Bards Vs. Enchanters

[jerok88]

Originally Posted by Kevlar [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

An enchanter is always adding to a group in multiple ways, be it CC, DPS, Mana Regen, Melee Haste.

A bard can do the same things, just on a more limited scale. The bards more limited abilities are also more easily replaced than the enchanter. The bard does not add as much to the group, and can not add everything at the same time like an enchanter.

There is a reason the "Holy Trinity" was War/Cler/Chanter, not War/Cler/Bard.

Let me list some major abilities

Bard - haste, overhaste (in velious) selos, snare, slow, fear, mez, charm, mana regen, hp regen, stamina regen, lull, DoT songs for dps, no mana require for songs, invis, find corpse, debuff ac, debuff resists, damage shield, absord dmg shield, plate armor, dual-wield melee, track, sneak, hide, pick lock, str/agi/dex/int/wis/cha buff, atk buff, see invis, ac buff, resist buffs, song of highsun (gates mob back to start),

Ench - haste, slow, mez, mana regen, stun, charm, pet, debuff, ac, debuff resists, damage shield, invis, root, ac buff, regen stam, fear, str/dex/agi/int/wis/cha buff, str buff

So bard can do a lot more than an ench can, can make up for weakness in a group in ways the ench can't.
No dru/rang/nec? Bard snare.
No ench/sham? Bard slow/mana/haste.
No tank? Bard tank up to a point.
No puller? Bard pull.
Heals low? Bard regen.
Time to run? Drum selos.

The ench is required for places where the bard can't mez, and for leet charm dps at higher levels, but I would take a well played bard over an ench in 90% of my groups. Only an enchanter is required I must say, although bard resist songs are up there in terms of necessity.

[Vermicelli]

For some reason, people always neglect to mention the -40% bard xp penalty. This is no reason at all to refuse a bard a group! Just sayin it gets left out it is all

[Arrisard]

Originally Posted by Vermicelli [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

For some reason, people always neglect to mention the -40% bard xp penalty. This is no reason at all to refuse a bard a group! Just sayin it gets left out it is all

More accurately, it'd be a 30% difference in exp totals for bard vs enchanter. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Vermicelli]

Ohh good catch, because all INT casters have a -10% xp penalty =D