“I don’t want to be in a battle, but waiting on the edge of one I can’t escape is even worse.”
— Pippin

It’s a shame that the pre-order cosmetics that we received for Rise of Isengard cannot be dyed. I know that if they were dye-able, I would use them much more often. Having to use them in their default colours, made the cosmetics into something generic that everybody else is wearing already, instead of a representation of a personalized style, which is what outfitting is all about. So, in order to make creative use of these cosmetics and make them look special, you have to play around with the accessories. Replace the generic shoulders, boots and gloves with other pieces and find a different matching cloak and headpiece. For this outfit I recycled my dwarf’s Pathfinder’s Helmet (as it was still in my wardrobe), and refrained from using any kind of shoulders. This already changes the style of the Hauberk somewhat. Combined with the heavy tier 7 crafted gloves and some sturdy boots, I think my warden looks like he’s ready for a fight.

I know that the Warden class has been heavily nerfed after Rise of Isengard, and that the developers team is slowly bringing things back into balance, forcing Warden players into the heartbreaking position of having to wait “until the next patch”. It looks like there are a lot of positive changes in development and I really hope that this class will receive the love and care that it deserves. I find the Warden class the most complex class to play (as you have to remember all those gambits) and I have deep respect for those who play it well.

If you want to know where a certain armour piece or cosmetic comes from, you can look it up in the Lorebook, by typing its name into the search box. You can equip any piece of armour cosmetically through the wardrobe, even armour that is not meant for your class or level.

Head: Pathfinder’s Helm, red dye (Moria medallions, hunter – medium armour barter)
Chest : Hauberk of the Helmingas, default dye (Rise of Isengard pre-order item, cosmetic)
Hands: Calenard Battle Gauntlets, red dye (crafted Tier 7, heavy)
Feet: Boots of the Charging Stag, grey dye (Dunland quest reward, heavy)
Back: Cloak of Might, crimson dye (world drop level 75)