Blue Brawler
Last Updated: U34 (22/10/22)
The Brawler is the newest class to LOTRO, and after a few updates, has solidified its role as a powerful tank, able to fill the role in any group.
Brawlers are the hardiest of all the tanks in LOTRO, being able to reduce the amount of damage they take greatly, as well as offering some powerful offensive and defensive group support.
With a toolkit designed around generating threat and sustaining themselves against multiple foes, the Guardian excels in any situation that requires a tank to hold large numbers of mobs, making them invaluable in many instances and raids.
Recommended Build
Below is a recommended setup for a Brawler Tank designed to achieve a variety of end-game content U34 and beyond. As with all our guides, this is our opinion based on a high level of experience, along with advice from other experienced players in the LOTRO Community.
Class Traits
Generalist Tanking
This trait line can be used to tank any instance or raid. As with all our trait builds, traits outlined in green are considered ‘core’ to the role, and your fellow group members will expect you are running them. The rest of the build is our recommendation, though there are most certainly other viable builds.
Note: If you wish, you can create a second trait line which includes 5/5 points in ‘Trail Food Boost’, and 5/5 points in ‘Well Fed’. You can swap to this line and eat food before combat to gain the benefits. Alternatively, you could remove 1 point from ‘Clever Feint’, and 5 points from ‘Evade Chance’, to gain the full benefit from ‘Well Fed’ in your main tank setup.
Legendary Items
Tank Gauntlets & Stein
The Brawler has quite a few straight forward choices when it comes to traceries. There are some traceries which provide very marginal benefit to a Brawler Tank which I have not included in my final recommendation, preferring instead to choose traceries which provide useful secondary stats (marked with an asterisk).
Heraldries
I recommend using the Heraldry of the Stalwart Ox, though you could also use the Heraldry of the Sturdy Ox if you end up requiring more Physical Mitigation from your setup compared to Tactical Mitigation.
Words of Power
Instead of using Incoming Heal Bonus, you could slot Ranged Attack Extension if you prefer having a longer range on ‘Brash Invitation’.
Words of Mastery
You could replace any of the traceries marked with an asterisk below with any of the following. They all provide a marginal benefit to the Brawler Tank, though they all have weak secondary stats that do not benefit your build.
- Brawler Melee Range
- Hurl Object Cooldown & Damage
- Innate Strength: Finesse/Avoidance
Words of Craft
It is possible to take two Gundabad Words of Craft: Anger, though the benefit on Brawler Tank is very low, and situations where it would prove useful are not common. If you were to take these, replace whichever set of traceries match your Heraldry selection.
Note: It does not matter in which item you place each tracery as I do not recommend sharing items between builds.
Tanking Gauntlets
Heraldry
- Heraldry of the Sturdy Ox
Words of Power
- Incoming Damage Reduction (Physical)
- Incoming Damage Reduction (Tactical)
Words of Mastery
- Battle-Wise Mettle Chance
- Come at Me Cooldown & Mayhem Bubble
- Ignore Pain Cooldown & Dispel Count
- Innate Strength: Criticals/Mitigation
- Innate Strength: Skill Cooldowns
- Joy of Battle Cooldown & Effects
Words of Craft
- Grand Armour
- Grand Armour
Tanking Belt
Heraldry
- Heraldry of the Sturdy Ox
Words of Power
- Base Morale Multiplier
- Area Effect Target Count
- Incoming Heal Bonus
Words of Mastery
- Latent Light Proc Chance & Damage*
- Mettle Shield Defence
- One For All Cooldown
- Plant Feet Cooldown & Mitigation
- Quick Feint Cooldown & Evasion Buff
- Share Skills Cooldown
Words of Craft
- Grand Willpower
- Grand Willpower
Stat Goals
Brawlers require a very small variety of stats to be effective tanks in the current meta.
As a tank, Mitigations are important to build such that they reach the T3+ cap.
Beyond this, Morale is the most valuable stat to stack as high as possible.
A baseline level of Finesse is required to prevent being avoided by your foes, though Brawlers will gain enough Finesse without intentionally stacking it, as they receive it from Might.
Note: The values below assume a wide array of buffs are applied to your character, and so when these buffs are not applied, your values will be lower. For a full explanation and list of expected raid buffs, including unbuffed target values, click here.
1,531,000
Physical Mitigation
1,531,000
Tactical Mitigation
2,000,000+
Morale
Note on other stats:
One might assume that other so-called 'defensive' stats are worth building on Brawler above morale. Incoming Healing and Critical Defence are the prime culprits, though Block, Parry, and Evade fall into this category as well. Whilst these stats do provide some benefit to Brawlers, the amount you will passively gain from gear will exceed what would be considered 'fine', and even if this were not the case, extra morale would always be preferred in the current meta. For more information on stats in LOTRO and their uses, click here.
Recommended Virtues
Below are the top 8 virtues by stat value for Brawler Tanks. Stats used for consideration were Morale, Physical & Tactical Mitigation. Choose the best 5 virtues for your current gear situation, such that you don’t unnecessarily go over your stat caps.
Loyalty
Vitality, Armour
Score - 5.21
Fidelity
Vitality, Physical & Tactical Mitigation
Score - 5.18
Compassion
Physical & Tactical Mitigation, Armour
Score - 3.93
Innocence
Physical & Tactical Mitigation
Score - 3.03
Tolerance
Physical & Tactical Mitigation
Score - 2.96
Honour
Morale, Tactical Mitigation
Score - 2.85
Charity
Vitality, Physical Mitigation
Score - 2.51
Fortitude
Morale
Score - 1.73
Blue Brawler Videos
Guardian Video Guide
What they're NOT telling you!
Vuldyn
About the Author
Vuldyn is long-time LOTRO player, and active member of the community. As one of Redemption's Leaders, and with many high-tier raid completions to his name, he is eager to share his expertise with players new to the end-game scene.