I’ve decided it’s time I get around to more of the outfits I tend to use as default looks for my characters. So here’s one I use for my hunter, which may or may not be but definitely IS heavily inspired by the tale of Robin Hood lol 🙂
Sorry, deer. It’s really not personal…
So this outfit ended up being REALLY hard to take pictures of because it blended in way too well with the surroundings. Which I guess is the point? But I knew from the get go that I wanted to take the pictures in North Mirkwood/Dalelands…and it just…it worked too well lol.
The warsteed was really fun though. After recently opening some lootboxes I’ve gotten a lot of new cosmetics, including the warsteed set of the wild hills. I really like how it looks on my hunter’s steed.
Um…so…yeah. Not much to say! Not a particularly interesting outfit, just fun and ranger-y!
Outfit:
Head: Worn Ranger’s Hood (Grey)
Shoulders: Potent Skirmish Pauldrons of the Mark (Olive)
Back: Fancy Quiver (Sienna)
Body: Potent Battle Armour of the Mark (Olive)
Hands: Enduring Gauntlets of the Traveler (Black)
Feet: Reworked Boots (Grey)
Bow: Polished Lebethron Bow of Precision
Warsteed:
Head: Head-piece of the Northern Herald (olive)
Body: Caparison of the Wild Hills (default)
Saddle: Saddle of the Wild Hills
Gear: Hunter’s Gear
This is another outfit I’ve had in the works for a while, heavily influenced by Jon Snow from Game of Thrones (Look, I’m not a huge fan, but even I know the last season SUCKED).
Anyways, with Yule Fest in full swing, we have a new cosmetic pet! The white wolf dog. So I figured the time to post this outfit was right considering I now had both Ser You-Know-Nothing and his companion Ghost.
I actually came up with this outfit a couple years ago, and it’s basically been my Champ’s staple winter-wear.
I went with the medium Nadhin jacket, which in my opinion just looks like a padded winter gambeson (if you don’t know what that word means, look it up and you’ll see where I’m coming from – I promise you it’s safe for work – it’s just a medieval garment of clothing).
I also went with a heavy fur mantle because A) it looked cool and felt right, and B) Jon wears a lot of dark fur around his shoulders.
Exhibit A.
I also gave him the cloak of the Raven – I debated using Cloak of the woodsmen or cloak of the autumn wanderer since it looked closer to fur, but ultimately I decided this cloak was a nice nod to the fact that members of the Night’s Watch are often referred to as “crows.” And I know what you’re thinking: But ravens aren’t crows, to which I respond: close enough!
It’s been a favorite outfit of mine for a while, and it was also fun to play around with giving my warsteed a cold-weather, but also functional look.
Admittedly this isn’t really inspired by anything from the books or show, just from my love of horses and my own creative spirit 🙂
Outfit:
Shoulders: Fur Mantle (black)
Chest: Medium Nadhin Jacket (grey)
Hands: Medium Nadhin Gauntlets (black)
Feet: Threadbare Boots of the Dunland Healer (grey)
Back: Cloak of the Raven (grey)
Warsteed:
Head: Guardian's Halter (white)
Caparison: Caparison of the Yield (black)
Saddle: Light Saddle of the Sutcrofts
Legs: Hunter's Leggings (black)
Mane/tail/body: solid white
So I kind of can’t believe I’ve never posted this outfit considering it’s my champs main look. All the cosmetics are available at or before you get to Galtrev, so that means its been his go-to look for a while now.
It’s really a quite simple outfit, which is part of the reason I love it. The wearer is ready for battle considering their covered in leather and chain-mail, but this is clearly an outfit that’s designed to move. Durable, but functional.
It’s always appealed to me because it seems like no matter what you end up getting yourself into, this kind of armor will make you prepared for almost anything. And considering my champ is my main, and he’s the one through whom I struggled to understand how to actually play this game, he’s been through a lot.
With him as always is his trusty steed. I do occasionally have him ride a black stallion, but his white stallion is his go to comrade.
I outfitted the horse similar to his master – in chain-mail and black leather. Together they’ve been through a lot. They’re not as shiny as they once were. But they fearlessly will adventure into even the most remote areas of Middle Earth.
I decided to take my screenshots in the Lone Lands. It just seems like the place where the really hardened people go. Or the really crazy ones…I can never really tell.
