For the bard side woot!!!
Okay best usbs for Bards in certain situations.
Anyway BRD/WHm is great if your in XP parties. They work well as backup healers. The problem I have with this is that most parties want to define the bard as a backup healer. Yes Bard is a support job, but you must understand that they are also buffers and shouldn't be completely relied on as healers..Though as backup healers they are excelent. As backup and depending on what level they are on.Due to the small amount of MP you will have. The reason why most EXP parties look at this as the best subs for Bards is to basicly put more responsibilities on them. Because apparently their job is easy(it is but it takes constant watch to keep up with songs).YOu really don't want oyur bard to be healing the whole time. BRD/WHM's are used as a last resort. LEts say the mages died and can't cure. the BRD/WHM can and if they are lvl 50 BRD/WHM then they can do raise. ITs useful. THats the definition of a backup healer.
(that took me like 4 months to figure out.)
Now for soloing depending on what your going to do. For EXP you might wanna do BRD/NIN or BRD/RNG. Sounds strnage. ANyway its both expensive and if oyu want to go the cheaper route then BRD/WAR. Anyway BRD/NIN you pretty much know whta you can do with a NIN subbed.. This is usefu;l because you can buff yourself up and if oyu aim to have a melee Bard(this is only useful in Ballista most players when this term is used will tend to be a smart a'word and want to yell at you and call you stupid for sayiung the term melee bard.).Anyway BRD/NIN is ok but if you use daggers for soloing.. I found BRD/RNG very useful if you ephemsize on your archery and marksmanship skills. I would work on marksmanship though and use guns.
ALso useful for ballista is BRD/THF .. One great reason for this is because your faster your more mobile. .YOu just have to focus on songs but not completely. You must also melee a bit. You can sleep things. You don't need spells as much in a ballista match except for your songs. The THF subbed gives you the steal ability in ballista and this is useful when you're stealing Petra's for the opposing team members.Being a backup healer is an option but I found ballista to be very mobile and really your teammates respawn. Your sub will not hinder your team's ability to win. What makes a ballista team a winning team is teamwork. Of course. Its keeping organized,aand ou and your team being able to adapt to changes and make some of those changes on the field. ITs not seperating. YOu stay in a group. Though the game gets lame when a team camps a rook. Find the other rook and FORCE them to have to camp two. IF oyu do this. YOu can basicly win a ballista match. BRD/THF is very useful in a ballista match when it comes to scoring and playing certain songs that disables the enemy player.
The classical RP form of BRD woul dhave to be BRD/THF. Though FF11 doesn't design this to be so apparently. IF you do this. Then thats great you wanna play the role of a Bard. That is a self serving musician who is also a thief and a low life.
Anyway all in all for any sub its whatever you want to do. Though when you do this. YOU must make it work out and fit a party format. ITs up to you and only you. YOu can take the advice of others, but I say experiement with different subs and see which one your most effective and most comfortable with. NEVER let a group or party dictate what you sub for your job. Because you have to deal with it and NOT them. Just do what feels right for you and do what you feel will benefit the team and ignore the skeptics who probaly has never tried the horrible job combos and has just heard it by word from someone else.