Bard: A general question for any high level bards out there

I just hit level 52 and did the Bard quest which gave me 'Wanderer's Minuet'. However it sounds like it is more a hinder than an add. Though I know this to never be true so I ask you: Is this that skill that means you can't move around much? If so I know roughly when to use it. If not then well any advice of a more experienced Bard is welcome. When to use it and how.

You actually have a lot to work with when it comes to movement despite WM. Straight shot procs are a thing, and you clip your GCD rather often at 60 on BRD (in favor of optimal DPS) which also allows you extra time to move. There's a 1 second difference between the cast time and GCD, that's time you can be moving. You can move a bit before finishing a cast and it will still fire off, that's more extra time. Feint is another thing that can be used as well.

There's plenty of time to move around and basically the only way it can truly hinder your mobility is if you're one of those bards who likes to mash the space bar and jump around in circles while killing things. As for when to use it, you're missing crucial skills at 52 that pull WM decently ahead, but the difference is negligible (in terms of what's required for a leveling dungeon) so I'd argue keeping it on for the sake of practice. For reference at level 60 in any sort of endgame scenario BRD should have WM on 99.8% of the time.

Use Wanderer's Minuet whenever you are in a situation that doesn't require a lot of movement. There are a few single Duties between 52 and 60 where you do not want to be using Wanderer's Minuet, unless you enjoy being beat on by <insert favorite monster here>. I've never seen a reason to run around when in a dungeon instance unless I'm avoiding mechanics, so it's never bothered me that I can't do so when WM is up.

There's not much point to using it until level 54, when you get Empyreal Arrow which requires that Wanderer's Minuet be up. From that point onward, I'd generally assume that you'll always be using Wanderer's Minuet unless there's a specific dungeon mechanic going on where you need to move around constantly. And as they indicated above, you can actually move around a fair amount even when you are using it. You can start moving about halfway through the cast time without interrupting your shot, and you have lots of abilities that can still be executed on the move.

Once you get Empyreal Arrow and Iron Jaws you'll want it on pretty much all the time. You'll have to learn how to stutter-step your cast, though, when you want to move but honestly it's not that hard. You really don't need to be moving constantly anyway.
Remember, if you're still expected to run around and kite something, then turn it off. Not many endgame battles make you do that, though.

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Originally Posted by aabe

the only way it can truly hinder your mobility is if you're one of those bards who likes to mash the space bar and jump around in circles while killing things.

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That actually made me laugh lol. And no actually most of the time I DO stand still when fighting unless the situation requires me to move. (aka incoming attack, AoE, or if getting low hp and I end up kiting to still prevail) So keep it on, practice, get a feel for it got it thanks! :)

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Originally Posted by DPZ2

There are a few single Duties between 52 and 60 where you do not want to be using Wanderer's Minuet, unless you enjoy being beat on by <insert favorite monster here>.

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Favorite monster there being Morbol still. Dang their breath attack is brutal, but thankfully very slow! I'll remember that too, so basically it is a situation of adaption and timing :)

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Originally Posted by GleepWurp

You can start moving about halfway through the cast time without interrupting your shot, and you have lots of abilities that can still be executed on the move.

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I'll keep an eye out for those :) Thank you. And play with the cast time and movement timing.

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Originally Posted by AskaRay

You'll have to learn how to stutter-step your cast, though, when you want to move but honestly it's not that hard. You really don't need to be moving constantly anyway.

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Never heard that one before. You mean when you can move without interrupting the cast? (Hence the advice to keep it on now and practice)

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Originally Posted by Anathaer

I'll keep an eye out for those :) Thank you. And play with the cast time and movement timing.

Never heard that one before. You mean when you can move without interrupting the cast? (Hence the advice to keep it on now and practice)

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Yep, about maybe... not necessarily halfway but 70 percent ish? when the cast is done, you can start moving and the cast won't cancel. You can experiment for yourself. It does allow a little bit more time to get in a movement, though, so it's very helpful.

