry, the Meeps stay of course.
Passive- Traveler's Call Innate- Chime Delivery: When Bard enters the game, two temples spawn in on the map. One is at his side's bottom turret and the other is at his side's top turret. These temples cannot be attacked and can only be interacted with by Bard. When Bard approaches a temple, he can click on it to begin to channel. After channeling for 3 seconds, Bard will gain a chime. He then must deposit the chime at the opposite temple. Bard cannot hold multiple chimes at the same time. While holding a chime, Bard gains 30/35/40/45/50% (+3% per 100 AP) movement speed after being out of combat for 5 seconds and Magical Journey will make Bard move 30/60/90/120/150% (+25% per 100 AP) faster instead of the normal amount. If Bard does not deliver the chime within 240 seconds, it will decay and Bard must get a chime from a temple to begin the process again. Once Bard reaches the opposite temple, he can channel on the temple to deposit the chime and send it back to the spirit world. After channeling for 3 seconds, the chime will be consumed and 5/6/7/8/9 meeps will be given to Bard. Bard can only hold a max of 10/12/14/16/18 meeps at a time. After a 1 second delay, all of Bard's allies will be blessed by the power of the chime as it exits this world, causing them to be healed by 50/75/100/125/150 health plus 5/6/7/8/9% (+1% per 100 AP) of their missing health over 5 seconds, ignoring Grievous Wounds. Bard will also regain 12/14/16/18/20% of his maximum mana, gain 10/12/14/16/18% of his current level's experience requirement to level up, and gain 30/40/50/60/70 gold over 5 seconds. After a 10 second delay, Bard can then gain a chime from either of the temples to repeat the process and travel to the opposite temple. Innate- Meeps: While Bard has a meep, his next basic attack will consume the meep to deal 23 (+1 per level) (+25% AP) bonus magic damage and slow the target by 25% for 1 second. Every time Bard delivers a chime, the meeps will become more powerful, dealing 10% more base damage every chime and slowing for 0.1 seconds longer as well as being upgraded based on how many chimes Bard has delivered. Once Bard has delivered 3 chimes, they will deal damage, but not slow, in a cone behind their target. After delivering 6 chimes, meeps will also be consumed upon Bard damaging an enemy champion with a spell. After delivering 9 chimes, Bard's allies will also gain 2 meeps each whenever Bard delivers a chime that will only be consumed when attacking enemy champions. After delivering 12 chimes, basic attacks consuming Meeps may target and damage champions under the effects of Bard's ultimate. After delivering 15 chimes, Bard will begin to passively generate a meep every 14 seconds. He can only gain a maximum of 3 meeps at one time from this way. Levels: 1/5/9/13/17
Step 1: The Passive 2 This way, both Bard and his allies are benefited from Bard turning in a chime. It also gives Bard a real reason to roam from one side of the map to the other in the early part of the game as well as making Bard's allies appreciate his roaming. It also makes playing Bard a truly unique experience that everyone can enjoy. The temples themselves would look something like the Bard: Mountain trailer. So, something like this: https://40.media.tumblr.com/44ae4f9caa4ad588b4f16f313f1e0756/tumblr_ns16l34zHX1uokip6o1_540.png They would each be in between the first and second bottom lane turrets and first and second top lane turrets for each side. They would be half-way into the wall and not modify the terrain in any way or add any more pathable terrain. So imagine the image above, except instead of a path leading the stone stand, only half the glowing water is visible in the spot. I have made images so as to show the spots for each team on each map. And yes, I know they are Paint drawings :P Summoner's Rift https://40.media.tumblr.com/90e69ccbc1b0efa9e721fcc2fdec9aa9/tumblr_ns17j2E3d61uokip6o1_540.png Crystal Scar https://41.media.tumblr.com/53fc712dacb3b443da4d5e8838a8f203/tumblr_ns17j2E3d61uokip6o2_540.png Twisted Treeline https://36.media.tumblr.com/75cea33874a8bee9db9fcdd80af5c057/tumblr_ns17j2E3d61uokip6o3_540.png ARAM Map https://40.media.tumblr.com/25d5b24b8e2fad75bede90d5878dccc6/tumblr_ns17j2E3d61uokip6o4_540.png
Step 2: Shrine Tweaks 1 So, next up is Bard's W, which I think could also use some slight tweaks to better fit around this new passive.
