Looking for the best Bard build in Lost Ark? Among the 15 Lost Ark classes available, the Bard might be the most underestimated. However, once players understand what should be prioritised while dealing with PvP and PvE contents, the Bard’s importance in the current meta becomes clear.
The Bard is an easy class to learn; it absorbs a lot of damage but isn’t a huge damage dealer itself. However, after some quick leveling in Lost Ark, Bards are capable of using their skills to control large groups of enemies, keeping them at a distance or stunned so your teammates can swoop in for kill. Although the Bard is a fragile class as it can’t protect itself, most of its skills help you to escape enemies. Then, Bards become a kiting machine.
Since Bards are a support class, you are supposed to keep a safe distance from enemies as much as you can. When playing as a Bard, your job is not to cause massive amounts of damage to enemies, but instead to control them by creating the openings that your group needs.
It’s important to be mindful that, in the beginning, Bards are not very strong and have few skills, so focus on upgrading crowd control and AoE skills, like Stigma, Dissonance and Sonic Vibration. Of course, always have a skill for more direct damage, such as Sound Shock and Soundholic.
The best Bard builds in Lost Ark
Here are the best Bard builds for PvP and PvE. It’s worth noting these builds are based on all the Bard’s skills being unlocked by reaching the level cap.
The best PvP Bard build in Lost Ark is:
- Rhapsody of Light (Skill Lv. 10): Targets a specific location, damaging the opponents in the area. “Quick Prep”, “Stabilized Light”, and “Shining Protection”.
- Sonic Vibration (Skill Lv. 10): Lifts the enemies in a designated location, inflicting damage twice. “Tenacity”, “Chain Vibration”, and “Wide-Angle Attack”.
- Rhythm Buckshot (Skill Lv. 8): Use this skill to knock back enemies and inflict damage. “Shock Enhancement” and “Tenacity”.
- Guardian Tune (Skill Lv. 10): This skill is a buff of damage reduction for the whole party in its reach. “Tenacity”, “Endless Protection”, and “Wind of Protection”.
- Soundholic (Skill Lv. 10): A simple ray of light attack, powerful but cancels if you move. “Raid”, “Sustain Enhancement”, and “Focus Fire”.
- Prelude of Storm (Skill Lv. 10): Casts an attack damaging nearby enemies and stunning them. “Quick Prep”, “Wide-Angle Attack”, and “Lightning Concentration”.
- Heavenly Tune (Skill Lv. 10): While it damages nearby enemies, this skill is a good party buff, increasing allies’ attack speed and MP recovery speed for some time. “Agile Cast”, “Tough Tune”, and “Turn for Me”.
- March (Skill Lv. 7): Walk and summon spheres that follow the closest enemy, damaging and reducing their movement speed. “Cheerful March” and “Impaired Mobility”.
- Symphonia (Awakening Skill): Grants a shield for the party within its reach, absorbing a percentage of damage related to your Max HP and also gives foes some debuffs.
The best PvE Bard build in Lost Ark is:
- Sound Shock (Skill Lv. 4): An orb attack that explodes on impact dealing damage to the target and nearby foes. “Maintained Explosion”.
- Dissonance (Skill Lv. 10): Target a specific location dealing damage overtime for and reduce foe’s movement speed. “Melody Increase”, Wide-Angle Attack”, and “Harmony Enhancement”.
- Stigma (Skill Lv. 10): Cast at the target location to deal damage over four seconds. “Sustained Enhancement”, “Brilliant Stigma”, and “Pain Brand”.
- Sonic Vibration (Skill Lv. 10): Lifts enemies in a designated location, inflicting damage twice. “Tenacity”, “Chain Vibration”, and “Wide-Angle Attack”.
- Soundholic (Skill Lv. 10): A ray of light attack, powerful but must be used in a good situation since if you move it is cancelled. “Sound Concentration”, “Impaired Mobility”, and “Focus Fire”.
- Prelude of Storm (Skill Lv. 4): Casts an attack, damaging nearby enemies and stunning them. “Jungle’s Law”.
- Heavenly Tune (Skill Lv. 10): While it damages nearby enemies, this skill is a good party buff, increasing allies’ attack speed and MP recovery. “Quick Prep”, “Tough Tune”, and “Intense Tune”.
- Prelude of Death (Skill Lv. 10): An attack that damages nearby foes and inflicts a Death’s End marker on them, a debuff that once expired causes damage. “Quick Prep”, “Death Amplification”, and “Aria of Death”.
- Oratorio (Awakening Skill): Causes massive damage and reduces the foe’s resistance to critical damage against attacks from all of your allies for a period of time.
These are the best Bard builds for Lost Ark, but if you’re still making your way through the early stages and looking to level up quickly or for a Lost Ark beginner’s guide, here’s how to generate Lost Ark gold, gain a Lost Ark Power Pass, and find Mokoko Seeds.