Support Matchup

Bard vs Poppy

Patch: 15.15 (25.15)
League: Platinum+
Bard

Bard

the Wandering Caretaker
Support
Bard Support Overall Win Rate
50.55%

Matchup Win Rate

44.9%
Bard vs Poppy Wins
55.1%
Poppy vs Bard Wins
Poppy

Poppy

Keeper of the Hammer
Support
Poppy Support Overall Win Rate
50.62%

Bard vs Poppy - Support Matchup Guide Patch 15.15 (25.15)

Bard Support vs Poppy Support - Who is stronger?

Poppy Support counters Bard hard (44.9% win rate) based on 531 games. This matchup is really difficult for Bard players.

View detailed statistics below: items, runes, and counter builds for Bard Support vs Poppy Support in patch 15.15 (25.15), including win rates and pick rates. With proper study, this can improve your chances of victory up to 70%+ in this matchup.

Statistical Matchup Analysis

Bard dominates the meta (13th most popular, 5.3% pick rate) and regularly clashes with Poppy (2.5% pick rate). Understanding this common matchup forms the foundation of consistent gameplay for one of support's current powerhouses. Identical tiers, different outcomes: Despite matching A+-tier ratings, Bard struggles with only 44.9% win rate. Poppy's mechanics prove more effective in this particular confrontation. Every edge matters: In this tough matchup, the proven Unsealed Spellbook + Magical Footwear combination (60.4% win rate) plus optimal itemization Dead Man's Plate, Redemption, Locket of the Iron Solari, and Boots of Swiftness boosts your chances from 44.9% to 70%+ - potentially game-changing.

Vision deficit: Struggling in both the matchup and vision control (0.91 vs 1.09 wards/min) demands defensive warding and heavy jungle coordination. Outclassed across the board: Poppy leads in both matchup win rate (55.1%) and damage (481 vs 460/min). Bard must seek alternative win conditions through macro play and team coordination. Strong individual performance: Bard maintains better KDA (3.10, 7th place vs 33rd for Poppy), but loses the matchup overall. High KDA without wins suggests difficulty translating individual advantages into victory conditions.

Bard vs Poppy - Support Stats Comparison

Bard Support
Bard Support
Versus
Poppy Support
Poppy Support
A+TierA+
44.9%Matchup Winrate55.1%
50.55%Role Winrate50.62%
#14Winrate Rank#13
5.3%Pickrate2.5%
3.1Average KDA2.3
309Gold per Minute309
0.91Wards per Minute1.09
460Damage per Minute481

How to Beat Poppy as Bard (Support)

Difficult matchup requiring deep understanding of game mechanics and flawless execution. Patience and proper macro play are the keys to victory in this confrontation.

The magic damage that Bard deals remains relevant in the late game. Look for opportunities to initiate or counter-initiate. Poppy deals mainly physical damage (77.76%), additional items against this damage type may be required against snowballing or aggressive play.

Consider the excellent vision control demonstrated by Poppy, ranking 1st (versus 23rd for Bard) in ward placement among supports. This means the opponent provides better map vision for their team. Meanwhile, their lower KDA (2.3 versus 3.1) suggests they are less effective in team fights.

Key aspects of the Bard Support versus Poppy Support matchup

In this difficult confrontation, it is critically important for the Bard player to avoid attempts to force trades and all-ins with the Poppy player, as the matchup requires a patient and calculated approach. Extended trades without clear tactical advantage often lead to unfavorable consequences, and ignoring opportunities to receive team support can be a fatal mistake for game progression.

Bard vs Poppy: Support Summoner Spells

Most Popular

Flash
Flash Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Ignite
Ignite Deals true damage over time to target enemy champion and reduces healing effects on them for the duration.
46.7% Win Rate77.1% Pick Rate

Highest Win Rate

Flash
Flash Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Heal
Heal Restores Health and grants Move Speed to you and target allied champion.
61.8% Win Rate15.9% Pick Rate

Bard vs Poppy: Support Runes

Most Frequent Runes

Primary Path
Domination
Electrocute
Electrocute Hitting a champion with 3 separate attacks or abilities within 3s deals bonus adaptive damage.

Damage: 70 - 240 (+0.1 bonus AD, +0.05 AP) damage.
Cooldown: 20s

'We called them the Thunderlords, for to speak of their lightning was to invite disaster.'

