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By now I'm a fair hand at the technical stuff in the Lord of
the Rings Online. I have at least a basic understanding of how all the
classes work, both in solo and group play, and my skill with at least
one or two classes can be considered "advanced." I know how to gear my
toons and I know where and how to get the best stuff. But sometimes,
the "best stuff" just looks awful and I don't want to be seen wearing
it. It's not enough to be good at something if you look like a dork
doing it.
To this end, I have invested heavily in LotRO's cosmetic
system, having purchased several additional outfit slots and expanded
my wardrobe to accomodate the needs of my personal army of toons. For
some toons - and I have at least one of each class - I can't get
interested until I find a great "look," and when I eventually find that
perfect combination of armor and outfit pieces, I'll start to really
get into the mechanics of the class because it's more visually
appealing to watch.
The cosmetic system - and particularly the wardrobe - is very
flexible.
As long as the contributing toon can equip the item, you can put any
armor or cosmetic item in the wardrobe, and any other character on that
account can wear it cosmetically. You want a level 8 Hobbit
Minstrel decked out in
Rift Champion armor? Have your Champ add his Rift gear to the wardrobe
and
it's a done deal. This makes it much easier to collect interesting,
appealing outfits - the player is not limited by class, level or
reputation restrictions, provided he has one character that meets the
specifications of the desired item.
Often, I will start with a "theme" for an outfit based on the
character (for example, "My Hunter needs to look more like an
archetypical Ranger."). Other times, I will start with one armor piece
and build something around that, following a particular
aesthetic in terms of colour and accessories. Or, as in the case of my
adorable Hobbit Guardian, I'll start with a colour idea and find pieces
that look good in that colour.
With that in mind, here are 15 of my own outfits. These are
just my own personal favorites - I have 13 character slots and each
character has 5 outfit slots, all of them used, so 50 outfits didn't
make the list. I
apologize in advance for not having many female outfits in this article
- I'm a dude and play mostly dude characters. Also there are no elves.
Kinship Uniform
alt="Kinship outfit - front"
style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Kinshiop uniform - back"
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Head: Fine Linen Hat,
undyed or red - Journeyman Tailor recipe
Shoulders: Pathfinder's Shoulders,
black - bartered with Medallions of Moria from Hunter trainer
Back: Linen Cloak, red -
Journeyman Tailor recipe
Chest: Dwarf-make Chain Hauberk,
black - purchased from Outfitter at Othrikar
Gloves: Iron Miner's Hands, black -
purchased from Iron Garrison Miners Trader in Moria, requires
Acquaintance standing
Leggings: n/a
Boots: Dwarf Leather Boots, undyed -
purchased from Medium Armor vendor in Thorin's Hall
My kinship, Baruk
Khazad on Arkenstone server, was originally dwarf-only, but removed the
racial restriction when they wanted to get serious about raiding. That
was a long time ago, but the dwarven traditions hold true. The actual
uniform consists only of the hat, cloak and hauberk, and the other
pieces are member's choice. For my Hunter, I went with dwarven
accessories and the spiky Hunter shoulders, because they are really
wide and give him more dwarf-y proportions. All of my toons in Baruk
Khazad wear this same outfit with variations of the shoulders, gloves
and boots.
Cowboy Rifleman
alt="Rifleman - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Rifleman - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Adventurer's Hat,
umber - bought with skirmish marks, also available in the LotRO store
Shoulders: n/a
Back: n/a
Chest: Well-worn Robe, umber -
bought with skirmish marks
Gloves: Iron Miner's Hands, black -
purchased from Iron Garrison Miners Trader in Moria, requires
Acquaintance standing
Leggings: n/a
Boots: Brushed Leather Boots, umber
- bought with skirmish marks, also available in the LotRO store
Hunters are
essentially rootin'-tootin' gunslingers. I went with a "dusty cowboy"
wild west kind of look for this one, starting with the hat. The
Well-worn Robe has the look of a duster with a sherrif's badge on the
right breast pocket. I don't like the forearms of the robe - they're a
drab olive color that seems too colorful for the dry, dusty cowboy
aesthetic - so I covered them up with big dwarf bracers, similar to
cavalry gloves. I'm considering swapping the Brushed Leather Boots for
the boots from Ost Dunhoth, which have pointed, upturned toes and more
closely resemble cowboy boots, but those boots don't have high tops and
I don't want to deny someone in my raid group a chance at the boots if
they really need them for actual gear.
