Lost Ark's Bard is the best support character in the game. Her healing abilities, shields, and other specialties are unmatched. She's also the most requested class by players looking to fill their team for raids or PVP. If you want to be able to jump into team activities quickly, choosing to play the Bard is smart. She's also a great choice if you are passionate about supporting your teammates and keeping them alive. If that sounds like a character for you then please continue reading this Best Bard Lost Ark Build and Class guide to learn more about the class.
This guide will give you an overview of Bard's skills and her best engravings. And if you are hungry for more Lost Ark content, be sure to check out Borderpolar's Lost Ark section. We have guides on classes such as Paladin, Gunlancer, Sorceress, or Berserker. Bundled with some other useful guides for the game's content.
Best Bard Lost Ark build: Class Identity Overview
As you might expect, The Bard is a musician that delivers powerful buffs to her team. She has one identity skill, Serenade. With it, she can choose a few songs to play for her party to grant special buffs. Serenade of Courage increases the party's attack damage to all enemies. While Serenade of Salvation Heals the rest of the party.
The Bard, like most Lost Ark characters, can stack up to three charges for her skill. Once she has exhausted her Serenade meter, she can refuel her meter by attacking enemies and using skills. With some tripods allowing you to fill Seranade meter even faster! You can use your class skill up to three times before you run out of energy.
Bard's most valuable tool is the Serenade of Salvation. This is especially true as you progress towards the endgame or during PvP encounters where you will often have difficulty getting ahead if you don't have enough healing in your team. Remember to keep at least one charge of her Serenade bar for emergencies.
Bard's flaws are obvious, as with all classes. Bard has a lower HP pool and defense index compared to other classes. This means that her teammates will have to defend her in order to capitalize on those sweet, sweet heals. As you might expect, she is not very good at fighting. While Bard does deal some damage, her skill cast times make you an easy picking. You may miss out on some fun with Lost Ark's combat mechanics if you play as her.
Best Bard Lost Ark Build: Skills Overview
Normally, I would divide this section into PvE and PvP skill tables. But Bard is a support-oriented class so it's not necessary to alter her build to suit the opponents she will be facing. This is a solid mix of normal skills that are mainly focused on healing and which work well in almost all situations Bard may find herself in.
You should have 250 skill points by the time you reach level 50. To get there faster you can read this Bard leveling guide. This is sufficient for a balanced skill build that will allow you to take your Bard into the endgame.
The best PvE and PvP skills for the Bard
The Lost Ark Bard begins with a good set of abilities in the early game. As you level up, new skills are available quite frequently. You can earn XP by leveling up and unlocking “tripods” to improve your skill levels. Tripods can be used to enhance skills at skill levels 4, 7, or 10. They give that skill additional functions. Which can greatly empower your damage or healing output. There are three options available for each tripod breakthrough.
You can only customize your Lost Ark characters up to Level 50. Once they reach that level, you will be able to access endgame engravings and awakening skills (see below). The path taken by each class will remain relatively linear until that point. Until then, you can customize your character's build to your liking by selecting your normal skills and their enhancements.
Best Bard Lost Ark build: Awakening skills Overview
Awakening Skills are available to Lost Ark characters once they have reached level 50. There are two choices, but it is not an either/or proposition like Engravings. You can unlock both Awakening Skills, but you can only equip one at a time.
The Bard's Awakening Skills are:
- Oratorio: The Bard plays the giant harp, and sings angelic tunes to inflict Holy damage upon you enemies. An explosion ends the attack, which deals damage and debuffs foes' Crit DMG resistance by -12%.
- Symphonia: A Bard raises in the air to play music with an angelic chorus. Every ally within 12 meters receives a shield that absorbs damage equaling 100% of Bard's max HP. Enemies within range of the Bard receive a small amount of damage. This includes a -30% decrease in their attack power, an attack speed reduction of -20%, and a reduction in their movement speed for 10 seconds.
Symphonia is the most popular choice among Bard players. This is due to its defense capabilities that nicely complement Bard's build, as well as its impressive array of enemy debuffs. Although Oratorio is a great choice, it's difficult to justify Symphonia when it has so many advantages.
Best Bard Lost Ark Build: Engravings In a Nutshell
Engravings can be applied to Lost Ark characters once they reach Level 50. Engravings can be applied to Lost Ark characters as part of their endgame content. They allow you to add a variety of buffs and boosts that will customize your character's set. Every class also has two unique engravings that are not available for all characters. These allow you to pick a subclass in which they can specialize.
The exclusive engravings for the Bard are Desperate Salvation and True Courage:
- When the Serenade of Salvation buff ends, Desperate Salvation will activate. This buff restores additional 24% maximum HP to your entire party.
- True Courage increases the outgoing damage buff of Serenade of Courage by 20% and provides 10% additional crit rate for the entire party.
The Bard's focus is on healing so Desperate Salvation should be your first choice for class engraving. The Bard is a team player so you might consider switching to True Courage if your party has a particular need.
The number of engravings that you can equip varies depending on how many slots you have. These slots can be obtained by reading the books that you have collected throughout your adventures in Arkesia. You can equip the two “generic” engraving types (damage boosts or utility buffs) according to how many engraving points you have. This is done by combing your characters' equipped accessories (such as a necklace, earrings, rings, and so on). You can also purchase their Ability stones as loot, or buy them from merchants. Once you have maxed your engravings points at 35, you will be able to equip three generic engravings along with your class bonus.
The Bard is one character in Lost Ark that you won't want to build for damage potential. Therefore, the most popular engravings don't work well in her case. This area of her build should be focused on mana regeneration and improving her defenses.
- Bard's defense can be increased by Heavy Armor Engraving up to 150%. This stat is not easily improved by other options, so it's a great choice for anyone feeling vulnerable or squishy.
- Spirit Absorption Engraving increases Bard's attack speed and movement speed by 15% each. This is more important than you might think. Bard's safety in boss fights is ensured by quick dodging and kiting movements.
- Increased Max MP Engraving Adds 30% to Bard's mana pool. This is helpful for making sure that her usual skills don't run dry.
- Awakening Engraving Reduces the cooldown on Bard's awakening skill by half and adds three additional uses before it triggers the cooldown. Being able to use your Symphonia awakening skill is definetly a life saver! So stronly consider picking up this engraving.
That's everything you need to get started with Bard in Lost Ark's endgame! This is one of the easier classes to master. If you're still trying to pick your class, check out our tier list for some ideas. Every class is solid though, so don't sweat it too much. Once you've made your decision, our guides can help you slog through the story and get into endgame quicker.