That’s right, in this round of leveling I’ve gone not 10, but 15 levels. Previously in my alt leveling project I’ve usually only covered 10 level increments, but after the release of Rise of Isengard it felt that Level 65, not 60 was a natural place for a stopping point. And even though I was really dreading these levels they turned out to be fairly quick in their progression and enjoyable. Will I be saying that after 7 more characters take their trip through those lands? Maybe not, but as you can see I’m going to cover some options players can take when going through these levels so they don’t face the same issue of burnout that I did in the previously.
Finishing up Eregion and Volume 1
Eregion is still one of the best zones in the game as far as I’m concerned and begs to be on everyone’s list of zones that must be completed. For the low 50’s though, you may or may not find yourself with things to do depending on what zones you quested in during your 40’s. I know that some of my alts spent a lot of time in Angmar and Forochel than others so they had quite a few quests left in Eregion for them to do. But others, such as my Champion, skipped a lot of the content in those zones and have already blown through 90% of Eregion’s content before reaching 50. If you do find yourself having some quests left here though I highly suggest finishing them off so that you’re 51-53 before heading into Moria. (Although you can just pop into Moria at 50, being a bit over-leveled won’t hurt.)
Another tactic you can follow before heading into Moria is finishing Volume 1. Not only will you get some nice rewards such as a mount, gear, titles, and money; but you’ll also end up with some decent experience as well. Although I personally did not take this route, I wanted to include it because with Volume 2 starting with Moria it is at this point a number of players choose to polish off Volume 1.
Moria and Volume 2
Ah Moria. Deep, dark, dank and epic all describe this zone. I have to say that Moria was a bit overwhelming when I first went through it. But now that I’ve had a couple of characters level through it I don’t think it’s all that bad. Yes, there are some quests that have an abnormal amount of running around, as well as some which can send you into some over-populated rooms of certain death; but again that is why I previously mentioned being a bit over-leveled before coming into this zone. Moria should be experienced by everyone, and if you’re motivated you can blaze through it in several days. Granted, you will probably end up with a number of deeds and quests unfinished if you do, but it’s still possible. Before you leave, I highly suggest you complete the following goals:
- Finish your Level 58 Class Quest to obtain one of your Legendary Class Traits
- Gain Kindred with the Iron Guards to obtain another one of your Legendary Class Traits
- Finish Volume 2, Book 6 to gain enough faction that you have no issues entering Lothlórien
I would also recommend staying in Moria until level 58-60 so that you don’t have too much trouble in Lothlórien or Mirkwood, but just like with Eregion there is no harm in staying until you are well past 60 either, especially if you are working on deeds, completing quests, or you are just having a good ole time.
Volume 2 and Lothlórien
When you finally come out of Moria you’ll find that Volume 2 continues on into Lothlórien and that the zone has a number of its own quests that are worth completing as well. Goldenstar and myself actually have enjoyed the zone quite a bit and found it to offer a really nice chunk of experience. The bright, lush atmosphere also makes for a nice “palate cleanser” for those who have spent some time inside the dark halls of Moria. Be warned though, if you do not finish Volume 2, Book 6 before coming into this zone you will need to complete a number of repeatable quests in the Western half of the zone for reputation before you are allowed to enter the Eastern part. Again, I strongly suggest finishing Book 6 beforehand as earning the reputation needed could take up to several days without it.
There are two modes of thoughts when it comes to this area. First, it can be used as a buffer for Mirkwood; allowing your character to level up to 60+ and making your experience in Mirkwood much easier. Or as a second option it can be skipped entirely. Yes, I know that will make some people cringe, but that is the unfortunate side effect of older content as the game progresses. I will however say that if you do choose to skip this area you will be missing out on some very good storytelling, a beautiful mount, and some deeds. I myself skipped it with my Champion, but as I start leveling other classes through here I may just find myself spending some time here with some of the more “squishy” characters and my crafters.
