Newb Bard question: When should I use the Mana, TP buffs?

[Silch4s]

Hi, I'm new to being a Bard and only have the Mage's Ballad at the moment and am only doing lowbie dungeons, but I was wondering if there was a time I should be playing a certain song/buff? Should just be playing it right from the off, only at certain bosses, or as and when someone calls for it?

I'm guessing that at my level it probably doesn't matter, but it would be good to know for later.

[Viridiana]

For TP song, it's pretty much whenever someone asks for it or maybe if you see a WAR spamming Overpower on a trash group. For MP song, if you see that the healer is really low on MP (probably just after raising someone) you can get away with using it. Or, again, they might ask for it.

Later, when you start getting into raids and such, there will usually be prearranged times for the songs to go off based on the mechanics of the fight.

[juntaru]

Never use a MP or TP song as a fight begins.
MP song, in 4 person groups, should be used only if healers mp is getting low.
TP song will be asked by people needing it, but you can use it when you reach the 200TP~ mark to get a bit of tp back, but that shouldn't happen too often before endgame content. You can also use it ealier if your group is dealing with a lot of mobs at the same time, and is burning through TP like crazy because of AoE.

[Saseal]

I'm no bard expert, but I'm enjoying it enough to make it my secondary job. I've been going by party makeup and just paying attention to who is what, what they're doing, whats around and who's MP is suffering.

I usually use Mage's Balled when I see the healers at about 50% MP (and sometimes summoners or paladins when I notice them flashing the daylights out of things to hold hate) - or right after I hear the Raise sound (being a WHM main, I know how much of a dent that makes in MP). I'll do it for SMN also if I see them low on MP or see/hear them Raise.

I use Foe's Requiem if there are a lot of casters.... generally more than one (and <3 if there are multiple BLMs in my group or in alliances)

I don't use Army's Paeon/TP song much, to be honest, unless someone asks for it or I myself am running low on TP (which, I take that as an indication that others may need it, too). I generally play this in raids (CT) during the trash pulls when everyone and their mothers and brothers are AoEing (and as I am, spamming Rain of Death, Wide Volley and Quick Knock (when it's suddenly TP-free thanks to RoD). I'll switch out for Foe's if there are a lot of casters in the alliances or Mage's if the healers are obviously struggling.

Swiftsong I just use if there are multiple people lagging behind the rest of the party (I'll play, then pause till the others are in song range to help them catch up) such as in Praetorium, etc or just the general 'move the party from point A to point B faster'.


While we're on the topic of songs, I have a question also. I was in a DF for Titan HM - we had 2 ninja and 2 bards (myself included). I played the MP song often, as the SCHs were raising a lot (once you get weakness in Titan...... you're done for... multiple times x.x) but I noticed the other bard playing Foe's - though we had no casters. The only thing I could think of were for the Ninja's mudras. I was confused at first, but it slowly sunk in (not much time to think in that fight). So I'm assuming the mudras are considered elemental and are effected by that (I think I kind of answered my own question, but oh well)? Second question that I thought had been answered a while back, but second guessing - are SMN/SCHs Ruin/Ruin II affected by Foe's also? (I thought I saw someone say it did boost Ruin's damage, but that was a while back and I'm not aware of an element on Ruin... being that it's 'unaspected')

[Kazumac]

So as a healer I'd prefer the brds wait for me to ask for it. Even at 50%or below there's a good chance I will not need it. And TP song is usually only needed in high uptime long fights or AOE fights.

Foe is usually what you want playing (if you have magic dps like BLM or SMN) and especially during dps check phases. The only time I wouldn't use foe would be if you are predicting you'll need ballad or TP song... But those fights are few and far between until the later coils. You might make sure you can ballad in Titan HM though as with a random group the healers could become strained.

[Elkya95]

Second question that I thought had been answered a while back, but second guessing - are SMN/SCHs Ruin/Ruin II affected by Foe's also? (I thought I saw someone say it did boost Ruin's damage, but that was a while back and I'm not aware of an element on Ruin... being that it's 'unaspected')

Foe reduces magic resist on the enemies, so ruins are affected.

[Saseal]

Foe reduces magic resist on the enemies, so ruins are affected.

Cool, thanks - the skill descrip mentioned elements (fire, stone, etc), so I wasn't sure if Ruin applied

[Viridiana]

Cool, thanks - the skill descrip mentioned elements (fire, stone, etc), so I wasn't sure if Ruin applied

Skill description hasn't mentioned elements since. . .2.1?

[Saseal]

Skill description hasn't mentioned elements since. . .2.1?

Then these guys need to update, and I need to turn the skill info option back on... >_< lol
http://www.ffxivinfo.com/job/bard.php

I've had skill info off for a while as they covered good chunks of area (small monitor = valuable screen space). Only time I turn them on is if I'm leveling something new (had Bard at 50 for a while, just didn't play it much after that until recent).

[mahouyolo]

TP and MP songs are a 20% DPS loss, don't use them haphazardly as people have suggested. Only use MP song when healers are nearing triple digits or just died and need big heals right away. TP song is to bridge that gap for DRGs and BRDs between invigorate cooldowns so you aren't chugging along at 0 TP waiting for it to come back up again. It's really only for fights with a constant uptime like T8, but not as necessary, if at all, in say T9. In all other instances you should play Foe's Requiem for casters. Note that tanks, monks, and ninjas shouldn't even be running out of TP and if they ask for paeon's tell them to stop being bad and time their invigorate right/stop spamming hate rotation.