Crimson Sands

Recently, I rolled a fresh Warden. With the smoother performance of the 64-bit servers and a noticeable reduction in skill lag, this class is once again, at least to me, viable to play. There is an upcoming Rift of Nûrz Ghâshu raid on June 1st for Perwethien's birthday celebration and I'll be bringing a red line Warden to the event! This event will be run on the Peregrin server on-level with a group of level 50 players. At the time of writing this, there are some spots still open. The group is looking for a second  tank and three DPS. Hopefully we'll get it filled by then!

Shadow of the Vale

 

Between 2012 and 2021, I've uploaded over 200 outfits to Material Middle-earth. I'm still astonished by that number. It wasn't always a labor of love. Not all of these outfits came together easily or naturally. There were some that were a genuine struggle that took days or even weeks to feel like they were complete. And there were some, though not very many, that never felt worth uploading.

This particular appearance was one of them. I don't know why—in fact, I don't remember why—I left this one in a folder labeled "Unfinished Ideas" in 2020. In that folder, there are screenshots of outfits that never made it beyond the in-game dressing room panel. Perhaps it took the full three year absence to appreciate the unique blend of contrasting styles and armor types seen here.

Elite Rider

I apologize for the absence. Most of January and the first week of February weren't kind to me. Having the flu, combined with a case of the stomach flu, left me hospitalized briefly and unable to do very much. Recovery has been slow, but my health has returned to normal. And I'm grateful for that. However, this means I've fallen behind in many aspects of my life, especially this blog. I've run out of scheduled outfits and have had little time for LOTRO. And despite the constant distractions and scramble to catch up, I found time to log into LOTRO and collect the new VIP cosmetic set, the Armour of the Elite Rider. These cosmetics are available to any player on any server so long as he/she is VIP and logs into the game by March 12, 2020.

Eastemnet Steel

There are times that I put myself through the craziest things for an outfit, especially when it comes to choosing a screenshot location.Originally, I intended Forlaw to be my location, but that didn't work as planned for this little level 37 Warden. Imagine what it was like running through Enedwaith, Dunland to the Gap of Rohan, through the Westemnet, and almost all of the Eastemnet when everything had a substantially larger aggro radius, was mounted, and had the guaranteed ability to one-shot a character as low as this. With zero Mithiril Coins left, I had no choice.

On my first attempt, I died just outside of Elthengles to a pair of wolves' pincer attack. I was very grateful to respawn in the Trollshaws, considering I'd be back in Sandson's Farm if it were a chicken session play. On my second attempt, I made it to the eastern border of Wildermore, but there were too many roaming ranged and mounted creatures. Instead, I backtracked a bit and safely made it to Harwick. Definitely better to settle for what I already had and not push my luck. I really wanted a snowy background for this!

Travelling in Comfort

Having been away for the entire summer, I found myself out of practice making outfits upon my return in September. Really out of practice. However, one good thing came out of my absence. I haven't relied so much on the current contents of my wardrobe. Instead, I've been looking though my cosmetic storage mules and trying to use (or throwing away) pieces I've either rarely used or not used at all. I've even gone out of my way to craft often ignored recipes for new material. The combinations have been interesting, to say the least. This was actually the first outfit I'd created when I returned, but it was pushed back due to the stream of autumn, Halloween, and Minas Morgul themed attire.

For a couple of outfits, I went back to exploring classic cosmetics. The majority of the pieces here were from the Rise of Isengard expansion. This outfit, in fact, was partially inspired by the release of Isengard on the Legendary Servers. And it can be recreated, except for the shoulders, on those very servers! (I'd recommend the one of the shoulder wrap pieces from the SoA sets, in that case. Maybe even Gwir-palvais!) Overall, it has a wonderfully casual and simple look, fitting in well while roaming Middle-earth. It works well on the light armor classes, even in combat.

