Bard
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Good (7.5/10)
High Investment Required
Epic Relics
Paid Relics
Bard is a polarizing champion who oscillates between 'broken' and 'mediocre' depending on the level of investment. While his scaling potential is theoretically infinite, he suffers from a slow early game that can be punished severely in high-difficulty adventures. He requires specific Epic relics to overcome his tempo issues. Once fully equipped, he offers a unique, highly satisfying playstyle centered on massive stat growth.
Cosmic Titan
Essential for increasing starting mana to 4 (when combined with champion levels), allowing Bard to be summoned on Turn 1. This immediate presence kickstarts chime generation and scaling instantly.
Required to activate the secondary effect of Starforged Gauntlets by adding the Titanic keyword to Bard.
Shuffles 7 copies of Bard into the deck, drastically increasing the consistency of drawing him and activating his Origin passive. It also reduces his champion spell cost, enabling low-cost buffs.
Strategy
This build solves Bard's primary weakness: his slow start. By reaching 4 starting mana, you can deploy Bard immediately on the first turn. This ensures his Origin passive (planting Chimes) begins triggering from the very start of the match rather than being delayed. The extra copies from Echoing Spirit ensure you can consistently draw into his champion spell for massive board-wide buffs.
Tempo Control
- The engine of the deck. Increases chime density and allows for spamming the Traveler's Call champion spell.
Provides immediate mana ramp upon playing Bard, allowing for instant spell usage or further development without waiting for turn-based mana accumulation.
A defensive safety net. Since Bard levels up based on total stat increases, he can often level up on play or shortly after. This relic stuns the entire enemy board, buying crucial time to stabilize.
Strategy
This setup is favored for high-difficulty 'Nightmare' adventures where enemy stats are overwhelming early on. The goal is to survive the first few turns and then drop a leveled-up Bard to stun the enemy board (Tempest Blade), resetting the tempo in your favor while you out-scale them.
Chime Consumer (Rare Only)
A budget alternative to Echoing Spirit. Creates 2 copies of Bard in the deck to help trigger his Origin passive.
Generates a fleeting Traveler's Call every round. This ensures you always have a way to trigger Chimes and buff your board, even if you don't draw more Bards.
Bard lacks inherent Overwhelm or Lifesteal. This relic allows him to consume supported allies to gain their keywords and stats, turning him into a massive, self-sufficient carry.
Strategy
Without the mana ramp of Starforged Gauntlets, this build focuses on generating value over time. Use the fleeting spell from GGC to buff units, then use Bard to consume a unit with desirable keywords (like Lifesteal or Elusive) to close out the game.
Other Relic Options
Can be used with Echoing Spirit to summon a second Bard (in a Landmark) early. When the landmark counts down, you gain a second Bard on board to double the effectiveness of his champion spell buffs.
Grants Overwhelm to the entire board if you have a subtype (Bard does not naturally, but allies might). Essential if you find yourself getting 'chump blocked' by small enemy units.
A reliable alternative to The Beast Within for granting Overwhelm to your massive units, ensuring damage pushes through to the Nexus.
Constellation
Bard's constellation upgrades are heavily focused on accelerating his scaling. His early stars increase the number of chimes planted, which is critical for his consistency. He is significantly weaker at lower star levels due to a lack of keyword generation and mana.
Caretaker's Blessing
When you summon an ally with buffed stats, grant it a random keyword.
Cosmic Presence
+1 Starting Mana. When you draw a card with chimes on it, plant two Chimes in your deck.Review
This power can be unintuitive. It triggers when you draw a card that has chimes, planting more chimes. It emphasizes the need for deck thinning to ensure you are drawing chimed cards frequently.
Caretaker's Blessing II
When you summon an ally with buffed stats, grant it two random keywords.Review
A massive power spike. Planting 2 chimes per trigger instead of 1 effectively doubles his scaling speed. This is the minimum recommended level for higher difficulty content.
Gameplay Tips
Hunt for Lifesteal
Bard's primary weakness is taking chip damage while setting up his engine. Because his units grow to enormous stats, finding any source of Lifesteal (via random keywords, the Corrupted Star Fragment relic, or adventure powers) is a top priority. A single strike with a giant Lifesteal unit can fully heal your Nexus.
Created Cards Matter
Certain powers and items reduce the cost of "created cards." Bard's champion spell, Traveler's Call, counts as a created card when generated by relics like Echoing Spirit or The Grand General's Counterplan. Prioritize cost-reduction upgrades for created cards to make your buff cycles free.
Avoid the Shrooms
Bard struggles significantly against adventures with the "Caitlyn" or "Teemo" mutators (Flashbombs/Mushrooms). His strategy relies on drawing cards and extending the game to scale, which plays directly into the hands of trap-based decks. Avoid these paths if possible.
The Echoing Spirit Interaction
Echoing Spirit is not just for drawing Bard; it is for reducing the cost of his champion spell, Traveler's Call. When you have multiple copies of Bard in the deck, you can chain these spells together to rapidly buff your board and plant dozens of chimes in a single turn. Always prioritize playing the spell over playing a second unit if your board is already established.