style="width: 640px; height: 213px;"
alt="LotRO Rune-keeper Guide"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/93431">
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/overview">OVERVIEW
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/solo">SOLO
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/group">GROUP
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/pvmp">PvMP
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/endgame">LEGENDARY
ITEMS |
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/93446/page/2">TRAITS
| VIRTUES
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/skills">SKILLS
GROUP
PLAY AS A RUNE-KEEPER
alt="A Rune-keeper in a group"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/93429">
Rune-keepers
keep the green lights flashing. Stabbing half-orcs in the guts, that's
for the other guys.
Rune-keepers have some options for running with groups. As
single-target DPSers, they out-nuke the traditional nukers, the
Hunters. As main healers, they can hold their own against the mainstay
heal-bots, the Minstrels. The Rune-keeper is the switch-hitter of
LotRO, able to bat lefty or righty.
As a main healer for groups, the Rune-keeper wants to have a
reliable and solid tank. It is slightly more difficult for Rune-keepers
to spread heals around to multiple targets than it is for a Minstrel -
inductions are longer, numbers are smaller and spread out over time -
but as single-target healers, Rune-keepers are tough to beat.
One advantage that Rune-keepers have over Minstrels is Essay
of Exaltation. This is a big group heal-over-time, rather weaker than
the Minstrel's
Fellowship's Heart, but with a 10-minute cooldown instead of 30
minutes, a 3-seconds window of up to 50% damage reduction, and it does
not take up a legendary skill slot to use it.
Additionally, it wraps all members of the fellowship in protective
bubble-wrap, applying the effect from the lesser skill, Word of
Exaltation, which causes everyone to take less damage.
Word of Exaltation is a pretty excellent skill, and it is
improved by the deed Author of Exaltation, increasing the damage
mitigation by 10% and the duration by 5 seconds. This is a deed you
want to get as soon as possible if you plan on running with groups, and
it can be done while soloing. The skill requires 6 pips of healing
attunement, so this means the Rune-keeper will need to put himself at
risk to advance the deed in solo-play; run into groups of non-ranged
mobs, kite them while using Prelude to Hope, and throw up your bubble
when you get to 6 pips.
Rune-keeper HOTs require a bit of extra aggro-management
attention in a group. If applied too early, they can upset tanking
strategies by pulling mobs away from the tank. A good example of this
is in Grand Stairs in Moria: when engaging mobs on the bridge near the
warg pens, if the tank is under the effect of Mending Verse or within
the range of the Rune of Restoration, the mobs will ignore him when he
charges in and attempt to attack the healer. In this situation, they
will enter anti-exploit mode and become unattackable (meaning a
Guardian's shouts and taunts will not have any effect on them) until
the Rune-keeper moves into range, which could potentially get him
killed. Always let the tank get aggro before using heals or attacks.
And when the Rune-keeper does accidentally draw aggro, either by
cranking out too much damage or from healing threat, he has a slew of
threat-down skills that will help to manage the aggro. Distracting
Winds is particularly valuable here, as it applies an area-effect slow
in addition to lowering the Rune-keeper's threat. Calming Verse is
better applied at the start of a fight, as it will lower the amount of
threat the Rune-keeper's skills generate for 30 seconds.
alt="A Rune-keeper in a group"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/93430">
The
ultimate bug-zapper, but he would likely put up a fuss if you tried to
hang him on your porch.
The Rune-keeper has the most interesting in-combat revive in
the game: Do Not Fall This Day (which is improved to Shall Not Fall
This Day at level 62). The reason this one is the most interesting is
that it must be used before the recipient actually dies. If the
Rune-keeper gets this skill off in time, the defeated character is
automatically revived. Using this skill is kind of tricksy and involves
predicting when the affected character will fall, with a 60-second
window of accuracy. If the character is defeated 61 seconds after the
skill lands, it was wasted. Using this skill effectively takes some
practice to figure out the timing. The improved version at level 62 is
even tricksier - during that minute, the target's defenses are
significantly improved, meaning it may take longer for the affected
individual to go down. Again, practice makes perfect.
For groups that are tired of running with loose-cannon Hunters
as their primary single-target nuker, the Rune-keeper is an excellent
substitute, and is actually superior in some ways. When spec'ed for
DPS, the Rune-keeper can hit bigger damage numbers than the average
Hunter (and even some of the good ones). Keep in mind: with great power
comes great responsibility... or at least great amounts of threat. The
damage a fully-spec'ed Rune-keeper can do is roughly equivalent to (or
greater than) a Huntard in Strength stance, so be prepared for the
consequences of that. Ramp damage by staying with small, quick attacks
until the tank has built up a huge amount of threat, and only then
unleash the big attacks.
With the proper selection of class traits, it's possible for a
DPS-spec Rune-keeper to function adequately as a main healer should the
need arise. The Master of Writs skill allows the use of Writ of Healing
regardless of attunement. When fully healing-attuned, the same skill
will allow the Rune-keeper to throw out Writ of Fire and Writ of Cold,
doing decent damage even while cranked up in the green. Master of Writs
will cause these writs to cost more power to use, but it might be worth
it if things are turning sour.
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/overview">OVERVIEW
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/solo">SOLO
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/group">GROUP
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/pvmp">PvMP
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/endgame">LEGENDARY
ITEMS |
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/93446/page/2">TRAITS
| VIRTUES
|
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/runekeeper/skills">SKILLS
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Lord of the Rings Online Game Page.