Ability 2- Caretaker's Shrine Passive: After being out of combat for 8.5 seconds, Bard can use this ability two more times within 6 seconds upon casting it. These additional casts only cost 50% the normal mana cost. Active: Bard places down a shrine that will grow in power over 10 seconds. Uncharged, the shrine will heal for 20/35/50/65/80 (+10% AP) health. Fully charged, this shrine will heal for 30/50/70/90/110 (+35% AP) health plus 3/3.75/4.5/5.25/6% of their missing health. Allied champions will also gain 50% movement speed, decaying over 1/1.25/1.5/1.75/2 seconds, upon picking up a shrine. Only 3/3/4/4/5 shrines can be active at one time. Enemies can step on shrines to destroy them. Cost: 100/105/110/115/120 mana Cool Down: 14/13.5/13/12.5/12 sec. Range: 900 Pick Up Radius: 125
Step 2: Shrine Tweaks 2 This way, Bard can use the shrines more effectively to give a shrine farm to allied champions as he passes by their lanes while delivering a chime to each temple. I also increased the maximum shrine count at higher levels so a Bard who chooses to level his W first can supply two lanes at once with shrines. Finally, adding a missing health heal when the shrine is fully charged allows the users of the shrines to be able to use them effectively at all stages of the game or when they are in a pinch or against a hard lane early game.
Step 3: Tempered Fate Tweaks 1 Bard's ultimate has always been something of hatred or great praise. You either win or lose a teamfight entirely because of it. Either way, you, Bard, are entirely to blame either way if you win or lose. However, the use for this ultimate is exactly very limited as far as ideals scenarios. Therefore, with these new temples, I decided to make Bard's ultimate have many more uses in the early game specifically where Bard's use of it is very limited.
Ultimate- Tempered Fate Active: Bard sends magical energy arcing to the target location. On impact, all units — allied, enemy and neutral — in the target area are put in stasis for 2.5 seconds, becoming untargetable and invulnerable but also unable to perform any action. Epic monsters and turrets are affected by this ability. If Bard is not within range, the ability can instead be fired from a temple if the targeted area is within 4250 units of a temple. If fired from a temple, both temples are shut down from use for 13 seconds in every way. Cost: 100 mana Cool Down: 130/110/90 sec. Range: 3400 or 4500 from temple AoE Radius: 350
Step 3: Tempered Fate Tweaks 2 With this, Bard can use the new temples to help all lanes except the middle lane. However, with his new play style, Bard should be passing through that area quite often. As a small down side, now ADCs actually can complain if Bard doesn't interfere with their death in lane in some way. As an actual down side, Bard cannot use the temples for 13 seconds if they were used to fire an ultimate, meaning he will have to wait for a bit before delivering a chime.
Bonus Step: Q CC Tweak 1 So along with this, Bard's Q could use some balancing to be more in-line with his new power, but not completely wasted.
Ability 1- Cosmic Binding Active: Bard fires out a burst of spirit energy in a line, dealing 70/110/150/190/230 (+60% AP) magic damage and slowing the first enemy hit by 60% for 2/2.25/2.5/2.75/3 seconds. After Cosmic Binding hits an enemy, the burst of energy continues through a 450-range, searching for secondary targets. If it hits a wall or a second enemy, it stuns the affected units for 50% of the slow duration, dealing 70/110/150/190/230 (+60% AP) magic damage to the second unit as well. The slow is applied after the stun for only 50% of it's normal duration. Cost: 60/65/70/75/80 mana Cool Down: 11/10/9/8/7 sec. Range: 950
Bonus Step: Q CC Tweak 2 In summary, Bard's Q deals less damage, especially late game, and stuns for a slightly shorter duration late game. However, the slow effect of the ability is strengthened, lasting longer when no secondary target is found and being applied after the stun if a secondary target is found. It also costs slightly more mana late game.
Thanks for reading and I would like to hear you guys' opinions on this semi-rework for Bard if you could comment below for feedback. Thanks again!
MAGICAL JOURNEY!
