How am I doing?

[hamle]

http://my.lotro.com/character/elendilmir/hamle/

If anyone has a bit of time, could you take a look at my hunter and see how my equipment is stacking up?
I should hit level 30 in the next day or so, and would really like some advice on what sort of equipment I should be looking at.

As you can probably tell I have been focusing mainly on +Agility items, is there another stat I should get up?

My standard form of attack with single mobs is Swift Bow, Penetrating Shot, then Quick Shot to finish them off. I try to avoid melee as much as possible.

It seems to me that at this stage the best weapons are crafted ones, unless there is a bow I get as a quest reward, should I keep looking at the AH?

Any advice is appreciated!

[dhatcher1]

My best advice is to wait until the low 40s before you start worrying much about gear. You will go through levels fast enough that its not worth slowing your levelling down to go after specific gear until then.

Agility increases your damage, Vitality increases your survivability. Other than that there isnt much to think about until you start getting to the endgame areas. Then you will add +ranged crit and +morale to your priority list.

[hamle]

Excellent, thanks for the info. I'm certainly not struggling at the moment, and just wondered when it was time to start thinking more seriously about gear.
I'll keep doing what I'm doing!

[ArahadEketta]

Besides agility you should also be working on building up your vitality and your fate. The vitality for your morale and the fate for your power.

[digger48]

Personally I wouldnt worry about anything except agility until you are in your 50s. Just wear the best armor you can find, get the best DPS bow you can use (until you get to 46-ish when you can get your first legendary bow), and continue plowing throw mobs. Only when you get to the late 50s can you start getting things that really matter (Great Bow Armor set from Moria, for example).

Do other stats matter? Sure, but none come close to Agility and I'm pretty sure you won't hit the stat cap until you are at least 60, more likely 65.

This is the mentality that worked for me anyway.

[Nickysmom]

Another term I do not recognize. What are throw mobs?

[benlonghair]

Another term I do not recognize. What are throw mobs?

Pretty sure he meant "through."

A question for posters here, since the tooltip isn't 100% clear. Is might worth taking as a secondary stat to agility?

[gildhur]

Is might worth taking as a secondary stat to agility?

No. It increases melee damage (which you rarely use), block and parry (only one of which you use, and rarely), and common damage mitigation (slightly useful). It's largely irrelevant for Hunters. If you kill things fast enough (by maxing your Agility and using the best bows), it's completely irrelevant.

The most important thing for Hunters as they level is to keep your bow maxed. ALWAYS use the highest level crit crafted bow available at your level. That is the #1 way to do your job effectively. You're currently using a -4 non-crit bow. You should find a level 28 crit bow. I see that you're on Elendilmir. I'm currently leveling a Hunter just below you and am making myself bows from another character. Send me a mail in-game (Gildhur), and I'll make you that 28 crit (and maybe a 31 crit if you're nice about it ).

[Kannos1600]

Pretty sure he meant "through."

A question for posters here, since the tooltip isn't 100% clear. Is might worth taking as a secondary stat to agility?

Its not a pointless stat but def IMO not a secondary to agility. As stated above it has its uses but meh.

Unless your the primary tank in everything you play group wise i wouldnt worry much about it as a secondary. Maybe a tieranary

[benlonghair]

No. It increases melee damage (which you rarely use), block and parry (only one of which you use, and rarely), and common damage mitigation (slightly useful). It's largely irrelevant for Hunters. If you kill things fast enough (by maxing your Agility and using the best bows), it's completely irrelevant.

Ya the tooltip doesn't specify melee, that's what confused me.

You should find a level 28 crit bow. I see that you're on Elendilmir. I'm currently leveling a Hunter just below you and am making myself bows from another character. Send me a mail in-game (Gildhur), and I'll make you that 28 crit (and maybe a 31 crit if you're nice about it ).

I'm not the OP, but I'm sure the OP would appreciate it.

[gildhur]

I'm not the OP, but I'm sure the OP would appreciate it.

I was talking to the OP.

[hamle]

Thanks for all the comments!
Firstly big thanks to Gildhur for making me a couple of excellent bows, it is greatly appreciated.
Since I posted the first post I have hit level 35, and have now come across a new problem, and that is with power.
I had run out once or twice before, but now it seems if I am hitting 3 or so level 36 or 37 mobs in a row, my power almost always runs out, and then I have to wait or potion it to get it back up. Making a quick campfire works well too.
I'm just wondering, maybe my traits are a little off?
I am using Valour, Justice and Determination, along with Fidelity and I can't remember the 5th right now. (At work, game is on my home pc)
Is there a trait or item that reduces the power cost of shots? Or should I be looking at some jewellery with ICPR?
I guess that is the obvious solution, but I wonder if other hunters have this problem and how you solve it?

