Radiance is being removed from the game in Update 2
Ah, radiance armour. The armour so shiny it can dispel the gloom when facing the scariest monsters LOTRO has to offer. Radiance armour is "must have" gear for several raids in LOTRO, and the introduction of scaled instances brings new options for obtaining radiance armour sets. Let's take a look!
Choosing a Radiance Set
There soon will be 9 radiance armour sets in-game, if all those currently in Beta make to Live for the LOTRO Free-to-Play launch. All of the sets are obtained by barter; the barter items drop in instances, raids and skirmishes.Which radiance set you go after depends on a few factors, the first of which is your level. You will be able to start the Annuminas and Helegrod classic instances at level 50, which make these an obvious starting spot for level 50+ players.
On the other hand, if you are already level 65, how much radiance you need and which set bonuses are best for you will be bigger factors. I, for one, am really liking the look of the Helegrod epic set in Beta for my minstrel.
Raids Requiring Radiance
| Raid | Minimum* | Ideal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vile Maw (The Watcher) | 45 | 75+ | The minimum gets you in the door. More is better! |
| Dar Narbugud | 65 | 115+ | The minimum gets you in the door. More is needed for the harder bosses, especially the Blind One. |
| Barad Guldur | 115 | 175+ | The minimum gets you in the door. More is needed for Hard Mode attempts and the Lieutenant fight. |
Despite the description shown on the item, in beta these are dropping only from the challenge quest in level 65 classic instances, and 6-man+ level 65 skirmishes on tier 2/3. For example, level 65+ School at Tham Mirdain challenge quest.
Radiance Sets at a Glance
| Name | Pieces | Level | Radiance (full set) | How Acquired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barad Guldur | 6 | 65 | 180 | Barter Dark Emblems (from bosses in Barad Guldur) to your class trainer in Ost Galadh |
| Helegrod Epic | 6 | 65 | 150 | Barter Skirmish Marks, Helegrod Marks and Superior Third Marks to the Classic vendor at any skirmish camp. |
| Annuminas Epic | 6 | 65 | 150 | Barter Skirmish Marks, Annuminas Marks and Superior Third Marks to the Classic vendor at any skirmish camp. |
| Dol Guldur | 3 | 65 | 75 | Barter Medallions of Dol Guldur (from Dol Guldur instances and quests) to your class trainer in Ost Galadh. |
| Dar Narbugud | 6 | 60 | 120 | Barter Greater Elf-Stones (from bosses in Dar Narbugud) to your class trainer in Caras Galadhon. |
| Vile Maw | 6 | 60 | 80 | Barter Platinum Coins of Spirit (from the Watcher) to your class trainer in Twenty-first Hall for head and shoulder pieces. Barter Medallions of Moria (from Moria instances) to your class trainer in Twenty-first Hall for the remaining pieces. |
| Lothlorien | 3 | 60 | 45 | Barter Medallions of Lothlorien (from Lothlorien instances) to yourclass trainer in Caras Galadhon OR Medallions of Dol Guldur (from Dol Guldur instances and quests) to your class trainer in Ost Galadh. |
| Helegrod | 6 | 60 | 60 | Barter Skirmish Marks, Helegrod Marks and Veteran's Third Marks to the Classic vendor at any skirmish camp. |
| Annuminas | 6 | 55 | 60 | Barter Skirmish Marks, Annuminas Marks and Veteran's Second Marks to the Classic vendor at any skirmish camp. |
The Radiance Sets in Detail
Barad Guldur Set
Barad Guldur (BG), the Mirkwood raid, has three boss encounters, each of which drops an additional type of dark emblem when the kill is accomplished in Challenge Mode. Dark Emblems are traded to your class trainer in Ost Galadh. Each piece in the 6-piece, level 65 Barad Gulder Set has 30 radiance. Set bonuses vary by class.| Barter Item | From | Slot |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Emblem of Courage | Durchest | Boots |
| Dark Emblem of Strength | Durchest Challenge mode | Breastplate |
| Dark Emblem of Hand | Twins | Gauntlets |
| Dark Emblem of Spirit | Twins Challenge mode | Helm |
| Dark Emblem of Resolve | Lieutenant | Leggings |
| Dark Emblem of Heart | Lieutenant Challenge mode | Shoulders |
View set by class:
Burglar Captain Champion Guardian Hunter Lore-master Minstrel Rune-keeper Warden
Helegrod Epic Set
Each piece in the 6-piece, level 65 Helegrod Epic Set has 25 radiance and is obtained by bartering skirmish marks, Helegrod Marks and Superior Third Marks to the Classic vendor at any skirmish camp. Set bonuses vary by class.- Helegrod Marks drop in Helegrod Classic instances.
