Michaleo
How to make an awesome Legendary Item
It takes work and planning to make an awesome Legendary Item (LI). There is a lot to figure out.
As you are levelling, you will have many opportunities to try different things with your LIs. The good news is that if you do something “wrong”, you won’t be stuck with it long, since you will outlevel your LIs the same way you outlevel your other gear. For example, the best level 65 first age LI with highest-tier legacies and crystals won’t be as good as an average level 75 third age LI. (Historically, when the level cap was raised, the new higher-level gear would be much better than the previous best). One thing you’ll need to plan is when it is worth it to spend the time and resources to make a new LI. If you’re racing to level cap, don’t worry about making a 20% better LI until you get there, since you won’t be using it for long.
Also, because higher level scrolls and relics cost so much more than lower level ones, if you make some mistakes at lower levels, you aren’t wasting very much in the long run. (Of course, when you’re doing things for the first time, they will seem expensive, but good practices will let you accumulate enough gold, shards, and relics make awesome LIs).
Important warning
There is no simple (or complicated!) recipe for making an awesome LI. LIs are complex. There are more details than can be captured in one very long blog post. This one describes how I go about making a new LI, and contains some tips and techniques that you can use.
There are many things that depend on the class and style of play or are more than can be considered in this note:
- Levels: LIs, scrolls, relics, etc., are limited to particular equip levels. A Scroll of Empowerment only works for LIs up to level 65; a Scroll of Greater Empowerment works up to 75. Legacy scrolls extracted on deconstruction can only be applied to LIs up to a certain level.
- Choice of legacies: Different classes and different LIs have different options for legacies. You need to decide what’s best for you.
- Choice and tier of relics: Relics affect player and LI stats and add other important bonuses. You need to decide what’s best for you.
Other notes will cover some of these. Over time, you will develop your own experience and wisdom.
Preparing
Here are the resources you will want to accumulate to make an awesome LI.
Currency
There are a variety of things you will need to acquire in the process of making an awesome LI. They may be available from different sources for different currencies.
Gold
It’s always nice to have gold. Some of the processing for LIs costs gold, so it’s good to have some available. (Some things can be paid in gold or shards, but I find gold easier to come by.) There are also many things useful for LIs that can be sold on AH, or crafted by other players. Having gold to spend may mean you won’t have to wait until exactly what you need drops for you.
Relics
Relics add significant stats and other bonuses to LIs. Higher-tier relics are created by combining lower-tier ones. Above tier 4, it takes 3 relics at tier N to make a relic at tier N+1. So a T10 relic needs 3 T9s, or 9 T8s, or 27 T7s or 81 T6s or 243 T5s, etc. Over time and as you get to higher levels, you will accumulate more and higher-tier relics. Relics are also the primary way to get lots of shards.
Shards
Note: the term shard is used for different things in LOTRO. For example, sapphire shards or emerald shards are used in crafting. The shards used for LIs are just called shards and are tracked by the Relic-Master. You will never see them in your inventory, but you can see them in your wallet. Shards are shared by the account on the server. A high-level alt may be able to generate shards from relics (which are not shared) that it doesn’t need. Those shards can be used by another alt.
A few shards are generated while doing other LI processing. For example, sometimes combining relics will also produce a few shards. The way to get lots of shards is to have lots of relics, and then refine them into shards. Shards are needed to meld a relic into another relic that you want, and to meld relics to make special relics that can be very good. Shards can also be used to get scrolls that improve the legacies in LIs. At higher levels, these can be very expensive, but shards may still be the easiest way to get them.
Marks, Medallions, and Seals
Skirmish camp vendors have a variety of items that can help you make awesome LIs. If you have lots of skirmish currency, that may be the easiest way to get them. Also, many of them can be traded, so if you need some gold (or something else), you may be able to get it by buying it for marks and selling it on AH for gold or trading it to someone for what you want.
Other tokens
As you earn different tokens, check the barterers. They have a variety of items useful for LIs, including LIs to use or level, relics, scrolls and titles for your LIs. Because prices have changed with different releases, check the barter NPCs to have the latest information. Depending on your playing style, you may accumulate more of one kind of token than you need, so it may be better to spend the excess tokens than marks or shards that you’ll be able to use sooner or later.
