Leveling Plan for 41-50

For levels 41-50, you'll want to focus as much on Traits and Legendary Items as you do on gaining levels. Challenging content lies ahead, both in level 50 instances and in the Mines of Moria expansion, and you'll want to be prepared.

The approach we suggest is to break this level range into three efforts:

From level 41-45, finish collecting the pages for your legendary traits while level. This means questing in Misty Mountains and Angmar. Once you have all of your pages, you can add the Tal Bruinen area of Trollshaws to your leveling plan.
Once you reach 45, it's time to change gears. You should take a break from regular questing to start your level 45-50 class quests and, if you own the Mines of Moria expansion, get your first Legendary Items. Completing these will make your character feel more powerful. See New Options for Character Improvement below.
From 46-50, Forochel and Eregion add a lot of solo content to the remaining content in Misty Mountains and Angmar. Angmar in particular has a number of group quests, especially at you approach 50.

Free and Premium Tactics

If you are planning to purchase just one quest pack for 41-50, consider Misty Mountains and Angmar. Angmar has a ton of quests and deeds as well as some of the most enjoyable group instances in the game. Misty Mountains has less content but the scalable Helegrod instance cluster will be great replayable content if you are planning to keep going to level 65. Supplement with the rest of the books in Volume I, class quests, reputation grinds and skirmishes.

If you have leveled primarily via skirmishes to this point, you are coming to a crossroads. You can only level your soldier and skirmish skills to rank 7 (basically level 43) before buying the Mines of Moria expansion, which raises the rank cap to 15.

But if you buy the expansion, you have an even bigger problem: survivability. Once you enter Moria, the mobs hit a lot harder and many have damage types other than common. If you haven't already, consider investing in virtue and class trait slot unlocks (or subscribe for at least one month). See Choosing Your Virtues for more information.

New Content for 41-50

Content	Quests, deeds and TP	Classic and Skirmish Join
Misty Mountains VIP or Quest Pack	70+ quests (levels 40-50) 21 deeds 170 TP from zone deeds	Classic Join: [50] Goblin Town - Throne Room (6-man) [50-65] Helegrod: Drake Wing (12-man raid) [50-65] Helegrod: Giant Wing (12-man raid) [50-65] Helegrod: Spider Wing (12-man raid) [50-65] Helegrod: Dragon Wing (24-man raid) Public Dungeon: [49-50] Goblin Town
Angmar VIP or Quest Pack	200+ quests (levels 40-50) 58 deeds 165 TP from zone deeds 255 TP from instance deeds	Classic Join: [50] Barad Gularan (6-man) [50] Carn Dum (6-man) [50] Urugarth (6-man) [50] The Rift of Nurz Ghashu (12-man raid)
Forochel VIP or Quest Pack	100+ quests (levels 44-50) 18 deeds 140 TP from zone deeds
Survival: Barrow-downs VIP or Purchase		Skirmish Join: 45-70 Survival: Barrow-downs
Eregion VIP or Quest Pack	100+ quests (levels 48-53) 37 deeds 175 TP from zone deeds 130 TP from instance deeds	Classic Join: [50-65] The Library at Tham Mirdain (3-man) [50-65] The School at Tham Mirdain (3-man)

New Options for Character Improvement

Legendary Items

If you own the Mines of Moria expansion, you have access to another advancement system in LOTRO: Legendary Items. Each class can equip two legendary items, usually a weapon and a class item. These legendary items level with you via Item Experience (IXP), gaining in power.

Volume II, Book 1 can be started as early as level 45 and before you finish Volume I (they are independent). Chapter 9 awards a legendary weapon, and Chapter 14 (min level 46) awards a second legendary item: a class slot item for most classes, a one-handed weapon for Hunter and a javelin for Warden. See the elf just outside the Last Homely House in Rivendell to get started.

Completing Volume II, Book 1 challenging at this level, but rewarding! If it is simply too hard, come back in a couple of levels.

Another Legendary Trait to Earn

The level 50 class quests can be started at level 45 - these require you gather items and kill specific named mobs. Completing the quest series will give you another Legendary Trait and some gear. While many players still run Carn Dum and Urugarth (VIP or Angmar Quest Pack) for the rare items, you can also barter for them with skirmish marks or buy them from the auction house. See Earning Your Legendary Traits for details.

