Today's Blood Of Azog Update For LotRO Adds Raid Against The Balrog Of Moria

The Lord of the Rings Online keeps on keeping on, with Update 30 going live later today. Titled Blood of Azog, it adds a new Interlude, Tale of Yore, and Raid.

The Interlude is the titular Blood of Azog and it introduces a new story set after the War of Three Peaks that lets players "experience historical moments in Middle-earth’s history as Prince Durin." The Tale of Yore is lets players take part in the historic Battle of Azanulbizar, playing as their own characters but "through the eyes of Hermáth Stormhammer, a hero of Durin's Folk."

The new 12-player raid is the Fall of Khazad-dûm, and as we already knew about, and it lets players join Náin I, King of Durin's Folk, in the dwarves' final (and futile) battles against the Balrog of Moria. The raid adds a new mechanic, Revive Counters, which limits the number of times players can be revived during battle at Tier 2 and above.

The update also makes a number of changes to every class in the game -- well, only one to champions and wardens -- as well as changes to housing, crafting, and various quests. Also: "Torch-carrying Elf/High-elf Rune-keepers no longer T-Pose." Whew!

You can check out the complete patch notes for Update 30: Blood of Azog on the LotRO site.