Battle Bards

It's been a very long while, but the Battle Bards haven't fully abandoned you -- at least not without a goodbye! In the grand final episode of the show, Steff, Syl, and Syp gather together one last time to share memories of the show, the reason behind the decision to end it, and a few of our favorite MMO music tracks. Enjoy -- and from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for listening thes...

For Battle Bards' penultimate episode, Syp and Syl explore some EPIC battle music across many MMOs. After all, if we're going to go out in style, that style's going to be loud enough to blast a hole in your eardrums! We also learn that nobody likes the Flute Guy. Episode 233 show notes  Intro (feat. "Epic Raid Boss 4" from DCUO, "Mission Battle" from CABAL Online, and "Boss Fight 1" from Kritika O...

A small online RPG proves to have a big musical heart with Wayfinder, as Syp, Steff, and Syl discover! These consummate professionals chew through this soundtrack and ask for seconds, only to be denied because they made such a mess along the way. Also, we are the only people in the world who dislike Baldur's Gate 3. Episode 232 show notes Intro (feat. "Call of the Void," "Echoes of the Fallen," an...

Returning to the fertile soundtrack of Caravan Stories, Syl and Syp are rejoined by Steff to give us a fresh take! It's another journey through a charming and laid-back MMO landscapes. Episode 231 show notes  Intro (feat. "Entrust a Will," "Toasting Dance," and "Open the Map" ) "Foothills of Carvendel" "Enigma Rips the Sky" "Folka Village" "Baldu Pipe Town" "Slapstick Castanet" "Glenmore Fault Val...

Ready to get your cozy on? Syp and Syl take you into the relatively new life sim Palia to explore its down-home-on-the-player-farm tunes. Is this a little TOO laid-back and boring, or is there a rural charm to this soundtrack? We'll be the judge of that. Episode 230 show notes Intro (feat.  "Home Sweet Home," "Palia's Kilima Village Daytime Theme,"  and  "The Creation" ) "Daiya Farm Badruu's Melod...

Come along for a trundling trip through the countryside with Caravan Stories, a 2017-era MMO that charmed Syl so much that she demanded they do a two-part show on its soundtrack! Bring your sympathy for Syp, who has to put up with this nonsense! Episode 229 show notes Intro (feat. "Dubious Person," "In Trials,"  and "Rallying Man" ) "Caravan Trip" "Eastern Part of Denon Hill" "Free City of Nero" "...

Not every dungeon has to be a drab and dour affair -- a fact which sent the Battle Bards searching for the cheeriest tunes from MMO instances! Join Syp and Syl as they recount a good half-dozen upbeat tracks from online RPG dungeons. If you've got to loot... loot with a smile. Episode 228 show notes Intro (feat.  "Commence to Jiggin'" from WildStar, "Brawler's Trial" from World of Warcraft, and "D...

Syp and Syp return to the vast library of NCsoft's MMO soundtracks, with games like Aion, Lineage, and Blade & Soul to keep our ears happy for decades now. With so much new music coming out of this studio on a regular basis, there's always something fresh to experience! Episode 227 show notes Intro (feat. "Glimmer of Hope" from Aion, "A Tropical Getaway" from WildStar, and "Coastline" from Guild W...

It's always highly bittersweet when MMO fans sit back and consider the games that never were — the projects that got far along in development but, for various reasons, didn't cross the finish line. But some left behind a melodic footprint that's very much worth examining, which is what our intrepid Battle Bards do today! Episode 226 show notes Intro (feat.  "Overture"  from Stargate Worlds,  "Sent...

One of the newer MMOs on the market, Embers Adrift leaned hard into tougher PvE gameplay and the darkest of dark nights. But how does its music support this fantasy game world? Syl and Syp investigate the "living soundtrack" of this hardcore title. Episode 225 show notes Intro (feat. "Adventures Adrift," "Gardens and Ruins," and "Into the Trees" ) "Meadowlands Melody" "Newhaven" "Newhaven City The...

It's been an almost egregiously long time since the Battle Bards turned their attention to the EverQuest II soundtrack -- but now that wait is over. Join Syp and Syl as they comb through the expansions for all sorts of delightful musical morsels to enjoy! Episode 224 show notes Intro (feat. "Main Theme," "Landing Zone," and "Darkpaw" ) "Artisan Theme" "Qeynos Rises" "Stonewood" "Dreadcutter" "Visi...

The steely gaze and pointy ears of the Battle Bards turns to 2009's Dragonica -- also known as Dragon Saga -- to see what musical treasures might be stashed in this beast's lair. Syl and Syp descend into this all-too-cute realm to find tracks of whimsy and madness awaiting. Listener beware! Episode 223 show notes Intro (feat. "Sky City," "Ferell," and "Haruka's Sushi Restaurant" ) "Title Screen" "...