Volume 2 and Mirkwood
Mirkwood is an interesting choice these days. When it was first released it was the only zone that contained its level range of content. That is not the case at this time. Subsequently Enedwaith was released and it too spans over much of the same level of content so if you feel like skipping Mirkwood you can. This does come at some consequence as there are a number of skirmishes that can only be unlocked by completing parts of Volume 2 and will be otherwise unavailable until you do. That, in my opinion, makes Mirkwood virtually mandatory as I can’t really imagine having a character without all of the available skirmishes. But, I also know that there are people out there that cannot stand this area, don’t give a darn about skirmishes, and would gladly ignore it in favor of going to Enedwaith at around Level 60 instead.
Volume 3 and Enedwaith
Enedwaith is another zone that really has a lot to offer when it comes to questing. Originally this was intended interim content between the release of Mirkwood and Rise of Isengard, but it turned out to be a pretty fun zone to quest in. When I was polling our audience about whether or not I should quest in Enedwaith or go straight into the Rise of Isengard content many people suggested that once I was done with Mirkwood that I should go and level up to at least 67 in Enedwaith; otherwise I might find myself doing skirmishes to reach 75. And while I was really anxious to get into Isengard, I took their advice and refreshed myself with some of the quests in the zone. I have to say that the zone still holds up in my opinion and is not only a great alternative to Mirkwood, but stands as a good zone.
Conclusion
Although there are some “mandatory” zones that you must go through as you level, I think that players do have at least a few choices about where they can go and when. And hopefully as the game progresses we might see some future options open up. However, if you want to follow the path that I did with my last character, I will summarize the last path that I took with a character here:
How about you? Do you have a certain path or paths that you follow when leveling up?
Loading ...
January 4, 2012 at 9:18 am
hmmm… I would say this.
48 – 51 Eregion ( I would recommand to todally finish this zone before getting in to moria)
51 – 59 Moria, with a variation of epic quests, skirmishes and normal quests.
59 – 61 Lothlorien for sure, Than mirkwood is alot better to do.
61 – 65 Mirkwood. COmpletely finish this zone to lvl 65.
This is what I would do.
January 4, 2012 at 1:22 pm
That was my experience as well.
Imho questing in lothlorien is only worth it if you decide to leave moria at lvl 58. The remaining quests turn ‘blue’ very fast otherwise.
January 4, 2012 at 9:34 am
I try to hit Moria at level 50 (yes, you can enter Moria if you’re lower level, but unless they’ve changed them, killing things doesn’t count towards slayer deeds unless you are level 50). I quest around until I’m level 56, then I immediately make a break for the First Hall and enter Lothlorien. From there, Lothlorien and Mirkwood are power-leveling crack.
Between the repeatables (you have to really enjoy singing to trees) and epic quests, the levels and reputation come very quickly. I know some people detest Mirkwood, but I like it. Enedwaith is a zone I could skip (especially for F2P accounts who don’t want to spend TP on the zone), but some people like it a lot.
I would not enter Isengard unless you’re at least leavel 66 or 67. Otherwise, as you’ve mentioned, you’ll end up grinding the handful of Isengard repeatables or skirmishes for the last few bars of XP to get to level 75.
January 4, 2012 at 11:23 am
Ah, good tip on the slayer deeds. I didn’t realize that they didn’t count. Thanks Vraeden.
February 6, 2012 at 1:33 pm
For the record, you can start RoI content at L65 and have plenty of XP to reach 75 without repeating any quests or doing any skirmishes.
That was an issue that was fixed in the first post-RoI patch.
January 4, 2012 at 10:46 am
“Subsequently Enedwaith was released and it too spans over much of the same level of content so if you feel like skipping Mirkwood you can.”
Hmm
Mirkwood: 61-65 mobs & quests
Enedwaith: 65-66 mobs & quests
“… much of the same level of content …”
??
January 4, 2012 at 11:24 am
We had people from CSTM enter Enedwaith at level 60 and level to 65 there. It was tough for them, but they did it.
January 4, 2012 at 11:04 am
This is a helpful article. I do really like how there is quite a bit of choice now for where to quest during this range.
I’ve never understood the insane rush to get into Moria at 45. I was enjoying myself in Eriador still, and didn’t finish with Eregion until 53 or 54. I think I was able to enjoy Moria much more that way, without dying every time an unpleasant group of goblins looked my way.
