In this series, I talk about various aspects of The Lord of the Rings Online. This series is meant for newcomers, but may also help veteran players find more to love about the game.
In February of 2020, I decided I needed to infuse some Lord of the Rings Online content into my blog because it's been my primary MMO for 8 years and there isn't a game I know better. Since the endgame content, raids, trait trees, and annual events all had plenty of coverage, I thought it would be good to get back to basics for the ever-present crop of new players that give the game a try and are left to fend for themselves in a sea of information. I put out a poll asking people to rank their favorite to least favorite classes and said I would cover them in whatever order resulted. As I'm wrapping up a full year of Learning LOTRO, I thought it was a good time to finally discuss those poll results and how it helped to shape the series.
The Poll
The poll was made and posted on February 12, 2020. It was shared a few times and resulted in some great feedback from almost 200 people! Those people determined the order in which I covered the LOTRO classes. I had considered starting with the least favorite class, but I worried about holding people's attention that long and thus started out with the most popular. I don't have a massive poll planned for the next round of Learning LOTRO entries, because there are still so many topics to cover! I hope you'll continue the journey with me as Year 2 begins in a couple weeks. And if you want to actively have a say in what comes next, consider joining me on Patreon!
(If you're wondering about the haikus on all of the class images except hunter, one of my patrons requested it after the series started. Become a patron and you too can request silly things of me!)
#1: Hunter
I was happy about the most favorite class, because it's my favorite class as well! My first character in LOTRO was a hunter, and it is still one of my favorite classes to play when I have a short amount of time and want to spend a little time in-game. I think the Hunter class is the most popular for a combination of reasons: (1) Legolas. (2) Versatility between the three different trait trees. (3) The way the class works is very easy for a new player to pick up and is forgiving when it comes to progressing through an MMO. It allows players to attack from a distance with a significant amount of damage, lending to high survivability even if you make a mistake.
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Four - Hunter Class
#2: Rune-keeper
This was not always a favorite of mine. It took me a while to get the hang of attunement and being quick enough to build up damage to last on my own. Once I had that down, though, this was a great class, and I think that's why it holds so much appeal for other players, too. Its capacity for damage or healing makes it formidable, and once you get your brain wrapped around the attunement concept it's actually very easy to play.
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Eight - Rune-keeper Class
#3: Lore-master
This was my second-ever class to play in LOTRO, and is the class I play the most on my second server. While the class can be very squishy, it's those animal companions that make all the difference. I prefer the nature guardian for ranged damage that packs a punch. While the big cat and bear can take hits really well, they're slower and have to be within melee range. As long as you know how to keep your pet healthy, and buff your allies, this is a great class to play. Some things are hard to solo, but if you know what you're doing you can get by anyway!
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Twelve - Lore-master Class
#4: Burglar
This is one of my least favorite classes. I've gained some appreciation for it since it's had some class tweaks, but it is still a little too... well, you need to be patient and sneaky, and I don't tend to have a lot of patience once I'm logged in to a game. There are some neat tricks that Burglars can use on enemies, and they're handy to have in a group. But it's with good reason that I tend not to play this class much, if at all. I still don't quite understand how it landed so high up in the rankings.
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Sixteen - Burglar Class
#5: Minstrel
And then we take a swing back to my comfort zone with the Minstrel! While I could wish it was easier to get damage or healing bonuses than by swapping instruments, and with the Mounted Combat being exceedingly difficult for a solo minstrel, this is still a great class to play. Just... be mindful of the instruments that grate on people's nerves!
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Twenty - Minstrel Class
#6: Beorning
I played the Beorning class on the same day it was released. And I hated it. It was awful having to swap between my skill bars manually. I gave up not long after starting. There have been some GREAT updates to this class since then, and it has become much easier to play -- with the two skill bars auto-swapping based on what form you're in, and the ability to stay in bear form and even run/travel faster while in it. I actually expected this class to be higher up on the list, but then I remembered that not everyone purchases the extra classes.
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Twenty-Four - Beorning Class
#7: Captain
Yet another class I never really got into when I first played it on my original server. And the reason I like it now is because it's better with friends. This is the class that helps a group run content like everyone actually knows what they're doing. The Captain can heal, buff, damage, and crowd control. This is that one kid you want on your dodgeball team. Am I still getting used to proper usage of my Heralds? Yes. But I've only seen a couple people ace that skill.
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Twenty-Eight - Captain Class
#8: Guardian
It didn't surprise me to see the tank-y classes fall into the last three spots in the ranking, but I was surprised that Guardian wasn't the least favorite. It's a little broken right now, as a class, and not the easiest one to play solo because damage can be slow to deal by yourself. The good news is that you'll live through just about anything, like a Middle-earth cockroach. I made mine a hobbit, just to be ironic.
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Thirty-Two - Guardian Class
#9: Champion
I am downright sad to see Champion so far down on this list. I have, in the last two years, gained a great appreciation for the class because I finally made one where it made sense and I was playing well. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get a class to click, and that was the case for me with Champion. Dual-wielding makes you a beast, but finding the right two-handed weapon makes you dangerous, too. I guess people feel this is too simple to be a favorite.
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Thirty-Six - Champion Class
#10: Warden
I was not at all surprised to see that Warden ended up last in the rankings. It is NOT an easy class to learn! The Gambit system alone can be confusing, and if you don't know how to organize your skill bars accordingly it becomes harder and harder to execute anything well in a fight. For those who are all about games with combos and memorizing them, this is their class.
Read the entry here: Learning LOTRO: Lesson Forty - Warden Class
Class Balancing
If you tried any of these classes because of my entries and were disappointed, don't let it get to you. Sometimes it takes a few tries to appreciate or find the right rhythm to play a particular class. The classes are always being tweaked and adjusted, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. Like with the Beorning -- eventually it'll become something great and fun. They are also going to be adding a new class, called Brawler -- though it isn't expected until the Gundabad expansion, and even then they said they aren't "tight" with that. I will, of course, cover that class whenever it arrives!
Which class(es) do you enjoy the most? Let me know in the comments or tag me @spottedsnark on Twitter with a pic!
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