FFT Class review #4: Bard

[The Amazing Spiderman]

I'm sorry for the delay, everyone. I had some family problems that needed my attention.

But, here's at last, the fourth review! Today's chosen is the Bard.

Let's go with the basics.

http://forums.eyesonff.com/attachments/final-fantasy-tactics/27338d1197434779-fft-class-review-4-bard-fft18.png
*Note: Ignore the Dancer.
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Bard

Warrior who uses his voice as a weapon. Can "Sing" songs that protects allies.

Job requirements: Lv. 4 Summoner, Lv. 4 Mediator.

Sprite: Male, long-haired dude, with a bandana. He has a cape, and some regular clothes.

Weapons: Harps.

Head Armor: Headgear, hats.

Body Armor: Clothes.

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Let's start with BG-57's Review.




Bard

Prerequistes: Level 4 Summoner, Level 4 Mediator

Role: Support

Sprites: Males only. Wears a headband and green cape over baggy pants and high boots.

Default Weapons: Harp

Default Helmet: Hat

Default Armor: Clothes

Compatible: Works well as a support skill in a frontline job like Knight or Lancer

Sing

Key: Must Have Useful Pass

Angel Song: Restores MP to allies. Nice, but the amount of MP restored is low.

Life Song: Restores HP to allies. Again, the amount of HP restored is low.

Cheer Song: Raises Speed of allies. Very nice when it hits. Good for extending a battle for gaining JP.

Battle Song: Raises Attack of allies. Useful for a warrior party.

Magic Song: Raises Magic Attack of allies. Useful for a magic using party.

Nameless Song: Adds Reraise, Regen, Protect, Shell, Haste to allies. Very nice. Sadly, works less well than MBarrier, which sticks one ally with all of these.

Last Song: Raises CT of allies to 100. Helpful is several party memebers are slow.

MA Save: Raises Magic Attack when hit. Useful for a spellcaster.

Face Up: Raises Faith when hit by magic. Improves magic power.

Move +3: Get this! Certainly one of the best movement related abilities in the whole game. Pity only males can use it.

Setups:

Wagnarian Opera?!?

Try equipping a Lancer with Sing as a secondary skill. They can pound enemies up close in meelee or at a distance break into song! It looks like something out of Tristan and Isolde or the Ring Cycle operas.

Jump
Sing
MP Switch
Concentrate
Move +3

Javelin (II)
Venetian Shield
Grand Helmet
Maximillian
Genji Armlet

Overall Rating: 7. Although they make a nice support characters, the positive benefits they provide do not always counterbalance the loss of a frontline character. Worth going for just for the movement bonus though.

[The Amazing Spiderman]

Here's my review.

Bard.

First of all, this class is only avaible to Male units, as Dancers are only for female units.

The Bard's a puss at Fighting.:)

This unit is meant to be all out support for your Formation, since the low stats won't make him good for any type of offensive attacks, but on what he shines is on it's "Sing" Ability, which supports all your characters at once, giving them either Hp, Mp, Stat Boosts, of a possible status.
In fact, the bard's ability, "Sing" , can give you the upperhand on a battle, to either gain more Experience, or to defeat the opponents, just because it targets all your units and allies, and gives you the possibility of a massive stat boost.
Keep in mind that when the bard's singing, he's "Performing" an action, and it can only be stopped by using another action, like attacking, or by a secondary skill.
Also, when the bard's singing. He's vulnerable. Keep him away from the battle, and from any damage in general.


The Bard's harmony is good with any class. Just keep him in the back row singing a song that is the better option for your units.
You can even try to play with two bards at the same time. They work wonders, but keep them protected.
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Let's get onto the abilities review.

Sing

The Bard's main ability. When he sings, he will be in the "performing" status, and can only be cancelled by making another action. Or a status effect that prevent him to take any actions at all.

But, as any ability the needs performance, it can take some turns to be activated. Be patient.