Electrocute

Hitting a champion with 3 separate attacks or abilities within 3s deals bonus adaptive da…

Cheap Shot
Cheap Shot Damaging champions with impaired movement or actions deals 10 - 45 bonus true damage (based on level).

Cooldown: 4s
Activates on damage occurring after the impairment.

Cheap Shot

Damaging champions with impaired movement or actions deals 10 - 45 bonus true d…

Deep Ward
Deep Ward Your wards in the enemy jungle are Deep. Deep wards gain +1 extra Health and +[30 - 45]s increased duration (+[45 - 150]s for Trinket stealth wards).

Level 9: Wards in the river are also Deep.

Deep Ward

Your wards in the enemy jungle are Deep. Deep wards gain +1 extra Health and +[…

Relentless Hunter
Relentless Hunter Gain 8 Move Speed out of combat per Bounty Hunter stack. Bounty Hunter stacks are earned the first time you get a takedown on each enemy champion.

Relentless Hunter

Gain 8 Move Speed out of combat per Bounty Hunter stack. Bounty Hunter stacks a…

Secondary Path
Sorcery
Celerity
Celerity All movement bonuses are 7% more effective on you and gain 1% Move Speed.

Celerity

All movement bonuses are 7% more effective on you and gain 1% Move Speed.

Scorch
Scorch Your next damaging ability hit sets champions on fire dealing 20 - 40 bonus magic damage based on level after 1s.

Cooldown: 10s

Scorch

Your next damaging ability hit sets champions on fire dealing 20 - 40 bonus mag…

Adaptive
Attack Speed
Attack Speed Increases attack speed by 10%

Attack Speed

Increases attack speed by 10%

Adaptive Force
Adaptive Force Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

Adaptive Force

Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

+65 Health
+65 Health +65 Health

+65 Health

+65 Health

47.8% Win Rate41.9% Pick Rate

Best Win Rate Runes

Primary Path
Inspiration
Unsealed Spellbook
Unsealed Spellbook Swap one of your equipped Summoner Spells to a new, single use Summoner Spell. Each unique Summoner Spell you swap to permanently decreases your swap cooldown by 25s (initial swap cooldown is at 5 mins).

Your first swap becomes available at 6 mins.

Summoner Spells can only be swapped while out of combat.
After using a swapped Summoner Spell you must swap 3 more times before the first can be selected again.
Smite damage increases after two Summoner Spell swaps.

Unsealed Spellbook

Swap one of your equipped Summoner Spells to a new, single use Summoner Spell. Each uniqu…

Magical Footwear
Magical Footwear You get free Slightly Magical Footwear at 12 min, but you cannot buy boots before then. For each takedown you acquire the boots 45s sooner.

Slightly Magical Footwear grants you an additional 10 Move Speed.

Magical Footwear

You get free Slightly Magical Footwear at 12 min, but you cannot buy boots befo…

Biscuit Delivery
Biscuit Delivery Biscuit Delivery: Gain a Total Biscuit of Everlasting Will every 2 mins, until 6 min.

Biscuits restore 12% of your missing health. Consuming or selling a Biscuit permanently increases your max health by 30.

Biscuit Delivery

Biscuit Delivery: Gain a Total Biscuit of Everlasting Will every 2 mins, until …

Cosmic Insight
Cosmic Insight +18 Summoner Spell Haste
+10 Item Haste

Cosmic Insight

+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste

Secondary Path
Domination
Deep Ward
Deep Ward Your wards in the enemy jungle are Deep. Deep wards gain +1 extra Health and +[30 - 45]s increased duration (+[45 - 150]s for Trinket stealth wards).

Level 9: Wards in the river are also Deep.

Deep Ward

Your wards in the enemy jungle are Deep. Deep wards gain +1 extra Health and +[…

Relentless Hunter
Relentless Hunter Gain 8 Move Speed out of combat per Bounty Hunter stack. Bounty Hunter stacks are earned the first time you get a takedown on each enemy champion.

