LotRO - Minstrel Class Guide Skills Overview

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MINSTREL SKILLS OVERVIEW

Whether group healing or laying waste to foes, knowing how and when to
use the widely various Minstrel skills is one of the things that
separates raw noobs from seasoned pros.

Healing Skills

These skills restore morale. These are the "main" skills of
the group healer-spec Minstrel, and should be placed in an obvious and
readily-accessible spot - the main tool bar, for example, so they can
be used quickly by tapping the number keys along the top row of the
keyboard.

Raise the
Spirit - The basic heal skill. Short induction, short
cooldown.

Bolster Courage - The primary healing
skill. This one has a moderate induction but no cooldown, and can land
some very big heals when it crits.

Chord of Salvation - A quick heal that
restores a moderate amount of morale. This one has a lengthy animation
which roots the character in place for the duration.

Soliloquy of Spirit -A quick
heal-over-time gained at level 60 that can be used while moving and can
break the animation root of Chord of Salvation. This skill is not
particularly powerful on its own, but when geared with the Moria
radiance armor set for Minstrels, traited with Legendary Spirit and
bolstered with additional pulses from a legendary melee weapon, it has
actual potential.

Inspire Fellows -A group heal toat
restores about the same amount of morale as Raise the Spirit for
everyone in the group, and adds a small buff that reduces incoming
damage on all recipients by 1% for 30 seconds. The induction is the
same length as for Bolster Courage.

Triumphant Spirit - A huge, instant-cast
group heal. Each member recovers morale instantly, a larger heal than
Bolster Courage. This skill generates a very large amount of threat and
has a 15-minute cooldown, making it a powerful "panic button" skill.
Fellowship's Heart - A legendary skill
gained at level 45 by completing both class quests. The initial burst
heals each member of the group about the same much as Raise the Spirit,
and removes up to 3 fear effects. Every 3 seconds for 30 seconds after
the initial burst (10 pulses), each member of the group gets another
burst of  healing, slightly smaller than Raise the Spirit. All
told, it heals between 5 - 8000 points on each member of the group over
30 seconds. This skill has a 30-minute cooldown, so is best used
towards the end of difficult boss fights.
Enlivening Grace - An out-of-combat
revive (a.k.a. "rez"), which restores a fallen ally at a fraction of
his maximum morale and power. This can be improved with the trait
Graceful Demeanour, which revives the fallen character with more morale
and power. There is no cooldown for this skill.
Rally! - A legendary skill attainable at
level 39 by collecting book pages. This is an in-combat revive with an
induction slightly longer than Bolster Courage and a 20-minute
cooldown. The target revives with full morale and 80% power.
Song of Restoration -Using this skill
removes the dread debuff after being defeated and retreating or
self-reviving. It can be used in combat but has a lengthy induction and
a 30-minute cooldown. At level 64, this skill is improved to Chorus of
Restoration, which can remove dread from every member of a full 6-man
fellowship after a wipe.

Ballads, Anthems and Other Attacks

These are the standard attack skills. They are tiered, meaning
that in order to use a tier 2 ballad, a tier 1 must be used first, and
so on. Except where noted, these skills do a bit of Light damage to the
target and apply a buff to the caster. Tier 2 ballads do more damage
than tier 1, tier 3 ballads do no damage.

Ballad or Resonance -Tier 1. Applies a
buff that increases the caster's tactical damage.

Ballad of
Steel - Tier 1. Applies a buff that increases armour value.

Ballad of
Vigour
- Tier 1. Applies a buff that increases Vitality. This skill is
modified by the trait Smooth Voice to become Song of Vigour, which adds
a short induction, removes the damage component and applies the buff to
the whole group.

Ballad of
Swiftness -Tier 2. Applies a buff that decreases attack
durations.

Ballad of the
Stout - Tier 2. Applies a buff that significantly
increases Poison, Wound and Disease resistance.

Ballad of
Balance -Tier 2. Applies a buff that increases Evade
rating. This skill is modified by the trait Smooth Voice to become Song
of Balance, which adds a short induction, removes the damage component
and applies the buff to the whole group.

Ballad of War
- Tier 3, non-damaging. Applies a group-wide buff that increases melee
damage.
Ballad of
Flame - Tier 3, non-damaging. Applies a group-wide buff
that significantly increases Fire defence.
Ballad of
Unshakeable Will - Tier 3, non-damaging. Applies a
group-wide buff that significantly increases Fear resist rating.
Anthem of Compassion - Tier 4,
non-damaging. Reduces the amount of threat healing skills generate,
affects caster only. This skill is improved by slotting 4 traits from
the Watcher of Resolve line, making it a tier 3 ballad and further
reducing the amount of threat generated by healing skills. Using this
skill as a tier 4 anthem resets the ballad counter - tier 2, 3 and 4
ballads and anthems cannot be used until they are tiered back up.

Anthem of the Free Peoples -Tier 4,
non-damaging. Applies a group-wide buff that significantly increases
in-combat morale regeneration. Using this skill resets the ballad
counter.

