Bard

job · BRD

The Bard sings songs that haste, strengthen, protect and refresh the whole party at once, and slow, sleep and wear down the monster, so the group around you hits harder, lasts longer and loses less.

BRD · two-hour Soul Voice · 9 job abilities · 9 trait ranks · 218 spells · 31 weapon skills

What the job does:
A Bard fights with music. You carry a wind or string instrument in the ranged slot, and every song you sing lands on the party members near you, trusts included. Most songs last 2 minutes before gear, so the work is a loop: sing, wait out the 24 second song recast, sing the next, and start again before the first one runs out. Between songs you can stand back, melee with a dagger, or heal with a subjob.

What it is good at:

- Group-wide buffs with no casting cost. Haste (Marches), attack (Valor Minuet), accuracy (Madrigals), refresh (Mage's Ballad), regen (Army's Paeon), defence (Knight's Minne) and stat boosts (Etudes).
- Control from a distance. Foe Lullaby and Horde Lullaby put monsters to sleep, Carnage Elegy and Battlefield Elegy slow them, Foe Requiem wears them down, Magic Finale strips their buffs, Pining Nocturne slows their spellcasting.
- Fitting any party. The same Bard suits a trust squad, a duo or a full alliance, because you pick the songs for the people standing next to you.

What it is bad at: raw damage, healing, and taking hits. A Bard out of songs is a thin dagger fighter. Your first job is to keep the right songs on everyone.

From your seat a fight is a rhythm. You open with the songs the party needs, watch the timers, refresh before they drop, and use the gaps to swing a dagger or throw a weapon skill into a friend's skillchain.

Role in a party:
Support. The party expects you to keep Haste and one damage or accuracy song on the melee, and Refresh on the mages, without being asked. You bring things nothing else does:

- Haste from Advancing March (level 29) and Victory March (level 60) stacks with Haste spells and Geo-Haste, up to the shared 43.75% cap on magic haste.
- Several buffs from one character, in one action.
- Sleep and slow on groups of monsters (Horde Lullaby, Carnage Elegy).
- A second pair of songs when you bring a second Bard. Trusts count: Ulmia and Joachim each keep their own two songs up, so a party with you and one of them has four songs running.

You do not heal and you should not hold hate. Songs do not pull a monster off the tank, so you can stand back and keep singing.

Subjobs:
Subjob levels are half your main level (49 at level 99), and every subjob is open from the start.

Subjob | When to use it | What it gives you |
NIN | Levelling with a dagger, soloing, tanking-adjacent play | Utsusemi shadows, Dual Wield (level 10, II at 25, III at 45), Subtle Blow, Max HP Boost. |
WHM | Duos and trust parties with no healer | Cure up to Cure IV, Haste (level 40), Regen (21), Erase (32), Raise (25), Auto Regen trait. |
DNC | Melee Bard at 99 | Curing Waltz I-III, Healing Waltz, Haste Samba (45), Dual Wield (20, II at 40), Skillchain Bonus (45). |
RDM | Casters and long fights | Refresh (41), Haste (48), Phalanx (33), Convert (40), Composure (50). |
SCH | Support Bard | Regen (18), Stratagems, Sublimation (35) for MP. |
GEO | Extra bubble for the party | Indi spells on yourself at half level: Indi-Refresh (30), Indi-Fury (34), Indi-Acumen (46). |
COR | Early levelling only | One Phantom Roll at a time. Rolls are scaled down when your Corsair level is below the target's, so at half level the rolls are weak. |

Start with /NIN to level up, and move to /WHM once you are mostly standing back and singing.

How the abilities work together:
The song limit. Each Bard can have two songs on each party member, if a string or wind instrument is in the ranged slot. With no instrument you get one. Casting a third song replaces the one with the least time left. Extras come from the instrument and your abilities:

- Terpander or one of the Daurdabla and Loughnashade versions that "grants an additional song effect": +1.
- Some Daurdabla and Loughnashade versions grant two additional: +2.
- Clarion Call (level 96): +1 for 3 minutes.

What replaces what. Songs of the same type and tier overwrite each other, whoever sang them. Victory March and Advancing March are different tiers and both stay; Blade Madrigal and Sword Madrigal do the same. If you and a trust Bard both sing Blade Madrigal, one just replaces the other.