Also did anyone besides me never notice that there’s an actual hole in the ceiling in the forsaken inn? No? Just me? Okay…
Outfit:
Shoulders: lesser secret of the West shoulder guards
Chest: Scout’s weathered leather jacket (black)
Hands: Leather gauntlets of the leaping stag (black)
Feet: reworked boots (Grey)
In case you were wondering, yes, that is the Hobnanigans field. Do I play Hobnanigans? No. Will I play Hobnanigans? Honestly, probably not. Maybe. Who knows. But, will I occasionally go to the horse fields to grab some awesome screenshots of me riding around on my horsey? Yes. Yes I will.
So basically, I don’t know exactly what I was doing, but apparently at one time I made a Power Point presentation of warsteed outfits I like. And before you ask, yes, I use Power Point. Because I’m a grown-ass woman. Who has never owned a Mac.
Anyways, so I saw a warsteed outfit I really loved, and set about making an outfit to match it. Then of course, along the way, I made another warsteed outfit, and then had to make another outfit to match that. That’s what this is.
Basically, it’s a very classical knight, festival look. It’s almost too flashy for battle in my opinion, but I feel like it would make a great tournament outfit, where the purpose is to show off.
Then I found this cape, which had a similar design on it as the caparison of the Captain, so all that was left was to assemble a flashy, plate-metal look and I was ready to go.
Truthfully I think the outfit would make a stronger impression if I chose to use red or blue as the base color – not black. Unfortunately, I really wanted to pair the halter of the citadel guard with the captain’s caparison, and the only way to make those match was to use yellow and black. Oh well.
Besides, I still think it looks cool, and I like the combination of polished steel armor with the glossy black finish on the chest-piece.
I’m actually very proud of how this turned out. It’s definitely not my Champion’s normal style, but it was very fun.
I also decided not to put a helmet in the outfit, for two reasons: 1) I really am just not a fan of helmets. Or at least I like to think my champ isn’t. Which is an insanely stupid choice if you’re constantly fighting, but movie heroes do it all the time so we can see their gorgeous hair fly around in the wind. And 2) the Captain’s gear that I used on the warsteed actually has a helmet tied onto it, so I figured it would be a little weird for my champ to be carrying around an extra helmet. You only really need one, right?
Maybe I love warsteeds a little too much. Maybe. But also, maybe not?
I’ll fight you on this.
Outfit:
Shoulders: Lesser Enduring Shoulder Guards of Evasion (gold)
Hands: Lesser Valorous Gauntlets of Finesse (gold)
Chest: Westemnet Battle Armour of Srength (black)
Feet: Lesser Valorous Boots of Fate (gold)
Back: Potent Valorous Cloak of Prowess (black)
Warsteed:
Head: Halter of the Citadel Guard (yellow)
Caparison: Captain's Caparison (black)
Saddle: Captain's Saddle
Legs: Dol Baran Leggings (gold - although in retrospect yellow would have been better...)
Gear: Captain's Gear
Mane/tail: black
Body: solid black
So I don’t think I’ve ever really featured a post that’s just about my main hunter, so here goes:
He’s from Rohan and got the characteristic light blonde hair. I like to think of him as not just a hunter, but also as one of those archers included in the battle line-up. Historically speaking men who fought with bows and clubs and spears and stuff (who couldn’t afford swords and heavier armor) tended to be those of lower rank, so that has inspired this guy’s look. He’s a seasoned warrior, well-skilled despite never having received formal training, and definitely not of the wealth status necessary to be a full on knight. Of course here I am mixing together LOTR with plain old medieval history, but it’s my character so who really cares?
He wears nice enough clothes, but they’re definitely more worn and rugged. You’d be hard pressed to find him in full-on plate metal or bright colors – he simply can’t afford that. I like to think he hunts as a way to make money and trade for some of the more expensive leather pieces he wears as pauldrons and arm-guards.
Basically, I don’t have a full-on backstory for him, though I do have plenty of ideas about his motivations and circumstances.
Accompanying him is his trusty steed Nino, who I devotedly named after a palamino paint foal I met when I was younger. He’s swift, agile, and loyal, plus his coat matches the hair of his rider.
