Bard Builds in Lost Ark are Builds that cover a few popular recommended and some personally crafted builds for and from the community. These builds were created around each Class, and features guides and explanations for which Stats and Engravings are meta, and which Skills should be used in which situations.
Lost Ark Bard Build Guide
Bards are the first support class in Lost Ark, followed by Paladins. They wield a harp to execute a variety of ranged damage and support skills like heals, buffs and shields.
Please visit our Bard page for more information about this Advanced Class
Lost Ark Bard Builds
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Lost Ark Bard Raid Build Guide
The Bard Raid Build is an end-game Lost Ark Bard Build Guide. Raid Builds are geared towards dealing massive damage to a single target and supporting party members. This Lost Ark Bard Raid Build Guide features the the playstyles offered by different engravings, what accessory stats to look for, and a list of recommended skills to take.
The Bard is one of two classes that is played as a pure support role. While technically you can play a DPS Bard, you won't be hitting as high damage numbers as any of the other classes in a raid scenario. Bards have access to great healing, shielding, damage reduction, party-wide damage and mana regeneration buffs, and boss debuffs. When learning a raid encounter for the first time, or even tackling difficult high level raid encounters, Bards are the prime class to ensuring your team stays alive.
There have been many discussions on Paladins vs Bard as supports, and the consensus is generally: Paladins provide stronger damage buffs and damage reduction, while Bards provide stronger healing and shielding, as well as mana regeneration buffs.
Pick your Bard Engravings & Stats
The bard is a class which whose playstyle does not change no matter which class engravings you take:
Desperate Salvation
Desperate Salvation essentially increases the healing done by the Bard's identity skill, Serenade of Salvation, allowing it to be effective no matter how many bars of identity the player uses it at. This class engraving is taken over the other due to it's ability to boost party-wide utility. In addition, it valuable healing is as most classes have to rely on gold-restricted potions.
As a support-oriented class, Bards want to build Swiftness on their accessories for the cooldown reduction - to be able to spam abilities more often - and quicker casting times, as well as Specialty to speed up identity gauge gain.
True Courage
True Courage increases the damage buff Serenade of Courage gives to the Bard. It usually is not picked over the other class engraving as it doesn't give any buffs to party-wide utility. If you are adamant on playing DPS Bard though, knock yourself out.
If you're taking this engraving as a Support Bard, take Swiftness and Specialty just like stated above. As a DPS, swap Specialty for Crit.
Besides class engravings, players should also consider gearing and levelling up these engravings:
Awakening
Reduces the cooldown of your awakening skills, allowing Symphonia to be used more often, and thus having more access to a powerful panic button and better identity gauge generation.
Spirit Absorption
Increases player attack and movement speed. Taken mostly for the quicker cast times.
Increased Max MP
Increases the players maximum mana points. Since a lot of key Bard skills eat up a lot of mana, you might be finding yourself running out in the middle of the fight without this engraving.
Heavy Armor Equipment
Increases the defense of the player and makes you harder to kill. As a support, the longer you stay alive, the longer you can keep your teammates alive.
Expert
Increases the efficiency of shields and healing provided by the player, improving their already great ability to keep their party alive.
Bard Build Skills
These are the recommended skills to take when running a Bard in raids. Mouse-over the skill names to see what they do.
Key Skills for a Raid Bard Build in Lost Ark
Heavenly Tune provides a lot of offensive buffs to your party. At it's base it provides party-wide attack speed and mana regeneration buffs, and attack damage buffs when brought to level 10. All three tripods should be invested in to maximize the usefulness of this skill. The first tripod, Quick Preparation is taken to lessen the skill's long cooldown, allowing it to be used more frequently. Tough Tune is taken next to increase the casting speed of the skill, allowing you to apply the buffs on your allies faster. Finally, Intense Tune is taken so that this skill can provide that juicy attack damage buff to the whole party. Players should try to time this ability with their party member's big damage combos to maximize their party's damage, or simply at the beginning of their own skill combo. It should be noted that the damage buff from Heavenly Tune does not stack with Sonic Vibration, so the two skills should be timed so as not to overlap.
Sound Shock is the Bard's main source of boss debuff. Since that's the only reason to take this skill, only two tripods are suggested here. Quick Preparation isn't taken here because the skill already has a short cooldown. Instead, Maintained Explosion is taken to increase the number of hits of the skill, allowing it to apply the debuff multiple times with one skill use. The next tripod, Sacred Shock, allows Sound Shock to debuff enemies, making them take increased damage from the whole party. It should be noted that the boss debuff from Sound Shock does not stack with Harp of Rhythm, so the two skills should be timed so as not to overlap.
