Bard PVP Question

[Airiden]

I recently got into FFXIV and started playing a Bard. I've been having a lot of fun and even more since I discovered The Feasts. But as I play more and more feasts I notice I just can't seem to put out much damage compared to other bards, is there something I'm missing? I can't find any new pvp guides for bard, they are all from 2017 which isn't super old but a lot of things could've changed since then. Anyone have any guides they can recommend me or just give me a bard rotation?

Thanks! -Airiden

[Raldo]

The amount of PvP actions are so few, I would hope you're able to utilize them optimally without any need for a guide. Apply DoTs -> spam Heavy/Straight combo; weave oGCDs (songs, empyreal, etc.) in between.

Instead, I suspect your issue may be the "sweet spot" distance to shoot at. Too close or too far from your target, and your damage is reduced. See here for more details:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...ard-and-Archer
Unfortunately, the screenshot they're referring to is no longer present. Maybe someone can point you to a better source of info. I just googled "ffxiv bard pvp distance".

Also, there are the PvP traits "Increased Action Speed" and "Increased Damage Dealt" which you could set to increase your damage if you so desire.


If the ranged "sweet spot" damage reduction was removed a while ago, please let me know. All the info I can find on it is very old.

[Reimmi]

The amount of PvP actions are so few, I would hope you're able to utilize them optimally without any need for a guide. Apply DoTs -> spam Heavy/Straight combo; weave oGCDs (songs, empyreal, etc.) in between.

Instead, I suspect your issue may be the "sweet spot" distance to shoot at. Too close or too far from your target, and your damage is reduced. See here for more details:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...ard-and-Archer
Unfortunately, the screenshot they're referring to is no longer present. Maybe someone can point you to a better source of info. I just googled "ffxiv bard pvp distance".

Also, there are the PvP traits "Increased Action Speed" and "Increased Damage Dealt" which you could set to increase your damage if you so desire.


If the ranged "sweet spot" damage reduction was removed a while ago, please let me know. All the info I can find on it is very old.

Fairly certain this mechanic was removed, i've been pvping as bard and never notice a damage range of that magnitude.

But basically the rotations aren't hard in pvp i suspect your issue may be uptime or actions per minute, rather than rotation

Keep dots up, use troubador on wanderers for the damage buff, spam heavy/straight shot, brust with pitch perfect + empyreal arrow, and use silence on healers when you feel it'll get a kill

[Risvertasashi]

Another possibility is the other bars you are seeing are coordinating their burst with the melee DPS. Maybe you're already high up enough in Feast this is a given. But if you're not, that's probably it - coordinating burst becomes very essential rather quickly. If you're attacking a different target from your party, your results will be... lackluster.

[Airiden]

Thank you all for the help!

[BloodRubyXII]

Hello, 2.3k exp BRD here, I switched to MCH the following season but the job hasn't changed since (just longer silence CD).

Just a few small tips
1) Troubadour on burst early game, if you're ahead use it defensively instead
2) Keep dots up on a target at all time, preferably two. Always have 3 repetoire ready in wanderers, sync burst with your melee don't just spam damage else nothing ever dies.
3) Make a focus healer macro to stop casts before you burst. If timed properly you will force a CD.
4) Don't burst into defensives ie riddle of earth, safeguard, protect, benison etc
5) Realistically you're going to pitch perfect with 3 rep twice every Wanderers if you're sync'd with a melee. If times properly, you can pitch perfect, let the song drop, then bloodletter, army's, barrage, empyreal. It's probably one of the highest potency bursts in feast and on multiple occasions we've just completely ignored a defensive or external and gone straight through it lol. This'll be more or less every 2nd burst so (2,4,6,8) - it's easy enough to remember.

Bonus round: Don't sidewinder into cover unless PLD has dots, the sidewinder will hit the PLD but without the potency of having dots up. When you get good you can start pre-emptively silencing or repelling the PLD to stop him playing defensive.