Home/Lost Ark/Mage/Bard/Desperate Salvation Bard Skills

Desperate Salvation Bard Skill Guide for Lost Ark

Last updated on Apr 13, 2023 at 12:00 by Lemoni 3 comments

The Bard uses a harp along with musical skills to protect and offensively buff their allies. Bards are able to played with different playstyles that focus on their defensive capabilities, such as damage reduction and healing, or in ways that emphasize their ability to amplify the damage of their party members. Bards requires some knowledge fights and have a higher skill ceiling than some supports. It is crucial to ensure that skills are being used advantageously to exploit windows of vulnerability, or protect allies in times of distress. Overall, a Bard is a powerful addition to any team and will certainly improve any group composition. Bard comes with two playstyles, Desperate Salvation and True Courage.

TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE
1.

Desperate Salvation: Skill Descriptions, Tripods, Gems and Runes

2.

Skill Descriptions

2.1.

Primary Skills

These skills make up a Bard's group utility, similar to other supports it will offer mediums of damage enhancement and group defensiveness. You will be alternating between buffs to increase attack speed and branding skills to debuff bosses. The more important nuance for a Bard is to receive significant meter regneration, and some of these skills will be crucial for that so you are able to heal and further increase the damage of your allies with your signature abilities. Additionally, you will have signficant abilities for damage reduction.

  • Heavenly Tune Icon Heavenly Tune: Main offensive party buff. It will provide additional attack power, attack speed, and mana regeneration. It will not stack with the buff from Sonic Vibration Icon Sonic Vibration, so make sure it does not overlap. This should be used first in your buff cycle because its attack speed and other buffs make it the stronger option to synergize with openers, and because it will allow you to use your abilities more quickly. For instance you will be able to use Sound Shock Icon Sound Shock or Harp of Rhythm Icon Harp of Rhythm to Brand a boss more quickly.
  • Sonic Vibration Icon Sonic Vibration: Secondary offensive buff. This will apply an attack power buff for all allies within its ground AoE. Be careful while using this and make sure that your allies can position to take advantage of its buff.
  • Wind of Music Icon Wind of Music: Significant source of meter generation. Prioritize hitting the boss with this ability. To do so, you have to be standing close to the enemy, so be cautious. It will also apply a small shield for additional defensive utility.
  • Guardian Tune Icon Guardian Tune: This will act as your primary defensive buff. It is easy to use and will apply a damage reduction buff with additional shielding. It will also be able to provide a debuff blocking component depending on your tripod selection if you use Wind of Protection Icon Wind of Protection.
  • Prelude of Storm Icon Prelude of Storm: Primary meter generating ability. This is a Bard's most significant source of meter generation. It also has the potential to be used as a counter, but it should never be held to do so as the meter it generates on cooldown supersedes all else.
2.2.

Branding Abilities

  • Sound Shock Icon Sound Shock: This is your active, spammable Brand ability. It will have a low cooldown and can easily be weaved between the use of other abilities. It can generate a notable amount of meter as well. This will be almost always taken in Swiftness builds. It also acts as a good source of Stagger.
  • Harp of Rhythm Icon Harp of Rhythm: This is your passive Brand ability. This will be taken in both Swiftness and Specialization builds. It contributes significant meter generation and will apply Brand every time it hits. It is easy to use and is a "set and forget" sort of ability. In a Specialization build this will often be your only source of Brand.
  • Sonatina Icon Sonatina: Has high mana cost and cannot be a reliable solo Brand option. With that being said, it will be great for meter generation.
    • 2.3.

    Alternate Abilities

    These abilities can be effective alternative options depending on what playstyle you pursue and the boss encounter you are in.

    • Rhapsody of Light Icon Rhapsody of Light: This is a great defensive option that is generally taken in Swiftness and Specialization builds. It will be a consistent option for protecting allies from incoming damage. Note that you do not need to be standing in it to receive the damage reduction, but your allies do.
    • Soundholic Icon Soundholic: Use this when your group requires more Stagger to meet checks. This is a Bard's largest Stagger contributor and should be taken only when it is needed.
    • Stigma Icon Stigma: Provides no group utility, but will be the best source of meter generation. This is important for Specialization builds to maximize Serenade of Courage Icon Serenade of Courage usage.
    • March Icon March: Similarly to Stigma Icon Stigma there is no group utility that derives from this skill, but it can be a great medium for generating meter. It can be awkward to use in Swiftness builds because of short cooldown times, so it should typically be used in a Specialization build.
    2.4.

    Awakening Skills

    Need any help? Check out our General Discussion Forum! 3 comments

    More Lost Ark Content

    Empress's Grace Arcanist Guide
    Empress's Grace Arcanist Gearing
    Order of the Emperor Arcanist Gearing
    Arcanist Card Deck