Everquest Bard Solo Tactics
Guide to Swarm and Charm Kiting and Indoor Soloing in EQ Video Game
Nov 26, 2007
Bards are a difficult class to play in Everquest. The class's difficulty does not come from the game mechanics which are quite simple, but from the fact that playing an Everquest bard requires constant keystrokes. It is for this reason that bards are always a short commodity.
The Everquest bard can kite while waiting for a group. He is not as good at it as a necromancer, druid, or wizard, but the risk to the bard is smaller. Despite being a group class, bards can solo well. Charm kiting, swarm kiting, and soloing dungeons are all possible for this character class. Speed buffs such as Selo's Accelerating Chorus or Spirit of Wolf are key to the outdoor soloing methods.
Charm Kiting
Charming kite is not a unique Everquest bard ability, but it is the only type of bard soloing that uses mana. Because mana regeneration for EQ bards is slow, a player will have to switch tactics if he becomes low on mana, although flowing thought abilities can reduce the the charm kiting down time. To use this, a bard must pull multiple monsters, charm one and have the others attack the NPC until it is nearly dead. Once the charm on the creature has broken, the bard's chants can be used to finish the creature off. Repeat this process until there are no enemies left.
Swarm Kiting
Swarm Kiting,involves getting multiple monsters to attack the bard, but rather than charming one, the player uses the percussion based damage over time chants to slowly bring the health of one mob down. The other monsters in the swarm will continue chasing the bard until they are dispatched in a similar fashion.
Because bards can move and cast in Everquest, snaring the members of the swarm is not necessary or desirable. (Bard snare abilities are short ranged and the character wants to be well ahead of the mobs.) This is slow, but effective and the bard who does it well should take no damage.
Indoor Bard Soloing
Soloing indoors is a possibility in some of the lower level dungeons, but should be done in an out of the way place that is not likely to attract visitors. Soloing near the dungeon's entrance will give the bard a chance to escape. bard soloing relies on the heal and mesmerization songs. As with all other soloing types, knowing who to twist greatly speeds up the process and is required.
To damage the mob, a bard character should use songs to improve his melee ablities such as the haste songs, perhaps adding in some dots or simple nukes, then when the characer gets low on health, switch to mesmerization and healing songs.
Be Considerate of Other Players When Soloing
All bard solo methods are safe for the bard, using any tactic near other players causes problems. Swarm kites work because the bard has only built up agro on one mob and a player who wonders too near the swarm may be trained. Taking a monster away from a a charm kite is more difficult but not impossible. Using the outdoor soloing methods in zones that are nearly always empty is advised and will reduce angry tells from people who assume that an Everquest bard is the source of the train that killed them
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