Alliance Vanguard

This was the first outfit I'd made for my High Elf Captain, Gwaimallin. Ironically, it's also the one that's taken me the longest to share. As much as I've loved the outfit itself, I've never been satisfied with the screenshot location. Honestly, it blended in with much more landscape and instanced scenery than anticipated. Each time, I'd get halfway through a photo session before scrapping it entirely. I told myself this would be the last attempt and that if I didn't share it soon, I should remove the outfit and not bother at all. I was glad to finally get this completed, and even though the screenshots aren't the best, I'm satisfied with the final product!

One of my biggest gripes with the High Elf has always been how certain weapons are carried in combat. The two-handed swords have been terrible. They're carried over the shoulder, held with both hands in a wide but slightly crouched stance, and made to appear like they're cleaving weapons and not slashing weapons. Even though this race was given unique animations and postures to differentiate them from the rest, but the implementation of the two-handed sword was awkward. I've deliberately excluded that stance.

If I've disliked this weapon class on the High Elf, why have I continued to use it? The original concept of this outfit was to showcase Warrior's Pride, a one-of-a-kind sword in LOTRO that can only be obtained from one quest alone, Raid: Storvâgûn the Traitor. (On a side note, that quest also rewards other exclusive weapons. If you want them all, multiple alts are required.) And then there were all of the other two-handed swords this character has wielded for this blog. To think, I cold have avoided this if I'd conceived of the Cosmetic Weapons Project sooner!

Speaking of the Cosmetic Weapons Project, phase one has been completed! Only Hammers, Two-handed Hammers, RK Satchels, and Two-handed Clubs remain, each scheduled for posting through October. It was a substantial effort writing the last fifteen entries in two weeks, and it left me both exhausted and in need of a LOTRO break. In fact, I've been away for so long that my blog has run through every scheduled outfit, this one being the last I've drafted. I'll find time to make more and once the rest of the weapons have been posted, I will resume a monthly schedule.

Head: Turquoise Summer Circlet (White, dyeable LOTRO Store version)**
Shoulders: Mathom-hunter's Mantle (White, Hobbit Presents reward from the Mathom-hunter's Armor box)
Chest: Heavy Hauberk of the Alliance Renewed (Shire peach, T11 Tailor barter recipe)****
Hands: Invader's Gages (White, Mordor landscape quest reward)***
Feet: Lithe Boots of the Alliance Renewed (White, T11 Tailor barter recipe)

Main-hand: Warrior's Pride (Selectable reward from the quest Raid: Storvâgûn the Traitor)

**The Circlet of the Night Watcher from the Dol Amroth Lore-master class vendor also shares this appearance. Unlike the festival reward, this one dyes.
***This skin is rewarded from multiple quests in Udun and Dor Amarth. Skin also has a chance to drop from creatures inside Mordor daily instances.
****Gold dye gives this hauberk a slight darker but warmer appearance. Makes a good alternative to shire peach.