Classic Ranger
alt="Ranger - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Ranger - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Traveller's Hood,
olive - purchased with skirmish marks, also available in the LotRO store
Shoulders: Shoulders of the
Eorlingas (not shown) - Rise of Isengard pre-order bonus
Back: Fancy Dwarf-make Quiver, olive
- Journeyman Tailor recipe
Chest: Hauberk of the Eorlingas -
RoI pre-order
Gloves: Gloves of the Eorlingas -
RoI pre-order
Leggings: n/a
Boots: Boots of the Eorlingas - RoI
pre-order
The Rise of
Isengard pre-order cosmetics are really nice. The green-drab Eorlingas
set looks very ranger-y, but I don't care for the circlets that come
with 'em. I paired an olive-dyed Traveller's Hood with my set and
substituted the quiver for the too-bulky green cloak. The hood has some
clipping issues with the shoulders, so I don't use them together. When
I disable the hood, I enable the shoulders, so it looks like the hood
has been tossed back and now lays on the shoulders.
The Gambler
alt="Gambler - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Gambler - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Adventurer's Hat,
black - skirmish marks or store
Shoulders: n/a
Back: n/a
Chest: Quilted Shirt, undyed -
starting gear for a new-rolled Burglar
Gloves: Fingerless Gloves, black -
from the Yule Festival, following the quest chain to help the poor
people
Leggings: Quilted Leggings, undyed -
starting gear for a new-rolled Burglar
Boots: Brushed Leather Boots, black
- skirmish marks or store
This one was
originally put together for the music system guide. I wanted a
common-looking "musician" outfit, so I started with a Blues
Brothers-style black hat. The Burglar starting outfit is simple and
clean, so I used the shirt and pants. The Fingerless Gloves and Brushed
Leather Boots add a certain "tough guy" look. He now looks like a guy
you'd find in a dusty saloon playing a hand of poker at a table of
prospectors and cowboys. I use this same outfit on a couple of
different toons.
The Marauder
alt="Marauder - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Marauder - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Black Corsair
Eyepatch - festival giftbox, LotRO Store, special barterers
Shoulders: Shield-bearer's
Shoulders, red - Moria barter item for Guardians
Back: Cloak of the Boar, undyed -
Fall Festival, LotRO Store
Chest: Broin's Guard, red - Volume
II Book 9 quest reward
Gloves: Barrow-warrior's Gauntlets,
crimson - skirmish item
Leggings: Barrow-warrior's Leggings,
crimson - skirmish item
Boots: Barrow-warrior's Boots,
crimson - skirmish item
This is a Captain
ready to lead the charge into enemy lines regardless of whether or not
he's actually commanding anyone. His mad daring serves as a source of
inspiration to his fellows. The goal of this outfit was to appear
frightening and inspiring at the same time - dangerous-looking
shoulder-pads, rugged dwarf armor on the extremities and a bright, bold
super-hero emblem on the chest mark this guy as a leader. The
eyepatch and wild, bushy beard mark him as a crazy pirate.
The Classic Villain
alt="Villain - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Villain - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: High Officer's Helm,
black - Master Metalsmith recipe
Shoulders: Shield-bearer's
Shoulders, black - Moria barter item for Guardians
Back: Cloak of the Helmingas - RoI
pre-order
Chest: Broin's Guard, black - VIII
Bk9 reward
Gloves: Gauntlets of the Iron Arm,
black - Moria barter item for Guardians
Leggings: Barrow-warrior's Leggings,
undyed - skirmish item
Boots: Boots of the Helmingas - RoI
pre-order
This one started
with the crazy stag-horn helmet, inspired by the warriors in Frank
Frazetta paintings and Simon Bisley comics in old Heavy Metal
magazines. The masked face is a long-standing tradition with fantasy
villains, from the Black Knight to Darth Vader, and you can't go wrong
with black and red. I liked the helmet so much, I built a few other
outfits around it.
The Pirate Captain
alt="Pirate - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Pirate - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Feathered Felt Hat,
red - from the LotRO store
Shoulders: Shoulders of
the Helmingas - RoI pre-order
Back: Singed Cloak, crimson - VII
Bk6 Ch8 boss loot
Chest: Extravagant Festival Robe,
red - Yule Festival, from the quest chain to help the rich guys
Gloves: Fingerless Gloves, black -
Yule Festival, poor guys
Leggings: n/a
Boots: Boots of the Helmingas - RoI
pre-order
Early on, I decided to take a non-standard approach to
the Captain. The traditional approach seems to be along the lines of a
"paladin" type, the knight in shining armor who valiantly saves the
day, etc. Edward Teach was also a legendary captain and leader of men,
but he was certainly not known for his paladin-y ways... he was more
popularly known as Blackbeard the pirate. This is his "formal" pirate
captain outfit.
