SB Bard Changes: Good or Bad? Thoughts?

[ExiaQuanta]

I am really enjoying the changes. Though kinda bummed that they changed the "beta peon". The latter had a 4% dmg increase per stack but now it just a speed increase Q.Q. As far as repertoire stacks go, I get them pretty often so I can only imagine what it would be like once Empyreal Arrow gets that guaranteed proc. I had many instances where I would get 3 stacks of Minuet right off the bat or atleast 1 throughout the course of the song. But its nice being able to spam quite a bit of pitch perfects. Though recommend any bard to burn any Minuet stacks b4 they switch over to a new song o3ob. Lv64 right now and its nice that Caustic Bite and Stormbite dot flows well with the songs duration since the dots themselves 30 seconds. So only really need to Iron jaw right b4 or right after every song switch. Pretty nice if you sometime have tunnel vision like me lol. Barrage now being able to crit and having mobility back is extremely nice. Sucks though that out of the 2 aoes they decided to keep quick knock. Even though in HW quick knock was cheaper and did the amount of damage as Wide Volley, I still opted out for Wide volley as its range and it covered a bit more mobs.

[AngelXtreme]

I'm not liking it, but am also not one that is fond of any kind of change. Been main on BRD since launch of the closed Beta. I've never really grown fond of any other class.
I am sure the changes were meant to simplify each class making it easier to play, yet I find myself missing my HW BRD. I'm having a rough time wrapping my brain around the missing skills and the new one's.
Because of work I am actually not even at 62 yet but, am actually dreading going home to play, got my movement back yet am struggling the comprehension of the new use of songs, and how they're supposed to function.
What's the rotation even supposed to look like to be most efficient? Can someone please dumb it down for me? I want to be excited about these new changes! Yet am seriously dreading the headache I know I am looking
at upon log in later today.

I'm 61 @ ilvl270 and feel useless in battle, however I know it's good.
If someone could dumb it down for me I would be greatly appreciative.

[ExiaQuanta]

What's the rotation even supposed to look like to be most efficient? Can someone please dumb it down for me? I want to be excited about these new changes! Yet am seriously dreading the headache I know I am looking
at upon log in later today.

I'm 61 @ ilvl270 and feel useless in battle, however I know it's good.
If someone could dumb it down for me I would be greatly appreciative.

Foes requiem still functions the same as it did before, A casted song that drains MP over time. However I think it drains way more MP than it did 2 days ago lol but now its not strictly for Magic dmg but any type of damage (Just says 4% more dmg in description).
the other 3 songs have their own functions with Peon giving you more speed per stack and Minuet giving you stacks to burn on Pitch Perfect. You can use Pitch perfect anytime as long as you have atleast 1 stack. Ballad is just the old River of Blood proc.

I don't know what "meta" rotation is suppose to be but I've been playing songs in the order of Peon > Minuet > Ballad and repeat after ballad. Though with Pitch perfect, the discussion of always waiting for 3 stacks for it or use it as often is up in the air. Besides the song rotation, Bard rotation has not changed imo.

[Arkenne]

Peon > Paeon > Ballad

You mean Minuet, right?

I feel Pitch Perfect should have a little buff tho.
At 1 stack be 130~140, 2 260~280 and at 3 retain the 420 :/

If you shoot it with less than 3 stacks is actually weaker than throwing 2 Bloodletters so I think Ballad is actually stronger than Minuet.
Or at least thats how it feels to me.

[ExiaQuanta]

You mean Minuet, right?

ah yea my bad XD. fixed

[Skinypupy]

Foes requiem still functions the same as it did before, A casted song that drains MP over time. However I think it drains way more MP than it did 2 days ago lol but now its not strictly for Magic dmg but any type of damage (Just says 4% more dmg in description).
the other 3 songs have their own functions with Peon giving you more speed per stack and Minuet giving you stacks to burn on Pitch Perfect. You can use Pitch perfect anytime as long as you have atleast 1 stack. Ballad is just the old River of Blood proc.

I don't know what "meta" rotation is suppose to be but I've been playing songs in the order of Peon > Minuet > Ballad and repeat after ballad. Though with Pitch perfect, the discussion of always waiting for 3 stacks for it or use it as often is up in the air. Besides the song rotation, Bard rotation has not changed imo.

This was very helpful, thanks.

[Tonberrian]

I am absolutely, 1,000% in love with the changes to BRD! Not only do we get our movement back but they've integrated regular use of songs and music into the job, which was all I ever really wanted for it. I have no idea what all of the numbers look like or where BRD will fit into the meta and frankly I don't care because it feels that good to play. Dream come true for me!

[Recklessfun]

OK so I've only been playing for about 4 months now and it's been strictly a bard... I've always loved playing a ranged dps in any game just like when I played wow. I had a general rotation that I was decent at even though I wasn't 60 yet but now that SB took skills away IDK what rotation to do now lol. I don't have EA yet or ironjaw but getting them soon of course. Would anyone have any suggestions? I know it's a bit noobish to ask but alot of what you guys are saying doesn't make all the sense to me yet.

[Keramory]

I'm 57 getting to 60... can I get a little advice?

I'm ptod spamming so I know I'm not learning a thing lol but there's such a large gap between song cooldown, is that normal? Can you extend the songs? Sadly I also can't seem to proc anything ;.;

[Furious]

I'm 57 getting to 60... can I get a little advice?

I'm ptod spamming so I know I'm not learning a thing lol but there's such a large gap between song cooldown, is that normal? Can you extend the songs? Sadly I also can't seem to proc anything ;.;

Since you get the last of the 3 rotational songs at 52, and they last 30 seconds with an 80 second cooldown, you should have exactly zero downtime on songs... so you're doing something wrong.


The gameplay from now to 70 will actually change very little; you have almost all the tools you're going to use.

At 60 youll have a 1 minute ogcd
At 64 your dots last 30 seconds instead of 18
At 68 you can proc your song effect with empyreal arrow (which doesn't change much since you are pretty much going to use it on cooldown regardless, with very minimal delays if a song is about to tick over)
At 70 you will sometimes use straighter shot procs on refulgent arrow.

Broadly speaking, you will hit an extra ogcd 1/minute, use your dots/iron jaws about 1/3rd less often, and use refulgent arrow on ~1/2 or less of your straighter shot procs, and thats it.