The Bard abilities, in the order you reach for them:

- Soul Voice (once an hour, 3 minutes): doubles the strength of most songs. The ones that get a doubled duration instead are Goddess's Hymnus, Sentinel's Scherzo, Chocobo Mazurka and Raptor Mazurka. Use it for the big fights, not the first pack.
- Clarion Call (level 96, 3 minutes): the extra song slot. Open it right after Soul Voice so the strong songs fill all three slots.
- Marcato (level 95): the next song you cast is 50% stronger. If Soul Voice is up, Soul Voice wins and Marcato is wasted, so save Marcato for the song you care most about when Soul Voice is down.
- Troubadour (level 75, 10 minute recast): doubles the duration of the songs you cast during it, but each takes 1.5 times as long to cast. Best for slow fights where you do not want to recast every 2 minutes.
- Nightingale (level 75): halves cast and recast of songs. With merits it can make a cast instant. Use it to refresh a lot of songs quickly, or after a wipe.
- Pianissimo (level 20): the next song hits one chosen party member instead of the group, and casts in half the time. Use it to give the tank Knight's Minne, the mage Mage's Ballad, or a lone puller a March, while the group songs stay up.
- Tenuto (level 83): the next song you sing on yourself cannot be overwritten, and does not count against your song limit. You can hold up to five of these; a sixth replaces the oldest. Tenuto and Pianissimo cancel each other.

Timing. A buff song takes about 8 seconds to cast, and each song has its own 24 second recast. You can sing different songs back to back; the recast only stops you singing the same song again. A full set of four songs takes roughly 35 seconds, so start the [cut off]

Working with other jobs:
Which songs for which party (two slots; add the third and fourth from Clarion Call or an instrument):

Party | First | Second | Third and fourth |
Melee and trusts (Zeid, Lion, Valaineral, Curilla) | Victory March (Haste) | Valor Minuet (attack), or Blade Madrigal (accuracy) if they are missing | Advancing March, then the one of Minuet and Madrigal you skipped |
Mages and nukers (Shantotto, Kukki-Chebukki, Kayeel-Payeel) | Mage's Ballad (Refresh) | A Sage or Learned Etude for INT, or Army's Paeon for regen | Victory March only if some of them melee |
Tank-led group | Knight's Minne on the tank (use Pianissimo) | Victory March | Sentinel's Scherzo before a big hit |
Ranged group (Rangers, Corsairs) | Archer's Prelude | Victory March | Madrigal |
Healer-heavy, slow fights | Army's Paeon (regen) | Mage's Ballad | Troubadour first |

Order. Sing Haste first, because it pays back every second. The damage song comes second. The slow or sleep songs go on the monster only when you need control.

Trust Bards. If Ulmia sings Victory March and Advancing March (her default), do not sing either; sing Valor Minuet and Blade Madrigal. If Joachim is out, he always keeps Blade Madrigal and adds Valor Minuet or Sword Madrigal (with Ulmia) or a March (without). Check your status icons before you sing, and choose songs that do not overwrite his.

Stacking with other support.

- Haste: Marches, Geo-Haste, Indi-Haste, Haste spells and a Haste II from Koru-Moru share the 43.75% magic haste cap. With a Geomancer's Haste bubble, spend your song slots on Minuet and Madrigal instead.
- Corsair rolls: Chaos Roll and Hunter's Roll add attack and accuracy on top of Minuet and Madrigal. Choral Roll is a Corsair roll that helps Bards: it lowers your interruption rate, and a Corsair gets a bigger Choral Roll when a Bard is in the party. Allies' Roll raises skillchain damage.
- Geomancer: Indi-Fury and Geo-Fury raise attack; Indi-Acumen raises magic attack. They stack with Minuet and the Wizard's Roll.
- Healers and trusts: Army's Paeon adds regen under the healer's Cure; Knight's Minne helps a healer survive.

Skillchains. Your dagger weapon skills open and close chains:

- Mordant Rime (Fragmentation, Distortion), unlocked by "Unlocking a Myth", with Carnwenhan.
- Rudra's Storm (Darkness, Distortion), Evisceration (Gravitation, Transfixion), Aeolian Edge (Scission, Detonation, Impaction), Exenterator (Fragmentation, Scission).
- Sword weapon skills (Burning Blade, Circle Blade, Shining B [cut off]

Levelling it:
- 1-19: Knight's Minne (1), Valor Minuet (3), Army's Paeon (5), Foe Requiem (7), Herb Pastoral (9). Melee with a dagger or sword and let trusts tank.
- 20-49: Pianissimo (20), Mage's Ballad (25), Advancing March (29, your first Haste), Hunter's Prelude (31), Army's Paeon III (35), Battlefield Elegy (39), Valor Minuet III (43), Army's Paeon IV (45).
- 50-74: Blade Madrigal (51), Mage's Ballad II (55), Carnage Elegy (59), Victory March (60), Knight's Minne IV (61), Valor Minuet IV (63), Army's Paeon V (65), Archer's Prelude (71).
- 75-99: Nightingale and Troubadour (75), Foe Sirvente and Adventurer's Dirge (75), Sentinel's Scherzo (82), Foe Lullaby II (83), Tenuto (83), Mage's Ballad III (85), Valor Minuet V (87), Pining Nocturne (95), Marcato (95), Clarion Call (96), Light Carol II and Dark Carol II (99). Traits: Crit. Def. Bonus (80, II at 91), and Fencer (85) and Fencer II (95), which reward fighting one-handed.

