Bard > STR, CON, DEX, INT?

Dochitha

Which is the best for a bard?

Thank you!

Atalkez

If you want to abuse Accentato Scaling, max STR with lvl 3 rapier is pretty obscene damage.

Bard doesn't benefit much from Int or Dex. Con, is con. Always is a good option.

Xinna

It's also worth noting that you pretty much need to be con spec to be competitive if you're below a certain level. If you're a dragon, then STR is the ez-mode way to go, though. STR is also really nice for bashing, though the above applies there too: you still probably want a certain amount of health first.

Rangor

Min/max ftw. Max str, then int and stack them mental. Con is for defeatist and loosers!

Sena

In PvP, accentato is affected by int, same as always. Against denizens, accentato is purely based on jab damage now, so it's not affected by int or collar, and is affected by str and rapier damage.

Amranu

Atalkez said:

If you want to abuse Accentato

Working as intended™

Atalkez

Doesn't change the fact that you can abuse people with it ^_^

Klendathu

Don't skimp on int, voicecraft uses mana

Dochitha

Does Dex spec makes them harder to get hit by physical classes?

Mishgul

the problem with dex is, that it only helps when you don't need it defensively, and most classes have ways of negating it entirely (paralysis, proning). It slows down a BM's prep a little bit, and might keep you alive against a damage druid. Otherwise it's only good if you are serpent

Gamoneterik

To just rezz this, because...

I may have to read back through le classleads to get back into Bard... But this confuses me... Atalkez said:

If you want to abuse Accentato Scaling, max STR with lvl 3 rapier is pretty obscene damage.

Bard doesn't benefit much from Int or Dex. Con, is con. Always is a good option.

Was always INT scaling accentato damage. Do I now only have a lvl 3 sash because it makes me look more Greco-Roman and diplomatic or what?

Clarification would be appreciated. Got a while before I'm effective as a Bard yet.

Kenway

It scales off of both. If I remember right from my testing str is slightly better scaling just 'cause it also modifies how much damage you do per jab. Honestly though I don't think it matters much now since accentato damage has been reduced pretty significantly. It now scales very very quickly with mental affs so it's more about stacking those on than just abusing stats and jabbing prefarar singing limerick till they stop moving.

Gamoneterik

Shit wish I had have gone here rather than asking on the clans before choosing my traits.

I didn't know that about denizen damage. Ah well.

Traits are traits though, right... I think the way they are beginning to balance them means that their truly is flavour for individual styles of play.

Eigen

Sorry to necro this thread, but it sounds like this is sort of the gist, correct me if I've misunderstood or if they don't apply in 2018:

- Nimble trait is basically a necessity
- Prioritize CON > STR/INT
- Soulpiercers > forged
- Diadem basically a necessity

Minifie

Nimble for sure
You can go str > con but make sure you are at least dragon, and probably have some defensive arties first.
Soulpiercer >> forged, but level 1 is more than enough. I'd put level 1 around the same value as defensive arties, and then level 2 and 3 can come when you want to start punishing people faster.
Diadem is near necessary for everyone, ya you can get by without it of course, but it's an amazing artie.

Eigen

Thanks @Minifie, and I forgot to ask this one as well: a couple of years ago Horkval was pretty popular for bard. What's the flavor of the month these days, in terms of race, and why?

[Deleted User]

Still Horkval, if you're gunning for 'best'

Others like Xoran or Troll can work, because of good con/str balance, obviously less outright tanky though because horkval armour > leather armour.

Caled

I don't know how long ago races were adjusted but it seems like the changes didn't achieve what I guess the goal was if trolls, xorans and horkval make the best bards.

Minifie

Caled said:

I don't know how long ago races were adjusted but it seems like the changes didn't achieve what I guess the goal was if trolls, xorans and horkval make the best bards.

It really depends, they are the best for min/maxing and mostly due to horkval being well balanced with racial armour > leather, troll and xoran have 15str while no other race does, so it is maxed damage and max defense, though dwarf has the best range of defense. 

You can still pretty much go any race, these are just the max choices.

Caled

Perhaps it's more the fault of dexterity and the bard class itself then, and less the races. It does seem weird that strength would affect rapier damage - I would expect it to be a combination of dex + int.

Antonius

Caled said:

Perhaps it's more the fault of dexterity and the bard class itself then, and less the races. It does seem weird that strength would affect rapier damage - I would expect it to be a combination of dex + int.

You've been playing too much D&D. Strength is the stat which determines how hard you hit things.

Caled

I know that. Just saying it doesn't make sense. If dex can be the damage stat for one class, why not another? 

Calira

Caled said:

I know that. Just saying it doesn't make sense. If dex can be the damage stat for one class, why not another? 

I don't think that dex is the damage stat for any class

Minifie

Calira said:

Caled said:

I know that. Just saying it doesn't make sense. If dex can be the damage stat for one class, why not another? 

I don't think that dex is the damage stat for any class

buffs garrote speed at least, which is a damage increase. 

I still think another dex class or just more use out of dex would be nice.

Caled

It may affect archery as well. Or that info may be out of date. c.2001 bows scaled off dex and crossbows strength. 

Reyson

Bow damage is fixed afaik. Target resistances and bow level is the only thing that matters, I think?

Kiet

Achaea bows did not scale off dex in 2001. As far as I know they literally never have but maybe in like 1997.

Antonius

Minifie said:

Calira said:

Caled said:

I know that. Just saying it doesn't make sense. If dex can be the damage stat for one class, why not another? 

I don't think that dex is the damage stat for any class

buffs garrote speed at least, which is a damage increase. 

I still think another dex class or just more use out of dex would be nice.

That's a damage per second increase, not a damage increase. There's an important distinction between the two.

Caled

Kiet said:

Achaea bows did not scale off dex in 2001. As far as I know they literally never have but maybe in like 1997.

You might be right. I didn't HAVE a bow. I remember starting playing and a handful of the older players (Thakren comes to mind) were telling me why troll knights should use crossbows, and serpent class darkbows.

Not even sure why I remember that so clearly.

Kiet

A lot of people were exceptionally bad at combat and/or mechanics in early Achaea.

Sena

Antonius said:

Minifie said:

buffs garrote speed at least, which is a damage increase. 

I still think another dex class or just more use out of dex would be nice.

That's a damage per second increase, not a damage increase. There's an important distinction between the two.

Also worth noting that it only applies to PvE, dex doesn't affect garrote in any way against players.