Bard

Introduction

“

The word "bard" ordinarily puts folk in mind of those itinerant minstrels, fair of voice and nimble of finger, who earn their coin performing in taverns and the halls of great lords. Few know, however, that bards in fact trace their origins back to the bowmen of eld, who sang in the heat of battle to fortify the spirits of their companions. In time, their impassioned songs came to hold sway over the hearts of men, inspiring their comrades to great feats and granting peace unto those who lay upon the precipice of death.

— FinalFantasyXIV.com Bard

Bards inspire allies to battle forward with melodies of soothing, strengthening or healing properties. Born as archers, these minstrels learned how to evoke magicks to empower their allies' spirits, greatly boosting their prowess in battle.

General information

Guild

The Archer's Guild is in New Gridania. Archers may specialize into bard once they reach level 30, and complete the quests Sylph-management and The One That Got Away.

Equipment

The bard is a disciple of war and wears leather armor. They use bows as weapons. The following crafting classes can create items that are useful to the bard:

• Carpenter — Bows.
• Leatherworker — Leather armor.
• Goldsmith — Earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings.

Quests

Quest	Type	Level	Quest Giver	Unlocks
A Song of Bards and Bowmen		30	Luciane	Mage's Ballad
The Archer's Anthem		35	Jehantel	The Warden's Paean
Bard's-eye View		40	Jehantel	Army's Paeon
Doing It the Bard Way		45	Jehantel	Rain of Death
Pieces of the Past		45	Jehantel
Requiem for the Fallen		50	Jehantel	Battle Voice A Bard's Tale I
On the Road Again		50	Jehantel
The Stiff and the Spent		52	Sanson	The Wanderer's Minuet
Requiem on Ice		54	Sanson	Empyreal Arrow
When Gnaths Cry		56	Sanson	Iron Jaws
A Saint of Song		58	Sanson
The Ballad of Oblivion		60	Sanson	Sidewinder A Bard's Tale II
Three's a Company		60	Jehantel
Masked Motives		63	Sanson
One Autumn's Secret		65	Sanson
Sleeping Truths Lie		68	Sanson
Sweet Dreams Are Made of Peace		70	Guydelot	Refulgent Arrow    Straight Shot Mastery A Bard's Tale III
A Harmony from the Heavens		80	Jehantel	A Bard's Tale IV

Actions

PvE actions

Action	Acquired		Level	Type	MP	Casting	Recast	Description
Heavy Shot	ARC		1	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 180.
Straight Shot	ARC		2	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 200.
Raging Strikes	ARC		4	Ability		Instant	80s	Increases damage dealt by 10%.
Venomous Bite	ARC		6	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 100.
Bloodletter	ARC		12	Ability		Instant	15s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 150. Shares a recast timer with Rain of Death.
Repelling Shot	ARC	1	15	Ability		Instant	30s	Jump 10 yalms away from current target. Cannot be executed while bound.
Quick Nock	ARC		18	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 150 to all enemies in a cone before you.
Windbite	ARC	1	30	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Deals wind damage with a potency of 60.
Mage's Ballad	BRD	1	30	Spell		Instant	80s	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100.
The Warden's Paean	BRD	1	35	Ability		Instant	45s	Removes one select detrimental effect from self or target party member. If the target is not enfeebled, a barrier is created nullifying the target's next detrimental effect suffered.
Barrage	ARC		38	Ability		Instant	80s	Triples the number of strikes for a single-target weaponskill. Additional effects added only once.
Army's Paeon	BRD	1	40	Spell		Instant	80s	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100.
Rain of Death	BRD	1	45	Ability		Instant	15s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 130 to target and all enemies nearby it.
Battle Voice	BRD	1	50	Ability		Instant	180s	Increases direct hit rate of all nearby party members by 20%.
The Wanderer's Minuet	BRD	1	52	Spell		Instant	80s	Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 100.
Pitch Perfect	BRD		52	Ability		Instant	3s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 100 when Repertoire stack is 1, 250 when Repertoire stack is 2, and 450 when Repertoire stack is 3.
Empyreal Arrow	BRD	1	54	Ability		Instant	15s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 230.
Iron Jaws	BRD	1	56	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 100.
Sidewinder	BRD	1	60	Ability		Instant	60s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 100.
Troubadour	BRD		62	Ability		Instant	120s	Reduces damage taken by self and nearby party members by 10%.
Caustic Bite	BRD		64	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 150.
Stormbite	BRD		64	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Deals wind damage with a potency of 100.
Nature's Minne	BRD		66	Ability		Instant	90s	Increases HP recovery via healing magic for a party member or self by 20%.
Refulgent Arrow	BRD	1	70	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 340.
Shadowbite	BRD		72	Ability		Instant	60s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 100 to target and all enemies nearby it.
Burst Shot	BRD		76	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 250.
Apex Arrow	BRD		80	Weaponskill		Instant	2.5s	Delivers an attack with a potency of 120 to all enemies in a straight line before you.

