“Mana song, please.” Ah, how that makes us cringe! It used to be that bards would be spared this request before they were 32, but now with the addition of Cassindra’s Chant of Clarity at 20, bards get to deal with people telling them what songs to play even earlier.

Okay, before I get too down on our fellow casters, let me say that I agree that our Mana Songs are very useful. One of the things bards are good at is reducing the downtime of their groups, and our mana songs are certainly good for that. The problem comes when casters-classes, not properly understanding how the mana songs work, demand that we play that song and ONLY that song, rendering us into the ever-popular “mana battery.” Of course, should we, in return, demand that THEY cast only certain spells, we would be insulted and ridiculed.

Most of the time, though, this problem comes from simple ignorance, and thus, this article: an attempt to educate the masses about our mana songs, what they do, how they work, and the best uses for them.

First off, here is a list of all of our songs that provide mana, and what they do:

Cassindra’s Chant of Clarity – Level 20, Singing. This song is an instant, and has no duration. It provides 2 mana per tick so long as it runs, but if it stops, the mana effects stop immediately as well. Thus, you cannot twist this song.

Cassindra’s Chorus of Clarity – Level 32, Singing. When people talk about “mana song” they usually refer to this song. This song is an instant and has no duration. It provides 7 mana per tick so long as it runs, but if it stops, the mana effects stop immediately as well. Thus, you cannot twist this song.

Cantata of Soothing – Level 34, String (required). This song has a duration of 18 seconds (3 ticks). It regenerates hit points (5-16 depending on level), 5 mana (always), and some stamina each tick. You can twist this song, though it does not stack with our healing song, Hymn of Restoration, nor its high-level counterpart song, Cantata of Replenishment. The bard must have a stringed instrument in her hands for this song to work.

Cantata of Replenishment – Level 55, String (optional). This song has a duration of 18 seconds (3 ticks). It regenerates hit points (8-24, depending on level and if the bard is using an instrument or not), 12 mana (always), and some stamina each tick. You can twist this song, though it does not stack with our healing song, Hymn of Restoration, nor its low-level counterpart song, Cantata of Soothing.

Remember, neither of these songs have a duration. As most people know, bard song effects generally last a few seconds after the bard has stopped singing the song. This is what allows bard songs to be “twisted”- the bard stops a song and starts a new one. When that one takes effect, he stops it and restarts the old one again, before the effects of it have worn off. In this way, the effects of both songs are in operation at the same time. Good bards can twist three songs this way, barring lag issues.

But not these two. As soon as the bard stops singing these songs, the mana regeneration stops as well. In order to gain maximum efficiency from these songs, the bard would have to sing that song constantly. Assuming she did, she would be providing her group with all of 2 mana per tick (at level 20) or 7 mana per tick (at level 32). That means in the space of a normal 3 song twist, the bard would be providing a whopping 6 mana (at level 20) or 21 mana (at 32).

Now, let’s look at an example of a 20 bard. At this level, the bard has many options at her disposal. She could, for example be twisting Anthem de Arms (Haste and STR buff), Largo’s Melodic Binding (AE Slow and AC debuff) and Elemental Rhythms (Fire, Cold, and Magic Resist buff and AC buff) while also dual-wield meleeing. Or she could sing Chant of Clarity. So, do you want:

For the whole party: +15 STR, +3 AC, +15 Fire, Cold, and Magic resist, and 10% haste (all mana-free)
On all enemy mobs: 15% slow and –4 AC. (all mana-free)
(all stats based on 20 bard using normal instruments)

Or 2 mana per tick?

For the whole party: 8 HP/tick regeneration (mana-free)
On all enemy mobs: 30 damage per tick and –12 AC. (all mana free)
(all stats based on 20 bard using normal instruments)

Or 2 mana per tick?

You could, I suppose, drop out one of the three songs for mana song, but remember, the mana songs don’t twist. So, you’d be sacrificing mana-free haste, buffs, slows, regens, fear, snare, etc. for even less mana, something like 2 or 7 mana every 18 seconds.

The level 34 mana song, Cantata of Soothing, is a bit more useful in combat. It’s a nice combination, health, mana, and stamina. It doesn’t do as much mana regeneration as the 32 song (doing 5 per tick), but it does twist. The main drawback of this song is that the bard must be using a stringed instrument to play it. If the bard is already using instruments, such as instrument fighting, playing resist buffs, etc., then it’s easier to mix this song in with a twist. However, if the bard is filling in for an enchanter or shaman, and thus providing party haste and slow, he is also most likely to be wielding weapons, too. Most of our Haste and Slow songs are Singing, which means there’s no additional value to using an instrument with them. So, if we’re playing mostly singing songs, it’s a great time to pull out the weapons and melee. Which means, of course, that the bard won’t be able to use this song, unless they wish to swap out weapons and instruments in the middle of the twist. This is certainly possible, but is tiring on the fingers and reduces the efficiency of the bard’s melee. With Cantata of Soothing, the bard has to weigh the advantages of the song versus the inability to use weapons efficiently. Sometimes it’s more efficient for the party as a whole to not use this song.

The final mana song, Cantata of Replenishment, is the one mana song that is often very handy to use during a fight. It regenerates the most mana of any of our song, has stamina and health regeneration components, and best of all, it twists, and instruments are optional. This song, twisted with other songs like Shield of Song or Niv’s Melody of Preservation can keep tanks alive and buffed and casters full of mana, and is flexible enough to allow the bard to use instruments or weapons, depending on the situation. It’s a pity bards don’t get it until level 55.

So, really, the bottom line is that playing “mana song” during a fight is one of the most inefficient things a bard can do, outside of the level 55 song. (Okay, sure, playing Lyssa’s Cataloging Libretto is more inefficient. )

Mana song is great, however, during downtime. Between pulls, there’s nothing like it to help fill those blue bars back up. So, certainly, expect mana song from your bards during downtime. But please, next time you’re tempted to tell the bard “just play mana song,” ask yourself:

Do I want, for instance, 28 hp/tick regen, +56 STR, +35 DEX, +11 AC, +21 ATK, and a 21 point magical-damage absorption sheild, for the whole party, all mana free... or 7 mana per tick?

(Sources for this article: www.eqdiva.com and Stormwind’s Bardsong Calculator.)