View source for Warden

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[[Category:Class]]
[[Category:Warden]]
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{{Class Description
|class=warden
|difficulty=Advanced
|role=Damage/Tank
|races=[[Race#Dwarf|Dwarf]], [[Race#Elf|Elf]], [[Race#High Elf|High Elf]], [[Race#Hobbit|Hobbit]], [[Race#Race_of_Man|Man]], [[Race#River_Hobbit|River Hobbit]], [[Race#Stout-axe|Stout-axe]]
|gameplay=Wardens are mobile melee combatants who use Javelins for initiating combat and against ranged foes. Their unique Warden Shield and a variety of defensive skills allow them to stay in the fight longer than most. Basic Warden skills build up their Gambit chain, which can be spent to unleash special Gambit skills. In Fellowships, a Warden forces enemies to attack themself, so their more fragile allies will not be harmed by the foes.
|lore=The Warden patrols the borders of civilized lands, preventing the encroachment of fell creatures from the Wild. They limit themselves to medium armour, so they can travel swiftly and silently to defend those they protect from threats. Wardens all have some military training, and have mastered a style of combat that uses combinations of basic attacks to create masterful Gambits.
|inspiration=The class was inspired by the marchwarden of Lothlórien, Haldir, and his brothers Rúmil and Orophin.
}}<includeonly>
:::''For details see [[Warden]]''</includeonly></onlyinclude>
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|- valign="top"
|width=200px | [[File: Warden.jpg|200px|thumb|left|A female Hobbit Warden]]
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== Overview ==

=== Lore ===
The Warden patrols the borders of civilized lands, preventing the encroachment of fell creatures from the Wild. They limit themselves to medium armour so that they can travel swiftly and silently to defend those they protect from threats. Wardens all have some military training and have mastered a style of combat that uses combinations of basic attacks to create masterful Gambits. The class was inspired by the marchwarden of Lothlórien, Haldir, and his brothers Rúmil and Orophin.

=== Development Background ===
Turbine has explained that "the Warden's gameplay mechanics owe a debt to Tekken as much as to any Elf-lord." LotRO Executive director Jeffrey Steefel described the Warden as a character "for players [that] want to anticipate what they'll need 10 seconds from now as opposed to right this second."<ref>https://pc.gamespy.com/pc/the-lord-of-the-rings-online-mines-of-moria/887242p1.html</ref> Creative Director Cardell Kerr describes the Warden as "the local beat cop of Middle earth ... he has this kind of utility about him."<ref>https://www.warcry.com/articles/view/interviews/5104-LotRO-Executive-Producer-Jeffery-Steefel-Talks-Moria</ref>

=== Warden's Role in Groups ===
A Warden's role depends on the specialization chosen. Wardens can assume one of the following three roles:
*'''[[Tank]]:''' When a Warden specializes in the blue [[Determination (Warden Specialization)|Determination]] line, they assume the role of a tank. In this role you want to draw the attention of enemies to yourself by gaining threat or aggro, to prevent harm to your allies. You are also responsible for placement of your enemies within the environment, to optimize the outgoing damage of your allies and to prevent them from standing in harmful puddles. Wardens use only [[Medium Armour|medium armour]], and this plays an essential part in the tanking role and the related trait tree. What the wardens lack in armour is compensated with various buffs obtained from their skills. These range from self-heals, increased [[Avoidance|avoidances]] and improved [[Mitigation|mitigations]]. [[Threat|Threat or aggro]] is primarily gained from [[Game Terms#Light_Damage|Light-type attacks]] and [[heal]]s. [[Taunt|Forced taunts]] are only very sparsely available in the warden class. In the blue line, your threat generation from damage follows a ratio of 3:1, so you can keep up with the threat generated by [[DPS]] classes. Tanking is the warden's primary role they originally were designed for, and since their release with [[the Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria|the Mines of Moria expansion]] they have always been promoted as a tank. However, due to scaling issues and lack of [[Threat|threat copy]] skills, [[Heavy Armour]] classes such as the [[Guardian]], [[Captain]] or [[Beorning]] are currently better tanks at endgame.
*'''[[DPS]] (Damage Dealer):''' When a Warden specializes in the red [[Recklessness (Warden Specialization)|Recklessness]] line, they focus on dealing stronger damage. When in this role, a Warden's main strength are damage over time effects or [[DoT]]s: single target bleeds and Light-type DoTs, which can be both single target and [[AoE]]. The many AoE's are a blessing, but also a curse for many challenges that often require [[Game Terms#Adds|adds]] not to be killed. This is especially the case in the original content of the game: [[Shadows of Angmar]]. The sustained damage of the warden is considered strong, but the burst damage of other [[DPS]] classes is higher.
*'''Ranged Damage and Debuffing:''' While no longer available as a main specialization, the yellow [[Assailment (Warden Specialization)|Assailment]] line, focuses on moderate damage from distance and weakening or [[Debuff|debuffing]] enemies, through the use of javelins. Although it is possible to play this role, you will be seriously outclassed by nukers or other debuffing classes such as [[Burglar]]s and [[Lore-master]]s. However, a hybrid yellow/red build, in which the offensive capabilities of the red line and debuffs of the yellow line are combined, can be viable.