Anduin Spear-shaker

The biggest break I'd ever taken from LOTRO was started in 2014, when I was utterly disappointed with Helm's Deep. I clung to the game, making outfits. That's it...just outfits. When January 2015 arrived, I wrapped up my affairs, tired of waiting for LOTRO to turn itself around, shut down my blog, was gone by February, and intended never to return....but it didn't go as planned.

And I hadn't expected the chain events that led to this outfit's delay.

When I came back some eight months later, I was overwhelmed. There was so much to do to simply catch up. Eastern Gondor had been released and Minas Tirith was almost here. I spent most of 2016 getting myself from Snowbourn to the gates of Minas Tirith with three level capped characters. And don't get me started on imbued LIs--those weren't around when I'd left. Honestly, I could have gotten there faster if I hadn't stopped to make outfits along the way! I had to put all those new cosmetics, starting with Western Gondor's, to good use!

Dauntless Champion

If you've been following my Twitter account in recent weeks, you may have seen the first image entered in one of the many screenshot contests held by LOTRO Family. For those on Twitter, it was a sneak peek of this combat-oriented outfit. Now I've been able to publish it here for everybody to see. I actually had this outfit tucked away for a while. Until Vol. 4, Book 8 and The Wastes had been released, I couldn't find a location that felt appropriate. By appropriate, I mean perfect. Any of the Pelennor instances could have done, but the Battle of the Morannon space was exactly what I needed.

Ithil-watcher

Sometimes, I feel like I'm always playing catch up in the LOTRO cosmetics blogosphere. Taking that extended break from game content from the release of U14 (Western Gondor) until U18 (The Battle of Pelennor Fields) due to feeling burned out, I missed out on the opportunity to tinker with the newest cosmetic skins as they were released. I missed out on the Osgilliath sets while that content was relevant (I rarely see the cluster run anymore), the Morgul-crest bartered Faramir sets, and, by the time I caught up story-wise, the Pelennor and Throne sets. I had logged in for that long stretch of time only to make outfits. It's only now, after a significant amount of effort, that I've gotten around to showcasing some of the spectacularly designed U19 gear from the North Ithilien/post-Pelennor quests.

Ashen Wastes

As you may have noticed, I purchased the Ultimate Fan bundle for Mordor. I was doing very well resisting the call of the new and exclusive cosmetics, but as the release date grew closer, I caved and purchased it. So far, I have no regrets. Two sets of exclusive cosmetics--the Alliance and Ash Plains sets--and their respective steeds and war-steed sets, the High Elf, the Aria of the Valar (made a High Elf Captain you'll eventually meet), a housing item that takes the user deep into Mordor, and other things. The expansion content and packages haven't disappointed me yet...and neither have the landscape cosmetics! The new Mordor skins have breathed much needed life into the pool of clothing options.

Autumn Attire

It's certainly been some time since my last entry. I've been playing LOTRO quite a bit lately, taking time to work on my characters' gear and catching up on both the new zones and completing the epic story. I found myself falling farther and farther behind my friends and kinmates the more time I spent getting cosmetically creative. Believe it or not, most of my characters have been muddling through with the old statted level 95 gear since Western Gondor was released. I found myself unable to do group content at 105. I obstinately resisted the essence gear from its initial release until Update 19, which was a major mistake. I've come to realize that the essence grind is real. Same goes for stocking scrolls of empowerment. It's a much larger commitment than any level cap gear grind I've ever put myself through and the amount of time I've had to dedicate has been astonishing.

Now that I feel comfortable where I am in terms of character progression, I thought I should post a little something. In fact, since it's been so long, I have THREE autumn-themed outfits to present. Hopefully, I'll be back with more before the winter holiday season!

And I have a ton of outfits on my Beorning to post too! But that's if I ever find time to get out of Moria and get her to level 65. I have specific places in mind for screenshots...and I won't settle for anything less!

In the meantime, here are three autumn-inspired creations!