[Duredhel]

I had run out once or twice before, but now it seems if I am hitting 3 or so level 36 or 37 mobs in a row, my power almost always runs out, and then I have to wait or potion it to get it back up. Making a quick campfire works well too.
I'm just wondering, maybe my traits are a little off?
I am using Valour, Justice and Determination, along with Fidelity and I can't remember the 5th right now. (At work, game is on my home pc)
Is there a trait or item that reduces the power cost of shots? Or should I be looking at some jewellery with ICPR?
I guess that is the obvious solution, but I wonder if other hunters have this problem and how you solve it?

I've level'd up 3 hunters since beta (two to L50, and one to L65) and I'm now working on my 4th and 5th simultaneously on yet another server (currently at levels 33 and 35). What I can tell you is that some time in the recent past the mid-level power consumption and/or power regen has been seriously mucked with, on the hunter at least. I start noticing it around the L32 mark, but at L35 it's been getting progressively worse.

At L35 it may still be too early to start worrying about having to stack power regen (fate for in-combat or will for out-of-combat) instead of just focusing on maxing agility for damage and morale for survivability. What I'd resorted to was using food to help speed things along instead. You can either craft it yourself cheaply enough, or just buy some basic food off the provisioner vendor if all you really need is out-of-combat regen (which ended up being my biggest problem -- having to stand around for 30 seconds waiting for my power to regen between battles).

Options to resolve the power issues start to open up later on so really it's a temporary problem.

[Clacket99]

Is there a trait or item that reduces the power cost of shots?

I just got a lvl 30 book last night that reduces cost of range induction skills.. unfortunatley I cant remember the name but its made by scholars.
I am sure someone here will chime in with the name of those books. There is one for threat also.

[CrazyFool]

You are also getting close to the Forestwalker set in the Trollshaws. Make sure you get to Echad Candelleth around lvl 38/39 to get this 3-piece set. It will help tremendously.

[nirsul]

Well, at 35 you're starting to deal with or need to think about the 3 issues you'll need to think about for the rest of your career:

1. Power management. Specifically, by 35 you can slot 4 class traits. If you've slotted all Bowmaster ones and run in S:S, you've just jacked your power consumption way up and need to compensate for that. Welcome to the CRITICAL need for ICPR/fate items.

2. Legendary traits. You'll need to get your books at 39 (IE, as soon as you can) and start working on them, plus learning how they modify your play once you have them. Mainly that's how to use CC to maximize your abilities.

3. Gear sets and stat tradeoff. You're almost at the levels to get Fem armor in aughaire, and/or the set from Tal Bruinen someone mentioned above, so messing around with optimzing gear and set benefits is on the horizon.

[Doronlas]

I just got a lvl 30 book last night that reduces cost of range induction skills.. unfortunatley I cant remember the name but its made by scholars.
I am sure someone here will chime in with the name of those books. There is one for threat also.

http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Item:...the_Wind-rider

There is also one at lvl 40 that will help on power costs. The -threat books are Whisper-draw.

Also, check for an offhand weapon that includes ICPR (and for a bonus, power, will or fate). I usually get the highest ICPR off hand weapon I can find. Once you get your legendary weapons later on at lvl 46 or so, you can also stack ICPR relics in each to help out.

And for the OP, if you need me to make a book for you, just send a mail to Calendil and I'll make one

[Kannos1600]

http://my.lotro.com/character/elendilmir/hamle/

If anyone has a bit of time, could you take a look at my hunter and see how my equipment is stacking up?
I should hit level 30 in the next day or so, and would really like some advice on what sort of equipment I should be looking at.

As you can probably tell I have been focusing mainly on +Agility items, is there another stat I should get up?

My standard form of attack with single mobs is Swift Bow, Penetrating Shot, then Quick Shot to finish them off. I try to avoid melee as much as possible.

It seems to me that at this stage the best weapons are crafted ones, unless there is a bow I get as a quest reward, should I keep looking at the AH?

Any advice is appreciated!

Doin pretty decent for now. Your still lower level which is okay on not having the top dog gear. Once you start hitting the Lvl Milestones you should really take time to look over gear at that time.

I consider the Milestone Markers at lvl capped moments such as 50, 60 and now 65. Course while lvling up after a milestone it has paths to cross onto.

Typically speaking getting ahold of a crafted Bow and Melee Weapon will be top notch until you are good enough level for the Instances. In your 35 marker your well set for Garth Argawen in Lone Lands and could farm that for a bow called Ferchu which back in the day was a sexy beast.

