Recommended Blue-line Virtue Traits to level? Advice on button placement also welcome. :D

[iamstillwater]

My little beorning is trying to get stronger, but I'm unsure what Virtue traits to slot and level as I make my way through the game on this alt.

I'm speccing as an unkillable Blue-line, which is going pretty well. though the form-switching and placement of my action keys takes some getting used to, as unlike a warden, I can't really slot my gambit combination builders to a numberpad.

Thoughts on recommended Virtues to take and max out and how to better play my Beorning are most welcome. <3

[BjarnIronside]

My little beorning is trying to get stronger, but I'm unsure what Virtue traits to slot and level as I make my way through the game on this alt.

I'm speccing as an unkillable Blue-line, which is going pretty well. though the form-switching and placement of my action keys takes some getting used to, as unlike a warden, I can't really slot my gambit combination builders to a numberpad.

Thoughts on recommended Virtues to take and max out and how to better play my Beorning are most welcome. <3

Focus on your weaknesses. Blue line bear needs tact mitigation, Vitality/morale, and crit rating to be effective in group content so look at your virtues and level the ones that provide the best ROI. (https://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Virtues) Your dmg over time will be weak but you will be able to outlast your opponents. In solo content you can pretty much face roll anything with any spec. AS for button placement I assume you mean key binds and that is really a complex issue that depends on your style of play, your dominate hand, the hardware use use, your trait line and your physical limitations. Some people people are clickers (using the mouse to click skills) and others are "Finger bangers" (people who use the mouse to move and their hot keys/keybinds to Que up skills). Others like myself are hybrids who use both methods to decent effect. ( I have a 24 button programmable mouse that I bind with most of my frequently used skills to) look at the skills you use the most in your game sessions and prioritize them to the left hand side of your key binds. To be fair I'm assuming you are right hand dominant. so if you are a lefty this might not be the best advice.

[iamstillwater]

Focus on your weaknesses. Blue line bear needs tact mitigation, Vitality/morale, and crit rating to be effective in group content so look at your virtues and level the ones that provide the best ROI. (https://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Virtues) Your dmg over time will be weak but you will be able to outlast your opponents. In solo content you can pretty much face roll anything with any spec. AS for button placement I assume you mean key binds and that is really a complex issue that depends on your style of play, your dominate hand, the hardware use use, your trait line and your physical limitations. Some people people are clickers (using the mouse to click skills) and others are "Finger bangers" (people who use the mouse to move and their hot keys/keybinds to Que up skills). Others like myself are hybrids who use both methods to decent effect. ( I have a 24 button programmable mouse that I bind with most of my frequently used skills to) look at the skills you use the most in your game sessions and prioritize them to the left hand side of your key binds. To be fair I'm assuming you are right hand dominant. so if you are a lefty this might not be the best advice.

Copy on this. I'm right-handed and I have a numberpad, but my mouse is just a standard mouse with no programmability.

I mostly play warden, and I have the gambit builders (1-1 to 3-3) set up as keybinded to my 1-9 on my number pad.

[Galdhron]

(Context: I play a Level 58 Beorning in all three trait trees, some solo but mostly in Small Fellowship and Fellowship play.)

Blue Virtues: Charity {Phys. Mit, Tac. Mit, Armor}, Confidence {Crit, Finesse, Evade}, Empathy {Armor, Crit Defense, Resistance}, Fidelity {Tac. Mit, Vitality, Phys. Mit}, and Tolerance {Tac. Mit, Resistance, Phys. Mit}.

Also don't forget that with changes to Virtues, non-slotted but leveled "passive" virtues add Max Morale, Phys. Mit, and Tactical Mit, which is a huge encouragement to complete as much of the game content as possible for Deeds that level your Virtues.

My Physical Mitigation is at armor cap of 60% with another 3% from traits, and Tactical Mitigation is 40.9%. The armor is a mix of Rift and Rift-Reapers Sets and Dwarrowdelf set, because in Moria you still have a lot of Shadow damage in the instances.

In terms of key mapping, I try to standardize across 10 characters, with Wardens being the noticeable exception. 1 through 7 are single target or Man Form attacks, C-1 through C-7 are AoE or Bear Form attacks, 8 through = and C-8 through C-= are utility, debuff, and crowd control. Alt keys are healing, condition removal, and rez. Shift keys are Break Free, restore power, stances, and condition potions. 4th row up is consummables, consummable buffs, and some Return/Milestone skills, and the 5th row up is weapon/equipment swaps and the rest of the Return/Milestone skills. Then I have keypads mapped to object selection, target selection, NPC selection, and fellowship member selection.