So how would you buff bard? (Just like to hear peoples thoughts)

[Shurrikhan]

If I had my way bard would not be bard; just archer no songs no harp no music.

you just use bow and arrow and you do massive damage really fast you build up gauge for explosive or toxic arrows and your defensives are evasive based like you dodge physical attacks better but you have to worry about magic attacks to get best dmg you upkeep the toxic dot every 3 rotations and there is a reward for keeping it up maybe you have bns skill speed for keeping the dot up past 3 rotations. :3

numbers are nice but I'd say just make the classes fun.

Then why have it be called Bard at all?

I mean, I'm all for split jobs, since it reduces requisite grind and plays off of world lore a bit further, but if the job is to have zero instrumentation / musical element, it feel it probably ought to just be called Ranger or the like.

Granted, I also feels that even with that alternative's presence, a Bard should still have a solid core of archery skills, even if its kit ought then to be shifted at least a bit in favor of musically themed support, since removing a sensible weapon from it would just change Bard --historically eclectic and largely based on its way of using intersecting skills rather than its combat arts directly-- into a Sonic Mage.