style="width: 630px; height: 200px;" alt="LotRO Minstrel Guide"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/89871">
alt="divider">
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/overview">OVERVIEW
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/solo">SOLO
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/group">GROUP
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/pvmp">PvMP
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/endgame">LEGENDARY
ITEMS |
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/89885/page/2">TRAITS
| VIRTUES
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/skills">SKILLS
alt="divider">PvMP AS A MINSTREL
alt="PvMP Minstrel" src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/89874">
In the fields the bodies burning as the war machine keeps turning...
Minstrels in the Ettenmoors are great fun, provided the player
doesn't mind having a huge target painted squarely on his forehead.
Minstrels are almost as popular for creep target practice as Hunters.
However, this is not necessarily a bad thing - Minstrels can be
incredibly powerful in PvMP, and can rack up Reknown fairly quickly
while keeping a respectable kills-to-deaths ratio.
Different Minstrels will run different builds in the 'Moors,
depending on play style. Raid healers will want a similar setup to
group heal spec, and DPS minnies will want a build closer to solo spec.
Aggro and threat from healing are not an issue when fighting
creeps, but it is important to keep in mind that in large-scale
skirmishes, the creeps will want to take out the healers first and
focus on the other guys later. Creeps do not aggro on freeps, they
single them out. Whichever style the Minstrel prefers, she will
probably want to equip at least a few Warrior Skald traits to boost her
DPS, because PvMP raids are not the same as PvE raids. Everybody
fights, even the minnies.
PvMP is a good place to use Lyric of the Hammerhand and Gift
of the
Hammerhand. Fights tend to be very short in the 'Moors, so power
consumption is much less of an issue, and the bubble can help ailing
allies survive a focused onslaught for a little bit longer. It is one
of the only times a Guardian will actually thank you for bubbling him
up.
When sparring creeps one-on-one, Minstrels will want to keep
moving,
rapidly firing off ballads and using Warspeech. Open with Timeless
Echoes of Battle to weaken the opponent against further attacks, and
follow that up with a relentless string of Call to War skills.
Warrior-Skald traits will help make this combo much more powerful, and
the lucky Minstrel will land a few crits and possibly a stun from
Piercing Cry. After the big initial assault, the Minstrel can toggle
off Warspeech and throw out a few ballads, then prepare to heal through
the creep's retaliation when the cool-off expires.
There's
nothing wrong with being a bit cowardly in the 'Moors. The creeps will
rage among themselves when you kite them into a group of bears or NPCs
or "turtle up" in elf camp, but when the Minstrel is outnumbered and
doesn't have the full strength of a raid behind her, that's the way to
stay alive. If there are no NPCs handy, play dead with Still as Death
and let the freeps know where you are getting ganked in /OOC. When
acting as raid healer, the Minstrel wants to stand just in range for
healing the front line heavies, and back far enough to be out of range
for the Black Arrows. If the creep raid decides you are a problem,
however, be prepared to face some pouncing wargs and charging Reavers -
ask a Lore-master for stun immunity and bubble up early.
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/overview">OVERVIEW
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/solo">SOLO
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/group">GROUP
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/pvmp">PvMP
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/endgame">LEGENDARY
ITEMS |
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/89885/page/2">TRAITS
| VIRTUES
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/skills">SKILLS
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