=== Gambits ===
[[File:Gambit Panel Default.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Gambit panel with no Gambit Icons.]]
[[File:Gambit Panel Power Attack.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Gambit panel with the [[Power Attack]] Gambit.]]
A Warden's most powerful abilities are achieved through the use of '''[[Warden Skills|Gambits]]''' -- advanced skills built from special sequences of basic attacks or '''Gambit Builders'''. These builders add a Fist, Shield, Spear or Javelin icon at the end of the sequence in the Gambit Panel on the player's screen. At level 1, these sequences are limited to two icons, but sequences of up to five icons are learnt as the Warden levels up.

As they level up, Wardens obtain skills which interact with gambits. From level 24, '''[[Battle Preparation]]''' allows a Gambit to be pre-built before combat, enabling the Warden to execute a complete gambit immediately upon entering combat. The gambit can be built using either the standard builders or mastery skills.

From level 30, [[Warden]]s build Advanced Technique by completing gambits. A chain of four gambits will contribute one count of Advanced Technique up to a maximum of three. Advanced Technique enhances several of the Warden's skills such as [[The Way of the Spear]], [[Desperate Combat]] and [[For the Free Peoples]]. Executing a skill that uses Advanced Technique will consume all counts. Advanced Technique expires out of combat. Potency skills ([[Defensive Strike]], [[Deft Strike]], [[Goad]], and [[Ranged Deft Strike]]) do not contribute to gambit chains.

From level 38, the four dual-icon gambits grant the [[Potency]] effect, which stores the next gambit executed into '''[[Battle Memory]]'''. The Warden can then execute the stored gambit without having to rebuild it. Battle Memory expires out of combat.

From level 39, the Warden can make use of '''mastery''' skills to build gambit sequences faster. These are special skills that immediately grant two gambit icons without using the basic builder attacks.

=== Stats ===
[[Agility]] is the most important attribute for a Warden. It affects [[Physical Mastery]], parry and evade ratings and [[Critical Rating]] slightly.

Agility used to give [[Tactical Mastery]] as well (which increased your [[Outgoing Healing]]), but this was removed. [[Vitality]] is also important for its [[Morale]] benefit. Prior to [[Update 10, Against the Shadow, Part II Official - March 6, 2013|Update 10]], a Warden's most important attribute was [[Might]]. After the change, players were given a grace period where Might and Agility would grant the same class benefits in order to update their equipment. Currently, Might gives less Physical Mastery than Agility, but it converts to the same amount of parry rating and also gives Block rating.

=== Equipment ===
Wardens are able to wear [[Light Armour]], [[Medium Armour]], [[Shields]] and [[Warden's Shields]] (but not [[Heavy Shields]]). Wardens get [[Warden Skills#Weapon Proficiencies|bonuses]] for using clubs, swords, spears, and javelins, but are also able to use daggers, one-handed axes, one-handed hammers and one-handed maces.

From level 20 onwards, they are able to use [[Shield-spikes Index|Shield-spikes]] and [[Oils Index|Oils]], to change the [[Damage type]] of some of their skills. They can then also equip a [[Warden Items Index#Warden Carvings|carving]] in their [[Class Slot]], which lowers the [[Power]] cost of certain gambit skills and offers stat buffs.

== [[Warden Skills|Skills]] ==
{{:Warden Skills}}

== [[Warden Traits|Specialization Sets & Traits]] ==
{{:Warden Traits}}


== Class Quests ==
{{Questbox| Warden Class Quests | collapsed | 
<categorytree mode=pages style="width:300px; margin:5px; border:1px solid; background:transparent; padding:0.7ex;">Category:Warden Quests</categorytree>
}}

== See Also ==
* [[Guide to the Warden]]
* [[Warden Deeds]]
* [[Warden Gambit Quick Reference]]
* [[Warden Items Index]]
* [[Warden Traceries]]

== References ==
<references/>
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