- Superior Third Marks drop in 65+ Classic instances, 65+ Challenge quests, and 65+ 6- and 12-man skirmishes.
Annuminas Epic Set
Each piece in the 6-piece, level 65 Annuminas Epic Set has 25 radiance and is obtained by bartering skirmish marks, Annuminas Marks and Superior Third Marks to the Classic vendor at any skirmish camp. Set bonuses vary by armor weight.- Annuminas Marks drop in Annuminas Classic instances.
- Superior Third Marks drop in 65+ Classic instances, 65+ Challenge quests, and 65+ 6- and 12-man skirmishes.
Dol Guldur Set
The 3-piece, level 65 Dol Guldur Set (boots, shoulders and helm) is obtained by bartering Medallions of Dol Guldur with your class trainer in Ost Galadh. Medallions of Dol Guldur come from instances and quests in Mirkwood. Each piece in the Dol Guldur Set has 25 radiance. Set bonuses vary by class.| Barter Item | Qty | Armour Slot |
|---|---|---|
| Medallion of Dol Guldur | 15 | Boots |
| Medallion of Dol Guldur | 20 | Shoulders |
| Medallion of Dol Guldur | 25 | Helm |
View set by class:
Burglar Captain Champion Guardian Hunter Lore-master Minstrel Rune-keeper Warden
Note: Some Lorebook pages show more than one set - this article refers to the level 65 set.
Dar Narbugud Set
Dar Narbugud (DN) has six boss encounters, each of which rewards a different Greater Elf-Stone for the various armor slots in the 6-piece, level 60 set. Greater Elf-Stones are traded to your class trainer in Caras Galadhon. Each piece in the Dar Narbugud Set has 20 radiance. Set bonuses vary by class.| Barter Item | From | Armour Slot |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Elf-Stone of Courage | The Trolls | Boots |
| Greater Elf-Stone of Hand | Zholuga | Gauntlets |
| Greater Elf-Stone of Spirit | Flagit | Helm |
| Greater Elf-Stone of Heart | Istum | Shoulders |
| Greater Elf-Stone of Resolve | The Blind One | Leggings |
| Greater Elf-Stone of Strength | The Mistress | Breastplate |
View set by class:
Burglar Captain Champion Guardian Hunter Lore-master Minstrel Rune-keeper Warden
Vile Maw Set
Vile Maw, the Watcher raid, drops barter items for two of the pieces in this 6-piece, level 60 set - helm and shoulders. See your class trainer in 21st Hall if you win one of these -- they have 20 radiance each. The remaining pieces (gauntlets, boots, leggings and breastplate) are obtained by bartering Medallions of Moria with your class trainer in 21st Hall and have 10 radiance each (80 radiance total for the set). Medallions of Moria come from the original Moria instances and the Vile Maw and Filikul raids. Set bonuses vary by class.Non-set versions of helm and shoulders are also available by bartering Medallions of Moria with your class trainer in 21st Hall. These have 10 radiance each.
| Barter Item | From/Qty | Armour Slot |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum Coin of Spirit | Watcher | Shoulders |
| Platinum Coin of Spirit | Watcher | Helm |
| Medallion of Moria | 10 | Boots |
| Medallion of Moria | 25 | Breastplate |
| Medallion of Moria | 10 | Gauntlets |
| Medallion of Moria | 25 | Leggings |
View set by class:
Burglar Captain Champion Guardian Hunter Lore-master Minstrel Rune-keeper Warden
Lothlorien Set
The 3-piece, level 60 Lothlorien Set (gauntlets, leggings, breastplate) is obtained by bartering either Medallions of Lothlorien with your class trainer in Caras Galadhon OR Medallions of Dol Guldur with your class trainer in Ost Galadh. It's fine to get these pieces either way. Medallions of Lothlorien come from the Lumul-nar (Hall of Mirrors), Nala-Dum (The Water Wheels) and Halls of Crafting instances in Moria and the Dar Narbugud raid. Each piece in the Lothlorien Set has 15 radiance. Set bonuses vary by class.| Barter Item | Qty | Armor Slot |
|---|---|---|
| Medallion of Lothlorien or Medallion of Dol Guldur | 10 | Gauntlets |
| Medallion of Lothlorien or Medallion of Dol Guldur | 15 | Leggings |
| Medallion of Lothlorien or Medallion of Dol Guldur | 25 | Breastplate |
View set by class:
Burglar Captain Champion Guardian Hunter Lore-master Minstrel Rune-keeper Warden
Helegrod Set
Each piece in the 6-piece, level 60 Helegrod Set has 10 radiance and is obtained by bartering skirmish marks, Helegrod Marks and Veteran's Third Marks to the Classic vendor at any skirmish camp. Set bonuses vary by class.- Helegrod Marks drop in Helegrod Classic instances.
