Peter, you are correct that Bards are better group chars than solo, which I thought was the point of the exercise. However, I know Az was able to solo his Bard quite well, so it can be done. If you want to try a very good solo toon, then an Arti is a good choice. With WF, it can self-heal, do ranged, some melee if you like and can even handle traps. You might consider giving it a try.