Ashes of Creation Bard Leveling Guide

Welcome to the ultimate leveling guide for Bards! Inside this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know while you level your Bard to level 25, which is the current level cap in Ashes of Creation. As you level up your character, whether playing solo or in a group, there are several best practices to help you use your time efficiently and maximize your overall experience gain. Below, we'll discuss these strategies in detail.

This guide offers several tips and tricks tailored to different level brackets, depending on whether you're leveling solo or in a group. However, we will focus primarily on group leveling, since playing as a Bard in a group is significantly more effective. Your entire skill set is designed to enhance and support a party, making you much more impactful when working with others. As such, leveling solo is highly inefficient and counterproductive for a Bard.

In its current state, the PvE content in Ashes of Creation is designed around group play. While this applies to all archetypes, it's especially true for the Bard. The Bard has numerous abilities that strengthen the group, but these don't translate into increased power when used solo.

However, if you've chosen the most group-dependent archetype and still wish to level solo, it's certainly possible. The Bard has decent damage and self-sustain, so solo leveling isn't terrible, but it will be noticeably slower compared to leveling in a group.

Regardless of if you're in a group while leveling, or solo, there are a handful of tips and tricks that will make your leveling process more fun and efficient. These best practices can be found below.

There many types of scrolls in the game that give you a variety of different types of buffs. Some give a minor amount of experience, such as the Novice Scroll of Adventuring Experience giving you an additional 1% exp, However the best scroll to take as a Bard is Novice Scroll of Intelligence which gives you some Intellect, boosting your damage and healing,Make sure to always pick Intelligence Scroll.

You should always carry Rations with you while leveling, as they provide HP/Mana regeneration when consumed while sitting, along with Fruit Salad, which grants 20 Magical Power for an hour. Be sure to keep these on hand at all times! Mana and health potions aren't necessary, as they share a cooldown and can only be used one at a time.

As a Bard, your positioning heavily depends on your group composition and the location where you're grinding. Below, we'll cover the best strategies for positioning and leveling with a premade group in detail. However, as a general rule when playing with random groups, you should position yourself in the middle of the pack. This allows you to contribute DPS while ensuring that everyone in your group benefits from Shielding Dance and Nimble Dance—both essential for keeping the group alive during AoE farming.

The best group composition for a Bard is, quite literally, any group. I cannot stress enough how much stronger a Bard is in a group setting— even the most unorganized, random group is still far better than leveling solo.

That said, if you have the option to min-max and build the ideal setup, the optimal composition would be:

• Mage / Mage / Mage / Ranger / Bard / Bard / Cleric / Tank

This setup is the most effective for AoE farming in the game's toughest spots at the fastest pace, enabling incredibly efficient speed leveling provided the group is well coordinated.

• Three Mages supply the overwhelming AoE damage needed to clear massive packs of enemies quickly.
• A Ranger brings Vine Field for AoE rooting.
• A Tank handles mob pulling and soaking damage.
• A Cleric keeps the party alive.
• Two Bards push the limits of what's possible in AoE grinding, maximizing the group's efficiency.

We'll break down exactly what makes this setup so effective in the sections below.

As your character progresses, you'll unlock not only skill points for your class skill tree but also points for separate trees related to your melee and ranged weapons, as well as your passive stamina tree. To maximize your leveling efficiency, be sure to invest points into these areas. Focus on selecting skills that increase the chance to proc your finishers, as they will greatly enhance your damage.

Always be mindful of your PvP status while leveling and understand how the system works. Players can manually activate PvP mode by pressing Alt + F, allowing them to attack others. However, be cautious, if you kill a player who does not fight back, you will become corrupted. Corruption applies a severe debuff that reduces your Health, Mana, and damage, and worst of all, if you die while corrupted, you risk dropping your equipped gear permanently. Keep this in mind, as death can lead to XP debt and significant financial loss. Dying causes you to lose Glint, making the leveling process even more challenging than it already is.

Glint is the primary currency in the game and is extremely important. You need it to exchange for gold, which is then used to purchase various commodities. As you farm mobs and defeat players, you'll accumulate a significant amount of Glint, and it's easy to lose track of how much you have. After a few hours of leveling, you might find yourself sitting on a large stash so be sure to take breaks and visit the nearest town to store your Glint safely to avoid losing it upon death. When it comes to selling Glint, only do so if you absolutely need gold for repairs. Otherwise, it's best to hold onto it. Glint is a key endgame currency, as the most efficient way to earn gold is by running Caravans, which require Glint and only Glint to purchase the commodities you'll transport for profit. The exchange rate for selling Glint is terrible, so avoid vendoring it unless you have no other choice.

