Update 5: Armies of Isengard

Update 5 was finally released on December 12. I just thought I'd give some of my thoughts about the features.

New Instances

There are 5 new instances with Update 5:

• Dargnakh Unleashed (3-person)
• Fangorn's Edge (3-person)
• Pits of Isengard (3-person)
• The Foundry (6-person)
• The Tower of Orthanc (12-person)

I have yet to do anything but Foundry, and have failed both times I've gone in. The main reason is, of course, that it's new, and the group is still trying to figure out the mechanics. The first time, we did make it all the way to the final room, but the group's makeup wasn't strong on DPS, and the healer wasn't really trying very hard (it's a person I've grouped with in the past, and she tends to bail when things don't go perfectly smoothly - and they definitely weren't going well that night).

I entered Fangorn's Edge once on the test server, but we didn't make it passed the first group of pathers. The group makeup was bad. I also attempted the Pits on the test server, and the group did well enough to get to the last boss before the healer had to drop group. The only instance I've attempted live is The Foundry, and I've done it twice. Once with a PuG, and we did pretty well - making it to the final room. The second time was with a group of kinmates, but we didn't make it beyond the first boss.

The instances are built around environmental factors rather than boss mechanics, and they all seem to be interesting, and I'd really like to attempt each at least once. Apparently, as you work your way through the instances, you earn items that can eventually be crafted into a fairly nice necklace.

Instance Finder

The Instance Finder is a new tool that is meant to facilitate grouping. In a nutshell, you specify the role you'd like to perform, select the type of instance you want to do, and and select the size of the group. You're then placed in a queue, and when enough people have been found, you're placed into an instance.

Currently, the Finder does not support Raids, but only instances for 1 - 6 players. Also, you don't get to select the specific instance you want to do - it's randomly selected for you. Unfortunately, not all instances are available through the Finder: it supports Skirmishes, Classic Instances, and Isengard Instances. The Classic Instances consist of only scalable instances, such as the School, the Library, and the various wings of the Great Barrows. None of the instances in the Moria cluster, the Khazad Dûm cluster, the Dol Guldor cluster, or the Ost Dunhoth cluster are supported. The Isengard Instances include only the new end-game, non-raid instances: Dargnakh Unleashed, Fangorn's Edge, Pits of Isengard, and The Foundry.

A group, however, can form up, and then use the Instance Finder to join an instance.

It has been stated very clearly the Instance Finder is a work in progress, and it will be made more robust in the next update.

In general, I've not seen where people are using the Finder that often. There are just as many calls for groups in the global chat. 

I've used the Finder twice on the test server (Bullroarer) and once on live to find a blind group:

Test 1: I was matched with 2 captains. We were making our way down into the instance proper when we were attacked by a pathing group - and then aggroed another group. There was really no hope, and one of the captains dropped out.

Test 2: I was matched with a Hunter and a Minstrel. We did pretty well, and made it to the end boss, but he was one-shotting us, and then the mini had to drop group. 

Live: I joined and staying in the queue for about 5 minutes before I decided to log out and do something else.

I also used it to jump into an instance with a pre-formed group: A group of kinmates wanted to attempt The Foundry (and failed, miserably) and then Thadur's wing in Great Barrows.

From what I've read on the forums and in-game, the Finder is not very popular, mostly because of the randomness. The devs stated that they were trying to encourage people to run little-used content, but the things people don't like (namely the Dungeons of Dol Guldor) are mostly excluded at the present time.

Currency Consolidation

One of the major changes is that a lot of the skirmish and instance currency has been consolidated. There are now only 3 types of currency: Marks, Medallions, and Seals. Marks have taken the place of Skirmish Marks, and are the lowest form of currency. Medallions are the next step up, replacing various Campaign Marks and other special Marks. Seals are the top-tier currency. they replace the Superior Fourth Marks. Of course, other currency, such as the Silver Branches and Medallions of the North Men, haven't been replaced at all.

