Tips for Bard?

Tuition Fee·Feb 26, 2018·2 votes·939 views

I love Bard's gameplay and abilities, but since I'm bronze and relatively new to Bard, I'd like some tips. How do you properly manage his mana? I always run out, even when I'm nabbing chimes. Also, is he a viable support right now? Most of my games with him are either us getting rofl stomped, or me making minimal impact and getting carried by a superb team. I never make much of an impact on anything (Although this is probably because I'm bronze and playing on a crappy Mac while living in the middle of nowhere with Xplorenet and Rogers mobile data being the only internet options.) and I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

14 Comments

Baron BarianFeb 26, 20184 votes

Whenever you go to get chimes and leave lane, assume that's when you're ADC is going to diving in to attack.

Okay, real tips.

Try not to spam your Q too much. It's strong when it hits, but its a waste of mana if it misses. Try to go for sure things.

The healing stations are helpful during the laning phase, especially when you want to roam and get chimes. Leave 1 or 2 around your tower so you can give your adc some healing if they get poked while you were gone.

When you use your E, smart people won't usually follow you in, but if they do, time it up for you can land your Q for an easy stun. If you're in Bronze, they'll likely be pretty stupid.

When you do roam for chimes, that's a good reason to place down wards in important areas and provide your team with vision. Roaming and wading is a good habit for supports in general, so try to start it with Bard. Just be careful not to do a bad facecheck and be picked off. It's good to always be doing something when you're moving around.

Bard's ultimate is probably the hardest thing to use, even if you're in an even higher rank. It can stop a tower from shooting you, stop your tower from getting attacked, or stop an enemy in place so your team can catch up to him. But it can just as easily hit your own teammates and potentially kill all of you because of it. The best tip for this is to improve your own shot calls and just practice.

Tuition FeeFeb 27, 20181 votes

[{quoted}](name=Baron Barian,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=uUHIqPmi,comment-id=0000,timestamp=2018-02-26T22:07:58.922+0000)

Whenever you go to get chimes and leave lane, assume that's when you're ADC is going to diving in to attack.

Okay, real tips.

Try not to spam your Q too much. It's strong when it hits, but its a waste of mana if it misses. Try to go for sure things.

The healing stations are helpful during the laning phase, especially when you want to roam and get chimes. Leave 1 or 2 around your tower so you can give your adc some healing if they get poked while you were gone.

When you use your E, smart people won't usually follow you in, but if they do, time it up for you can land your Q for an easy stun. If you're in Bronze, they'll likely be pretty stupid.

When you do roam for chimes, that's a good reason to place down wards in important areas and provide your team with vision. Roaming and wading is a good habit for supports in general, so try to start it with Bard. Just be careful not to do a bad facecheck and be picked off. It's good to always be doing something when you're moving around.

Bard's ultimate is probably the hardest thing to use, even if you're in an even higher rank. It can stop a tower from shooting you, stop your tower from getting attacked, or stop an enemy in place so your team can catch up to him. But it can just as easily hit your own teammates and potentially kill all of you because of it. The best tip for this is to improve your own shot calls and just practice.

I didn't even know that there were people who don't go into Bard tunnels. People always chase me, which kinda confirms bronze IQ. (Myself included)

NyloafFeb 26, 20182 votes

Honestly, when it comes to Bard pressure, his is strongest in the very early game, due to his high auto attack base damage with his passive and the low armor of the enemy laners. Alot of his pressure late game comes from his ult, which can save your team if you land it correctly, save towers, catch out enemies, etc. It can also come from possible ganks with magical journey, and/or luring enemies into traps with it (personally i love doing this, luring a jungler to a bush full of team members while low hp and pretending to be helpless is always so entertaining).

Alot of his mana issues come from using his abilities too often, so as long as the adc isnt getting poked constantly, you won't have to place so many shrines, and if your adc is tuned in to Bard's playstyle, then they'll be able to snap to action when you get that sick double stun. Only roam when at least one of the enemy laners is dead, and when you know that the enemy jungler is topside; this will help ensure that you won't get gangbanged while looking for your chimes.

Ok sure but whyFeb 26, 20182 votes

A good Bard stops pretending he's a support

A great Bard steals kills and goes full ap to do tons of damage

Tuition FeeFeb 27, 20181 votes

[{quoted}](name=Ok sure but why,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=uUHIqPmi,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2018-02-26T22:44:09.872+0000)

A good Bard stops pretending he's a support

A great Bard steals kills and goes full ap to do tons of damage

Just did that and went 8/4 >-> my 3/11 adc was not pleased

Ok sure but whyFeb 27, 20181 votes

But did you win?

Tuition FeeFeb 27, 20181 votes

[{quoted}](name=Ok sure but why,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=uUHIqPmi,comment-id=000300000000,timestamp=2018-02-27T01:48:43.364+0000)

But did you win?

No >->

Ok sure but whyFeb 27, 20181 votes

Same tbh

SangreDeNocheFeb 27, 20181 votes

[{quoted}](name=Ok sure but why,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=uUHIqPmi,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2018-02-26T22:44:09.872+0000)

A good Bard stops pretending he's a support

A great Bard steals kills and goes full ap to do tons of damage

But muh on-hit (botrk, mallet, etc.)

SangreDeNocheFeb 27, 20182 votes

This and this video are basically all I needed to start to "get" bard.

sAyCoFeb 27, 20182 votes

Hi there, Poke enemy Adc, Supp, Procc Electrocute is really easy. and only when you have your meeps around. max Q first Then E. And only 1 W if the enemy is too aggressive.

Runes. Electrocute. Cheapshot. ghost poro. Raven hunter

Absolute focus scorch

( use your ult on someone escaping, or someone is not moving a lot in lane ) try get ur meeps 20+ 25+ early game on, it only take from you 5 second to move around and get them. Magic penetration boot, Morellonoicon <-- magic pen book + the Int supp item ofc. Rest of items Locket of the iron solari, + Frozen heart + Abyssal mask = GG best dmg in game, Good dmg taken. + dont forget your wards / control wards / and the Oracle Your good now. Gl hf

Professor WardFeb 26, 20181 votes

As a season 4 support main who has a pretty good feel on every support, i still have trouble with bard.

His design begs for misplays, getting behind in levels ,getting firstblooded, getting caught out.

On top of that he is the worst healer in game respective to whats played support.

His teamfight consists of a heal that is terrible on the spot An E that is basically unusable in most teamfights And an ult that if not used with premier accuracy, timing, and teamwork, will do nothing or less than nothing.

3 of his abilities are zero damage, and terrible to use when fighting, this alone kills his low skill use. Miss the q, and good luck brotha, youre now an undersped siege minion for two auto attacks, in which after you become an undersped caster minion.

All in all i do not recommend playing bard at any level under plat or being a main. But thats just a recommendation.

TheProfezzorFeb 27, 20181 votes

Don’t play him unless you’re in plat. That’s my advice.

eaglei3Feb 27, 20181 votes

You have to get used to his Q distance after it travels through the first target. His total travel distance on his Q is completely different depending on where at in the original cast path it hits that first target.