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Originally Posted by AskaRay

Yep, about maybe... not necessarily halfway but 70 percent ish? when the cast is done, you can start moving and the cast won't cancel. You can experiment for yourself. It does allow a little bit more time to get in a movement, though, so it's very helpful.

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I just did my Clan Bills using WM the whole time and the increase in DPS is noticeable, however it seems it also takes longer to take down the enemy at the moment lol. I'll just keep practicing :)

People say that if you start move 0.5 seconds (or later) before your casts finished - it won't be interrupted. And they are correct. But what they don't say is that if you move and start casting 0.5 second (or less) after you stopped, your cast has a chance to be interrupted. So you actually still have about 1 second for movement.

I didn't like WM until I got Iron Jaws. Now, I don't like NOT having WM up.

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Originally Posted by vp_cmc

People say that if you start move 0.5 seconds (or later) before your casts finished - it won't be interrupted. And they are correct. But what they don't say is that if you move and start casting 0.5 second (or less) after you stopped, your cast has a chance to be interrupted. So you actually still have about 1 second for movement.

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This happens with the jump back ability too, you have to wait a tiny bit before casting again otherwise it gets canceled and wastes time.

I use it, but I'm not really happy about the skill.

Mainly I think (as a compromise to both sides) it should be kept as is, but with movements not cancelling cast times. (So cast times still exist, but you can move while casting). Would still keep the uniqueness and desired mobility of the class, while still having the cast time with damage benefit/detriment.
But I digress.

For instance runs I keep it up 99% of the time. I'm still working my way through the end-game post MSQ content and EX's. So far the only thing I've actively kept it off for was trying to learn Titan EX. Because Titan. -shudder-

When I was leveling/killing something solo, then I tend to keep it off because I like to kite what I'm killing. I just find it fun, and since I'm doing it solo, who the heck cares how I kill my target?

It's still pretty essential though. And if I'm doing a dng run with another bard who's not using it, I usually give them a silent side-eye.

I forced myself to use it as soon as I got it in order to get used to it as I am a mover in battle; now that I have iron jaws and empyreal arrow I only take it off if a bunch of AOE dodging is making me stop attacking because I'm running around a lot.

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Originally Posted by DotsNnots

So far the only thing I've actively kept it off for was trying to learn Titan EX. Because Titan. -shudder-

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I can relate to this! But I have that with ANY Primal EX. Signed up for Garuda EX few times only to withdraw before it even finds other members for me and be like... NOPE lol. I'll get to it, eventually.... But yes Titan is a total nightmare.

I been trying and using the WM and I notice I indeed prefer it, sure it adds cast time but not really a big problem, besides it helps to keep the balance a bit. I'm loving the Empyreal Arrow and Iron Jaws lol. Though still working on getting an ongoing rotation as I sometimes forget a step and have to start over >.< Practice makes perfect tho!

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Originally Posted by AskaRay

Once you get Empyreal Arrow and Iron Jaws you'll want it on pretty much all the time. You'll have to learn how to stutter-step your cast, though, when you want to move but honestly it's not that hard. You really don't need to be moving constantly anyway.
Remember, if you're still expected to run around and kite something, then turn it off. Not many endgame battles make you do that, though.

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This. Totally this.

speaking of bard questions, i just started leveling as a bard.

Not quite sure what Barrage or Foe's Requiem does or if they are even useful

sorry for tacting my question to this one, just didn't want to start a new thread

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Originally Posted by PogueX

speaking of bard questions, i just started leveling as a bard.

Not quite sure what Barrage or Foe's Requiem does or if they are even useful

sorry for tacting my question to this one, just didn't want to start a new thread

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Foe Requiem > Play it whenever you can to increase Magic damage of Black Mages, Summoners, White Mages, Scholars, Astroligians, and Dark Knights.

