#4 Letter From Resolina

Resolina's Letter #4 (Last Update: 8/26/2023)
Guide to the Lotro Store

Are you a low level wandering around trying to figure out the lotro store? Or are you a lifetimer who wants to know what to do with those 60,000 lotro points you've accumulated over the years? I'm here to boil down what lotro has in store for you. Although you can potentially earn lotro points through deeds on every character you create, you are highly restricted to what you are capable of doing. In fact, you will not have access to Swift Travel at all (other than the Writ of Special Passage: 1 Hour from your Gift Pack) without going VIP. If you enjoy playing the game, then I suggest - Go VIP for one month ($15) and log into your characters to unlock features.

VIP

1. Character-Related Perks

Your free 45 slots (3 inventory bags) become 75 inventory slots (5 inventory bags) permanently.
Swift Travel permanently unlocked for each character you log in while subscribed.
5 additional Quest Log slots while subscription is active.

2. Account-Related Perks

Your 2 character slots will become 7 character slots while VIP. Once you lose your subscription, your "premium status" will diminish two of those slots (your choice which characters become inactive).
All premium content is accessible.
The expansions of Mordor, Minas Morgul, and War of Three Peaks also become accessible.
You are able to progress the tiers of the crafting guilds. They will become locked at the highest tier you obtained after your subscription expires. It costs 295 lotro points per craft to unlock permanently.
You can use 20 wardrobe slots and you are able to continue using any items placed inside after losing those slots when your subscription ends.
30 Auction House listings. Losing your subscription will leave you 5 Auction House listings per character while in "premium" status.
Access to Legendary servers.

3. Bonus Perks

500 lotro points.
VIP character portrait frame.
You gain 30% of your next level as bonus experience (blue bar) when you are not logged into that character.
Weekly gold hobbit present in addition to the usual daily silver hobbit present.
Use Destiny Points (Shift + Z) earned by leveling.
Use mail anywhere.
An item to access services such as supplier, auction house, and vault
An item to access perks that increase crafting speed and disables the need to repair.
Obtain War of Three Peak housing tables and use them as long as you are subscribed.
Ability to collect six universal ingredient packs from Premium Ingredient Crate for each character everyday. You do not need to own the crate and you can collect in addition to the three obtained from the standard ingredient crate.

Content

I hope you aren't trying to skirt by just doing Bingo Boffin and The Epic. Once that VIP runs out, you might want to consider buying some zones. Personally I would buy them all but that is entirely up to you. It is possible to obtain upwards to 8,000 lotro points by the time you reach that level 95 premium line. If you were curious, it is possible to earn 915 lotro points within just the first 4 zones (The Shire, Ered Luin, Bree-lands, and Lone-lands). It costs $20 for around 1,600 lotro points or $40 for around 3,150 lotro points. Right now let's consider what you can get with cash and lotro points...

Quest Packs

3. Gondor

Levels 95 - 105: Western Gondor, Central Gondor, Old Anorien, March of the King, and Battle of the Black Gate all cost 795 lotro points each.
Level 100: East Gondor also costs 795 lotro points but also includes the three instances: The Sunken Labyrinth, the Ruined City, and the Dome of Stars
Level 100: Far Anorien (technically an "expansion") costs 1995 lotro points and includes Blood of the Black Serpent, The Quays of the Harlond, The Silent Street, Throne of the Dread Terror.
Level 140: Gondor Renewed costs 995 lotro points.

2. Rhovanian

Level 20: Yondershire costs 995 lotro points.
Level 40: Wildwood offers 10 missions, Agoroth, and Woe of the Willow for 1195 lotro points.
Level 45: Rangers and Ruins (Angle of Mitheithel) cost 795 lotro points.
Level 115: Legacy of the Necromancer (Strongholds of the North) cost 795 lotro points and includes The Lay of Rust & Rime Episodic Quests and The Secret Stone scavenger hunt.
Levels 115 - 120: Where Dragons Dwell (Ered Mithrin) costs 1995 lotro points and includes Caverns of Thrumfall, Glimmerdeep, Thikil-gundu, and The Anvil of Witherstitch.
Level 120: Vales of Anduin costs 1495 lotro points and includes The Depths of Kidzul-kalah.
Level 130: Mists of Wilderland costs 1295 lotro points.
Level 130: Blood of Azog costs 1695 lotro points and includes 10 missions as well as Fall of Khazad-dum raid.

Expansions

1. Real-Life Cash

Mordor for $20.
Minas Morgul for $39 (w/Stout-axe Racial).
The War of Three Peaks for $20.
Fate of Gundabad for $40 (w/Brawler Class).
Before the Shadow for $20.

2. Lotro Points

Mordor for 2495 lotro points. (Skirmish Trait Max Rank: 45 to 50 has to be purchased separately for everyone)
Minas Morgul for 2495 lotro points.
War of Three Peaks for 1995 lotro points.
Fate of Gundabad for 2995 lotro points.
Before the Shadow for 1995 lotro points.

Rich Man Scenario

1. Character Creation

Racial: Stout-Axe Dwarf at 1000 lotro points.
Class: Brawler at 1000 lotro points.