Anthem of the Valar - Tier 4. An
area-effect damage skill affecting up to 3 targets within 5 meters of
each other.

Anthem of the Wizards - A legendary
skill attainable at level 39 by collecting book pages. An area-effect
damage skill that can affect up to 3 targets standing within 5 meters
of each other, applying a movement and attack duration penalty.

Herald's Strike - This is the Minstrel's
sole melee skill.
It is a single, solid blow against a single opponent. It applies a
small buff to incoming healing when used.  This skill is
improved at higher levels to Improved Herald's Strike, which removes 1
corruption from the target when used.

Noble Cause - This skill empowers
Herald's Strike,
eliminating the 10-second cooldown between uses for 4 strikes,
increasing the damage from each strike and restoring a small amount of
morale with each hit.

Warspeech

These skills (except for Warspeech itself, and Echoes of
Battle and Piercing Cry) are only available while Warspeech stance is
toggled.

Warspeech - This skill makes
the Minstrel a mighty combat machine. It reduces the cooldown and
increases the critical chance for Piercing Cry, and cuts healing in
half. Traiting Warrior-Skald further increases the healing penalty by
up to an additional 30%, and increases ballad damage by 25% while
Warspeech is toggled. When Warspeech is toggled off, the penalty to
healing (but none of the benefits) remains in effect for 10 seconds.

Piercing Cry
- This skill is usable when Warspeech is not toggled. It does more
damage than ballads even without Warspeech. Toggling Warspeech gives
this skill a higher critical chance. Piercing Cry is modified by the
trait Unrelenting, which applies a stun when the skill criticals, and
increases the critical chance by 25%.

Echoes of Battle - This skill is usable
without Warspeech stance toggled. Echoes of Battle is a toggled skill
which calls forth a giant disembodied sword to attack an enemy. While
active, the target takes a small amount of damage every 5 seconds, and
his song and cry resist rating is lowered significantly. Toggling
Warspeech changes this skill to Timeless Echoes of Battle, which calls
forth 2 giant disembodied swords, increases the resistance debuff and
increases the amount of damage per pulse.

Call of Oromë - An area-effect attack
that can hit up to 3 foes within 5 meters of each other. This skill
does more damage to each target than a low-tier ballad, and applies a
debuff that lowers the target's light damage defence for 10 seconds.

Call of the Second Age - An area-effect
attack centered on
the caster that can hit up to 3 targets within 5 meters for good damage.

Call to Fate - A single-target attack
that does good
damage. This skill has a high critical payout, and can hit for quite
large numbers when it criticals.

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Tales

Tales are toggled skills. Only one tale can be active at a
time, though traiting Master of Tales enables a pair of combo tales.
Members of the fellowship must be standing near the Minstrel to gain
the effect of these auras. All tales have a per-second power cost while
they are active, and can be toggled off by extended silencing effects.

Tale of Warding - Increases armor value
and adds +1 Hope. This Hope bonus does not stack with Hope bonuses from
Edhelharn tokens. Not particularly useful for most situations.

Tale of Battle - Increases Vitality and
wound resist rating. This is a good standard tale for most occasions,
as it increases the group's maximum morale and morale regeneration.

Tale of
Heroism -Increases Will and Fate. This is a good tale for
prolonged battles where power consumption may be an issue, as it
increases the group's maximum power and power regeneration.

Tale of Frost and Flame - Increases the
group's Flame and Frost defence, allowing characters to shrug off a
small amount of damage from these types of attacks. Good for fights
with fire or frost damage-over-time effects. 

Tale of Frost and Flame's Battle - A
combo tale which combines all the effects of Tale of Frost and Flame
and Tale of Battle. This tale is only available when the legendary
trait Master of Tales is slotted, requiring 5 traits from the Protector
of Song line.

Tale of Warding and Heroism - A combo
tale which combines all the effects of Tale of Warding and Tale
Heroism. This tale is only available when the legendary trait
Master of Tales is
slotted, requiring 5 traits from the Protector of Song line.

Buffs

These skills make the Minstrel's allies fight generally
batter, harder or more effectively. Most of them can be used on the
Minstrel casting them.

Cure Fear - Does exactly what it says.
This skill is under-powered, even with the trait Improved Cure Fear,
and fear removal should be left to Captains who can do it much more
effectively and more often.

