Episode 120: Happy New Year 2011

Happy 2012! This episode was recorded on New Years Eve a couple hours before the Eastern Time Zone said good bye to 2011.

Goldenstar finished Barad Gularan with her Monday night Dum group. She’s completed her Dum Time homework so next week we can do more of Volume 1 together. Goldenstar got her Minstrel to level 70 and then all of a sudden has a horrible time killing things. Her minstrel also finished Volume 2.

Goldenstar’s rage was calmed only by Bywater Brewing Company’s Old Withywindle. Thanks Law!

Merric got his character to level 75 and was able to go on a Kinship run of Draigoch (12-man).

Town Crier

• New Official Player Guides?
  • Raiding 101
  • What is Monster Play
  • Traits & Deeds 101
• Yule Festival End Date Confusion – Web site says January 30th.
• LOTRO listed in G4TV’s best F2P games of 2011
• Housing Inspector this weekend

Store News

• Final Winter Special
• 25% off Coupon Code
• Weekly Store Sales
• Double Bonus Points extended to January 2nd
• Fleet-Footed Goat leaves the Store January 5th

CSTM News

• Pineleaf’s Primer Vol 18: Rescue at Nurz Ghashu
• CSTM is Bio Break’s “Best Specific MMO Blog” of 2011

Community News

• LOTRO Library Rise of Isengard Give-a-way
• LOTRO is Ten Ton Hammer’s Best Expansion of 2011
• LOTRO is Massively’s Best of 2011 “Best Expansion” winner

Raise Your Glass

Bryandt

Greetings Goldenstar and Merric (who doesn’t remember me. )

Last week, I suggested that to fill both the Damage and Heal role for Instance Finder a Minstrel could use the Protector of Song traitline. I promised you an email explaining why so, bear with me.

When you trait Protector of Song, you should be using the Harmony Stance. This turns your Major Ballad into a damaging ballad. It also turns your Coda into the Coda of Resonance. This will allow you to do damage with both those skills. Coda of Resonance also does an AOE heal to the fellowship and damage up to 6 targets. You’ll also have access to Echoes of Battle, allowing you to put a small damage tick on a target (small ghost swords). Mix in your ballads that increase resistances, outgoing damage and armour buffs and you’re now contributing more to your fellowship than you ever did before. Orion once stated that he wanted this trait line to be the trait line you use when you’ve mastered the class, and it is, indeed, hard to master. Firstly, you’re not going to have as many big heals as you do using the Watcher of Resolve trait line. Nor are you going to do as much damage as you do using the Warrior-Skald trait line. But you will do an even mix of both that will make you a real boon to your fellowships.

If you go 5 deep into the traitline (use what traits from Protector of Song you wish, but make sure you slot Glorious Anthem for the 5 second increase in ballad duration and Smooth Voice for the 5 second decrease in Anthem cooldown; max out the Anthem Duration legacy on your Legendary Weapon for around 30 seconds of buffs, allowing you to keep up to 4 buffs going at once), you can also mix in a couple of traits of your choice from the other trait lines to gain back some healing and/or DPS.

Personally, the two traits I would choose are Power of Song (+300 Power, +10% chance to unlock War-Speech calls on heal) and Improved Song of Soothing (-5 Induction Time for Song of Soothing to help with aggro management). But that’s just me.

Using Protector of Song means you get to both heal, do a fair amount of damage and contribute group buffs all at the same time. All without having to revisit the bard to change traits.

Hope this helps!

Penhalidor

I just wanted to let you know about a new Lotro blog one of our kin (Council of Eriador – Brandywine)has started.

http://lotrolorenuggets.blogspot.com/

Golden Treasure Inside is Hid – A fan site dedicated to compiling “Easter eggs,” Lore nuggets (and some “Chicken” nuggets!), and other fun facts about the Lord of the Rings Online game.

She’s always been a bit nuts (hosting kin quiz nights and things like that) but that may be enough to make this work!
Anyway, I hope you find it interesting.

Hayden

Hey Guys! I recently got into your podcast after i heard it in the car when my dad (Howard Griffith the LOTROHerald Creator). I enjoy your podcast and find it very interesting and informitive. If you ever find yourself on the Landroval Server, friend me and if I’m on we can hang out sometime!! I’m Leiff, a Hobbit Minstrel, and i am also in The Council of The Secret Fire Kin, which i enjoy being a member of.

Thanks for your time. =)
Hayden
A.K.A.: Leiff

Ilnenil

Hey there Goldenstar and Merric!
I found your podcast earlier this year, and just started listening regularly! I am happy to say that I have gotten my Minstrel to level 37 with a /played time of 9 days, and bought a deluxe house in Celondim, (which is just beautiful!) I just purchased VIP from the LoTRO WebStore, and I am having a hard time not starting a Warden because I have an alt that’s a level 27 Mini-Tank, (also known as a Hobbit Guardian ), that I have sort of neglected to level. Should I keep working on my Mini and pick up the Guardian; or start a Warden, get it up to 27 then bounce between characters? (Like You said Merric, the Guardian class doesn’t change much as you level xP) Your advice would be greatly appreciated for this decision of mine. :]

A merry late Christmas to your whole family,
Ilnenil, Officer in Durin’s Folk of Riddermark

Player Achievements for the Week

Donations

• Nicholas F.

Contact Us

• Visit our blog at www.casualstrolltomordor.com
• We welcome your email to podcast@casualstrolltomordor.com or leave us a voicemail at 520-261-CSTM (2786)
• We are available to follow on both Twitter and Facebook
• Please leave us a review on iTunes or Zune Marketplace and we would really appreciate it!
• Listen to us live every Saturday at 9:30 pm Eastern on Middle Earth Network Radio

Standard Podcast [ 49:38 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download