Turbine Points
If you’re willing to spend Turbine Points (TP), you can get many things to improve your LI from the LOTRO store. If you’re inclined to do so, watch for sales on things you are likely to want. I don’t usually spend TP on LIs, so I’m not familiar with all the possibilities. Two things I have spent TP on are extra LI slots (so I can be levelling more LIs at once) and Relic Removal Scrolls (so I can save the relics when I deconstruct an old LI).
Legacy Scrolls
Whether dropped or crafted, the legacies in a LI are randomly generated. However, you can replace legacies you don’t like with ones you want. When you deconstruct a LI that has been levelled to at least 30, you can extract a legacy. The scroll can be used to add that legacy (at Tier 2) to another LI. As you are levelling LIs for shards, extract and save one of each of your favorite legacies. Then if you get a LI that has almost the legacies you want, you can replace the ones you don’t like and make it awesome.
IXP Runes
As you are levelling and deconstructing LIs for shards and relics, you will probably have more IXP runes than you can usefully put back into LIs. When you refine relics to make shards, you will also get IXP runes. IXP runes also come from some quests and deeds. Save these in your vault. When you make a LI that you will equip and use, you will level it to the max from the start, rather than letting it accumulate IXP. Having some medium-size (between 4000 and 619200) runes will be helpful.
Relics
Relics are an important part of making your LI awesome. They are complicated and take time to make. Fortunately, they are independent of the rest of the LI, so you should get the relics ready ahead of time in the Relic-Master.
Relics that are created by combining and melding in the Relic-Master can be used only by that character. Sealed or Fused relics may drop or be obtained by barter or traded and sold. It is counter-intuitive, but you “deconstruct” the sealed or fused relic to add it to your relics in the Relic-Master so that you can slot it in your LI or otherwise use it. Because they can be transferred, sealed or fused relics that are obtained by one of your alts can be passed to other alts.
Important note: Higher-tier relics are valuable because of the number of relics they represent. Before deconstructing an old LI, you should consider getting a relic removal scroll to save the relics. (Relics left in the LI when it is deconstructed are destroyed.) Ordinary relics can be combined to make higher-tier relics, so you might remove a tier 9 relic, then combine it with 2 others to make a tier 10 relic. However, special relics and all bridle relics that are created by melding multiple ordinary relics cannot be used to make other relics. They can only be reused as they are or refined for shards.
Crafted relics are created by guild crafters of appropriate levels by making an object and using it to barter with the guild leader for the relic. Some crafted relics can be traded and sold; relics with different stats are created by different crafters (for example, Weaponsmith relics add vitality, Woodworker relics add agility). Other crafted relics can be used only by the character that created them, which means only a crafter of sufficient level in the guild can make and use those relics; to be fair, all guilds have the ability to obtain the same set of relics.
Legendary Item Planner
The Legendary Item Planner plugin is invaluable in making an awesome LI. You can download it from http://www.lotrointerface.com/downloads/info567-LIP-LegendaryItemPlanner.html . It lets you see what legacies are available and how you might combine them to make an awesome LI. You can select the age and level, set the legacies and tiers, and see how you might spend the legacy points to get what you want. As you’re making the LI, you can see how to improve it most efficiently, for example, deciding which legacy to upgrade to give you the most legacy points. (There used to be a web site that would let you do this in a browser, but as far as I know, the game plugin is the only way available now.)
Legacy Points, Tiers, and Ranks
Legacy points are allocated to a legacy to raise its rank. Higher ranks will provide a better bonus from the legacy. LIs have a maximum number of legacy points based only on the IXP level and which age. At IXP level 70/70, third age LIs have 670 legacy points; second age, 750; first age, 830.
The tier of the legacy has a major influence on the number of points needed by the legacy. For example, at tier 1, it takes 426 points to get the Focus Bow Critical Multiplier legacy to rank 9; at tier 6, it takes only 144 points. At rank 1, the legacy effect is 3%, but at rank 9 it is 25%. Raising the tier of a legacy may allow you to increase the rank to get a higher effect, or may save points that can be put into other legacies.