Learn more about the most efficient way to level as a Bard within a group in Ashes of Creation! Using the scrolling feature below, select your level and unlock a list of best practices on how to level, including recommended skills, leveling locations, tips and more.

The slider has been set up to work most efficiently across 5 level increments. Set the slider to your level, but expect information from the previous level bracket to disappear at specific thresholds. This is done to make the information on the page more condensed and easier to read.

Move the slider below to make the guide update to your level!

When you log in for the first time, you'll see a guard directly in front of you who offers a quest called "Welcome to Verra". This is a simple quest that leads to some quick and easy experience just by speaking to a few NPCs.

Near the entrance where you picked up the quest, you'll find various starter weapons scattered along the floor and walls. Be sure to grab the Great Spellsword. Since you already start with a wand, you're all set to begin your adventure! As you progress, you'll find or purchase better gear, but for now, this will do the job. Then, walk out the door and kill some goblins as you make your way to Lionhold. Once you've arrived, start "The Sweat of your Brow" which will reward you with a free horse as a mount. This quest is very easy to do and is all done in the town, he just asks you to go around gathering and crafting some stuff. Here is a great video you can use as a reference on how to get your first mount for free.

At level 2, you can choose your first skills. Currently, respeccing in Ashes of Creation is instant and free, so your choices aren't too dramatic, and you can always respec depending on what you're doing. For example, our first skill choices include Melodies such as Menacing Melody, which provides a damage boost to everyone in the party, and Epic Melody, which increases movement speed.

As you can see, even at level 2, you can select Epic Melody while moving around the map and then switch to Menacing Melody when you reach your grinding spot by respeccing. For now, though, take Menacing Melody to maximize your damage output.

From level 2 to level 5, focus on taking skills that deal damage, as the low-level mobs don't hit very hard, and your Quick Wit is sufficient to keep you alive.

Start by taking Discordance, a solid damage ability that bounces between multiple enemies and is an instant cast. Next, grab Get Off The Stage, a knockback ability that deals surprisingly high AoE damage to all targets in front of you.

After that, we recommend taking Chilling Lament (AOE). At these low levels, you should aim to kill 2-3 mobs at a time, and Chilling Lament will help you kite them while maintaining DPS.

However, if you're already struggling, feel free to pick up Lovely Serenade, a strong healing ability, instead of Chilling Lament (AOE), since respeccing is instant and free.

At level 5, you should head to the Laboratory and the Cookhouse to buy gear and consumables, as they provide a significant power spike. If you find that you're lacking gold to make these purchases, consider chopping down trees and vendoring the wood, or mining any resources you come across.

At the Laboratory, you should buy a Bronze Spellbook and Novice Scroll of Intelligence. At the Cookhouse, pick up some Fruit Salad, which grants 20 Magical Power for an hour.

Both the Novice Scroll of Intelligence and Fruit Salad provide a huge power boost, and you should definitely not overlook them.

Level 5 is a significant power spike for Bards, as we unlock Resonant Weapon, the core ability for Bards. From now on, every ability you cast will generate Resonance stacks. Depending on which Melody you have active, you'll receive different bonuses.

With Menacing Melody active, each finisher will deal substantial damage to mobs and apply the Shocked debuff.

At level 5, there's nothing extra you need to do to activate Resonant Weapon, as it is automatically unlocked. Just be aware of the Resonance stacks, as they max out at 10, and make sure Menacing Melody is active, Otherwise the stacks won't be used.

Upon reaching Level 6, you should have the following skills unlocked.

• Menacing Melody
• Discordance
• Get Off The Stage
• Chilling Lament (AOE)

At level 6, we unlock the second tier of talents. When it comes to Bard, the selection is highly situational. However, from this point on, we'll focus on talents for Bard in a group setting, as you should be grouping up from Level 6 onwards.

It's recommended to head to the road towards the Church of the Seven Stars, West of Lionhold. There, you'll encounter plenty of bears and goblins to kill until level 7. At this point, you should pick Shielding Dance, one of the best defensive Bard abilities. This ability shields all party members you pass through for a significant amount, and heals them slowly.

Use Shielding Dance during critical moments to alleviate some pressure from the Cleric and help keep the group alive.

Next, you'll want to take Nimble Dance, an ability that will save your group the most while often going unnoticed. Nimble Dance provides a massive evasion buff to everyone around you, allowing them to dodge most incoming attacks and take significantly less damage.

