LotRO for WoW Players: What Class Should I Be?

Thanks Doyce, I will change the post to reflect that. We where out of the game for about a year and a half, so hearing this is good news

As a captain, I wouldn’t put DPS in our line up. If we’re trying to DPS, we’re burning through power like none other. We’re very inefficient DPSers and we don’t put out nearly as much damage as a hunter or champ. Healing, we’ve gotten better at but you’ll need to be specced specifically for it in virtues, class traits, and perhaps gear. In tanking, make sure there’s not a Hunter or Champion on your target or you’re not going to hold aggro very well.

I call our class a primary buffing class and utility/support class. We fit in where we can. Need a hand with a mob over here, go there, need everybody on the boss, go to the boss, need a quick heal for the tank while the minstrel is tied up elsewhere, we can do that. It’s hard to classify us. Oh, and we got pets (I don’t use them though).

All of the lotro classes can effectively take on a DPS role. Here’s how i would describe the individuel classes.

Guardian: Tank
Captain: Buffer + Tank & Healer
Minstrel: Healer
Hunter: DPS + CC
Champion: DPS (mainly AOE?)
Burglar: Debuffer + CC
Lore-master: CC + Healer
Rune Keeper: DPS + Healer
Warden: Tank

I was trying to come up with my own classifications that I felt better fit the classes than the OP list. However, I don’t play many of the classes so I felt like I couldn’t legitimately argue for a different list. However, I like Agamemnon’s list the best.

@Jaxom92: My list actually came from just looking at the character creation screen, where Turbine specifically lists the class’s role.

@Mike Norton: That is then misleading. A Guardian in Overpower isn’t even coming close to what damage Rune-Keepers, Hunters, Champions, even Burglars, are doing. The other trouble to Overpower is that it debilitates the Guardian’s role as a Tank. It would not be wise to suggest the Guardian to someone who enjoys a DPS role simply because a Guardian can dish out minor damage in a stance that kills his main role. I mean, DPS isn’t even a secondary role for a Guardian. I wouldn’t even list it as a role at all.

I think it would be valid to note for both Guardians and Minstrels a secondary or situational DPS role. For both classes, it’s situational (Overpower for Guardians and Warspeech for Minstrels), but it is still a viable class function and important for new players to know. For example, if I were to come to LOTRO straight from a game like FFXI, where healers (White Mages) were not capable of doing any kind of significant damage, I would really appreciate knowing that the main healing class in LOTRO is able to dish it out when needed, and I would understand that it is not my main role.

I really don’t think the amount of DPS each class can do in their situational roles matters as much as the fact that they CAN when they need to. We could have a whole argument about the merits or non-merits of running each class for DPS, but that’s not really what this article is about.

So, is the RK for you? Well, I’d say if you like to mix up your play, want a complex class and be in decent demand you’ll like the RK. It’s a glass cannon - so get uber gear and learn your threat manaqement. I spent 2+ years in a WoW raiding guild playing a Dwarf Priest. I know my healing and I’m just starting to learn how to be a raid healer with my RK. But then I can solo like a mad-man. Pre book 7 I could solo 3 mobs together at 2 levels higher, and I could solo 2 reds with the right combo. As a champion that was never going to happen. RKv2 is a monster. I’ve done elites 1 level under mine.

I’m tempted to do a write up somewhere about the Rune Keeper. However, I’ll go with a summary for now in the interests of eleborating on the info above. Long comment alert - I hope I do not offend. But there’s a distinct lack of knowledge around the RK right now.

Pre Moria I liked the RK for a few reasons. The versatility was interesting - I’d been playing a Champion as my main but wanted to shift from a button mashing class. RK is anything BUT button mashing.

However, post book 7 (the first post-Moria expansion) RKs became easier to play. The first version of RK (we’ll call it RKv1) was quite complex to play well. The word from many was that they were hard to keep alive. Personally, I loved the class never really died, and kicked PvE butt. Turbine classified it as an ‘Advanced’ class to play - and IMHO with good reason. RKv1 had a series of powers that required building up attunement to really use - particularly when it came to damage. The key was that the order of those skills, attunement requirements, induction times and cooldowns really meant that you had to learn the optimal combinations and build of skills for yourself. Situation combat became exciting because for optimal solo play I found myself with 3-4 different combat skill combinations depending on the number of foe, adds, debuffs/mezzes on me and in fellowships (groups).

However, with book 7 Turbine came up with RKv2. v2 is MUCH more powerful; a general consensus is that it’s now the most powerful class in the game (personally I think it’s now broken). They adjusted the cooldowns on some key powers, changed the attunements required for some essential powers (those of you playing RKs will appreciate the drop of Ceaseless Argument from 6 to 3 battle attunement and other goodies like stacking fire DoT with chilling rhetoric as your opening play). But in short it became easier.

I believe that Turbine looked at the numbers and decided that not enough RKs were in play. It’s a new class and many seasoned players wanted to do the new content. I took the other route and leveled my RK (currently at 59). I am a casual player and know there are some 60s on our server. I also suspect they got some feedback about how hard it was for an RK to play.

My opinion - these players were either not very determined or didn’t take the time to work out how to play. It got hard and they picked up their tools and went over to another class. Personally, I miss RKv1. BUT, it’s a fun DPS class to play and still far from simple. Button mashing this class is NOT.

Now for healing. Both v1 and v2 are capable healers. Much like the WoW system the moria expansion meant that class and legendary traits took on a whole new meaning for the RK. You have three branches (DPS/DPS/Heal) to focus your traits on. While this system is not as serious as WoW speccing it does mean that you can (and should) pick a primary area (DPS or Heal) and the trait from there. If you trait for healing you WILL be able to be a primary healer. But again, class management is key. Threat’s an issue and you have light armour. But that’s managable; you need to learn combat positioning for AoE and accept that sometimes if you get aggro you could die very horribly, very quickly in a raid. Also, healing attunement means that you have to build up to the stronger heals. Yes, a lot of RK healing is HoT, BUT there’s a lot of tricks. Get the right legendary weapon and trait well and you’ll have the makings of the great healer.

But here’s the rub - people don’t really understand the RK yet. Most other players amd Fellowships are unaware of the significance of how an RK is both configured AND played. The easiest aspect is DPS for a raid/group situation but if an RK is not configured for heal it should be a secondary healer. However, I’d guess that most players will be speccing DPS and looking for that role. The good news is that they can still throw some minor heals out. Another bonus is you can shift mid combat between roles and you’ve got lots of fun toys. Did I tell you about the rezz that you can cast a minute BEFORE someone dies (is defeated?) and it rezzes them in combat? RKs also get skills that predict the future. A nice class design element that really sets the RK apart.

Thanks for the kind words Mike

I should be checking the LOTRO RK class forum to see what other RK players are saying but I’m glad to see one confirmation of my experience. (And I just remembered that Ceaseless Argument’s requirement is not 3 battle attunement - you just can’t have any healing attunement - now THERE’s a broken power IMHO, and perhaps the single biggest change from book 7 that simplified much of the RK’s ease of battle play).

My big warning for healing in groups/raids when you get to 60- you are glass. Healing in raids is definitely more complex than healing FSs at lower levels. I really need to respect threat and manage it. I’m also heavily favouring Fate and am nearly at the 600 cap already. From what I can tell fate and Tactical Criti Damage are boons in this class. Otherwise, RK FTW! ;D