User:Ravanel/Sandbox7

After the expansion Helm's Deep was announced, the new website section https://www.lotro.com/en/helmsdeep was launched. The page linked to several sub sections that informed players about the new epic books, the new regions, the epic battle system and the class overhaul. This page contains the original texts and images of these sections; it was copied to LOTRO-wiki in the spring of 2020. The main page linking to the sub sections is no longer online on LOTRO.com.

Fight for Rohan's Survival

The White Hand moves to seize Edoras as Théoden King broods within the Golden Hall. Without their King the people of Rohan despair. Gandalf and his brave companions arrive at the capital as West Rohan falls under Saruman's control. The fate of the kingdom will be decided at Helm's Deep. BOOK 11: THE GOLDEN HALL The White Hand plots the conquering of Rohan with Uruk-hai, Orcs, and Dunlendings. Meanwhile, at the whispers of Chief Advisor Gríma, Théoden King believes Saruman a friend of Rohan. You must disobey the command of a King, and journey to the capital city of Edoras to reunite with old allies. Unearth the depth of Gríma Wormtongue's treachery, come to the aid of Éowyn and Éomer, and prepare Edoras to march to safety. BOOK 12: WAR IN THE WESTEMNET Meet with old friends and journey the expansive lands of West Rohan, at the request of Éomer, to help the people of Rohan. Aid refugees, seek out informants, and uncover a mystery weaved through the war-torn fields of green. BOOK 13: HELM'S DEEP Saruman commands a horde of fell creatures and Men; the White Hand's army marches on Helm's Deep and the Hornburg, where the people of Rohan, led by Théoden King, seek refuge. Terror and chaos mingle as you ride to aid the Rohirrim in a seemingly unwinnable battle.

Explore Western Rohan

BROADACRES The Warg-riders of Saruman sweep into the Broadacres to burn and destroy with unrelenting fires that consume large swaths of grassland outside Stoke. Catastrophe looms as the flames encroach on the Riders' settlements. In the north, the village of Torsbury is assaulted by Dunlendings, pressing their invasion out of the Stonedeans. GEOGRAPHY A flat and fertile land of rich soil and swaying, grey-green grass, growing so high in places that it reaches the knees of a man on horseback. The land is among the least rocky in the Mark, and while a few chestnuts and elms dot the landscape, most of it is treeless. LORE Reeve Fríthild is the sole woman to rule a Riding in the Mark. A shield-maiden by birth and training, she was the only child of the former knight, Fríthgist, who raised her like a son. When Éowyn visited Edoras as a child, Fríthild treated her like a foster-sister. Ever since, Éowyn has wanted to follow her footsteps and wield a sword in battle. STONEDEANS The Wild Men, with help from Saruman's Orcs and Uruk-hai, control a great deal of the Stonedeans. They prepare to cross the river-gorge at Brockbridge, where a few brave men hold back an endless tide threatening to wash over northern Stonedeans. Should the Wild Men succeed, they will surely march on Edoras to raze the city and its golden hall to the ground. GEOGRAPHY A region among the foothills of the Misty Mountains, the Stonedeans consists of crags, broken stones, tall oaks and firs, and rushing rivers. A source of many of the metals worked by the Rohirrim, particularly iron mined from the low mountains that surround Nan Curunír. LORE By no coincidence is this Riding the most similar to Dunland. Historically poor and uncivilized, compared with the remainder of the Westemnet, the Stonedeans have seen many marriages between Eorlingas the Dunlendings. Rohirrim from more prosperous lands even call it "Deanland" in jest. KINGSTEAD For nearly thirty years, from atop Edoras, beloved Théoden King has ruled Kingstead and the entire Mark. In recent months, Gríma Wormtongue's whispering counsel has made the once-beloved King increasingly feeble and suspicious. Now, word of his son Théodred's death has sunk Théoden into a dark and profound depression. GEOGRAPHY Kingstead, royal Riding of the Mark, is among the most fertile and pleasant of all Rohan's provinces. Stretches of rich green grassland and farms are scattered between the rivers Snowbourn and Swiftwater, where the land grows damp and marshy, dotted with willow trees. LORE Behind Edoras, deep into the White Mountains, lies the valley of Harrowdale, once plagued by Orcs that were wiped out over a century ago by King Folca the Hunter. Some whisper, however, that not all the Orcs were slain, and that some are biding their time, waiting for a chance to exact vengeance upon the Mark. WESTFOLD Ravaged and burned by servants of Isengard, the Westfold has crumbled into disarray. Its leaders scatter and lose skirmishes as they attempt to regroup, and even the mightiest begin to lose heart. The great refuge of Helm's Deep is the Rohirrim's last hope, and it is upon these sparsely defended walls that the enemy hordes assault. GEOGRAPHY Rocky meadows dotted by elms and alders, many chopped and hewn by raiders, the Westfold is cut by the rushing river of Swiftwater. Three other rivers, the Deeping-stream, the Grimbrook, and the Woodwell, flow from the White Mountains, their banks peppered with stony outcroppings. LORE Helm's Deep is protected by a raised and semi-fortified earthwork known as Helm's Dike and the ancient Númenórean keep, the Hornburg. Beyond the Hornburg, the mighty Deeping-wall shelters the rest of the valley. The Deeping-stream runs through the wall's base. EASTFOLD Located on the far side of the realm, away from Isengard, Eastfold has seen little of Saruman's savagery, but is not at peace. Long thought destroyed and starved for vengeance, the Orcs of the White Mountains stir once more through Sauron's dark will. GEOGRAPHY Eastfold's lands divide into three areas: the Folde, the Fenmarch, and the Everholt. The Folde is rich farmland that has long served the realm. The Fenmarch blooms with wildflowers, tussocks, reeds. Everholt is an old oak forest and royal hunting ground running uphill to the White Mountains. LORE Home of Éomer, Third Marshal of the Riddermark, Eastfold is among the oldest Ridings in the Mark; it was the seat of Eorl the Young when he first became King. The capital moved to Edoras during the reign of his son Brego, but the Eastfold remains the site of many important moments of Rohan's history.

