Cruel Lullabies: The Bard Handbook (by Litigation)

[Nibelung]

Originally posted by Litigation:

Advanced Composition: Combos

​

I. Scales and Chords: Basic Combos

These are the basic tricks the Bard can pull, many of which have been hinted at through this guide. Here you get to see them come together. Many of these are done at-will or per-encounter. Some of these are just general things he/she can do to help the party with his/her own devices, while others may be standard combos for assisting a certain type of ally. Many of these combos can serve as the building blocks for greater works (i.e. the advanced combos to come later).

Heroic and Paragon Tier

Cunning Rearrangement
[sblock]
Piece 1: Virtue of Cunning (Bard feature, PHB2)
Piece 2: Advantage of Cunning (Bard heroic feat, PHB2)
Piece 3: Improved Cunning (Bard paragon feat, PHB2)

Ideal allies:
1) One Defender with Agile Opportunist (any)
2) One melee Striker or second Defender with Agile Opportunist (any)

Sequence:
If enemy attacks and misses either melee combatant - Virtue of Cunning + Advantage of Cunning

Next turn: Repeat.

Description: This is how a Cunning Bard can completely turn the tables on enemy melee units engaged with your melee allies.

Here are some basic flank setups he can pull off with the Virtue/Advantage combo, even in Heroic Tier before he gets Improved Cunning (0=Unoccupied Squares, E=Enemy, A=Ally 1, B=Ally 2):

000000      000000    00B000
00B000 into 00B000 or 00E000 (the first if E attacks A, second if E attacks B)
00AE00      00E000    00A000
000000      00A000    000000

000000      000000
0B0000 into 0B0000 (E attacks A)
00AE00      00E000
000000      000A00

In Paragon Tier, with Improved Cunning the options become even more extensive, and you also get more opportunities to trigger Agile Opportunist from the ally you slide. Such as:

000000      000000    00B000
00B000 into 000000 or 00E000 (E attacks B)
00AE00      00AEB0    00A000
000000      000000    000000

In this example, B can get his Agile Opportunist attack when you slide him one square to the right, then slide him diagonally another square either down-right (setting up the flank immediately) or, alternatively, up-left and sliding E up-left where B used to be, into a flank there.

Improved Cunning + Advantage of Cunning can get really fun against Large enemies:

0000000      0000000
00BEE00 into 00B0000 (4 E's attacks A; 4 E's attacking B is the mirror going up)
00AEE00      00EE000
0000000      00EE000
0000000      00A0000

Remember that Advantage of Cunning's language makes the slide work as long as the enemy's destination includes one square where the ally used to be, and there is no limit to the amount of squares you can slide the enemy. Here, after the first square A slides, he gets his AO (he's still adjacent to the 4 E's at that point), then he slides the second square and the Large enemy gets shoved into the flank for his efforts.

Another one for kicks:

0000000      0000000
000EE00 into 0000000 (4 E's attacks A)
0BAEE00      0BEE000
0000000      00EEA00
0000000      0000000

You slide A down-right, then right (he gets his AO at any point here), then slide the 4 E's into the flank.

I could come up with a lot more, but hopefully after these first few diagrams you can see just how potent this combo can get in redrawing the battle lines. This is the reason both Advantage of Cunning and Improved Cunning are rated mandatory.

[/sblock]

A Very Vicious Mockery
[sblock]
Piece 1: Vicious Mockery (Bard at-will, PHB2)
Piece 2: Beguiling Enchantment (General heroic feat, PHB3)
Piece 3: Psychic Lock (General paragon feat, PHB)
Piece 4 (optional): Master's Wand of Vicious Mockery (Implement property, wand, AV2)

Ideal allies:
1) One Defender (any works, but even better if he/she inflicts additional to-hit penalties on or in addition to his marks, i.e. Charisma-based Paladin with Enfeebling Strike)
2) Any other ally who inflicts hit penalties

Sequence:
Bard standard action - Vicious Mockery
Defender standard action - Attack
Defender miscellaneous actions (minor, free, none) - Mark

Next turn: Repeat.

Description: This combo is meant to stack penalties on top of what Vicious Mockery can already do. Extra self-defense comes in the form of Beguiling Enchantment, taking advantage of the power's Charm keyword to inflict additional penalties when the enemy attacks you. In Paragon Tier, this power inflicts an additional -2 on the enemy's first attack against anybody thanks to Psychic Lock and the Psychic keyword.

