I've seen a lot of Bard players going out of lane, leaving their ADR for some time to collect chimes and that makes me think if they (chimes) are really important for Bard, as well as souls for Thresh.
Yes, it upgrades the damage of the meeps, grants EXP and MS and recovers mana too.
But the thing is that the chimes are USUALLY placed far from the lane.
It is risky to wander when the bot lane of the enemy can kill your carry in a jiffy (e.g. Leona, Blitz, Thresh) as well as the fact that the enemy jungler/mid might just run into you. (1 chime = 1 death, really worth)
TL;DR : Is there really an advantage in collecting these 'chimes' than staying in lane? If so, how do I use it (for the MS, EXP and mana) efficiently?
Best Answer
Chimes are quite helpful for Bard. The first 5 are fairly important as they give his meeps a slow (albeit a minor one early on) as well as hitting 25 which gives them AoE damage in a cone. Generally, you should only venture out if the chimes are fairly close or after you have killed an opposing laner. Wards are extremely important to ensure your safety as well as your ADC's. Keep in mind that leaving to collect chimes (while your ADC is safe) benefits both of you. The ADC gets bonus EXP for being solo, while you keep up by getting EXP from you chimes. You can also use this time to gank, something Bard excels at. Still, it comes down to your best judgement. While chimes are important throughout the game, your ADC's life is infinitely more important than missing out on a few chimes. If you aren't 100% confident that your ADC will be fine if you leave to collect a couple chimes, it's usually better to stay. Especially when you are laning against one of the stronger supports in the game such as Leona and Blitz.