Relentless Hunter

Gain 8 Move Speed out of combat per Bounty Hunter stack. Bounty Hunter stacks a…

Adaptive
Attack Speed
Attack Speed Increases attack speed by 10%

Attack Speed

Increases attack speed by 10%

Adaptive Force
Adaptive Force Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

Adaptive Force

Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

Scaling Health
Scaling Health Increases health from 10 to 180 HP across levels 1-18

Scaling Health

Increases health from 10 to 180 HP across levels 1-18

60.4% Win Rate9.1% Pick Rate

Bard vs Poppy: Support Item Builds

Most Popular Build

Starting Items
Stealth Ward
Stealth Ward (0 gold) Active (210 - 120s, max 2 charges)
Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 90-120 seconds.
World Atlas
World Atlas (400 gold)
Health Potion
Health Potion (50 gold) Consume
Restores 120 Health over 15 seconds.
47.8% Win Rate80.1% Pick Rate
Popular Boots
Boots of Swiftness
Boots of Swiftness (1000 gold) 60 Move Speed
Fleetfooted
Reduce the effectiveness of Slows by 25%.
50.5% Win Rate58.6% Pick Rate
Symbiotic Soles
Symbiotic Soles (900 gold) 40 Move Speed
Voidborn
Gain Empowered Recall.
Symbiosis
After traveling 150000 units of distance, transform into Synchronized Souls.
45.2% Win Rate22.1% Pick Rate
Ionian Boots of Lucidity
Ionian Boots of Lucidity (900 gold) 10 Ability Haste
45 Move Speed

Ionian Insight
Gain 10 Summoner Spell Haste.
49.2% Win Rate6.1% Pick Rate
Core Build
Winged Moonplate
Winged Moonplate (800 gold) 200 Health
4% Move Speed

->
Dead Man's Plate
Dead Man's Plate (2900 gold) 350 Health
55 Armor
4% Move Speed

Shipwrecker
While moving, build up to 20 bonus Move Speed. Your next Attack discharges built up Move Speed to deal bonus physical damage.
Unsinkable
Reduce the effectiveness of Slows by 25%.
Locket of the Iron Solari
Locket of the Iron Solari (2200 gold) 200 Health
25 Armor
25 Magic Resist
10 Ability Haste

Devotion
Grant nearby allies a 200 - 360 Shield that decays over 2.5 seconds.
Redemption
Redemption (2300 gold) 200 Health
15 Ability Haste
100% Base Mana Regen
10% Heal and Shield Power

Intervention
Restore 200 - 400 Health to allied champions and deal 10% max Health true damage to enemy champions after 2.5 seconds.
75.3% Win Rate8.1% Pick Rate
Final Build
Guinsoo's Rageblade
Guinsoo's Rageblade (3000 gold) 30 Attack Damage
30 Ability Power
25% Attack Speed

Wrath
Attacks deal 30 bonus magic damage On-Hit.
Seething Strike
Attacks grant 8% Attack Speed for 3 seconds. (stacks 4 times).
While fully stacked, every third Attack applies On-Hit effects twice.
0.0% Win Rate14.4% Pick Rate

Best Win Rate Build

Starting Items
Stealth Ward
Stealth Ward (0 gold) Active (210 - 120s, max 2 charges)
Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 90-120 seconds.
Control Ward
Control Ward (75 gold) Consume
Places a Control Ward that grants vision and reveals enemy Stealth Wards, traps and Camouflaged enemies.
World Atlas
World Atlas (400 gold)
65.4% Win Rate1.2% Pick Rate
Highest Winrate Boots
Plated Steelcaps
Plated Steelcaps (1200 gold) 25 Armor
45 Move Speed

Plating
Reduces incoming damage from Attacks by 10%.
54.8% Win Rate4.6% Pick Rate
Boots of Swiftness
Boots of Swiftness (1000 gold) 60 Move Speed
Fleetfooted
Reduce the effectiveness of Slows by 25%.
50.5% Win Rate58.6% Pick Rate
Mercury's Treads
Mercury's Treads (1250 gold) 20 Magic Resist
45 Move Speed
30% Tenacity

49.5% Win Rate3.0% Pick Rate
Core Build
Winged Moonplate
Winged Moonplate (800 gold) 200 Health
4% Move Speed

->
Dead Man's Plate
Dead Man's Plate (2900 gold) 350 Health
55 Armor
4% Move Speed

Shipwrecker
While moving, build up to 20 bonus Move Speed. Your next Attack discharges built up Move Speed to deal bonus physical damage.
Unsinkable
Reduce the effectiveness of Slows by 25%.
Redemption
Redemption (2300 gold) 200 Health
15 Ability Haste
100% Base Mana Regen
10% Heal and Shield Power

