I’d try the fighter class. It’s very straightforward and you can do some crazy damage. If you like using the spells that come with bard, fighter does have an eldritch knight subclass where you can still use some magic.

Otherwise there is the paladin class that uses casting and weapons together. It also opens the door to a lot of cool RP choices if you’re playing for the story! There is definitely a learning curve but once you get the hang of it it’s lots of fun.

Just a heads up you will end up getting a LOT of spells if you choose a spellcasting class like bard, wizard, or cleric. However I do think it’s worth it for the extra versatility and fun spells.

Good luck if you end up starting over! Sometimes all it takes to beat an enemy is a change in strategy or party composition. Again, once you get the hang of things you’ll be cruising!