Lost Ark BEST Bard Build: PvP & PvE [2023]

When choosing a respective class to main in Lost Ark, people will typically and naturally look to main a class that will deal the highest amount of damage. Therefore, although a Bard does not fall in that category when talking about damage dealers, they are still a crucial class to the player base.

Here’s an optimal setup of the Bard class in Lost Ark:

Best Bard Class Role In Lost Ark

A bard’s main role in the team is that of a buffer, excellent support, and a healer. By staying on the sidelines, the Bard can use their ranged spellcasting abilities to apply debuffs to enemies, giving the main DPS the perfect time to charge in and obliterate the opponents. 

On the other hand, Bards are also able to play the role of a healer; for those times when the shielder or main DPS of the party is starting to look a bit on the verge of death, the Bard will replace the team member and heal them up so that they are back on the main field. Bards are also impeccable at providing main DPSes with attack buffs and movement speed buffs that grant them abilities that will surely render enemies useless. 

Bards are considered a sub-class of the Mage class, both of which are considered a side-support for the main damage dealer. However, it does not end there; despite being supports, bards are still very capable enough to step in from time to time to cast their spells, deal a certain amount of AoE damage, then step back out!

We will uncover the basic skills, awakening skills, and engravings that players need to invest in to take advantage of the Bard Build. With that, let’s get started! Just like the Bard class, players can look into the Lost Ark Paladin Build as well! 

Skills and Tripods to Look Into 

Kicking things off with our basic skills, there is the option for players to equip 8 main skills that can allow them, players, to become all the stronger on the battlefield. With the 8 shocks, we will also consider the corresponding and some recommended tripods. 

Sound Shock

Starting things off with our first basic skill, players can look into using Shock Skill, which is basically considered to be a “normal or basic skill” and can instantly make the player impeccable support when they are out on the battlefield and allows them to be a perfect Bard in combat. 

Sound Shock is capable of doing that. When players first cast Sound Shock, they will be able to wield their harp in their hands and pull at its strings, which will cause an orb of light to be unleashed in the general direction of opponents. When it hits them, it explodes and deals 334 damage to the main opponent it is targeted at. 

After the Sound Shock has been cast, it will also damage the surrounding enemies in a general radius. It will enter its 6-second cooldown, which is incredibly short and directly benefits the player. With that, players also need to be level 10 to equip and cast Sound Shock and need 61 MP. here are the three tripods that players should look into. 

Maintained Explosion 

Starting things off with our first tripod, players should invest in Maintained Explosion as it can buff up the player’s overall damage output as a bard even more. The main aim of Maintained Explosion is to allow the player to first cast Sound Shock, after which it will leave behind some minor explosions that deal increased damage to enemies. 

For both PvE and PvP combat, players can upgrade the ranks for increased damage output, and it goes up in the following order: a 30% increase if players decide to stay at the base rank 1. Payers will experience a 37.5% enhancement at rank 2, while rank 3 will offer a considerable 45% increase, along with ranks 4 and 5 showing a 52.5 and 60% buff. 

Sacred Shock 

Keeping things going, the next tripod on our list is a tier two tripod known as Sacred Shock, which payers can use to buff up their damage output if they are maining as a Bard. Essentially, the main focus of using Sacred Shock is changing the damage element to Holy. 

Alongside that, whenever Shock Skill is cast, and the light hit’s the opponents, it will mark the opponent with a “Note,” which will cause them to intake 10% increased damage from all players, such as the main DPS, the shielder, etc. this effect lasts for a total of 2 seconds. The Berserker class is one of the deadliest classes to master, and this Lost Ark Berserker Build can help players master the class. 

Curved Shot 

Now, wrapping up the Sound Shock with the last tripod, this hasn’t been mentioned in the Bard Build. However, players can still benefit from it nonetheless. Upon equipping Curved Shot, players will be able to change their damage output to Point mode and launch the light orb at a particular arc. 

Rank one offers a 60% damage increase, while rank 2 will make the player experience a 68% overall enhancement to the damage caused by the explosion. Taking things up a notch to rank 3, players will be able to notice that they have a 76% increase in their damage now, while ranks 4 and 5 will offer an 85% and 95% increase. 

