Hello, and welcome.

My name is KaalSchneid, a North American League player, Unranked.

This guide is for a fun, informative, and useful path to my all time favorite support Bard.

You will be supporting. Naturally, Exhaust will come to mind for escapes, chases, lowering the DPS of an enemy ADC in general. If your ADC asks for something different, try to be flexible. Standard on most champions, for obvious reasons. It's too useful to pass up, unless you are far more comfortable running without it. Even then, consider it. If anyone tells you not to take Flash... respectfully decline (or insult their female relatives.)

Simply put, they are cheap, reliable, and able to be used well. If you have them take Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed, but it's preference, really.

For new players, I highly recommend checking out the League of Legends wikia page on Runes Here!

You can only have a certain number of Runes, and you'll want as many tier 3 runes as possible. Save up IP for them until Level 20.

Passive Traveler's Call - Spawn chimes, chimes stack to empower your meep empowered auto attacks permanently. Chimes last 10 minutes, wait until the time is right. Don't leave your ADC without some Caretaker's Shrines.

Q Cosmic Binding - Slow/stun 1 target skillshot, or stun 2. Easy proc with Thunderlord's and a meep empowered auto attack.

W Caretaker's Shrine heal your allies and speed buff. Can be charged or on-target casted. Useless against enemies, except to have them position near walls for your Q.

E Magical Journey for the occasional roam, Jungler Gank, Escape, Chase, Etc.

R Tempered Fate for the ultimate Bard plays. Massive AOE Stasis (beware use with Miss Fortune Ult, or friendly turrets.)
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Wanderer We're not farmers, we're wanderers.

Secret Stash We're not duelists or receiving buffs.

Meditation Bard is mana hungry, and shouldn't be going for kills.

Bandit staple support Mastery. Actually, all of the above are!

Intelligence - You're smarter than you are precise... but it's not a big deal to go the other way.

Thunderlord's Decree Easy to proc with a Meep-empowered auto attack after one Q.
Typically, I don't love Thunderlord's. Ever since 6.5, it's gotten a nerf too many people didn't realize, because it was the best for so long. But Bard gets a Q, an Auto Attack, and a Meep. 3 hits, a Thunderlord's and his damage has maxed until Thunderlord's resets. Kill Stealing is minor, but you can justify Deathfire Touch (by taking Sorcery, Expose Weakness, Natural Talent, Oppressor, Piercing Thoughts and Deathfire Touch).

Finally, I recommend 6 in Ferocity and Resolve to benefit from Expose Weakness and Explorer, but I also understand dedicating to one tree for increased benefits based on play style and Need. Use your best judgement, or trust mine, either way, have fun!

Every good song has an outro. I know I wrote a lot, and potentially left a lot up in the air. And a lot of people won't like how I don't advocate support items exclusively how Riot recommends playing the Wandering Caretaker. However, this is fun, and effective in my experience outside of ranked. I don't believe Bard shines as a strictly support or tanky Champion, I believe Ability Power makes his power and playability go through the roof. I want everyone reading this to feel encouraged to ask me any questions about this build, offer insight, etc. I just want a forethought to be "I have a Max Champion Mastery as Bard, have mained him for a while now, am unranked, and play for fun." I've even solo queued as Bard, and still spoon fed ADC's who had never played with me before. I may not be the best, but I'm not an idiot either. I believe a Support that stuns, stasis's, offers escapes, heals, and shreds health is epic. Build some health and he can pseudo tank as well.

This guide is not perfect, this guide is not strict, and this guide is supposed to be for a fun Bardic Experience, while remaining serious and flexible. If I don't achieve that, then it should be revised, and I welcome comments and questions of a helpful nature to me and readers.

Now, then, get out there and ward, chime, ult, stun, and have fun. Play well, play on.