When paired with Shielding Dance, these abilities become extremely powerful. This combination is one of the reasons why having two Bards in a group enables massive pulls. While one Bard uses Nimble Dance, the other can use Shielding Dance, allowing the group to sustain for much longer, especially if cooldowns are used effectively.

After Nimble Dance, you'll want to take Mesmerizing Dance, a crowd control (CC) ability that incapacitates everyone around you. It can also stun anyone who is staggered, which happens frequently since mages often stagger NPCs.

When you're AOE pulling, even a brief 1-second incapacitate on all enemies around you at the right moment can save the group from wiping. Additionally, this ability can be used to interrupt many casts, making it an essential tool for any Bard. It's definitely a must-have ability.

At around Level 8, you should head inside the Church of the Seven Stars, located west of Lionhold, and start AoE grinding outside the Church. As you level up, continue grinding inside as well. This is a decent spot until level 12. However, if you don't have a group for the Church, other areas around Level 7-12 will work fine too.

For the final skill in this bracket, you should take Clever Retort, an instant-cast silence ability with a low cooldown. This is vital for farming difficult areas, as many NPCs that deal magic damage can easily wipe the group unless silenced.

Many of our abilities so far have focused on shields, silences, and interrupts, which is perfectly fine. The Resonant Weapon stacks will provide more than enough damage through your auto attacks.

Side note: We are still playing as a damage-boosting Bard with Menacing Melody. However, if you're the only Bard in your group, there's a good chance you'll need to replace Menacing Melody with Pensive Melody to provide mana for the group.

We recommend sticking with Menacing Melody and using Rations after every pull, even with just one Bard, as it results in faster kill times. However, a random party might heavily pressure you to become a mana battery and use Pensive Melody.

Upon reaching Level 10, you should have the following skills unlocked.

• Menacing Melody
• Discordance
• Get Off The Stage
• Chilling Lament (AOE)
• Shielding Dance
• Nimble Dance
• Mesmerizing Dance
• Clever Retort

Upon reaching Level 10, you have two options:

• If you're with a group of friends who are all Level 10, you should stick to the Church of the Seven Stars until level 12.
• If you're playing solo or with a random group, you should immediately start looking for a group farming in Highwaymen Hills.

Highwaymen Hills is located northeast of Lionhold and is a challenging area with an optimal leveling range from 10 to 17. While it may be difficult for a full group of Level 10s to farm, as a solo Bard joining another group, Level 10 is more than enough—especially with your current abilities. You'll be able to provide a damage boost and interrupt the deadly Fire Caster mobs that you'll encounter there.

Additionally, the reason you want to stay in Highwaymen Hills until level 17 (and start as early as level 10) is that Highwaymen have one of the best early-game drop rates for excellent items, weapons, and armor, which you'll almost certainly acquire by the time you reach level 17.

When it comes to Talents, next you'll want to pick Dark Lullaby (AOE), a strong AoE ability that does more damage depending on how many debuffs the target has. You don't really need to worry about applying those debuffs yourself, since in a group, the mobs you fight will always have plenty of debuffs applied by your team.

After Dark Lullaby (AOE), you should pick Lovely Serenade to expand your healing options, as Highwaymen Hills can be a dangerous place. Keep in mind that Lovely Serenade is not static, you can change your target mid-cast to heal someone else if your primary target is already at full HP.

Please note that at Level 10, you unlock Fortissimo, an ability that costs 5 Resonance and greatly empowers your melodies for 8 seconds. Generally, this ability is almost never worth using since the cost is too high for the duration. However, if your personal damage is low due to lack of gear, you could use it before your group starts AOEing to boost the burst damage of your group.

For the next three talents, you should take Chaos, an extremely strong buff that provides you and everyone in the party with 6% critical chance, which can be increased to 9% by stacking it. It also grants a self buff for a flat 5% damage per cast, which can stack up to three times for a total of 15%. This results in an insane DPS increase for free.

Next, take Music Mastery: Crescendo, a passive ability that enhances your Melodies. For example, Menacing Melody can become up to 50% stronger.

Finally, take Gambit, a very skill-based ability that you'll be praised for using correctly. It swaps your HP with your target's HP, and is mainly used on your tank in critical moments when they're about to die. Some high-level pulls are not possible without at least one Gambit in the rotation, so you should get used to using this skill at the right time.

>Locations to level if you cannot find a group for Highwaymen Hills are:

• Oakenbane Keep (Level 11 to 17)
• The Hall of Judication (Level 10 to 15)

Upon reaching Level 16, you should have the following skills unlocked.

