Bard’s ultimate is a powerful ability that can immobilize enemies and create opportunities for your team. It forces the enemy to play cautiously and can lead to easy picks.
However, many players opt to take Cleanse against Bard in the hopes of removing the effects of his ultimate. Cleanse is a summoner spell that can remove debuffs like stuns, roots, and slows. But can it remove Bard’s ultimate?
The answer is no. Cleanse cannot remove Bard’s ultimate. The summoner spell explicitly states that it cannot remove debuffs like suppression, airborne, and statis.
If you’re interested in learning more about Cleanse and why it’s a good option, keep reading. We’ll also discuss strategies for avoiding Bard’s ultimate and avoiding random deaths. Let’s get started.
What is Cleanse?
Cleanse is a summoner spell, similar to Flash, Ignite, or Heal. It’s not a popular choice among players, but it can be effective against champions with a lot of crowd control (CC).
It allows you to remove debuffs and CC from your champion, giving you the ability to escape without any issues. For example, if you’re stunned by champions like Morgana, Lux, or Ashe, you can use Cleanse to remove the effect and make your escape.
Cleanse is particularly useful in these matchups because opponents won’t expect you to quickly remove their debuff and retaliate. Additionally, Cleanse has a relatively low cooldown, so you can use it early on without worry.
Cleanse has a cooldown of only 210 seconds, which can be reduced with certain runes. This summoner spell removes the following CC:
- Blind
- Forced action (Berserk, Charm, Flee, Taunt)
- Cripple
- Disarm
- Drowsy & Sleep
- Ground
- Root
- Silence
- Slow
- Stun
However, it does not remove the following debuffs:
- Airborne
- Suppression
- Nearsight
- Stasis
- Mark (ARAM)
It’s also important to note that while Cleanse can remove Ignite from yourself, it cannot remove the Grievous Wounds debuff. Players often take Cleanse against champions like Malzahar to counter his ultimate, but it doesn’t work because Cleanse does not remove suppression.
Furthermore, since Bard’s ultimate inflicts a statis effect on all targets, you cannot use any summoner spells during its duration. This is similar to the effect of Zhonya’s Hourglass. You’re essentially unable to take any action during that time.
Therefore, taking Cleanse against Bard may not be the best choice. However, you can still use it to remove his stun or slow if he hits you with his Q or auto attacks.
How Can You Avoid Bard’s Ultimate
Now that we know what Cleanse is and what it can or cannot do, let’s discuss how you can avoid being hit by Bard’s ultimate. Bard’s ultimate has a long range and a decent radius, making it easy to get caught in its effect, especially if you’re playing a champion without dashes or a spell shield.
However, if you play carefully, Bard won’t use his ultimate on you unless it’s a waste. If you notice that Bard has reached level 6 and is hiding, start playing safe. He’s likely waiting for you to leave a safe position to farm.
In this case, stay near your side of the lane, allowing for an easy escape. As long as you’re not standing in the center of Bard’s ultimate, you can walk away before it lands on the ground.
If your champion has a dash ability (which is common for most champions, as many new champions have dashes), use it to dodge Bard’s ultimate. Champions like Lucian, Zeri, Nilah, and Tristana can easily avoid Bard’s R.
Alternatively, you can purchase items that provide increased mobility. As an ADC, consider buying Galeforce, which you can use if you anticipate Bard will hit you with his R. The best part is that Galeforce is useful on its own.
Finally, if you have a champion with a spell shield, use it at the right moment. Champions like Sivir and Morgana are prime examples. Activating your shield will make you immune to Bard’s ultimate, allowing for an easy escape and foiling Bard’s plans.
If you’re playing as a support like Morgana and your ADC is about to get hit by Bard, make sure to give them your spell shield. It will ensure their survival and prevent the enemy team from securing a kill and gold.
For those of you who are always eager to learn more, check out this article on Who is Doran?