The Blackbeard
alt="Blackbeard - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Blackbeard - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Black Corsair
Eyepatch and Hat - festival gift box, LotRO store, special barterers
Shoulders: Quilted
Shoulder Pads, red - Light Armor Vendors sell these
Back: Singed Cloak, red - 2.6.8 boss
drop
Chest: Shirt of the Mighty Verse,
red - Moria barter item for Minstrels
Gloves: Gloves of the Helmingas -
RoI pre-order
Leggings: Majestic Marchwarden's
Leggings - Supreme Tailor medium armor recipe
Boots: Boots of the Helmingas - RoI
pre-order
This was my attempt to create a Blackbeard-like pirate
outfit for a
Captain of low moral character but who is nonetheless an effective
leader of men. Blackbeard is traditionally portrayed with a large
tricorne hat
and a long, fancy red jacket with a brace of three pistols strapped
across his chest. There are no knee-length "jackets" in the game that
suit my purpose, but the Minstrel shirt has the prerequisite strap
across the chest, and the red top of the leggings makes the shirt look
like a longer garment. The hat comes from various festival gift boxes,
and can be purchased with special barter tokens every year on
International Talk Like A Pirate Day when there is a special event at
the bridge over the Brandywine River between Stock and Buckland.
More outfits on the next page!
style="width: 640px; height: 180px;" />
The Blue Istari
alt="Blue - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Blue - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Linen Hat, navy -
Journeymany Tailor recipe
Shoulders: Songmaster's
Shoulders, Ered Luin blue - Mirkwood barter item for Minstrels
Back: Linen Cloak, Ered Luin blue -
Journeyman Tailor recipe
Chest: Carpenter's Robe, navy -
LotRO store
Gloves: n/a
Leggings: n/a
Boots: Padded Shoes,
undyed - Burglar starting item
Alatar and Pallando were Maiar of the same order as
Gandalf, Saruman and Radagast. They were both clad in blue and sent off
somewhere to the east, and that is all that is really known about them.
This Lore-master outfit pays homage to the two missing Blue Wizards
with archetypical wizardly attire. There is one thing that bothers me
about the Carpenter's Robe - the toes of any footwear worn underneath
peak out from under the hem, but if the footwear is tall boots, the
tops of the boots clip through around the knees. The Padded Shoes are
inconspicuous enough and do not present such a problem.
Barbie Dream Tank
alt="BDT - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="BDT - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Ceremonial Himhar,
purple - LotRO store; the original is a quest reward
Shoulders: Elven Soldier's
Shoulder Guards, purple - Master Metalsmith recipe
Back: n/a
Chest: Heavy Armor from Thorin's
Hall, purple - Reputation barter item from Thorin's Hall, uses the same
model as many other chest pieces
Gloves: Elven Soldier's Gloves,
purple - Master Metalsmith recipe
Leggings: Dwarf-iron Leggings,
purple - Artisan Metalsmith recipe
Boots: - Dwarf-iron Boots,
purple - Artisan Metalsmith recipe
I saw a Dwarf Guardian wearing an outfit similar to this
on Riddermark server once, with a different chest piece, and decided
immediately that I wanted it in pink for my only female toon.
Unfortunately, rose dye is uneven and it ended up looking more
"hodge-podge" than I liked, so I went with purple dye instead. The goal
of this outfit was to make the adorable little tank as obvious to her
enemies as possible, with outlandish, bright colors, but still look
tough as nails. The shoulders and gloves are a rare example of Elven
armor looking more intimidating than Dwarven items.
True story: I was working on epic books with this
character, with this outfit equipped. I happened across a fellow
working on the same quest and struggling with it, so I joined him and
we hammered through it quick. When it was done, he said "You're very
beautiful." I shuddered, thanked him politely and left his company.
This is why I usually don't play female toons.
Hell's Dorfs Goatercycle Club Member
alt="Hell's Dorf - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Hell's Dorf - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Trapper's Bandana,
black - skirmish item
Shoulders: n/a
Back: n/a
Chest: Fisherman's Vest, navy -
purchased from most Outfitters
Gloves: n/a
Leggings:n/a
Boots: n/a
One of the simplest outfits on any of my toons. The
Fisherman's Vest outfit looks like faded denim when dyed navy, which
makes the wearer look like a 70's outlaw biker. Particularly when the
wearer is a bearded Dwarf. This outfit looks awesome on Dwarves of any
class. When a couple of my friends started playing, we all rolled
Dwarves and we all wore this outfit like a biker gang. Since I had the
Mirkwood pre-order goat, I decreed that we were a "goatercycle" club,
Hell's Dorfs.
