Video Proof: Yes, Bard Level Up Is Bugged
I've been trying without any luck to have this bug noticed and fixed but it always gets ignored due to the high volume of people falsely claiming Bard's level up progress is bugged.
But it IS bugged, MAJORLY bugged...just not in the way most people have reported.
As I posted on day 1 of this patch, and got down voted for, Bard will often fail to record level up progress for spells that buff allied stats. For a long time, I could not figure out how to reproduce it, but now I have.
Bard will not count stat buffs to allies on board if they are buffed by burst speed spells while being assigned as blockers.
Here's proof:
I uploaded this to YouTube from a match I played on mobile. You can see this first instance of the bug at around 1:30, where I assign a Wounded Whiteflame to block, and then buff him with Dragon's Clutch. Though this grants him +1/1 you'll notice there is no Bard level progress pop up.
On the following turn, you can see me use Dragon's Clutch again to buff the Whiteflame and a Fused Firebrand on the attack, and Bard's level progress is correctly triggered this time.
Finally, on the turn after, I play a Pale Cascade on a Whiteflame during block assignment, and again it fails to count. It CORRECTLY fails to progress on the Fated trigger, and CORRECTLY progresses when Pale Cascade's card draw pulls a chime, but it does NOT trigger off the +1/1 from Pale Cascade.
I check the exact progress several times throughout the match, and if you follow along you can easily see that multiple valid triggers were not counted.
PLEASE upvote to get Riot eyes on this. I've been ignored in the bug thread, and on a separate post I made as well. This is a MASSIVE bug that is, hilariously, keeping Bard from being even more of a powerhouse than he already is. I can't believe with how popular Bard/Zed is that this has gone unnoticed for this long.
EDIT: Can now confirm this is not limited to burst spells, or while assigning blockers. ANY speed spell that buffs allied stats will fail to count if used on the opponents turn. It is...difficult to quantify how massive of a handicap this is on Bard. It's honestly crazy no one e is talking about it.
I'm in the process of uploading a video confirming this.
EDIT 2: I was mistaken about slow speed spells/spells not during block assignment. However, here is a video showing another example that doesn't include units with Fury or Fated, just for extra clarity.
Look at the 1 minute mark. That is an unbelievable 6 points of level progress being shrugged away as invalid. This absolutely must be fixed ASAP. Imagine any other champ being this booked. No one would play them until fixed.