The bard is a wandering guardian and traveler beyond the stars. His main task is to support the team in a difficult battle and control the crowd of opponents. In the guide, we will talk about how to properly level up a character, what key features he has, and also talk about the best runes, items and game tactics for this hero.
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Hero Skills
The support champion relies on his skills and deals magic damage. It is quite difficult to master it, and it is difficult to correctly apply all its abilities. Therefore, we will talk in more detail about each of them and make the best combinations.
Passive Skill - Wanderer's Call
On the map, bells are formed for the Bard. All players can see them, but only he can pick them up. For each item collected, the champion increases his own movement speed by 24%, and with each new bells, an additional 14% is added to his speed. The effect lasts for 7 seconds and stacks up to a maximum of five times. Upon taking damage, the character immediately loses all received haste effects.
In addition, after 5 minutes, each bell picked up will add 20 experience points, restore up to 12% of the total mana, and increase the champion's basic attack.
Every 4-8 seconds, a creature appears next to him - a small Meer. He will follow his master. The number of bells picked up will determine the cooldown speed of the skill and how many creatures the champion can summon (maximum 4). When hit with an auto-attack, the hero spends one of his wards Meep and deals additional magic damage (also increased by the number of bells picked up by Bard).
When a hero collects 5 or more bells, his auto attacks will apply a 25-80% slow effect for one second. If you collect 25 charges, then Bard can slow down a crowd of heroes at once, and the damage will be dealt not in a point, but in an area.
First Skill - Chains of the Universe
The champion fires an energy blast in front of him in the marked direction. When it hits opponents, it will deal increased magic damage to the first two targets hit, and also impose a stun effect for 1-1.8 seconds (depending on skill level).
When only one enemy takes damage, the stun effect is replaced by a 60% reduction in the enemy champion's movement speed.
Skill XNUMX - Altar of the Guardian
The Guardian inflicts a special rune on the ground. He can create up to three runes at the same time. If the Bard himself or his ally steps on the rune, then it instantly disappears and replenishes from 30 to 150 health points. In addition, it will increase the hero's speed by 30% for the next 10 seconds. After lying untouched for more than 70 seconds, the rune is fully charged and restores already from XNUMX health points.
When an enemy steps on the symbol, the rune immediately disappears.
Third Skill - Magic Journey
The character creates a portal with a range of 900 units. Even enemies can pass through it, but if teammates use it, they get a bonus 33% to movement speed.
The portal is unlimited, all players can enter it. But you can't go back the same way.
Ultimate - Postponing the inevitable
The champion prepares and then recreates a special area around him. While in it, all playable characters, monsters, mobs and buildings gain invulnerability for 2,5 seconds.
Anyone affected by the ultimate cannot use their skills, move, or auto-attack.
Sequence of leveling skills
When playing as a Bard, keep in mind that it is very important for him first skill. After opening all the abilities, focus on pumping the first skill. Then you can smoothly move up second ability. By the end of the game, upgrade the remaining third skill. At the same time, do not forget that at levels 6, 11 and 16 you must pump the ultimate.
Basic Ability Combinations
We recommend using the following combos on Bard:
- Ultimate -> Third Skill -> First Skill -> Auto Attack. A great combination when you are going to ambush the enemy team in lane. From afar, activate an ult in their area to immobilize opponents. Then use the third skill to quickly move towards them and get in the perfect position for the stun. Press the first skill and follow with a basic attack to deal increased damage and stun enemies.
- Ultimate -> First Skill -> Auto Attack. The combination works in the same way, but it is easier than the first. Use it if you have already encountered enemies and cannot attack them from the bushes or from a distance. Root them with your ult and deal damage and stun with your first skill and basic attack combo.
Pros and cons of the hero
To know your character, you need to consider the positive and negative sides. So you will understand what tactics to follow in the match, what he is capable of and what he fears.
The main advantages of playing for the Bard:
- One of the best supports - manages to move through all the lanes.
- Endowed with good healing and control.
- Ulta takes control of the entire battlefield, imposes invulnerability and completely immobilizes opponents.
- A powerful passive skill that speeds up the hero, charges attacks and summons assistants.
- Helps immobile heroes with her teleport.
- Becomes very strong in the late game.
The main disadvantages of playing for the Bard:
- Depends on mana, suffers from lack of it in the early stages.
- It really depends on the team.
- Pretty weak in the early game.
- Strongly sags in the middle stage.
- It is difficult to use the ult, as you can harm your team.
Suitable runes
When assembling runes, you also need to take into account the pros and cons of the hero, his role in the team. Statistically, these runes increase winrate, buff the champion, and mitigate some skill and mechanic deficiencies.
Primal Rune - Accuracy:
- skillful maneuvering - while you are moving, you accumulate charges, which, when reaching 100 pieces, will strengthen the subsequent attack on the enemy. It will restore HP by 10-100 HP and increase your movement speed by 20% for one second.
- Triumph - Finishing will restore 10% of the lost HP and gives an additional 20 gold.
- Legend: Fortitude - When you finish off mobs or characters, you gain charges that gradually increase your stamina.
- A blow of mercy – if the enemy’s health level drops below 40%, then your damage against him will increase by 8%.
Secondary - Courage:
- Accumulation - in the middle game (12 minutes), the champion gains an additional 8 points to armor and magic resistance, and also increases the rest of the available armor and magic resistance by 3%.