• Menacing Melody
• Discordance
• Get Off The Stage
• Chilling Lament (AOE)
• Shielding Dance
• Nimble Dance
• Mesmerizing Dance
• Clever Retort
• Dark Lullaby (AOE)
• Lovely Serenade
• Chaos
• Music Mastery: Crescendo
• Gambit

For the next talent points, we will focus on increasing our DPS, starting with Anthem of Alacrity. This ability significantly boosts attack and casting speed, greatly increasing your overall DPS output. You should always use it on yourself after accumulating 9 Resonant Weapon stacks. Then, after activating it, you will reach 10 stacks and can begin AOE auto-attacking with your melee weapon for massive damage (proccing your Resonant stacks with Menacing Melody).

Next, we want to take Endless Jest, which increases the number of times you can use Quick Wit to two. This is beneficial because more abilities mean more Resonant stacks, and instant-cast abilities generate Resonant stacks quickly.

When you cast Anthem of Alacrity on yourself and are ready to unleash damage, you will burn through your 10 Resonant stacks very quickly. Once you run out, you should use 2x Quick Wit along with other instant-cast abilities like Discordance and Clever Retort to quickly restack Resonant stacks while Anthem of Alacrity is active, allowing you to sustain high DPS.

However, remember that your main priority is keeping the group alive, so you should optimize those damage windows to deal maximum damage while still fulfilling your support role.

Now, we can finally pick Hymn of the Mind, a single-target ability that provides mana. There's a good chance you decided to take this earlier, and that's completely fine. Bard is a very flexible archetype, and a Mana Battery Bard build using Hymn of the Mind, Pensive Melody, and Wonder is quite popular.

However, we are focusing on a Support Bard build that also deals insane amounts of damage, which is why we delayed taking Hymn of the Mind until now. You should use it primarily to restore mana at critical moments, especially for your Cleric or anyone else who needs it, including yourself.

The next Talent is Dance Mastery: Power. This talent enhances Flourish, doubling the range of all your Dances. This makes abilities like Shielding Dance and Nimble Dance significantly easier to apply to all party members simultaneously, improving both survivability and utility.

For your final Talent, take Maddening Dance. At first glance, Maddening Dance seems like just another AOE damage ability, but the main reason we take it is for the Humiliated debuff.

Once we unlock Avert Your Gaze at the next level, Maddening Dance will cause all enemies around you to deal 30% less damage, which is an incredibly powerful debuff. This dramatically reduces incoming damage, allowing for significantly larger pulls and increasing overall group survivability.

You should stay in Highwaymen Hills until level 17. After that, try to find a group for Remnants of Sephillion. While there are other grinding spots, such as Citadel of Steel Bloom, Remnants of Sephillion offers the best level 17-20 experience. It provides the highest XP per hour and some of the best drops for Bards, including the best-in-slot melee scepter.

Upon reaching Level 20, you should have the following skills unlocked.

• Menacing Melody
• Discordance
• Get Off The Stage
• Chilling Lament (AOE)
• Shielding Dance
• Nimble Dance
• Mesmerizing Dance
• Clever Retort
• Dark Lullaby (AOE)
• Lovely Serenade
• Chaos
• Music Mastery: Crescendo
• Gambit
• Anthem of Alacrity
• Endless Jest
• Hymn of the Mind
• Dance Mastery: Power
• Maddening Dance

For the final points, we will focus on the vital passives that complete the Bard build, allowing for larger AoE pulls.

You may notice that we are not picking Saga at all. This might seem like a controversial decision since Sagas are now free to use, but for the Bard setup we are going with, they are not necessary.

Obviously, if you decide to play a Mana Battery Bard, then you should pick Wonder and Saga, casting The Silent Pantheon off cooldown. However, that is not the focus of this guide.

• Avert Your Gaze – Enables the Humiliated effect on Maddening Dance.
• Mighty Step – Increases the power of Shielding Dance and grants a Resonance point when the shield is absorbed.
• Spirited Serenade – Increases the healing of Lovely Serenade and provides a 30% base mitigation for 8 seconds extremely good when used on the tank under heavy load.
• Marionette – Another CC ability that incapacitates your target. Best used to disable deadly mage NPCs or interrupt their cast when Clever Retort is on cooldown.
• Song Mastery: Harmony – Increases the damage of Dark Lullaby (AOE) by 30%.
• Misdirection – Drops threat against monsters by 1000%. Best used for the Self Cleanse (a.k.a. Trinket) on the Bard—an underrated ability to stay alive during chaotic situations and reduce deaths.

