Rotations

Mastering Mastery Rotations

(source: https://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/Warden:_Mastering_Mastery_Rotations)

 

Introduction

When you reach level 50 as a Warden, you unlock 3 class deeds for Master of the Spear, Master of the Fist, and Master of the Shield.  Each trait gives you two quick-cast skills that will add two colors to your gambit bar.  The biggest challenge I had as a Warden was to become accustomed to using all the masteries effectively.  With the three traits slotted, if you do it right, you can get three gambits off in the time it would have taken you to complete one.  Also, the cooldown on the masteries is pretty close to our buff/HoT/DoT durations, so using their cooldowns can help you refresh gambits at the right time.

A couple things to keep in mind while going through this guide: following these rotations strictly is often very power-consuming.  Once you have a good lead on threat, you will want to ease off on threat-gen skills and focus on survivability or DPS.  After all, once you have a good threat buffer, there is no reason to waste power on extra threat when you could be doing more damage or helping the healer out.  In addition, it's important to pay attention to the situation and adjust accordingly.  Knowing rotations are helpful because they provide a template to fall back on while you think ahead.  Some claim that Wardens are a proactive class in comparison to Guardians; however, we are still reactive in a sense that rotations should be adjusted on the fly. 

Conventions

 

So without further ado, here are some of the rotations I use:

Opening Combinations for Tanking

A simple combination

This is a fairly simple combination to use that doesn't require many traits.  You will want to grab aggro quickly with War-cry and solidify it with Exultation of Battle.  Another benefit is that this rotation leaves [Sp Sh] = Boot and [Sp] [Sh Sp] = Onslaught open for quick interrupts early in the fight.  Keep in mind that Fierce Resolve only serves to boost your survivability.  As your mitigations improve with gear and level, you will be better off building up more threat instead.

 

Gambit Sequence Skill Name Notes
  Ambush or a javelin attack Pull
[Fi Sh] War-cry  
[Fi Sp] [Sh Fi] [Sh] Exultation of Battle Need to get into melee range for the [Sh]
[Fi] [Sp Sh] Fierce Resolve Or save [Sp Sh] for a Boot
[Sh] [Sp Fi] [Sh] Shield Mastery  

 

With Javelin of Deadly Force

This one opens with better survivability but less instant threat.  At the end of the first rotation though, you will have more survivability or more overall threat than the rotation above.

 

  Javelin of Deadly Force Pull
[Fi] [Sp Sh] [Fi Sh] Exultation of Battle  
[Fi] [Sh] War-cry Build this up the old-fashioned way
[Fi Sp] [Sh] Fierce Resolve  
[Sh] [Sp Fi] [Sh] Shield Mastery  
[Sh] [Fi] [Sh Fi] Dance of War Or [Fi Sp] [Sh Fi] = Resolution for a burst heal  

 

With Defiant Challenge

Defiant Challenge/Javelin of Deadly Force/Shield Capstone traited.  This rotation is fairly flexible; traited Fist Capstone, I will just swap Conviction with Desolation .  I typically use this one, or some variant of it for tanking.

 

  Javelin of Deadly Force Pull
[Fi] [Sp Sh] [Fi Sh] Exultation of Battle  
[Fi] [Sh] War-cry  
[Sh] [Fi] [Sh Fi] [Sh] Conviction Or [Sh] [Fi] [Sh Fi] = Dance of War if not Shield-traited
[Fi Sp] [Fi] [Sp Fi] Defiant Challenge  
[Sh Sp] [Fi] [Sh] Shield Mastery  

 

Without 360 AoE DoTs

DoTs from our leeches and threat skills can be a headache for CC classes.  If you want to avoid breaking mezzes, this rotation can help.  Conviction can be replaced with Desolation when turned away from a CC'd mob.  The fear proc can help mitigate incoming damage and space mobs out.

 

[Sh Fi] [Sh] [Fi Sh] Conviction Or [Fi Sh] [Fi] [Sh Fi] = Desolation later into the fight
[Fi Sp] [Fi] [Sp Fi] Defiant Challenge  
[Fi] [Fi] Goad Turn your back to the CC'd mobs
[Sh Sp] [Fi] [Sh] Shield Mastery  
[Sp] [Sh] [Sp Sh] Wall of Steel  

Single target threat tanking

Alternatively, switch to a DPS rotation and hold threat with your damage output, sneaking in a PB or two if needed.

 

  Ambush or a javelin attack Pull
[Fi] [Sp] Precise Blow  
[Fi Sp] Precise Blow A second PB usually helps
[Sh Fi] [Sh] [Fi Sh] Conviction  
[Sh Sp] [Fi] [Sh] Shield Mastery Alternate with [Sp Fi][Sh Sp] [Fi] = Warden's Triumph
[Sp] [Sh] [Sp Sh] Wall of Steel  

 

 

Maintenance Rotations

 

Generic rotation

Different combinations to keep your avoidance buffs, drains, and threat up.

 

Base rotation   Alternative 1   Alternative 2  
[Fi] [Sp Sh] [Fi Sh] Exultation of Battle        
[Fi Sp] [Fi] [Sp Fi] Defiant Challenge [Fi Sp] [Sh] [Fi] Resolution [Fi Sp] Precise Blow
[Sh] [Fi] [Sh Fi] [Sh] Conviction [Fi] [Sh] [Fi] [Sh Fi] Desolation [Sh] [Fi] [Sh Fi] Dance of War
    [Sp Fi] [Sh Sp] [Fi] Warden's Triumph [Sh] [Sp Fi] [Sh] Shield Mastery
[Sh Sp] [Fi] [Sh] Shield Mastery     [Sp] [Sh Sp] [Sh] Wall of Steel

 

 

Drains and power return

If there are a lot of mobs to drain from (and they don't hit too hard), you can use drains to keep your morale at half, while keeping your power filled with The Dark Before Dawn.