Physical Ranged DPS actions

Action	Acquired	Level	Type	MP	TP	Casting	Recast	Description
Leg Graze	Physical Ranged DPS	6	Ability			Instant	30s	Inflicts target with Heavy +40%.
Second Wind	Melee DPS Physical Ranged DPS	8	Ability			Instant	120s	Instantly restores own HP.
Foot Graze	Physical Ranged DPS	10	Ability			Instant	30s	Binds target.
Peloton	Physical Ranged DPS	20	Ability			Instant	5s	Increases movement speed of self and nearby party members as long as they remain within distance.
Head Graze	Physical Ranged DPS	24	Ability			Instant	30s	Interrupts the use of a target's action.
Arm's Length	Melee DPS Physical Ranged DPS Tank	32	Ability			Instant	120s	Creates a barrier nullifying most knockback and draw-in effects.

Traits

PvE traits

Trait	Acquired		Level	Effect
Heavier Shot	ARC		2	Adds to Heavy Shot a 20% chance that you will become Straight Shot ready.
Increased Action Damage	ARC		20	Increases base action damage by 10%.
Increased Action Damage II	ARC		40	Increases base action damage by 20%.
Bite Mastery	BRD		64	Upgrades Venomous Bite and Windbite to Caustic Bite and Stormbite respectively.
Enhanced Empyreal Arrow	BRD		68	Guarantees the trigger of the additional effects for Mage's Ballad, Army's Paeon, and the Wanderer's Minuet when Empyreal Arrow hits a target.
Straight Shot Mastery	BRD	1	70	Upgrades Straight Shot to Refulgent Arrow.
Enhanced Quick Nock	BRD		74	Adds to Quick Nock a 30% chance that the recast timer for Bloodletter and Rain of Death will be reset.
Bite Mastery II	BRD		76	Adds to Stormbite, Caustic Bite, and Iron Jaws a 35% chance that you will become Straight Shot Ready.
Heavy Shot Mastery	BRD		76	Upgrades Heavy Shot to Burst Shot.
Enhanced Army's Paeon	BRD		78	While under the effect of Army's Paeon with at least one stack of Repertoire, singing Mage's Ballad or the Wanderer's Minuet will grant Army's Muse, reducing weaponskill cast time and recast time, spell cast time and recast time, and auto-attack delay.
Soul Voice	BRD		80	Increases Soul Voice Gauge by 5 each time Repertoire is granted.

Job mechanics

Song & Soul Voice Gauge is Bard's Job Gauge.

Song Gauge in PvE

Upon learning the Mage's Ballad, the Song Gauge will be displayed, which indicates the effect's remaining duration. When damage over time is dealt by your Venomous Bite/Caustic Bite or Windbite/Stormbite, there is a chance you will be granted Repertoire, resetting the recast timer of Bloodletter (acquired at level 12) and Rain of Death (acquired at level 45).

Singing Army's Paeon will display its corresponding Song Gauge, which indicates the effect's remaining duration. When damage over time is dealt by your Venomous Bite/Caustic Bite or Windbite/Stormbite, there is a chance you will be granted Repertoire, reducing weaponskill cast time and recast time, spell cast time and recast time, and auto-attack delay. This effect increases for each stack of Repertoire you accumulate up to a total of four.

Singing the Wanderer's Minuet will display its corresponding Song Gauge, which indicates the effect's remaining duration. When damage over time is dealt by your Venomous Bite/Caustic Bite or Windbite/Stormbite, there is a chance you will be granted Repertoire, allowing the execution of Pitch Perfect. The Repertoire effect can be stacked up to three times.

Simple Mode

Mage's Ballad

Army's Paeon

The Wanderer's Minuet

Soul Voice Gauge in PvE

Upon learning the trait Soul Voice, the Soul Voice Gauge will be displayed. This gauge increases in tandem with Repertoire, and is depleted when using the action Apex Arrow (acquired at level 80).

Simple Mode

Song Gauge in PvP

Singing Army's Paeon will display its corresponding Song Gauge, which indicates the effect's remaining duration. When damage over time is dealt by your Caustic Bite or Stormbite, there is a chance you will be granted Repertoire, reducing weaponskill cast time and recast time. This effect increases for each stack of Repertoire you accumulate up to a total of four.

Singing the Wanderer's Minuet will display its corresponding Song Gauge, which indicates the effect's remaining duration. When damage over time is dealt by your Caustic Bite or Stormbite, there is a chance you will be granted Repertoire, allowing the execution of Pitch Perfect. The Repertoire effect can be stacked up to three times.

Simple Mode

Army's Paeon

The Wanderer's Minuet

Soul Voice Gauge in PvP

The Soul Voice Gauge increases when using certain actions such as Burst Shot, and is consumed to execute Apex Arrow. The potency of Apex Arrow increases as the Soul Voice Gauge exceeds the minimum cost.

Simple Mode

Gallery

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  Bard Artifact Armor in 3.0 Heavensward.

• 

  Bard Artifact Armor in 4.0 Stormblood.

• 

  Bard Artifact Armor in 5.0 Shadowbringers.

See also

• Bard Guide
• Bard Endgame Rotations
• Bard Macros

External links

• FinalFantasyXIV.com Bard on the official website.

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Jobs