I’ve only taken one character through these zones, but I basically completed all of them except for Enedwaith, which I didn’t earn enough TP for until I was partly through its level range. That character has gone back to mop up some of it at level 75, but I’m actually happy that I’ll have something new to look forward to on my next character, who’s coming up in her 40s.
I went into Isengard when it released at 65 and I didn’t have any trouble getting to 75 with quests left over, and I wasn’t running skirms or repeatables. But I still think it would be just as well to come into it over-leveled.
January 4, 2012 at 11:35 am
The only reason to start Moria at level 45 is to get your first legendary item, and then your second one at level 46.
When I get to level 45, I immediately go to the Walls of Moria and get my first LI then level up, go right inside Durin’s Threshold to get my second LI then go back out to Eregion or Angmar and work up to level 50.
In my opinion, you want to get your LIs as early as possible so you can start building XP on them. That way, when you get to level 50 and enter Moria, you can immediately deconstruct your initial LIs and use the rune ball to give your next (better) LIs a head start.
January 5, 2012 at 12:23 pm
I do the same thing as Vraeden. Presently I have my burg and warden running through Moria. These are the 6th and 7th chracters doing this content. To finish epic and get through Moria as quickly as possible I’ve been focusing mostly on epic and then side quests when I’ve started getting into red content. Or – I’ll just skirmmish until I’ve lvld up enough to continue the storyline again.
One thing I wish they’d change is the storyline running you back and forth between Lothlorien and Moria. By the time you finish Moria there should be the feeling of “Yes!! I’m finally out!!” Instead they burst your bubble by sending you back into the Shadowed Refuge over and over again.
Generally by 58 I’m done with Moria and can park my girls in Lothlorien to finish up epic quests there, stop to work on crafting for a bit (vacation), work on location deeds and rep and to pick up crafting recipes with the branches and leaves. That takes me to about 60 – 61.
The rest of the journey is mostly to fulfill epic but it is also to pick up crafting recipies, rep lvls, etc.
January 4, 2012 at 11:53 am
I am one of those that rushed into Moria, but I have a reason. First, I have taken my Captain (main) and Warden through there pretty much on level. So there is a “Been There/Done That” aspect. But there is more to the story.
This character is a 46 level Champion with high virtues, so he can handle the content. I want to participate in group runs, but I have found myself in somewhat of a void for Instances. Yes, I can run GA to help friends. But is seems no one on Crickhollow runs Annuminas anymore, and Hele is for level 75. So until I get my Champ to 56+, I don’t really have group instances to run. Therefore, I want to get to that level as quickly and efficiently as possible. That means I go into levels 4 – 5 higher than my Champ.
I realize it’s not for everyone, but it matches my play style quite well.
January 4, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Thanks for sharing. I think that’s pretty cool that you’re able to handle the content that early on.
January 4, 2012 at 1:36 pm
Thanks for the helpful article. I wanted to skip as much as possible in Moria, so I levelled until 56 before entering, but now I realized that I must still complete all quests in Silvertine Lode and Durin’s Way to get my virtues.
Going up in levels is only one side of the story, and though I would like to, I can’t seem to avoid these pesky Mines.
January 4, 2012 at 3:03 pm
I feel your pain. The Moria deeds are not that fun.
January 4, 2012 at 1:43 pm
I like to go to Lothlorien as early as I can. The initial quests on the west side are more kill-based, but they can be easily soloed even when the related enemies are yellow or orange. Far more easily than comparable stuff in Moria, which is often notably harder due to denser packing of enemies.
Then once you get into the east side of Lothlorien? Most of it is non-kill related and just really is a time investment. You can get levels quickly without any real sweat. If you’re looking to max another guy’s levels out, it’s a nice way to go… with the plus being that you’ll likely easily max out reputation in that area and get tons of Lothlorien barter items in the process.
But as with Moria, there’s a minimum level for deeds in Lothlorien. From what I recall, you can start doing quests in the area before the slayer deed level requirement… which is fairly annoying.
