How to Play Bastion Bard
A stage-by-stage plan for Bastion Bard: opener, when to level and roll for Bard, and where to position the board.
- Tier
- S
- Top 4 rate
- 60.0%
- Avg place
- 4.40
- 1st place
- 20.0%
- Playstyle
- Fast 9
- Games
- 20
How to level and roll with Bastion Bard
Fast 9Bastion Bard is a Fast 9 comp: level on the standard curve and roll down at level 9 on stage 5-1 to find Bard. At level 9, each shop slot has a 15% chance to be a 5-cost.
| Stage | Level | Action | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | 4 | Level | Level to 4 and play your strongest pairs; slam an early item if it saves HP. |
| 2-5 | 5 | Level | Level to 5 and keep building interest toward 50 gold. |
| 3-2 | 6 | Level | Level to 6 and save to 50 gold. |
| 3-5 | 7 | Level | Level to 7 while staying on interest. |
| 4-1 | 8 | Level | Level to 8 but roll only enough to stay healthy — the real roll is on 9. |
| 4-5 | 8 | Save gold | Rebuild gold toward 50 and keep your HP above 40. |
| 5-1 | 9 | Roll down | Level to 9 and roll down for your 5-costs and Bard 2-star. |
| 6-1 | 10 | Push level | With a stable board and spare gold, push to 10 for the last legendaries. |
Bastion Bard early game and opener
Boards that lead into Bastion Bard at levels 4 to 7, taken from MetaBot Desktop round data — play the one closest to your shops.
80 games · 64% rounds won · 60% of units carry into the final compRolling odds for Bastion Bard
Bard is easiest to find around level 9. Use the calculator to see your odds of a 2-star for the gold you have.
Rolldown calculator: Bard
Pre-set to this comp's roll level. Change copies owned, copies other players hold and your gold.
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Bastion Bard positioning
A starting board for Bastion Bard. Drag units to adjust it, switch to the anti-assassin layout when the lobby has divers, and copy the Team Planner code into the TFT client.
- Corner Bard on the back line and put Rammus in front of it.
- Split Bard and Graves across the back line so a single area spell can't hit both.
- Shen, Rammus, and Ornn hold the front line — put the tankiest one opposite the enemy carry.
- Against assassins, step your carries up one row and leave Poppy and Aatrox in the back corners as bait.
Positioning board
Drag a unit onto another hex to move it — dropping on a unit swaps them.
When to play Bastion Bard
Strengths
- Wins the lobby often (20.0% first places)
- Two damage threats (Bard and Graves) make itemizing flexible
- Rarely played, so its units are usually free
- Highest late-game ceiling once the 5-costs are 2-starred
Weaknesses
- Average place is worse than 85% of comps of the same board size
- Needs Bard and Graves at high cost, which can be hard to hit
- Weak until level 9 — you need HP to survive the econ phase
Strategic Tips
Economy
Stay on interest and save your big roll for level 9 at stage 5-1.
Itemization
Build Jeweled Gauntlet, Jeweled Gauntlet, and Adaptive Helm on Bard.
When to pivot
Scout at 2-1 and 3-2: if two or more players hold your core units, or you haven't found any by 3-2, move into one of the comps on the Similar Comps tab instead of forcing Bastion Bard.
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How to play Bastion Bard – FAQ (TFT Set 17)
How do you play Bastion Bard?
Bastion Bard is a Fast 9 comp: level on the standard curve and roll down at level 9 on stage 5-1 to find Bard. Corner Bard on the back line and put Rammus in front of it. Build Jeweled Gauntlet, Jeweled Gauntlet, and Adaptive Helm on Bard.
When should I roll down for Bastion Bard?
Roll down at level 9 on stage 5-1. That is when Bastion Bard finds Bard and its core most reliably; save gold before it.
What level do you roll for Bard?
Roll for Bard at level 9. At level 9, each shop slot has a 15% chance to be a 5-cost.
Is Bastion Bard a reroll comp?
No. Bastion Bard is a Fast 9 comp: level up and roll down at level 9 to find your 4- and 5-cost units at 2 stars.
How do you position Bastion Bard?
Corner Bard on the back line and put Rammus in front of it. Split Bard and Graves across the back line so a single area spell can't hit both. Shen, Rammus, and Ornn hold the front line — put the tankiest one opposite the enemy carry. Against assassins, step your carries up one row and leave Poppy and Aatrox in the back corners as bait.
What is the best opener for Bastion Bard?
The most common level 5 board that turns into Bastion Bard is Aatrox, Caitlyn, Jax, Talon, and Twisted Fate (80 games tracked).