Desperate Salvation Bard Gearing Guide for Lost Ark

The Bard benefits from both Specialization and Swiftness, which presents an interesting opportunity for alternative gear sets that focus on one stat or the other. This allows for two unique gearing opportunities. Both playstyles are viable. For Swiftness Bards you will be looking to have higher shielding up time, and an overall easier time managing your skills due to the increased cooldown reduction it has. As a Specialization Bard you will focus on helping your party members deal more damage, but you will have less uptime on protection buffs and attack buffs.

In the early game you can use cards that help with survivability such as Field Boss II, We'll Meet Again and Forest of Giants, and Farewell, Weapon. As you progress it may be beneficial to use You Have A Plan. For the most optimal endgame damage you'll want Lostwind Cliff at 30 awakening to increase the Light damage ofeveryone in your party by 3.5%. This synergizes with essentially every DPS that runs Light of Salvation. Master of Spears functions the sameway at 30 awakening but increases dark damage, which can be useful for other late game content.

Engraving	Priority	Description
Desperate Salvation	Necessity	This is the focal point of the Bard, it will heal it will increase the healing from Serenade of Salvation.
Awakening	Necessity	Reducing the cooldown of your Awakening ability will allow you to apply more frequent buffs to your party.
Expert	Very High	Increases healing and shield strength for the party which is important to synergize with a Bard's defensive skills.
Heavy Armor	Very High	This is crucial to a Bard's defensiveness because they are one of the squishiest classes in Lost Ark.
Max MP Increase	Very High	This is an effective way to solve a Bard's issues with high mana consumption. As you gain more Swiftness this will become more valuable.
Vital Point Hit	Optional	Can be a great addition to your stagger contribution in a party that needs additional support.
Drops of Ether	Optional	Can drop Flash or Strength orbs to increase party members Critical Rate or Attack Power. It can be inconsistent because party members will need to locate orbs and pick them up.

Engraving	Priority	Description
Desperate Salvation	Necessity	This is the focal point of the Bard, it will heal it will increase the healing from Serenade of Salvation.
Awakening	Necessity	Reducing the cooldown of your Awakening ability will allow you to apply more frequent buffs to your party.
Heavy Armor	Very High	This is crucial to a Bard's defensiveness because they are one of the squishiest classes in Lost Ark.
Spirit Absorption	Very High	Specialization Bards will have limited options for attack and movement speed since they will not be stacking Swiftness.
Vital Point Hit	Optional	Can be a great addition to your stagger contribution in a party that needs additional support.
Drops of Ether	Optional	Can drop Flash or Strength orbs to increase party members Critical Rate or Attack Power. It can be inconsistent because party members will need to locate orbs and pick them up.

Starting in Legendary gear, you'll want the Harsh Oath set from Argos, this will provide extra Critical Hit Damage to your party and synergize with party members who are using the Preordained Diligence set to maximize their damage output. Once you start to obtain Relic gear, it is best to use the Swamp of Yearning gearset that provides buffs to you and teammates. It's the only support focused Relic set in the game.

For your Bracelet, focus on rolling as much main stat as you can. If you wish to maximize your bracelet, you may roll for additional present bonuses such as: Expose Weakness, Dagger, Cheers, or Enlightenment. Bonuses like Vitality, STR, HP Recovery, and MP Recovery can be useful.

• Swift/Spec Necklace
• 2x Swift Earrings
• 2x Swift Rings
• Swift/Spec Bracelet

• Swift/Spec Necklace
• 2x Spec Earrings
• 2x Spec Rings
• Swift/Spec Bracelet