Here you’ll find notes and clarifications about Bard’s skills. If you’re looking for tooltips, check the official website.

GCDs (share a Global Cooldown)

	Burst Shot (BS)	Your go-to filler GCD on single targets. Use Burst Shot when you have no other GCDs you need to press.
	Refulgent Arrow (RA)	Refulgent Arrow is usable when you have the not so aptly-named “Straight Shot Ready” buff. You can get this buff by using Burst Shot, Stormbite, Caustic Bite, Iron Jaws, or Barrage.
	Stormbite (SB)	Damage over time (DoT) debuffs deal damage every three seconds. Keep Stormbite up on single target fights. Also, toss it on dungeon mobs as they’re being pulled/gathered if you can’t hit 3+ enemies with Ladonsbite yet.
	Caustic Bite (CB)	Damage over time debuffs deal damage every three seconds. Keep Caustic Bite up on single target fights. You probably won’t have time for it on dungeon mobs.
	Iron Jaws (IJ)	Iron Jaws behaves the same as applying a brand new pair of DoTs. Including ‘snapshotting’ any buff or debuff values. Make sure to use it once during each two minute buff window.
	Apex Arrow (AA)	Apex Arrow is best used roughly once per minute, so that every other use falls under the two minute buff window. If this means sitting at 100 gauge at the end of Army’s Paeon, that’s okay.
	Blast Arrow (BA)	Blast Arrow becomes available after using Apex Arrow at 80+ gauge. The enemy you target is the one that takes 600 potency.
	Ladonsbite (LB)	Ladonsbite is your go-to filler GCD on two or more targets. The cone is very large, so don’t stress too much about exactly where it’s aimed.
	Shadowbite (ShB)	Usable when you have “Shadowbite Ready”, which is a buff you can get when using Ladonsbite. The radius on ShB is a standard five yalms, so it covers a lot less space than Ladonsbite. Be mindful not to be targeting an enemy on the fringe of the pack when you use this.

Songs + Repertoire

	Wanderer’s Minuet (WM)	Your strongest song. While in WM, procs give you stacks of Pitch Perfect. You’ll be using your two minute buffs during this song. Leave WM with 3 or less seconds remaining.
	Pitch Perfect (PP)	Use Pitch Perfect at three stacks by default. It’s not that less efficient at two stacks though, so if it catches expiring buffs or you’re in danger of overcapping, don’t be afraid to use it at two.
	Mage’s Ballad (MB)	Currently the weakest song in single target, but the strongest in AoE. While in MB, procs will reduce the cooldown of Bloodletter and Rain of Death. Expect to leave MB with 12-15 or less seconds remaining.
	Bloodletter (BL)	You can store up to three Bloodletters, so you don’t need to be in a hurry to use it unless you’re close to full. Try to store these up during Army’s Paeon to have a bunch to fire off during the two minute buff window.
	Rain of Death (RoD)	Rain of Death has a larger radius than most circle AoEs, so you don’t always need to be targeting the dead center of a pack to hit everything.
	Army’s Paeon (AP)	While in AP, procs will gradually speed up your global cooldown and autoattacks, up to four times. It’s subtle, so be careful not to fall behind. Try to avoid double weaving while at four stacks. Expect to leave AP as soon as WM is back up.
	Enhanced Army’s Paeon	The song you use after Army’s Paeon will get a smaller speed buff (12% at full stacks) for 10 seconds. The “Ethos” buff just allows you to have Army’s run out while still getting speed on the next song.
	Empyreal Arrow (EA)	Deals damage and gives you a repertoire proc. Try to keep Empyreal Arrow on a tight cooldown as much as possible without delaying GCDs.

Other oGCDs

	Barrage	On single target, use Barrage under two minute buffs when you don’t have Refulgent Arrow available (as it gives you Straight Shot Ready). Then Refulgent Arrow for a triple hit. In AoE, it increases the potency of your next Shadowbite. It won’t give you Shadowbite Ready though, so consider waiting until you have it to Barrage.
	Raging Strikes (RS)	Normally, you’ll use Raging Strikes a couple GCDs ahead of your two minute party buffs (Battle Voice and Radiant Finale). It lasts five seconds longer, so this is to align it with those and other 15 second buffs from the party.
	Sidewinder (SW)	A simple damage button. Keep Sidewinder on cooldown so that every other one lands within two minute buffs.

Utility

	Battle Voice (BV)	A simple two minute party buff. Use Battle Voice during The Wanderer’s Minuet, a couple GCDs after Raging Strikes.
	Radiant Finale (RF)	Despite the coda system and slightly shorter cooldown, you can safely treat Radiant Finale as a second two minute party buff. Use it alongside Battle Voice.
	Troubadour (Troub)	Standard defensive utility for ranged dps. Use Troubadour when there’s a lot of damage incoming on the party.
	Nature’s Minne	Bard’s second two-minute defensive cooldown. Use Nature’s Minne to help with periods of heavy healing.
	Second Wind	If you make a mistake or otherwise end up at lower hp than the rest of the party, Second Wind can help patch things up.
	Arm’s Length	Prevents most knockbacks. Can make certain mechanics a lot easier, even if we have full mobility.
	Head Graze	Cancels enemy casts that have a shaking red bar. Most things you’re expected to cancel will have long cast times.
	Repelling Shot	Repelling Shot is sometimes a useful way to do a snap movement. Note that it doesn’t take you back as far as some other jobs’ back jumps.
	The Warden’s Paean	Cleanses any debuff with a little white bar over the icon. These don’t appear often at endgame, but keep an eye out anyway. In most cases, Warden’s can even prevent a debuff in advance.
	Peloton	Makes the group run faster. Mostly nice for dungeons, but you can help melee out by popping it pre-pull in trials / raids too.