Hi, my nickname is paokgr and I started to play lol at 2015 (season 5) at EUWNE server. My first main-role was support with favorite champion Thresh. So, as a support main I didn't late to play Bard. I like this champion very much because you can protect your teammates, which is your job as you are support, and also deal a lot damage to enemies. But the thing I like the most is his late game. He is something like Kassadin and Vladimir in a smaller scale,because he is support so he get support items without damage but if he get items with damage is exactly like them, he can't lose the late-game. Although, before one year I stopped to play so much support because I got tired from the toxic adcs that without doing something they blame you and all the known stuff. So, I played many champions and the last months I started to play mid. Sylas and Vladimir and these days some times Quinn for fun when I don't want to play ranked. I like mid because you can carry your teammates much more easier than supports. Supports also can carry but it's not so obvious. Supports can carry with they micro plays, when to start fights, because the most supports start them with they abilities, where to start them, who focus and many others way. Anyway I play lol for fun. I like this game for the same reasons I hate it. You can comeback if you play right, the meta changes (I hate it because you may don't understand the current meta or you like very much the meta and don't want to change) and the last reason is the fun, as I said. My best season was the last one I finished platinum 3 from bronze 1. If you want to do this huge, for me, difference is to don't play tilted. If you feel so listen to a song during and after the game to relax, and of coarse: /muteall in chat. In low elo you don't need it, it is very toxic. Also, play one-two champions. You must play few champions to learn them and know their mechanics. What is more, play with a friend. When you play duo you have more and better communication and that helps a lot. And last but not least stop playing at lose streak. Stop playing for that "one win" it is ruin you and your games. Anyway know I am on road to platinum again.

P TRAVELER'S CALL

Bard's presence causes magical chimes to appear, which grant Bard experience, mana, and a burst of speed. Additionally, lesser spirits follow Bard and aid in his attacks - collecting chimes causes these meeps to gain power over the course of the game.

Q COSMIC BINDING

Bard fires a missile which will slow the first enemy struck, and continue onward. If it strikes a wall, it will stun the initial target; if it strikes another enemy, it will stun them both.

W Caretaker's SHRINE REVEALS

a healing shrine which powers up over a short time, disappearing after healing the first ally that touches it.

E MAGICAL JOURNEY

Bard opens a portal in nearby terrain. Allies and enemies alike can take a one-way trip through that terrain by moving into the portal.

R TEMPERED FATE

Bard sends spirit energy arcing to a location, putting all champions, minions, monsters, and turrets hit into stasis for a brief time.

The most spectacular skin is Astronaut Bard so if you want to buy as skin for Bard this skin is the best in my opinion.
Astronaut Bard < Snow Day Bard < Elderwood Bard < Bard Bard

This keystone is the best for learning Bard. Also, it's the best for roaming and Bard is a roam-champion. I think this is the best.

This is a late-game keystone. It allows you to deal very much damage because you throw three mips in a very-very short time.

This one allows you to protect your adc and yourself during the lane phase and not only then. It gives you more time to the lane and more tankiness.

I see a lot of people running Prototype: Omnistone.Don't take it guys it is bad for bard because many keystones are not so good on Bard, or others are better when you have them for the whole game instead of one time.

you have a lot of cc so you can activate it. With this rune you are able to deal some more true damage with your hits because your mips slow the target so you activate it.

This helps you with your damage as well with your takedowns (kills or/and assists).

This allows you to move master out of fight. So it is good for roaming, that's why I have put to take this with the Electrocute which is good for roaming.

This is a very good rune for those who take many items with actives, and when Bard take so many items with active you need that.

This is something like life-steal for your teammate. When you cc them you mark you mark them and when your teammate hits the marked enemy take health

This gives you some tankiness during the early-game. You can stay more at your lane.

This makes you health bigger. Since your health is not so much big it helps you much.

