Picking a Class: The Champion

If the idea of sitting back casting spells from afar while someone else does the up close dirty work appeals to you...you probably wouldn't like being a champion.

If you like to run through Middle-Earth wearing long flowing robes and sparkly tiaras...you might want to avoid being a champion.

If your idea of combat revolves around a bow...you're probably not cut out to be a champion.

Champions (or champs for short) handle the bulk of the dirty work in lotro combat. Along with captains and guardians, champs are close range, heavy armour melee fighters. They don't heal others, they don't backstab, and while they can use a bow, they're really not all that good at it.

What they are good at is wielding weapons. Almost any melee weapons will do. Axes, swords and clubs are best. One Or two handed is really a matter of preference.

Champion combat revolves around fervour. Essentially, you have a small gauge (default set to the lower left of your screen but it can be moved with Ctrl-\) which measures your fervour. Basic attacks will not cost any fervour but will add to your fervour pool. More advanced (and powerful) abilities become available as your fervour increases (to a maximum of 5) and consume a certain amount of fervour in the meantime.

As with any class, you choose your trait specializations:

As a martial champion you will specialize in survival and aggravating foes. MC champs make excellent tanks (and even better off tanks) as well as providing a reasonable option for champs having trouble with areas where they face multiple mobs. If you're dying a lot, try the MC trait line. With an emphasis on self heals you might find yourself going a bit easier, although not quite as fast. A big weapon doesn't hurt.

For taking out single or dual mobs, there's no better way than as a berserker. Berserkers can use a two handed weapon but they really shine while dual wielding. Traited properly, berserkers have an incredible attack speed and while they don't have the healing options that a MC has, their multiple strike attacks can more than make up for it. However, just as MCs lack in the damage department, berserkers lack in survivability. They do not do well against large groups of mobs, and even two signature or higher mobs can be a significant challenge. Still, it's a lot of fun running around slicing into your foes with 2 weapons and watching them drop quickly.

For those times when you find yourself dealing with larger groups, and you want to see a fast rising body count in a group of mobs, there's only one choice: the deadly storm (DS). Area of effect attacks abound. Why waste time hitting one mob when you can hit 3? or 4? or 7? DS champs do amazingly well in a group where they are well supported by a tank keeping most of the action off of them. As with berserkers they don't have nearly the survivability that MCs do but they can drop big numbers like no one else.

In short, if you like running around in heavy armour, swinging weapons around and killing things up close and personal...champions might be for you.