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<b>Message ID:</b> 23354 <br/>
<b>Date:</b> Tue Jan 23 06:06:51 GMT 2001 <br/>
<b>Author:</b> Amy Pratt <br/>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [eqbards] OT Complete heal (was Numbers on Bards) <br/>
<br/><br/>
<div id="ygrps-yiv-378942978">It&#39;s all opinion and playing style, really.  Some bards like to strum on<br/>
instruments fulltime.  Some only use weapons.  Some do both depending on the<br/>
occasion.  Who&#39;s to say which is the right way?<br/>
<br/>
I prefer to melee unless a situation calls for instrument-only (like I need<br/>
the extra healing power of the lute, or the added MR debuff during mezzing<br/>
with the piccolo).  Whether anyone likes it or not, being a bard isn&#39;t<br/>
purely about the instruments by any means.  As you grow up, you&#39;ll pick up<br/>
pieces of equipment that will radically change your playing style.  I&#39;m not<br/>
talking about songs, I&#39;m talking about your gear.<br/>
<br/>
For example, when I got my harmonic dagger, I noticed how often it stuns.<br/>
And it hits like crazy.  If I stun something 3 or 4 times a battle, to me<br/>
that&#39;s pretty worthwhile, since each stun is 5 seconds long.  A little later<br/>
I got my breath of harmony.  Does anyone who owns one of these refuse to<br/>
melee?  Heck, it sings Niv&#39;s for you!  Those two weapons cemented my desire<br/>
to melee.<br/>
<br/>
Just last week I got another piece of equipment that changed my song lineup.<br/>
Blazing vambraces of Fennin Ro.  They right-click a 9 point damage shield<br/>
with no casting time (jboots style, that can be cast on anyone), that stacks<br/>
with psalm of cooling.  18 point group damage shield now?  Wow, you better<br/>
believe that&#39;s something I sing :)<br/>
<br/>
Don&#39;t forget that while I&#39;m meleeing (and making paladins jealous with my<br/>
damage, usually), I&#39;m also singing.  My opinion is that the percentage I<br/>
lose on my songs by not using an instrument is easily made up for by my<br/>
melee damage, sword-based Niv&#39;s and dagger-stuns.<br/>
<br/>
To each her own.  The best bards I know are the ones who are adaptable; the<br/>
ones who can change their entire playing style at the drop of a hat.  There<br/>
are plenty of wrong ways to play a bard, but is there only one right way?<br/>
Not to me.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
Kaelrei<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<blockquote><span title="ireply"> &gt; And a lot of bards; granted there are a lot of people who LIKE using their<br/>
&gt; weapons and more power to them (this is a game after all) - but I&#39;m amazed<br/>
&gt; by the number of group members who tell me that they&#39;ve never seen a bard<br/>
&gt; not using weapons during a fight (and I&#39;m talking at places like<br/>
 </span></blockquote>Sebelis)...<br/>
<blockquote><span title="qreply"> &gt;<br/>
&gt; Slyde </span></blockquote></div>