The level cap starts at 70. The only limit break on the server is Shattering Stars (talk to Maat in Ru'Lude Gardens at level 66+), which opens 99. Weapon skills that need a quest, such as Evisceration ("Cloak and Dagger") and Mordant Rime ("Unlocking a Myth"), are worth doing on the way.

Trusts and Records of Eminence level a Bard well, because the songs apply to your trusts too. Call Zeid, Lion or Valaineral for the melee, a healer such as Kupipi, and keep Victory March and Valor Minuet on them. Fields of Valor tabs pay at 20x, and capacity points come at 10x once you reach level 99. In Classic mode your level is held at 75 until you finish the Classic lists, so a Bard there has songs up to Foe Sirvente and Adventurer's Dirge.

At 99 and endgame:
Merits. The song merits are Minne, Minuet and Madrigal Effect (stronger songs) and Lullaby and Finale recast. The upper merits are Nightingale, Troubadour, Foe Sirvente and Adventurer's Dirge. Put points in Nightingale first: each level gives you a chance to cast a song instantly while it is up.

Job Points. The categories to put points into first are:

- Soul Voice Effect and Pianissimo Effect (faster casting during those).
- Clarion Call Effect (+2 seconds per rank on every song while it is up), Tenuto Effect (+2 seconds per rank) and Marcato Effect (+1 second per rank).
- Minuet Effect and Minne Effect (a point of strength per rank), Song Accuracy Bonus, Lullaby Duration (+1 second per rank) and Requiem Effect (+3 per rank).

Gifts worth reaching: Singing skill (+5 at 80 JP, +8 at 405, +10 at 980, +13 at 1,805), String instrument skill from 125 JP and Wind instrument skill from 150 JP, Song Spellcasting Time -5% at 550 JP, Song Effect Duration at 1,200 JP, and a 15 minute cut to the Soul Voice recast at 2,100 JP. All gifts are open at 2,100 job points, which also masters the job and opens Master Levels (see Classic mode's Master reward, or talk to Maat for the Job Breaker and Master Breaker key items).

Where it shines. Anything with real fights: Omen, Odyssey, Ambuscade, Dynamis, Limbus and Voidwatch all allow trusts. A Bard with Clarion Call, Soul Voice and Marsyas or Daurdabla turns a six-person party into a long-lasting engine. Sortie, Einherjar and Nyzul Isle do not allow trusts; there a Bard brings real value to a real party.

Gear to aim for:
Weapons. Dagger: Carnwenhan (Mordant Rime) is the Bard's mythic weapon; Blurred Knife +1 and Tauret are good daggers to hold until you have it, and Naegling is the sword choice. Instruments: Linos (All songs +1), Terpander (+1 song), Daurdabla and Loughnashade (the versions with "two additional song effects" are the strongest), Gjallarhorn (All songs +4, Singing +25), Marsyas (song duration +50% and Honor March), Eminent Flute (All songs +2).

Level 99 songs set. The Fili set is the standard: Fili Calot +3 (Madrigal, faster song casting), Fili Hongreline +3 (Minuet, longer songs, Singing +24), Fili Manchettes +3 (March, all three instrument skills), Fili Rhingrave +3 (Ballad, shorter song recast), Fili Cothurnes +3 (Scherzo, Fast Cast). Brioso Roundlet +3 (Paeon), Brioso Cuffs +3 (Lullaby) and Brioso Slippers +3 (song duration +15%) fill in where Fili does not reach. Back: Intarabus's Cape (Madrigal +1, Prelude +1).

Melee and weapon skills. Bihu pieces carry the Bard's weapon skill damage and attack: Bihu Jstcorps. +3, Bihu Roundlet +3, Bihu Cannions +3, Bihu Slippers +3, Bihu Cuffs +3.

Before that: Aoidos' Hngrln. +2, Aoidos' Calot +1, Aoidos' Rhing. +2 and Aoidos' Cothrn. +2 carry song bonuses. Sha'ir Manteel cuts song casting time by 12%, Aoidos' Matinee adds song duration, and Aoidos' Belt and Aoidos' Earring shorten casting.

