Bard advanced tactics

[jerico79]

OK, so I consider myself a good player, but however as I would expect from any good player I am always trying to improve. My Current rotation is as follows and I would love any advice to better myself.

On pull I open with Straight shot and bloodletter while putting up all my dps cooldowns, then put up my dots and my flame arrow. Then i try and keep my cooldowns on cooldown while refreshing my dots right as they fall off. I use straighter shot procs and keep bloodletter and miserys end on cooldown. Using heavy shot as filler. I of course play my songs when i notice healers at around 1k mana.

Basically any tips? Maybe things I am doing wrong or could improve?

[Ohayo]

Ur fine, just watch the clipping on your dots

[Tenkiei]

If there are two targets, put your DoTs up on both, if we follow the simple assumption that if any DoT does less damage than our filler (Heavy Shot) we'd never use it, then we must also assume, it's a dps gain to ALWAYS cast DoTs over heavy shot assuming they are not already applied to the target. Now as of L48, we gain the passive "Rivers of Blood" which gives us a 50% chance of resetting bloodletter every time a DoT crits, this means if our DoTs have around 25-30% average crit chance... that if we run both DoTs on 2 targets we should be gaining an average of 1 reset per 2 ticks, meaning that double-dotting is a very strong dps increase for bard.

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What's the downside? Assuming you weave things in and don't clip your DoTs, there really isn't one, yes there's a chance that bloodletter will double-reset, and this chance is higher running 4 DoTs vs 2, but think about it, heavy shot isn't that great dps wise, even with the straight shot procs it gives. Usually I multi-dot on 2 targets, then outright AoE (Wide Volley/etc) on 3+, because I don't feel that doing a single target dps rotation is effective yes DoTs are around 300 effective potency, and give bloodletter so on 3 targets it's probably very close between DoTx3/BL spam and Wide Volley--->RoD--->QN but I feel the traditional AoE route is more efficient from a time management perspective, just remember to keep Straight Shot up!

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Note: if any advanced theorycrafters have exact #s for DoT damages and can shed light on multi-dotting vs AoE on 3 targets that would be great I've just been estimating based off observation and potency.

[svann]

I always start out with my dots to give the tank plenty of time to gain agro. I also macro 1 buff into each skill so I can double tap (kind of like the old eq1 days before /stopsong). Buff/dot, buff/dot, buff/straight shot, misery/buff/bloodletter/heavyshot, or something like that - Im offline atm due to maintenance. Im told I should take bloodletter out, but I need to look into that a bit before I buy into it. But the idea is that heavy shot before bloodletter (instead of after) saves part of a gcd.

I didnt know you could see healer mp. Is that in config?

[SaveTheSunF1R3x]

Okay so!
First off i noticed you said you only cast songs when healers are at low mp. You should only be using ballad during drawn out fights and under the same condition you stated. 75% of time you should be having Foe Requiem on to increase YOUR dps. During boss fights you should decide on whether or not to use Battle voice on Requiem or Ballad. MACRO YOUR BLOODLETTER AND MISERY TO HEAVY SHOT, STRAIGHT SHOT, VENOMOUS BITE, AND WIND BITE. You will never have to manually activate these skills again and will be used automatically during your rotation.
My normal rotation is: Straight Shot > Buffs (you can macro these together to) > wind bite > venomous bite > Flaming arrow/Rain of death > Heavy shot until Straighter shot proc > repeat.

[SaveTheSunF1R3x]

If you want to get into min/maxing stats on gear look into these two links. (They took me forever to find but the information was worth it)
spreadsheet regarding stat affects on various jobs: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...orcehl=1#gid=5
From looking at the above spread sheet you will notice the formula for STR on dragoon is the same as DEX on bard. That's where the information on this website becomes extremely useful.
http://valk.dancing-mad.com/?page_id...amageMechanics
I hope this has helped you out a bit and maybe i'll see you around Excalibur!

[NeonC]

Can someone expand on situations where songs are optimal? I am still a little green to their use.

[Ohayo]

"I always start out with my dots to give the tank plenty of time to gain agro"
-That's why we have Quelling.

"I also macro 1 buff into each skill so I can double tap (kind of like the old eq1 days before /stopsong). Buff/dot, buff/dot, buff/straight shot, misery/buff/bloodletter/heavyshot, or something like that"

I disagree with spreading buffs across dots especially if it's dmg bonus's i.e. raging strikes, eagle, blood for blood. Dots tick at 3 second intervals I believe and tick at the same time regardless of when you apply them. If you buff as you are your dot dmg will be less on the previously applied.

I lead with quelling/straight > BL > WB > barrage > VB > flames prioritizing BL/miseries, heavy on fillers.

[Kroktar]

I would like to know how much its the increase of your Damage with Foe Requiem...
I mean we only have 2 elemental attacks, Windbite and Flaming arrow.

My only advice its to start always with Quelling Strikes, Good tanks can hold Nukes + Quelling Strikes...so you start using all your CDS.

And know the boss mechanics, Dont use your silence unless you know you dont mess with Tank interrupts so you have free dps there.
Also using Repelling Shot for more damage, but you have to know the boss...you dont just use repeling shot in Titan if you know Weight of Land is coming.

[Ohayo]

I never saw the sense of applying the a priority macro to straight shot especially when it should be the thing you lead with. It will throw up BL before your straight which would be kinda lame if you didn't have the crit bonus from straight up already. I just keep straight as it is and have misery/BL macro'd to the others.