Intervention
Restore 200 - 400 Health to allied champions and deal 10% max Health true damage to enemy champions after 2.5 seconds.
Locket of the Iron Solari
Locket of the Iron Solari (2200 gold) 200 Health
25 Armor
25 Magic Resist
10 Ability Haste

Devotion
Grant nearby allies a 200 - 360 Shield that decays over 2.5 seconds.
98.6% Win Rate3.1% Pick Rate
Final Build
Void Staff
Void Staff (3000 gold) 95 Ability Power
40% Magic Penetration

99.6% Win Rate14.1% Pick Rate
Other Items
Wit's End
Wit's End (2800 gold) 50% Attack Speed
45 Magic Resist
20% Tenacity

Fray
Attacks deal bonus magic damageOn-Hit.
98.5% Win Rate14.3% Pick Rate
Blade of The Ruined King
Blade of The Ruined King (3200 gold) 40 Attack Damage
25% Attack Speed
10% Life Steal

Mist's Edge
Attacks deal a percentage of enemy's current Health as bonus physical damageOn-Hit.
Clawing Shadows
Attacking a champion 3 times Slows them by 30% for 1 second.
0.0% Win Rate14.3% Pick Rate
Nashor's Tooth
Nashor's Tooth (3000 gold) 80 Ability Power
50% Attack Speed
15 Ability Haste

Icathian Bite
Attacks deal bonus magic damageOn-Hit.
0.0% Win Rate14.2% Pick Rate
Rapid Firecannon
Rapid Firecannon (2650 gold) 35% Attack Speed
25% Critical Strike Chance
4% Move Speed

Sharpshooter
Your Energized Attack deals 40 bonus magic damage and gains 35% bonus Attack Range.
0.0% Win Rate14.2% Pick Rate
Kraken Slayer
Kraken Slayer (3100 gold) 45 Attack Damage
40% Attack Speed
4% Move Speed

Bring It Down
Every third Attack deals bonus physical damageOn-Hit, increased based on their missing Health.
0.0% Win Rate14.2% Pick Rate
Void Staff
Void Staff (3000 gold) 95 Ability Power
40% Magic Penetration

99.6% Win Rate14.1% Pick Rate

Bard vs Poppy: Support Skill (abilities) Orders

Most Frequent Skill Order

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Q
Q
Cosmic Binding Bard fires a missile which will slow the first enemy struck, and continue onward. If it strikes a wall, it will stun the initial target; if it strikes another enemy, it will stun them both.
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
W
W
Caretaker's Shrine Reveals a Health shrine which powers up over a short time, disappearing after healing and speeding up the first ally that touches it.
W
W
W
W
W
E
E
Magical Journey Bard opens a portal in nearby terrain. Allies and enemies alike can take a one-way trip through that terrain by moving into the portal.
E
E
E
E
E
R
R
Tempered Fate Bard sends spirit energy arcing to a location, putting all champions, minions, monsters, and turrets hit into stasis for a brief time.
R
R
R
Max Order: Q > W > E
46.6% Win Rate76.3% Pick Rate

Highest Win % Skill Order

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
R
Q
Cosmic Binding Bard fires a missile which will slow the first enemy struck, and continue onward. If it strikes a wall, it will stun the initial target; if it strikes another enemy, it will stun them both.
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
R
W
Caretaker's Shrine Reveals a Health shrine which powers up over a short time, disappearing after healing and speeding up the first ally that touches it.
W
W
W
W
W
R
E
Magical Journey Bard opens a portal in nearby terrain. Allies and enemies alike can take a one-way trip through that terrain by moving into the portal.
E
E
E
E
E
R
R
Tempered Fate Bard sends spirit energy arcing to a location, putting all champions, minions, monsters, and turrets hit into stasis for a brief time.
R
R
R
Max Order: Q > W > E
89.5% Win Rate0.4% Pick Rate

Bard tips:

  • It's important to collect chimes to improve your meep's attacks, but don't neglect your lane partner! Try to make a big entrance by bringing an ally into the lane with you with Magical Journey.
  • Let your Caretaker's Shrines charge up - they heal for a lot more when at full power.
  • Don't forget that enemies can also use your Magical Journey doorways, and that your ultimate can also hit your allies!

Playing Against Poppy

  • Poppy can stop nearby enemies from dashing with Steadfast Presence.
  • When Poppy starts to spin her hammer, she is charging Keeper's Verdict.
  • You can step on Poppy's shield to deny it from her.