This 2012 expansion for *The Lord of the Rings Online* requires the base game to access new content set in the Plains of Rohan. Players advance their characters past the previous level cap while engaging with a storyline following the breaking of the Fellowship. Its core feature is the introduction of Mounted Combat, a new system allowing dynamic fighting while traversing the vast new region, including iconic areas like Fangorn Forest. The scope is substantial, adding significant geography and mechanical depth to the existing RPG framework.
The storyline immediately follows the breaking of the Fellowship. Players find themselves drawn into the vast, open plains of Rohan as Saruman’s Uruks forcibly transport captured hobbits toward Isengard. This journey forces players to navigate the complex political landscape of the Riddermark, where loyalties to King Théoden are being tested by Saruman’s insidious influence.
The narrative invites players to assist the people of Rohan as they brace for war. Key locations from the lore are brought to life, allowing players to explore iconic areas such as the ancient woods of Fangorn Forest and stand near the majestic Argonath, the Pillars of the Kings along the Great River Anduin. The atmosphere emphasizes the growing tension and the struggle for survival against encroaching darkness in this pivotal region of Middle-earth.
The most transformative feature introduced with this content is the entirely new Mounted Combat system. This mechanic allows players to engage in dynamic combat while riding their horses across the expansive plains of Rohan. This system fundamentally alters traversal and battle strategy within the new zones, offering a distinct gameplay experience compared to traditional on-foot combat found elsewhere in the base game.
This expansion significantly increases the scope of character progression by raising the maximum level cap, allowing dedicated players to advance their characters further. Furthermore, the geographical area added is vast, encompassing the sweeping plains and significant landmarks of Rohan, providing many hours of new quests, lore discovery, and exploration opportunities.
As an expansion, this content is integrated directly into the existing framework of *The Lord of the Rings Online*. It is not a standalone product. It builds upon the existing character progression, itemization, and class systems, offering high-level content for established players while expanding the world map considerably.
This release adds the entire region of Rohan to the playable world map, including significant locations like Amon Hen and Fangorn Forest. Beyond the new zones and the raised level cap, the primary addition is the Mounted Combat system, which provides a new layer of tactical depth for players traversing the large, open environments.
The content of this game is suitable for persons aged 12 years and over only. It contains: Realistic looking violence towards non human looking characters - Non realistic looking violence towards human characters - Violence causing minor injury only This game allows the player to interact with other players ONLINE