Wind of Music 

The next crucial skill that players absolutely cannot skip out while playing as Bard Build is the Wind of music. The skill is considered to be one of the best basic or normal skills for Bard mains and can greatly aid them when they are busy providing buff for their main DPSes in combat. 

Upon casting Wind of Music, players will be able to summon a wind that will be incredibly strong in its gush and continue to move in the direction of the opponents. Upon coming in contact with them, it will deal a total of 130 damage, and it will cause them to get knocked back. It will also surround players in a 1-meter radius and deal a further 196 damage. 

The attack type is considered a Back Attack and can greatly benefit players who remain as Bards. Most importantly, players only need to be level 12 to unlock and use this skill. With that, Wind of Music does require players to possess at least 96 Mp to use it, and it also has an 18-second cooldown.

Quick Preparation 

One of the first tripods that players are recommended not to skip over is Quick Preparation, as it can make them way stronger and help them achieve victory on the battlefield. When players have Quick Preparation in their arsenal, they will experience that their skill cooldown is getting reduced as the ranks go up. 

As usual, rank one will offer a 2-second cooldown to the skill, while taking it up to rank two, the player’s skills will get an overall 2.5-second cooldown. Rank 3 will grant the players a 3-second skill cooldown reduction, while with rank 4 and rank 5, a 3.5-second and 4.0-second cooldown can be expected. 

Melody Increase 

When players first cast the Wind of Music and receive their Serenade meter, it will be buffed up by the Melody Increase Tripod, making the Bard Build all the more useful. Players become a lot more capable when they are busy fighting and taking down the worst of opponents. 

Rank one will offer a Serenade Meter buff of 150%, while rank 2 will grant the players a buff of 168%. With that, if payers decide to upgrade the ranks to rank 3, it will buff the serenade meter by a further 187%, and naturally, ranks 4 and 5 will make it even stronger, enhancing it by a whopping 206.0 and 225.0%, respectively. 

Wind of Protection 

Moving forward with the tier 3 tripod Wind of Protection. For PvE combat, it will allow the Bards to be surrounded by a shield which will absorb some of their damage according to their max HP. Rank one will offer a 25% absorption, while ranks 2, 3, 4, and 5 will offer a 26%, 27%, 28%, and finally, a 30% absorption, making the shielder stronger. 

The overall absorption will be weaker when it comes to PvP combat; however, it is still worth it. Rank one will allow the shield to be buffed and absorb 12.5 of the player’s max HP while rank 2 will absorb 13% damage. Rank 3, 4, and 5 will absorb 13.5%, 14.0%, and 15% based on the player’s max HP. 

Prelude of Storm 

Another impeccable skill that players should not skip out on is Prelude of Storm, after which any player that mains as a bard will be able to render any kind of enemies useless, and the skill itself can buff up the player and get them ready for tougher battles. 

Upon first casting Prelude of Storm, players can wield their harps in their hands and start to play a tune that is so potent that it will summon a deadly storm. Any enemies that are unfortunate enough to be in the storm’s general vicinity will intake 474 damage, which is enough to deplete a large portion of their HP Bar. 

The attack type is again represented as a Back Attack, and Prelude of Storm can stun opponents for 3 seconds. After the skill has been cast, it will enter its 16-second cooldown phase, after which it can be used again and again. Prelude of Storm is ready for use after the player reaches level 20 at least and has 91 MP. 

Quick Preparation 

Bringing back a popular tripod, Quick Preparation has been used for several different skills, both for the bard class and for classes such as the main DPS classes. Essentially, the way Quick Preparation operates is that it will be able to reduce the overall skill cooldown by a few seconds. 

As the ranks are increased, rank one, the starting rank, will offer the payer an overall 2-second skill cooldown reduction, while taking it up to rank 2 will offer a 2.2-second reduction. Rank 3 provides a 2.4-second cooldown, while ranks 4 and 5 will allow players to experience 2.7-second and 3.0-second cooldowns. 

Melody Increase 

Yet another tripod that we have discussed before for the Bard Build in Lost Ark is the Melody Increase, which basically buffs up the player and makes them all the stronger on the battlefield by letting the player attack enemies and then have their Serenade meter increase as well. 

Rank one will offer the players a 150% increase to their Serenade Meter, while rank 2 will offer a considerable 168.0% enhancement to the player’s Serenade Meter. With that, ranks 3, 4, and 5 will increase the Serenade meter in the following orders: 187.0% at rank 3, 206.0% at rank 4, and 225.0% at rank 5. 