Together they roam the plains of West Rohan, still trying to find the last piece of the war steed armor set that drops from war bands there…one day…one day…
OUTFIT: Shoulders: Ceremonial Pauldrons of the Mark (umber) Chest: Jacket of the Watchtower (walnut brown) Hands: Leather Gauntlets of the Leaping Stag (grey) Feet: Reworked Boots (grey) Back: Fancy Quiver (sienna)
WARSTEED: Head: Head-Piece of the Northern Herald (rust) Body: Harness of the Harbinger (rust) Gear: Hunter’s Gear Saddle: Hunter’s Saddle Maine and tail: Blond Coat: Tan Tobiano
It’s been a while since I last posted! Mostly it’s cause of school – freshman year is a bit of a transition and I’m still getting used to the swing of things, but I figured college stress can take sit shotgun for a while because LOTRO has a new update!
So I’ll admit, when I first heard the update was going to involve going back in time, I had my doubts. And when I was almost immediately transferred back to Mordor – a region I absolutely despised first time around I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the fact that I’d been sent back there again.
That being said, I’m loving it so far. I just finished the region of Mordor besieged, and while I was initially skeptical of the direction they were taking the story (not to mention pretty bummed to be back in literal Hell again – and yes I use the word literal not figurative), by the time the quests in the region were wrapping up I was fully engrossed. It’s cool. That’s all imma say about it.
That’s not to say everything was smooth sailing. With the addition of 10 new levels, people are now running Rako 6 man. I was not prepared for this. So, when I signed up for a Rako group, the leaders were well…um…less than pleased with my performance. In all fairness I did have my champ in the wrong trait line – I concede that – but we were super close to beating him and we definitely could have if one of us had decided to heal instead of all out dps. But um…the leaders didn’t like that I wasn’t providing “adequate” dps, so they booted me. And I do mean just me – I checked social panel and everyone else was still in a fellowship. Not that I’m bitter or anything. It’s fine. We’re fine. It’s. All. Good.
Seriously though, it’s important to remember that people online can be jerks, and you just can’t let that ruin your experience. I’m fine with the fact that I’m not super skilled at raids – that’s not what I enjoy most about the game anyways. Would I have appreciated it if they’d kindly let me know I wasn’t pulling my weight or that I needed to make adjustments? Sure. But I’m not gonna let someone who for all I know could be sitting at a computer screen on the other side of the globe ruin my day, or worse, ruin the experience of something I love.
People will be people. The best you can do is accept that you can’t control how other people will act, and also maybe accept that sometimes you’re just not doing as well as you think you are. At the end of the day, the group leader was kind of a jerk. But also at the end of the day I’m not that great a raid-follower either 🙂
Should have known this would happen. It’s a new region – he’s gotta sniff all the smells.Okay – so here’s the plan – Why do I get the feeling you’re not listening to me?
Outfit: Head:Worn ranger's hood (black) Back: Cloak of the Citadel Guard Shoulders: Medium Nadhin Shoulders (grey) Chest: Jacket of the Causeway (default) Hands: The Bowmaster's Gloves (default) Feet: Strong Leather Boots of the Silent Watcher (black)
COSMETIC PET: Harnessed Shepherd Dog
WARSTEED: Head: Head-Piece of the Northern Herald (black) Body: Harness of the Harbinger (default) Saddle: Marauder's Saddle Feet: Leggings of the Gloaming Autumn Tail: Tail of the Gloaming Autumn (black)
So this isn’t actually a NEW outfit, per say, but I’ve never posted it before (A similar outfit can be found in the Silent Watcher post – the chest-piece is the same). It’s been a staple of my main’s wardrobe and it tends to be a go to of mine for any new toon – or even established ones. One thing I love about it is that it looks great in pretty much any color. So, here’s a few shots in my favorite hues balanced out by beautiful locations!
My alt champ wearing all white in Dol Amroth –
Before going back to take some photos, I had never realized just how beautiful Dol Amroth really is. Probably cause the first couple times I went through there I was tired of questing in Gondor, and most of the times that I have returned it’s been only to barter for things, not to marvel at the scenery.
The white, the pink, the blue, it’s all just so regal. Not to mention that those are some epic ships and the harbor itself is so serene and beautiful.
