Aion 4.0 Preview – Bard/Troubador Skills, Chains, and Stigmas (Part 2)

The Bard/Troubador is the most recent class added to Aion 4.0 and offers a unique mix of heavy DPS skills along with multiple recovery skills. In some ways, the Bard’s skills resemble that of a magic-pumped, ranged Chanter — but the class’s clear offensive capabilities set it apart from its melee hybrid cousin.

Please keep in mind that all of the information found here is subject to change as Aion 4.0 goes through its release waves in Korea and reaches the West. In addition, the skill translations here have been done by Google Translate and my limited knowledge of Korean grammar and vocabulary. No guarantees!

Our last Bard feature covered the class’s skills up to level 30. Things only get more complicated from here. High levels are packed with Stigma skills and the Bard has several restorative and offensive chain skills. We will be covering the chain skills after this skill list.

Skills I am unsure about are marked with (*). Skill upgrades happen as you level but are not marked here. Indicated levels are those on which you learn them. Check out the official Aion 4.0 KR Powerwiki for a full list of skills and their upgrades.

Aion 4.0 Bard Skills (2)

• Disrupting Dance (Level 31; 1 minute CD) – Removes movement-impairing effects from caster. (*)
• Reverie’s Destruction(*) (Level 31; DP skill; 1 minute CD) – 602 fire damage to targets in front of caster.
• Light Ringing (Level 34; 3 second CD) – Target recovers 651 HP.
• Binding Plosives (Level 34; 30 second CD) – Roots target in place and deals 727 earth damage.
• Tone Variations (Level 35; 30 second CD) – Three-cast skill. 264/492/901 magic damage to target and 500/1000/1500 MP removed from target. (*) Does 70/130/239 additional damage to Balaur.
• Soul Chord Destruction (Level 36; 16 second CD) – 386 magic damage to target and 320 removed from target. (*)
• Marching Melody (Level 36; 1 minute CD) – Movement speed increased by 10 for 10 seconds.
• Damaging Echoes (Level  37; 16 second CD) – 676 damage to target 6 seconds after cast.
• Oblivion Rhapsody (Level 37; Stigma skill; 30 second CD) – Removes 2 benefitial magic effects from target.
• Melody of Hope (Level 40; DP skill; 30 minute CD) – After one minute out of combat, caster’s HP is restored and increased by 20% for one minute. If caster dies during the buff, they will be resurrected with 50% HP and MP. (*)
• Silencing Plosives (Level 40; 30 second CD) – Silences target for 5 seconds.
• Shock Cancel (*) (Level 40; 1 minute CD) – Impairing effects(stuns, silences, etc.) removed from caster and increases resistance to impairing effects by 1000 for 7 seconds. (* may be target instead of caster, not sure)
• Bee March (Level 43; Stigma skill; 45 second CD) – 388 earth damage to target, reduces target’s magic resistance by 100 for 8 seconds.
• Wind Chord (Level 43; 45 second CD) – 1439 wind damage to target.
• Morse Key Tune (*) (Level 45; Stigma skill; 1 minute CD) – 399 damage to target every 2 seconds for 8 seconds. Target takes 938 damage after DoT duration.
• Healing Credo (Level 45; Stigma skill; 12 second CD) – Healing increased by 300.
• Amplifying Credo (Level 45; Stigma skill; 12 second CD) – Magic damage increased by 150.
• Calm Variations (Level 45; Stigma skill; 1.5 minute CD) – Target recovers 720 MP.
• Touching Melody (Level 47; 3 minute CD) – Target recovers 1062 HP, and heals 201 HP every 2 seconds for 6 seconds.
• Pure Ringing (Level 48; 3 second CD) – Target recovers 664 MP.
• Shock Plosive (Level 49; 1 minute CD) – 966 wind damage to target and knocks them down.
• Courageous Melody (Level 50; Stigma skill; 1 minute CD) – Caster’s resistance to fear is increased by 650, and sleep and knockdown resistance increased by 500 for 30 minutes. (*)
• Paralysis Echoes (Level 50; Stigma skill; 3 minute CD) – Target is paralyzed for 5 to 8 seconds.
• Denial Melody (Level 52; Stigma skill; 1 minute CD) – Caster’s resistance to knockdowns and knockbacks increased by 300, silence resistance increased by 500 for 30 minutes.
• Healing Variations (Level 53; Stigma skill; 20 second CD) – Target recovers 897 HP.
• Peaceful Nocturne (Level 54; 1 minute CD) – Target’s enmity to target decreased.
• Dissonance (Level 55; Stigma skill; 1 minute CD) – 2179 wind damage to target.
• Absolution Melody (Level 55; Stigma skill; 10 minute CD) – Caster and party members within 25m recover 814 HP every 2 seconds for 6 seconds. (* Not sure on this one.)
• Blast Rhapsody (Level 57; 16 second CD) – 1044 wind damage to target and knocks them down.
• Silencing Chord (Level 60; 45 second CD) – 938 damage to target, removing 598 MP and silencing them for 6 seconds.
• Tsunami Rhapsody (Level 61; 30 second CD) – 1933 water damage to target.
• Ironclad Melody (Level 62; 20 second CD) – Caster’s resistance to knockdowns, spins, stuns, knockbacks, and roots increased by 800 for 12 seconds.
• Sea Variations (Level 63; Stigma skill; 1 minute CD) – 510 water damage to target and reduces their attack speed for 8 seconds.
• Expansive Melody (Level 64; 3 minute CD) – Caster and party members recover within 25m recover 180 seconds of flight time, and flight speed is increased by 10%.
• Snowflake Melody (Level 65; 5 minute CD) – Caster’s HP and MP are recovered by 141 every 3 seconds for 30 seconds. Caster receives a shield for 3000 damage for a 30 second duration.
• Shadow Variations (*) (Level 65; Stigma skill; 20 second CD) – Three-cast skill. 683/1460/4418 fire damage to target.

Bard Stigma Skill Trees

Restorative Stigma Tree

Offensive Stigma Tree

Bard Combos

The following are the Bard‘s skill combinations in their entirety. Though not long, some (such as Soul Chord’s skill string) are especially potent. The class’ restorative chains make them very competent and fast full-party healers.

4.0 is coming to North America in June. Read more here.