Use Vanagear to swap between song, melee and idle sets automatically.

Common mistakes:
- No instrument. Without a string or wind instrument in the ranged slot you only get one song.
- Singing over your trusts. Ulmia and Joachim sing songs of the same type; if you repeat theirs, one replaces the other and you lose a slot. Choose songs they are not singing.
- Over-hasting. More than 43.75% magic haste is wasted. With Geo-Haste, Indi-Haste or a Haste II up, do not spend two slots on Marches.
- Marcato under Soul Voice. Soul Voice already doubles the power and wins, so Marcato does nothing extra.
- Starting Troubadour or Nightingale in the middle of a rotation. Use them before you cast a new set of songs, not halfway.
- Tenuto with Pianissimo. The later one cancels the earlier one.
- Leaving the party in range. Songs reach only members of your party who are near you. Keep your group close.
- Soul Voice on the first pack. It comes back once an hour. Save it for the fight that matters.

Job abilities: Soul Voice (SP, recast 1h): Enhances the effects of your songs. | Pianissimo (Lv 20, recast 5s): Limits area of effect of next song to a single target and halves its spellcasting time. | Acid Mist (Lv 25, recast 2s): Requires 2 charges. Deals water damage to enemies within range of pet. Additional effect: Weakens attack. Damage varies with TP. | TP Drainkiss (Lv 25, recast 3s): Requires 3 charges. Steals an enemy's TP. Amount absorbed varies with TP. | Nightingale (Lv 75, recast 10 min): Halves the casting and recast times of songs. | Troubadour (Lv 75, recast 10 min): Increases the casting time for songs by 1.5 and doubles the effect duration. | Tenuto (Lv 83, recast 5s): If the next song you cast affects yourself, it will not subsequently be overwritten by other songs. | Marcato (Lv 95, recast 10 min): Enhances the effect of your next song. | Clarion Call (Lv 96, recast 1h): Increases the number of songs that can affect party members by one.

Traits: Resist Silence (Lv 5), Resist Silence II (Lv 25), Resist Silence III (Lv 45), Resist Silence IV (Lv 65), Crit. Def. Bonus (Lv 80), Resist Silence V (Lv 81), Fencer (Lv 85), Crit. Def. Bonus II (Lv 91), Fencer II (Lv 95)

