Bard Bard

First time I saw this skin pop up in champ select I thought someone was trolling. Bard Bard. The name alone is perfect. Riot took the cosmic space wanderer and turned him into a literal tabletop RPG bard, lute and all. Been running this in Diamond support games since late 2016 and honestly the concept never gets old.

The RPG fantasy actually works

So what changes here? Bard gets a full medieval fantasy makeover. Think Dungeons and Dragons bard class dropped straight onto the Rift. He’s got the feathered cap, the little lute strapped to his back, the whole traveling minstrel look. His meeps got tiny helmets on them which I think is the best part of the entire skin. Little knight meeps following you around bot lane collecting chimes.

The VFX got tweaked for this one. Not a massive overhaul since its a 750 RP Standard tier skin, but the particle work on Q and the magical journey portal has that fantasy RPG glow to it. Subtle changes. Voice lines stay base, no new recall animation either. For the price point thats expected.

Kinda feels like this skin punches above its weight class though. The model quality is clean, the meep redesign adds personality that most 750 skins dont bother with. Played maybe 40 games with it last month and every time my ADC comments on the meeps. Not sure if it’s just me but those little helmeted guys make landing Q feel more satisfying. Something about bonking people with a medieval chime creature hits different than the cosmic version.

Rift Quest and the release window

Bard Bard dropped November 17, 2016. Part of the Rift Quest skinline which is basically Riot’s love letter to tabletop RPG culture. The line includes other champions doing the fantasy adventurer thing and Bard fits naturally as the bard class. Christian Fell nailed the splash, the tavern scene with Bard performing for an audience of meeps captures the whole vibe perfectly.

No chromas on this one. Zero. Which is a shame because I could see a dark leather variant or something working well with the medieval aesthetic. Season 6 release, back when Bard was still considered a troll pick in most elos. (Random aside: I got flamed for locking in Bard support in my promos that November and carried with this skin equipped, still remember that game.) The Rift Quest line doesnt get enough credit for how well it nails the theme across every champion in the set.

750 RP. Shop has it. Permanent availability so no vault anxiety.

Should you pick up Bard Bard?

Real verdict: this is one of the best value skins for Bard mains. 750 RP for a complete model overhaul with tweaked VFX and the best meep redesign in his entire catalog. Could be wrong here but I think the meeps alone justify the price. Last Tuesday I was peeling for my Jinx in a teamfight near dragon pit and those little knight meeps were just vibing through the chaos.

If you’re comparing against Astronaut Bard or Cafe Cuties, sure those have more features. More expensive too. Bard Bard does one thing and does it well. The RPG bard fantasy, clean execution, personality in the details. Skip the flashy stuff if you want something with character. 750 RP feels fair for what you get, especially for a champion where the meep design matters as much as the base model. Best budget Bard skin full stop. Been daily driving this and Elderwood in rotation for three seasons now and honestly Bard Bard gets more compliments in post game lobby.