Thread: Loremaster or Runekeeper in the moors?

Hello there I have a question.

I want to play a DPS orientated, ranged (caster) class.

Now Im not sure wether to play a runekeeper or loremaster skilled red?

Would people in a raid rather excpect me to debuff and cast the stun-immunity as a loremaster as well as provide the healers with power or could I go all DPS?

I dont really want to play a support class as my mains is a capy . :/

Or should I just pick a hunter?

Im really undecided on this one and trying all 3 would be nearly impossible as leveling to 75 and gearing up decently would take like 1 year I guess.

Thanks a lot for all input.

Another point that concerns me is, will I be the prefered targed as Im a light armor class? Im pretty sure there is a bunch of MPs who are better than myself so dont want to be lying around dead all the time.

If you plan to be a raid baby, just roll a hunter and stack agility and PM. If you want more opportunity to roll solo, while occasionally being a raid baby then RK isn't a bad option (could still do hunter, but most people don't really care to learn how to solo them in 'Moors). Play LM for a challenge, but know you will get facerolled until you master the class and will even then still probably get facerolled by a Flayer warg.

Either way you will be shredded, drawback to the LM is that most of the skills have inductions. RK can dps while moving as well as self heal on the move. Both are fun out there and both will take lots of deaths to learn the ropes with.

*Throwing this in because you mentioned it in your original post regarding playing a ranged caster. In theory it's great and yes both are ranged casters but the reality is that there is not a ton of ranged action out there, in moments yes but most often (solo play) you are getting jumped/pounced whatever, and if you get tagged by say a BA you have to get in close or it's just a LOS standoff until something else comes by to kill you. At least that's my experience on the RK, I'll tag from range but then get in close asap. 2 of your stuns need to be in melee range (Armor of Storm and Shocking Touch) to be used, one has a short range (Perfect Imagery), the other iirc is 20m (Shocking Words). I have a lower level LM and it just feels clunky to me, yours is 67 it seems so maybe it gets less clunky. Keep that in mind while you are deciding.

Originally Posted by Jeens

Another point that concerns me is, will I be the prefered targed as Im a light armor class? Im pretty sure there is a bunch of MPs who are better than myself so dont want to be lying around dead all the time.

As a warg player I’m targeting the RK first the LM second. LM’s have a stun immunity and while it’s still doable to kill an LM without the pounce given their inductions I’m interested in the simplest kill possible (so I want the stun) While some creeps go on about their prowess and their practice of being honorable most take easy kills if we can get it.

RK on the other hand has multiple stuns and the crits on EC can reach very high making the kiting RK formidable, at times. The LM range is attractive in the moors it seems to me based on my observation that dps LM’s that simplify their rotations are formidable as well, particularly with the tar and stuns. I have a 75 rk I bring to the moors once in a while he’s a blast to play and does spectacular damage, however goes down quick if I get more than one creep on me.

For both classes you’re going to need top gear and solid mitigation traits slotted otherwise you’ll die very quickly.

The LM was developed to be a primary support class.

The RK was developed to be a primary healer or dps class.

While LMs can do considerable (very limited) burst damage (like any freep class can these days) it is not self-sustaining like that of a runekeeper/hunter/champ.

LMs (mainly grouped up LMs) that go pure dps without using debuffing and support skills make me ROFLgetbacktothechoppa.

The really good LMs out there debuff, remove dots, CC and put SI on folks (especially themselves). I almost auto-log my warg when I see a LM out there that doesn't have SI on themself.

If you want to go raw dps... go RK, max out your tactical mit, audacity, gear up well, and build your vit/morale pool for survivability. LMs can occassionaly hit 5k damage but RKs do it constantly.

There is my 2 copper. Have fun.

if your goal is to be a tactical damage dealer go RK

if your goal is to be a wet nurse for the raid be a LM

I have both R7/R8

RK is a blast right now. You can kill wargs in 3 flips of the wrist and you can win a 1v1 kinda easy vs any creep class. but you do Die alot. hence the term glass cannon

but pair the RK up with a captain and you can do some amazing things.

I play Loremaster (r10) in the moors - as its my only toon.

I never trait yellows, but thats just me. I trait full on dps, and its what i built my toon on, My tactical mastery is at 120% unbuffed, red line. So my crits are nice, I've done ents in a raid hitting 3 creeps with 7k ents Crit. Average LotRD is 3k. Loremasters are almsot always targeted first in the raids. You'll die alot, atleast I do.You are expected to put SI on the minis, and guards if they SW. My SI lasts 1min 30 seconds. So i can get alot of people. Debuffing is important yes, but usaually another LM does that, because most people on BW know that I dont go yellows For soloing, I love to Solo as well, If I run into 2 or more good creeps, it's gonna be a challenge for me and I'm going to have to pop all my cooldowns depending on the class/rank.skill...as for Wargs.. /faceroll

Never played any other class. But Loremasters are definetly fun. With Audacity, its a bit more challenging since i relied on my stuns for 1v1's, but that just makes it more fun right?

A very informative post thanks to all the contributers.

I ended up with rolling a Runekeeper. I very much like the ability to move while casting, sounds like a good thing when in the moors (to not end up as warg-meal).

Originally Posted by 87_Suited

The LM was developed to be a primary support class.

Ohhhhh how fun it is to AM (/t)roll 8 balled-up creeps with every debuff in my arsenal for a 1m duration. Never gets old, and then I never last long once they realize I'm there.

<3

The first target I go for as a creep is a Runekeeper. They are the most squishy class in the game.

Originally Posted by Stevo6

The first target I go for as a creep is a Runekeeper. They are the most squishy class in the game.