Some legacies provide a substantial effect at rank 1 (using no legacy points). For example, Ranged Evade Rating provides a +1112 at rank 1. At rank 9, the effect is only +1176, less than 6% more. Even at tier 6, it would require 126 legacy points to get that improvement, so don’t bother putting any points into it. Such “zero point” legacies can be very useful, since you can get a large effect without spending points (and therefore there is no reason to raise its tier to save points on it).
Stat legacies are a kind of “zero point” legacy. You get them by melding shards in the Relic-Master. They add a particular stat (agility, vitality, etc.) to the LI. The amount they raise the stat depends on the level and age of the LI. At level 75, it is +26 for third age to +39 for first age. At level 95, it is +129 for third age to +137 for First Age. Even at tier 6, it would cost 93 legacy points to raise the rank to 9, yielding only +8 more of the stat.
The New Legendary Item
You will need to get the LI that you want to turn into an awesome LI. This will generally be a crafted LI, although you can barter for a level 60 first ager. Third age crafted LIs should be easy to get. A crafter can make one a day (18 hours, actually), and they don’t need rarer ingredients. A second age LI will need a symbol and an uncommon ingredient. First age LIs require an even harder to get symbol and some uncommon ingredients. Check to see if one may be available as a quest reward, through barter, or some other way. Otherwise, check AH or see if you have any kind and generous kin-mates.
A sad reality is that you may spend a lot of gold or other valuable resources to get your LI, but it turns out to have poor legacies. Before you spend substantial amounts of marks, relics and shards on it, you should decide if you want to fix it or try your luck with another one. Because third age LIs are cheaper and easier to get, I will make several and pick the best one. If a second age is way below average, I will try again if I can afford it. If the first two are bad, I’ll do one more and use the best of the three. First age LIs are so expensive, I could never afford to junk one, so I wait until I have enough resources to spend on it in case I get a “fixer-upper”.
Making your LI awesome
When you think you’re ready to go, review your accumulated resources, check the current prices for delving and empowerment scrolls, and be ready to spend some time on your new LI.
Finding out what you start with
The first step is to identify the LI at the Forge-Master. This will show you the first 3 legacies, all majors. Most of the time, those will be the only majors you get. One out of four LIs will have another major. Five and six major legacies are possible, but rare.
If the LI looks like it has potential, the next step is to slot it. Once you slot it, you won’t be able to sell or trade it. If you decide not to use it, all you can do is level and deconstruct it for relics.
Dig out one or more IXP runes that total between 467828 and 667000 (for a Third Age. A Second Age can take up to 867000 and a First Age, up to 1267000). You don’t want more than this yet. When you put that much IXP into the LI and reforge it (3 times), you will see all the other legacies. Slot the LI and put the IXP into it. At the first reforge, you may want to take the opportunity to rename it to what you would like. (You will get more chances to rename it, but you don’t want to forget to do it.) When you do the reforge, you will be given a choice of two legacies to add.
- If one is a major and it’s one you want, definitely take it. If there are two majors that you would like (lucky you!), choose the one with the best tier according to your legacy plan, so you’ll save empowerment scrolls.
- If either or both are majors and you want more than 3 major legacies, you should take the major, even if the other choice is a minor you want. You may not get another major legacy slot, and you can use a legacy scroll to get the minor legacy later.
- If they are both minors, choose the one you prefer. If you like both, choose the one with the better tier according to your legacy plan.
As you add more IXP, you will do a reforge to add the fifth and sixth legacies. Use the same rules to select your desired legacy.
You now have a LI at IXP level 30-39. Stop and take stock. I recommend disabling levelling (bring up the LI display, it’s at the bottom on the left) so you don’t accidentally waste a reforge if you have to interrupt the process. Refer back to the Legendary Item Planner to figure out what you need to do to change it into the LI of your dreams. Consider how many legacies you need to replace and about how many empowerment scrolls it will take to get the tiers high enough. (Don’t forget that you get 4 more reforges to raise legacy tiers, although there’s no guarantee they will be the legacies that you want to raise.) If it seems way too expensive, now is the point to junk it and try your luck again. Junking it means pumping additional IXP into it until it gets to IXP level 60 and then deconstructing it. It takes more IXP for first or second age LIs, but it’s still worth it, since you’ll get back relics and IXP like you do when composting.
