Gaming

League of Legends: Bard, the new champion is now playable, here’s what he can do

Published

9 years ago

March 14, 2015

Developer Riot just launched a brand new champion for League of Legends and he’s quite a bit different than what players have grown accustomed to. Entitled Bard, the champion is also known as “the Wandering Caretaker” and his abilities make him best suited for the support role. Support is a role that many League of Legends (or indeed MOBA games in general) players often shy away from due to the fact that it comes with great responsibility and not a whole lot of power. Unsurprisingly, most players would prefer to be the ones who land the killing blow, but for those kind souls who are happy to babysit the carry, Riot has released the aforementioned new champion. Bard’s abilities are definitely pretty unique, so let’s take a quick look at what the Wandering Caretaker has to offer, shall we?

First off, his Q ability is a skill shot and pretty straightforward all things considered, although it does come with a little twist. The ability is called Cosmic Binding and it allows Bard to fire a a burst of energy in a straight line. The interesting thing about it is that it doesn’t stop once it hits an enemy, as it passes through and looks for an additional target. What’s more, if Cosmic Binding manages to hit a secondary target it stuns both enemies, or just stuns the first one if it passes through and hits a wall. Most League of Legends champions have some sort of targeted abilities like this, but the fact that Cosmic Binding can hit multiple enemies and doubles as a stun makes it a bit more special.

Moving on, Bard’s W ability is called Caretaker’s Shrine and it’s basically a summoned stationary item that can both heal and buff allies. Riot refers to the item as a health pack and explains that your team mates will be healed for a certain amount upon walking over the pack, while also gaining a temporary speed boost in the process. As for the enemy team, Bard’s opponents will be able to destroy the health pack if they stand on it for a moment, so make sure you keep them away from the item if at all possible. Alternatively, you can use the Caretaker’s Shrine as bait while you and your lane buddy hide in the bushes for an ambush. Caretaker’s Shrine works pretty well with a number of League of Legends champions, but Riot suggests that it’s particularly helpful if laning with Udyr since he can make great use of the temporary speed boost.

Next off, the latest addition to League of Legends is also able to create portals thanks to its R ability entitled Magical Journey. This spell allows Bard to summon a portal on a target wall, which can be extremely useful since the portal creates a tunnel to the other side. This essentially provides you and your team mates with a great way of bypassing obstacles and jumping into the heat of the battle more quickly. Since time is an extremely important asset in League of Legends, you should try not to waste any by going around walls whenever possible. However, there’s a bit of a downside to Magical Journey as well because your opponents will also be able to freely pass through the tunnel.

As for Bard’s ultimate ability, I hate to draw comparisons between League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm, but the ability is basically Zeratul’s Void Prison, albeit with a less spectacular visual effect. Specifically, Bard’s Tempered Fate ultimate creates a stasis field in a circular targeted area which renders everything and everyone inside it immobile and unable to attack. The ability is great for buying time or saving one of your team mates, but you unfortunately can’t use it to block an enemy and kill him because targets caught inside Tempered Fate are invulnerable. Bard’s ultimate must be used with care however, as the stasis field traps not only your enemies, but also your allies. On the bright side, Tempered Fate also works on turrets, minions, and monsters.

Finally, Bard also comes equipped with a Passive ability called Traveler’s Call. The passive features two different effects, the first of which goes by the name of Ancient Chimes and periodically spwans sacred chimes across the battlefield. Collecting one of the said chimes will grant Bard a temporary speed, experience, and mana boost. Doesn’t affect allies or enemies. The second effect allows Bard to attract “meeps”, small untargetable spirit that grant the new champion extra attack damage before disappearing. Each meep only grants a one time attack boost and Bard can have multiple around him, but their number and power only increases as the champion continue to gather chimes.

And that’s pretty much a wrap. If you want to learn more about Bard you should probably test him our for yourself, so fire up League of Legends and give him a go. Also, the hero spotlight below could also give you a bit more insight into what Bard is and what he can do.

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George Smith

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Gaming

Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount

Published

18 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Zach Riley

There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.

As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.

The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, have been in discussions about teaming up for a joint bid to acquire Paramount, people familiar with the situation said Thursday. https://t.co/qN86H4y7Va

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 18, 2024

The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.

What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Gaming

Helldivers 2 Players Face Overwhelming Hordes of Factory Striders

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Zach Riley

In the ongoing conflict against the Automaton invasion fleet, the Helldivers 2 players have successfully halted their advance. However, the situation has now reached a tiresome stalemate. Yet again, the machines refuse to take a break from their relentless pursuit of progress, with reports emerging of the Factory Striders being deployed in record-breaking quantities.

There have been reports of alleged machines that were supposedly encountered during Operation Swift Disassembly, which was just the beginning of a larger campaign. However, these accounts should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are unverified and seem to be more on the imaginative side. Factory Striders have gained a reputation as formidable weapons platforms that can produce more Automatons while enduring significant damage. If the machines are able to withstand such a relentless assault, it will be necessary to develop innovative strategies.

Factory Striders have made a resurgence on the Automaton front. These imposing, massive support dreadnoughts now threaten freedom and democracy throughout the galactic rim. pic.twitter.com/XRTPU7k71s

— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) April 16, 2024

Have you come across groups of Factory Striders in Helldivers 2? Which strategies are proving to be the most effective in taking down these armored brutes? The Orbital Railcannon Strike will prove to be a valuable asset in the comments section below.

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Gaming

Todd Howard affirms that the timeline of the Fallout series is coherent and well-constructed

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Zach Riley

The recent release of Amazon’s adaptation of Fallout has ignited a renewed interest in the series and brought attention to the captivating alternate history that forms its foundation. Fans have expressed concern that the TV show’s events might be at odds with the plot of the Obsidian Entertainment video game New Vegas. Warning: Spoilers ahead for New Vegas and Amazon’s show!

Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard and Fallout TV executive producer Jonathan Nolan recently sat down with IGN to discuss the timeline. Howard was taken aback when showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet presented him with the surprising concept of obliterating Shady Sands, the bustling capital of the New California Republic, in the aftermath of the events in New Vegas. Howard eventually warmed up to the idea: “After discussing it, we realized that this could be a significant story moment that many things hinge upon.”

It seems that they had to make some tough decisions to ensure everything fell into place, but Howard emphasizes the importance of preserving the integrity of the Fallout timeline: “We take great care with the timeline. There seems to be some confusion in certain areas. However, all the events from the previous games, including New Vegas, did occur. We take great caution in that matter. We’re really pushing the limits here, but the explosions occur right after the events of New Vegas.

What are your thoughts on this? Is it up to par? Even though it may not have a significant impact on the overall quality of the games or show, it is comforting to know that those in charge are paying attention. We value your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

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