The general consensus I've heard is that the new currency system isn't very popular. It seems like few tokens are rewarded in comparison to the cost of the items - even getting enough Marks to level a soldier has slowed down. The Instance Finder is supposed to boost the acquisition rate (the daily quests in many instances have been removed so that people can run the instances over and over).

I ran a skirmish raid, and the returns seemed decent enough: around 500 Marks, 28 Medallions, and 6 Seals. I haven't really checked the prices of the new gear, so I can't speak to the whether the returns were worth the investment.

Reputation Tokens

Reputation Items have been made into consumable items. You can right click on a token, and it immediately increases your standing with the corresponding faction. You no longer have to run back to the reputation barter vendor to turn in tidy stacks of the tokens.

On the negative side, there are no more intro quests, and even low-level toons can reputation with any faction. This is one aspect I wish they had kept - and not just because it seems odd to allow a toon to earn reputation with a faction in a zone they've never even stepped foot into, but also because those quests gave reputation. There's a loss of around 2400 - 3600 points.

In Moria, new items have been added for the Iron Garrison Guards. The existing ones increase your standing with the Miners. No items have been added for factions (Eglain, Galadhrim, Grey Company, etc) for which no reputation tokens existed pre-update.

Overall, though, I like the change.

Volume III, Book 5

The Epic story continues in The Prince of Rohan, a short but climatic chapter.

***WARNING: SPOILERS***

In this chapter, we part ways with the Grey Company. Chapter 1 is all about saying goodbye to the remaining Rangers. And we get a nice cosmetic: a choice of Ranger cosmetics. There are two sets to choose from: the original worn set and the newer fine set. I chose the fine set.

We are tasked with assisting Theodred, the Prince of Rohan, in protecting Rohan from the forces of Isengard. After doing a few tasks for Grimbold and Theodred, we are thrown into the Battle of the Fords of Isen. This battle is a day-long event, and we are witness to important moments, moving through the day via a series of cut-scenes that explain what is happen. In the morning, we help Grimbold defend the flanks of the army. Then, by midday we have made our way to the Gates of Isengard and joined the main fight. In the afternoon, we have retreated and are fighting so that Theodred can escape. This part of the fight is particularly challenging. Finally, we fight our way to Theodred, who has been staging a desperate, last fight on an isle in the Isen. We witness the end of the Prince as the sun goes down.

***END SPOILERS***

I enjoyed the epic, but after the lengthy preceding book, it felt too short and a bit hollow. It would have been nice to spend a bit more time with the Prince, to give us more of a reason to mourn his loss.

Other Items of Note

Changes I find interesting and noteworthy:

• The signs for the Auction House, Crafting Hall, and other facilities in Galtrev have been changed to banners.
• Coffee has been added.
• A plug-in manager has been added.
• A tracker for nearby quests has been added.
• A new minstrel instrument, the Pibgorn, has been added.
• The icons for the Westfold crafting materials have been changed.
• Each class has 3 new armour sets. Each set supports a specific trait line.
• There are new deeds for using 50 of each color of fireworks. The reward is an anniversary token; there seem to be no title or other reason to complete the deed.
• The cooldown on the festival consumables has been increased to 5 minutes and is now shared. This change is most unwelcome, but has come in response to complaints about people spamming the items on others.
• The menu that appears when you right-click on your portrait has been reworked, and additional commands, including a command to leave your kin, have been added.

Perhaps the best thing about the update is that the Isengard expansion finally feels complete. There are some things that I think could be better, and somethings I'm not particularly excited about, but I'm generally positive about the update.

Draigoch the Red

The Draigoch raid was added with the Rise of Isengard expansion, and it has become fairly popular. I've attempted this fight 4 times and completed it twice.

Originally, the instance was intended to be released with the May 2011 update (Update 3: Lost Legends of Eriador), but was pushed back because of technical issues.

The back story for the raid is that Draigoch is one of the remaining Great Dragons of Middle Earth, and he's worshiped by the Dunlending tribes.

