Bard vs Nautilus Support Matchup
Bard Support wins 47.0% of 2,063 Low Elo games against Nautilus Support, -1.0 points vs expected, 2-patch window 26.19-26.20.
Researched on LoL patch 26.20. Tips are written to hold at any rank; stats come from Low Elo ranked games up to patch 26.20.
Why Nautilus is favored
Nautilus's hook, root and ultimate give him a reliable catch chain that can punish Bard before Bard gets room to roam or set up his own plays. Bard can disrupt a dive with Cosmic Binding(Q) or Tempered Fate(R), so Nautilus should avoid spending every crowd-control tool into Bard's ready counter-engage.
Measured in High Elo: Nautilus wins 1.9pp more often than expected over 2,018 games.
How to play as Bard
Keep minions between you and Nautilus before level 6, and hold Q to stun him or his carry when he commits to a dive.
Use R to stall a caught ally or separate the enemy carry from Nautilus's follow-up instead of spending it for routine poke.
Cosmic Binding(Q) can stun Nautilus if its missile hits a wall or another enemy, giving Bard a way to interrupt the follow-up to Nautilus's engage.
How to play as Nautilus
Pressure Bard in lane with a clear hook angle; Bard players describe Nautilus as a kill-lane threat that can shut him down when he cannot roam freely.
Dredge Line(Q), Staggering Blow(P) and Depth Charge(R) can lock Bard down in sequence, making Nautilus's kill threat more consistent than Bard's wall-dependent stun.
Sources
These notes come from r/bardmains, checked against the champions' abilities.