Will our fascination with giant, skyfaring, flame-belching lizards subside? World of Warcraft bets not, as it's currently soaring through its Dragonflight expansion. Will the music also ascend to lofty realms or fall to the earth with a dud? You'll have to listen to the Battle Bards as they figure out the answer to that question! Episode 222 show notes  Intro (feat. "The Dragon's Hoard," "Riverben...

The power of the One Ring doesn't just rule them all -- it also brings Steff back from retirement! All three Battle Bards are here today to talk about Lord of the Rings Online's enormous Before the Shadow soundtrack. From Hobbits to swans to everything in between, our radio dial is stuck on Middle-earth for now. Episode 221 show notes Intro (feat. "The Silver Bastion," "Valor of Yore," and "Hidden...

Whether or not you like dragons, you have to admit that Guild Wars 2 certainly ended them in style! Join Syl and Syp as they rewind to last winter's End of Dragons and its incredible bounty of soundtrack goodness. Episode 220 show notes Intro (feat. "Daigo Ward" and "Mist Connections" ) "A Future Carved in Jade" "A New Era of Heroes" "I'm Home" "The Petrified Forest" "Captain of the Aetherblades"...

If anyone's ever told you to "take a chill pill," then the Battle Bards have your full dosage in today's episode. Exploring peaceful and serene tracks from MMORPGs, Syl and Syp find their inner calm -- before the inevitable slaughter. Episode 218 show notes Intro (feat. "A Farmer's Life" from WildStar, "Dream of Peace" from Lineage II, and "Silverfrost Mountain" from Blade and Soul) "Aro to the Su...

Rock out with your mace out as the Battle Bards crank up the soundtrack to Dungeon Fighter Online. Have we been missing out on the vast bounty of action setpieces? Is there a delightful orchestral soundtrack tucked inside all of this synth noise? Tune in and find out! Episode 218 show notes  Intro (feat. "Main Theme," "Tower of Despair," and "Adios Verrickt" ) "The Seatrain" "Character Select" "Wh...

Chances are you've never heard of today's featured MMO -- or its quirky little soundtrack! So why not come along with Syp and Syl to explore Legend of Edda, a now-defunct RPG set in a realm of Greek Mythology? Episode 217 show notes Intro (feat. "Ballack's Castle"  and  "Cybele Garden" ) "Title Theme" "Frigid Valley" "Gaiyan Town" "Wailing Wall" "Kobalos Mines" "Silver Lake" Which one did we like...

While Final Fantasy XIV players won't shut up about A Realm Reborn, it's not often you hear people speaking fondly of the original 1.0 edition. Yet in this episode of Battle Bards, Syp and Syl find something to praise from this era: the Before Meteor soundtrack. Let's rewind the clock and hear the O.G. Eorzea tunes! Episode 216 show notes Intro (feat. "Canticle," "Promise of Plunder," and "The Rid...

Maybe you've never heard of Lineage W, a 2021 spin-off of NCsoft's long-running franchise. But after today's Battle Bards episode, you'll have heard it's sweet tunes! Join Syl and Syp as they explore this fantasy soundtrack to see how it stacks up against its amazing ancestors. Episode 215 show notes Intro (feat. "Against Odds," "Moment of Peace," and "Woodbeck Village" ) "Main Theme" "Elven Fores...

You may never see them coming, but when the Battle Bards strike out of the shadows, you'll either find your pocket picked, your fluffy best friend kidnapped, or your life's blood stolen. After all, they learned from the best thieves and rogues in the world! And what kind of music would these robbers identify with? Find out on today's show! Episode 214 show notes Intro (feat. "Rogue"  from Blackwat...

The END(walker) of Final Fantasy XIV came, went, and brought us some excellent music along the way! In this episode of the Battle Bards, Syl and Syp joust back and forth over the tunes from FFXIV's latest expansion. Is it an acquired taste or an instant hit? Let them be the judge! Episode 213 show notes Intro (feat. "Opening Cinematic," "Welcome to Our Town," and "Black Steel, Cold Embers" ) "Vibr...

Battle Bards Episode 212: Elder Scrolls Online Blackwood

When the Battle Bards get loaded up with money and jewels in MMOs, they head back into town for a shopping spree! And if they're shopping, you know they're listening to whatever muzak is piped into these establishments. Syp and Syl listen to the music of shops and services -- and deliver their best to you! Episode 211 show notes Intro (feat. "Cash Shop" from Dragon's Nest, "Shopping Arcade" from M...

We heard your many requests, and we delivered! The Battle Bards crew is back to explore the final frontier of music in the Warframe soundtrack. From funky ninja fighting tracks to stirring interstellar ballads, Warframe ended up being a fun journey through space, time, and composition. Episode 210 show notes Intro (feat.  "Fortuna Login," "March of the Moa," and "Venus Combat" ) "This is What You...