*early-game At the early game you try to charge your support item as fast as you can. Also, don't be afraid of forcing fights-trade at level 1 hard, because you can heal at the level 2. After some levels you can roam to mid. If you recall you can roam and top. This way you will help two person in your game and your adc should play defense to don't die and when you return to bot lane kill the enemies. Do it especially when you losing the lane. If you winning you can stay a little more.
*mid-game You continue the roams. If you want to help more your adc you go more times to bot-lane. Help your jungler to ganks and help at the dragons, rift heralds and whatever.You support your best teammate to make him fed and carry the game, (do you remember Yuumi you do it with all the supports, especially with those who roam well). You are like a second jungler, like Ivern is a second support.
*late-game During the late-game the team-fights are more usually especially at low elo and everyone is strong despite his score. If you have done limit test you can 1vs1 the weakest enemy because Bard is strong but be careful because he may bait you.

Take this if you want to be more tankier, and when your team hasn't tank.

Take this if you want to have more damage. You MUST take this when your adc have big early damage like Draven.

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You take this because this is a roam-tool-boot. You are bard-you roam.

Take it against ad champion and because it slow the enemy take it against champion like Yasuo or Kalista, namely against champion with big mobility

This is core because it gives you high amount of ap, enemy slow and distance vision and 7% movement speed.

Of coarse take this when you waste a looot of mana and team speed-up.

Take when they have champion that their damage is from hits and also when you need a lot of armror.

As I said up it gives you armor, movement speed and enemy slow when you hit.

Build it when enemy has self-healing and it also reduce enemy's attack speed like Frozen Heart.

Buy it when you want armor, health and fully protect an ally. It also gives you 10% cdr.

Take it when you want more damage, armor and dodge abilities like Absolute Zero.

Build it when enemy have champion that build critical, because it reduce the damage of criticals. It also gives health, armor and it reduce the attacker's attack-speed.

Take it when you want a lot of mr,as main reason. It gives you a high amount ofhealth regent as well and increase all the heals you get for 30%

Buy it when you want a lot of mr,again, but take it when enemies have at least one champion that deal damage over time (e.g. Zyra, Teemo, Singed etc...)

Build it when you have a champion that deal damage his his hits like Master Yi and the most ADCs. But I take it when this ADC is an attack-speed one. And it gives you big amount of mr but not so much of armor so before you buy it think that if his stats are good for the match

Take it when you want team-shield and when enemy have magic damage. If they are full AD team then don't buy it. But because the most games have at least one AP champion it is core.

Build it when you want AP and also mr. Its passive (the shield) is very useful when they have a lot of cc.

As I said earlier it gives you a good amount of AP, slows the enemy and grant vision when you unleash the ghosts or shadows whatever.

Take it when enemies have tanks. This helps you do deal more damage to them.

Take it when you want AP, health and 10%. It also has a very useful passive (one of my favourite in the game), a dash, so you have a dash but not at the abilities and this dash does damage.

I said before take it when enemy have AP champions and when they have cc. Of coarse take it and for the AP it gives that is very good.

You build it because makes your heal greater (and it's very important even if your heal is small), gives you mana regent and the most important, its passive, team-heal and enemy true damage. One successful Redemption can save/win the game.

Build when enemy have cc and you want to save you or your teammate from a death caused of cc. It also makes your heal greater, gives you a lot of mana regent and a little mr.

Your main reason to build it is to speed up your team. But it makes your health great and gives you mana regent once again.

This makes your heal greater and....you know....mana regent. But it gives also attack-speed you and your teammate when you heal, movement speed and AP.

It also makes your heal greater and gives you mana regent it also gives you AP, and AP depending on your mana regent and cdr.

As I said before except the stats it gives it is a team-shield you save a lot of lives or at least teammate's lives.

This is another one item that I mentioned before. The most times I get this is because I have a champion on my team that is an attack-speed champion. If enemies haven't AP champions then I will buy it when this champion is really fed.

Thank you very much for reading my guide. I hope it help you. You can ask whatever you want. Bard is an amazing champion to play, he is funny, can damage even if his support and also protect. Have fun on the rift, good luck!