Enlist in Epic Battles

Stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Théoden King, Aragorn, Legolas. And Gimli as Helm's Deep thunders from the White Hand's fell army. Their only desire is Rohan's annihilation, their only opposition stands atop the great and ancient Hornburg. ENLIST EARLY & BRING ALLIES Starting at level 10, defend Helm's Deep alone or with friends. All players fight together at level 95, with more allies bringing greater challenge and reward. BATTLE OFTEN Designed for how you play, Epic Battles are perfect for all lengths of LOTRO sessions. OBJECTIVES & MEDALS Each Epic Battle features a Primary Objective in the defence of the Hornburg and survival of Rohan. But whether defending Helm's Dike or the Deeping Wall, it's not a simple matter of success or failure. Secondary Objectives provide opportunities for new heights of heroism: save injured soldiers while Uruk-hai invade, defeat a vicious Troll charging through the blast in the Deeping Wall, or rescue horses threatened by White Hand assassins. Every objective, Primary or otherwise, rewards a Medal: bronze, silver, gold, or platinum. Earn the best Medals to gain the greatest rewards: class equipment, new rare accessories, and points to spend on Epic Battle Promotions. PROMOTIONS Survival at Helm's Deep hinges on how well you complete objectives. Will you wade into warfare like Gimli and Legolas? Fight while commanding like Aragorn? Or is your path equally valorous but decidedly unique? The choice, and glory, is yours for the making. THE VANGUARD Wade through battle earning kill-streaks to unlock powerful Epic Battle abilities. Summon a volley of arrows, stun surrounding forces, and achieve a hero's death, inspiring allies to legendary feats of strength and frenzied battle-rage. THE ENGINEER Strategically place siege equipment to use against the enemy, lay devastating traps, and apply powders to projectiles that add effects to weaken the incoming enemy. Master the deadly siege weaponry at Helm's Deep: aim, upgrade, and fire everything from ballistae to trebuchet, scattering enemy forces to the wind. THE OFFICER Heal troops on the brink of defeat and grant defensive benefits to reinforce the line. As a veteran, the Officer commands from afar, orders troops to counter enemy assaults, and can raise banners of war to embolden the defense.