Here’s my warden (level 77 now btw – just for the record!) dressed in burgundy while exploring Harangmar in the Lone Lands. Now, for all the fun that I’ve had questing in the area, it’s not a particularly beautiful region. There is something very cool about the red swamps and bogs that make up Agamar, Harangmar, Garth Agarwen, and the Red Pass. It’s kind of a surreal area – the only other place in game I can think of that has a similar geography is Arganaith in Mordor (which is a significantly less fun place to quest in).
As long as you avoid all the walking dead, it’s a rather nice area.
Next is my hunter in Ashenslades Green, tracking some creatures outside of Esteldin in the North Downs (JK – it’s actually the Guide to Bree skill he’s using, but it has the same animation). Also, fun fact, it took me going through Mirkwood FOUR times to finally realize that it was AshenSLADES and not AshenDALES. I finally realized it was named after a region there and that I’d been pronouncing it wrong (in my head at least – I don’t think I ever had cause to actually speak the word aloud) for years.
The jacket on its own has a default color of a darker green, but I couldn’t quite find a matching dye for the other pieces, so I decided to dye the whole outfit this color for uniformity. Full disclosure, my hunter IS wearing a different cloak than the other toons – I ran out of Ashenslades dye and I’ve been on such a fashion bender lately that all of my toons are quite literally BROKE.
Here’s my alt champ again – this time hunting shades in Ost Celebrant by the Great River while dressed in Walnut Brown hues. I must say, I LOVE this dye. I’m not normally a big fan of brown shades, but there’s something so rich about this one. It’s a cool brown – not in the sense of “oh that rocks,” but in terms of it’s actual color. Umber and Sienna in the game both are warmer, redder hues – I’m not a huge fan of either of them. But the Walnut Brown dye gives items that sense of luxury and wealth while still seeming practical.
Can I also briefly mention how weird it is to fight incorporeal ghosts with normal, steel weapons? Like, how would that work?
And of course this wouldn’t be one of my posts without a war steed outfit somewhere in there, so here’s the un-dyed West Rohan Set – It’s available FOR FREE in game as a reward for doing West Rohan war-bands. There are three pieces: the halter, caparison, and saddle (although this is actually not the saddle being worn – this saddle I bartered for during Yule Fest). They drop pretty regularly, although sometimes it takes a bit of patience to get all of the pieces. It took me a couple weeks of doing war bands on my alt champ to acquire them all, despite having only taken me 15 minutes to get them all on my LM. Luck of the draw, I guess?
Back to my main, here he is sporting one of his classic Steel Blue outfits while adventuring around Lake Town.
The North Mirkwood/Erebor region is one of my favorite regions. Maybe it’s because it was the first update after Mordor (a region which caused me to rage quit multiple times), or maybe it’s because of the variety in landscape (lakes, mountains, forests), or maybe it’s because it’s just so pretty, but I love it. Also the Lay of Rust and Rhime quest chain involving the Weeping Warrior and magnificent dragons was one that really intrigued me. I haven’t actually run Anvil yet, so I’m really curious as to how this story is going to wrap up (if it even will! I know there are still more updates to come)!
So pretty…
And because it is what I titled this post, here’s my main champ in his classic all black outfit watching the sun rise over Lake Town:
I’m all worded out by now. So here are some nice pics to wrap this post up!
Considering it’s now 2 am my time, I think it’s time I went to bed. Lest I see a sunrise like this!
OUTFIT: Shoulders: Medium Nadhin Shoulders Chest: Coat of Faramir's Faithful Gloves: The Bowmaster's Gloves Feet: Threadbare Boots of the Dunland Healer Back: Swift Wool Cloak of the Dwarf-Holds
So this is another outfit that just sort of…happened. Initially I was just trying to match one of my favorite yule/wintry war steed outfits, and then things started going down a VERY different route. That being said, once I got the vision in my head, I was SUPER determined to get it right. Like, I spent a lot more time gathering pieces for this outfit than I normally do.
So the Breastplate of the Slayer’s Raiment has been out for a while now, but I only just recently decided to barter for it. It’s probably because I don’t normally outfit my champ in long hauberks, and it just didn’t seem to match the aesthetic of my lore master (whom I regularly dress in hauberks and robes). But for one reason or another, I decided to give it a try.
Then there’s also the new heavy shoulder-pieces that drop from t1 and t2 Grey Mountain instances (there’s a very slight difference in appearance between the two tiers). Anyways, I’ve been obsessed with these new shoulders, and on a whim I tried them on with the breastplate. The rest of the outfit just kind of followed from there.
