Many players will say that Bard doesn’t need a synergy partner because he doesn’t babysit his ADC the way the rest of the supports do in League of Legends.
But Bard’s roam-heavy playstyle comes with a unique set of advantages that many ADCs actually need. These ADCs can often perfectly sync up their abilities with Bard’s abilities. And they even benefit from Bard’s constant roaming.
In this blog, I compiled a list of the best synergy ADCs for Bard in LoL. One by one I break down how Bard’s unconventional playstyle benefits them, so feel free to take a look.
1. Ashe – Crowd Control and Map Presence
Ashe is a simple ADC champion known for her long-range poke and exceptional CC. These two things pair very well with Bard’s playstyle. Here’s why.
Bard and Ashe’s combined crowd control can create significant pressure even during the laning phase. Ashe’s slow from her basic attacks and W make it easy for Bard to connect his Cosmic Binding (Q) and stun the enemy ADC.
This combo alone gives enough kill potential before level 6. But once Bard and Ashe unlock their ultimates, setting up 2v2 fights in bot lane becomes even easier. For instance, Bard can ult the enemy duo first so that Ashe can time her R and then continue with the rest of her damage.
Obviously, Ashe’s Enchanted Crystal Arrow and Bard’s Tempered Fate are incredible for setting up teamfights later on as well. They can even take turns in engaging first to confuse the enemy team.
Bard’s map-wide presence and ability to create opportunities through roams can be backed by Ashe’s Hawkshot (E). She can lift a fog of war in certain places just so Bard knows it’s safe to go there. If you coordinate well here, you’ll have a great level of global control.
And lastly, Ashe is one of those ADCs that have no problem being alone in the bot lane. Yes, she has no dashes to get away from danger but she can safely farm under turret and with her long-range W. So Bard is allowed to leave her and roam around Summoner’s Rift.
Key Synergies:
- Strong Crowd Control
- Long range poke
- Excellent at setting up team fights
Read Also: The Best Supports for Ashe Based on Synergy & Win Ratio
2. Miss Fortune – High AoE Damage and Lane Dominance
The synergy between Miss Fortune and Bard lies in their combined early game power and great team fight potential. MF has an insane damage output early on which can be deadly if Bard connects his Q. A single Cosmic Binding is enough for MF to score a kill on level 3.
On the other hand, Bard’s Tempered Fate (R) can serve as an excellent setup for Miss Fortune’s Make It Rain (E) and Bullet Time (R). This is a great way to deny the enemy neutral objectives such as the Dragon and trap them inside. And we all know how powerful MF’s AoE damage can be.
Next, Bard’s E is another ability that can be of huge help to Miss Fortune. Since she has no dashes as well, Magical Journey allows MF to escape sticky situations or even enter a teamfight from a unique angle to surprise the enemy team with her R.
Miss Fortune doesn’t have the same range as Ashe and she may struggle when Bard abandons her for roaming. However, her W gives her enough movement speed to dodge attacks from the enemy bot lane duo. And her E can slow them enough to get to her turret.
Of course, Bard can always leave a couple of shrines for Miss Fortune just in case things go south when he’s absent.
Otherwise, she’s one of the best ADCs overall in combination with Bard. They’re the type of duo that can take control of the lane early on and not let it go until the enemy Nexus is broken.
Key Synergies:
- Strong early game presence
- Powerful AoE combinations
- Surprising mobility with Magical Journey
Read Also: 13 Supports with Amazing Synergy with Miss Fortune in LoL
3. Kai’Sa – Follow-up Execution and Mobility
Contrary to Ashe and MF, Kai’Sa offers high single-target damage as well as mobility. She synergizes with Bard in a different way where they both benefit from entering fights from unique angles.
In fact, part of the reason why this duo wins so much is that both champions can follow up on each other’s engages against isolated targets in the backline very well. For instance, when Kai’Sa dives deep with her Killer Instinct (R) to execute an enemy, Bard can use his own ultimate to safe her or stop the enemy team from damaging her.