Head: Ceremonial Circlet of the Graven Word (Bullroarer's green, cosmetic skirmish camp vendor -- Light Rift set)
Shoulders: Ceremonial Shoulders of the Seven Stars (Sunset orange, cosmetic skirmish camp vendor -- Light Annuminas set)
Back: Pack of the Yield (Sunset orange, Farmer's Faire barter reward)
Chest: Tunic and Trousers of the New Bloom (Sunset orange, Spring Festival barter reward)
Hands: Pelennor Bracers of Wrath (Sunset orange, Vol 4 Epic quest reward)**
Feet: Ceremonial Nenuial's Boots (Walnut brown, cosmetic skirmish camp vendor -- Medium Annuminas set)

**Shares skin with any of the medium gloves from the Eastemnet Armor Quartermatser found in Rohan

Red Arrow of Gondor

Turbine's ability to reskin old cosmetics has been hit or miss the past couple of years. Festival robes. War-steed caparisons. Various crafted items from the Eastfold and Westfold tiers. Sometimes there have been amazing successes, like the Robe of the Five Rivers featured in my previous entry. Sometimes there have been complete and utter failures, like the aforementioned 2013 and 2014 festival robes. Then there have been those that leave you feeling neither impressed nor unimpressed, but somewhere in the middle. Forlong's Ill-fitting Armor, another skin earned from multiple quests in Eastern Gondor, fell into that third category.

Talons of the Windlord

It seems that every year, around this time, I'm inspired to create bird, feather, or harvest themed outfits. It's probably because Thanksgiving comes next week in the United States. Last year was a month of Swan outfits. The year before I squeezed in a harvest outfit. This year, I decided on an eagle. If it weren't for the eagle-crested Shield of the Company I received from a quest on my Beorning, I would have forgone making this. Pair it with the Hauberk of the Eagle's Crest, which never dyes well outside of blue, gold, white, and grey, and it makes a phenomenal starting combination. I already knew what sharp and feathered skins to add to this, but it was a matter on deciding on what colors to use and where for balance.

Revisiting the Early Days of MME

As promised in late November, I've gone back in time to 2012, taken old outfits from this blog, and reposted them here in bigger, brighter pictures with much improved graphical quality. It was difficult to choose from over fifty outfits, but I narrowed that list down to eight. With each picture, I've included the name of the outfit (most sound soooo corny!) and a link back to the original post for the dyes and skins. I almost changed some of the pieces, but decided to leave them as is.

Normally I post new outfits on Saturday, but I thought this would be a refreshing change of pace.

You might be wondering what was my reasoning for doing this? Here's my first reason. I never had the followers in 2012 that I have nowadays. When Material Middle-earth was in its infancy, I was lucky to get a hundred views a month. Nowadays, it nets at least several thousand. By not establishing myself on Facebook until late 2013 and Twitter in 2014, many LOTRO players didn't have the chance to see my early work as it was posted. I am hoping, today, that you'll join me on a sentimental journey and see where it all began. And for the second reason, this week's entry allowed me to exhaust whatever marks, medallions, and dyes remained simply by recreating these.

Also, don't forget that next Saturday I'll be posting my farewell entry with a new outfit! Before then, I'll be honoring one last outfit concept from a follower. If all goes well, that ensemble will appear here on Wednesday morning.

The War-forged Defender

Highwayman - Cirilyn of Gladden

I can safely say that I'm finally hitting the bottom of the proverbial bucket. Trying to stay original with my outfits, I've decided to give the crafted light armor robe, the Supple Wildermore Robe of Insight, a try. I've been reluctant to use it for well over a year because it isn't very form-fitting and it clips with a multitude of skins in the forearm, foot, and shoulder regions regardless of race and gender. If this robe must be used cosmetically, I'd recommend using either very short/thin or bulky gear as accompanying pieces. Gloves that stop at wrist and shoes work best. As far as I know, only Hymne has been successful in using it. Check out her post from September of 2013!

