Bard healing gets no respect

[Chette]

I well build bard played by a skilled multitasker is, IMO, one of the best builds you can make. A bard that bring substantial DPS to the party (including increased hit/damage for all that like to hit things), that knows when to jump in and fascinate, that throws a few buffs to help out the caster, and that heals as needed, is one of the most powerful characters possible. I always feel powerful when playing my 18/2 bard/fighter warchanter. She is well geared out and brings significant DPS, but also carries maximize and quicken, full healing enhancements, and a decent spell point pool for healing.

I got complimented the other day and told that I had a seriously kick-ass bard (I was fighting buffing and healing while the cleric and wizard were too distracted DPSing). It felt really great to hear. I brush off compliments on other characters, it's easy to impress people with your healing on your FvS in normal shroud, but I love it when people notice how helpful having a bard around can be. If it makes them more willing to bring along, or heck, even build their own bard, then it's a marvelous thing.

[Gkar]

We've done All-Bard Shrouds on Argo with only one Bard doing "main healing" (i.e. fully specced out for heals) and one other Bard throwing back-up heals. You really don't need Mass Heal for any raid, and I know a lot of Clerics who heal Shroud using solely MCLW/MCMW.

New people don't know that for a couple years when there was no mass heal (or when it was bugged to only hit 6 people) and there wasn't gear to increase MCCW, and there were no PrEs or SP clickies, all the clerics just used MCLW/MCMW/MCSW

[Sweyn]

Yes, bards specced for healing, can in fact heal. Maybe not as well as well-geared divines, but certainly enough for SHROUD on NORMAL. And even that, a well-geared and well played bard outheals 99% of pug clerics. You don't have to leave the group just because we only have 1 divine.

Oh, you joined the other shroud LFM that was just posted? Congratulations on being inconsiderate and wasting everyone's time, especially the people who waited the whole time for the group to fill and were left out. How nice of you.

Gotta love e-rage.

[PNellesen]

Yes, bards specced for healing, can in fact heal. Maybe not as well as well-geared divines, but certainly enough for SHROUD on NORMAL. And even that, a well-geared and well played bard outheals 99% of pug clerics. You don't have to leave the group just because we only have 1 divine.

I'm not on Khyber, but Bards can join my clerics for Shrouds, or any other quest, anytime (give me some sweet, sweet SP, Mr. Spellsinger!) and if I'm on my melees and I see 1 Bard and 1 Cleric in a raid, I assume we have 2 healers PLUS great buffs and CC.

I do agree, though, that Bards are VASTLY underrated by many players, to their detriment.

[Oakianus]

I honestly don't mind being so underrated at all. Even when no one mentions that we'd have lost four of our DPS in a shroud if I hadn't been spamming MCSW/MCLW or remembers that every time they hear that 'thwack' sound I've added 4 to the little number that pops up, I certainly know it.

I'm still trying to perfect being CC specced and don't know that I'd feel comfortable trying to solo-heal against Harry, but it's nice when people have low expectations. Then when you **** up, no one blames you. :P

[Chai]

2 full heal specced divine for a normal shroud? With 1 full heal specced divine the bards job would be to sing and DPS, or sing and pike if they arent specced into DPS. Tossing a MCMW once in a while is merely disguising the piking at that point, heh.

[phalaeo]

I don't know why people get so upset about this. Look in your bag at how many medium mats you have, and then consider that only mediums drop in those chests.
Those chests are for newbs, so if newbs screw up and lose them, who cares?

I'm running Shrouds for crafting mats and loot to crunch. So I care.

[Bodic]

yeah it does stink:
not that I know a bard whom solo healed an EDQ with 1 sorc 1 rog 2 AA rang 1 dmnk, but then again each toon self healed also :P

Just to Clarify EDQ is the DEMON QUEEN RAID ON EPIC(the only way a lvl 20 should roll).
I have no clue what DQ2 or ADQ2 are there is an ADQ which is the pre-quest for DQ.

[jydog100]

I'm tempted to make a healer bard to semi-pike though...but idk how I'd lvl it unless I dual boxed it =P

level it as a warchanter....one of my bards was one of the few warchanter/tempest builds running around khyber at the 16 cap and was a blast to play (rapier specced, dual banishers in the vale, wop's, etc would rock). as the game evolved she became useless as a 14/6 squishy wc in amrath/epics so i lr'd into a dc spell singer/healer.

I like when I see a group for shroud with 11 people, 1 healer, no bards and I get turned down on 1 of my pure bards.
hmmm, dont think i wanted to join anyway

[Blank_Zero]

level it as a warchanter....one of my bards was one of the few warchanter/tempest builds running around khyber at the 16 cap and was a blast to play (rapier specced, dual banishers in the vale, wop's, etc would rock). as the game evolved she became useless as a 14/6 squishy wc in amrath/epics so i lr'd into a dc spell singer/healer.

Might try that out. I already have my warchanter capped. Just getting gear on her slowly while I wait to tr her.

[Cam_Neely]

I do agree, though, that Bards are VASTLY underrated by many players, to their detriment.

I also think its similar to the rogues being squishy and not dps myth. Many Bards are vastly underplayed.

I've played with some fantastic bards, that make a huge different in the party, go out of their way to buff proactively, heal, and have great dps, while others just sing songs every 7 min.