- Dauntless - the champion is given an additional 5% to tenacity and resistance to slow. The indicators increase when his health decreases.
- +10 attack speed.
- +6 Armor.
- +15-90 health.
Required Spells
Jump - for almost all heroes, it is an indisputable part of the assembly. The bard gets an instant dash that can be used in combination with skills or as a way to save his life: dodge a gank, dodge a blow.- Ignition is a useful spell with which you can mark the target. The marked enemy will be highlighted on the map, taking continuous additional true damage, and their healing effects will also be reduced.
- Exhaustion - can be used instead of Ignite. The effect is that the enemy is marked, as a result of which his movement speed and damage dealt will decrease.
Best Build
The set is selected according to the game statistics and the percentage of winning matches. The assembly closes the main shortcomings of the Bard, and also develops his combat potential.
Starting Items
To get off to a good start, he needs to purchase an item that will give the champion extra gold for hitting buildings or enemies near an allied hero. It is this item that reveals the main role of the character - to support the main damage dealers.
- Blade of the Magic Thief.
- Health Potion.
- Hidden totem.
Early items
Add the fastest boots to your build for more support mobility. With this speed, no one will be able to catch up with Bard, and it will be easier for him to move through the lanes and help the rest of the team.
- Boots of Swiftness.
Main subjects
Spellthief's Blade is upgraded to 500 gold. First, it is converted to "Frostfang", and then to the final form"Shard of True Iceand becomes quite powerful.
- Shard of True Ice.
- Boots of Swiftness.
- Shining virtue.
Complete assembly
The full set for Bard focuses on such stats as: skill damage, health, mana regeneration, movement speed, defense and skill cooldown reduction.
- Shard of True Ice.
- Boots of Swiftness.
- Shining virtue.
- Frozen heart.
- Omen of Randuin.
- Power of nature.
End items can be replaced with situational items:Dead Man's Armor» with increased movement speed, «Chains of Curse» to reduce incoming damage and protect the marked enemy, or «Redemption» to better heal allies and restore your own mana.
Worst and best enemies
Bard performs well against champions such as Yumi, Alistair и Ash. Let's also pay attention to which enemies he should play more carefully with or better not to meet at all:
- Amumu - A tank with strong crowd control can interrupt Bard's attacks and greatly interfere with him during the game. If it is played through the forest, then you should be wary of high damage. Learn to avoid sticky bandages and not get caught in the range of the ult, or better yet, deactivate it with your own.
- Sona - a support character with a good heal. Speeds up the team, takes control of opponents and deals moderate damage. Don't get hit by her ult and try to disable her so that she can't help her allies during the battle.
- Renata Glask - A powerful support that can even resurrect its allies. Make sure that your combo attacks are not in vain. Try to focus Renata first, and then the rest of the team - so they do not get shields and resurrection.
As for good partners, here you should rely on Karthus – a mage with high burst damage and an ult that takes three seconds to prepare. Thus, if you take control of your ult on the enemy team for 2,5 seconds, then Karthus will have enough time to cast spells and hit everyone at once. With proper coordination, together with Veigar и Serafina you can create colossal impenetrable control for your opponents, keeping the entire enemy team in line.
How to play Bard
Beginning of the game. First, try to unlock the second level as quickly as possible. You farm easily and, together with the damage dealer, push the opponents to their tower. Use stuns and boosted basic attacks to scare them away, but don't go too far as you're quite weak in the early minutes.
Follow the location of the bells on the map and collect them. It is very important for you to collect at least 5 pieces in order to unlock basic stun attacks.
Don't stand in one line. Thanks to your speed and passive effects, you can easily roam the entire map and help everyone at once. Before entering the next lane, hide in the bushes and unexpectedly stun the opponent with the first skill. So you catch him by surprise and leave no chance of retreat.
With the help of your teleporter, you can help the jungler move between monsters faster and farm, or arrange an unpredictable gang together. You can also use the skill to save yourself and run away from enemies.
Average game. You have to play carefully here. Even in the middle of the match, Bard remains weak in defense and damage, his strengths are control and mobility.
If your teleport from the third skill is charged, then you can safely move through the forest and not be afraid of an attack. You can always avoid a collision and go to a safe distance.
Fully coordinate your actions with your allies, because without them, your crowd control will be of little use. Attack in tandem with a jungler, or imperceptibly for enemies, come to the lanes and attack from the back.
You can use your ultimate to mark the area behind your opponents so that when they try to retreat, they stumble upon him and end up in the camp. Then additionally stun them with the first skill.
late game. Bard's powers grow significantly with a full build, a bunch of bells, and stacked little helpers, so in the late game he becomes a serious support hero and a real disaster for the enemy team.
You are very fast and mobile, have a lot of control and good protection. Walk alongside your team and use the best combos to stun the opponents for a long time and buy time for the main damage dealers.
You can walk not close to the allies, but bypass the enemies from the rear flank and stop their attempts to retreat. Even if you run into someone in the forest, you can easily catch them and retreat. Use basic attacks that will deal increased damage and apply a slow effect. It is not always necessary to use skills one on one, as you can get by with an auto attack and buy yourself time.
Bard is a very interesting and strong support hero, but he is designed for the late game. If your team is weak and you don't make it to the end, then most of his potential will be lost. This concludes our guide and wish you good luck in battle!
