Bard Melee

[Lazortag]

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

Is bard melee a viable option if also twisting? That is the way I would like to play a bard if it was possible. I don't enjoy being out of the fray or kiting.

Not sure about earlier levels, but at level 50 it's certainly more efficient to just use DOT's.

[Gorgetrapper]

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

Not sure about earlier levels, but at level 50 it's certainly more efficient to just use DOT's.

Yeah, twisting dots with a drum is more efficient. However, when epics are available, then of course twisting in the dots and meleeing will probably be more efficient.

[Lazortag]

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

Yeah, twisting dots with a drum is more efficient. However, when epics are available, then of course twisting in the dots and meleeing will probably be more efficient.

You can actually fit in all of your dots in the time it takes for them to wear off. Basically if you go: chant of flame, chant of frost, chords of cessation, curtailing chant, denon's disruptive discord, repeat, while switching instruments for all of those songs, you won't ever "drop" any.

I don't have any special lutes except the mistmoore one, but I have selo's drum and the vox horn, so here's the amount of damage I'd do:

Chant of Flame : 62 per tick
Chant of Frost : 62 per tick
Chords of Cessation : 56 per tick
Curtailing Chant : 40 per tick
DDD: 36 per tick

So once I get them going, I do 256 damage per tick (~43 DPS), assuming no resists. With just MM drums/Lute and a normal horn, I think a Bard would do 232 damage per tick (~39 DPS), also assuming no resists (it's kind of amazing how small the difference is). Obviously this isn't viable against planar mobs, or other higher leveled creatures, who have annoyingly high resist rates.