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== Spotlight ==
== Spotlight ==
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[[File:Bard Champion Spotlight|center]]
== About ==
== About ==
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=== Gameplay ===
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{{ci|Bard}} is League’s first support to gain advantages solely from ''moving around'' [[Summoner's Rift]]. By constantly collecting his {{ai|Traveler's Call|Bard|unique chimes}}, he covers plenty of ground at all stages of a game, and offers his team both solid sustain with his {{ai|Caretaker's Shrine|Bard|health packs}} and unrivalled team mobility with his long range {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard|portals}}.
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==== Laning ====
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Even if he ''is'' a wandering spirit, Bard first has to identify the best windows of opportunity to roam before he runs off - he can't just abandon his marksman whenever he pleases. By making runs when his lane’s pushed or when his marksman has recalled, Bard can successfully roam without placing his teammate in imminent danger, then return to lane by the time he’s needed. It can also be strategic to delay collecting {{ai|Traveler's Call|Bard|chimes}} until there are many that can be collected at once; {{ai|Traveler's Call|Bard|chime}} collection gives a speed boost and Bard moves quite swiftly when chaining multiple {{ai|Traveler's Call|Bard|chimes}}.
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And while Bard roams around collecting his {{ai|Traveler's Call|Bard|chimes}}, he has plenty of tools to support his allies. Laying down a {{ai|Caretaker's Shrine|Bard}} or two near friendly turrets gives Bard’s teammates the sustain to recover lanes that are losing, or overwhelm ones that are winning, and all without the Wandering Caretaker staying in lane. Bard’s {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard}}s cover long distances in specific locations, too, gifting friendly fighters and tanks quick access to the enemy team’s jungle, and mages easy access to their own blue buff. The portals needn’t propel just Bard and his pals through the ''jungle'', though - coordinating them with allied movement means Bard can quickly move his damage-dealing allies into lane ganks and toward objective control. That said, {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard}} is best used when his enemies are both seen and distant - they serve little use when enemy assassins simply follow Bard through the portal before claiming lives.
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Bard offers more than pure sustain and mobility, though, and fires out solid poke whenever he’s in lane thanks to {{ai|Cosmic Bindings|Bard}}. Though it deals meaningful damage on its own, the slow (and if procced, stun) give Bard surprising ganking potential, particularly when used in conjunction with {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard}}. Enemies will have to think twice about escaping through the bottom and top lane brush when Bard can pin them to the nearby wall with a well-placed {{ai|Cosmic Bindings|Bard|Q}}.
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Once Bard hits six, he gains countless opportunities to secure and protect objectives across [[Summoner’s Rift]] thanks to the incredible versatility of {{ai|Tempered Fate|Bard}}. If the enemy team’s tower diving a stranded ally, casting the ability over them grants them a few precious seconds of invulnerability while Bard’s team comes to the rescue. The ability has offensive uses, too, like freezing a lone enemy while Bard’s team closes in for the kill, or freezing an enemy turret while Bard and his allies get to work on diving their suddenly unprotected targets.
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===Teamfights===
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The Wandering Caretaker has plenty of ways to control areas of the map come mid game. Even if his team arrives late to a {{ci|Dragon}} attempt, Bard can cast {{ai|Tempered Fate|Bard}} over the dragon before creating a {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard}} into the beast’s pit. Suddenly what seemed like a simple dragon kill turns into a contested {{bi|Dragonslayer|dragon buff}} and a full-scale teamfight. Here, Bard’s role changes to backline utility support. By planting a few Shrines around his team’s objective, he gives his team an automatic sustain advantage - allowing his frontline tanks to temporarily pull back to top their health back up, or squishier allies to recover if they get chunked down. {{ai|Cosmic Bindings|Bard}} becomes increasingly useful in tight areas, too - without large spaces to escape to, it’s much more likely to tether against a nearby wall or second enemy, stunning both units while Bard’s team secure valuable kills. Provided he’s collected enough of the {{ai|Traveler's Call|Bard|chimes}} through the course of the game, even Bard’s {{ci|Meep}}s offer solid utility, slowing and damaging fleeing enemies once the fight is over.
