Pick the strongest class to help you win a solo battle.
When you are ready to take on the monsters of Middle-Earth and prove your strength, PvMP, which is LOTRO's version of PvP, is there to help. In this mode, you can fight other players in their Monster Play character, which has monsters like Orc Reaver, Warg Stalker, Uruk Blackarrow, and Spider Reaver. If you’re looking for a heavy Damage Over Time (DoT) class with self-healing potential to take on the enemies, these classes might be the best options for you.
5. Champion
As the master of AoE damage, it’s no surprise the Champion is a great solo class to play. Dual-wielding one-handed weapons is considered the most common approach, delivering a flurry of damage. A bow is an important addition to your arsenal, allowing you to aggro enemies from a distance and pull them from a pack. They aren’t as well-versed with healing skills but do have some self-healing skills.
- Best at AoE damage, allowing them to take on multiple enemies
- Yellow trait line provides the best AoE skills, including Blade Storm, Raging Blade, and Flurry of Blades
- Raging Blade delivers damage to up to 8 surrounding enemies
- Fervour is built when executing certain skills, which is then used to perform heavier attacks
- Equip a bow and use Let Fly to aggro an enemy from a distance
- Heal yourself with Bracing Attack, which boosts your morale a small amount during an attack, and Fight On, which heals over time
- Sprint gives you a burst of speed in case of emergencies
4. Rune-Keeper
Rune-Keepers are powerful magic users in PvMP
With the best of both worlds, the Rune-Keeper deals out heavy damage through their fire and lightning skills while self-healing very easily. They are the one true magic class in LOTRO, using runes to tap into the power of creation. Both their attacks and healing are done over time, making them a powerful DoT and healing master. Though they only use light armor and have lower morale, using Mitigations will keep them alive much longer in case they get stuck in close combat.
- Focused on damage and healing over time, working to slowly kill your enemies
- Choosing the red line will get you all the DoT skills, useful for questing and PvMP
- Most healing skills are locked in the blue line, though you do get Prelude to Hope and Epic Through the Ages as you level, among others
- Fiery Ridicule is a great DoT skill earned early in the game, dealing fire damage over the course of 10 seconds
- The Attunement meter builds with certain skills so you can use more powerful skills in both damage and healing
- You’ll be able to survive most quests solo throughout the game with no trouble
3. Hunter
Hunters are widely considered a heavy damage class. Their incredible bow skills help keep them relatively safe from harm if they can stay at a distance. When needed, they have melee attacks that can take down enemies, but their long-range bow attacks are much stronger. For those who use the red line, you’ll have the strongest DoT attacks and gain an extra 10 meters to attack from.
- Strong ranged DoT skills to destroy enemies before they get close
- They draw focus through skills like Blindside, Focus, and Swift Bow to use for more powerful attacks, like Penetrating Shot, Rain of Arrows, and Upshot
- Great at Crowd Control, which delivers dazes, fears, and roots to weaken your enemies, making them easier to kill
- Hunters are masters at setting traps for enemies, which will root their enemies and hurt them with DoT
- Ranged attacks can be set from 30 meters away normally, but training in the red line will let you attack from 40 meters away
- When in need of fast healing, Press Onward delivers a boost of both morale and power
- Traveling is quick with a Hunter, which can transport others with them to different locations throughout the world
2. Guardian
You might find leveling a little bit slower with the Guardian, but the strong DoT and self-healing will make it worth it. This heavy armor class is the strongest tank in the game. It takes a lot to bring these guys down, even if you aren’t healing them. The combination of a sword and shield make it easy to block and parry attacks.
- Heavy damage skills like Whirling Retaliation and Shield-Blow are available as you level
- AoE skills make it easier to take on multiple enemies, like Vexing Blow and Cataclysmic Shout
- Known as a tank with very high morale and strong defenses, including Mitigations to reduce incoming damage
- Catch A Breath can restore both morale and power, but only after blocking or parrying an attack
- The red trait line gives the best DoT skills, with a lot of bleeds, like Overwhelm and Brutal Assault
- You can sacrifice some defense for higher damage attacks, or kill mobs slower for higher defensive skills
1. Warden
Though they have a pretty big learning curve, the Warden is a solid choice for solo play. At higher levels, they can get healing gambits through the Determination line, which is the blue line. They are consistently known to have some of the best damage and best solo abilities out of all the classes. Their tanking skills give them an edge when going into a group of enemies, which is useful in practically every part of the game.
- Range of heavy DPS skills can be acquired through the red trait line
- Has naturally high morale for tanking, making you much harder to kill
- Sequences of Gambits can be used to unleash stronger attacks like Onslaught, Mighty Blow, and Piercing Strike
- The red line is greatest for solo play, as the highest damage attacks can be learned here
- The blue line is ideal when tanking and high morale is more important
- Restoration and Conviction, both in the blue line, are great for healing over time
- Though a Warden uses medium armor, Mitigations can help keep them alive longer by reducing incoming damage
- Wardens can use most weapons, whether two-handed or one-handed for more versatility
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