The Lore-Master is one of the best support classes in the game - that being said "virtual killing machine" does not really describe them in my opinion...
Basic strategy when playing a loremaster is... Send in the pet / cast some spells (ranged) / get in close to finish off the monster with your staff .... It takes some time and some patience to play a Lore-Master well, but after level 30 (lynx pet) - you become more DPS capable.
The main thing to remember with the Lore-Master, is that they are in the game to debuff, control large number of mobs, and support the rest of the fellowship - they arent Wizards like Gandalf, and can't put out a whole lot of damage. They can rez - but its a fairly late spell if I remember.
Hope this helps and doesnt discourage you - again they are an awesome class to group with or play - it just takes some patience.
Also - Its probably been said - but you can level a few classes to lvl 10-15 without a huge amount of time or effort, and can really get a feel for how they play... I would suggest trying some different classes out and see what you like best - you may be surprised.... I originally envisioned playing a Capt - but found that Guard was a little more fun for me...
Try em all - Almost any combo you chose - you guys will be able to handle 80 percent of what the game throws at you
After 30 though are they the top killing machine? Generally what I'm looking for is the greatest killing machine capabilities without the constant aid of a healer. Also, my wife is somewhat bad at micromanagement. What would be poor choices for somebody that had trouble in that area?
How about a Guardian/Champion combo? I went to lotro.com and looked at the class bio's but still don't feel like I have a good idea of what a solid, yet fun, combo would be. In the past we've usually both played tank roles but LOTRO seems to be a little more diverse in the class department...
Not to mention that I am not sure that I want to play a standard tank anymore. I don't know if I could avoid melee enough to be something like a Hunter but I really don't want to start another MMO just to do the same old "draw the aggro, everybody else have fun" role.
First, you could do 99% of this game solo and have no problems. That being said, a duo for a couple is great and there are a couple in my kin. If you want killing machines and a wife with no micromangement skills, then it is easy. Let me tell you what NOT to pick:
Burglar..hardest class in the game, mostly useless except for debuffing bosses and is more known for soloing. Its fun to play solo or a full group, no fun in a duo.
Warden..also hard to play because you have to remember so many gambits, which are combo's or fight styles. Not really a killing machine.
Guard...not a killing machine, takes twice as long to kill something as most other classes and frankly as a duo would be boring to play, a captain can fill his role and do more if all you are going to do is duo.
LM...good for CC, however, its a pet class, need to know specifics of each pet, need to know what mob can be mezzed, stunned, etc. and if your mez or stun doesn't hold you got problems...and is very squishy.
Second, what to play.
You absolutely in a good duo must have a hunter. They have quick run speed, they can port and travel around the world, they are the ranged DPS class with some CC ability. They are simple to play and fun to play.
Now what to pair with a hunter..
Captain. Good solid choice. The captain has buffs which makes the hunter twice as deadly, can tank and hold the mob while the hunter kills it, can also heal and can rez when needed. This is my first choice. The captain is built for groups, so when you need to group for a large quest there is no problem getting a group.
RK. Great choice. The RK can either heal or DPS. THis takes a little practice to get right, but if done correctly, the hunter can pull and if you place the RK far enough away, he can start DPS the mob once the monster goes for the RK the hunter can pull back the monster. Also, the RK gets a healing stone which acts like an aggro magnet. In tough spots, the RK is a good healer. Problem is the RK is squishy, but the RK has some CC ability especially a good stun. They are easy to play DPS, the healing needs a little practice. My second choice.
I don't play LOTRO so I can't comment on specific classes, but a tank and healer is probably the best choice. If she really wants to play a melee class, maybe there is a melee healer she can play.
I think a Captain/Lore master for you and a Champion/Hunter for your wife would work very well and give you a good balance with dps, healing, tanking and CC.
If WoW = The Beatles and WAR = Led Zeppelin Then LotrO = Pink Floyd
My wife seems pretty set on playing a Guardian and I'm very taken with the Hunter class due to its DPS and speed boosts. So I guess that is what we've decided . Thanks so much for the feedback and advice. We sincerely appreciate it.
My wife and I are intersted in LOTRO. We've gotten a hold of some LOTRO 10-day buddy access keys and plan to start playing as soon as we can figure out what classes to play. The last game we really played together was WoW and we both played the role of tank. After reading a little bit on some class review articles on various sites it would appear that having two tanks would be a gross waste of potential. So we are curious, what would a good class combo be for two inseparable players? We're not familiar with the fellowship system or even with the classes much. We're very open to any play style. Any info would be most appreciated.