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Finally, {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard}} offers Bard the chance to bring copious amounts of mischief to [[Summoner’s Rift]]. Baiting the enemy team into following him through a {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard|portal}} before stunning them with {{ai|Cosmic Bindings|Bard}} can bring about a quick and brutal ace, or drag them out of position, letting Bard sacrifice himself as his team emerges elsewhere from the fog of war to tear the enemy’s defenses apart.
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=== Synergy ===
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{| class="article-table" style="width: 100%;" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"
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|-
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! width="50%" |'''Works well with:'''
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! width="50%" |'''Struggles against:'''
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|-
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|[[File:Caitlyn OriginalLoading.jpg|right|100px]]'''Caitlyn'''
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While other Marksmen might suffer on their own, {{ci|Caitlyn}} has all tools she needs to survive while Bard roams Summoner’s Rift. Her {{ai|Piltover Peacemaker|Caitlyn}} rounds clear waves quickly and safely, her {{ai|Yordle Snap Trap|Caitlyn}} can keep her relatively safe from enemy junglers, and if all else fails, {{ai|90 Caliber Net|Caitlyn}} often gives her enough mobility to escape from otherwise deadly spots. When Bard’s in lane, well-aimed {{ai|Cosmic Bindings|Bard}} casts help the Sheriff land her {{ai|Piltover Peacemaker|Caitlyn}}s, too.
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|[[File:Rek'Sai OriginalLoading.jpg|right|100px]]'''Rek'Sai'''
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The quickest way to kill a wandering support is with an aggressive jungler, and none sees further than {{ci|Rek'Sai}}. By using Tremor Sense to track the roaming {{ci|Bard}}, {{ci|Rek'Sai}} can tunnel in, knock up and kill the Wandering Caretaker before escaping to safety. If {{ci|Bard|Bard’s}} jungle is well warded, {{ci|Rek'Sai}} can reposition with {{ai|Void Rush|Rek'Sai}} to claim her kill, too.
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|-
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|[[File:Udyr OriginalLoading.jpg|right|100px]]'''Udyr'''
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{{ci|Udyr|Udyr’s}} a beast once he gets to his target’s face, but traditionally has trouble getting there in the first place. That’s where {{ci|Bard}} comes in - {{ai|Caretaker's Shrine|Bard}} gives the Spirit Walker the speed he needs to accelerate him into the heart of most enemy teams. And even if the enemy still gets away, {{ci|Bard}} can help with accurate {{ai|Cosmic Bindings|Bard}} casts, and, if needed, {{ai|Tempered Fate|Bard}}.
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|[[File:Draven OriginalLoading.jpg|right|100px]]'''Draven'''
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{{ci|Bard}} can only comfortably roam when his Marksman faces up against opponents who favor sustained damage over burst. {{ci|Draven}}, with his brutal early game power, is anything but that, and will comfortably shred much more of his target’s health than {{ci|Bard|Bard’s}} {{ai|Caretaker's Shrine|Bard|Shrines}} could hope to restore.
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|-
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|[[File:Amumu OriginalLoading.jpg|right|100px]]'''Amumu'''
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The Sad Mummy has one of League’s strongest team fight initiation combos, but {{ai|Bandage Toss|Amumu}} into {{ai|Curse of the Sad Mummy|Amumu}} is only effective when {{ci|Amumu}} actually lands his {{ai|Bandage Toss|Amumu|Q}}. {{ci|Bard}} can speed {{ci|Amumu}} into position with a smart {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard}} before slowing his mark with {{ai|Cosmic Bindings|Bard}}. Even if he misses, {{ci|Bard}} can simply fire {{ai|Tempered Fate|Bard}} at his team’s target while {{ci|Amumu}} walks into position to unleash his {{ai|Curse of the Sad Mummy|Amumu|ultimate}}.