 

[Fi] [Sp Sh] [Fi Sh] Exultation of Battle
[Sp] [Sh Sp] [Fi Sp] The Dark Before Dawn
[Fi] [Sp] [Sh Fi] Resolution
[Sp] [Sh] [Sp Fi] [Sp] The Dark Before Dawn

 

A less kiting-oriented rotation might be:

 

[Fi Sp] [Sh] [Fi Sh] Exultation of Battle
[Sp] [Sh Sp] [Fi] [Sp] The Dark Before Dawn
[Fi] [Sp Sh] Fierce Resolve
[Sp] [Sh] [Sp Fi] [Sp] The Dark Before Dawn
[Fi] [Sp] [Sh Fi] Resolution

 

 

One-on-one

Against a single hard hitting mob, you'll probably want to kite him around, throwing javelins.  You'll want to keep your morale around half and your power as high as you can.

 

[Sh Fi] [Sh Sp] [QR] [Fi Sh] Conviction Best if Shield-traited
[Sp Sh] [Sp Fi] [Sp] The Dark Before Dawn  

 

Alternatively, if it isn't immune to fears, but hard to keep your distance from:

 

[Fi Sh] [Fi] [Sh Fi] Desolation  
[Sh Sp] [Sh] [Sp Sh] Restoration  
[Sh] [Sp Fi] [Sh] Shield Mastery Refresh every 4 rotations

 

If you run low on power, you can build power up quickly with these four masteries, since they don't overlap when building DbD:

 

[Sp Sh] [Sp Fi] [Sp] The Dark Before Dawn
[Sp] [Sh Sp] [Fi Sp] The Dark Before Dawn

 

 

DPS Rotations

 

Balanced

My typical dps rotation.

 

[Sp] [Fi Sh] [Sp Fi] Warden's Triumph  
[Sp] [Sh Fi] [Sp Sh] Unerring Strike  
[Sp] [Fi Sp] Combination Strike  
[Sp] [Fi] Offensive Strike OS is a good filler attack if you're waiting on mastery cooldowns.
[Sp] [Sh Sp] Onslaught Alternate with [Sp] [Fi] [Sh Sp] = Adroit Maneuver if you choose.

 

 

DoT-heavy

Good for higher-morale mobs to give your DoTs time to bleed out.

 

[Sp] [Fi Sh] [Sp Fi] Warden's Triumph  
[Sp] [Fi] [Sh Sp] Adroit Maneuver Alternate with [Sp] [Sh Sp] [Sh] = Wall of Steel
[Sp] [Sh Fi] [Sp Sh] Unerring Strike  
[Sp] [Sh] [Fi Sp] Mighty Blow  
[Sp] [Sh] [Fi] Power Attack If your attack speed is high enough, you can fit it in

 

 

Direct damage

If the mob is almost dead, you'll want to switch to a direct damage rotation so you don't waste power.

 

[Sp] [Fi Sh] [Sp Fi] Warden's Triumph  
[Sp] [Fi] [Sh Sp] Adroit Maneuver Alternate with [Sp] [Sh Sp] = Onslaught
[Sp] [Sh Fi] Power Attack  
[Sp] [Sh] [Sp Sh] Wall of Steel Or [Sp Sh] [Sp] = Onslaught if you prefer it to WoS.
[Sp] [Fi Sp] Combination Strike  

 

Naso24: I get enough crits on Boar's rush to make it worthwhile for replacing combination strike. If in reckless with LI legacy, I can add a javelin to the mix or have room to mix it up a bit more as needed for interrupts.  Rotation non-reckless almost exactly 15 seconds to use up all masteries.

 

[Sp] [Fi Sh] [Sp Fi] Warden's Triumph  
[Sp] [Sh Fi] [Sp Sh] Unerring Strike  
[Sp] [Sh Sp] [Sh] Wall of Steel  
[Sp] [Fi Sp] [Fi] Boar's Rush Or Precise Blow/Defiant Challenge

 

PvMP

It goes without saying that players move around a lot in PvP.  One way of dealing with this is to front-load gambits with masteries, so that your melee attacks are closer together.  Or you can rely on Warden's Taunt's range.

 

[Sh Sp] [Fi] [Sh Fi] Shield Mastery [Sh Fi] lets you build it at range.
[Sp Sh] [Fi Sp] [Sh] Unerring Strike Hopefully you can close into melee range for the [Sh].
[Sp] [Fi Sh] [Sp Fi] Warden's Triumph  

 

 

 

[Fi Sh] [Fi] [Sh Fi] Desolation Fear proc can be helpful. Alternatively, Conviction for the heal.
[Sp Fi] [Sh Sp] [Fi] Warden's Triumph  
[Sp Sh] [Fi Sp] [Sh] Unerring Strike  

 

Some Final Thoughts

I hope this guide will be of use to new and old Wardens alike.  It is my feeling that rotations are the building blocks of our combat strategy.  Being able to switch between a high-threat rotation and a high-DPS rotation makes a Warden very powerful.  In addition, handling rotations with muscle memory leaves our awareness free to examine other details of combat, such as potion usage and special NPC attacks.  Hopefully this guide will be useful for your training!