Me and the wife have gone through the entire game three times now with the following combos:
1. Captain + Champion. By far the most efficient and easiest combo. We even did all small fellowship quests (3 person quests) with not much problems, if any... Easy mode.
2. Hunter + Minstrel. Nice combo but lacks tank and can get nasty from time to time...
3. Rune Keeper + Guardian. What we currently do and its working out very well. Good aggro managment and we can do anything. Slightly less efficient than the Captain/Champion combo, but not very bad at all.
Nothing beats the Captain + Champion combo though. Truly amazing.
Comments
I play a warden, love it, can kill anything etc
The Lore-Master is one of the best support classes in the game - that being said "virtual killing machine" does not really describe them in my opinion...
Basic strategy when playing a loremaster is... Send in the pet / cast some spells (ranged) / get in close to finish off the monster with your staff .... It takes some time and some patience to play a Lore-Master well, but after level 30 (lynx pet) - you become more DPS capable.
The main thing to remember with the Lore-Master, is that they are in the game to debuff, control large number of mobs, and support the rest of the fellowship - they arent Wizards like Gandalf, and can't put out a whole lot of damage. They can rez - but its a fairly late spell if I remember.
Hope this helps and doesnt discourage you - again they are an awesome class to group with or play - it just takes some patience.
Also - Its probably been said - but you can level a few classes to lvl 10-15 without a huge amount of time or effort, and can really get a feel for how they play... I would suggest trying some different classes out and see what you like best - you may be surprised.... I originally envisioned playing a Capt - but found that Guard was a little more fun for me...
Try em all - Almost any combo you chose - you guys will be able to handle 80 percent of what the game throws at you
First, you could do 99% of this game solo and have no problems. That being said, a duo for a couple is great and there are a couple in my kin. If you want killing machines and a wife with no micromangement skills, then it is easy. Let me tell you what NOT to pick:
Burglar..hardest class in the game, mostly useless except for debuffing bosses and is more known for soloing. Its fun to play solo or a full group, no fun in a duo.
Warden..also hard to play because you have to remember so many gambits, which are combo's or fight styles. Not really a killing machine.
Guard...not a killing machine, takes twice as long to kill something as most other classes and frankly as a duo would be boring to play, a captain can fill his role and do more if all you are going to do is duo.
LM...good for CC, however, its a pet class, need to know specifics of each pet, need to know what mob can be mezzed, stunned, etc. and if your mez or stun doesn't hold you got problems...and is very squishy.
Second, what to play.
You absolutely in a good duo must have a hunter. They have quick run speed, they can port and travel around the world, they are the ranged DPS class with some CC ability. They are simple to play and fun to play.
Now what to pair with a hunter..
Captain. Good solid choice. The captain has buffs which makes the hunter twice as deadly, can tank and hold the mob while the hunter kills it, can also heal and can rez when needed. This is my first choice. The captain is built for groups, so when you need to group for a large quest there is no problem getting a group.
RK. Great choice. The RK can either heal or DPS. THis takes a little practice to get right, but if done correctly, the hunter can pull and if you place the RK far enough away, he can start DPS the mob once the monster goes for the RK the hunter can pull back the monster. Also, the RK gets a healing stone which acts like an aggro magnet. In tough spots, the RK is a good healer. Problem is the RK is squishy, but the RK has some CC ability especially a good stun. They are easy to play DPS, the healing needs a little practice. My second choice.
Champion...All DPS, not a good choice but doable.
Hope this helps
I don't play LOTRO so I can't comment on specific classes, but a tank and healer is probably the best choice. If she really wants to play a melee class, maybe there is a melee healer she can play.
I think a Captain/Lore master for you and a Champion/Hunter for your wife would work very well and give you a good balance with dps, healing, tanking and CC.
If WoW = The Beatles
and WAR = Led Zeppelin
Then LotrO = Pink Floyd
My wife seems pretty set on playing a Guardian and I'm very taken with the Hunter class due to its DPS and speed boosts. So I guess that is what we've decided
. Thanks so much for the feedback and advice. We sincerely appreciate it.
Me and the wife have gone through the entire game three times now with the following combos:
1. Captain + Champion. By far the most efficient and easiest combo. We even did all small fellowship quests (3 person quests) with not much problems, if any... Easy mode.
2. Hunter + Minstrel. Nice combo but lacks tank and can get nasty from time to time...
3. Rune Keeper + Guardian. What we currently do and its working out very well. Good aggro managment and we can do anything. Slightly less efficient than the Captain/Champion combo, but not very bad at all.
Nothing beats the Captain + Champion combo though. Truly amazing.