How to level to Lothlorien without questing in Moria?

[Plopper]

Like it says in the title, I hate Moria and am going through on main and never want to see it again!
Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Alrandor]

Like it says in the title, I hate Moria and am going through on main and never want to see it again!
Thanks in advance for any advice.

As far as I know the only alternative is to postpone going into Eregion as long as possible, then do that zone until level 55 or so and then bridge the level gap to 57 by doing skirmishes. However, I fear that you might hate this even more than facing the long dark of Moria.

Maybe you could try looking at Moria from another point of view? Instead of looking at it as the hellhole it has become since the Balrog drove out the Dwarves, think of it as the once glorious Realm of Dwarrowdelf, with majestic architecture and sometimes magnificent views. I admit this won't help a lot in the Redhorn Lodes, Eastern Durin's Way or the Foundations of Stone though.

[Slowdoc]

There are actually no other areas that have quests for level 50-56 other than Moria. With that said, you can max out on the Eregion, Angmar, and Misty Mountain Quests which might get you to 56 if you don't mind the extra grind. Any level gap can be easily filled by grinding skirmishes with a decent amount of blue bar experience.

I'm wondering why you hate Moria, though. Is is because it's slow going, because it's underground and dark, or because you keep falling in pits? (I do that a lot) One recommendation I would give you to help with much of this is to get a goat BEFORE starting Moria. It will make it much more quick and enjoyable. With a goat, Moria is the fastest moving, fastest leveling part of the game, imo.

The fastest way to get a goat is from gaining kindred with Thorin's Hall (questing in Sarnur which is just south west of Thorin's Hall), unless you have kindred with the Ale League already and can get their goat.

Hope it helps

[Armaius]

If you are very thorough in Angmar, Forochel, Eregion and the Misty Mountains and if you do the whole Vol. I Epic, as well as the prologue/first book of Vol. II (Neither of which take place in Moria - first book is important since it gives LIs) and if you run skirmishes daily along with the other two things you should be able to get to L56. After that, find a cappy willing to summon you to the Dimrill Dale and you can start questing there.

Keep in mind, though, that you'll be missing out on some important character development - 3 out of your 7 legendary traits are earned within Moria.

[Aranglas]

Doing all quests in Eriador including doing all instances/raids at least once is enough to get you to level 57 so you can skip Moria alltogether and quest in Lothlorien.

[keeker_ks]

Have you run a character through Moria since they upgraded it a couple months ago? It's changed a lot actually.

I ran through it right before the change and just got my mini through it last week. There are a lot more camps/stable points and the questing seems more linear and easy to follow that it used to be. Rep drops like candy - and you get a goat (a slow goat, but it's faster than walking) for a quest reward super early in Moria (3rd quest or so?). It's also brighter and not as dark.

I got through it pretty quickly even running solo - and then headed into Loth. Could you pair up with someone? Duo-ing makes it a lot more fun I think. I did it solo just so I'd get a better feel for the lay out for future runs through.

That all said, I actually love Moria (I know I know!) - it feels very authentic to me and I'm so darn grateful for the "sun" after getting out into Loth when I'm done.

And frankly, I don't like grinding out quests below level - which as others have pointed out you can easily do to avoid Moria.

Best of luck to you!

[commodore1]

I'm wondering why you hate Moria, though. Is is because it's slow going, because it's underground and dark, or because you keep falling in pits? (I do that a lot)

If it was only this I could still do Moria... but as it stands the atmosphere is so depressing i can't force myself to go back..It makes my eyes bleed...hate,hate,hate this place.At this point i will never take an alt through it or angmar which means no more epics...they stunk in those areas anyway.

[wachkussen]

Moria has never really been designed as optional. You have to at least start it, to open up legendary items. Then there is that class quest which requires kinning with the iron guarrison guards to complete. Then there is the epic line in Moria, which continues at Lothlorien. You can trim it down, just go straight through, more-or-less skipping side areas like redhorn lodes, foundations of stone, etc. ( assuming you buy the missing virtues that not questing there will create ). But really, you are flogging a dead horse. Go with the flow and learn to love it - your life will be far easier and richer as a result.

[Tyene]

It sounds like you might want to avoid Mirkwood as well. I'm not sure how that will affect things level-wise since I've only run my main through it and my alts are all under level 45, but I personally found Mirkwood to be even more depressing than Moria. As was mentioned above, in Moria you do get some beautiful architecture and views while running through. Mirkwood is just grim, dreary, and constantly raining.

[Lythia]

It sounds like you might want to avoid Mirkwood as well. I'm not sure how that will affect things level-wise since I've only run my main through it and my alts are all under level 45, but I personally found Mirkwood to be even more depressing than Moria. As was mentioned above, in Moria you do get some beautiful architecture and views while running through. Mirkwood is just grim, dreary, and constantly raining.

Mirkwood is skippable these days, if you don't want to bother with the epic there. They lowered Endewaith level wise, and can easily quest there from level 60-65.

As for Moria, I do at least a few hubs there. First four-ish maybe, until I am at least level 56 or 57, then I hop over to Loth and stay there until I am level 60. If you have a friend or kinmate that is willing to help out in Loth, you can go as early as 55.

[daadkey]

If it was only this I could still do Moria... but as it stands the atmosphere is so depressing i can't force myself to go back..It makes my eyes bleed...hate,hate,hate this place.At this point i will never take an alt through it or angmar which means no more epics...they stunk in those areas anyway.

Even with that said, no one hates Moria more than I do. Yet, even I see it and will use it as the most efficient means to get from 53 to 56. At 56, I exit to Lothlorien and then intersperse Loth questing with Moria questing (mainly the epic line). It makes for a much more tolerant experience knowing you can do Loth quests any time Moria starts getting to you. There are No rules against splitting up your time concurrently questing in multiple areas.

