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Getting Started with Fellowship Maneuvers

Getting Started with Fellowship Maneuvers

Want to be great in groups and raids? Then you’ll need to master Fellowship Maneuvers, or "FMs". (You might also hear these referred to by their old name "Conjunctions", or "CJs" for short.)

An FM is a powerful, coordinated group attack. FMs can be triggered by certain classes, most often Burglars or Guardians, but many times they occur by random chance. When an FM starts, a "wheel" with four colors pops up on your screen. To participate in the FM, you click a color on the wheel.

But simply clicking a color at random won't help your group: the color and order of each group member's contribution affects the outcome of the attack. There are a limited number of valid patterns, each of which can do extra damage to enemies, restore morale or power to group members, clear debuffs - even summon temporary allies. No single FM does all of this, however, so your group leader may ask the group to perform specific FMs depending on what your group needs most.

It's essential to get your contribution right: failing to contribute, or just tossing a random color will often cause the FM to fail completely.

The FM User Interface

The user interface for FMs can be confusing, and it doesn’t help that you usually see it for just a few seconds during combat. Here’s a quick tour so you know what to expect:

Change Target The change target button appears when an FM has started on a mob that isn’t your current target. Click it to target the correct mob, and get the Wheel.
The Wheel The FM “Wheel” pops up on your screen when an FM is triggered. Click a color on the wheel to make your contribution.
The Wheel: Out of Range Each color has a different maximum distance to the mob, and this varies depending on your class. If you are too far away for certain colors, you’ll be unable to click those in the wheel.
The Wheel: After You Click After you’ve contributed your color to the FM, the wheel greys out.

Want to change your contribution? Jump or move to cancel your color and get the clickable wheel back.
Preset Pattern The pattern pops up briefly when the fellowship leader chooses it.

Unfortunately it looks a lot like an FM just started, except that you won’t have a Wheel or Change Target button.
FM Attempt
When you are in combat and an FM starts, the pattern pops up again. Try to contribute a color that matches the pattern.

Your contribution will have a yellow arc beneath it.
FM Immune After successfully executing an FM on a mob, it will be immune to another FM for one minute and you'll see a "red shield" buff icon on the mob.

The mob also gains stun immunity for a short time, shown by the "fuzzy pink bullseye" buff icon.

Your Contribution to the FM

The right FM at the right time can greatly speed up an instance run, and even prevent a wipe. It will take some practice to become skilled at executing FMs, but your groups will be happy you did.

Here are some tips:
  • Need to cancel or change your color? Just move or jump to cancel. If you are quick you'll be able to add another color at the end of the FM.

  • Waiting for someone else to contribute their color first? You can start to click the color, but hold down the mouse button. Release the mouse button to when it's time to add your color.

  • If you prefer to use the keyboard, key mappings (Options > Key Mappings) can make adding your color at the right time much easier. I like to map colors to my arrow keys.

  • You can also control where the FM user interface appears on your screen. Press ctrl-\ to enter layout mode, and position the "Fellowship Manoeuvre Attempt Display" and "Fellowship Manoeuvre Display" elements as desired.

Popular FMs

Pure of Heart (GGGBB), which restores health and power to the fellowship, is a very popular FM. Noble Blood (BBBGG) produces a similar effect, with an emphasis on power. Noble Lineage (GGBB or BBGG) has a similar, smaller effect but it can be executed by just four group members.

Some groups prefer the "Red Kicker", where everyone clicks the red icon except the last person (the kicker), usually the healer. The kicker chooses the last color based on what the fellowship needs most.
  • Break the Door (5 reds + yellow) is a powerful area of effect attack.
  • Roll of Drum (5 reds + green) gives the group a large heal over time (HoT) and cures fear and wound debuffs.
  • Hew the Stone (5 reds + blue) gives the group power and summons an oathbreaker to protect the kicker for a few minutes.

Another great approach is "Around the Wheel". Following the wheel around in either direction for at least 3 colors will always produce an FM - often an exceptionally good one - no matter which color you start with.

There are many more FM patterns. Please see the links at the end of this article for listings.

Other things to know about FMs

  • You must face the target to contribute to an FM
  • FMs only work in groups; you’ll never see one while soloing
  • You must be level 12 or higher to participate in an FM
  • After successfully executing an FM on a mob, it will be immune to another FM for one minute
  • Mobs that have recently been stunned are immune to FMs

Related Links

Fellowships: Grouping in LOTRO
Fellowship Maneuvers on Lorebook
Fellowship Maneuvers on Lotro-Wiki