Instances: The Road to Erebor Cluster

I've recently started doing a lot more instances with Myndariel and have been enjoying their lore, variety, scenery, puzzles and challenges. Being able to scale a dungeon to different levels and receive appropriate rewards is awesome and prevents content from becoming obsolete.

My interest in the instances in the Road to Erebor cluster began with the level 20 quest from Gandalf "The Road to the Lonely Mountain". It sounded quite interesting and I wanted to try them out, but couldn't find a group so abandoned the quest. Now at level 100, Myndariel is trying out all the instances and skirmishes to experience as much of LOTRO as possible and hopes other people will either join her, or at least visit some of these places themselves.

Iorbar's Peak - 3 person instance

Up in the Misty Mountains, the stone-giant Helf has stolen one of the eggs from the eyries of the Great Eagles. Gwaihir the Windlord needs you to brave the storms, dwarves, beasts and giants to get it back safely.

Follow the narrow path up the mountain

Helf and his stolen egg

This was fairly easy, just be careful about positioning (avoid ground effects). In the final fight with Helf, move out of the way for his big attack and eliminate the dwarves that come to damage the egg ASAP.

Seat of the Great Goblin - 3 person instance

There are rumours that the goblins of Goblin-town in the Misty Mountains have got a new leader. Boromir thinks they could become a threat to Rivendell, so suggests you go and deal with them.

The main room

Mural #3

I didn't notice the murals the first time in here, but there's a deed for finding them all, so keep an eye out. Also watch out for and eliminate the goblin wound-tenders who have an aura that increases the damage done by nearby goblins and reduces the damage they take. There's a bridge that collapses, dropping you into a pit where rubble gets thrown at you and waves of goblins attack you then finally the troll attacks. Just watch out for his ground-pound attack then keep moving to avoid the incoming rubble. A path opens leading to the throne and the final boss fight which is quite busy (three phases) and requires AOE and cleansing of DoTs (poison and bleeds).

Webs of the Scuttledells - 3 person instance

Scouts in Mirkwood were sent to track the movements of the Great Spiders, but they were last heard from before entering the Scuttledells. Legolas wants you to find out what happened to the scouts and help them if you can.

Gloomy and webbed Scuttledells

Dígelir's Lair

Follow the path, clearing out the area and opening cocoons to check for missing scouts (although there could be a hostile mob instead). There's some wights that need to be killed and then dire cauldrons that need to be doused to summon the wight boss Beremud. Once he is defeated continue on to a cave with a giant spider, a network of webs to balance on over a pit and cocoons that hatch revealing lots of baby spiders. Don't get overwhelmed by baby spiders or the acrid stench poison debuff and don't fall off the webs!

The Bells of Dale - 6 person instance

The town of Dale is being besieged by Easterlings who serve the Dark Lord and the Men of Gondor are too busy fighting their own battles to help, so Gimli asks you to go and help save the town.

Dale

The Bell Tower

This was fairly easy up until the last boss. There are groups of Easterlings and their leaders scattered through town to take care of. The last boss however stands in front of the bell tower and while he summons spirit beasts to attack you, shadow-rats race towards the bell tower to chew through the cords and destroy the bells. If six bells are destroyed, you lose and the battle resets.

Flight to the Lonely Mountain - 12 person instance

Dale has fallen and survivors are fleeing to the Lonely Mountain, with Jangovar Easterlings pursuing them. Brand asks you to buy them time to escape by holding the river against the waves of Jangovar.

Jangovar approach from across the river

The waves of mobs include ranged (marks target to receive increased damage), melee (enrages and AOE attacks) summoners (debuffs and summons beasts) and captains (buffs the enemy). Keep mobs out of green healing puddles and cleanse debuffs promptly.

The Fires of Smaug - 12 person instance

The dwarves of Erebor want to send ravens to request help for the survivors of Dale, but the Easterlings have created a Grim to fill the Lonely Mountain passages with toxic smoke. The dwarves asks you to stop the Grim quickly.

The Grim channelling smoke through the pipes

The aim is to kill the Grim before too much smoke escapes by closing valves (and killing the Easterlings guarding them), killing the fire-tenders that come to heal the boss and fighting the Grim without getting burnt to death.

The Battle of Erebor - 12 person instance

News of a victory to the south is demoralising the Easterlings, but the dwarves can't survive the siege of Erebor for much longer either. They need the battle to end so they suggest you challenge the champions of the Easterlings to fight you, hoping that once you defeat them, their army will surrender completely.

The arena

Banners must be selected before the fight to determine what advantages the enemy champions will have such as additional mobs, enrages, fire AOE, catapults bombarding the area or increased damage done if there is a difference in health between the two main champions. Banners for inferno and catapults might be good choices for T1 groups, but it becomes a dps race.