The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood

The Lord of the Rings Online:
Siege of Mirkwood
Developer(s) Turbine, Inc.
Publisher(s) Turbine, Inc.
Engine Turbine G3[1]
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release date(s) December 1, 2009
(North America)
December 3, 2009
(Europe)
Genre(s) MMORPG
Mode(s) Multiplayer

The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood is the second retail expansion pack for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online and was released on December 1, 2009 in North America and December 3, 2009 in Europe. Unlike the first expansion this edition was only available via a web based download.

The expansion added the southern region of Mirkwood. The game's level cap has been increased to level 65, and the expansion included the conclusion to Volume II of the epic storyline. It also introduced a new "skirmish" system that allows for repeatable, randomised and scalable combat based instances that can be accessed from anywhere in the game world for 1, 3, 6 and 12 players and new 3, 6 and 12 player private instances that take place in Dol Guldur proper.

Skirmish

Skirmishes are repeatable, randomized and scalable combat based instances that can be accessed from anywhere in the game world for 1, 3, 6 and 12 players. Alongside the player fights a customizable soldier, a pet NPC which can be customized to resemble many in-game player classes. Several Skirmish Camps have been added worldwide that allow a player to buy weapons, equipment and upgrades for their soldier earned through points awarded during Skirmishes.

Storyline

Upon release Siege of Mirkwood concluded the Mines of Moria story, the second of the Epic books overall. The third Epic story line, Allies of the King, launched shortly afterwards and focused on the Grey Company, being completely unrelated to Mirkwood. The story continues in the Rise of Isengard expansion.

Volume III: Allies of the King

Book 1 - Oath of the Rangers

Elrond received a mysterious message from Galadriel, telling him to gather the Rangers of the North and send them to Rohan to help Aragorn. The player is summoned to the Last Homely House and given a list of Rangers to recruit: Radanir of the Trollshaws, Candaith of Weathertop, Saeradan of Bree-Land, Halros of the Shire, Halbarad from Esteldin, Calenglad from Evendim, Lothrandir from Forochel and finally Corunir and Golodir from Angmar. With the exception of Radanir, all Rangers are the ones player have interacted with during Epic Volume I. Joined by others of their kin, they form the Grey Company and meet Elrohir, Elladan and Lady Arwen, who passes Halbarad the banner she has made for Aragorn.

Book 2 - Ride of the Grey Company

Setting forth from Rivendell, the Grey Company begins the journey south. While passing the Ring-Forges of Eregion, Halbarad asks a Dwarf-Jeweler to craft fake copies of the Ring of Barahir, in order to confuse their enemies and to buy Aragorn time, should a member Grey Company be captured. Arriving in the lands of Enedwaith, the Rangers are trying to make peace with the local tribes and find an ally in Wadu, who is soon found dead. They eventually discover an old and confused Dwarf Nár, father of Ollfardh and old companion of Thrór. To everyone's amazement, he knows about the secret road the Company is planning to take.

Book 3 - Echoes of the Dead

Nona, Wadu's sister, offers to join Grey Company to wage war against Saruman, which Halbarad absolutely refuses. While investigating who can be trusted and who can't, the Rangers receive word that of a band of Oathbreakers from Erech in Enedwaith. An attempt to remind them of their Oath to Isildur fails horribly when Candaith is killed. An angry Halbarad is finished with this land and leads the company on to Dunland. But as the player leaves Nár, the Dwarf finally reveals that Saruman the White had a hand in these events all along.

Free Updates

Like Shadows of Angmar and Mines of Moria, Siege of Mirkwood continues to regularly release updates. It was announced that future updates will not always be associated with a new book to the epic story.

Book 1: Oath of the Rangers

Book 1 was released on March 1, 2010.[2]

Updates include (complete release notes):

Book 2: Ride of the Grey Company

Book 2 was released on September 10, 2010 in North America. (September 8, 2010 for subscribers). It was delayed in Europe, due to contractual reasons. It was released in Europe on 2 November.

Updates include (complete release notes):

Update 1: Journey to Winter-Home

The first post Free-to-play update was released in the United States on the 29th of November 2010. It was released in Europe on the 7th of December 2010. Due to changes to how updates are scheduled this will not contain an update to the epic book.

Updates include (complete release notes):

Update 2: Echoes of the Dead

Echoes of the Dead was released on March 21 in the United States and on March 24 in Europe.

Updates include (complete release notes):

Update 3: Lost Legends of Eriador

Update 3 was released on May 23.

Updates include (complete release notes):

New Areas

The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood expanded the world of Middle-earth by adding southern Mirkwood and Book 2 added the region of Enedwaith.

Southern Mirkwood

Enedwaith

References

  1. "Lord of the Rings Online: Unofficial FAQ". LOTRO Source. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  2. "Volume III: Allies of the King has arrived!". Turbine, Inc. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
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