Hey everyone, Baku here. I'm better known as Phijkchu Baku on the NA Servers. While I have to say I'm only Bronze 2 at the moment due to horrible mechanics, I know the game very well. This guide will be my first, and I'd love to credit jhoijhoi's Making a Guide guide!

I've basically found a love in Bard because he's everything I love doing. Being an absolute annoyance in lane, helping everyone I can, and being obnoxious. Not to mention the mobility. I played him on the PBE and am now considering maining him.

While my guide is somewhat different from the others that you see on Mobafire, I hope you take the time to consider my build path.

Bard is a very interesting champion that brings a lot to the table. He's very mobile, can synergize with a lot of team comps. His W can speed a jungler into a lane for a suprise gank. His Q is a slow with a fun stun if it lands another minion, champion, or wall. I appreciate any feedback about this guide as it is my first one. I welcome any opinions, positive or negative, as it will only improve future guides. Without any further rambling, let's get down to learning Bard.

Pros

+ Early level 2 in lane. + Great Mobility + Escape and Engage friendly with E + Very interesting ultimate.

With his passive, Traveler's Call, two chimes spawn directly near Bard in his bottom jungle. He can grab two-three before returning to lane, giving him an exp boost that'll let him hit level 2 before anyone else. His W is great to boost a jungler into position or escape a gank with the movement speed. Magical Journey has very good engage capabilities, or escape capabilities as it can move through the jungle quickly. Just becareful of the enemies following! Tempered Fate, Bard's R, is an amazing initation, escape, or a tool to catch out of position enemies.

Cons

- Lacks mid to late if he can't roam. - Aggressive supports ( Lulu, Thresh, Annie ) Ruin his roaming. - Squishy early on. - Magical Journey can be countered by pulls. - Requires HEAVY team communication.

While Bard is a very good roaming support, if he leaves his ADC alone with an aggressive support ( I.E. Annie ) His chance to collect chimes and help the other lanes are limited. Not only that, Bard plays HEAVILY on team communication( Ironic he can't talk.)

Skilling Order

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Traveler's Call: // What makes Bard, Bard. His passive is VERY good to get an early level 2 in lane, and with the slow upgrades, things only get better. Once you grab a Rylai's Crystal Scepter, you'll be able to slow a lot more with your Meeps contributing to auto-attacks.

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Cosmic Binding: // Cosmic Binding is a slow and a stun. It travels along a line, slowing the first target hit. If it hits another target, wall, or jungle creep, it'll stun BOTH targets. With Rylai's and Q slow, targets will have to do whatever it takes to get away.

You're going to want to max out[Cosmic Binding] before [Caretaker's Shrine] and before [Magical Journey].

• // After Magical Journey, if your enemy is chasing you, wait a moment before throwing a Cosmic Binding. If timed correctly, you can snare the enemy as they exit the Journey.
• // Patience is a virtue. Wait until your targets line up before Cosmic Binding. Sometimes, you can snare both champions if they move together at a bad time.
• // Remember you can snare enemy champions to jungle minions. It's nice if you need to escape.

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Caretaker's Shrine: // A lovely healing shrine that doesn't expire. It stays until an ally walks over it, or an enemy stomps it to the ground. It's great to help get a mobile jungler into your lane, or to help an ally escape a gank. Not only that, the heal is boosted if it is left without contact for a few seconds. This is great sustain for your ADC while you go chime collecting.

You're going to want to max out [Caretaker's Shrine] after [Cosmic Binding] and before [Magical Journey].

• // Place it in the river bush or tri-bush ( Depending on which side you're on ) So the jungler gets a health and movement boost into the lane for a gank.
• // Predict your movements! If you and your ADC are being chased, and you see a shrine, boost your ADC so they can escape and grab the shrine for your movement boost.
• // Try to hold off taking shrines unless they're at the max heal for that rank. Sometimes, it can save your life.

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Magical Journey: // What makes Bard a great roamer. You can throw this tunnel against ANY wall, and everyone can take the journey. If your allies take it, they move faster than the enemies. It's a great initation if your team is made for that comp, or great disengage.

You're going to want to max out [Magical Journey] after [Caretaker's Shrine] and after [Cosmic Bindings].

• // Use it as an escape and a free pick if the enemy miscommunicates. Sometimes, enemies just want to join your team for a nice Journey.
• // Have a Hecarim? Perhaps a Jarvan? Get a flank with Magical Journey!
• // Use it to roam through your jungle for chimes. It helps get the collecting done sooner.