Revitalize Your Role

Shape your class with greater insight and control using Trait Trees. The skills you select, like the choices you make, are more clear and meaningful than ever before. TRAIT TREES Beginning at level 6, Trait Trees offer a selection of powerful Specializations (Specs) that enhance your character. You gain more Trait Points by leveling-up and completing Deeds, and higher levels unlock additional builds to switch between when outside combat. Each class has unique Specs that embody a clear combat style, whether it's the Minstrel healing Spec or the Champion Morale tank Spec. As you allocate points you'll receive several bonuses, like enhanced passives, new powerful Skills, and significant Skill upgrades. BURGLAR Inspired by Bilbo Baggins and his famous adventures with Thorin and Company to the Lonely Mountain, the Burglar uses stealth and confusion to weaken their opponents. THE QUIET KNIFE Slip past your enemies as The Quiet Knife and stalk enemies with composed cunning. The Quiet Knife relies on Critical Attack skill-chains, ready to escape into shadow at a moment’s notice. Skill Highlight: "Coup de Grâce" is a powerful melee attack with bonus critical damage. If the target is defeated soon after the skill, the Burglar enters Stealth. THE MISCHIEF-MAKER Become a master of debuffs and disables as The Mischief-maker. Fight multiple targets and support your fellowship by trading burst damage for an arsenal of Trick and Trick-removal buffs. Skill Highlight: "Trickster" makes the next Trick an area-of-effect that stacks with a pre-existing Trick. THE GAMBLER Put everything on the line in battle using skills with a random element that demands you and your enemies to react. Quick wits combined with buffs and debuffs make or break victory. Skill Highlight: "All In" gives The Gambler a potent buff to both defence and offence. If the Burglar doesn't defeat an enemy before the effect expires, he Busts, suffering an equal debuff for the length of the original buff. CAPTAIN Inspired by Eärnur, the last King of Gondor, the Captain is able to lead the charge with elements of tank, healer, or damage dealer. LEADER OF MEN Safeguard your fellows while drawing the ire of enemies as the Leader of Men. Skill Highlight: "Strength in Numbers" gives a stacking heal-over-time for each nearby ally. Can also block with two-handed weapons. HANDS OF HEALING Empower and heal your fellows while fiercely fighting enemies, but use caution. Many of the Hands of Healing skills cost Morale, a risky fact when your self-heals are limited. Skill Highlight: "Reform the Lines!" trades a portion of the Captain's maximum Morale for a potent fellowship-wide heal-over-time. LEAD THE CHARGE Strengthen your fellowship’s melee damage and augment your own single-target damage as you Lead the Charge. Skill Highlight: Auras provide increased damage and armour penetration to your fellows. "Blade-brother's Call" briefly strengthens your Blade-brother bond: with successful attacks by one, the other receives a Physical Mastery buff. CHAMPION Inspired by Gimli son of Glóin, whose skill at arms was matched only by the bow-skill of Legolas, the Champion specializes in melee damage-dealing but can also lend a hand in the defense. THE BERSERKER High-burst specialists, Berserkers use critical chance to single out a target and shred their Morale with ferocious speed. Skill Highlight: "Ferocious Strikes" delivers a devastating 3-strike attack that enemies cannot block or parry. DEADLY STORM Like a metal tornado of destruction, the Deadly Storm specializes in sustained area-of-effect damage. Skill Highlight: "Fury of Blades" costs no specific fervour and instead cashes-out all pips to attack enemies in a cone, delivering higher damage for each consumed fervour pip. MARTIAL CHAMPION Seemingly unstoppable, the Martial Champion prefers weaponry and vitality over any shield. Enemy attacks give them strength they gladly use to stand defiant between allies and enemies. Skill Highlight: The "Unbreakable" buff gives a Martial Champion Morale and Physical Mastery each time they're hit or damaged. At max buff stacks, the Champion may lash out for severe Area-of-Effect damage. GUARDIAN Inspired by Samwise Gamgee, a Hobbit whose loyalty to Frodo Baggins knew no bounds, the Guardian embodies an iconic defensive style but can sacrifice durability for harrowing damage. THE KEEN BLADE Specializing in high base-damage attacks and the stacking of bleeds, The Keen Blade emphasizes two-handed weapons and parries. Skill Highlight: "Overwhelm" stuns and interrupts on a critical hit, but also gains increased damage for every bleed it removes from an enemy. THE FIGHTER OF SHADOW Performing well in most situations, The Fighter of Shadow battles using self-buffs and enemy debuffs. This line opens up a means of two-handed tanking, and also uses a unique marking mechanic for additional damage to enemies. Skill Highlight: "Cataclysmic Shout" consumes all Guardian marks on enemies to damage and briefly stun them. DEFENDER OF THE FREE A stout and determined survivor, The Defender of the Free uses single-target and area-of-effect taunts with effective block-based skills, but also has parry-response skills for increased damage. Skill Highlight: "Juggernaut" is a brief self-buff that blocks all attacks and crowd control while reflecting damage at enemies. HUNTER Inspired by Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, a mighty hunter and companion of Aragorn, the Hunter is the master of ranged damage with additional skills in crowd control