Support Bard Build

Support Bard Build.

Support Bard build with runes and items. Support Bard guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Support Bard build in League of Legends Patch 26.10!

Author: Don Gastro

TLDR

Starting items
Guardian's Horn should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Bard ability Cosmic Binding should be leveled first.
Q
Bard ability Caretaker's Shrine should be leveled second.
W
Bard ability Magical Journey should be leveled third.
E
Final items
Ionian Boots of Lucidity should be final item in your build.
Redemption should be final item in your build.
Locket of the Iron Solari should be final item in your build.
Warmog's Armor should be final item in your build.
Liandry's Torment should be final item in your build.
Bandlepipes should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Guardian from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Domination.
Summoner spells
Pick Exhaust as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Support Bard Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Domination
Domination minor tree Cheap Shot rune.
Domination minor tree Taste of Blood rune.
Domination minor tree Sudden Impact rune.
Domination minor tree Sixth Sense rune.
Domination minor tree Grisly Mementos rune.
Domination minor tree Deep Ward rune.
Domination minor tree Treasure Hunter rune.
Domination minor tree Relentless Hunter rune.
Domination minor tree Ultimate Hunter rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

Optional Summoner Spells

Heal

Heal

Good option if you want extra healing and sustain for your team. Provides movement speed burst and can be used in clutch situations.

Mark

Mark

Mark (Snowball) for more go-in potential if you want to play aggressively.

Ignite

Ignite

Offensive option and fun button to press. Reduces your going-in potential, but adds some damage and Grievious Wounds for enemy healing. Good to score some kills early.

Optional Runes

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying is a solid alternative. You become more tanky over time as your HP grows, you get some sustain and you get some damage as well.

Presence of Mind

Presence of Mind

Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.

Demolish

Demolish

If you are into taking objectives, you can consider taking Demolish rune. Usually it is worth it and lets you push turrets quicker. Utility slash team oriented option.

Looking for another support build? Check these:
HealerBardHeliaBard

How it works

  1. As Bard playing a Support, your main goal is to soak up damage while protecting your carries.
  2. You offer excellent crowd control and peel, making it harder for the enemy team to reach your backline.
  3. Adapt your playstyle depending on your team's needs: either engage and start fights, or sit back and peel for your carries.
  4. Make sure to counter enemy team. Itemize defensively based on the main damage type of the enemy team.

Playstyle

  1. 🎭

    Identify your role: engage, peel, or frontline.

  2. 🛡️

    Soak damage and protect your carries. Use CC and utility to control fights.

  3. 🧰

    Adapt items to counter the enemy team.

How to play

Support Bard

  1. Redemption has a very solid build path. You can start with Kindlegem + Forbidden Idol and take a convenient reset to complete the item and spend the surplus gold on boots or defensive components to build into Locket
  1. Identify your role within the team (engage, peel, frontline)
  2. You can rush Redemption, this is very good early item.

Adaptation

  1. If your team needs engage, go Shurelya's Battlesong.
  2. Your team getting poked to death? Consider getting Redemption AND/OR Locket of the Iron Solari next.
  3. If your team needs peel, go Knight's Vow and Locket of the Iron Solari.
  4. Knight's Vow is a surprisingly good item. Buy it and use it if you have carry or bruiser/fighter who is doing well.
  5. You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.

Buffing your team

  1. Bandlepipes is a great utility item for engaging and buffing your auto attackers when you CC enemies.

Runes

  1. Remember that you need to keep close to your allies to trigger Guardian.
  2. Be careful to not waste Guardian randomly. Try keeping it for when you or your ally are about to take some serious damage.

Tips and Tricks

Champion

Traveler's Call
Traveler's Call (Passive)

  1. Collecting chimes is essential. It improves your damage and Traveler's Call (Passive) effects, gives mana and movement speed. Do it!
  2. Low on mana? Collect some chimes.

Caretaker's Shrine
Caretaker's Shrine (W)

  1. Use your Caretaker's Shrine (W). Put it somewhere behind your team, so they can use it when needed and enemy can't destroy it. Let it charge for increased Healing.
  2. You can have 3 Caretaker's Shrine (W) at the same time. You can leave 2 W behind your team for healing.

Magical Journey
Magical Journey (E)

  1. Magical Journey (E) is an interesting tool that you can use in ARAM. You can aggressively E into an enemy team or play mind games with them.

Tempered Fate
Tempered Fate (R)

  1. You have great engaging tool with your Tempered Fate (R). Play with your team and do not wait for 'special moment'. You can land great R, catching people off and making engagements possible.
  2. Identify the best targets for your Ultimate. Is there an enemy who lacks mobility? That's a good target. Sometimes you can use it for disrupting fights. Or for protecting your allies. Be mindful!

Build

Redemption

  1. Tempered Fate (R) and Redemption both last 2.5s, letting Redemption land exactly as stasis ends for guaranteed heal or damage.
  2. Cast Redemption instantly after confirming that Tempered Fate (R) hit (projectile travel time varies). This combo effectively removes Redemption cast time, enabling clutch heals or finishing damage
  3. Redemption long range lets Bard contribute from far away, even while roaming or dead.

Riot

  1. It's important to collect chimes to improve your meep's attacks, but don't neglect your lane partner! Try to make a big entrance by bringing an ally into the lane with you with Magical Journey.
  2. Let your Caretaker's Shrines charge up - they heal for a lot more when at full power.
  3. Don't forget that enemies can also use your Magical Journey doorways, and that your ultimate can also hit your allies!

Skill Order

  • Bard [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Cosmic Binding
  • Bard [object Object] ability.
    W
    Caretaker's Shrine
  • Bard [object Object] ability.
    E
    Magical Journey
  • Bard [object Object] ability.
    R
    Tempered Fate

Items

Starting items
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Plated Steelcaps item.
For peel
Redemption item.
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
For engage
Shurelya's Battlesong item.
Good tank items
Protoplasm Harness item.
Bandlepipes item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Good MR items
Force of Nature item.
Spirit Visage item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Good Armor items
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Thornmail item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Frozen Heart item.
Situational items
Wit's End item.
Liandry's Torment item.
Zeke's Convergence item.
Titanic Hydra item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Example final build
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Redemption item.
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Liandry's Torment item.
Bandlepipes item.