Spells by level: Knight's Minne 1, Shantotto 1, Naji 1, Kupipi 1, Excenmille 1, Ayame 1, Nanaa Mihgo 1, Curilla 1, Volker 1, Ajido-Marujido 1, Trion 1, Zeid 1, Lion 1, Tenzen 1, Mihli Aliapoh 1, Valaineral 1, Joachim 1, Naja Salaheem 1, Prishe 1, Ulmia 1, Shikaree Z 1, Cherukiki 1, Iron Eater 1, Gessho 1, Gadalar 1, Rainemard 1, Ingrid 1, Lehko Habhoka 1, Nashmeira 1, Zazarg 1, Ovjang 1, Mnejing 1, Sakura 1, Luzaf 1, Najelith 1, Aldo 1, Moogle 1, Fablinix 1, Maat 1, D. Shantotto 1, Star Sibyl 1, Karaha-Baruha 1, Cid 1, Gilgamesh 1, Areuhat 1, Semih Lafihna 1, Elivira 1, Noillurie 1, Lhu Mhakaracca 1, Ferreous Coffin 1, Lilisette 1, Mumor 1, Uka Totlihn 1, Klara 1, Romaa Mihgo 1, Kuyin Hathdenna 1, Rahal 1, Koru-Moru 1, Pieuje (UC) 1, I. Shield (UC) 1, Apururu (UC) 1, Jakoh (UC) 1, Flaviria (UC) 1, Babban 1, Abenzio 1, Rughadjeen 1, Kukki-Chebukki 1, Margret 1, Chacharoon 1, Lhe Lhangavo 1, Arciela 1, Mayakov 1, Qultada 1, Adelheid 1, Amchuchu 1, Brygid 1, Mildaurion 1, Halver 1, Rongelouts 1, Leonoyne 1, Maximilian 1, Kayeel-Payeel 1, Robel-Akbel 1, Kupofried 1, Selh'teus 1, Yoran-Oran (UC) 1, Sylvie (UC) 1, Abquhbah 1, Balamor 1, August 1, Rosulatia 1, Teodor 1, Ullegore 1, Makki-Chebukki 1, King of Hearts 1, Morimar 1, Darrcuiln 1, AAHM 1, AAEV 1, AAMR 1, AATT 1, AAGK 1, Iroha 1, Ygnas 1, Monberaux 1, Cornelia 1, Matsui-P 1, Excenmille [S] 1, Ayame (UC) 1, Maat (UC) 1, Aldo (UC) 1, Naja (UC) 1, Lion II 1, Zeid II 1, Prishe II 1, Nashmeira II 1, Lilisette II 1, Tenzen II 1, Mumor II 1, Ingrid II 1, Arciela II 1, Iroha II 1, Shantotto II 1, Valor Minuet 3, Army's Paeon 5, Foe Requiem 7, Herb Pastoral 9, Light Threnody 10, Sword Madrigal 11, Dark Threnody 12, Sheepfoe Mambo 13, Earth Threnody 14, Army's Paeon II 15, Water Threnody 16, Foe Lullaby 16, Foe Requiem II 17, Wind Threnody 18, Scop's Operetta 19, Fire Threnody 20, Knight's Minne II 21, Enchanting Etude 22, Ice Threnody 22, Valor Minuet II 23, Spirited Etude 24, Ltng. Threnody 24, Mage's Ballad 25, Learned Etude 26, Horde Lullaby 27, Quick Etude 28, Advancing March 29, Vivacious Etude 30, Hunter's Prelude 31, Dextrous Etude 32, Fowl Aubade 33, Magic Finale 33, Sinewy Etude 34, Army's Paeon III 35, Light Carol 36, Foe Requiem III 37, Raptor Mazurka 37, Earth Carol 38, Battlefield Elegy 39, Water Carol 40, Knight's Minne III 41, Wind Carol 42, Valor Minuet III 43, Fire Carol 44, Army's Paeon IV 45, Ice Carol 46, Foe Requiem IV 47, Lightning Carol 48, Goblin Gavotte 49, Dark Carol 50, Blade Madrigal 51, Dragonfoe Mambo 53, Gold Capriccio 54, Mage's Ballad II 55, Shining Fantasia 56, Foe Requiem V 57, Carnage Elegy 59, Victory March 60, Knight's Minne IV 61, Bewitching Etude 62, Valor Minuet IV 63, Logical Etude 64, Army's Paeon V 65, Sage Etude 66, Foe Requiem VI 67, Swift Etude 68, Puppet's Operetta 69, Vital Etude 70, Archer's Prelude 71, Goddess's Hymnus 71, Uncanny Etude 72, Warding Round 73, Chocobo Mazurka 73, Herculean Etude 74, Maiden's Virelai 75, Foe Sirvente 75, Adventurer's Dirge 75, Foe Requiem VII 76, Army's Paeon VI 78, Knight's Minne V 80, Earth Carol II 81, Sentinel's Scherzo 82, Foe Lullaby II 83, Water Carol II 84, Mage's Ballad III 85, Valor Minuet V 87, Wind Carol II 87, Fire Carol II 90, Horde Lullaby II 92, Ice Carol II 93, Pining Nocturne 95, Lightning Carol II 96, Dispelga 99, Light Carol II 99, Dark Carol II 99

Weapon skills: Wasp Sting (Dagger 5; Scission), Viper Bite (Dagger 100; Scission), Shadowstitch (Dagger 70; Reverberation), Gust Slash (Dagger 40; Detonation), Cyclone (Dagger 125; Detonation/Impaction), Energy Steal (Dagger 150; ), Energy Drain (Dagger 175; ), Evisceration (Dagger 230; Gravitation/Transfixion), Mordant Rime (Dagger; Fragmentation/Distortion), Aeolian Edge (Dagger 290; Scission/Detonation/Impaction), Rudra's Storm (Dagger; Darkness/Distortion), Fast Blade (Sword 5; Scission), Burning Blade (Sword 30; Liquefaction), Flat Blade (Sword 75; Impaction), Shining Blade (Sword 100; Scission), Circle Blade (Sword 150; Reverberation/Impaction), Spirits Within (Sword 175; ), Shining Strike (Club 5; Impaction), Brainshaker (Club 70; Reverberation), Starlight (Club 100; ), Skullbreaker (Club 150; Induration/Reverberation), True Strike (Club 175; Impaction/Detonation), Heavy Swing (Staff 5; Impaction), Rock Crusher (Staff 40; Impaction), Starburst (Staff 100; Compression/Reverberation), Shell Crusher (Staff 175; Detonation), Full Swing (Staff 200; Liquefaction/Impaction), Spirit Taker (Staff 215; ), Retribution (Staff 230; Gravitation/Reverberation), Shattersoul (Staff 357; Gravitation/Induration), Exenterator (Dagger 357; Fragmentation/Scission)