Starting up a level fifty class loaded with top-of-the-line gear was not as easy for me as I initially thought it would be, considering I didn't know the skills and traits right off. I prefer to work up a character from the start, which I was able to do with the two new classes, Rune-keeper and Warden. Again, check the official LotRO website for in depth details, but I can say that I enjoyed both classes through ten levels, and their new combat systems (Attunements and Gambits, respectively) were not hard to grasp and follow for me. Sadly, legendary weapons don't start dropping until level 50-plus creatures, so I missed getting to experiment with any legendary Warden weapons or rune-stones.
I think the Warden appeals the most to me, even though mine reminded me of a stand-in for an ancient era DeMille movie. Solo play with him proved a bit more intense than with the Rune-keeper, for the fact that it takes a quick memory to remember the correct combination at the precise time. As he levels up and gains more abilities, I can see it becoming a chore to keep all those combinations in mind, but that's just me. Still, I like the class, and see some excellent potential for it to both regular players and roleplayers.
Me being old school fantasy, it's still very difficult for me to wrap my mind around a magic-using dwarf. However, the dwarf Rune-keeper I rolled handled the position very well. I would recommend a dwarf for this class, since their natural sturdiness will come in very handy during combat. The only weapons they wield are rune-stones, and the appearance in between attacks is that he's punching his opponent, or simply standing there waiting for the next attack cooldown to expire, taking whatever punishment is being delivered. The initial rune-stones I used worked very well, and it didn't take long to understand the attunement system and use it properly. Even though Rune-keepers can heal, doing so on the fly and immediately after launching a series of offensive spells is a task with the way the attunement system works, making solo play much more of a challenge. I'm sure there will be many players who will greatly enjoy the Rune-keeper. Me, not so much at the moment.
There's so much more I could say, but I would simply be speaking of what's already been spoken at this point. I can say Mines of Moria continues and strengthens the vaulted impression I have for LotRO, to the point where I have no fear about calling it the best fantasy MMORPG yet created. I want to thank MoMs Kin for everyone's invaluable help. A special thanks also to the elf Aginaridan, who toughed it out with me through the entire length of Moria to the other side and into what was available of Lothlorien. Over an hour of running, fighting, and retreating, yet we made it. What did we see? Oh, no, I will certainly not spoil any of that for you. Besides, tomorrow is the day, so I'll see you in Moria!