If you decide that it’s good enough to fix (or if you just spent your life savings on a first age symbol and don’t have any choice), then it’s time to make it “be all it can be.”
Replacing legacies
An option at this point is to add a major legacy slot. A Crystal of Remembrance (called Additional Legacy Slot in the store) will add a slot for a major legacy. You will use one of your legacy scrolls (major or minor) to add the particular legacy, so it will start at tier 2. Be sure to check the benefit of using it with the Legendary Item Planner, since you don’t get more legacy points to spend on the extra legacy. If the additional slot will have a zero point legacy, don’t add it until after replacing and upgrading the other legacies, so you don’t waste a reforge upgrade on it.
Compare the legacies you have to the ones you want. If you’re flexible, find the set that will need the smallest number of scrolls to fix. Use the Legendary Item Planner to see what you will end up with. The new legacies will be tier 2, so you may need to raise their tiers with a scroll of empowerment. When you are ready to lock in your choices, replace the legacies to get the ones you want.
Upgrading legacies
Update the Legendary Item Planner to reflect the current state of your new LI. Then adjust the ranks of the default legacy and the other legacies. You’ll probably see more legacy points spent than you have. Look at the legacies that have the most points in them. These are the ones whose tier you want to raise. You can play with raising the tiers and see how many points you end up with
Use a scroll of delving now. This is the cheapest way to get more legacy points, and you will get an extra tier upgrade as well. You will get 4 more reforges (at 40, 50, 60, and 70), each letting you raise the tier of one of your legacies. (It gives you a choice of 2, hopefully at least one of which you want to raise.) Calculate the IXP you need to add to get the LI to IXP level 70. (It needs a total of 3667828 for a first age, 2067828 for second age, and 1267828 for third age.) When you do the reforges, select the legacy whose tier you most want to raise. If you want to give the LI a name and you haven’t done it yet, remember to do it before you do the last reforge. After the last reforge, if you were going to add a slot for a zero point legacy, add the slot and put in the legacy.
You now have the legacies you’re going to keep and you’ve gotten all the free tier upgrades you’re going to get. Update the Legendary Item Planner to reflect the new state. Once again, look at which legacies need to be higher tier to get the legacy points to what is available. Raise the tiers of the ones that save you the most points. When you have a configuration that makes best use of the available points, count up how many empowerment scrolls you need. Get them and apply them to the appropriate legacies.
Once you have the right tiers, you can spend the legacy points. Get as many empowerment scrolls as you need to upgrade the legacies to the tier you need. You can now upgrade the tiers and spend the legacy points. Hopefully, the Legendary Item Planner has helped you make your best choices and you’ll have the legacies you want at the ranks you expected.
Making it more awesome
There are several more things you can do to make your LI more awesome. They are independent, so you can do them in any order.
Relics
The choice of relics is beyond the scope of this note. Getting high-tier and special relics is a complex process in itself. Since the relics are independent of the rest of the LI, you should do them first so they are ready to put in the LI when you want.
Title
There are scrolls that add a title to a LI, which may change the damage type or give it additional stats. You can only have one title on the LI, so if you use a second scroll, it will replace the first title. Scrolls are available from a number of traders in exchange for different tokens. Some titles only work on a class LI of a particular class; others work on a weapon of any class.
Starlit crystals
Starlit crystals (appropriate for the equip level of the LI) improve it in various ways. Generally, they increase the DPS (or default legacy) and some other stats. You can add up to 3 star-lit crystals to a LI.
Awesome is as awesome does
With planning and effort and some luck with the Random Number Generator, you can make an awesome LI. As you see, it is not something you can do very often, since it consumes substantial resources as well as your time.
Different people will approach LI construction differently. As I said at the beginning, there is no recipe to follow. I have shown how I do it to give you some ideas that you may want to apply.
If I’ve made some mistakes, please let me know. I don’t want to be spreading bad information. If you have some improvements or alternatives to my techniques, I’d be interested to hear them as well.
by Michaleo on 2014-05-30 03:17:26