Although the raid is related to the Rise of Isengard, Draigoch's lair is actually located in Enedwaith. It's in the far east, beyond the Serpent Halls in Thror's Combe (the landscape beyond the Mysterious Relic has changed: there was previously a wall, which has been removed. There is now a valley in the Misty Mountains, with an entrance into the lair. Be forewarned: the area is patrolled by level 75 Dunlendings, so players who are on-level with Enedwaith should exercise caution.

The raid becomes available at level 75, but requires a prerequisite quest that starts in Galtrev. Once you've discovered the lair, you can enter and attempt to defeat the dragon.

The raid can be completed on Tier 1 or Tier 2. Tier 2 is available if the raid has 13-24 players, and Tier 1 is available if the raid has 12 or fewer players. The game automatically sets the tier, and there is no difference in the fight. Completing T2 grants the title "Born From Ashes". Completing T1 grants the title, "Bathed in Fire"

There is also a challenge. There are a series of 12 special Fellowship Maneuvers that do special damage to the dragon. The challenge is to complete all 12 in the raid; for this reason, the group should include a Burglar, who can reliably trip the FMs. Completing the challenge grants the title "Manoeuvre Master".

The idea of the raid is to start with 24 people to learn the mechanics and gradually whittle the group to 12. However, most people just jump in with 12. It is possible to complete the three deeds (T1, T2, and Challenge) in one raid. Completing the three deeds grants the title "The Red".

Now, for a discussion of the fight.

When you first enter the lair, you run down a passage. Draigoch senses your intrusion, and flies up, looking through openings in the walls. If he spots you, he breathes fire through the opening - and you're instantly dead. At the end of the passage, there's an opening covered with a thin bit of rock. Once enough people stand on this capstone, it breaks (stopping Draigoch from firing on other folks in the opening passage) and the groups falls into Draigoch's Lair proper.

The group splits into two parts: a DPS group and a tank group. The tank group contains a tank and a healer. The DPS group contains everyone else. You don't fight Draigoch as a whole, but deal with his individual parts: head, paws, and body. Since the raid is split into 2 groups of six, there will be 4 members who are strictly DPS; the other six includes a burglar, and should handle the Fellowship Maneuvers.

The tank manages the dragon's head, and the DPS group deals with the four paws. There are 3 phases to the fight. Phase 1 and 2 are similar, with the group running around a series of corridors on the outskirts of the dragon's horde. He periodically switches position, and the group has to follow along. The tank usually calls out the direction the group must take.

Once the paws are defeated, Draigoch falls to the floor, and his body become vulnerable. This is when the burglar can trip the FMs. Once he recovers, the group must run back to the safety of the corridors and the fight repeats itself.

Phase 2 adds additional mechanics, but it mostly affects the tank group. The DPS group repeats their efforts from Phase 1. Obviously, I've never tanked the fight, so I'm not sure what the mechanics are.

In Phase 3, the group moves onto the treasure horde. Again, it's a repeat: the DPS group takes on each paw, until he falls to the floor. Because of certain bugs, it is generally not a good idea to trip FMs during this phase. This phase can be chaotic, and being out of position can mean death. The gold is on fire, and Draigoch periodically leaps up, and the group has to stand on a certain spot. There's also a lot of distributed damage, so the group must be standing on top of one another (this is true during the entire fight - it is a good idea to mark your DPS lead, and then everyone can move on top of the marked individual. The more tightly grouped the DPS folks are, the less likely anyone will die).

I found the fight to be fairly choreographed. With the right group leader, it's fairly easy to complete, but it is an endurance fight. You're only out of combat for around 30 seconds at a time - there are no breaks long enough to allow you to grab food or to go to the bathroom. The key is to listen, move when you're told to move, and stay as close together as possible.

The rewards, however, are worth it. There's an amazing cloak, not to mention a Worn Symbol or Celebrimbor (in addition to one for completing the deed).

Skirmish Raids

Again, apologies for having been away for so long. I wish I could say I have an excuse: I just keep writing posts, saving them off, and never bothering to actually publish them. I'll try to do better.

 

I've been concentrating on leveling Mizosi, my Dwarf Champion. He just reached level 49, has his legendary items, and is currently questing in Eregion. 