Powerful Prelude 

Ending it all with the final tripod, Powerful Prelude can be used to increase the overall damage output for the electric field caused by the basic skill. Ranks one through five increase damage output in the following order: 100% at rank one, 111% at rank 2, 122% at rank 3, 133% at rank 4, 145% at rank 5. 

As compared to PvP combat, the overall damage buff will be buffed in the same manner as the PvE combat, with the same 100%, 111%, 122%, 133%, and 145% damage output enhancement all the way starting from ranks one and finally ending it at rank 5. 

Stigma 

Keeping things going with our Bard Build with the next skill in the list, we have Stigma next up, which players can use when they have reached player level 10, and it can be cast if the player has the required 91 MP that it needs for it to be used. 

With Stigma in the player’s arsenal, they will be able to take on any sort of single-combat enemies or difficult bosses and are sure to achieve victory no matter how tough the enemy might be on the battlefield. The main aim of Stigma itself is that once it has been cast, it will make the player pick a target location and then summon a Stigma there. 

After the Stigma has been summoned, it will continue to hurl attacks at opponents for a total of 4 seconds, amongst which it will deal a total of 175 damage every 0.7 seconds, which is enough to slowly deplete the opponent’s enemy and eventually have them fall to their knees and die off. Stigma will enter a 16-second cooldown after it has been used. Here are the three tripods recommended for it. 

Agile Cast 

Kicking things off with the first tripod, Agile Cast belongs to a tier-one tripod that can be used by the players when they are busy being on the sidelines and supporting their main DPS and damage-dealing classes. The main aim of Agile Cast is to reduce the skill casting speed as the ranks are slowly upgraded. 

For reference and context, players will be able to get a 20% enhancement to their casting speed at rank one, while rank two will bump it up to a 24% increase. With that, rank 3 will offer an even higher 28% casting speed, and naturally, ranks 4 and 5 will offer a 32% and 36% casting speed. 

Brilliant Stigma 

Moving right along with the next tier 2 tripod, players can equip Brilliant Stigma and use it for their Bard Build, as it can majorly benefit them when they are in combat. The main focus of Brilliant Stigma is placed on converting the player’s damage output element to Holy, after which players can attack enemies. 

When the enemies are being attacked, the tripod will mark the enemies for 2 seconds, during which opponents will continue to intake 10% enhanced damage from all team members, including the main DPS, the tank, the healer, etc. When it is all compiled, it can surely be a deadly damage output. 

Pain Brand 

Let’s wrap up the Stigma basic skill with the final tripod, which naturally belongs to tier 3 and is known as Pain Brand, and rightfully so, as it mainly aims to increase the overall damage output as the ranks are upgraded, and when the damage output increases, what happens? The destruction that’s what happens. 

Rank one offers the player a 60% damage increase, while rank 2 will enhance the damage output by 66%. Similarly, ranks 3, 4, and 5 will offer a damage increase in this order: rank 3 offers a 72% increase, rank 4 grants the player a solid 78.6% increase, while rank 5 will give the player a whopping 85.2% enhancement. If players are more into being a ranged combat players, then the Lost Ark Sharpshooter Build is the way to go! 

Soundholic 

Players that aim to master the Bard Build playstyle in Lost Ark should look into equipping the next skill that we will talk about. The talent in the question itself is Soundholic, which supports the player when playing as a Bard and will help them get one step towards victory when fighting against opponents. 

The easiest way to explain how Soundholic works are that when players use it, it will cast out a ray of light that is so blinding that it will make the foes blind and continue to attack them with the ray for a total of 3 seconds, in which it will attack them about 10 times, each attack is dealing 83 damage respectively. 

The skill itself is not that difficult to use, and once the players get the hang of it, it can truly be extremely useful in combat both in PvE and PvP, as it requires players to be only level 18 and has an MP requirement of 110. On the other hand, it also has a cooldown of 24 seconds, which may be a bit on the longer side. 

Sound Concentration 

Now that we are on the topic let’s start things off by introducing the first tripod, Sound Concentration. It is so highly recommended for the Bard Build because it increases how much damage players can launch against enemies, rendering them useless. 

