Top 5 Best ADCs to Duo With Bard in League of Legends

Bard is a whimsical champion whose playstyle revolves around roaming, utility, and controlling the battlefield with his unique abilities. Known for his magical journeys and potent stuns, Bard is an excellent support for ADCs who can benefit from his crowd control and ability to manipulate engagements. His ability to collect chimes not only strengthens his meep attacks but also allows him to roam effectively, aiding other lanes while ensuring his ADC can farm safely.

Bard's versatility in both offensive setups and defensive retreats makes him a valuable partner in the bot lane. He can create opportunities with his Cosmic Binding (Q) by stunning enemies against walls or minions, and his Tempered Fate (R) can turn the tide of team fights or secure objectives. His healing shrines offer sustained lane presence, which is crucial for ADCs who thrive on consistent farming to reach their late-game potential.

In this guide, we'll explore the top 5 ADC champions that synergize exceptionally well with Bard's roaming capabilities and utility, enhancing both the duo's lane dominance and late-game impact. These ADCs are chosen for their ability to capitalize on Bard's unique skill set, ensuring you can maximize your gameplay and climb the ranks effectively.

#1: Sivir

Sivir and Bard form a dynamic duo known for their ability to control the pace of the game through exceptional wave clear and rapid map mobility. Sivir, with her boomerang blade and ricochet, can swiftly clear minion waves, allowing both her and Bard to capitalize on his unique roaming capabilities. Bard's Magical Journey opens up quick rotational plays, making this pair formidable in applying cross-map pressure.

While Sivir is adept at self-peeling with her spell shield, her lack of escape mechanisms makes Bard's protective abilities invaluable. His Caretaker's Shrines provide the sustain Sivir needs to stay in lane longer, while his Tempered Fate offers ingenious setups or crucial disengages, ensuring Sivir can reposition effectively during team fights. This strategy not only secures their lane but also helps in dictating enemy movements and securing objectives across the map. By integrating Bard's zoning ultimates and Sivir's spell shield, they can create disorienting scenarios for their opponents, turning potential threats into opportunities for counter-attacks.

#2: Caitlyn

Caitlyn is a lane powerhouse with her superior attack range, enabling her to control engagements from a distance. Paired with Bard, whose eclectic kit enhances both their strengths, they become a formidable force in lane.

Bard's Cosmic Binding (Q) complements Caitlyn's Yordle Snap Trap (W) seamlessly. When Bard lands a stun or slow with his Q, Caitlyn can strategically place her traps to prolong the immobilization, creating a punishing snare combo that can decimate opponents before they have a chance to react.

Furthermore, Bard’s Magical Journey offers unique ganking and escape routes that Caitlyn can capitalize on. They can bait opponents into following through Bard’s portals only to find Caitlyn waiting with a trap and her Peacemaker ready, ensuring a well-executed burst of damage. This synergy not only secures their lane but also extends their threat across the map, making them a terror in both lane and jungle skirmishes.

Together, Caitlyn and Bard control space and tempo, making it challenging for opponents to safely farm or rotate without risking severe punishment. Their combined poke, crowd control, and ability to secure kills from afar mean they can influence the game's outcome significantly from the bot lane.

#3: Miss Fortune

Miss Fortune thrives alongside champions who can amplify her devastating area-of-effect capabilities. With Bard, her potential in lane and team fights significantly increases due to his exceptional crowd control and setup prowess.

During laning, Bard's ability to lock down opponents with his Cosmic Binding (Q) creates ideal opportunities for Miss Fortune to unleash her Double Up (Q) for maximum damage. A well-timed stun from Bard can ensure both hits of Double Up find their marks, maximizing poke and harass potential. Additionally, Bard’s Tempered Fate can freeze opponents in place, setting the stage for a perfectly executed Bullet Time from Miss Fortune. This synchronization not only devastates in lane but can turn the tide in large-scale team fights.

Bard’s versatility with his Caretaker's Shrine provides the sustain Miss Fortune needs to stay in lane and farm up for her powerful late-game. His roaming ability with Magical Journey also means he can secure map objectives and provide vision, keeping the duo safe from enemy ganks.

Together, Miss Fortune and Bard are a duo that punishes mispositioning harshly and can control the pace of the game with their potent combination of crowd control and raw damage output. This makes them especially deadly in coordinated play where timing and positioning can be flawlessly executed.

#4: Xayah

Xayah, known for her ability to output substantial damage and her unique self-peel with her ultimate, pairs excellently with Bard’s versatile support capabilities. This duo capitalizes on their combined ability to control space and protect one another, making them formidable in both lane and team fights.

During laning, Bard’s ability to create healing zones with his Caretaker’s Shrine offers Xayah the sustainability she needs to engage in prolonged trades. This setup allows Xayah to utilize her feathers aggressively, knowing she can retreat to a safe spot to heal. Bard’s Cosmic Binding and Xayah’s Featherstorm create a lethal combination that can lock down and burst opponents before they have a chance to react.

When it comes to team fighting, the synergy between Bard’s Tempered Fate and Xayah’s Bladecaller becomes apparent. Bard can initiate by placing enemies in stasis, allowing Xayah to strategically position her feathers. As enemies emerge from stasis, Xayah can execute Bladecaller to recall her feathers, slicing through the enemy team with devastating damage.

Together, Xayah and Bard offer a dynamic approach to engagements, with Bard’s utility and crowd control complementing Xayah’s high damage potential. Their ability to control the battlefield and protect each other makes them a threatening duo at any stage of the game, excelling in both defensive holds and aggressive pushes.

#5: Ezreal

Ezreal is an ideal ADC to pair with Bard, particularly due to his self-sufficiency and exceptional ability to farm safely from a distance. This pairing is perfect for executing a "weak side" strategy, where the ADC requires minimal support, allowing Bard the freedom to roam and exert influence across the map.

Ezreal can effectively manage the lane solo, using his Arcane Shift to escape threats and Mystic Shot to farm safely. Bard can augment Ezreal's lane sustain by leaving behind Health Shrines near the turret, ensuring Ezreal stays healthy even in his absence. This setup allows Bard to assist other lanes without sacrificing bottom lane stability, spreading his impact and helping to tilt the map in their favor.

When Bard roams, he not only creates opportunities for mid and jungle but also collects Chimes to enhance his abilities, which in turn increases his utility upon returning to lane. As the game progresses and Ezreal acquires his core items, Bard's return to the lane can turn their duo into a formidable force, capable of securing kills and accelerating their lead.

This synergy between Ezreal's independence and Bard's roaming prowess makes them a flexible duo, capable of adapting to various game dynamics while ensuring both their lane and team benefit maximally from their unique strengths.

Conclusion

Bard’s unique roaming capabilities make him an exceptional support for ADCs who possess either significant self-sufficiency or long-range capabilities. While Bard ventures across the map, gathering his Meeps and providing aid where necessary, his ability to impact multiple lanes simultaneously is a potent strategy. Utilizing items like Redemption allows Bard to extend his influence, offering healing and damage support over great distances, ensuring his presence is felt even when he's not physically in the bot lane.

Thus, ADCs such as Ezreal, Caitlyn, and Sivir shine brightest with Bard due to their ability to manage well solo, or leverage his crowd control for aggressive plays. This synergy not only maximizes the laning phase but also transitions effectively into mid and late-game power plays. So, when playing with Bard, consider ADCs that complement his roaming playstyle to dominate the game effectively. Good luck in your next match, and may your adventures on Summoner’s Rift lead you to victory.