- Lootbound Bard Build: Focus on Order and Mana to maximize healing and buff output.
- Inventory Management: Rotate items to fit aura-generating equipment that buffs adjacent gear.
- Core Stat: Order increases the effectiveness of healing, buffs, and armor restoration.
- Companion Synergy: Pair with Paladin or Warrior to benefit from the Bard's low-target attacks.
- Survival Tip: Keep the Bard alive to trigger automatic healing when party health drops below 50%.
Bard Class Overview
The Bard in Lootbound is a support-oriented class designed to sustain the party through difficult encounters. Unlike the Paladin or Warrior, the Bard relies on the Order stat to amplify the power of abilities. This class is essential for long runs, particularly in the Grimwood and Gate biomes where enemy damage output scales quickly.
Video Highlights:
- Introduction to the Bard as an unlockable companion.
- Demonstration of the Cords of Concentration ability.
- Examples of inventory management to maximize aura effects.
- Visual guide to fitting oddly-shaped Bard items into the grid.
The Bard's primary role is not to deal damage but to enable the rest of your squad. By stacking Order and Mana, you ensure that your healing abilities keep the tank (usually the Paladin) alive while your damage dealers clean up enemies.
The Bard has naturally low Defense Power. Without proper gear, enemies will target them frequently. Always prioritize Armor and Health items in your inventory to prevent early deaths.
| Stat | Role | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Primary Support Stat | Increases healing, buffs, and armor restoration effectiveness. |
| Mana | Resource Management | Allows repeated use of high-cost abilities like buffs. |
| Chaos | Secondary Stat | Increases curse effectiveness (less common for standard Bard builds). |
| Initiative | Speed | Determines turn order; high Initiative ensures healing happens before enemy attacks. |
Core Build Strategy
Building an effective Bard requires a focus on specific item types and stats. Since the Bard's abilities scale with Order, your inventory management should focus on finding items with high Order values and Aura effects that buff adjacent equipment.
Healer Build
- Focus: Maximize Order and Health.
- Goal: Trigger massive heals when allies drop below 50% HP.
- Best For: Sustaining tanks through high-damage elite fights.
Buffer Build
- Focus: High Initiative and Mana.
- Goal: Apply buffs (Damage/Crit) to the party before combat rounds end.
- Best For: Speedrunning runs or maximizing DPS output.
Thorn Master
- Focus: Thorns and Order.
- Goal: Reflect damage while healing the reflected damage amount.
- Best For: Builds utilizing the Cross Helmet of the Vow or similar items.
Many Bard-specific items have unique shapes. You must rotate your inventory grid to fit aura items centrally, ensuring they buff your weapons and armor simultaneously.
Recommended Item Priority:
| Item Priority | Type | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| High | Aura Items (Order/Armor) | Provides passive stat boosts to the whole party. |
| High | Mana Potions | Essential for keeping buffs active during long fights. |
| Medium | Health/Armor Gear | Necessary for survival due to low base defense. |
| Low | Pure Damage Weapons | The Bard's damage scaling is inferior to the Warrior or Paladin. |
Step-by-Step Build Process
Follow this progression path to optimize your Bard from the early game to the final boss.
Early Game: Survival First
In the Gate and Barracks, prioritize Armor and Health items. The Bard is fragile; if they die, you lose your primary healer. Look for loot cards offering +Armor or +Fortitude. Avoid picking damage items unless they have necessary Order stats.
Mid Game: Stack Order
Upon reaching Grimwood, start hunting for Order items. Equip items that grant +Order to increase the potency of your healing. If you find an item with an Aura that grants Order to adjacent items, place it in the center of your inventory to maximize the buff coverage.
Late Game: Aura Optimization
Before facing the Sentinel, reorganize your inventory. Ensure your Helmets and Weapons are adjacent to Aura items. Use Blacksmith nodes to add Crush or Acid gems to your Paladin's weapon, letting them handle damage while you focus entirely on keeping their health bar full.
Use Deity nodes to sacrifice excess Mana for high-tier gear. The Bard often has surplus Mana if built correctly, making this an excellent way to acquire legendary armor or aura items.
Companion Synergy
The Bard shines brightest when paired with specific companions that complement their playstyle.
| Companion | Synergy Rating | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Paladin | ★★★★★ | The Paladin has high defense and naturally draws aggro. The Bard can focus on healing the Paladin, who in turn protects the Bard. |
| Warrior | ★★★★☆ | The Warrior deals high damage but lacks sustain. The Bard's healing allows the Warrior to play aggressively without worrying about survival. |
| Sorceress | ★★★☆☆ | A double-support lineup can be safe but lacks the raw damage to break through high-armor elites efficiently. |
Tactical Tips:
- Positioning: Keep your Bard in the back row of your party formation if the game allows positional management.
- Targeting: The Bard's Cords of Concentration automatically targets the enemy with the lowest health. Use this to finish off weakened foes while your main tank hits high-armor targets.
Goals and Checklist
Use this checklist to ensure your build is on track during a run.
Essential Milestones:
- Unlock the Bard companion in the Tavern or via loot drops
- Acquire at least 2 items with the 'Order' stat
- Fit an Aura item in the inventory center
- Reach the first Campfire with zero party deaths
- Defeat an Elite encounter using only Bard/Paladin synergy
Advanced Tactics & FAQ
Once you have mastered the basics, these advanced tactics will help you dominate the endgame content.
Advanced Inventory Management: Some legendary items, like the Cross Helmet of the Vow, have shapes that are difficult to fit. You may need to discard lower-tier items that you were keeping for stats just to make room for the geometry of a legendary item. Always prioritize the Aura effect over minor stat gains.
Mana Management: The Bard's abilities can be Mana-intensive. Always carry a Dungeon Mana Potion in your consumable slot. Since consumables do not end your turn, you can use the potion and immediately follow up with a heal or buff in the same round.
Q: What is the best stat for the Bard?
**Order** is the most critical stat for the Bard. It directly increases the effectiveness of all healing, buffs, and armor restoration. Secondary stats include Health and Armor for survival.
Q: How do I trigger the Bard's healing ability automatically?
The Bard's healing triggers when a **party member's health drops below 50%**. You cannot manually activate this; it is a passive response to critical health levels. Ensure your Bard has high Order to make this heal significant.
Q: Can the Bard deal damage?
While the Bard can attack, their damage output is generally lower than the Warrior or Paladin. The Bard's attacks, like *Cords of Concentration*, are best used to finish off low-health enemies rather than as a primary damage source.
Q: Why does my Bard keep dying?
The Bard has low base defense. Enemies often target the character with the lowest defense. To fix this, equip items that increase **Fortitude** and **Armor**, or position a Paladin with high **Thorns** to draw aggro away from the Bard.