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href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/overview">OVERVIEW
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href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/solo-play">SOLO
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href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/pvmp">PvMP
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href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/endgame">LEGENDARY
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alt="An Elven Hunter"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/89215">
An
elf hunter - sleeves would only get in the way of his sheer awesomeness.
HUNTER
CLASS OVERVIEW
The Hunter is the ranged DPS
king of the
Lord
of the Rings
Online.
In a group, that's more or
less
the Hunter's sole job. They are a fast-playing class -
they run fast, they hit big numbers which bring enemies down fast, and
they
have the ability to quickly guide their groups anywhere in
Middle-Earth.
In solo play, the Hunter is a
versatile beast,
capable of decimating his opponents quickly, one at a time, while
keeping other threats at bay with traps and other forms of
crowd-control. In group play, the Hunter is the single-target
"nuker" of
choice, standing at the back of the group and ripping
through enemies from behind a wall of iron and flesh. In
PvMP, the Hunter's stealth and crowd-control play a larger role,
keeping dangerous enemies
at a safe distance and otherwise hampered.
The Hunter class is available
to every race. At
lower levels, race plays a more significant role in the overall
effectiveness of the class. Elves can earn a 2% bonus to bow
damage through racial traits, and this combined with their racial +15
to Agility makes them a natural choice for Hunter at low
levels. However, at the highest levels, no single race has a
distinct advantage over any other.
KEY
ATTRIBUTES
A Hunter's primary focus is his
ability to deal ranged
damage. This is the Hunter's focus all through the build,
from start to finish.
Start with a good bow (or
crossbow). This is a
largely gear-based class, and the ranged weapon is the most important
piece of gear in the Hunter's arsenal.
At low levels, crafted
bows and quest rewards will be sufficient. From level 45
onward, the Hunter will want a solid Legendary Item with legacies that
fit his particular playing style.
When the weapon situation is
handled, the Hunter will want to
boost his Agility. Agility affects all things ranged - ranged
offense, ranged defense, ranged critical chance. Armor and
jewelery with Agility modifiers are a good place to start.
Slotting Virtues that boost Agility (Determination, Mercy) are also a
must. Another thing to look for, particularly on jewelery, is
Ranged Crit and Ranged Offense modifiers - these pieces are meant for
Hunters more than any other class, and will make your attacks hit
harder.
SECONDARY
CONCERNS
Hunters tend to be fragile in
melee combat, particularly when
faced with multiple opponents. Hunters are limited to Medium
armor, and many of their powerful attacks have inductions that can be
set back or interrupted during melee combat. Having a high
Agility helps - Evade is based off of this attribute. Another
attribute the Hunter will want to focus on is Vitality.
Vitality is the base for Morale, so having a higher Vitality score
means having more Morale, which allows you to last longer in fights.
Melee combat is essentially a
secondary concern for
Hunters. Though Hunters can wield two weapons at once, their
melee attacks are generally weaker than those of melee-based
classes. Melee weapons should typically be selected for their
ability modifiers and legacies rather than their DPS. High
DPS on a melee weapon certainly doesn't hurt, but it should not come at
the cost of precious Agility or Vitality.
Power consumption is often an
issue
for Hunters, particularly
when traited for the high-DPS Bow-master trait line and using Strength
stance. Many Hunters find that increasing their Will and Fate
scores will help improve this issue, but very often, gear
that
increases Will and Fate comes at the cost of Agility or Vitality.
IN SUMMARY
The Hunter
is one of the most popular classes in the game,
and for several good reasons. For starters, they are one of
the
easiest classes to pick up and learn right from the gate.
They hit big damage numbers very early
on, and they don't have to run right up into melee range to do it.
They play "faster" than the other classes - just
about
everything
about the Hunter emphasizes speed and urgency - and this makes them
more exhilarating than lumbering meat shields or tactical-based glass
cannons. At later levels, with their ability to snap to
anywhere
in Middle-Earth in an instant and kill formidable creatures with a
single arrow, they seem almost ethereal. In short, they're
just
plain fun.
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/overview">OVERVIEW
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href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/solo-play">SOLO
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href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/group">GROUP
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href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/pvmp">PvMP
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href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/endgame">LEGENDARY
ITEMS |
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href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/hunter/skills">SKILLS
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