To make it through Moria faster, I do lots of skirmishes; the repeatable infused garnet and sapphire quests from the 2 dwarves in Dolvenview; the repeatable "Book End" quests from those two guys midway along the road between 21st Hall and Crossroads; and all the quests in Durin's Threshhold; Dolvenview and Deep Descent. Along with doing the epic quest line. by the time I reach 56 (yesterday, in fact, with Aleirwen) I've achieved kindred with the Guards and Ally with the Miners.

I totally sympathize with you: if I could skip Moria entirely, I would do it. The above generally describes how I cope with getting through the one of the poorest designed areas of a wonderful game.

Drop me a PM if you want more detailed info.

[Slowdoc]

I can honestly say Moria is my favorite part of the game. But then, a hobbit is usually happy in a hole in the ground. :-)

[fusei]

You can pick up quests in Lorien as soon as you reach Level 55, a big part of them doesn't even involve fighting and many of these are repeatable.

[Hethyba]

People have given some advice about staying in Eriador as long as possible and heading to Loth as soon as possible, but I want to make sure to repeat that no matter how much you might hate Moria (and really, it's not as bad as it used to be, and if you hate dark dreary areas I find Mirkwood far drearier), if you want your capstone legendary traits you can't stay out of there completely.

[dragerslayer]

I suggest get to 55 or 56 skirm a level and then do just flaming deeps its easier to get through as u take a stable goat to ww and et off near quest area, also its not dark but firiey

[RJFerret]

FYI, many who didn't like it on their first go-around say they actually enjoyed it the second time they were in Moria, so don't assume you never want to see it again.

Moria is brilliantly designed to appear massive and confusing initially, but once you poke around an area you realize it's really very simple. This makes the experience a second time through remarkably different. Ironically Mirkwood is darker than Moria (in multiple ways).

What I can add to everyone's duplicate suggestions, is then do the epics through Moria, it's VERY fast leveling, takes just a few hours, and gives you some great quest rewards that prepare you for starting Loth early.



"Sometimes survival comes down to not being hit. Actually, most times." -the chicken skill, Bob and Weave

[Laerien]

It could be the same to skip all 1-45 areas to just quest in Moria?

[JustAmy]

As one of the posters above stated, the first time through for me I loathed it... Couldnt find anything.. always dark and mob packs EVERY 3 feet (to and back from quest areas). Though went again after the revamp and just loved it. Its really epic in every way. There are a few places I still dont like (Foundations of Stone.. I am looking right at you!) but to me, it truly is the only expansion in the game. The rest are just quest packs.

Looking forward to my next go through.

[Cedeline]

Honestly you should give Moria a chance, then we will talk again, am sure you will like it...

[deliguy]

just tell your graphics card to grow a pair.and jump right on in there

[maxjenius]

Have you run a character through Moria since they upgraded it a couple months ago? It's changed a lot actually.

No, not really. It's as annoyingly maze-like as ever. I can definitely see where the OP is coming from. Moria is far and away the worst area of the game. At first, it's kinda mysterious. Then it loses its mystery when you realize there are 100s of Dwarves there. Then it's just an annoying chore to get around until you learn you way around. Then it's "Oh, great, another cyan or green monster I have to fight to get where I want to go."

[bigsix66]

Then it's just an annoying chore to get around until you learn you way around. Then it's "Oh, great, another cyan or green monster I have to fight to get where I want to go."

Actually, both of these issues have been addressed in the revamp. The monster population has been seriously thinned in many areas (too much so, according to some folks), and removed altogether from the main pathways. And they have added several new small hubs--camps to help you move through the maze in much smaller increments so that it's considerably easier to find your way.

My sense of direction is notoriously awful, but even I was able to navigate without that much trouble through the revised areas. There are several things about the revamp that I wasn't so wild about, but overall I think they did a good job and I look forward to working through the eastern half of Moria once they get around to revising it.

EDIT: OP, I didn't make it into Moria on my latest character until Level 56. If you follow the excellent advice given in this thread, you can do the same. Level 56 is high enough to begin the Dimrill Dale quests, especially the easy repeatable quests that were designed to allow access to Lothlorien. If you can't find a captain to summon you, you can (dare I mention it?) buy a map in the Store for 50 TP that will take you to the First Hall in Moria, from which you can just waltz out the eastern gate of Moria into the sunlight.

[Erlessa]

Do all of Forochel, Eregion and Angmar (Carn Dum & Urugarth & the works) (and before that possibly late Misty Mountains - Helegrod raid quests and Goblintown), do not underestimate group quests. And epics! I remember how I went to Moria when I was like 55 maybe? And I hadn't done everything I just mentioned.

EDIT: I lvlled my hunter to 56 before entering Moria (I did do the LI part of the epics at 45 tho) - did all of Forochel, Eregion and epics (part 2 of vol I). I did not do any Angmar, and I also didn't quite finish up Misty Mountains. I was not VIP tho I had some blue bar from lottery win stuff. Very doable!

[maxjenius]

Actually, both of these issues have been addressed in the revamp. The monster population has been seriously thinned in many areas (too much so, according to some folks), and removed altogether from the main pathways.

I just finished it (again) a couple of weeks ago (with a duo partner totally new to LorTO, so I was willing to do it again for that reason). I find it as annoying as ever. It's like playing EQ2.

Ideal way to do Moria is wait 'til the monsters are all grey, but it takes a lot to get to that level without doing Moria. But if you can swing it, you can go just where you want without pointless aggravation.

[Scarycrow]

There are several things about the revamp that I wasn't so wild about ...

Could you elaborate more on this please?