Call to the Fellowship -This skill
empowers fellowship manouevers performed by the group, making them
stronger and more effective. In order to use this skill effectively,
the Minstrel must know in advance when a conjunction is about
to occur, as the duration is only 15 seconds

Call to Greatness - The description of
this skill in-game is rather vague, which is unfortunate; this skill
boosts the abilities of its target for 10 seconds, with different
effects depending on the class of the recipient: Burglars gain additional positional damage and reduced
cooldown for Surprise Strike Captains get a defeat event, unlocking on-defeat skills,
and open the Battle-readied state ever 5 seconds Champions get a defeat event and 2 pips of Fervour, plus
1 additional Fervour every 5 seconds Guardians generate 25% more threat, and receive the
Guardian's Ward effect every 5 seconds Hunters generate 10% less threat and gain 3 Focus, plus
an additional 2 Focus every 5 seconds Lore-masters have a lower chance for enemies to resist
Blinding Flash, and can use Blinding Flash every 10 seconds Minstrels gain a 10% boost to outgoing healing, and can
use Chord of Salvation every 5 seconds Runekeepers gain -10% power cost reduction for skill use,
and Self motivation is usable every 5 seconds Wardens gain +10% threat generation  and +5%
damage, and the gambit effect Shield Up is toggled every 5 sec

Song of Aid - A channeled skill that
lasts for 10 seconds, though the induction may be interrupted. This
skill unlocks all gated skills for most classes, and can affect
everyone in the group. Lore-masters can use Beacon of Hope more
frequently and at a lower cost to morale, Runekepers can use Scribe's
Spark and Prelude to Hope more frequently, and Wardens can use Shield
Piercer more frequently

Lay of the Hammerhand - A toggled skill
with a per-second power cost. The Minstrel can surround herself with
protective bubble-wrap, causing any damage dealt to her to be
transfered to her power instead of morale. This skill is improved at
higher levels to Lyric of the Hammerhand, which transforms each point
of morale damage into 0.5 points of power damage, and prevents damage
from interrupting inductions. Stuns and knockdowns will interrupt this
skill and de-toggle it, and it will expire when the Minstrel runs out
of power.

Gift of the Hammerhand - This applies
the same bubble-wrap
shield to an ally, though less effectively - each point of morale
damage is transformed into 2 points of power damage. Not advisable to
use this skill during big fights where power may be an issue.

Song of the Hopeful Heart - Creates a
small, temporary
patch
of Hope, which does not stack with hope from tokens. Marginally useful
in radiance-gated areas after suffering a defeat when hope tokens are
unavailable, but not practical for general purposes.

Cry of the Chorus - Using this skill
unlocks all tiered
ballads and anthems at once and removes silence effects on the caster
only. This skill is improved at later levels to Improved Cry of the
Chorus, which also grants temporary immunity to silence effects.

Crowd-Control and Other Stuff

Song of Soothing - A very handy skill
for those
times when
the tank just can't hold aggro. This skill lowers the Minstrel's threat
substantially. It can be improved with the trait Improved Song of
Soothing, which makes it nearly instant-cast at the cost of a longer
cooldown.

Song of the Dead - Dazes one undead for
30 seconds.

Cry of the Valar - Causes one evil foe
(i.e. not non-evil
beasts of nature, etc) to flee in terror for 15 seconds. Useful for
getting troublesome strays off your back in the middle of a fight.

Still as Death - Quando Omni Flunkus
Moritati. Play dead
for 30 seconds, dropping all aggro. Mobs that were aggroed on the
Minstrel before Still as Death may come back to resume attacking if
threat is not built up by another group member.

Irresistable Melody - Got canned heat on
your heals
tonight, baby? Spread the love. A fun little skill that makes all
nearby free people characters your puppets.

Mentoring - "I got a fever, and the only
prescrition is
Moor Cowbell!" Teach any known instrument to your peers, including the
beloved percussion instrument from Glan Vraig. Only a few of these
skills are purchased from the class trainer, the others are learned via
scrolls dropped from mobs in high-level areas or purchased from
reputation vendors.

Scribe Stance - This toggled skill
allows the Minstrel to
make tradeable tomes which can be used by other players to learn a new
instrument. Creating a tome requires the purchase of expensive
materials, and the resulting tome can be sold on the auction
house. 

Class Tools

All classes have a few specialized tools that only
they can
use. Minstrels have a few neat ones.

Musical
Instruments - Basic versions of these,
sold by bards in
any town, can be used by anyone for playing music, provided they are
proficient with the instrument. Minstrels can use any instrument,
including the superior crafted ones. The different instruments have
unique qualities, ranging from lowering threat (theorbos, flutes) to
increasing ballad damage (drums, bagpipes) to lowering power cost
(harps). Instruments with a damage type descriptor in the name change
the damage type of Echoes of Battle from common to the type in the
instrument's name or item description. For example, an Exquisite
Elegant Bagpipe changes Echoes of Battle damage to Beleriand, while a
Superior Westernesse Lute changes the Echoes of Battle damage type to
Westernesse.

Lute Strings - These can be made by
cooks. The Journeyman recipes, Lute Strings of Greater Subtlety, are
the preferred strings. These can be used with any instruments, not just
lutes as the name implies, and reduce threat from healing. Lute Strings
of Greater Subtlety reduce threat by 10%, and the critted version
reduce it by 12%. These are handy to have in situations with more mobs
than a tank can resonably control.

Songbooks - These are legendary items,
available to premium members who have purchased the Mines of Moria
expansion. The base stat of songbooks increases the Minstrel's tactical
healing rating, making for bigger heals. This is discussed more
in-depth on the Legendary Items page located href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/lotro/guides/classes/minstrel/endgame">here.

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