2. Experience Items

Token of the Hornburg (pocket item): +25% xp up to level 99 for 495 lotro points.
Shield of the Hammerhand (back item): +25% xp up to level 85 for 995 lotro points.

3. General Items

Journeyman riding (account) automatically raises all your mounts speed (32%, 62%, or 68%) to 78% for 2995 lotro points.
You could buy Universal Toolkit: 100 lotro points (20% critical chance crafting and -3 seconds mining resources) or Enduring Universal Toolkit: 450 lotro points (20% critical chance crafting and -4.5 seconds mining resources) Note: A metalsmith can create tools equivalent (20%, -3s at level 45) or better (25%, -4s at level 90).
Recommended: Return to Lalia's Market for 3 mithril coins (50 lotro points for 5 mithril coins). If you have a few mithril coins leftover from buying a house or whatnot, this is probably the perfect thing to use them on.

Housing Options

Recommended: If you are going to buy a premium house, Middle Earth Essentials Pack for 1000 lotro points (only bought once per account) includes Riding Skill, Steed Selection Box (Steed of Bree, Steed of Michel Delving, Steed of Rivendell, or Steed of Thorin’s Hall - 3 of which cost 2495 lotro points each), Modest Virtue Pack, 6 Housing Writs (1500 lotro points value, enough for a premium stately house in Belfalas Neighborhood), Universal Toolkit (normally costs 100 lotro points), and 500silver.
You can also buy Premium Housing Writs for 250 lotro points each (though the total for 6 would be 1,500 lotro points). This method is primarily used when gaining a handful from a previously lost house.
Normally a premium house would be bought with mithril coins. A stately house can cost 137 or 145 mithril coins. This means you need to buy 100 Mithril Coin Package (costing 850 lotro points) and two 25 Mithril Coin Packages (costing 500 lotro points) for a total of 1,350 lotro points.

Other Options

Experience Disabler: "Stone of the Tortoise" for 100 lotro points if you want to experience content without going over the level. Perfect for slotro.
Shared Wardrobe Space: If you are not VIP, I do suggest buying Shared Wardrobe Space I (10 slots) just so you can pass character-bound, class-bound, or set bonuses (that now have a maximum level limit) around your account for 595 lotro points (though I would probably wait for a sale).
Milestone Skills: You can buy Milestone Skill II for 350 lotro points.
Inventory Slots: +5 Inventory slots for 395 lotro points each.
Vault Upgrades: +15 Vault slots for 895 (for the first two upgrades) or 995 lotro points.
Character Rename: I'm actually kind of surprised this only costs 995 lotro points.

Decorations

I would not be able to call myself Resolina if I didn't have a handle on which decorations are worth getting from the lotro store. Some of the items can actually be earned in the game. The Collections tab (Shift + C) will generally list where the various emotes can be obtained. However, I will list the ones that are worth getting if you do decide on spending some lotro points.

1. Pets

Little Mumak Pet (with rack): 595 lotro points Note: Little Mumak Pet (without rack) drops from Throne of the Dread Terror and is usually on the Auction House for 400g.
Sentinel-in-training goat pet: 595 lotro points

2. Emotes (All cost 195 lotro points except the Gandalf Emote)

Gandalf Emote (costs 250 lotro points)
Ground Roll
Howl
Mount Emote Bow
Mount Kick
Mount Rearup
Orb Red Note: Orb Blue is given to all those with 9-year Accounts.

3. Cosmetics (All cost 295 lotro points)

Silver Quiver
Campaign Backpack
Hooded Cloak of Helmingas (red)
Hooded Cloak of the Eorlingas (green)
Hooded Cloak of the Westfold (white)
Cloak of the Mountain Wolves Note: An Internet joke on a t-shirt.
Recommended: Inn League Survival Pack
Cook's Pack Note: The other similar item, Cook's Trappings, can be obtained via Skirmish Camp
Sage's Pack
Elk-hunter's Pack
Dwarven Miner's Helmet

4. Housing Decorations

Canopy Reflecting Pool: 495 lotro points
Hedgehog Burrow: 595 lotro points Note: Clicking on it will have a hedgehog appear.
Ingredient Crate: 995 lotro points Note: You are able to use anyone's crate, even those at the kinhouse, and obtain 3 Universal Ingredient Packs (another 6 if using premium crate while VIP). You don't actually have to own one.
Crafting Workstations: Gondorian Forge, Gondorian Study, Gondorian Workbench, Bread Oven, Gondorian Oven, and Farming Garden all cost 495 lotro points each.
Culumalda Tree: 195 lotro points (Still looks like a banana tree to me)
Terebinth Tree: 195 lotro points
Alchemist Bookcase: 295 lotro points
Alchemist Workbench: 395 lotro points
Intact Model of Minas Tirith: 595 lotro points Note the Destroyed Model of Minas Tirith is earned from Volume IV Book 6, Chapter 8: On a Field of Red.
Sleeping Cat: 495 lotro points
Bird Bath: 395 lotro points

Did you know that... you can barter for Lorien Rally Horns in Caras Galadhon?