Winter Series - Snowborn Soldier

I've slowly been reviving last year's Winter Series--outfits revolving around cold weather or the Yule/holiday season. I had taken an unexpected break from LOTRO between January and April of 2013, which put many of my plans for this series on hold. Cosmetic gear went back in the vault and the drawing boards were wiped clean...and I hadn't documented any of my work. But, it gives me a chance this season to begin again and find innovative combinations to suit travelers in the cold regions of Middle-earth.

Finally, I took my first step into the Wildermore (on the live servers) to work on the Epic Story. Personally, I love the snowy zones of the game and I love them even more when I'm wearing something appropriate. This gave me a chance to dig deep into my cosmetic library and pull out an unusual combination of pieces. Rift, Dunland, Wildermore, the Yule Festival, Moria...needless to say it required a substantial amount of traveling across Middle-earth to put this together! I even rode to the Rift of Nûrz Ghâshu in Angmar to trade in some of those jewels I've been hoarding from retro raid nights.

Clipping is still very much an issue with the post tier 8 crafted gear, especially with female characters. I wouldn't be surprised if this particular outfit is more male-friendly (I was determined to wear this on my Champion!). Ninety percent of the shoulders clipped with top of the chest piece, especially in the breast area. The only ones that worked are ones that go across the shoulders, but not the chest, or the ones with individual pads that sit directly on the top of the shoulders. Most gloves get sucked into the lower arm and wrist area, getting buried beneath the chest piece. If you're hoping to use this on a female character, I can't stress it enough that you'll need large, bulky gloves to avoid some visual issues.

Head:  Turquoise Summer Circlet (White, LOTRO Store version)**
Shoulders: Ceremonial Shoulders of the Elder Days (Evendim blue, Rift cosmetics skirm camp vendor - light armor)
Back: Snowy Hoodless Cloak (Evendim blue, Yule Festival token reward)
Chest:  Potent Wildermore Armour of Battle (Evendim blue, T8 Wildermore metalsmith recipe)
Hands: Rider's Polished Gauntlets (Evendim blue, Theodred's Riders rep vendor in Galtrev)
Feet: Blademaster's Boots (Evendim blue, Moria Champion class vendor)

** Only the Store version of this can be dyed.