Learning LOTRO: Lesson Forty-Three - Champion Class Quests

 

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.

It's time for us to check back in with our ninth character, the sturdy Lafahaur. Our Stout-axe dwarf has grown up a bit and has had to face the Champion Class Quests. These quests rely on the unique talents of the Champion Class and put every Champion to the test!

Since writing about Lafahaur fourteen weeks ago (I am SO sorry that's double the normal time!), he's been leveled up to 50 so that I can cover a variety of other basics in this series. In this entry, we're going to talk about the first two Champion Class Quests that are auto-bestowed at level 15 and level 30. There are others, but they're a bit more advanced and complicated -- and thus will end up in a future entry. 

Class Trainer

The first thing I'll ask you to remember is that I specifically said that the Trainers are NOT obsolete even though we no longer have to visit them to learn our class skills. When you reach level 15, you're going to get some mail called "Pressing Matters." This mail is going to send you to one of the many Champion trainers scattered throughout Middle-earth, because they want to send you to help someone and learn a lesson.

And as I mentioned in previous Class entries, Trainers have a variety of goods to purchase. In the case of Champion trainers, there's very little to see: There are Champion runes, Scholar recipes for Fervour potions, and Weaponsmith recipes for Champion horns. And there are the 3 class books for the level 39 class quests. Yep, that's it. Champions are pretty simple! Higher level trainers will sometimes also have class-specific gear that is gated by local reputation or barter currency.

Level 15: A Blade of Renown

The first class-specific quest is going to send you to Combe gate of Bree (that's the northern-most one on the east side of the town) to talk to a dwarf standing in a cart.

Ultan Foebane

Despite standing in a cart with weapons drawn, Ultan has a task for you: To take his notes on 3 nefarious foes and dispatch them with haste! This is both to train your skills and keep the land safe from these terrible individuals. (Ultan would probably do it himself, but he seems awfully busy standing in that cart.)

Foebane's Notes

The notes from Ultan are very straightforward. If you haven't yet had a chance to play through the Bree-land area and you only just arrived there for the first time, don't sweat it! If you open your map you'll see little glowy marks where you'll find the three enemies. The Quest Tracker will also point you towards the closest one. I recommend doing them in the order they are listed in the Quest details because that helps you make a loop without having to backtrack or waste time.

Foebane's... Foes

Back at Ultan, you discover that you are the talk of the town! As a reward, he will give you a nifty axe and a title -- you've earned it!

Level 30: A Champion's Courage

Your trainer informs you that a man named Slade Ransford has sent word that you are sought after for a matter of some urgency in Ost Guruth in the Lone-lands. You should have quested that far by now and be able to take the stable ride from Bree, but it isn't hard to get to even if you haven't. Your map and Quest tracker will guide you!

Slade Ransford

Apparently that Morley fellow was a thorn in Slade Ransford's side and he is pleased to meet you -- he also thinks that qualifies you to help him with another extermination task out in the Lone-lands. It's a very simple quest: go kill a bunch of orcs!

Ost Cyrn

Right across the road from Ost Guruth is a ruin called Ost Cyrn. In an instance, you and Slade will venture there to dispatch the warband of orcs led by Mosal-ruk. You'll need to keep your buddy alive, but that shouldn't be too hard. Be the damage-dealing Champion you are and rush at your enemies! You'll face about 9 orcs before reaching Mosal-ruk and his protector at the end of the instance. Just stay with Slade and it'll be a walk in the park!

End of the Warband

When done, you'll speak to Slade again and he'll reward you with either a 2-handed axe or a sword, and a shiny new title. You pick what you want, but I think the 2-handed axe is the better choice -- swords are more common!

Fervour

One aspect of Champions that I didn't cover in the Class Entry is Fervour. Much like a Hunter's Focus, Champions have to use skills that build Fervour in order to perform a variety of their skills. The skills will cost anywhere from 1 to 5 pips of Fervour, and there are builder skills that offer various sizes of pip-granting. 

Here I have an example of two skills: one which only requires 1 Fervour, and another that requires the full 5 Fervour that can be built up. By maintaining Fervour, a Champion is truly unrelenting in battle!

Stout-axes: Racial Traits for Champions

There are two racial traits earnable by Stout-axe dwarves which I highly recommend slotting if you are playing a Champion: Nimble-handed, and Stout-shield.

Nimble-handed will give you a +5 bonus to dual-wielding axes or a 2-handed axe, both of which are excellent weapon choices for a Champion.

Stout-shield will give you a 75% Block Chance, even without a shield (which Champs can't use anyway). This is great if you're running Blue line and are tanking for a group.

Other Class Quests

As I mentioned before, there is a class-specific set of quests that will send you back to your Trainer at level 39, and all of the classes have the same format, so I'll be talking about that set all at the same time in a future entry.

There is also a bigger set of quests at level 50 (available at level 45) that all of the classes get, but they are wildly different and more complicated. You can expect those quests to be in a much further entry in the future after we cover more of the basics. And there are a LOT of basics left to cover!

Was this entry helpful? Let me know! The series continues next Monday!

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