Relatively new captain question

Hello, I'm a new player, and I've recently got my main character(captain) to level 52. I was wondering if someone can help me out with a few questions?

-what are good virtues to use?? Right now I prioritize the ones that increase strength.
-what spec is great for solo questing?? Right now I've put my 26 trait points into the red line, completely.
-is standard of war worth it?? Also, my attack rotation goes like this: cutting attack, grave wound, battle shout, devastating strike, blade of elendil, shadows lament, then devastating strike again if the mob survives.. Is it better to Agro multiple mobs and use AOES, than focus on a single mob??
-I use the oath breaker herald of war right now.. Are others preferable for questing?
-can you explain to me, about the different stats? For instance, finesse, tactical, etc, and what is most important as a captain?
-what's the best way to use exp on your legendary item?

That's all at any rate, for the moment. I'm really enjoying captain, I just got my first legendary weapon and I'm going to head into Moria soon. :)

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Originally Posted by MandoMigz

Hello, I'm a new player, and I've recently got my main character(captain) to level 52. I was wondering if someone can help me out with a few questions?

-what are good virtues to use?? Right now I prioritize the ones that increase strength.
-what spec is great for solo questing?? Right now I've put my 26 trait points into the red line, completely.
-is standard of war worth it?? Also, my attack rotation goes like this: cutting attack, grave wound, battle shout, devastating strike, blade of elendil, shadows lament, then devastating strike again if the mob survives.. Is it better to Agro multiple mobs and use AOES, than focus on a single mob??
-I use the oath breaker herald of war right now.. Are others preferable for questing?
-can you explain to me, about the different stats? For instance, finesse, tactical, etc, and what is most important as a captain?
-what's the best way to use exp on your legendary item?

That's all at any rate, for the moment. I'm really enjoying captain, I just got my first legendary weapon and I'm going to head into Moria soon. :)

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Glad to hear you're enjoying the captain so far!

Take a look through this forum at some of the threads with skill rotations and trait builds. There are some variations you can look at and decide which you like best.

For virtues, right now I use Zeal, Discipline, Fidelity, Innocence, and Honour. I have seen other captains use Valour, Justice, Loyalty, and a few mitigation-based virtues that I can't recall offhand. Virtues are not essential for leveling and which ones you have tiered up so far will play a significant role. 1 rank of Zeal, for example, won't do you much good against another virtue at rank 11.

When solo questing I trait in the red line. As our DPS line it's obviously the fastest of the 3 for clearing mobs. Other players prefer Blue for its healing abilities or Yellow for its tanking, both of which obviously offer a different kind of survivability.

I use my standard of war and have 5 traits invested in it. I like it. As far as whether to aggro 1 mob or 10, take what you can survive. I don't go out of my way to pull every mob in the room as a captain, but even in red I rarely need to be careful about where I step. It's perfectly fine to pull more than one mob and still take them one at a time.

What stats (finesse, tactical mastery, etc) are important will depend on the kind of captain you plan to play. You can't max out everything, especially when you're not at the level cap. For main stats your might and vitality are most important, and fate is helpful for boosting critical rating. Critical Rating, Physical Mastery, and Finesse are good for pure DPS captains. Mitigations and Critical Defense are most useful for tank captains, but are useful stats for any capped player to max out since they mean you will take less damage (and therefore be able to spend more time hitting and less time healing/dying).

For your weapon LI, max DPS as quickly as you can, then work on the legacies that will be most useful to you. I prefer Telling Mark Damage, Melee Skill Crit Magnitude, and Captain AoE Healing for my weapon and all healing legacies for my emblems (though Words of Courage pulses won't be much use to you if you're soloing).

There are many ways to play a captain - best of luck!

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Originally Posted by Warmutkan

Glad to hear you're enjoying the captain so far!

Take a look through this forum at some of the threads with skill rotations and trait builds. There are some variations you can look at and decide which you like best.

For virtues, right now I use Zeal, Discipline, Fidelity, Innocence, and Honour. I have seen other captains use Valour, Justice, Loyalty, and a few mitigation-based virtues that I can't recall offhand. Virtues are not essential for leveling and which ones you have tiered up so far will play a significant role. 1 rank of Zeal, for example, won't do you much good against another virtue at rank 11.

When solo questing I trait in the red line. As our DPS line it's obviously the fastest of the 3 for clearing mobs. Other players prefer Blue for its healing abilities or Yellow for its tanking, both of which obviously offer a different kind of survivability.

I use my standard of war and have 5 traits invested in it. I like it. As far as whether to aggro 1 mob or 10, take what you can survive. I don't go out of my way to pull every mob in the room as a captain, but even in red I rarely need to be careful about where I step. It's perfectly fine to pull more than one mob and still take them one at a time.