In lane, a simple kill setup first requires Bard’s Cosmic Binding (Q). Kai’Sa can use her Supercharge (E) to reposition and follow up on Bard’s stun. Once in range, her Q can devastate a single target and take them down.
Despite Kai’Sa’s short-range playstyle, her Void Seeker (W) is great for poking enemies or farming from a safe distance while Bard is gone. Bard’s Caretaker’s Shrine (W) provides much-needed sustain for Kai’Sa, allowing her to stay in lane longer and scale.
Kai’Sa may not always need to enter Bard’s Magical Journeys, especially after level 6. However, the ability can be pretty useful when the enemy junglers comes to gank them early on. It offers an easy escape.
Key Synergies:
- High damage output
- Synergy in chasing targets in the backline
- Ability to quickly reposition in fights
4. Ezreal – Long-range Poke and Self-sufficiency
Ezreal and Bard make for a duo with a strong poke playstyle and excellent catch potential. Their combined long-range abilities allow them to harass enemies down from a distance, often forcing them out of the lane or making them easy targets for all-ins.
Ezreal’s Mystic Shot (Q) and Essence Flux (W), combined with Bard’s Cosmic Binding (Q) and Meep-empowered auto-attacks offer more than enough damage any ADC can take. So if they manage to land all of their skill shots on level 3, first blood is assured.
One of the standout aspects of the Ezreal-Bard duo is Ezreal’s ability to fend for himself. His E is an excellent self-peel tool that lets Bard roam without worrying about Ezreal’s safety.
Not only that, but Ezreal can always farm safely from a distance thanks to his Q, so there’s really no downside for him staying alone in lane while Bard’s out there helping his mid laner and jungler.
One more thing that makes Ezreal a fantastic partner for Bard is his R, Trueshot Barrage. Since it’s a global ultimate, Ezreal can use it when Bard catches enemies in his own R halfway across the map. This way Tempered Fate can allow Ezreal to scale even when he isn’t following Bard around Summoner’s Rift.
All in all, Ezreal is one of the best ADCs you can play in combination with Bard in LoL.
Key Synergies:
- Long-range poke and burst
- Self-sufficiency and good mobility
- Strong mid-late game scaling
5. Karthus – Global Threat and Sustained Damage
Karthus and Bard’s pairing brings a unique twist to the bot lane. Karthus is already an off-meta bot lane pick that offers high damage, especially in the late game, plus a global ultimate that can one-shot enemies anywhere on the map.
And Bard is the type of champion that’s responsible for creating situations around Summoner’s Rift where the value of Karthus’ ult is seen best. So after level 6, his primary job becomes roaming together with the mid laner or the jungler, getting enemies on low HP and signaling to Karthus to collect the free kills.
Obviously, Bard and Karthus have synergy in the bot lane too. Bard’s stun and R allow Karthus to get in range for his E and Q. Even if Bard misses his Cosmic Binding, Karthus can repeatedly cast Lay Waste (Q) on the slowed enemy ADC until they’re dead.
In terms of lane management, Karthus can fend for himself reasonably well with his Q poke and E for wave clear. He has to be careful of the enemy CC since he has no way to escape a situation once he’s locked up.
There are a few tricks you can do with Bard’s R to save and prolong Karthus’ life whenever he ends up in a tough situation. But it’s overall better if Karthus and Bard are the ones that engage first and keep playing aggressively.
Key Synergies:
- High AoE and global damage potential
- Strong zone control
- Unconventional bot lane duo that many people don’t how to play against
Read Also: 6 Best Synergy Supports for Karthus APC in LoL
Conclusion
Bard’s unique style of supporting doesn’t sync up perfectly with just any ADC in League of Legends. The 5 champions I recommended here are all great picks whenever you aren’t sure what to play into Bard, especially a random Bard player in solo queue.
Follow the tips and the synergies I explained above and you’ll see the results for yourself.
Good luck and have fun!
