Bard vs Elise
Hard matchup
Build vs Elise
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Bard: Dead Man's Plate, Locket of the Iron Solari, Bandlepipes, Boots of Swiftness, Bloodsong, Mikael's Blessing, Celestial Opposition, Solstice Sleigh.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Elise's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Human Form: When Elise's abilities hit an enemy, she gains a dormant Spiderling.Spider Form: Basic attacks deal bonus magic damage and restore health to Elise.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6s | 12s | 12s | – |
| 6 | 6s | 12s | 12s | 3s |
| 9 | 6s | 12s | 12s | 3s |
| 11 | 6s | 12s | 12s | 3s |
| 16 | 6s | 12s | 11s | 3s |
| 18 | 6s | 12s | 10s | 3s |
Playing as Bard
Tips to maximize your impact
- Aim for a wall behind your target
Line up Cosmic Binding (Q) with a wall or a second enemy behind your target: the missile then stuns every enemy hit.
- Freeze the fight with your R
Cast Tempered Fate (R) to freeze a teamfight, or a tower during a dive: everything hit, allies included, goes into stasis.
- Roam through your portals
Open Magical Journey (E) to roam or to get your team out: the portal crosses nearby terrain, but enemies can use it too.
- Collect your Chimes
Collect the Traveler's Call (passive) Chimes whenever your lane allows: they give XP and mana, and enough Chimes add area damage and a slow to your Meeps.
Playing against Elise
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Step up after a missed Cocoon
Step up when her Cocoon (E) misses you: it's her only stun, on a 12 to 10 second cooldown.
- Don't stay low near her bite
Don't stay in melee range at low health: in spider form, Venomous Bite (Q) lunges at you and deals damage based on your missing health.
- Ward the way into your lane
Ward the path between her jungle and your lane: when she ganks, Cocoon (E) stuns you from range as soon as it hits.
- Drag the game out
If you survive her first minutes, play for time: Elise is strongest early and loses impact once everyone has their items.
Patch 16.21.1