i feel like bard epic gets overrated a bit, especially if its true that the lvl 32 mana song is unaffected by singing mod as noted on the wiki (i definitely think its supposed to be modified so it could be a bug). I think when people lump bard epic in with the cleric epic, the mana song modifier is usually why.
Only other singing song you realistically use is a psalm to pump up the DS. Puretone kind of steals the thunder when its up since you just get 2.8 mod when you really want it, but obviously that has a long cooldown.
its a huge quality of life in the fact that you can melee and still have OK song power, but in terms of class power you would want to be equipping drums of the beast/lyrans mystical lute/PoSky horn right before the cast goes off. Its not really realistic for people to do that for hours on end, but its a technicality worth pointing out.
So if you only care about max instrument mods in important moments, but not having to do anything to get 1.8 mod, bard epic is a gamechanger in that sense, but technically not really a power increase. If you want to melee the only real requirement is having those primary slot instruments.
The groupwide haste/str/atk buff is really nice, so roughly equivalent to the enc epic clicky being kept up on a group of melee, i believe the str/atk also stacks with everything else so that is something of value in itself as well. Very good if you're thrown in a group with a bunch of rogues, but usually its mana song duty and you cant be both in melee range and in range of the clerics.
so all that being said, bard epic is definitely up there, mostly because half the epics really aren't that amazing but i dont think it's on another level like cleric epic is. I think rogue epic and monk epic (i guess with the assumption that they needed the haste their epics provide.) are way bigger power increases.
breath of harmony is also criminally underrated, especially if you're a primary slot instrument enjoyer.
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