It had an ability called Demoralize on it which on successful hits it would give you morale back for free. Though they nerfed the piss out of the ability but I speak on other things to not get upset.

Once you hit the 40 range you may want to have a Fortified Black Ash Bow and Ornate Black Ash Bow in your inventory for fighting. At that stage in the game you will face against creatures that are weak to fire and light and both bows are ideal for bopping among them and kickin tail on the enemy.

Sar Nur is a prime example of this. You may face foes who are only weak to Ancient Dwarf and Light in certain areas and armed with 1 bow dealing Fire Damage you will see 80 points of damage per hit which sucks.

Depending on your style of play you can go for Agility, Fate, Will, and Vitality or the Agility, Vitality, Fate and Will line. Either one is good but if you like to have more Power and ICPR the first line of stats is a good way to lead.

All depends on your style.

[blackcraft2]

1:

Keep doing your quests (DONT SKIP AREAS MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE AN AREA TO THE MAX)
Choose quest reward gear that is better than your previous gear

Do that until you're level 58 and then go on moria rad instance runs to get your rad gear

(I kept doing quests and finishing everything, didn't start questing in moria until level 60...)

[hamle]

1. Power management. Specifically, by 35 you can slot 4 class traits. If you've slotted all Bowmaster ones and run in S:S, you've just jacked your power consumption way up and need to compensate for that. Welcome to the CRITICAL need for ICPR/fate items.

I actually have all the Huntsman traits equipped at the moment, but I am so close to a couple of the Bowmaster ones I will probably switch.
I do run in Strength most of the time too, the extra damage makes life so much easier.

Typically speaking getting ahold of a crafted Bow and Melee Weapon will be top notch until you are good enough level for the Instances. In your 35 marker your well set for Garth Argawen in Lone Lands and could farm that for a bow called Ferchu which back in the day was a sexy beast.

It had an ability called Demoralize on it which on successful hits it would give you morale back for free. Though they nerfed the piss out of the ability but I speak on other things to not get upset.

Yeah, I've already hit Garth Argawen a bit, actually when I was level 33. I didn't struggle, so should be relatively easy now.
I have been using mainly crafted weapons, currently using a nice yew bow that Gildhur crafted for me, which has power drain on it. Although I'd like to know how often is "some of the time" because it sure doesn't seem very often.

http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Item:...the_Wind-rider

There is also one at lvl 40 that will help on power costs. The -threat books are Whisper-draw.

Also, check for an offhand weapon that includes ICPR (and for a bonus, power, will or fate). I usually get the highest ICPR off hand weapon I can find. Once you get your legendary weapons later on at lvl 46 or so, you can also stack ICPR relics in each to help out.

And for the OP, if you need me to make a book for you, just send a mail to Calendil and I'll make one

Exactly what I need. I currently have whisper-draw, which really seems to be fairly redundant. I solo mostly so it's useless, and the few times I have grouped with players around my level I seem to still draw the aggro regardless. It's not a big deal, that's what S:S and Quick shot are for
I'll have a look on the AH, otherwise I'll send you some mail, thanks for the offer!

It did occur to me only a couple of days ago that the melee weapons I carry are more or less redundant in terms of DPS, and slotting stat based items are much more useful. Even when a mob comes within melee range I continue to use bow skills anyway.

But big thanks to everyone that has responded to this thread. This community continues to amaze me, *by far* the most helpful group of gamers I have ever come across. Given me plenty to think about, and I have a much clearer idea of where to head next.

[Kannos1600]

demoralize used to proc every hit. Now it almost rarely does which I find lame. Just like the power ability of the same essence

[Dom12]

Exactly what I need. I currently have whisper-draw, which really seems to be fairly redundant. I solo mostly so it's useless, and the few times I have grouped with players around my level I seem to still draw the aggro regardless. It's not a big deal, that's what S:S and Quick shot are for

If you're staying in S:S, you're gonna draw aggro every time. When grouping, you should switch to [skill]Stance: Precision[/skill] for neutral threat, and if you're still getting aggro, use [skill]Stance: Endurance[/skill] to reduce the threat you're building. In most cases, S:S should only be used in groups when you want aggro.

It did occur to me only a couple of days ago that the melee weapons I carry are more or less redundant in terms of DPS, and slotting stat based items are much more useful. Even when a mob comes within melee range I continue to use bow skills anyway.

Very true. I think I had my dual L27 Gondorian swords with their 19 agility each (back before they nerfed them) until I hit L42