The Blademaster
alt="Blademaster - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Blademaster - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Ceremonial Himhar,
black - LotRO Store
Shoulders: Dwarf Leather
Shoulder Guards, black - these ones were purchased in Othrikar; a
similar model is sold in the LotRO store
Back: Singed Cloak, black - 2.6.8
boss loot
Chest: Fine Hauberk, black - Master
Tailor recipe
Gloves: Iron Miner's Hands, black -
purchased from Iron Garrison Miners in Moria
Leggings: n/a
Boots: Brushed Leather Boots, black
- skirmish item, LotRO store
Another "villainous" type of outfit, meant to inspire
fear in the enemy. The colors are bold and striking - reds and golds on
black - and the blade-like details on the helmet and shoulder guards
add an air of menace. He looks like he might be dangerous to stand
near. The shape of the helmet is like that of the samurai's kabuto,
though the construction appears to be very different. Just to be a
giant dork, I got this character the Anniversary Steed, so the
tough-looking Mister Serious-face is riding around on a giant easter
marshmallow.
The Grim Warden
alt="Grim Warden - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Grim Warden - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: High Officer's Helm,
black - Supreme Metalsmith recipe
Shoulders: Tough
Skirmisher's Shoulder Guards, undyed - skirmish item
Back: n/a
Chest: Broin's Guard, black - VII
Bk9 reward
Gloves: Gloves of the Eorlingas -
RoI pre-order
Leggings: Majestic Marchwarden's
Leggings, umber - Supreme Tailor recipe
Boots: Boots of the Eorlingas - RoI
pre-order
The "nature boy" aspect of this helmet appeals to me. It
is sinister with all the spikes and horns and full-face coverage, but
also reminiscent of the druidic style of ancient celts. Despite being
heavy armor, it fits well with the Warden class and looks natural on a
spear-hurler. He looks like a guy that's been too long removed from
polite society and now lives by his own rules struggling against the
wilderness.
Half-pint Hoplite
alt="Hoplite - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="Hoplite - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Helm of Rohan,
undyed - LotRO store only
Shoulders: Ceremonial
Ajokoira Shoulder Guards - Master Tailor recipe, requires Lossoth rep
Back: Warden's Pack - available from
most Outfitters
Chest: Broin's Guard, black - VII
Bk9 reward
Gloves: Iron Miner's Hands - Iron
Garrison Miners, requires standing
Leggings: Majestic Marchwarden's
Leggings, red - Supreme Tailor recipe
Boots: Dwarf Leather Boots - Medium
Armor vendor at Thorin's Hall
The Warden has always reminded me of Achilles in the
movie Troy. They do the same jump-and-stab moves and use the spear and
shield, the same as the hoplites that made up the bulk of classical
armies. The 3-crested Helm of Rohan also looks like something from
classical times, and makes for good hoplite headgear. The Town-saver's
Helm from the Rift is also pretty good for a hoplite-style outfit, but
I don't much care for the style of the face guard. I wanted a
hoplite-style outfit after playing Rome: Total War with the Total
Realism mod - hoplite phalanges take forever to kill, shred through
cavalry and make a mockery of most barbarian infantry units. A phalanx
of Wardens would be equally indestructible.
The No-Goodnik
alt="No-goodnik - front" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
alt="No-goodnik - back" style="width: 230px; height: 435px;" />
Head: Makeshift Ranger
Mask, black - skirmish item or LotRO store
Shoulders:
Dungeon-crawler's Shoulders, black - Mirkwood barter item for Burglars
Back: n/a
Chest: Well-worn Robe, black -
skirmish item
Gloves: Fingerless Gloves, black -
Yule Festival reward for helping the poor
Leggings: n/a
Boots: Dwarf Leather Shoes, black -
Light Armor vendor in Thorin's Hall
This is a fellow who is clearly up to shenanigans. The
Makeshift Ranger Mask is the uniform of troublemakers and
ne'er-do-wells - it covers the face like a ninja mask, but the upturned
"horn" at the back gives it a touch of mischievous whimsy. I like the
big, bulky shoulders - when he's running, it looks like he's hunched
over and hiding something. Some lore purists may scoff at the use of
shoes for this outfit, but you can't conceal a spring-loaded blade in
bare feet.
I'd like to give a shout-out to a few bloggers who are
similarly transfixed by the cosmetic system and like to show off their
creative sides. Their posts range from inspirational to downright silly
and show a wide range of possibility for making one's character
unique:
Have your own unique, interesting, unusual or wacky outfit?
Share it in our forums!
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Lord of the Rings Online Game Page.