Combined with a Chaladin's basic mark and Enfeebling Strike, you have a simple at-will party combo that can inflict -6 to hit the Chaladin, -8 to hit all your other allies, and -10 to hit you. A Cunning Bard can really take advantage of this, as we'll see in the advanced combos.

[/sblock]

No Shifting Allowed
[sblock]
Piece 1: White Lotus Hindrance (Arcane heroic feat, D 374)
Piece 2: White Lotus Master Hindrance (Arcane paragon feat, D 374)

Ideal allies:
1) One Defender (any, but especially a Fighter with Combat Superiority)
2) A melee Striker or second Defender

Sequence:
Standard action - Any Bard at-will when your melee allies are flanking an enemy or enemies.

Next turn: Repeat.

Description: When you use Master Hindrance to create difficult terrain around your melee allies when they're flanking someone, the enemy literally has nowhere to shift, as shown here:

E = enemy, A = ally, 0 = unaffected squares, X = difficult terrain.

0000XXX0
0XXEEAX0
0XAEEXX0
0XXX0000
00000000

Here, the enemy is large (4 E's), but still can't shift anywhere. Anywhere he would try to shift would have an X in it, a square of difficult terrain.

[/sblock]

Shock, Stagger and Skewer
[sblock]
Piece 1: Staggering Note (Bard at-will D 383)
Piece 2: Arcane Admixture (Lightning) (Arcane paragon feat, AP)
Piece 3: Oncoming Storm (General heroic feat, PHB2)
Piece 4: Wand of Thunderous Anguish (Implement property, wand, AV2)
Piece 5: White Lotus Riposte (Arcane heroic feat, D 374)
Piece 6: White Lotus Master Riposte (Arcane paragon feat, D 374)
Piece 7 (optional): Mark of Storm (Dragonmark feat, EPG)
Piece 8 (optional): Echoes of Thunder (General paragon feat, PHB2)

Ideal allies:
1) At least one melee ally with a strong melee basic attack

Sequence:
Standard action - Staggering Note, push enemy next to melee ally.
Move action - If necessary, move into a spot relative to your ally where you can push your enemy again toward your ally if the enemy decides to still attack you. And you want to be within three squares of your ally (you'll see why).
Immediate action - If enemy attacks you, repeat Staggering Note, push enemy next to melee ally again.

Next turn: Repeat.

Description: This is the path toward optimizing the effects of Staggering Note. Arcane Admixture the Lightning keyword onto it (remember even post-errata that feat still stacks keywords) and you'll make it play nice with the attack bonus you get from Oncoming Storm. Wand of Thunderous Anguish makes your melee ally of choice inflict extra Thunder damage on all his following attacks, including the attack Staggering Note grants. And the reason you want to move yourself into a position like so after your standard action:

0000A00
000E000 (A=ally, B=bard, E=enemy)
0000000
0000000
000B000

is to (a) possibly entice the enemy to attack you so it triggers your Master Riposte, and (b) if he does trigger your Staggering Note repeat, you're in a position to push the enemy back two squares toward your ally, where he can make yet another melee basic attack. This can be a way to really rack up the damage ... that or make the enemy deathly scared to attack you back. (Alternatively, you could find a second melee ally to attain this position with if it would be easier.)

If you took Mark of Storm, you can be an extra square away thanks to the slide you get from that power.

[/sblock]


II. Etudes: Advanced Combos

Here are the more advanced combos, some of which use the basics above as building blocks.

Heroic and Paragon Tier

Mocking Rearrangement
[sblock]
Piece 1: Cunning Rearrangement (Basic combo)
Piece 2: A Very Vicious Mockery (Basic combo)

Ideal allies:
1) One Defender, preferably one who optimizes to-hit penalties, with Agile Opportunist.
2) Second Defender or melee Striker with Agile Opportunist.

Sequence:
Bard standard action - Vicious Mockery
Defender action - Attack
Defender miscellaneous actions (minor, free, none) - Mark
If enemy misses and attacks either melee combatant - Cunning Rearrangement

Next turn: Repeat

Description: This combines an optimized Vicious Mockery with the combo of Advantage of Cunning and Improved Cunning. Pretty simple, but with the penalties your Vicious Mockery inflicts, combined with any penalties from your Defender (Enfeebling Strike on a Paladin is really nice here) you're looking at the enemy missing very often, and thus triggering your Virtue of Cunning to turn the tables ... or better still, the enemy being scared to attack at all lest he get shoved into an even tighter situation.