 

I've never been a big fan of the Skirmish System. My main issue is that I really don't like to repeat content - which also accounts for why most of my alts are still relatively low-level. I also feel the same way about running the instances in Moria, Dol Guldor, and Enedwaith. Once or twice is enough; more than that, and the instance becomes a chore.

 

First, a bit of background: the Skirmish system is billed as an alternate and optional means to level. It opens at level 20 with a few basic Skirmishes, and every 5 levels or so, additional Skirmishes open up. By end game, there are 18 Skirmishes available.

 

Unfortunately , it quickly becomes rather obvious that the system is not so optional. 

 

In fact, you're pretty much required to run skirmishes, because:

1. You can purchase your level 45 class quest items from the Curiosities Vendor in each Skirmish Camp. These items drop in Carn Dum and Urugarth, but getting groups to do those instances on-level is extremely difficult.
2. The Helegrod and Annuminas Raid Armour sets require a certain number of Skirmish Marks as well as the instance marks. While this situation is changing in the upcoming Update 5, the sets will still require some form of Skirmish currency.
3. Many Skirmishes are directly involved in the Epic story: Battle of the Deep-Way, Battle of the Twenty-First Hall, Battle of the Way of Smiths, Protectors of Thangulhad, Rescue at Narz-Ghashu, Strike Against Danneglor, Breaching the Necromancer's GAte, Assault on the Ringwraith's Lair, and Battle in the Tower.
4. With Rise of Isengard, jewelry, an armour set, and Superior Fourth Marks (S4Ms) were added as rewards for raiding in skirmishes. You can run the skirmish daily for basic Skirmish Marks, and weekly for the Teal gear and marks. 

To be clear, there are two separate Isengard Armour Sets: The Skirmish Set and the Whitehand Set. In general:

• The Skirmish set is earned by finishing the weekly raid quest; it is not class-specific; there are generic sets for tanks (Guardians and Champs), DPS classes (Hunters, Rune-Keepers, and Burglers), and caster classes (Lore-Masters and Minstrels), and it does not offer any bonuses for equipping multiple pieces in the set. 
• The Whitehand set is earned by bartering S4Ms to the Adventurer's Quartermaster in Galtrev. It is class-specific and offers bonuses for equipping multiple pieces in the set. In addition, the Helmet and Shoulder Guards can only be obtain from the Draigoch Raid. Draigoch also drops scales and a recipe that can be used to tailor one of the best cloaks available in-game.

Since Isengard launched, Skirmish Raids have become all the rage, and I've been participating in them in order to get the Spellweaver's Armour Set (the Lore-Master Whitehand Set). So far, I've obtained all the pieces except the shoulder guards.

 

S4Ms and jewelry also drop in scalable instances, including the four wings in Helegrod, the School and Library, the three wings in the Great Barrows, and Hall of Night (I'm not sure if the items drop in the Inn of the Forsaken instance; this instance was broken, with the T2/Challenge mode disabled, for quite some time. I haven't seen any calls for this run). I was quite surprised to learn that the instances in the In Their Absence cluster (North Cotton Farm, Stoneheight, Forgotten Temple, Sari-Suma, and the Ost Dunhoth wings) were not scalable.

 

Most of the Skirmish Raids have been Pick-Up Groups (PUGs); and, as with any PUG, the instance can be amazing, or it can be a nightmare.

 

For example, I have run Attack at Dawn twice (I've never tried this instance solo except in a failed attempt on Bullroarer during testing). The first time was excruciating: no one would listen to the raid leader, MoBs were not being targetted properly, and people were running all over the place. I died half a dozen times, mostly because the MoBs were too spread out for the tank to maintain aggro; every time I rezzed, anything that was aggroed on my came running back after me. We managed to complete it, but it was not a very satisfying ending (though this is where I got the gloves).

 

The second time, the group was completely focused. We didn't lose a single person, and the raid leader gave clear instructions. It was almost so easy so as to be unremarkable.

 

So, now you have to spend time in skirmishes, but I've actually been enjoying it.