The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria

The Lord of the Rings Online:
Mines of Moria

Official logo for Mines of Moria

Mines of Moria

Released

November 14, 2008 (EU) & November 18, 2008 (US) (release notes)

Nickname

MoM

Level cap

60

Region added

Eregion, Moria and Lothlórien

Production

First announced

March 14, 2008

Pre-order period

Unknown

Soundtrack

Mines of Moria - Original Video Game Soundtrack, by Chance Thomas and Stephen DiGregorio

Developer

Codemasters

Expansion Chronology

-

The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria

The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood

The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria is LOTRO's first expansion. With this expansion, players could for the first time venture beyond Eriador, crossing the Misty Mountains in the footsteps of The Fellowship of the Ring. The expansion was originally sold in DVD boxes in game stores.

On April 13, 2022, the expansion was removed from the Store in anticipation of Update 33, which will make its contents available for free to every player.

This page aims to give an overview of the release history and the main features of the expansion. A full overview of all game changes can be read in Mines of Moria's release notes.^[1]

Content

10 new levels (to level 60)
6 new epic books
3 new regions: Eregion, Moria, Lothlórien
2 new classes:

Rune-keeper

The Rune-keeper is a master of words, and uses those to either damage his enemies or inspire his allies.^[2]

Warden

The Warden is a more "tank-y" class and is a master of martial combat, and must strike his blows in such a way to best finish off his enemies.^[3]

ancient dwarven treasure
new traits, virtues, skills, class quests
expansion of crafting system
legendary items, that level-up with the player and can be customized by advancing the item's virtues, adding runic legacies, modifying its titles...
dynamic lighting & player lights
World-changing instances
Environment-aware AI
Epic high-level instances:
- New adventure instances and raids
- Expanded PvMP areas
Leaderboards and achievement rankings

Production and sales

March 14, 2008, Codemasters officially announced the development of Mines of Moria at Codemasters Online Connect 2008.^[4]^[5] It was scheduled to release in the fall of 2008.

The expansion was promoted through web-based mini games. Playing these games unlocked the trailer and game art.

Other pre-release promotions involved collaborations with gamer websites. Players could get the following free in-game cosmetic items:

Hauberk of the Mithril Guard: players could get this hauberk by signing up for the MMORPG.com website.^[6] This reportedly still works.^[7]
Cloak of the Dark Halls: US players could request this cloak by registering on the forums of GamesRadar and following some steps. This is no longer possible.^[8]

Expansion editions

Mines of Moria was originally sold in three versions: a base version called the Complete Edition, a Special Edition with some extra goodies and the most expensive one, the Collector's Edition. The original boxes can sometimes still be found online on retailer websites. Note, however, that the product keys of the EU version (recognizable by the Codemasters label) do no longer work due to changes in ownership of the game.^[9]

Complete Edition	Special Edition	Collector's Edition
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar	The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar	The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria	The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria	The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
3 Ithildín Coins*	3 Ithildín Coins*	3 Ithildín Coins*
Mines of Moria poster	Mines of Moria poster	Mines of Moria poster
Middle-Earth map	Middle-Earth map	Middle-Earth map
Starter Guide	Starter Guide	Full color Collector's Edition Starter Guide
	Mines of Moria soundtrack	The Lord of the Rings Online Audio Library with the Mines of Moria soundtrack
	Replica of the One Ring in a bag made of velvet	Gold-plated replica of the One Ring complete with chain and pouch
	Replica of an Elven Cloak Clasp	22" x 22" cloth map of the Mines of Moria
	60 days of playtime	Community badge for the LOTRO forums

Pre-order only
Pre-order product key**, unlocking:
Mines of Moria soundtrack***
Cloak of the Sunset, Cloak of Durin's Crown, Hauberk of the Mithril Guard & Deep Miner's Helm
Title "Moria Expeditionary"

* The coins automatically appear in the inventory of every character upon using the attached key. Right-clicking them begins the quest Ithildín Coin with unique selectable rewards.
** This product key still works: it bestows the in-game items and title retroactively, as long as the code originates from an American order. Codemaster (EU) pre-order product keys do no longer work.
*** The soundtrack was officially released on November 17, 2008. The album was largely the same as the earlier released Shadows of Angmar soundtrack, but with seven bonus tracks added onto the end, including one from the Mines of Moria expansion.

Players who tested the expansion in Beta received a Ranger's Cloak. Mines of Moria was released in Europe on November 14 and in Northern America on November 18, 2008.

Gallery

Mines of Moria poster. This posted was included with any of the expansion box editions.
Concept art of the Doors of Durin, the western entrance to Moria
Concept art of the door to the Chamber of Mazarbul, which holds Balin's Tomb
Concept art of the entrance room of Moria, Durin's Threshold
Concept art of the Bridge of Khazad-dûm
Concept art for Volume II, Book 7: Leaves of Lórien
Concept art of Lothlórien treetops by concept artist Tara Rueping