and support. BOWMASTER A stationary but high-impact damage line, the Bowmaster can down an enemy as they're running to attack. Skill Highlight: The induction skill "Upshot" consumes all Focus to deal massive damage from afar, with damaged boosted by each Focus pip consumed. THE TRAPPER OF FOES Controlling the flow of battle while employing buffs to gain leverage on their opponent, The Trapper of Foes is a potent support and solo line. Skill Highlight: Deployed at a distance, the "Deadly Decoy" trap taunts enemies before exploding for heavy damage. HUNTSMAN A mid-range harasser that excels at sustained damage, the Huntsman unleashes volleys of rapid attacks while navigating the battlefield. Skill Highlight: "Barrage" deals moderate damage even while on the move. Consuming three Focus pips, it can deal a steady stream of shots that each deal greater damage, but also cost more power. LORE-MASTER Inspired by Elrond Halfelven, Elf-lord and Master of Rivendell, the Lore-master can specialize in crowd control, healing and support, or damage dealing. THE MASTER OF NATURE’S FURY The Master of Nature’s Fury deals significant ranged damage, using skill interactions to maximize damage to one or multiple targets. Skill Highlight: Lightning Storm calls down lighting to damage several foes at once, consuming any Burning Embers for substantial bonus damage. THE KEEPER OF ANIMALS The Keeper of Animals reinforces Lore-master animal mastery, allowing higher survival and improved pet interactions. Skill Highlight: A channeled skill, Inner Flame heals you and your pet while building a growing Fire Damage buff on yourself. THE ANCIENT MASTER Offering strong crowd control, a variety of debuffs, and Power restoration for a Fellowship, The Ancient Master uses effect-chains to enhance and modify debuffs. Skill Highlight: "Fire-lore" decreases enemy Physical Mitigation and, with upgrades, spreads to other targets. MINSTREL Inspired by Lúthien Tinúviel, whose Elven voice beguiled friend and foe alike, the Minstrel strums songs that can support, heal, or damage. THE WATCHER OF RESOLVE A healing line that performs powerful buffs, The Watcher of Resolve restores Morale with great frequency and potency. Skill Highlight: "Legend of Helm Hammerhand" applies a Morale bubble to all nearby allies. If the bubble is broken, no bonus is given, but if the bubble expires without breaking it grants a small fellowship heal. THE PROTECTOR OF SONG Proactive in guarding their fellows, The Protector of Song casts forth powerful buffs and upgraded Anthems to provide combat versatility. Skill Highlight: "Inspire Fellows," one of their many buffs, further reduces incoming damage and increases this fellowship heal. THE WARRIOR-SKALD The Warrior-Skald delivers raw and potent damage, can circumvent enemy defences, and employ deadly Minstrel skills more frequently. Skill Highlight: "Call of Orome" deals significant Light damage and decreases an enemy's Light Mitigation. RUNE-KEEPER Inspired by Master Elf-smith Celebrimbor, whose skill with runes of power was unparalleled, the Rune-keeper wields powerful lost language to blaze a path of destruction or restore their allies' strength. SOLITARY THUNDER Based on mobility burst damage, Solitary Thunder skills have less range but most are instant-cast. With a chance to boost damage, skill awareness and timing are crucial to high damage output. Skill Highlight: ”Epic Conclusion” can be cast on the move, and unleashes a bolt of lightning that consumes battle attunement to deal even greater damage. CLEANSING FLAME Capable of long range induction-based attacks, the Cleansing Flame Rune-keeper relies on damage-over-time skills for reliable and sustained damage and can unlock area-of-effect attacks. Skill Highlight: "Combustion" causes a target to burst alit with flame and instantly damages nearby enemies. Trait upgrades causes Writ of Fire to spread from the attack, burning enemies for extra damage-over-time. BENEDICTION OF PEACE Relying on heal-over-time skills over burst heals, Benediction of Peace also provides ways to absorb, re-direct, or mitigate damage their allies might otherwise suffer. Skill Highlight: The heal-over-time buff "Bombastic Inspiration" ends with a burst heal and can be stacked. Each additional stack increases both heals. WARDEN Inspired by the Marchwarden of Lothlórien, Haldir, and his brothers Rúmil and Orophin, the Warden wields their iconic spear and shield to defend or deal damage. RECKLESSNESS A damage specialization that stacks bleeds on a target, Recklessness uses a cash-out skill for additional area-of-effect and utility. Careful planning of gambit-chains and layering of effects maximizes damage. Skill Highlight: “No Respite for the Wicked” causes Offensive Strike line Gambits to apply an Incoming Healing Debuff to enemies. DETERMINATION Rotate your gambits to self-heal and bolster defences and tank multiple enemies with Determination. String self-buffs for combat flexibility, finishing a string by choosing one of two skills. Skill Highlight: "Defiant Challenge" is an area-of-effect taunt that boosts the Warden's defences based on nearby enemies. ASSAILMENT A ranged damage line that also focuses on debuffing enemies, Assailment has versatility. As a solo build, its strength comes from debuffs and traits that boost melee combat. In group play, it offers potent debuffs to enemy defences. Skill Highlight: "Marked Target" damages an enemy and applies a physical mitigation debuff. You can upgrade "Marked Target" to gain a chance to affect multiple targets.