A mine they call it! We call it moria. But Moria is a big place with a lot of instances. We’ll split moria into three pieces for this series. Leveling (50-58), level cap (60) and post launch (lothlorien) with a bonus of some one-boss raids. Lotro was still gearing up to be a challenger to World of warcraft and we’ll also use this look back as a way to look forward to that other denn of evil that starts with a M(ordor).
After the launch of Lotro every update was centered around a Book and the epic story that entails it. Eregion and book 12 brought us right up to the gates of Moria, but not yet inside. The first two instances that i’ll include with Moria are The school and library of Tham midrain.
Released as a part of the epic story i feel they are more a prequel to Moria to most then story moment in the epic book. Either by hitting 50 before Moria, moving forward to Volume 2 or just as a good quick instance with great xp and experience.
The introduction of challenges
Moria was the first place with an increased reward for running an instance under par. Finishing a run before a timer or performing a hard task for an extra challenge chest and loot. Aimed to provide an extra layer of difficulty and reward to an instance as compared to the same loot changes every run like before. School and library might be the first instances to provide this option to players (might be wrong and it got introduced with Mirkwood scaling). Challenges have been in nearly every instance since then. It gives an option to players aware of them or not. An extra difficulty to a well-balanced instance that requires thought, experience and knowledge of your class.
School and library
No, mommy i don’t want to go to school
Introduced in book 12 you fight to retake the ancient Noldor centres of knowledge. With the help of dunlending and palefolk the orcs try to destroy these places. They are quick, mobs before the bosses are mostly irrelevant. But they serve as introduction to plenty of lotro mechanics for people. A captain proceting his swarm mobs, a little mini-boss or patrols crossing other groups of mobs. With the bosses and challenges teaching people to kite, not use aoe, interupt heals or multi-stage boss fights. They might be more important and rewarding to you then you might remember.
History – Leveling instances
A mmo without grouping might as well be singe player game. Along the way you would team up for quests and instances, but compared to other mmo’s at the time lotro went a differnt way. Moria itself has two instances that are not build for the current level cap. The often forgotten Forgotten treasury at level 54 and Giant stairs at 58. Instances that easier in difficulty, but gives you a thrilling centre piece for an quest chain or area. Nearly each zone in World of warcraft or Age of Conan at that time ended in an instance. Lotro not so much, but the challenge mode or ease gives you at level 60 give you an excellent way to prepare and gear up for later.
Forgotten treasury
How good is your memory?
That one with the turning statues you forgot. Moria’s first expansion instances that introduces the art of communication to Moria. The difference in tactical and physical damage with the near immunity. Tied together patrol groups. And separating two bosses to not have them buff each other As important as it might have been during the Moria era, it’s now relegated to finish of some quests in Deep descent or running it twice to finish some deeds.
Keeping track of the quest and deed tracker
You have made it past the treacherous stairs south of the twenty first hall. You have gotten around level 58 and find yourself with a new set of instance quests. They ask you to get up the giant or grand stairs. The grand stairs is one of the most popular instances in Moria. It has somethng for nearly everyone. And it might be the instance that i’ve never heard someone complain about (except heavies looking for brass anvils) It has options, reasons to run it with quickly, slowly or even do a full cleansing of the whole place.
The grand stairs
Entering a massive cavern with bridges and platform you’re confronted with a closed drawbridge. The uruk leaders present you with the option to play high stakes RNG or take down the bosses one by one. Feel confident you can make your way to the boss within 10 minutes? Strap yourself in and put on your dps shoes. Having a quiet night? Kill the other bosses in their own places and loot the boxes one by one. Cause if you fail the 10 minute timer, no loot for you.
What direction will we take?
Don’t want the level 58 loot, want to kill more mobs for deeds, fight some unique bosses or just want to take it slower? – Choose option A – quest mode
Up for a challenge, most effecient daily run, quickest moria medaillions for alts or want specific end boss drops like said brass anvil? Choose option B – challenge run
Having someone that learned drums at The beast, keeping your dps under control at the warg boss or finding the balance between killing adds and not the devoted for the final fight. The grand stairs could fill most of an article, but these days you’ll have a higher level with you or be more then level 58 by the time you’d get to the Redhorn Lodes. It still gives you a lot.
Choices, quest, experience, options and lots of objectives is what Grand stairs gives you. It might be the most memorable instance that Moria has. School and library are often seen apart from Moria and Forgotten treasury swirling statues is often dreaded.
Join us while we hit level 60 and take on the Moria “end-game” instances in part 2 of Moria.
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