Gameplay: Brawlers are aggressive melee fighters who wield a unique resource called Mettle to maximize their damage and fuel their most powerful skills. Although their offensive capabilities truly shine in one-on-one combat, they are not without recourse when faced with multiple enemies. In fellowships, a Brawler's abrasive nature helps them hold the ire of their foes and keep their allies safe.
Lore: Brawlers are formidable fighters whose bold manoeuvres can topple their foes and safeguard their allies.
This class is inspired by Helm Hammerhand, who to the astonishment of many, would take to the battlefield barehanded.
Below, you can find more information about the class under the different headers. These pages can also be viewed independently through the table above.
Gameplay
Brawlers use Set-up skills to generate Mettle, and use Finisher skills to consume Mettle to deal damage or generate aggro, depending on the specialization. Using Finisher skills tiers up different Innate Strength buffs on the Brawler, which can be shared with with the fellowship and max tier. They provide invaluable support to the fellowship through buffs such as Strike as One! and One for All.
Blue-line (Tank): Brawlers specialized in the Fulcrum trait tree use their finisher skills to generate and keep aggro as tanks, making up for their lack of Force Attack skills. They are famously difficult to kill, with passive damage reduction through Mettle Shield and strong cooldowns like Weather Blows. Due to the nature of Mettle Shield, they excel in tanking bosses instead of large numbers of enemies.
Red-line (Damage): Brawlers specialized in the Maelstrom trait tree use their finisher skills to deal single target and AoE damage. While outputting less damage than other classes, they make up for this with their powerful raid-wide buffs. They have a lot of cooldowns, and can choose when to spike their damage. They frame their rotation around using Fist of the Valar to consume all 9 Mettle for maximum damage.
This class is more niche, with it being one of the least played classes in LotRO. The set-up and finisher skill combination is controversial, with some loving the gameplay and others not enjoying it as much. Play around with this class a bit before deciding if you like it or not.
Mettle
Mettle is a skill resource used by Brawlers. Certain skills build Mettle (up to a maximum of nine) while others spend it. When out of combat, Brawlers will gradually decrease Mettle down to three.
The Brawler gains increased damage from each point of Mettle they have, tracked through the Battle Flow effect.
Mettle-consuming skills are separated into three categories: Heavy, Balanced, and Quick Finishers. Depending on the Brawler's specialization, using one of these finishers tiers up an Innate Strength buff for each type of finisher. In addition, certain traits and skills specifically interact with a specific type of finisher skills. When Innate Strength buffs have been tiered up to maximum stacks, a Yellow-line Share Skill can be used to temporarily grant the fellowship a unique bonus, based on the Innate Strength.
Set-Up Skills
All Brawlers have access to the three set-up skills:
These skills are the primary means of generating Mettle. In addition, when a Finisher skill is used, it gains a unique bonus based on the most recently used Set-up skill. This bonus can vary based on specialization and additional traits.
These skills are granted automatically as you gain levels. Some skills have an improved version that can be obtained by leveling further or by equipping certain traits, traceries, or armour sets.
These skills are acquired by spending trait points in the Fulcrum (blue) trait tree. You can only obtain the Set skills if you specialize in this tree.
These skills are acquired by spending trait points in the Maelstrom (red) trait tree. You can only obtain the Set skills if you specialize in this tree.
Class deeds will involve 4 types; Quest-based; Any time for deeds based on skills which are usable outside of combat; Offensive, which requires attacking a hostile target; and Defensive, where the character is attacked by a hostile combatant. With respect to trivial (grey) mobs, offensive skills used against them, do not advance class skill deeds, but defensive skill deeds do. Defensive deeds which call for block, parry, or evade, can be advanced using lower-level training-dummies, regardless of player level, since dummies are capable of reactive melee. Defensive deeds that require a special combat state (e.g. root, snare) can, if desired, be advanced with grey low-level mobs on landscape, or in instances, if the mobs possess the appropriate abilities.
Class deeds require the character to have completed the player introduction quests.
Individual Deeds are not visible in the Deed Log until the appropriate skills trigger the Deed
Individual Meta Deed Tiers are not visible in the Deed Log until at least one of the individual deeds is completed
All Individual and Meta Deeds are logged in the Deed Log under "Class/Race/Epic" on the "Class" tab and are called "Class Deeds - tier N"
Completion of Class Quests (levels 15 and 30) does not grant LOTRO Points or show up in the Deed Log, but can trigger the appropriate Meta Deed Tier to show up in the log
Unlike other classes, Brawler appears to have no daily limit on skill deed advancement
Brawlers are a heavy-armour melee class focused on dealing damage and tanking. Conceptually, the Brawler uses fisticuffs and battle gauntlets, rather than traditional weapons, allegedly like Helm Hammerhand.
In addition to tanking and dps, the Brawler has a number of buffs available to improve the fighting prowess and survivability of themselves and their fellows.
Brawlers also utilize a “currency” called Mettle which increases over time and is then spent to use more damaging attacks and abilities. More mettle also increases your overall dps.
The preferred stat of the Brawler is Might which, when increased, improves the Brawler’s physical mastery in addition to their Parry and Evade stats. Of note is the fact that, according to LOTRO wiki, Brawlers also get the highest return on their Vitality stat, meaning a high Morale pool is an important part of the class.
Finally, Brawlers utilize “set-up” and “finisher” attacks to buff themselves and debuff enemies.
Terminology
There are a few phrases used when discussing the Brawler that are exclusive to the class and, honestly, quite confusing. Here they are so we know we are working common vocabulary for the rest of the guide:
Mettle - The currency (or “resource”) Brawlers build up and spend to use certain skills. You build mettle by using set-up attacks and other buffs.