From ranks one through five, the damage will increase like this:

• 5% to 30% at rank one
• 6% to 36% at rank 2
• 8% to 48% at rank 3
• 10% to 60% at rank 4
• 12% to 72% at rank 5 

Focus Fire 

Another excellent tripod that players should look into is Focus Fire which can increase the damage output in this order: 700% at rank one, 740% at rank 2, 780% at rank 3, 828% at rank 4, and 876% at rank 5, which is a pretty significant damage buff and can help the player’s murder enemies with ease. 

Heavenly Tune 

Another excellent option for a basic skill that players should try out if they are playing as Bards. Especially since bards will typically never be out on the front lines, this is a skill that can be used by bards that will make them more powerful in combat. 

Suppose the player decides to equip Heavenly Time. In that case, they will be able to deal a total of 415 damage to nearby opponents, allowing them to be obliterated due to the great damage, alongside also allowing the other party members to experience increased attack speed, which is crucial for a tougher boss fight. 

The radius in which the party members will experience the track speed boost is 24 meters and allows players to charge forward towards their toughest foes and render them useless. Alongside that, MP recovery will also slowly increase by 12% for 8 seconds. The cooldown for this skill is 30 seconds. 

Quick Preparation 

The first tripod that we will mention is Quick Preparation which has been mentioned quite a few times before as well, and it is because of the way it is highly universal and applies to all classes. Its main aim lies in reducing skill cooldown by a few seconds as the ranks are upgraded. 

Rank one offers the player a 3-second cooldown, allowing players to be in the arena and cast their skill faster, alongside rank 2 offering a further 3.7-second reduction. Rank 3 will offer a 4.4-second decrease, while ranks 4 and 5 naturally increase the deduction to another 5.2 and 6.0 seconds. 

Tough Tune 

While playing as Bard Build playstyle in Lost Ark, players can look into equipping the Tough Tune tripod, which is considered a tier 2 tripod, meaning that it is more potent compared to the previous one. 

Essentially, the main focus of Tough Tune is not placed on ranks, but rather focusing on increasing the player’s overall attack speed by 8%, and it is the same for both PvE and PvP combat, making it all the more useful when players are planning to play as bards in one of the two situations. 

Intense Tune 

Wrapping up this skill with intense Tune, it is aimed at having a singular rank that is solely focused on buffing the player’s attack power by 15%, which allows them to go confidently on the battlefield, spar with their enemies face to face, unleash their most potent attacks and render them useless. 

Alongside that, with the default 15% attack power enhancement, the power will further be buffed by 6%. 

Sonic Vibration 

Coming to the next skill that players should never be skipping out on is Sonic Vibration, which can make the Bard a lot more viable when they are out on the battlefield, acting as excellent support for the main damage dealers as the skill itself will buff up the Bard. 

After the player has cast the skill, the players will be able to lift their opponents, which will instantly make the opponent’s intake 336 damage at first, after which they will be slammed back against the ground, which will impact them and make them take a whopping 842 damage. In essence, the name is pretty self-explanatory. 

After this, for the next 3 seconds, enemies will continue to take in 126 damage for a total of 4 times, after which the skill finally comes to a halt and enters the long cooldown of 24 seconds. Players need to cross-level 14 to acquire the skill and need 110 MP to cast Sonic Vibration. Just like a Bard, players can also check out our Lost Ark Gunlancer Build in order to get inspiration for future builds! 

Tenacity 

Kicking things off with our first tripod, Tenacity is one that players should look into investing in. Its main aim lies in helping players gain victory by defeating their enemies and taking them out as fast as possible. 

The Tenacity tripod doesn’t have rankings; rather, it is focused on simply granting the player with Push Immunity when the Sonic Vibration skill is active, making the players safe against enemies that intend to push the player around and deal damage to the main damage dealers. 

Brilliant Wave 

The second-tier tripod that players should invest in is Brilliant Wave, which grants the player the ability to convert their element to Holy, which will make them launch out Holy attacks. 

After using the Sonic Vibration skill, if players continue to keep it active, they will experience that their overall basic attack has been buffed by 15%. Their attack power will be further enhanced by 6% for 2 seconds. This effect remains the same for both PvE and PvP combat, making it more useful in combat. 

Spreading Vibration 

While this third tripod is not a part of the main build, players can still look into it. Spreading Vibration operates because it will cause the extra sonic waves to go in a criss-cross position for a total of 10 meters, which will deal bonus damage to opponents nearby based on the normal base damage. 

