Talk:Bard/@comment-5256197-20160223145843/@comment-7837708-20160224013257

You can start with Spellthief and then sell it and buy Talisman, that way you get both the lane harass and the active later on.

Personally, I don't think AP is necessary on Bard, while his base damage can get quite high his ratios are still low. You can offer so much just by using item actives correctly that it makes up for it. It does come down to personal playstyle though, and both ways work.

I wouldn't get Zz'Rot and Banner, they do the same thing and the result will be the same whether you have only one or both. I prefer Banner though, due to the stats and aura.

There isn't really a specific MR item that you always should buy, it all depends on what you need. Locket is great against AoE magic damage, Banner is better if you need to push lanes or they don't have much AoE, Mikael's is a great choice if the enemy has lots of CC, even Banshee's and Spirit Visage can work in some situations.