At least for levels 1-45 or so, Bards should do well enough if someone wants to melee. This is assuming you can twink the Bard well. It won't be as good as bard kiting, but some people like to melee. I like melee quite a bit personally.
Using my DPS calculator, let's compare a level 40 Warrior and a level 40 Bard. Both have 150 STR, 34% Worn Haste, Swiftblade of Zek Mainhand, and Blade of Carnage Offhand. They are fighting a level 35 mob.
Without Bard Songs:
1. Warrior - 27 DPS
2. Bard - 18 DPS
This is expected, as Bards do not have Double Attack. At 200 double attack skill the Warrior will be getting about 50% more weapon swings.
Bard using Vilia's Verses of Celerity (20% Haste) + Tuyen's Chant of Flame (21 DoT damage per Tick) + Selo's Consonant Chain (~25% slow):
1. Warrior - 27 DPS
2. Bard - 21 Melee DPS + 3.5 DoT DPS = 24.5 DPS
I'm not an expert bard, so there may be a better combination of songs at that level. You can see that the Bard is now only 2.5 DPS behind the Warrior, while also slowing the mob by 25%. The slow during the fight, combined with HP regen song after the fight, should put the bard at least on par with a Warrior in terms of kills per hour, due to shorter recovery times. Plus bards can pull better than Warriors.
Reaver at level 40 would also be doing around 27 DPS on a Warrior. But obviously SBoZ + BoC is much more expensive.
I also realized Lute of the Howler is clickable at 40, going off of Vivitron's post. At levels 40+ you would certainly be on par with a Warrior if you have a Lute of the Howler, even if the Warrior has eyepatch (20% haste). Saving a song by not casting haste song would allow another song to be played for better survivability or perhaps more damage.
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