Keep in mind that is your allies are on Sleep Status, "Sing" commands will always miss on them!

Angel Song.
***
Restore: (MA + 20) - 100% success.
Restores an small amount of Hp.

Can be useful, since Mp healing can be difficult sometimes. Even thought the healing may be low, the mages (specially the summoners) will be happy to receive some Mp.

Life Song
**
Restore: (MA + 10) - 100% Success.

May come in handy, but there are many ways to heal your Hp better. Unlike the Angel Song, this ability is shadowed by healing magic, either any Cure, or even the Moogle Summon, which are faster and more effective....

Cheer Song
*****
Ally Unit gets + 1 Speed - 50% Success.

Absolutely useful. In my opinion, the Cheer Song is the best of the three stat-boosting songs, because the Speed is one of the more important factors to decide a battle. If your units gain more speed, they can do two things: Rush and Defeat the Enemy, or get more experience and level up by taking actions that are different from KO´ing units.
This one is then useful when you're either training or having trouble with your slow units.
Get this one, or nameless song as with your starting 100 jp.

Battle Song
****
Ally Unit gets + 1 PA - 50% Success.

Very Useful. In fact, you can note the damage difference at the first boost when you're attacking with any ability that involves PA, or it's a normal attack. Increasing PA to deal more damage can give you nice results.
But, as you gain more PA, the quicker you dispatch an enemy. If you are training your units, use the Cheer Song.
A pretty nice ability.

Magic Song
****
Ally Unit gets + 1 MA - 50% Success.

It's very useful, and you can also notice the difference of the outcome damage/healing of your casted Magic.
But, unlike the Battle Song, this ability takes more time to be performed, and most of the time you'll have more warriors than mages...so, Sing this song if you are using more mages than fighters, or even samurais, since their Draw Out Skill depends on the Unit's MA.

Nameless Song
*****
Ally gets only one of the following Status: Haste-Regen-Reraise-Protect-Shell-Reflect.
50% Success.

One of the best songs. Most of the stats are pretty good (I don't Like reflect that much.), and obviously, getting one of these status is never a bad thing, and they may determine the outcome of the battle.
Get this one, or Cheer Song, with your first 100 Jp.

Last Song
***
Ally gets the "Quick" status, filling it's CT to 100, and have a turn ASAP.
50 % success.

It's good, but unfortunately, it takes a long to be executed. Stick with the stat boosting songs and the nameless song.

Reaction Abilities.

MA Save
**
MA + 1

It's good on a mage...I guess.

Face Up
**
Faith + 3
- Triggered by any faith based magical attack.

I could see it working on an Oracle or a Time Mage. But that's it. With other mages, use MA save, or another Reaction Skill.


No support Abilities.

Movement Abilities:

Fly
**

The character can fly and evade obstacles, enemies and height now. It doesn't modify your movement Range. Also, it nullifies fall damage. Yay.

It's good. But, doesn't teleport does the same thing and more, like the capability of moving more panels reducing 10% of success per extra panel? And ITS CHEAPER?

Move + 3
*****
Moving Range + 3

Just learn this! It's one of the best movement abilities on the game. You won't regret it at all. Male only, thought. =/

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Recommended setup:

Edward, the Spoony Bard

Fairy Harp

Thief Hat
Black Costume
Feather Mantle

Sing
Item
Abandon
Throw Item
Move + 3

A tribute to FFIV character. With this setup, while you have Feather Mantle and Abandon, he will be rarely damaged. He can support your party members by even throwing items or singing.


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Overall Rating:

7.5

Althought the Bard is a spoony unit, he can be an awesome support ally, and even more if you are using two bards and three fighters.
But, unfortunately, outside of supporting your party, he won't shine on anything else. You'll rarely attack with him. Even if you don't like the job in equipment and stat-wise, the "Sing" ability is great. You can use it even on other jobs and it will be almost the same as having a bard.

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