Feathered Scholar - Cirilyn of Gladden

Hopefully this will be my last swan-themed outfit. I've released one every week for the past four Saturdays and I wouldn't be surprised if you're wanting to see something else (I know I am). Turkey Day has come and gone for me and I would have very much liked to make a turkey-themed ensemble...but somehow it wouldn't feel quite lore appropriate, would it? I don't think turkeys even exist in Middle-earth! I hope those of you who celebrated the holiday enjoyed yourselves fully!

Aaaaand back to the outfit...

Studded Ranger - Aerthain of Gladden

Here's that particular outfit I mentioned last week, the one that somewhat resembles one of Hymne's previous outfits, The Passing of the Grey Company. It's a rare sight having an earthen-toned outfit featured on this blog, let alone a Ranger one. This would be my first Ranger-themed creation. I usually find them a little overdone, especially after seeing multiple blog posts over the years and an inordinate amount of hunters wearing the Ranger or Grey Company sets from the epic books. They were a dime a dozen and I'm not fond of looking like everybody else (just like with those undyeable pre-order cosmetic sets). However, the Medium Nadhin Jacket gave me the opportunity to make something that I felt would stand out of that particular crowd.

Simple Fashion - Hauberks

This is the latest in my Simple Fashion series and last installment under this theme, at least for a while. I've covered all the basic and purely cosmetic categories at this point--tunics, dresses, robes, and now hauberks--and will continue posting my usual outfits as we move into the autumn and winter seasons. I was hoping to make a Summer Series since I was unable to make one last year, but this theme required too much time. Simple as it seems (no pun intended), designing minimalist outfits takes just as much effort, if not more than my usual creations. Regardless, being able to provide multiple ideas in a single blog entry feels like a significant accomplishment to me!

I've also been heavily scaling back my time with gaming and blogging rounds. I don't know if I'm feeling burned out, bored, or reaching a point where games retain less and less interest with each passing week. Luckily, it won't be affecting my posting schedule, not for a while anyway. Next week starts my annual Harvestmath Series, which is dedicated to seasonal outfits for this time of year!

And without further ado, here are your ideas for three of the lesser used hauberks in LOTRO.

Shoulders: Ceremonial Shoulders of the Brazen Call (Turquoise, skirm camp cosmetics vendor, Heavy Moria Armor)
Body: Dwarf-make Hauberk (Turquoise, Thorin's Hall outfitter)
Hands: Stonefists (Umber, world drop)
Feet: Boots of Durin's Guard (Turquoise, Guardian class vendor in Twenty-first Hall)**

**Skin also available from the Guardian vendor for Medallions of Lothlorien at Echad Andestel. You can cross-class barter for these, unlike the vendor in Twenty-first Hall.

Steel Waylayer - Cirilyn of Gladden

Steel blue, LOTRO's most recent dye color, has been creating mixed feelings with the playerbase since Update 13. Some think it's too dark or too black, some think it's too close to navy, and some think it's too steely to be considered blue. Personally, I've liked it. I've liked it so much that I dragged myself though the terrible U13 grind for the dye and nothing else. To me, it's been a color of depth and expertise, of seriousness and stability. Depending on how dark it dyes, I've even affiliated it with aggressiveness. I've even surprised myself with how often I'll associate emotions with color and then incorporate those feelings into my outfits. That's exactly what I did. I built a combat outfit, which has been a rarity here at Material Middle-earth.

Nomadic Easterling - Aerthain of Gladden

Ah, my next steel blue creation. Unlike my last attempt, Midnight Magic, the blueish properties of the dye are more noticeable. The more I've been experimenting with the color, the more I've come to the conclusion steel blue is best used on place, chain mail, or scale mail. Not to stereotype the dye, but eighty percent of the cloth and leather skins look too metallic. If you've got a muted or darker base on light armor, you'll have a bluer shade.

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!