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|[[File:Leona OriginalLoading.jpg|right|100px]]'''Leona'''
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Similar to {{ci|Draven}}, {{ci|Leona}} exacerbates {{ci|Bard|Bard’s}} weaknesses by being a classic lane bully. In a favorable two vs one lane, {{ci|Leona|Leona’s}} all the more likely to activate {{ai|Eclipse|Leona}} before using {{ai|Zenith Blade|Leona}} and {{ai|Shield of Daybreak|Leona}} to close in and stun {{ci|Bard|Bard’s}} lone marksman, even under tower.
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|}
== Recommended Items ==
== Recommended Items ==
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{{ri
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|map = Summoner's Rift
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|s1 = Health Potion
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|s1# = 2
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|s2 = Stealth Ward
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|s3 = Warding Totem
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|s4 = Spellthief's Edge
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|e1 = Sightstone
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|e2 = Boots of Mobility
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|e3 = Frost Queen's Claim
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|o1 = Locket of the Iron Solari
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|o2 = Twin Shadows
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|o3 = Mikael's Crucible
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|d1 = Frozen Heart
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|d2 = Randuin's Omen
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|d3 = Banshee's Veil
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|c1 = Health Potion
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|c2 = Mana Potion
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|c3 = Stealth Ward
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|c4 = Vision Ward}}
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{{ri
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|map = Howling Abyss
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|s1 = Boots of Speed
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|s2 = Health Potion
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|s3 = Mana Potion
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|s4 = Chalice of Harmony
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|s2# = 2
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|e1 = Nashor's Tooth
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|e2 = Athene's Unholy Grail
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|e3 = Sorcerer's Shoes
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|o1 = Rabadon's Deathcap
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|o2 = Void Staff
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|o3 = Liandry's Torment
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|d1 = Rylai's Crystal Scepter
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|d2 = Zhonya's Hourglass
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|c1 = Health Potion
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|c2 = Mana Potion}}
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{{ri
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|map = Crystal Scar
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|s1 = Boots of Speed
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|s2 = Health Potion
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|s2# = 2
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|s3 = Prospector's Ring
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|e1 = Sorcerer's Shoes
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|e2 = Abyssal Scepter
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|e3 = Haunting Guise
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|o1 = Void Staff
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|o2 = Wooglet's Witchcap
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|d1 = Rylai's Crystal Scepter
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|d2 = Guardian Angel
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|d3 = Will of the Ancients
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|c1 = Health Potion
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|c2 = Mana Potion}}
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{{ri
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|map = Twisted Treeline
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|s1 = Boots of Speed
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|s2 = Doran's Ring
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|e1 = Sorcerer's Shoes
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|e2 = Wooglet's Witchcap
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|e3 = Abyssal Scepter
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|o1 = Void Staff
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|o2 = Nashor's Tooth
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|d1 = Athene's Unholy Grail
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|d2 = Rylai's Crystal Scepter
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|c1 = Health Potion
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|c2 = Mana Potion}}
== Tips ==
== Tips ==
=== Playing As {{ci|Bard}} ===
=== Playing As {{ci|Bard}} ===
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*It's important to collect {{ai|Traveler's Call|Bard|chimes}} to improve your {{ci|Meep}}'s attacks, but don't negelct your lane partner! Try to make a big entrance by bringing an ally into the lane with you with {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard}}.
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*Let your {{ai|Caretaker's Shrine|Bard}}s charge up - they heal a lot more when at full power.
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*Don't forget that enemies can also use your {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard}} doorways, and that your {{ai|Tempered Fate|Bard|ultimate}} can also hit your allies!
=== Playing Against {{ci|Bard}} ===
=== Playing Against {{ci|Bard}} ===
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*Bard's opponents can also travel through his {{ai|Magical Journey|Bard}} doorways. You can follow him, if you think it's safe.
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*You can crush Bard's {{ai|Caretaker's Shrine|Bard|healing shrines}} just by walking over them. Don't let his allies take them without a fight.
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*Bard's ultimate, {{ai|Tempered Fate|Bard}}, affects, allies, enemies, monsters, and turrets alike. Sometimes it can be to your advantage to jump into it!