There are many locations to grind from level 20 to 25.

After reaching level 20, your focus should shift from choosing the best experience/hour location to finding areas that provide decent gear. I highly recommend visiting various high-level areas, including:

• Citadel of the Steel Bloom
• Tower of Carphin
• The Befallen Forge

All of these locations offer good experience, valuable items to equip or sell, and a change of scenery, making the leveling process more engaging and enjoyable.

Congragulations on hitting the current max level in the Ashes of Creation Alpha! Going forward, it is in your best interest to read up on end game guides to better adjust your build for the new options available. Continue on to either our PvE or PvP guide to learn how to best excel with a max level character in Verra.

Gear is essential while leveling, and you should always be on the lookout for upgrades. You can find gear from mob drops, purchase it from vendors, or craft it throughout your journey.

• Armor is important, as it helps reduce your squishiness—especially crucial for a Bard, which is already a fragile archetype. It also provides valuable stats to slightly boost your damage.
• Weapons, however, are the real game-changer. They account for a massive portion of your Magical Power—up to 90%! This makes upgrading your weapons at each gear bracket absolutely critical for maintaining efficiency.

Below is a quick guide on some of the easiest and most effective gear upgrades you can pick up while leveling to keep your performance at its peak.

Gearing can seem confusing to a beginner, but it's pretty straightforward, at least for armor and jewelry. You first want to get anything at all, then prioritize anything that gives Intelligence, since for Bard, the Intelligence stat is everything. It increases both your damage and healing simultaneously. Anything else is not very relevant, especially defensive stats like Constitution, which scale poorly.

Apart from items with Intelligence, the second-best stat you're looking for is Wisdom, since it boosts casting speed. It doesn't really matter if an item is Light, Heavy, or Medium. A full Heavy set doesn't necessarily mean you're more tanky, as it's very weak against magic damage but strong against physical.

Overall, defensive stats in the game are currently unoptimized, so we recommend focusing on offensive stats.

Once you reach level 5 or so, you should head to the Laboratory to buy gear and consumables, as they provide a significant power spike. If you find that you're lacking gold to make these purchases, consider chopping down trees and vendoring the wood, or mining any resources you come across.

You can choose between a Wand and a Spellbook; both are decent options. However, for your melee weapon, you should definitely pick the Greatspellsword. Any extra gear you can get from the Textile Mill Vendor on the west side of Lionhold.

Item Name	Location	Level Requirement
Copper Wand	Laboratory Vendor (Flame and Formula)	Level 1
Copper Focus	Laboratory Vendor (Flame and Formula)	Level 1
Copper Great Spellsword	Smithy Vendor (Avons End)	Level 1
Ambitious Academic's Pants	Laboratory Vendor (Avons End)	Level 1
Ambitious Academic's Garb	Hideworks Vendor (Avons End)	Level 1
Ambitious Academic's Boots	Hideworks Vendor (Avons End)	Level 1

The items mentioned above are great for giving your leveling journey a strong start. As you progress towards level 10, you'll naturally acquire more gear. With some luck, you might even get a nice armor, wand, or book drop! Additionally, if you have some extra gold, be sure to visit the Marketplace in various towns where players often post items that you can purchase at a good price.

As you progress through your levels, you'll encounter weapons and gear that can significantly boost your damage output. Some items, which drop in specific locations, are worth farming, especially if you're playing solo, as they can make leveling easier. Below is a list of items considered among the best for level 10-19. These can either be found in the world or crafted by gathering the necessary materials. Keep in mind, the better the material quality, the higher the stats on the resulting gear. Also, higher-quality items may unlock additional bonuses.

Please note: If you have the gold, it's highly recommended to use Apprentice Enchanting Scroll to enchant your Level 10 gear. This will significantly enhance your stats. Keep in mind, the cost to upgrade an item increases with each enchantment. However, jewelry is always relatively inexpensive to enchant, making it a great investment.