Rank one offers a 60% equivalence to the base damage, while rank 2 will provide the ability of the bonus damage to be 68.4% of the main damage, while rank 3 will cause the damage to be 76.8% of the base damage. Similarly, ranks 4 and 5 will bump up the equivalence to 85.8 and 94.8%. 

Guardian Tune 

Rounding things off with our final basic skill, players can equip and cast the Guardian Tune, which has been known to be incredibly powerful for bards, especially since they are more on the vulnerable side and require extra protection from other party members and also stay on the sidelines more often than not. 

The way it operates is that once the player has activated the skill, it will grant the player the ability to play the harp. There will be an invisible 24-meter radius surrounding all party members. If the party members are in the radius, they will have increased damage negation by 20%. 

The skill last for a total of 8 seconds, after which it will enter its long cooldown that lasts 30 seconds, after which players can activate the skill yet again. Unfortunately, players need to be at endgame at least level 50 to unlock and cast it, and it also has a high MP requirement of 123. 

Mind Enhancement 

Starting with our first tier-one tripod, Mind Enhancement is recommended for the high DPS Bard Build in Lost Ark, as it will mainly aim to reduce the MP cost needed to cast the Guardian Tune skill. We know that the skill itself has a high mp cost of 123. Therefore any reduction is highly appreciated while the bards try their best to defeat opponents. 

Rank one will offer the player an MP reduction of 50%, which instantly brings it down to the mid-60s, after which rank 2 will offer a reduction of 53.0%, while rank 3 gets it even further down to 57% reduction. Ending the tripod, the ranks 4 and 5 will reduce it in the following order: 62% at rank 4 and then ending it with an impressive 67% reduction at rank 5. 

Endless Protection

Endless Protection is the next tripod that is highly recommended for bards battling with opponents in the arena. After it is cast, players will be protected and under the guard of a shield that will last for 8 seconds and will continue to absorb a certain amount of damage based on the player’s overall HP. 

Rank one will offer a damage absorption of 15%, while rank 2 will offer an absorption of 16%. If players decide to be protected even more, then looking at rank 3 will offer them a 17% increased damage absorption by the shield. With that, ranks 4 and 5 will buff the shield to absorb 18% and 20% of the player’s max HP as damage. 

Wind of Protection 

Ending the Guardian Tune with the final tier 3 tripod, we have the Wind of Protection in our arsenal, which offers the player a simple enhancement of their overall personal protection. The main aim of Wind of Protection is to allow the player to block one Debuff attack that the opponents have launched. 

This tripod works the same for both PvE and PvP, it is highly useful, and it does not have any rank upgrades. 

Awakening Skills for Each Level 

Even though the Bard Build is mostly catered for experienced players, players can still try out the build if they are low level. Therefore they might benefit from the awakening skills we will recommend for each level. 

Level 12 

For players that are rather a low level, the best awakening skill that they should invest in is Dissonance, as it will mainly aim to grant the player the ability to cast a few musical notes towards the general area that the opponents are at and for a total of 5 seconds, the opponents will continue to take in 56 damage every 0.5 seconds. 

Another skill that players can use if they are level 12 is Stigma, which we have mentioned before, but it can be an excellent awakening skill. Upon casting Stigma, it will cause a Stigma at the enemies’ location, which will continue to inflict 175 damage for a total of 4 seconds. 

Level 15 

Moving up the level a bit, players that have gained a bit of experience playing lost Ark at level 15 can also take assistance from the same awakening skill known as Dissonance, which will yet again cast a few musical notes that will continue to hurl attacks at foes for a total of 5 seconds at the cost of 56 damage per 0.5 seconds. 

Level 20 

To get the most out of the Bard Build in the game, the best awakening skill for players at level 20 is yet again DIssonacne, which is just that overpowered and can greatly assist and support the player when they are aiming to main as Bards and intend to achieve victory against their opponents. 

Level 25 

When players have been playing the game for a few days, they will be able to get to level 25 with ultimate ease, and for this level. However, there are better awakening skills; Stigma can still work perfectly fine, as it casts a Stigma near the enemy and continues to deal a certain amount of damage every few seconds. 

