Harvestmath Series - Harbinger

Black, when used in the right proportions and places, can work wonders for any fashionable ensemble. The greatest strength of this dye is the ability to make all other colors appear brighter and draw the eye towards them. Unfortunately, that strength is also its Achilles' heel. The darkest colors will sometimes reveal subtleties in undyeable areas normally not noticeable. Half the time, those other colors don't match or blend together very well. (It's something I often see in LOTRO's major hubs where unprecedented numbers of players have dyed their clothing black.)  This is why I avoid making outfits more than seventy-five percent black. However, I thought I'd make a simple one for this week....and besides, this a great way to kick off the upcoming Harvestmath season!

Cosmetic Guide to Dol Amroth Class Armor

Multiple players have been asking on the forums and in world/glff chat where else they can obtain the Dol Amroth class armor skins that came with the release of U14. As a result, I picked up this project in the hopes of creating some sort of guide. Here, I'll list as best as possible the alternative methods to collecting these armor skins. Because this post is strictly for skins, I won't be including dye colors. I'll admit there are some pieces that I don't know. I never bothered to get one of each class to level 95 or subbed long enough to have the entire cosmetic library at my fingertips. However, I'll do my best. Just to warn you, you will see *multiple* pieces listed that share the same skins. 

If you see a piece that's incorrect or an alternative item with the same skin, please leave a comment below.

And by the way, only half of these sets are cosmetically original. I know my blogs and outfits well enough to know some of these have been lifted from other sites and slightly altered, whether it's by dye color or a single piece. If that is the case, I will provide links to the original creators and the specific outfits beneath each set to give credit where it is due.

Hunter ("Of the Liberator" set)

Head: Helm of the Shadow-walker (Barad Guldur level 65 medium armor from skirm camp)
Shoulders: Treasure Hunter's Shoulder Guards (T6 Tailor light armor recipe, or its level 54 or 58 crafted equivalent)
Chest: Battle Armour of the Mark (T8 Metalsmith recipe, guilded or RoR landscape barter)
Hands: Eastemnet Battle Gauntlets (T8 Metalsmith recipe, level 80)
Feet: Woodland Ranger’s Boots (Volume 3 Wildermore Interludes)

OUTFIT ADAPTED from The Starry Mantle by the designers.

Crimson Valiance - Aldebaraan of Gladden

For once I left the safety of the starter zones on this mule character. It wasn't easy making it to the southern regions of the Trollshaws, as everything had purple names. Despite that, this was the place most connected to the outfit...and it was worth dying a few times on the way for several screenshots. Anyway, I had been toying with the idea of another elven sentinel's garb. Unlike my first one, which was fully dyed indigo, I thought something reddish would do nicely. It's great for characters of an elven heritage or any allied character while progressing storywise from Rivendell to Mirkwood. With the exception of the Mines of Moria, it'll help your character blend in wonderfully with the high volume of elves you'll encounter on the way.

Battle-hardened Hunter - Emeridir of Gladden

At the drafting of this outfit, I had blown the remainder of my mithril coins on cosmetics from Lalia's Market. It was either use 'em or lose 'em. They've been sitting there unused for well over a year, about the time many of the obsolete items were converted into tokens. Mainly, I went after some hard to get cosmetics, such as various ceremonial pieces from the Ettenmoors, the Lancer's Hauberk (once exclusive to the original Codemaster's servers), gear from classes I've never leveled past 65, and a few odds and ends. I felt it necessary to go all out and make the best, if not interesting, ensembles I possibly could.

Spring Series - Lord of the Dragonflies

It's been a crazy two weeks for me and I wasn't able to make a special post this past Monday, April 21st, but I would like to take a moment and wish Material Middle-earth a Happy Second Anniversary!

Anyway, I'm more than certain there's no such thing as the Lord of the Dragonflies in the lore. It's just that I've been so hellbent on using that Cloak of the Dragonfly, I had to name this outfit after it. That cloak is probably the most unique-looking one in the game due to the crazy assortment of colors found in it. I've literally spent the past two months focusing on it, making it the central piece to an outfit. That seems to be the only way to work with it, otherwise it looks shoehorned when added to a nearly finished outfit. Kudos to those of you have successfully integrated the Cloak of the Dragonfly into your creations!

Spring Series - Floral Queen

Here's the next installment in this year's Spring Series. You've probably noticed, or you will now that I've told you, these season-themed outfits are brightly colored and very casual. For the most part, I've been on this lengthy stretch of outfits geared towards combat and adventuring. This week, and perhaps next week as well, I'm showcasing a social outfit. I've caught wind that some RPers from Landroval and Laurelin follow this blog and I'd hate to leave them feeling excluded. I've attended various events myself, such as the weekly Ales & Tales and the Eriador Music Society's concerts. Many players come well dressed and sometimes in large groups wearing the same outfit!

Red Dawn - Satella of Gladden

Lalia's Market has been something I've often avoided. I've never been an advocate for a cash shop that featured items that can be earned, with patience, through leveling, crafting, and accruing instance currencies. However, there have been certain pieces I have purchased because, without being a subscriber, I've never been able to access them. The ceremonial versions of the Ettenmoors gear, specifically.  Anything else, I've earned over the years with some hard work. The LOTRO Store is the other exception I make. The majority of cosmetic pieces found there are exclusive to the store. (This is this blogger's humble opinion and it not intended to insult anybody with outfits featured on the mannequins over the past year.)

Anyway, I finally decided to dip into my pool of mithril coins for this outfit. Sometime early last year, many store items were made obsolete and were converted into these coins. I had accrued so many revival tomes and tomes of dread removal from lootboxes that when the conversion happened, I found myself with a little over 300 coins.