Area	Details
Legendary Traits	[39] Keep an eye out for pages to complete your level 39 legendary deeds - the top four pages for each drop from humanoids in Angmar or Eregion, the bottom four pages for each drop from humanoids in Misty Mountains and Forochel.
Class Traits	[40] More deeds for class traits opened up at 40. As you approach 50, you'll want to unlock most, if not all, of your class trait slots to take advantage of trait line bonuses.
Class Quests	[45] The level 50 class quests can be started at level 45 - see your class trainer. Completing the series will give you another legendary trait and some gear.
Legendary Items	[45] Volume II of the Epic Story opens up at level 45. The Prologue (starts outside the Last Homely House in Rivendell) is optional, Book 1 will award your first legendary weapon.
Virtue Traits	[46] As you approach 50, you'll want to unlock most, if not all, of your virtue slots and trait your best survivability virtues.

The Epic Story

Now that all of Volume I can be soloed, there is considerable XP and other rewards to be earned by doing the rest of Volume I, especially if you enjoy the Lord of the Rings lore. The final book awards a beautiful (and sturdy) white horse.

Volume I

Book	Starts With	Repeatable Chapters (Pool)
[42-43] Book 5: The Last Refuge	Elrond in Rivendell	Chap 5: The Last Refuge* (Rivendell) Chap 8: Fire and Ice* (Rivendell)
[44-46] Book 6: Fires in the North	Aragorn in Rivendell
[46-49] Book 7: The Hidden Hope	Braigiar in Gabilshathur	Chap 8: The Gates of Carn Dum* (Aughaire)
[49-50] Book 8: The Scourge of the North	Golodir in Gath Forthnir	Chap 6: Mordirith's Fall* (Aughaire)
[50] Book 9: The Shores of Evendim	Gandalf in Rivendell	Chap 2: Oakheart's Might (Aughaire) Chap 8: Amarthiel's Friends (Tinnudir)
[50] Book 10: The City of Kings	Calenglad in Tinnudir	Chap 5: Springing the Trap (Tinnudir) Chap 14: The Eye of Angmar* (Tinnudir)
[50] Book 11: Prisoner of the Free Peoples	Calenglad in Tinnudir	Chap 2: Mordrambor (Tinnudir) Chap 4: Remembrance (Tinnudir) Chap 12: Prisoner of the Free Peoples (Rivendell)
[50] Book 12: The Ashen Wastes	Elrond in Rivendell	Chap 3: Barad Tironn* (Tinnudir) Chap 6: Laerdan's Escape* (Aughaire) Chap 9: Weapons of the Enemy* (Aughaire) Chap 10: Half-Truths (Rivendell)
[50] Book 13: Doom of the Last-King	Elrond in Rivendell	Chap 4: The Hand of Angmar (Suri-kyla) Chap 9: The Path of Aearil* (Suri-kyla)
[50] Book 14: The Ring-Forges of Eregion	Laerdan in Rivendell	Chap 1: The Heraldry of Lindon* (Aughaire) Chap 12: Skin of Bregmor* (Suri-kyla) Chap 15: The Doom of the North* (Rivendell)
[51-52] Book 15: Daughter of Strife	Elrond in Rivendell	Chap 7: A Final Council (Rivendell) Chap 12: One Last Hope Remains* (Rivendell)

*The Sage of Eriador next to the Reflecting Pool offers a repeatable quest paying a Mark of Triumph, used to barter for level 50 armor sets.

Volume II

Book	Starts With	Repeatable Chapters (Pool)
[50] Prologue	Elf outside the Last Homely House in Rivendell
[50] Book 1: The Walls of Moria	Rathwald in Eregion. He is just inside the Walls of Moria instance at Echad Dunann.	Chap 8: Before the Doors of Durin (Echad Mirobel) Chap 13: The Watcher in the Water (Echad Mirobel)

Optional Content

Content

Details

Reputation

[45] Reputation quests for Rangers of Esteldin and Council of the North can be started at 40.
[46] Reputation quests for Thorin's Hall can be started at 41.
[46] Earning Neutral standing with the Lossoth of Forochel opens up reputation quests in Suri-kyla (minimum level 41).
[49] More reputation quests open up with Wardens of Annuminas, Elves of Rivendell and Council of the North (minimum level 44).