Rift Bard Guide - An Underestimated Rift Character!

Anybody familiar with Rift knows that the Bard is one of those characters you take for granted but once in a while, you meet an in-game Bard character that makes you say "Whoa!" Bards are a support class, yes, but properly constructed they can cause unbelievable havoc on the battlefield that's enough to put your primary soul and crafting guide to serious question. This Rift Bard guide will try to provide some hints on crafting a proper Bard character that will be more than adequate to handle the challenges on the Plains of Telara.

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First off, the main function of the Bard character is in supporting groups during raids or dungeon excursions. Bard rely on their "songs" to promote some form of healing and render motivation to allies as well as work negatively on enemies by creating the opposite effect. The Bard's primary tool set includes skills like Anthems, Verses, Codas, Fanfares and Motifs which constitute the basis of the Bard craft.

The main strength of Bards are their fast combo point generation through Cadence. They also offer minimal group healing but their buffs are useful for extended periods of combat such as in a Dungeon Master setting or a really large rift. In the same way, they offer short duration buffs for increasing damage or boosting resistance to enemy attacks. On the other hand, Bards do not render substantial damage to enemies nor do they posses tanking skills. When directly attacked, Bards are susceptible to heavy damage hence their low survival rating. Their healing capabilities are likewise never adequate for primary healing purposes so Bards are totally unreliable when made the primary focal point of a group attack.

With buffs however, the story is different. With Cadence, the Bard can generate large points via a ranged spell that is normally out of the enemy's reach. At full strength, Cadence easily garners 3 points. Within the Rouge class, this is one of the most efficient point generating abilities available. After Cadence, Motifs are the second most useful Bard trait primarily because it's an excellent buff within the group. Codas on the other hand are finishing moves that deal damage or create debuffs enough to open the chance for a damage dealing attack to come through. Because Codas are AE abilities, they can deal sufficient effect on a large area tipping the battle to your group's advantage within a certain duration.

Lastly, Anthems, Fanfares and Verses provide buff and debuff abilities that are excellent for long periods. Anthems are, in nature, passive buffs but they are not limited by any duration hence the mere presence of a Bard in the group already provides an advantage. Fanfares, in the same way, are active stat buffs that last for 1 hour so in combination with Anthems, the Bard becomes a real threat to swing the battle without doing anything aside from standing around and surveying the war. To complete the package, Bards use Verses to temporarily enable group healing, crowd control or restore resources to allies. This versatility allows the Bard to be an effective third option in a group setting because it can compensate for any deficiency as maybe necessary.

Use the tips in this Rift Bard Guide to properly plan your progress in crafting your character. There are near unlimited options to develop a Bard but in the end, use these skills in combination and you will be fine. Also consult other Rift Bard Guides for the best tips to use your Bard in any Rift scenario.

Get to Level 50 the Fastest with this Rift Supremacy Leveling Guide!