I'm new to the game and currently downloading the client . In previous MMO's I've played, I usually take up the role of a healer with an alt to satisfy my melee pew pew urges.
I've done little bit of reading and It seems the way to go would be a Rune-Keeper or a Minstrel. I'm leaning toward the Minstrel.
How does a Minstrel heal in LOTR and do they fare well in raid situations? Are we single target healers, AoE, a mix of the two?
Minstrels heals are stereotypically one-shot heals, while those of a rune-keeper focus on healing over time. Rune-keepers lack the in-combat rez of the minstrel, although they can "prevent defeat" preemptively. Both can also function in a dps role, although rune-keepers are far, far ahead of minstrels in that regard.
Both are fun, and both can be effective. However, when you see someone looking for a healer, you'll typically hear them say "Need mini for XYZ."
Minstrels are the primery healing class. they have 1 group heal but it eals for so little and draws so much aggro it's not worth spamming. However you can boost this with legacies on items at high end levels.
They have Raise the Spirit which is a quick single target heal for small amount with a 3 sec CD. They also have another quick single target heal with a much longer cooldown as heals that bit more.
Main heal is Bolster Courage and it has an induction which can get intterupted even when traited as harder to interrupt.
We have 2 HoTs. First one in SoS and is a single target HoT which does not stack. The next one is Fellowships Heart and is a legandery trait but it heals the whole fellowship over time. FH is mainly used in raids and is a great help. We also buff group, have a bubble for when getting hit, ave song of soothing to try and loose aggro, play dead etc. However our DPS isn't great when healing. Even in DPS mode (Warspeech) our healing is halfed - even more if full dps traited and still don't dps as much as a RK. Minstrels can get Rally wich is an incombat res legandery trait and we also have a non combat res.
Rune Keepers are awsome at DPS either single taret or AoE. Yes they have to build attunment up but minstrels have to scale there teirs too. However once fully attuned to DPS it can take a while to flip to full healing mode espeically if you don't have the steady hands trait. In full DPS mode you only have 1 HoT available but this can be used on the move. (a plus where minstrels have to stay still to heal) RKs have many small HoTs and 1 burst heal which has a long induction but heals for quite a bit. It is much harder to heal with a RK as you have to keep the HoTs constantly topped up unlike a minstrel that can burst heal. RKs only have an out of combat res but they can also incombat res if they see a persons going to die and put Do not fall this day on them. Catch is they only have so long to die for it to work as it does have a timer and will run out.
TBH it's much easier to level with an RK as you can do great DPS and still have some healing whilst running to safty. Minstrel is easier to get groups but has a harder time in running to saftey when p[lay dead and bubble on CD
TBH it's much easier to level with an RK as you can do great DPS and still have some healing whilst running to safty. Minstrel is easier to get groups but has a harder time in running to saftey when p[lay dead and bubble on CD
The Minstrel is far more durable, though, with a shield, medium armour use, and a second play dead is available by hobbit racial, and a long-duration fear CC, (as well as mez of the dead), and distract to pull one few mobs. The RK has none of those things and is much squishier than the MIN. I died more times on my RK leveling up than all of my other characters combined. So "fast" leveling with RK yes maybe, but somehow I wouldn't say "easy".
Suppose it depends on your play style as I died far less on my RK than minstrel and no point slotting medium armour on minstrel when you start getting epic gear as it's all light armour anyway (50+ you can get Rift armour)
RK might not have fear, distract and mez dead but they do have several short stuns
Suppose it depends on your play style as I died far less on my RK than minstrel and no point slotting medium armour on minstrel when you start getting epic gear as it's all light armour anyway (50+ you can get Rift armour)
RK might not have fear, distract and mez dead but they do have several short stuns
I agree...allot of it's playstyle. My min felt far more squishier then my Rk did, but I fell into the Rk playstyle easier then the mini. In all honesty, my champ feels squishier at times then my RK does, and shes a heavy armor class!, but this does really rotate around playstyle, and finding a class that fits you.