RKs with rank 7 audacity and capped tactical mitigation are far less squishy that light armoureds out there that are not on the equivalent.

I used to be Hunter R7 ... 3 years ago. Nowadays I'm planning a return to Lotro and decided on what shall it be LM? RK?

I'm sure my 1st choice is now LM - though RK is insanely tempting - however for me both seem addictive

Have a look at this clip (LM is the person recording, but that's epic 10 minutes of craziness which made me "think" no more

I don't know the guy and this is simply one very nice, 10 min FullHD great clip of what LM & Co - can do.
I like the moment when a finishing lightning comes out of nowhere (a RK passing by ...)

I like this style in Ettens, though I repeat - I'll probably make a RK also, though later

Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9dC5tdzmqs

Originally Posted by Mystic4L

....

Have a look at this clip (LM is the person recording, but that's epic 10 minutes of craziness which made me "think" no more
...
Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9dC5tdzmqs

THANK YOU! ...this video made my day!
Having played the moors 5 days now (not playing lotro that long), I began doubting my class out there (this is my only charac).
I am fishfood ALL TIME- despite SI and Tar. and i am one of few lm's out there on our server.
But this LM-clip restored my hope that better rang and gear + experience can make formidable fun. am r4 now i think (man-at-arms) and probaply still need to learn to optimize my rotations for the moors.
And the new Isen-armour is not helping- it lacks so much vitality/moral - that i started to blend in other pieces with more vit.

I don't mind dying a lot-thats part of being squishy class. Though they always seem to target me first- and i can't figure out how to kill (or even survive) these XXX- wargs. And what ever trait-combo i tried- i am still fish-food *laugh*.

Luckily i have fun in the group anyway. But i am afraid i contribute much to the enemies XP-gain ;-))

Thnx for posting that - evidence that there might even is hope for me

Originally Posted by Stevo6

The first target I go for as a creep is a Runekeeper. They are the most squishy class in the game.

A good Creep looks at the Armor (to see how much Audacity a Freep has) and at it´s Morale

Runekeepers are often less squishy than other targets

Try to get down a >8k Morale RK with Mits and Audacity capped, good luck

Originally Posted by Mystic4L

I used to be Hunter R7 ... 3 years ago. Nowadays I'm planning a return to Lotro and decided on what shall it be LM? RK?

I'm sure my 1st choice is now LM - though RK is insanely tempting - however for me both seem addictive

Have a look at this clip (LM is the person recording, but that's epic 10 minutes of craziness which made me "think" no more

I don't know the guy and this is simply one very nice, 10 min FullHD great clip of what LM & Co - can do.
I like the moment when a finishing lightning comes out of nowhere (a RK passing by ...)

I like this style in Ettens, though I repeat - I'll probably make a RK also, though later

Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9dC5tdzmqs

LM is really fun...if you are not targeted. But 95% of the time you have one or more creeps hitting at you, unable to do anything. So it can be a pain to be a lm.

In the other hand, the rk can still blow things up while under attack.

If you plan to do lots of raids in the Moors then roll a hunter. All you have to do is stack agility and sit in the back of the raid and pew pew. If you plan on soloing often, don't roll a hunter, unless you know what you're doing. LM's (at least from the ones ive seen on my server) are pretty good soloers, with all their debuffs. RK's are ok, it depends largely on your gear. One's who are not prepared don't crit like the ones who are, and they get burned down a killed very fast.

Pick whatever you want really, my favorite class and the one I would reccomend to anyone is the burglar. :P

Both LMs and RKs are good fun to play when you master them. I'm a LM that has always used my CC to the maximum. Tar, slows, stuns, roots, mezzes - it's all been part of my rotation. Over the last year(s) the class has had to adapt to the new changes (like everyone else. im merely speaking for the LM class), like diminishing return, brands/insignias and now last - audacity. Still, I find the class very entertaining and you should imo roll a LM and check it out. You will, as many people allready have stated, get facerolled over and over, until you find a successful playstyle that can give you some bloody nice fights, both 1vs1 and in smaller groups.

Good luck!

I die alot! dont get many killing blows but i help a freep raid crush a creep raid, i charge in with the melee debuffing while moving in, slap on storm-lore, tar, improved sticky gourd, call of the valar as ill now be targetted, ents, wisdom, pop a potion cant remember the name but its just a potion form of call of the valar, then i lightening bash the &&&& out of them... then i die. Doing this ive noticed the same trend ive noticed creeps just turn and run though you always get the high ranks just stay and fight which are normaly the ones that kill you. Kamikaze tactics!

Loremaster since they take more skill 1v1 and we need more skilled 1v1 lms out there. Anyone can 1v1 somewhat competently on a rk with the right gear, even if they are bad. Minstrel>rk>loremaster with 1v1ing creeps, esp reavers.

In Raids -- Lore Master's are AWESOME for their debuffs, CC and AoE DPS. Rune-Keepers make decent damage machines as well as epic healers. Which do you prefer? Unless of course you only plan to solo... BTW-most seem to end up raiding in the end anyway ^^. at least once or twice. I'm sure you'll want to group at one point even if it's not in a raid.

Solo--Lore Master is the most challenging of the two. Rune-Keeper can be tricky too, but the kiting and mostly no-induction playstyle is a lot easier to play around with. Lore Master is an induction class.

Since you'll be playing a light armour class, let me personally recommend getting all of the PvMP gear and getting nearly the best jewelery you can find. You'll also need to max your virtues. Without those light armour classes are EVEN harder. But if you don't mind the challenge of missing all of your virtues... lol i say go for it. Really up to you in the end.


EDIT: Since you did mention Hunter... They get facerolled even more than the light armour classes lol