Wind of Music is the Bard's main source of shields, and is a good source of identity gauge generation. Players should invest into all three tripods for this skill. Quick Preparation, like before, lowers the skill's cooldown so that we can spam it more often. The second tripod, Melody Increase, increases the identity gauge gain from this skill. Finally, Wind of Protection allows the skill to provide allies with a strong shield when getting hit by the skill.
At it's base, Guardian Tune can provide the party with strong damage mitigation, and with the proper tripods provide shields and cc immunity. Only two tripods are required for this skill to be effective. If you're finding yourself getting interrupted often while using the skill in fights, Tenacity prevents this, making you push-immune while casting the skill. Otherwise, Mind Enhancement lowers the mana cost of the skill, helping you with the Bard's heavy mana consumption. Endless Protection adds party-wide shielding to the skill when the damage mitigation effect wears off. If you have any skill point leftover it may be worth investing in the final tripod, Wind of Protection, as it provides party-wide cc-immunity when using the skill.
Sonic Vibration provides another source of attack buffs, allowing Bards to provide a 100% damage buff uptime on their party. This skill only needs two tripods to be effective. Tenacity makes it so that you are uninterruptible while casting the skill and Brilliant Wave provides the attack buff to this skill. If you have extra skill points to invest in this skill, Wide-angle Attack increases the AoE of the skill, making it easier to hit all 4 party members at once. It should be noted that the damage buff from Sonic Vibration does not stack with Heavenly Tune, so the two skills should be timed so as not to overlap.
Other Skills for your Bard Endgame Build
Soundholic is the highest damage-dealing skill in the Bard's kit. More importantly though, it deals good stagger, allowing Bards to help their party with stagger checks. The number of tripods you choose to take depends on how much damage you want this skill to do as each tripod simply increases the damage this skill does. Sound Concentration is a stackable damage buff each time the skill hits an enemy, Sustain Enhancement increases the duration of the skill and the number of times it can hit, and finally Focus Fire massively increases the damage dealt by the skill in exchange for a lower duration.
Rhythm Buckshot is taken as it is counter skill. You will typically see support roles be in charge of counter mechanics in higher level raids. Since it's only taken to counter, no tripods are required. However, the following tripods increases the utility the skill provides. The first tripod, Melody Increase, increases identity gauge gain when hitting this skill on the enemy. Tenacity prevents the caster from being interrupted while casting the skill. Finally, Agile Cast increases the casting speed of the skill.
Harp of Rhythm provides another source of boss debuffs, allowing Bards to provide a 100% debuff uptime on the boss. The skill requires all three tripods to be effective. If you do not have enough skill points to level it to lvl 10, consider taking Stigma instead, a skill that has a similar effect at only lvl 7. Summoning Will increases the duration of the skill, allowing it to apply the debuff longer. Melody Increase allows this skill to be a great identity gauge generator. Finally, Note Brand gives this skill the ability to debuff the boss, making it take increased damage from all party members. It should be noted that the boss debuff from Harp of Rhythm does not stack with Sound Shock, so the two skills should be timed so as not to overlap.
Prelude of Storm is an excellent identity gauge generator and will be your main one if you choose to take it. Only two tripods are required for this skill. The first tripods is up to your discretion. Quick Preparation allows you to spam the skill more often, and Mind Concentration allows you to conserve your mana. Melody Increase is the key tripod here and allows the skill to generate a lot of identity gauge when hitting the enemy. If you have some skill points leftover, you can invest in Powerful Prelude to increase the damage dealt by the skill.
Rhapsody of Light is an amazing skill for saving allies but requires the third tripod to do so. Quick Preparation lowers the cooldown of the skill, allowing it to be used more frequently. Stabilized Light makes it so that the casted cannot be interrupted while channeling this skill. Finally, Shining Protection provides a 75% damage reduction on top of allowing the skill to provide shields to all allies.
One of two Awakening Skills that Bards can choose from. Symphonia is usually taken over Oratorio due its great defensive utilities. It's a great panic button that provides allies with an incredibly powerful shield for 10 seconds. On top of that, it automatically fills one bar of identity gauge on use.
One of two Awakening Skills that Bards can choose from. While not taken as often, Oratorio deals more damage than than Symphonia and debuffs the enemy to take more crit damage from all party members.
Lost Ark Community Builds
Additional Lost Ark Builds are welcomed to be submitted and shared here. Players may share their favorite recommendations and information on various Stats, Engravings and Skill combinations. Builds for all type of game modes are welcomed, from Chaos Dungeons, to Raids, to PvP, to general levelling etc.
Lost Ark Bard Builds
Build description
Build Stats & Engravings
- Recommended Equipment Stats & Engravings
Build Skills
- Build Skills
Lost Ark Bard Builds
Build description
Build Stats & Engravings
- Recommended Equipment Stats & Engravings
Build Skills
- Build Skills
Anonymous
- Anonymous
i began following this guide thinking it was a build guide before realizing i would need twice as many skill slots and points to activate all the skills
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