the Mini/Rk argument reminds me allot of the warden/guard issue. far too often perception plays a big part in what someone determines is the 'best' healer. and I will say that while Rk's are definitely more challenging to heal with, they can put out some serious heals when put to the test, much in the same way that a good warden is an awesome tank, but a mediocre warden sets a bad rep for the class. Rk is similar.
the DPS/Heals switch isn't really a big issue if an RK is healing, since they'll start attunement in that mode(i.e. a healing RK shouldn't be starting otu with dps,just like a healing mini shouldn't be in warspeech). and If an RK is DPS'ing, they can usually switch over in the time it take a mini to cast warspeech. But its definitely not immediate (unless they have their legendary available, then it is...once very 10m or so). So ultimately both are viable healers and solo-classes, both while leveling and at cap. Mini's take an advantage at being easier to keep the basics up, and able to buff while healing, while Rk's can switch roles when needed, and fill both tier 1 dps and tier 1 healing quite well.
My alternate Personality is Elyxthaxzus. Plz dont confuse us, were actually quite different.
I'm going to make a suggestion that's a bit outside the box. Captain, the swiss army knife of LOTRO.
There isn't much a captain can't do, but the saying of "jack of all trades. master of none" does apply.
They can heal. Their healing isn't a strong as a mini or RK, but they can be the main healer for small groups, even at end game, and they can give extra heals in a large group so that the main healer isn't under as much pressure.
They can tank. Capts get heavy armor and some threat skills, plus they are the only class that can use halberds (halberds generate extra threat compared to other melee weapons). They can't main tank groups of mobs like a guard, warden or champ can, but they can easily off-tank a single mob that makes a bee-line for the main healer. Capt dps is not jaw dropping.
They can buff. Capts easly have the best selection of buffs to put on other players.
They can rez, both in combat and out of combat. Their in-combat rez has half the cooldown compared to the in-combat rez a mini gets, but the capt's in-combat rez will revive a players with lower morale/power compared to the mini's rez.
They can summon other players to themselves but can't group port like a hunter can.
They get pets. Captain pets are pretty basic and you do need to be careful otherwise the pet will aggro mobs you didn't intend to, but they can act as a meat-shield to keep some mobs distracted when you're dealing with a group of mobs. They also get banners they can use to give extra buffs to a group (the buff only applies if players stay within a certain distance of the banner).
Capts don't have much in the way of mob debuffs, and they can't use ranged weapons, but you can't have everything on one class.
Capts don't have much in the way of mob debuffs, and they can't use ranged weapons, but you can't have everything on one class.
Well, unless you count making the mob take 5 (or 10, with legacy) percent more damage (Telling Mark), or making it heal anyone who hits it for 15% of damage dealt (Revealing Mark.)
True, they don't have anything that directly reduces the creature's damage output, but the two marks cover both "make the target easier to kill" and "make the target kill you slower". You can only use one at once though.
They can heal. Their healing isn't a strong as a mini or RK, but they can be the main healer for small groups, even at end game, and they can give extra heals in a large group so that the main healer isn't under as much pressure.
Very true. My minstrel always had a much easier time when a captain was around. On the other hand, sometimes my minstrel didn't have to heal at all. I have run some groups on a captain where I did all the healing, though this is not with the toughest content. But there's a lot of content that isn't the toughest; not everything is a raid (and actually very very very few things are raids).
Since you mentioned liking to pew pew on an alt, I think you are going to like the mini (haven't tried an RK, but I think they are similar).
I leveled a hunter first and then tried mini. I was very pleasantly surprised at the ranged DPS that a mini can do. You might not hear the strings of the bow stretch between each shot, but when mini's are not the group healer, they can lay down some nice ranged attacks and have some cool utility skills.
Well, unless you count making the mob take 5 (or 10, with legacy) percent more damage (Telling Mark), or making it heal anyone who hits it for 15% of damage dealt (Revealing Mark.)
True, they don't have anything that directly reduces the creature's damage output, but the two marks cover both "make the target easier to kill" and "make the target kill you slower". You can only use one at once though.
I was thinking more along the line of removing buffs that mobs put on themselves/bosses put on adds.
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. In previous MMO's I've played, I usually take up the role of a healer with an alt to satisfy my melee pew pew urges.
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Originally Posted by Cylistic
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