I really liked how the breastplate looked with the white dye – It gave it that sort of “noble” air that white armor tends to give, but it has enough gold and copper hues to it to make it looked much more worn and used. To me this look says, “I want to do the right thing but I’ve seen enough to know that doesn’t always work out,” which is sort of the mentality I imagine my champ has.
I also loved the opportunity to showcase some of the new Ered Mithrin pieces – both cosmetic and armor. I’m not a big fan of the chest pieces and boots that have come with the recent update, as they seem too bulky to really be worn by any other race than a dwarf (which, to be fair, is fine considering all the elven cosmetics we’ve had in the past), but I do love the shoulders, the gloves, the cloaks, and I especially love the new patterns. They remind me a lot of Celtic designs, which I am ALWAYS here for.
I also found that this served as the perfect opportunity to give the Ered Mithrin war steed cosmetics another try, as first time around I wasn’t too impressed with them. My first complaint was that the barding seemed a little…”boxy,” if that makes sense. Then there’s also the fact that you can’t dye it. But I have to admit, when paired with the right rider outfit, it’s a very eye-catching look.
I thought the cosmetics really popped when paired against the black coat of the horse. Since I tend to have my champ ride an enormous white stallion as his default war mount, however, the majority of screenshots are of his normal horsey 🙂
Plus, the white steed does kind of go better with the whole “white knight” theme.
I know I’m posting a lot of war steed pics, but like I’ve said in previous posts, I really LOVE my horses. And I’m just so into this combination.
Seriously, you can stop scrolling whenever you want and just skip to outfit details. I just can’t resist all the pretty pictures 🙂
Wolves beware! Horsey is here!
OUTFIT: Shoulders: Pauldrons of Stonehelm (white) Chest: Breastplate of the Slayer's Raiment (white) Hands: Gauntlets of the Grey Mountain Elite (white) Boots: Reworked Boots (default) Back: Perfected Heavy Cloak of Stonehelm (white)
WARSTEED: Head: Head-Piece of the Ered Mithrin Steed Body: Caparison of the Ered Mithrin Steed Saddle: Saddle of the Ered Mithrin Steed
Cause you know one rearing pic just wasn’t enough 🙂
Okay, so there’s this jacket that drop from the instance The Ruined City Tier 2 that I have wanted from the moment I saw it in game. I actually don’t even remember if I saw it first while playing or while looking at LOTRO outfit ideas on line, but the second I did I had to have it. There were some immediate obstacles in achieving this goal, however. First and foremost, this jacket only drops when the instance is run at level 100 or higher, and I had no toons at that level. Yet.
Second problem? My highest-leveled toon was my champ – a heavy armor class. So even when I finally got him to a point where I could run the instance, it wouldn’t drop for me. So then I turned to my next highest class – a Lore Master, light armor. Third highest? Rune keeper – also light armor. So that meant that in order for me to get this armor piece that I wanted more than any other cosmetic in game, I would have to roll a medium armor class and level it all the way to cap.
Oh, yeah, and then there was the third, and probably worst problem at all – Ruined City is an outdated instance. It doesn’t drop top tier gear anymore with the proper stats, or scrolls of empowerment or star-lit crystals. Meaning? Not many people run it anymore. And keep in mind that in order to get the jacket you had to run the instance at T2 – which is significantly harder than T1. So let’s say I managed to roll a medium armor wearing toon, level them up to 100, and actually find a group to run it with, our chances of succeeding would not be great. Sure, I could level my toon up way past 100 and a trio of cap-level players could breeze their way through it, but it’s not easy to convince a bunch of players intent on raiding to run an old instance with you so that you can get a cosmetic reward. So basically, I gave up.
And then one day I decided to roll a hunter – just to try it. The memory of the jacket had all but faded to the back of my mind, all hopes crushed. But hunters seem to be SUPER OP at endgame, so I thought I might as well try one. I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t really like the class at first. But I also really wanted to have an end game hunter that I could use to help gather gear. My champ is amazing, but it helps to have multiple toons at cap if you’re serious about getting good gear and rewards.
