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Why you should stop building Bard as a tank

Axests··2 votes·5,812 views

Bard isn't meant to be a tank for his team, he's meant to be a utility champion that can carry his team through his map presence, kiting potential, and good cc. His well placed ultis can win teamfights on its own and his double stun q is deadly against an enemies initiators. This mixed with his juke/bait potential with gates and his health packs (which by the way you should be putting down just in case your team needs to fall back) make him a very strong backliner that assists by staying on the edge of the fight.

15 Comments

OhOkYea1 votes

he's good at running away

Axests2 votes

very good...i ran away from an azir, a hecarim, and a leona...

OhOkYea2 votes

[{quoted}](name=Lord Knife Cat,realm=NA,application-id=WEuoGbmp,discussion-id=8pfWclWs,comment-id=00000000,timestamp=2015-03-17T17:56:41.351+0000)

very good...i ran away from an azir, a hecarim, and a leona...

that's about all he can do

Axests1 votes

i wouldn't say that, this just shows good his kiting is, like i said he's a backliner meant to cc/assist his team while peeling for his carry with his meep autos and q.

3tyson1 votes

Utility and tankyness go verry wel in 1pakage ?

Axests1 votes

true but i believe he gets more value with utility items such as mikaels, frostfang, talisman, as a backliner he shouldn't BE tanky. Of course there are tank was to play him (think tank janna).

3tyson1 votes

Hes a 100% utility kit wixh usualy worssks best specializing in the same so its probertly a good decission

BradTaste1 votes

This is some stupid ass advice

If I don't build him tanks, he is useless

End of story

Axests3 votes

please leave a response of why you believe this, i'm fine with discussion and believe that it's fantastic if someone proves me wrong, but your comment only promotes negativity.

BradTaste1 votes

Alright when I first read this comment it felt like a demand to me to not build bard tanks

But honestly, I see him as going either cdr heavy, tanky or both.You can build him very support like, but his team fight potential is limited if he is squishy. He doesn't have ap scaling that is worth building ap on, since it is so darn low.

So why should you build him tanky? Same reason you build Sion sion tanky. Bard has good CC, but is not made for damage or even full support items

Axests1 votes

i don't really have a problem with bards building tanky, in fact i think that bard has many playstyles he can take, after thinking on it for a while i've also come to terms with the fact that i think tank bard is better than i once did. My only issue is i see bards going full tank in games and as a result having no cdr or the utility from common support items. Though as i said my opinion has changed and i don't think this post has a place anymore

BradTaste1 votes

Oh well that's just dumb, yeah that is a lot differwn then I thought you meant

k wìx1 votes

I humbly disagree. Tankiness is critical to building a successful bard.

  1. His AP Ratios are average at best, and he gets has a pretty strong built in 'power up' mechanic through his chimes.
  2. Roaming is central to his kit and innately dangerous. If bard roams into bad territory, a squishy bard is much, much easier to kill.
  3. If you intend to use Magical Journey as an Initiation tool, building tankiness is important.
  4. His kit provides enough utility that he stays relevant into mid and late game. CDR is perhaps the most important statistic he can build in my opinion.
  5. He puts himself at risk to auto attack and stun targets. If you are squishy, its much harder to land these as you are constantly in fear of 'getting caught'.
Calafar1 votes

I agree partly with the no-tank. His ap-scalings are mediocre at best and is a squishy. Then again same really goes with kayle or sona...how well does Tanky sona do for you?? He Roams and needs to survive it if gets caught- true. Here's my answer to it all. He needs to build everything! CDR/Health/AP/AS and maybe some AD as well. Think RoA/that ap/as/cdr sword, shiv and either deathcap/ADhammer/ap slow staff. I tend to build him hybrid mostly cuz there's nothing in his build that says "let's build some health, and perhaps some armor/mr, cuz I can use it in my battles"..Let's look at Sion's W! The End. I compare Bard to Kayle (both has slow, both has range potential and reasonable dmg (ap/ad) with that potential, a weak/mediocre heal (if built for it), and a ult that has potential to save (tho bard also has potential to help enemies too!) Bard has 2 extra things to his kit to balance it though, his stun with q if it hits 2 things or 1 and a wall/tower, and his journey. Building some health definitely helps but overall I feel a ap/ad/as (with some cdr) to be his best playing style. As for roaming, be sure to have ur e and r both ready, and be observant..ive been chased, and used e..enemy used my journey and i ult'd him and got away (ult has a good range too). Unless the enemy has a item to stop negative things on him, you can get away easily. Also don't roam into enemy jg unless you're sure you know u can get out (have ally with u or enemy jg afk). Some chimes aren't worth the risk unless your sure ur safe to grab them!

Calafar1 votes

plus as sion his r gets u to smash into enemies getting close up and personal..Bard only gets close and personal with chimes!

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