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Tempered Fate: // An AoE that makes EVERYTHING untargetable, immune to all damage, and at a very long range? Yep, it does all that. Basically your teams answer to counter everything from Karthus Requiems, to Ezreal's Trueshot Barrage from hitting your carries. It can help your team set up initations, I.E Amumu's Curse of the Sad Mummy, Galio's Idol of Duran, Kennen's Slicing Maelstrom, Nunu's Absolute Zero. To put it frank, you can save a flash or gap closer to get a great teamfight in your favor. I personally use it to catch carries out if they seperate and try to run from my team. The range can lock them down so no one wastes a flash to get to them.

You're going to want to max out [Tempered Fate] Whenever it is possible, in this case, 6,11,16

• // Punish the enemy team if they stack up! Throw it on them and let your team position for ambush!
• // While in Bard's ultimate, you are literally unable to be touched. Therefore, throw it onto your ADC or APC if Sion comes charging in. He'll just end up running right through them.
• // If they have a Karthus on the enemy team and you're all low? Don't feed him the penta-kill! Ultimate your team so everyone is safe from the deadman's grasp.

21 Defense 9 into Offensive or Utility

D E F E N S I V E

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U T I L I T Y

// I take Defensive masteries because I feel Bard is squishy early game, where a lot of roaming matters. Personally, the health, MR, Armor, and CC Reduction is very helpful against CC related junglers and enemy supports. I take the utility tree to help out with roaming. The 7% can make or break a fight with your exhaust being up before the enemies. Q: Could I go into the Offensive tree? 9/21? // Do whatever makes you play better. If you prefer to be more of a " I'm going to auto attack and be a threat in lane " then go right ahead! I go 21/9 for the utility and more of the " I'm going to peel for my ADC and keep him alive with my CDs. ". If my team wants to go aggro, I'll gladly go to 9/21 as well.

Note: The Image of the Mastery Trees are not showing up. I'm working as hard as I can to fix it.

• Greater Quintessence of Ability Power: I go AP because while the AP ratios aren't good, the passive scales off AP and it is very good poke early game. You -CAN- switch these out for Movement Speed if you feel the poke isn't worth it.
  
• Greater Mark of Magic Penetration: Magic Pen is good to poke the enemy ADC early on, and it helps with trades. You can trade these out for hybrid penetration, if you want mixed damage.
  
• Greater Glyph of Ability Power: I split these runes up. 5 AP Blues with 5 Magic Resist blues. The MR blues help keep the support poke down a little bit, and work well with the Defensive tree.
  
• Greater Seal of Ability Power: More AP so your passive poke hurts and helps with the Q damage. You can replace these for Mana Regen or Armor, whichever you prefer.

When you get the full upgrade, you can kite and peel for your ADC a lot better. Especially in a disengage through Magical Journey. If you prefer chasing the enemy, you can take Talisman of Ascension

If you can collect five chimes and have Mobility boots, your speed will break 570+, you'll be roaming through the jungler a lot faster than most can. If you value CDR, you can replaces these with the Ionian Boots of Lucidity

Mandatory for supports. While I don't usually grab this upgrade until late game, the Sightstone helps very much in terms of vision control.

This item is amazing for Bard. Not only does it apply from your passive, when you get enough Chimes to make your auto-attacks do a cone AoE slow, your scepter will gladly add ANOTHER slow to keep an assassin or a threat to your team away.

Spooky Ghosts. Another peel for your ADC and a VERY useful way to see a death bush. Trust me, you'll be glad that your ghosts see the enemy in that death bush. Not only that, you can tell if they're Baroning or Dragoning if your wards died or were swept.

Capping your CDR, it is VERY useful to Q or get a Meep auto to lower the ADC's lifesteal, the supports healing, or health potions. Not only that, it counters Nasus and Renek ulti.

Frequently Asked

Answers

Q: When should I ult?

// You should use your ultimate when any of the following occur: A: The enemy is grouped up and you can fight, B: Your team CAN'T fight and they're tanks are close to initating( CC their tanks. ) C: You're catching someone out and they flash CC you, or D: To interrupt the enemy initation( Ulti the target so the enemy tank can't CC them.

If you're reading this, I sincerely thank you for reading my guide. This is my first, and I'm sure if this one goes well, I'll do more in the future. I want to thank jhoijhoi for the help with the coding and what not.

If you have any feedback, questions, or ideas on how to make the guide better, please do not hesitate to comment. I would love to discuss and make this better!