However, suppose this skill is not to your liking. In that case, players can also take help from another impeccable awakening skill that can be unlocked at level 18, known as Soundholic, which will unleash an orb of light that will continue to deal 83 damage every day 0.3 seconds for a total of 3 seconds. For players that aim to play as a Striker, the Lost Ark Striker Build is a must to check out! 

Level 30 

There isn’t a wide selection to choose from for awakening skills. Therefore, some awakening skills can be repeated and cast at a higher level. Players that have reached a level 30 can use both Soundholic since it can deal a solid amount of damage that can surely deplete the opponent’s overall HP. 

Level 34-45 

Moving right along the levels, as players keep getting stronger in their gameplay, they will have many skills to choose from as their main awakening skills. However, we will continue to recommend Stigma and Soundholic to the endgame since they are excellent as support skills and make the player a lot more viable on the battlefield. 

Engravings and Stats 

The next thing that we will cover is the main Engravings and stats that go along with it. Engravings provide more overpowered buffs than awakening or basic skills, and stats are what characters need to invest in to do better in combat. Gunslingers can be one of the best classes to main if you are looking into creating an alt account, and in order to master it, you can follow our Lost Ark Gunslinger Build! 

Awakening 

Starting with the first engraving, players need to look into investing in Awakening Engraving since it is considered to be an excellent engraving. Awakening essentially lowers the overall cooldown of the Awakening skill used by Bards, allowing for faster skill casting to unleash enhanced damage. 

If players are endgame, they really should get Awakening to level 3, as level one and level two only offer a meager 10% and 25% cooldown reduction, while level three instantly reduces the skill cooldown time by half. Therefore players will benefit more from maxing out the engraving. Amongst the plethora of classes available in Lost Ark, the Lost Ark Scrapper Build showcases the Scrapper the best! 

Desperate Salvation 

Moving on, the next engraving that bards should not miss out on is Desperate Salvation, as it grants the player the ability to cast the recovery effect once more after the original one has already ended, which gives the player increased recovery of hP, allowing them to stay alive for longer on the battlefield. 

Level one will offer an additional 8% HP recovery, while level 2 gives players 16% of their HP back as original HP. However, for the best impact, players should level Desperate Salvation to level 3 as it will recover a bonus of 24%. 

Expert 

Going on with the next engraving, another impeccable one that players can look into is Expert, which will grant the player the ability to enhance the player’s shield and HP recovery and boost it up. The offered levels will make the player stronger and more guarded when they are hurling attacks at enemies. 

Level one will enhance the overall effects by 6% when HP is above 50 and 3% when it is below 50 percent. Level 2 will offer a 14% increase; when HP is below 50%, it will increase the effects by 7%. However, for the best benefits, leveling it to max will grant the player a 24% increase and an additional 12% when the player’s Health Points are below 50%. Make sure to read up on our Lost Ark Deadeye Build in order to gain more knowledge of the classes! 

Max MP Increase 

Keeping things going with engravings, yet another one that can highly benefit and aid the player during their tough boss fights in Lost Ark is Max MP Increase, which is pretty self-explanatory from the name. The main aim of the engraving is to enhance the overall MP in their arsenal, which is required for many basic and awakening skills to cast them. 

There are a total of 3 main levels for Increased Max MP, whereby level one will grant the player a bonus of 5% MP, while level 2 will increase it by a further 15%. However, if players want to abuse this engraving, then they are advised to max it out to get a solid 30% increase to their overall MP. Players can check out the Lost Ark Wardancer Build if they want to know more about how the Wardancer class operates and plays. 

Spirit Absorption 

Wrapping up the engravings, the final one that we will mention is Spirit Absorption, which will buff the player’s attack speed, which will allow them to be swifter in their attack launches needed to take down foes. Alongside that, the movement speed will also be buffed. 

Level one will offer the player a speed buff for both the attack speed and movement speed by 3%, while leveling the engraving to level two will increase it by 8%. Last but not least, maxing out Spirit Absorption will grant the player the ability to experience attack and movement speed buffed by 15%. 

As for stats, players are advised to invest some points into Swiftness and Specialization to buff up their movement. With that, we covered everything you need to know about the Lost Ark Bard Build. Let us know what you think! If the Bard isn’t the class for you, then the Lost Ark Sorceress Build might interest you! 

Photo and Build Credit: KaidGames2