Bard · Support
Bard Items: What to Buy and When
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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.
Overview
This guide explains every item in Bard's builds and when to buy it. Your spikes are level 6, when Tempered Fate comes online, and each completed item: Moonstone Renewer first, then Echoes of Helia.
Strengths
- Crowd control: Cosmic Binding applies a stun to set up kills.
- Sustain from Caretaker's Shrine.
- Long attack range (500) for safe trades in lane.
Weaknesses
- No dash or blink in the kit: vulnerable to ganks without vision.
- Hard to master: Riot rates its difficulty 9/10.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Standard buildBalancedRecommendedThe default path: Moonstone Renewer, Echoes of Helia and Imperial Mandate give the health, ability power and mana regeneration this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.
- Burst buildOffensiveAdvancedAll-in on damage: Shadowflame, Void Staff and Bloodletter's Curse stack ability power, magic penetration and health. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.
- Defensive buildDefensiveSituationalKeeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Locket of the Iron Solari, Hollow Radiance and Knight's Vow. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.
Builds
Standard build
When to use it
The default path: Moonstone Renewer, Echoes of Helia and Imperial Mandate give the health, ability power and mana regeneration this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
1100%- SupportMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Moonstone RenewerHealth, ability power and mana regeneration.
- 2Echoes of HeliaHealth, ability power and mana regeneration.
- 3Imperial MandateAbility power, mana regeneration and ability haste.
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Sorcery
Secondary· Resolve
Shards
Summoner spells
Flash
Exhaust
Burst build
When to use it
All-in on damage: Shadowflame, Void Staff and Bloodletter's Curse stack ability power, magic penetration and health. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
1100%- SupportMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1ShadowflameAbility power and magic penetration.
- 2Void StaffMagic penetration and ability power.
- 3Bloodletter's CurseHealth, ability power and magic penetration.
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Sorcery
Secondary· Inspiration
Shards
Summoner spells
- Flash
Ignite
Defensive build
When to use it
Keeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Locket of the Iron Solari, Hollow Radiance and Knight's Vow. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
1100%- SupportMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Locket of the Iron SolariHealth, magic resist and armor, with an active.
- 2Hollow RadianceHealth, magic resist and health regeneration, with an aura.
- 3Knight's VowHealth, health regeneration and armor, with an active.
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Resolve
Secondary· Inspiration
Shards
Summoner spells
- Flash
- Exhaust
Abilities
Traveler's CallPassiveMeeps: Bard attracts lesser spirits that assist with his basic attacks to deal extra magic damage. When Bard has collected enough Chimes , his meeps will also deal damage in an area and slow enemies hit. Chimes: Ancient chimes randomly appear for Bard to collect. These grant experience, restore mana, and provide out of combat Move Speed.
QCosmic Binding11/10/9/8/7s60 mpBard fires a missile which will slow the first enemy struck, and continue onward. If it strikes a wall, it will stun the initial target; if it strikes another enemy, it will stun them both.- Cooldown
- 11·10·9·8·7
- Cost
- 60
- Range
- 25000
WCaretaker's Shrine70 mpReveals a Health shrine which powers up over a short time, disappearing after healing and speeding up the first ally that touches it.- Cost
- 70
- Range
- 800
EMagical Journey22/20.5/19/17.5/16s30 mpBard opens a portal in nearby terrain. Allies and enemies alike can take a one-way trip through that terrain by moving into the portal.- Cooldown
- 22·20.5·19·17.5·16
- Cost
- 30
- Range
- 900
RTempered FateUltimate110/95/80s100 mpBard sends spirit energy arcing to a location, putting all champions, minions, monsters, and turrets hit into stasis for a brief time.- Cooldown
- 110·95·80
- Cost
- 100
- Range
- 3400
Strategy
1Starting items
What to buy before leaving the base, and what each item gives:
- World Atlas — Health and mana regeneration.
- Health Potion — Health regeneration.
2Core items
Your spikes are level 6, when Tempered Fate comes online, and each completed item: Moonstone Renewer first, then Echoes of Helia. Buy them in this order; each one is a power spike:
- Ionian Boots of Lucidity
- Moonstone Renewer — Health, ability power and mana regeneration.
- Echoes of Helia — Health, ability power and mana regeneration.
- Imperial Mandate — Ability power, mana regeneration and ability haste.
3Situational items
Swap these in depending on the enemy team:
- Zhonya's Hourglass — Against heavy physical damage.
- Banshee's Veil — Against heavy magic damage.
- Morellonomicon — Cuts the enemy's healing.
- Void Staff — Against tanky teams.
4Adapting to the game
The damage build moves the offensive items forward when you're ahead; the defensive one adds survival when the enemy focuses you. The situational builds in the matchups guide answer specific threats.
Tips
- Buy Moonstone Renewer as early as you can: it's your first real spike.
- Complete one item before starting the next: half-built items give less than one finished one.
- Look at the enemy team at every back and adjust the situational items.
- Don't sit on gold: spend it when you go back.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 16.19.1.
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