- Veteran's Third Marks drop in level 60-70 Skirmishes and Classic instances run by 6- and 12-man groups..
Annuminas Set
Each piece in the 6-piece, level 55 Annuminas Set has 10 radiance and is obtained by bartering skirmish marks, Annuminas Marks and Veteran's Second Marks to the Classic vendor at any skirmish camp. Set bonuses vary by armor weight.- Annuminas Marks drop in Annuminas Classic instances.
- Veteran's Second Marks drop in level 45-59 Skirmishes and Classic instances run by 6- and 12-man groups.
8 comments:
Great guide, keep up the good work. Roll-on 10th Sept (or 8th for many)!
Good job! I haven't really explored these sets yet, not having hit 60 in beta. Annuminas set looks real nice for a 55 set though and gives me something to save those second vet marks for. Does the vendor at Annuminas still barter the old way, with boss drops / armor ? Skirmish vendors are the way to go from what I've seen, but perhaps pursuing both routes can get a set quicker?
The old Annuminas barter vendors are still there in Beta, but they are still offering the old sets (no radiance). I think there is a good chance they will be removed by F2P launch. However, you can exchange any old Annuminas boss tokens for Annuminas marks at any skirmish camp post-F2P launch, so hold on to those old tokens.
So ... let me get this straight. The easy to get combination of 2 DG pieces and 4 Moria pieces is (radiance aside) as good as, or better than(arguably, if you are capped on certain stats) the Annuminas set, and arguably the Helegrad set as well? At least for Rune-keepers. Disappointing.
In general, once you spend a few weeks at 65, doing only pretty easy content, improvements from gear are limited. Well, except I guess for the BG set. And, of course, the legendary lottery.
I know this isn't an original thought, but as a newer player, as much as I'm enjoying the game, the fact that already, less than 2 weeks after hitting 65, apart from finishing up my traits and getting one more piece of DG armor (7 medallions to go), by far the biggest improvements that I'll be able to make for my toon's effectiveness involve the legendary lottery/grind ... is disappointing.
I have the full Helegrod set and partial Vile Maw set on my minstrel. I go 3+3 for content with acid - Great Barrow, Watcher, Turtle - and 6 Hele for everything else. The 150 radiance is nice in the older style raids.
My understanding is that Radiance will not be required for the new raid being introduced before Isengard, but that the old raids will still need it. Nice to step into Dar Narbugud and Barad Guldur with 150 radiance.
Well sure. But (a) getting the Helegrad or Annu sets are also not that challenging, and (b) while there is a PURPOSE for the high radiance sets, the fact that the only advantage they have over the insanely easy to get 2 DG/4 Moria set is that they allow you to do certain gated content ... the point remains. For all but one raid (well and arguably to some extent 2 others where more radiance is better but not required), my effectiveness will NOT increase appreciably aside from the legendary lottery/grind.
I'm a former WOW player, and I like this game better, but I'm used to a system where I was able to continue to increase my toon's effectiveness gradually but steadily over the course of several months at level cap. That seems missing here. Again, apart from the annoying legendary lottery, which I'm already growing to hate.
Sorry if this is going OT*, but I think the legendary idea was a brilliant idea marred by horrible execution.
*but IMO it's all part of the same meta issue - and the skills caps enter into it as well - character improvement at level cap is much more limited in lotro than in ... well, I've only played this and WOW at level cap, but much more limited than WOW. Except, again, for the legendary lottery. IMO this is a big part of the reason for player discontent with the pace of content release.
To be clear, I agree with you to a large degree. The rewards for completing all the end game content are trivial at this point, and LIs really need a revamp. Yet I still like the game better than WoW, mostly for the people that play it.
Don't forget that Radiance will actually be completely removed from the game Q1 and that LIs will be overhauled with a couple updates.
http://www.lotro.com/gameinfo/devdiaries/933-producers-letter-december-2010
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