What stats (finesse, tactical mastery, etc) are important will depend on the kind of captain you plan to play. You can't max out everything, especially when you're not at the level cap. For main stats your might and vitality are most important, and fate is helpful for boosting critical rating. Critical Rating, Physical Mastery, and Finesse are good for pure DPS captains. Mitigations and Critical Defense are most useful for tank captains, but are useful stats for any capped player to max out since they mean you will take less damage (and therefore be able to spend more time hitting and less time healing/dying).

For your weapon LI, max DPS as quickly as you can, then work on the legacies that will be most useful to you. I prefer Telling Mark Damage, Melee Skill Crit Magnitude, and Captain AoE Healing for my weapon and all healing legacies for my emblems (though Words of Courage pulses won't be much use to you if you're soloing).

There are many ways to play a captain - best of luck!

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Thank you for your responses. I will keep them in mind, and also take a look around the forums as well.

Take Sure Strike in your Rota, it will gives you a good buff the whole time.
If you fight more than one Enemy, take Pressing attack instead of Dev. Blow. If you injure an Enemy with Cutting Attack and it Bleeds than Attack him with Grave Wound. The Grave Wound will put a Bleed on the enemies around you.

Red Mixed with some Blue works very fine for me.
Me was a Red Captain even before the switching Patch.
I look for the Healing Mark instead of the Dmg. Mark.

If you want to stay more stable you can go in Yellow.
Blue is seldom fine for Soloplayers.

If you Crit with Dev. Blow or Pressing Attack (more enemies, more chances for a Crit) than you get a Battle Ready.
So going for Crit increase the bigger heals.

Have a look that you get Ralley Cry CD and Vocal Healing on you Captain Emblem.

Enjoy the Captain.

My rotation is:

1st: Battle Shout, Sure Strike, Devastating Blow/Pressing Attack, Blade of Elendil, then Inspire (optional depending on situation).

2nd: Shadows Lament, DB/PS, BoE, Inspire (optional).

Then use defeat response skills as available or needed.

If I'm fighting a group I might start off with a Cutting Attack, Grave Wound combo first or I might throw it in after BoE in the first rotation or sometimes I'll use Cutting Attack first then BoE.

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Originally Posted by skoelrond

My rotation is:

1st: Battle Shout, Sure Strike, Devastating Blow/Pressing Attack, Blade of Elendil, then Inspire (optional depending on situation).

2nd: Shadows Lament, DB/PS, BoE, Inspire (optional).

Then use defeat response skills as available or needed.

If I'm fighting a group I might start off with a Cutting Attack, Grave Wound combo first or I might throw it in after BoE in the first rotation or sometimes I'll use Cutting Attack first then BoE.

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I took a break and my rota is not optimal,
But Blade of Elendil still eats the Buff. Some wrote down a good Rota, with explanation on this Forum.

EDIT:
https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...rike-Mechanics

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Originally Posted by OverlordGate

Auf Damage reichen 14.300 Krit, da du dir den Rest bis zum Cap selbst buffst.

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From the German part, it means that 14.300 Crit for a Captain is still enough, because the rest will come from you own Buffs.

Another thread also talks about Captain rotations, and is more recent (U14.2):

https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...Amroth-dailies

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Originally Posted by Maelon

Another thread also talks about Captain rotations, and is more recent (U14.2):

https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthr...Amroth-dailies

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Originally Posted by Maelon

The other thing I should mention for those that are going back and reading Elrantiri's thread is the notion of stacking up your autocrit chance from Inspire and Shadow's Lament to use on Grave Wound doesn't apply anymore. Since 14.0, dots/bleed ticks no longer auto crit when the triggering skill autocrits, much to the annoyance of captains and minstrels (Fellowship Heart) everywhere.

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This is the most important note, i didnt mention, but the Bleeds do not crit automatical, als Maelon said.

SapienChavez wrote about acting in Yellow, but the Bleed do not heal you evermore.
In the Past each tick of a Bleed had healed you, but this is gone.

This Rota for Bossfights i found in the tread you posted:

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Originally Posted by Giliodor

On a boss fight, you'll want to go like this:
Battle Shout, SS, DB, BoE to get all buffs rolling. After that, cast To Arms, Banner and:
ToN, SS, DB to get Battle Hardened + ToN
Cutting Attack + Grave Wound

You now have all buffs you can possibly get in regards to Crit Magnitude. At this point, go
Inspire, SL, DB

And that's the way you burst.

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I still think Elrantiri's thread is very usefull, because its explanes why to do what. Even it is not fully up to date, as he wrote in the beginning.