Item Name	Location	Level Requirement
Tin Scepter	Crafting or Mob Drop (Ashen Flame Humanoids, Goblins)	Level 10
Tin Focus	Crafting or Mob Drop (Ashen Flame Humanoids, Goblins)	Level 10
Embercore Wand	Crafting or Mob Drop (Blister)	Level 10
Tin Focus	Crafting or Mob Drop (Ashen Flame Humanoids, Goblins)	Level 10
Hornhexer's Headband	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "The Hornhexer" (near Ursine Caves)	Level 10
Cloak of Aithanahr	Purchased from NPC at Aithanahr	Level 10
Tearwashed Shawl	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Wailing Widow" (Tower of Carphin)	Level 10
Soulseeker's Pants	Crafting or Mob Drop (Most humanoids)	Level 10
Spider Silk Gloves	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Nangolith the Spinner" (Briarmoor Farm)	Level 10
Bluebell Belt	Crafting or Mob Drop (Most humanoids)	Level 10
Bluebell Bracers	Crafting or Mob Drop (Most humanoids)	Level 10
Woeful Slippers	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Wailing Widow" (Tower of Carphin)	Level 10
Hoarder's Lament	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Hoodwinx and Hoarder" (The Desert)	Level 10
Goblin's Bone Dangles	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Slaznug" (Daragal Estates)	Level 10
Doomsday Necklace	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Doomed Researcher" (Near Tower of Carphin)	Level 10
Bone Ring	Crafting or Mob Drop (Most humanoids)	Level 10
Wormwig's Ring	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Wormwig" (Near Tower of Carphin)	Level 10

At level 20, you gain access to the best-in-slot gear. Obtaining these items will be a lengthy process. You can start by obtaining some decent level 20 gear through drops, but true min-maxing comes from crafting the highest quality versions, Heroic and Legendary quality. This requires a significant amount of time and teamwork from different types of crafters, as well as access to all the necessary crafting stations in the towns.

To begin, focus on acquiring the basic versions of level 20 gear through drops or purchases in the marketplace. As you gather more resources, you can gradually craft better versions.

Important note: The higher the quality of a piece of gear or weapon, the more stats it will provide. Additionally, reaching certain quality thresholds can unlock extra stats. The gear listed below represents some of the best options you can acquire at level 20.

Please note: If you have the gold, it's highly recommended to use Apprentice Enchanting Scroll to enchant your level 20 gear. This will significantly enhance your stats. Keep in mind, the cost to upgrade an item increases with each enchantment. However, jewelry is always relatively inexpensive to enchant, making it a great investment.

Item Name	Location	Level Requirement
Steel Spellsword	Crafting or Mob Drop (Most humanoids)	Level 20
Proctor's Focus	Crafting or Mob Drop (From inside Tower of Carphin)	Level 20
Wand of Briarhome	Tumok the Wretched	Level 20
Skullcap of the Three Moons	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob Undertaker Zon (near Highwaymen Hill)	Level 10
Cloak of Ill Omens	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Corvus" (near Gravepeak)	Level 20
Bloom Warden Garb	Crafting or Mob Drop (Citadel of the Steel Bloom)	Level 20
Bloom Warden Pants	Crafting or Mob Drop (Citadel of the Steel Bloom)	Level 20
Cognoscente Gloves	Crafting or Mob Drop (From inside Tower of Carphin)	Level 20
Cognoscente Belt	Crafting or Mob Drop (From inside Tower of Carphin)	Level 20
Bloom Warden Bracers	Crafting or Mob Drop (Citadel of the Steel Bloom)	Level 20
Sweeper's Dusty Shoes	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Eternal Sweeper" (Tower of Carphin)	Level 20
Goblin's Bone Dangles	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "Slaznug" (Daragal Estates)	Level 10
Iridescent Iris	Crafting or Mob Drop "G'Lympes"(Tower of Carphin)	Level 20
Harrowed Stars Necklace	Crafting or Mob Drop (Tower of Carphin)	Level 20
Ring of the Corvid Lord	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "The Corvid Lord" (Gravepeak)	Level 20
Ring of the Corvid Lord	Crafting and/or dropped from named mob "The Corvid Lord" (Gravepeak)	Level 20

The items listed above are some of the best gear options for Bards in the late game, but it's not necessary to match each item exactly. The key focus should be maximizing your Intelligence stat, followed by Wisdom. When it comes to weapons, almost everything is viable depending on whether you're focusing on PvP or PvE. In the current state of Ashes of Creation, we recommend not prioritizing defensive stats for Bard, as they won't provide much value.

After level 25, the real grind begins. Acquiring your best-in-slot items will be challenging but highly rewarding. Once you have them, enchanting becomes limitless ,that is, of course, if you have the gold to afford it. If you're aiming to truly maximize your power, you'll need plenty of gold for enchanting. For tips on how to earn and use that gold, as well as strategies for PvP and PvE, be sure to check out the in-depth guides for level 25 content.