Secondary Class Guides
Bard is the musical second-class continuation of 
Archer, trading part of the raw Hunter path for party-wide songs, ensemble utility, and instrument-based ranged pressure. On Age of Ymir, the class revolves around 
Musical Strike, low-cost song cycling through 
Adaptation to Circumstances and 
Encore, and major support songs such as 
Poem of Bragi and 
Apple of Idun.
Bard still leans on DEX as its main ranged damage and HIT stat, while INT supports SP sustain and cast-related play for instrument builds. More defensive routes add VIT for mobbing and party safety, and the line naturally progresses into 
Clown.
Details
Builds
Skills
Tactics
Leveling
Details
Bard is a party-oriented ranged second class that mixes songs, ensemble utility, and flexible ranged farming instead of committing fully to the Hunter path.
| Job Bonuses | STR+2 AGI+7 VIT+3 INT+5 DEX+9 LUK+4 |
|---|---|
| Type | RangedSupportSongs |
| Max Job Level | 50 |
| Skill Access | 18 Bard skills + 1 quest skill |
| Next Job | Clown |
| Job Change Area |  Comodo |
| Core Role | Bard brings ranged field damage from Musical Strike, low-cost song cycling through Adaptation to Circumstances and Encore, and party value from Poem of Bragi, Apple of Idun, and  Assassin Cross of Sunset. |
Builds
Arrow Shower Bard
This is still the fastest and most practical solo Bard leveling route. It keeps the Archer farming core of Arrow Shower, then scales it with stronger bows, better elemental arrows, and the Bard line’s larger SP pool.
DEX remains your main damage and HIT stat, VIT makes larger pulls safer, and INT helps maintain SP for repeated mob clears. This route stays effective for a long time with the right arrow element or converter support.
Musical Strike & Poem of Bragi
This route leans into instrument play and lower-delay ranged damage through Musical Strike, while still bringing major party value from Poem of Bragi. It is slower than Arrow Shower for raw solo field clears, but it gives you shield access, better song uptime, and cleaner party utility.
DEX remains the main ranged stat, INT supports SP and cast-related play, and VIT keeps the class stable when farming with an instrument instead of a bow.
Skills
| Skill | Summary | |
|---|---|---|
| Support | Reduces SP consumption for songs, dances, and ensembles over time. This is the live AoY version of the old SP-saving song support tool. |
 | Passive | AoY-exclusive tuning increases instrument damage, ASPD, and Max SP. It is the foundation for any instrument-based Bard setup. |
 | Song | PvP/Siege-focused damage song that unlocks the core solo support songs below it in the Bard tree. |
 | Quest | Quest skill that inflicts Chaos and Bleeding on a single target. Useful for disruption rather than general PvM damage. |
| Support | Recasts your last song, dance, or ensemble at half SP cost. Essential for efficient support rotation. |
| Ranged | Instrument-based ranged damage skill. It is the core offensive Bard skill when you level or farm with an instrument instead of a bow. |
 | Song | Raises FLEE and Perfect Dodge for you and nearby party members. Useful for sustain-oriented leveling and support uptime. |
| Song | Reduces after-attack delay for nearby allies. Strong support tool for physical parties and ASPD-heavy groups. |
| Song | One of Bard’s most important support songs. It lowers variable cast time and after-skill delay for nearby allies. |
| Song | Increases Max HP and received healing for allies inside the song area, making parties more stable during pulls and bosses. |
 | Ensemble | Sleep-based ensemble for area control. Requires Bard and Dancer cooperation to perform. |
 | Ensemble | Disables skill and magic use in the area. This is primarily a PvP/Siege control tool. |
 | Ensemble | Provides elemental resistance and status tolerance to the party. Valuable in coordinated group content. |
 | Ensemble | Party ensemble that increases ATK and DEF. Useful when your group wants more straightforward frontline pressure. |
 | Ensemble | Lets party members use skills without gemstone requirements while the ensemble is active. |
 | Ensemble | Sets enemy defense to zero inside the area. Another PvP/Siege-oriented ensemble rather than a normal leveling tool. |
 | Ensemble | Boosts EXP from monsters for the party. Strong utility when you can coordinate with a Dancer partner. |
Tactics
| Technique | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Song flashing | Cast a song briefly, then switch back into damage play while the buff remains on party members for a short time after they leave the AoE. This is one of the core Bard support habits in active groups. |
| Dagger / bow amping | Switching from an instrument to a ![Knife [4]](https://static.divine-pride.net/images/items/item/1202.png){kind=small} Knife [4] or back to a bow immediately stops a song. Dagger switching keeps your shield equipped, which is useful for the instrument route. |
| Adaptation to Circumstances + Encore | This pairing is what makes Bard song rotation efficient. It lowers the SP cost of songs and then lets you repeat the last one more cheaply. |
| Arrow and quiver hotkeys | Keep both arrows and  Steel Arrow Quivers on hotkeys so you can refresh ammunition without opening inventory during pulls. |
| Affordable recovery | When you are mobbing with Arrow Shower, cheap recovery helps a lot.  Nepeta Cataria and  Fresh Fish are practical low-cost healing items for repeated field leveling. |
Equipment
| Category | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Eden Group equipment is the cleanest early starting point. The bow line is still very strong for Bard field farming, and any regular instrument will cover your song and Musical Strike needs until you upgrade later. | |
 Orc Archer Bow with  Steel Arrows is one of the most practical early Bard weapon packages for Arrow Shower leveling. | |
| Keep quivers ready for long field sessions so you can restock arrows quickly without breaking pacing during pulls. | |
| Musical Strike and song play require an instrument equipped. Musical Lesson makes instrument scaling worthwhile on AoY, especially once you move away from pure bow farming. | |
| A simple dagger such as Knife [4] is useful for stopping songs immediately while keeping a shield equipped. | |
| The instrument route can use a shield for additional reduction, which is one of its practical advantages over pure bow leveling. | |
| Nepeta Cataria and Fresh Fish remain practical low-cost HP sustain for mob-heavy Arrow Shower leveling. |
Leveling
| Range | Where | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| 50-70 |  Orc Dungeon | Solid early second-class ranged farming map for Arrow Shower, especially if you are still transitioning out of Archer gear. |
| 70-85 |  Rachel Fields | Bard keeps ranged field leveling stable here with Arrow Shower or safer single-target pressure while maintaining support utility. |
| 85-99 |  Thor Volcano | Once your gear and support play are stable, Bard contributes well in party-centered leveling through damage uptime and strong songs. |
| Quest Support |  Eden Group Leveling Quests | Eden Group leveling quests help smooth the slower portions of Bard progression, especially if you are gearing into the instrument route. |
Job Change
| Route | What You Get | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Official Bard Quest | Access to the full Bard job change sequence, including the flower-item check, Lutie snowman step, and singing test. | The official route starts in Comodo with the Roaming Bard. Depending on what you bring, the quest can also reward a weapon at completion. |
 AoY Job Master | Direct Bard job change support through the AoY Job Master route. | For second classes, the Job Master is the convenience option. It does not grant the first-job incentive bundle, but it does handle the job change directly and grants quest/platinum skills automatically. See Job Changer for the NPC system page. |
Source referenced: iRO Wiki: Bard (opens in a new tab)