January 4, 2012 at 2:09 pm
I think it the minimum level for Lothlorien slayer deeds is 56.
January 4, 2012 at 2:23 pm
I did want to add – I really enjoy all of the articles published on this website including the Sales/Specials, Skirmish Guides, Project Altohism, etc. I really look forward to reading CSTM on a daily basis.
January 4, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Thank you very much!
January 4, 2012 at 3:56 pm
This is pretty much what I typically do in this level range:
level in Eregion from 45-51
level in Moria from 51-58
Lothlorien 58-60
Mirkwood 60-65-I will note that I love Mirkwood and think that, while you could go to Enedwaith at level 60, it would be quite difficult I think. Mirkwood leveling is really very linear and in my opinion fairly easy and quick. While Moria leveling might take me a couple of months to go from 51-58, the leveling from 58-65 is lightning quick, usually in 2 weeks or less playing a couple hours a day.
January 4, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Hi
I was under the impression that to unlock the skirmishes you dont have to buy the questpack.
You just need to do the Epic Books, for wich the questpacks are not nessesary.
January 5, 2012 at 8:44 am
I believe that is correct
January 4, 2012 at 7:39 pm
My Mini just got to Dunland and I went with:
Moria 51-58
Loth 58-61
Mirkwood 61-65
Then I followed the Epic Quest (rest of Mirk through Enedwaith) 65-67
I honestly don’t remember what I did before that because the mini sat for a long time in Moria as a crafter (probably bounced between Angmar and MM since I owned them). The new update gated too much for that to work well though. Now that I own Trollshaws, Forochel and Eregion, I suspect I’ll try to level through those next time.
January 4, 2012 at 9:22 pm
The way i do it is
Eregion 45-50
Moria 50-57
Lothlorien 57-60
Mirkwood 60-65
then…
Enedwaith 65-66
Dunland 66-75
The fastest way, i even get out of moria at 56 sometimes.
January 5, 2012 at 1:29 am
Call me all crazy, but I like Moria by now. My first toon really hated the mines, for my second one it was a pain as well, my third one recognized it gets better when you know your way around, the forth alt amazingly, however, enjoyed it. Now my fifth alt just arrived there yesterday with Lvl 53 and I’m looking forward doing all the stuff there including deeds and instance runs. Typically doing epic and getting all quests along the way in every zone the epic line gets me. Doing GS questmode (18 quests, lots of xp and ixp!) with 58/59 and finishing Vol 6, so I can directly walk into the golden wood, singing to the trees for some time to relax.
However I don’t like to rush through the stuff too quickly and like to be a bit overleveled, so I typically do it this way:
Eregion 49-53
Moria 53-59 (maybe 60)
Lothlorien 60-62
Mirkwood 62-65 (try to max rep for the black horse)
Enedwaith 65-67
Dunland to max
January 5, 2012 at 7:56 am
As a lvl 52 minstrel strolling slowly through the levels with a hunter friend (first character, running F2P at the moment so no rest xp, not using Isengard bonus xp item – I completely understand that sometimes people want to lvl fast, but not aiming for it myself at the moment) I have found it nice to mix Moria with Forochel and Eregion. I find Moria very cool but also kind of high maintenance, I need to be a little awake to not get lost a lot, so it is nice to go the other places when too tired. And due to adventuring together with a hunter, random changes between zones isn’t too much of a bother.
Also wanted to wish you CSTM’ers a Happy New Year, you’ve become the one Lotro web page I check most often and I really enjoy how I can find all kinds of Lotro stuff here. Thanks for the good work!
January 8, 2012 at 11:51 am
On my captain i followed the path described by most of the comments here, i entered Dunland around level 66 (Questing in Enedwaith is brilliant, really enjoyed that part), but when i reached level 75, i found myself only friend with the Rohirrim and i cannot be arsed to go on with questing just for the reputation, although you miss out some nice jewellery when not kindred. I would advise to go to Dunland when your bar is half up to 66, in wich case you should have enough quests to hit 75 and be as high rep with the Rohirrim as you can be without the repeatable quests.
The best advise i can give though: Enjoy the quests and don’t rush through them, the storyline is brilliant.