Set-up - Three attacks that apply a temporary effect. While that effect is active, attacking with a skill that costs mettle turns the effect into a buff. These are also called “mettle builders.”
Mettle spender- Any attack that costs mettle to be used. They usually cost 3. They will trigger and apply the ability from the last set-up attack you used.
Finisher - Type of attack, generally mettle spenders but not always
Battle Flow - Passive buff that gives all attack skills (besides set-ups) +3% damage for every point of mettle you have. This is explained more in the passive buffs section.
Types of Attacks
If you look in your skills panel you will see that the Brawler attacks are categorized differently. This is not at all obvious but important to using certain things like Innate Strength (a passive buff, explained later). See the graphics above and read this:
Heavy Attacks - Increase Critical rating or mitigation. All mettle spenders. These are marked with a (H) below.
Balanced Attacks - increases parry or finesse. Marked with a (B) below.
Quick Attacks - Increase dps or threat. Marked with a (Q) below.
Skills at a Glance
Brawlers have lots of buttons (like any good LOTRO character) so this section offers a quick explanation of each one.
Most passive skills are just there and you get the general idea: if you traited blue, those passives help you to tank better; if you’re red, they help you to punch better. Unless you’re a super raider you really don’t need to worry about it. There are a couple things worth being aware of, though..
Battle Flow
This was explained a little bit above, but it pops up a lot with the Brawler and explained exactly nowhere except on its tooltip which is buried on the skills pane. Battle Flow is simply a passive bonus that gives all your attack skills (besides set-up attacks) +3% damage per mettle. It does not spend mettle.
As a Brawler, you are comfortable in even the most chaotic melees. Your ability to unleash powerful techniques grows as you fight.
Each point of Mettle grants the Brawler +2% skill damage.
The trait Enhanced Battle Flow increases your skill damage to +4.5% per pip, for a whopping +40.5% at maximum. Using set-up skills does not spend mettle, so they can get the boost for perpetuity (good for taking out trash mobs solo).
Innate Strength
This is a set of passive buffs that increase a particular stat when a particular attack is used and unlock as you tier up the red or blue trait specializations. Skills in The Fundament trait spec allow you to share these buffs with your fellows.
Ability buffs are determined by tracery quality. +Stats are static per tracery level range.
Backhand Clout Targets & Damage - Increase targets up to +4 +Physical Mastery
Basic Attack Damage - Set-up skills up to +55% more damage +Physical Mastery
Come At Me - Cooldown up to -11s, bubble up to +27.5% +Vitality
Battle-wise Mettle Chance - Increase bonus chance up to +16.5% +Critical Rating
Brawler Melee Range - increase attack range by up to +0.77 +Finesse
Finish Attack Damage - Increase up to +27.5% +Finesse
Fist of the Valar - Reduce cooldown up to -4.4 seconds +Might
Fulgurant Strike Cooldown & Damage - Cooldown up -4.4s, damage up to +38% +Crit
Get Serious Duration & Damage Buff - Increase buff duration up to +3.3 seconds and effect up to +11% +Critical Rating
Helm-crusher Cooldown - Reduce cooldown up to -6.6 seconds +Physical Mastery
Hurl Object Cooldown & Damage- Reduce cooldown up to -3.3 seconds and damage up to +55% +Critical Rating
Ignore Pain Cooldown & Dispel Count - Increase effects dispelled by +1 and reduce cooldown up to -5.5s +Incoming Healing
Innate Strength: Criticals/Mitigation - increase duration up to +3.3 seconds and and effect up to +11% +Tactical Mitigation
Innate Strength: Damage/Threat - increase duration up to +3.3 seconds and and effect up to +11% +Might
Innate Strength: Finesse/Avoidance - Duration up to +3.3 seconds; effect up to +11% +Evade
Joy of Battle Cooldown & Effects - Cooldown up -66s; damage up to +55%; healing up to 1.65% +Vitality
Latent Light - Increase chance to trigger up to +11%; damage up to +22% +Tactical Mitigation
Mettle Shield - Shield bonus up to +33% +Vitality
Mighty Upheaval - Knockdown up to +33%; damage up to +38.5% +Might
One For All Cooldown - Reduce cooldown by up to -33 seconds +Incoming Healing
Plant Feet - Cooldown up to -49.5s; mitigation up to +27.5% +Vitality
Quick Feint Cooldown & Evasion Buff - Reduce cooldown up to -11 seconds and increase Clever Feint evade chance by up to +2.2% +Evade Rating
Share Skills Cooldown - Reduce cooldowns up to -44 seconds +Vitality
Shattering Fist - Debuff up to +36.3%; damage up to +38.5%
Red Line Suggestions
I mean if you’re not using The Maelstrom for landscape questing, what are you even doing?
Heraldic - Lion is the easy choice here. More Might = more punchy. But Ox works as well.
Craft - Blades and Destruction are the way to go here because we are pumping up our damage and keeping it simple.
Power - Single Target Crits and Single Target Damage are really the way to go to clear out enemies quickly. An argument can be made for others but we’re trying to be our punchiest selves here.
Mastery - Get Serious Duration & Damage Buff will help you kill stuff quickly which is the point.
Hurl Object Cooldown & Damage is not as obvious but the quicker you start a fight (with your only ranged attack, for instance) the quicker you can finish it.
Blue Line Suggestions
Popular opinion says the Brawlers make better tanks than dps, so if you’re going Fulcrum try these.
Heraldic - A case can be made for Lion, but Ox = vitality = morale = you stay alive longer
Strike as One! and 
One for All.
Mettle Shield and strong cooldowns like 
Weather Blows. Due to the nature of 
Fist of the Valar to consume all 9 Mettle for maximum damage.
Battle Flow effect.