So I decided to splurge and buy an Aria of the Valar. I’d gotten one when I’d bought the Mordor expansion, but I’d used it on another champ for some reason. As soon as I got the Aria, however, it dawned on me. THE JACKET. All those dreams that had been crushed suddenly sprang back to life, and I was consumed with one single thought: MUST. HAVE.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “aren’t they just pixels on a screen?” And yes, they are. But I was going through a rough patch in my actual life and I just REALLY wanted a win.
So to finally end a really long story with a short ending, I used the aria to boost my hunter to level 105, got MINIMAL gear, convinced a couple of truly kind-hearted kinnies to run the instance with me over and over for three days until I finally got it. There were a couple more hiccups along the way…Like the first time I ran the instance with my champ to get the feel of the dynamics and the box dropped but I couldn’t take it and then didn’t drop again for THREE WHOLE DAYS, or like when it finally did drop and I was able to loot it, it was bugged and was level 120 for some reason EVEN THOUGH we’d run the instance at 100…so then I leveled up my hunter to level cap and finally I had it.
I spent a good week of my life dedicated to getting this jacket in the game. And I don’t regret a single moment. When I finally got to put that item in the wardrobe, I was so fricking excited!!! And as I’m writing this it just hit me that I probably could have put it in the wardrobe the minute I got it…but oh well, it got me another character at level cap and it gave me some distraction from real life. So here it is! The jacket! Modeled on my main champ – the character on which I first discovered it – and looking awesome as all get out.
Achievement and success don’t always come in the obvious forms, but damn does it feel good!
OUTFIT: Shoulders: Light Shoulders of the Grey Mountain Stalwart (black) Chest: Jacket of the Osgiliath Huntsman (black) Hands: Heavy Plated Dunlending Gauntlets (black) Feet: Reworked Boots (default) Back: Veteran Guardsman's Cape (black)
WARSTEED: Head: Head-Piece of the Northern Herald (black) Body: Burglar's Caparison (black) Saddle: Dol Baran Saddle Legs: Dagorlad Leggings (default) Gear: Hunter's Gear
So here’s to the small victories in life! What would we do without them?
This is another older outfit I never actually uploaded – You can actually see one of the screen shots in my first ever “welcome!” post.
I’ve always thought that the Medium Nadhin armor has a wintery look about it – it’s bulkier than most other jackets you find in game, but it still looks sleek and fashionable. The bulk doesn’t look particularly like armor, more like extra padding over mail. As a result, I’ve always leaned towards using this piece when constructing a yule-fest or other cold weather outfit. Also, just a quick side note, these screenshots were actually taken before I even started this blog – a whilebefore in fact, as evidenced by the lack of emotes 🙂
I did, however, put quite a bit of effort into making a matching war-steed outfit. The character featured in this post is my main – he’s a champ that I lovingly leveled all the way to 115 before finally breaking down and getting VIP. This was when Mordor was level-cap btw. In retrospect I really wish I’d gotten VIP sooner for a variety of reasons, but I can get into that in a different post if I so desire.
Anyhow, my main is also the toon on which I will occasionally splurge on war-steed cosmetics. I’m the type of player who likes to keep their in-game purchases to a minimum, but occasionally, when a holiday comes around and I realize I haven’t actually gone out to any entertainment or gone clothes shopping or anything else because I don’t have a life, I allow myself to spend some money on this game. Oftentimes this falls in the war-steed department, as I absolutely LOVE the cosmetics. And honestly, as for investing money into the game, I’m proud to say that I’ve been a financial supporter. This game has meant so much to me for so long now, and even though you can play it for free, I want to support Standing Stone Games and the techies who keep making this game possible. Heck, I could pay $50 to go out to dinner and a movie, or I could spend the same amount in game and get a lot more entertainment out of it.
Can I just say how much I love the fact that they included the Northern Lights in Forochel???
OUTFIT: Shoudlers: Medium Nadhin Shoulders (black) Chest: Medium Nadhin Jacket (black) Hands: Medium Nadhin Gauntlets (black) Feet: Strong Leather Boots of the Silent Watcher (black) Back: Veteran Guardsman's Cape (black)
WARSTEED: Head: Head-Piece of the Northern Herald (black) Body: Caparison of Dol Baran (black) Saddle: Marauder's Saddle Legs: Dol Baran Leggings (default)
LOTRO Adventurer 