Bard Support build & stats
- Win rate
- 51.2%
- Pick rate
- 9.1%
- Ban rate
- 8.1%
Recommended build
Chosen by win rate among builds with enough games, from ranked matches of high-elo players on patch 16.17
Start with
Build in this order
Boots
Runes
Domination +
Inspiration 
Hitting a champion with 3 separate attacks or abilities in 3s deals bonus adaptive damage.
Cheap Shot
Deep Ward
Treasure Hunter
Magical Footwear
Jack Of All Trades
Summoner spells
52.8%
950 games
Max order
Q
W
E
58.7%
196 games
Each line is the variant with the best win rate among those played enough times, not simply the most popular one. Win rates are smoothed so a lucky three-game build can't top the list. Sample sizes are shown next to every choice.
Tips for Bard
Generated from this patch's numbers
- Bard wins 51.2% of games as Support on patch 16.17 (1,626 games).
- Most common core: Dead Man's Plate → Locket of the Iron Solari → Imperial Mandate — 36% win rate over 11 games.
- Take Electrocute as keystone: picked in 96% of games with a 51% win rate.
- Best matchup: Pantheon (67% over 30 games). Hardest: Swain (27% over 11 games) — consider a ban or a different pick when you see it.
Items
Core build in purchase order (from match timelines)
Core build
Starting items
Boots
Legendary items by win rate
| Item | Win rate | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| 65.3% | 8% (124) | |
| 57.1% | 2% (35) | |
| 56.7% | 27% (439) | |
| 56.1% | 19% (305) | |
| 55.6% | 7% (108) | |
| 53.8% | 70% (1,133) | |
| 53.6% | 2% (28) | |
| 50.9% | 4% (57) | |
| 50.7% | 40% (643) | |
| 48.8% | 3% (41) | |
| 47.9% | 3% (48) | |
| 45.7% | 7% (116) |
Runes
Most played full pages and keystone win rates
Domination +
Inspiration
Hitting a champion with 3 separate attacks or abilities in 3s deals bonus adaptive damage.
Cheap Shot
Deep Ward
Relentless Hunter
Magical Footwear
Cosmic Insight
Domination +
Inspiration
Domination +
Inspiration
Keystones
-
Electrocute
Hitting a champion with 3 separate attacks or abilities in 3s deals bonus adaptive damage.
50.9%96% pick
-
Guardian
Guard allies you cast spells on and those that are very nearby. If you or a guarded ally would take damage based on level, you're both granted a shield.
69.7%2% pick
-
Unsealed Spellbook
Swap Summoner Spells while out of combat. Swapping to unique Summoner Spells will increase the rate at which you can make future swaps.
53.8%1% pick
-
Deathfire Touch
Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time.
45.5%1% pick
Summoner spells
-
Flash + Heal
52.8%58% pick
-
Flash + Ignite
48.9%35% pick
-
Exhaust + Flash
49.5%7% pick
Abilities & skill order
Which ability to max first, from match timelines
Q
W
E
58.7%196 games
Q
E
W
71.4%7 games
Most common first three levels: Q → W → E (53%), Q → E → W (54%), Q → W → Q (43%).
-
PTraveler's CallMeeps: Bard attracts lesser spirits that assist with his basic attacks to deal extra magic damage. When Bard has collected enough Chimes, his meeps will also deal damage in an area and slow enemies hit.Chimes: Ancient c...
-
QCosmic Binding
Bard fires a missile which will slow the first enemy struck, and continue onward. If it strikes a wall, it will stun the initial target; if it strikes another enemy, it will stun them both.
-
WCaretaker's Shrine
Reveals a Health shrine which powers up over a short time, disappearing after healing and speeding up the first ally that touches it.
-
EMagical Journey
Bard opens a portal in nearby terrain. Allies and enemies alike can take a one-way trip through that terrain by moving into the portal.
-
RTempered FateBard sends spirit energy arcing to a location, putting all champions, minions, monsters, and turrets hit into stasis for a brief time.