Erebor Defender - Aerthain of Gladden

Until last week, I had no idea I'd been running the standard resolution client for LOTRO the past three years. If a couple of files hadn't been damaged (I have no idea how that happened), I wouldn't have had to reinstall the game. As with any game I play, I went into the custom download options and selected the high res client. To say my jaw dropped to the floor would be a vast understatement. When I finally got back into the game, I saw textures I've never seen on the character selection screen and the blurred/pixelated gear some of my characters had been wearing were crystal clear. And all this time I was under the assumption I already used the high res client and that my computer was just not able to handle the top-notch graphics. Guess I was wrong!

So now I can bring better screenshots to this blog and not have to sacrifice outfit clarity and quality to both larger pictures and closeups. You've no idea how excited this makes me! This might have rekindled the cosmetic fires that once burned so brightly! We'll see how it goes. If I am to stay and continue outfitting past May, it will take a genuine miracle.

For the first time ever, I've actually integrated Erebor raid armor into an outfit. Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't seen any of those pieces used cosmetically in-game or on any of the outfitting blogs. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!) As sleek and knightly as this ensemble appears, the raid armor can't be dyed. In fact, NONE of the Erebor pieces can be dyed. On top of that, most of the sets are visually abysmal in their default colors. The guardian set, which is half-featured here, is the easiest on the eyes.

Did you know that the Erebor sets were dyeable at one point during early rounds of the U10 Beta?

Anyway, the guardian set features large areas of white and slate blue, elegant golden trims, and a layer of burgundy beneath the "skirt" portion of the leggings. The trick to working with this set, at least in my opinion, is to use gold-accented gear to compliment either the golden trim or the yellow-gold areas, otherwise it can look like you've shoehorned a piece for the sake of "completing" it. Whites also work well here, especially if you're going for that paladin look. I actually chose burgundy to both prevent the leggings from standing out and provide an element of balance. The Wildermore armor, which has become somewhat addictive lately, was great for my vision of this outfit. Those pieces feature matching golds and create a more rounded look for this ensemble. If you're looking for something a bit sharper, and by that I mean pointier, you can find some wonderful alternatives in the heavy Helegrod sets.

Head: Potent Wildermore Helmet of Battle (Burgundy, T8 Metalsmith barter recipe)
Shoulders: Potent Wildermore Pauldrons of Battle (Burgundy, T8 Metalsmith barter recipe)
Chest: Jacket of the Erebor Defender (Default, heavy armor skirm camp vendor)
Legs: Leggings of the Erebor Defender (Default, heavy armor skirm camp vendor)
Hands: Ceremonial High-protctor's Gloves (Burgundy, cosmetic skirm camp vendor, Helegrod set)
Feet: Boots of the Erebor Defender (Default, heavy armor skirm camp vendor)