DPS is a crucial aspect of LOTRO and some classes will provide you with the smoothest DPS gameplay...
Rangers vs Black Numenoreans...and you get to join the fight! If your weapon is sharp enough.
Good day to you, fellow Middle-Earthers! A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ok, I'm a bit too dramatic with the Theoden speech, but to be fair, we are going to be talking about sword waving, spear throwing, and spell burning aspects of LOTRO, or in short - DPS. It's only natural that we all get a little urge for cleaving orcs and saving Gondor.
All jokes aside, whichever class you play, killing stuff is what you want to be good at in any MMO, and LOTRO is no exception.
Some classes are naturally more damage-oriented than others, so I'm going to single out the most effective damage dealers in the game.
I'll include both physical and tactical classes so that everyone's preferences are included.
Let's not delay any longer and jump right into it:
5) Lore-master
The Lore-master lookin' all wise and stuff...
Lore-master is a tactical class, which means that they deal Tactical damage (which is just a synonym for magic basically). These spellcasters use staff and a sword, wield magic, conjure lightning, and burst fire around. They are your textbook wizard.
But wait, there's more! As a Lore-master, you get to control a pet (seven pet options include a bear, a raven, an eagle, the Bog-guardian, a lynx, the Spirit of nature, and a sabertooth cat).
All of the above is a formidable source of damage and it's at your disposal.
Lore-masters have such a diverse set of options on how to slash, smash, bury, drown, or incinerate their enemies that as a DPS you won't be lacking anything.
Other than being fun, they are incredibly efficient. I've seen Lore-masters run around the map, trying to get aggro of as many mobs as possible, just so they could burn them all at once, to save time.
However, this efficiency comes at a cost.
Firstly, Lore-masters are quite hard to master. There's a lot of stances, pet skills, complicated combos of abilities, etc. In short, tons and tons to learn and practice.
Secondly, as all magicians are, Lore-masters are quite squishy. So, while they are efficient, you're going to have to be quite resourceful and tactical if you want to survive on your own.
However, if you're willing to put in the work and be smart while roaming about, you're going to be a slaying machine with this class.
Why Lore-master is Great for DPS:
- An abundance of DPS abilities that give you plenty of options and you'll never wait for that cooldown on skills;
- Challenging but fun gameplay that is all the more satisfying when mastered fully;
- Pets give you a stable source of additional damage and support, so you can focus on your DPS performance;
- Amazing skill animations that make your damage-dealing not only efficient but spectacular as well.
Pick Lore-master if:
- you enjoy playing with mage-like classes;
- you want to learn, improve, and adapt;
- you enjoy classes that own pets;
- you want a fun, versatile, and ever-changing gameplay experience.
4) Champion
A baby Champ with low-level gear still looks like a formidable warrior...
Things are pretty straightforward with Champions. They are the melee killing-machines, they keep it simple, they keep it neat, and their efficiency is through the roof.
Dual one-handers, tons of damage, every skill that you learn is either dealing damage or devoted to improving your DPS role.
As damage dealers, Champions are practically flawless.
I don't see much versatility in the Champion experience, but it isn't about that at all. When you're a Champion, your main goal is to pile up those orc carcasses, not be too wise about it.
And many players enjoy that approach to the DPS role in which Champions are irreplaceable.
Why Champion is Great for DPS:
- It's a DPS oriented class with a huge damage capacity;
- It's a simple and easy class to play with;
- It's a high sustain class that is anything but squishy;
- As a Champion, you'll always be welcome in any group, both as one of the strongest DPS roles and as a tank.
Pick Champion if:
- you enjoy melee classes;
- you want to be invited to groups as a primary DPS;
- you want to be able to tank and sustain a significant amount of damage;
- you like a neat gameplay experience that doesn't stress you out.
3) Warden
Warden, the spear-wielder.
Tank, DPS, melee, ranged... The Warden is whatever you want them to be. And, as a DPS, you'll have so much at your disposal, that combat will feel like child's play to you - from the beginning to the end.
Not all classes can provide you with that happy feeling, especially when it comes to some transitional periods in leveling.
You see, LOTRO has some big leaps in the leveling process when you change big areas or enter a new level span (for example finishing levels 71-80 and entering levels 81-90). These transitions can be quite painful and frustrating when you realize that while in the previous area (one level ago), mobs were a joke to you, in the new map every mob is like the big boss that gives you nightmares.
This is where Warden players have no idea what I'm talking about since it's all javelin throwing and spear impaling for them, all day long, with no slowing down.
As a Warden, your DPS will not only be efficient, but constant through all levels as well, and your damage will not falter one bit as you progress in level.
That makes Warden one of the best choices for the DPS role.
Why Warden is Great for DPS:
- All-round approach to combat;
- Amazing mechanics and fun gameplay;
- High sustain;
- Stable character leveling experience with no fluctuations in efficiency.
Pick Warden if:
- you want to be both an amazing tank and DPS;
- you like both melee and ranged combat styles;
- you want a stable experience while progressing in level.
2) Rune-keeper
Rune-keeper in all of his flashiness...
Another mage-like class, people! And this one is even richer with splendor and light effects.
Rune-keepers are an iconic class if you're interested in flashy, high-capacity burst damage. What's so flashy about them? Well, if bolts of lightning, tounges of flame, and earthquakes aren't flashy, I don't know what is.
But, don't let that fool you. Rune-keeper's skills not only look cool but smite pretty bad. The DPS of Rune-keepers is simply through the roof.
As for your combat weapon, Rune-keepers use their rune-stone to conjure all sorts of spells of which you have tons of. I mean, TONS OF. And you'll never run out of ways to hurt your enemies.
If you want a tactical damage dealer, Rune-keeper is a perfect choice, but be careful... Rune-keepers are so squishy that most of the time, you'll feel like you're wearing pajamas. So use your amazing healing abilities, kite around a bit, be cunning, hide behind a rock...or a Warden.
Why Rune-keeper is Great for DPS:
- Amazing DPS capacity;
- High Tactical burst damage;
- Fun gameplay.
Pick Rune-keeper if:
- you enjoy mage-like classes;
- you like having a lot of skills and options;
- you are skilled (or wish to be skilled) in playing low-armor classes.
1) Hunter
The sharpshooter from above...
Look, I'm not saying that Legolas is better than Gimli. Iluvatar knows how much I love the son of Gloin (and all Dwarves).
But Hunters are just OP.
And it's not only about who deals more damage. When the endgame comes, everyone has those stacked up legendary weapons with crazy stats and huge damage numbers. Everyone is equipped with gear and armor that would probably scare Sauron himself. So every class is dangerous and every class can produce high-quality DPS if needed.
But there is nothing more clean, neat, and smooth than the Hunter DPS experience. It's like the world is your playground. And orc heads are your fun balloons that you can burst whenever you like.
You've got ranged skills that sync incredibly well together, you've got melee skills that are surprisingly fun and cool, you look beyond dope, and you'll experience the most satisfying combat gameplay there is.
It's as simple as that.
Why Hunter is Great for DPS:
- Ranged, quick, effective, and fun;
- Dynamic and creative, but not too hard to master;
- Easy to level, craft, and travel with which enables you faster gear and stat progression;
- Hunters are a DPS powerhouse.
Pick Hunter if:
- you like ranged classes;
- if you want a DPS role in groups;
- if you want fast gameplay and quick leveling.
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