[/sblock]

 

[Nibelung]

Originally posted by Litigation:

Directing the Symphony: Tactics​

After some analysis of actual gameplay, here are things Bards must keep in mind at the table:



I. Know how you direct.

Cunning: You are pretty much a Controller (Leader) through and through and should play like one. Generally, you'll want to hover a few squares away from the thick of a melee, just close enough to influence the fight with your Virtue of Cunning and your ranged implement powers. Play off your melee units and adjust your positioning round after round accordingly. If the enemy group has some annoying Artillery or Skirmishers that move on the perimeter, you're the best equipped to deal with it, using your ranged positioning powers to get your melee allies to trap them.

Valorous: You are mostly a Soldier (Leader), still with a hint of Controller. With your high Constitution and chain (or better) you'll want to be in the thick of the fight, backed up by defenders and melee strikers, where you can easily grant THPs to your allies with your Virtue of Valor, buff their attacks, and shuffle them around with your movement powers.

Prescient: You are mostly an Artillery (Leader) unit. Much like the Cunning Bard, you'll want to hover a few squares away from the heaviest area of the battle, where you can trigger your Virtue of Prescience if you need to. Most of your attacks are single-target buffs, so you tend to influence the direction of the combat most visibly.



II. Take initiative.

This is especially important if your Bard is oriented toward movement enabling. You should've taken Improved Initiative (and later Superior Initiative) and any items and other feats that boost your initiative. If you've done this, you should consistently beat enemies to the punch, which will also mean that your high-initiative allies won't mind delaying their turns until right after yours.

When you get the jump on your enemies with a higher initiative count, immediately use your movement enabling encounter powers to get your allies in position to unleash hell.

Another important part of taking initiative is when to delay your own turn. This is important if you have save-ends daily powers that boost your allies' attacks, such as Satire of Prowess. In such a case, having a high initiative gives you the freedom to delay your turn until right after your target enemy's turn, which will allow your allies to all take advantage of your ensuing daily power's benefits for at least one whole round. This is especially vital against an Elite or Solo, which is more likely to (a) be the target of such a power, and (b) save against a second round of such a power.



III. Know your numbers, and spread the word.

Few things are more frustrating than sitting at the table with a Leader player who can't remember his bonuses, or what his powers do, or how they're supposed to help you. If you granted an ally a bonus, remind them of it; in fact, remind them every turn the bonus is in effect.



IV. Be a team player.

Meaning, always be ready to help out in any situation, and play accordingly. If an ally needs healing, heal them. If you already see your allies advancing toward one enemy, throw one of your party starters in that enemy's direction to make your allies' job easier.

 

[Brenthias]

Thank you very much! Everything I needed to see, and the combos where a lovely bonus!

 

[kuwojin]

I want more detail about Bard Taxis ,could you give me some passage? I cant find it online ,plz

 

[Zathris]

The term "Bard Taxi" officially refers to a Bard MC Warlock taking the Evermeet Warlock PP, and Acolyte Power for Ethereal Sidestep at level 10, as well as Bardic Wayfarer and Walk Among the Fey feats and ways to teleport or slide allies. The end result is a Leader that can use a Minor and Move action to position each member of the party essentially anywhere within 10 squares, and then use a Standard Action to grant attacks/bonuses.

I personally think this version of the taxi is rather weak, since you're sacrificing your PP. At the core of the build is a solid concept: "Move the party into position to attack" and with themes enabling allied movement, access to Slick Concoction or Reorient the Axis, as well as Walk among the Fey + Bardic Wayfarer anyway, there's really no need to trade your PP away.

 

[MwaO]

The term "Bard Taxi" officially refers to a Bard MC Warlock taking the Evermeet Warlock PP, and Acolyte Power for Ethereal Sidestep at level 10, as well as Bardic Wayfarer and Walk Among the Fey feats and ways to teleport or slide allies. The end result is a Leader that can use a Minor and Move action to position each member of the party essentially anywhere within 10 squares, and then use a Standard Action to grant attacks/bonuses.

Interestingly enough, I actually ended up playing at an LFR table of a Bard Taxi with my Battlemind|Swordmage who was also an Evermeet Warlock- he used it to make life really difficult for his marks - ignore him and take 2-3 damage instances or attack the invisible PC next to them. It was a strange experience to see two PCs who had such different reasons for taking a paragon path.

I think that Bard Taxi might have been at your table at TotalCon.