Barrage > Use it before Empyreal Arrow (post Lv.50) and Heavy Shot (Lv.50 dungeons and below).

Edit: Most Ninja Ninjutsu are also magical, so Ninja benefit from Foe's Requiem as well.

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Originally Posted by lulunami

Foe Requiem > Play it whenever you can to increase Magic damage of Black Mages, Summoners, White Mages, Scholars, Astroligians, and Dark Knights..

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Are most DK attacks magic based then?

Note also that I would not use Foe Requiem outdoors during a FATE, unless you want to aggro every single monster, including ones that don't normally aggro if you don't hit them, in an unspecified-but-fairly-wide radius. Those crystal mobs near Svara don't like FR ... or you.

Don't pop it in instances where the tank doesn't have exacting control over every single mob either. That goes triple if the tank just pulled three sets of mobs and is very close to set number four.

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Originally Posted by DPZ2

Are most DK attacks magic based then?

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I believe only their AoE abilities/spells are Magic based, so that means Dark Passenger, Abyssal Drain, Unleash, and Salted Earth.

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Originally Posted by DPZ2

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The majority of the attacks they use on dungeon trash pulls are magic based, but really DRK is capable of tons of aoe damage in dungeon runs so foes is obligatory (though it should be for healer DPS anyways)

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Originally Posted by PogueX

speaking of bard questions, i just started leveling as a bard.

Not quite sure what Barrage or Foe's Requiem does or if they are even useful

sorry for tacting my question to this one, just didn't want to start a new thread

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Foe Requiem simply reduces the magic resistance of all nearby enemies by 10%, 20% when used with Battle Voice. It's usually the only song you'll find yourself using since it's not often that you'll need to help anyone out with MP or TP. Even if you're in a party with DPS whom you don't believe to have magic-based attacks, use it anyways since you'll often find that Healers themselves contribute to damage, and even if they don't, it's no real loss on you anyways - especially if you play it before everyone begins attacking. Just be careful about aggro'ing enemies because that song is treated as an attack on them. So long as they're chasing the tank you're fine, even if he hasn't hit them yet. It may take a little bit of time for you to get used to lagging a little behind or remembering to turn the song off in order to avoid doing so, but don't fret if you do. Just apologise if it causes any trouble since it's an honest mistake.

Barrage basically offers triple potency of the very next skill that you use - with some exceptions. In other words, it's like using three of that skill all at once. Empyreal Arrow is your strongest skill that can retrieve Barrage's effects and has a short cooldown so you should always line the two up in content that allows it, otherwise use it with Heavy Shot as stated by Lulu Nami.
Wide Volley and all other oGCD skills are excluded from that list.

Strictly speaking Empyreal Arrow is an oGCD that works with Barrage. It just has a cast time.

Before you learn Empyreal arrow, the strongest attack you can use barrage with is actually Haymaker.

Getting a Haymaker proc to line up with your opening burst, or any time barrage comes off cooldown, isn't likely to happen all that often... but still!

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Originally Posted by AxelDH

Before you learn Empyreal arrow, the strongest attack you can use barrage with is actually Haymaker.

Getting a Haymaker proc to line up with your opening burst, or any time barrage comes off cooldown, isn't likely to happen all that often... but still!

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Wouldn't have ever thought to CC Haymaker to even try this...but I guess if you're lucky then yeah it'd be pretty strong.

The only time it would be useful is for gazes so...in world of darkness?

Also on Thordan Ex and Void Ark, I tend to line up a buffed Haymaker right after Dragon's gaze as part of my oGCDs

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Originally Posted by Nanaya-Ryuuga

Strictly speaking Empyreal Arrow is an oGCD that works with Barrage. It just has a cast time.

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I don't know why I got it into my head that it wasn't, haha. Thank you.

Were getting Esuna with warden's paeon in next patch :)

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Originally Posted by PogueX

Were getting Esuna with warden's paeon in next patch :)

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no way :O
good.