I posted this elsewhere but oh well, I'll post it here too.
The most useful thing that you can do with Bard early game is to let him put 2 healing shrines near the red buff to heal your jungler. He won't need to go back to base and can gank early. Early jungler ganks people!
Tips to use Bard's ultimate
Escape Tactics
- When your team mate is escaping, ult the enemy chasers. Even ulting half of them will help him immensely.
- When your team is in a losing fight, ult as many of the enemy team as you can. Your team can escape. This is the most reliable use of your ult.
- When your team is escaping. Use your ult to deny an area to prevent an enemy team from chasing you. This is the most common scenario with pro players.
Engaging Tactics
- Your jungler is ganking bot lane. Ult the enemy bot lane. Your jungler + adc has time to position themselves for the kill.
- Your team is engaging a spread out enemy team. Ult *HALF *of the enemy team. Then focus your team to burst the main damage dealer. It works only if you have a lot of burst.
- Your team is in a melee fight with the enemy. You COULD ult your team and the enemy team at the same time. Leaving your Lee sin to burst the enemy carry who was not affected and kill him instantly. Leaving you at an advantageous 4v5. But this is risky.
- When a low heath enemy team is under their tower. Ult the tower then kill the enemy. Safe tower diving.
- When 4 enemies are under their low health tower. Ult the enemy, kill the tower then escape.
- You can repeat 4 and 5 with Dragon and Baron too, leaving your jungler to steal Dragon or Baron.
Saving Tactics
- Your team mate is targeted by an ashe arrow, ez ult? Ult your team mate. They will be saved and they will thank you. Don't bother saving them from a Nidalee spear as Nidalee will use this time to come close to them.
- Pantheon, Twisted fate or Shen are going to use their ultimate on you? Ultimate them before they jump.
- You can stop Vi's ultimate too if you time it just when she knocks you in the air but not when she is travelling. Vi will complete her animation but you will have suffered 0 dmg. It is probably the same with a fiora ult, Mr Yi omnislash and Yasuo ult but I haven't tested it yet.
- If the whole enemy team is ganking you. You can ultimate yourself with ALT + R. then flash away at the last second, saving yourself and trapping the enemy team.
- You can use your ultimate to save a tower. Either you ult the tower or you ult the attacker to gain time for your team mates to show up.
- You can ultimate the super minions who are attacking your nexus. It can buy you a few seconds before your inhibitor is up, saving the whole game.
Trapping tactics + Combos.
- the easiest way to trap an enemy is when they emerge from a bush or turn round a corner.
's black shield will protect you from Bard's ultimate. If she shields herself or a 
they can channel their ultimate while you trap the enemy team with bard's ult. If they time it right they can do full damage when your ultimate ends.- People under
are not affected by Bard's ult and can emerge from stasis much earlier if timed right. BothZhonya and bard's ult have the same duration: 2.5 seconds
- Bard's ultimate is very good to trap enemies when you have team mates who have a powerful ability that a long casting time. Example:
, 
, , 
. Just be sure to time your assault AFTER bard's ulti has finished.
- You know these champions who need good positioning to do max dmg? Ult the enemy team and let your team mates take position. Good news
, 
, 
and 
Heck, even 
, 
, 
and 
have more time to better set up their kill.
- You know what, lets go a step further. You know these champions who have abilities that need a good set up? Like
's turrets, 
chompers, 
's boxes, 
's shrooms, 
bombs, 
traps and 
's sand warriors? Put a bunch of these things on top of the frozen enemies, wait till ult goes off and Voila. Better still, make your team mates drop a load of these things in the jungle then bait the enemy team with your E-magical journey. Watch as they take your portal and fall into a trap.
Timing is everything.
P.s. Not tested yet
- Technically you can use bard's ult on someone affected by poison, Ignite or Darius bleed and when they come out, the damage over time should have gone away. Not tested.
- Technically you can use it on an enemy fiora who is ulting your team to protect your team mates AND expose her immediately and she can still be damaged. Not tested.
- Potential big combos with Poppy and Kayle when they activate their ultimate as they are technically not affected by bard's ulti. Not tested.
- Not tested yet but when you land bard's ultimate on enemies these enemies are no longer targetable right? So in theory skill shots should go THROUGH them right? Therefore if you ult the tanks, your Lee sin, Jayce and Caitlyn should be able to throw their kill shots to kill the carries that were hiding behind
