Concerning Drakes..
Do not be fooled for they are exceptionally powerful beings of old and Ancient Enemies of Eldar a cause of great woes , sorrowful tales and untold destruction. Thou shalt be shred by their claws of Steel and Razor sharp teeth bigger than your blade , crushed and blazed apart by fire balls of Doom or simply being outwitted by their tactical superiority and intelligence.
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IMPORTANT NOTE \ - Thread evolves and is specifically linked to Old Eriador Vanilla region. It does not provide information or additional data of drakes outside of it, You will also learn how it was once and why Drakes were considered so deadly and Unique. Please note that certain data might not be either accurate to current game-play or you may experience completely different scenario. I wrote it from my memory and also based on lore and accuracy when I fought them. Lord of the Rings Online has changed over years yet it does not mean I cannot write of Ancient times. Thank your for thy understanding --*
The Dreaded Enmity of Drakes II, First time being scorched to to ash by Deadly Fire-Drake. Matron or one of most well known of their kind, Hiking up to the peak of Ram-Duath , Farming Kindle-Maw.Colnor&Skybreaker Elite Masters for special crafting trophy which was used to execute recipes in ages past , facing of Terrible Queen of Urugath
Vedui Randir,{Wanderer} and as always I thank thee in advance for investing time and peeking through at my thread seeking greater knowledge and insight -- I shall say few words Regarding Drakes, Behemoth of Fire and Fury of Eriador that can rapidly decimate unaware soul or a group of hardened soliders with relative ease.
Description:
Limbariedhiel's Analysis Record of the Elder Days --
Designation: Fire-Drake
Common Titles:
Urulókë (plural Urulóki) is the Quenya name of the fire-drakes, meaning "fire-serpent ] or "fire-dragon". Etymology Quenya ur- ("heat, be hot") + lókë
Render, Flying Behemoth, Winged Furnace , Fire-Serpent ,Inferno of doom ,Hurricane wings -- Beasts of woes names given by superstitious folk lacking greater knowledge or named by physical trait or notable skill of destruction and terror.
Average Height - Very tall depending once more on size over 20 feet extended usually ranging average not more than 9 - 11
Average Weight - Heavy - Massive. Drakes are muscular behemonths with almost unmatched rage ,scales , teeth and claws of extraordinary sharpness , the ability to fly their sight is terrible to behold often having a gaze to to cause even hardy stubborn folk to flee for they are after all Dragon Kind possesing even fragment of Dragon's inherent power and intellect they fear nothing and nobody.
Up from but not limited -- From several hundreds to tens of thousands of pounds depending on age , sub-species and some extreme cases Drake can be falsely declared as a full grown Dragon which entirely true. Drakes are not Dragons but their lesser brethren ,yet incredibly and extraordinarily powerful , a challenge worthy for bravest and most skilled of the free peoples
Usually cladded in Golden, Crimson red, of Mixed, Black, Wintersebb Drakes have their own notable Blueish ,White scales reflecting the landscape therien.
First encountered --
The Drakes were most often seen for a first time within mountains labyrinth of Ram Duath in Mid 30's or mayhaps within the Giant Valley of Trollshaws, Deadlier Spawn will be inevitably encountered later on within Ettenmoors , Angmar or Misty Mountains, notably in Ancient Dwarven fortress of Helegrod.
-- First encounter for a foolish solo player who dared to provoke the ancient wrath often resulted in high repair cost , frustration and dread after defeat.
Threat evaluation - Shadows of Angmar forgotten knowledge of the ages past.
Very High - Tier IV. - V being Extreme. Drakes are based on my enormous experience of playing in era when the game was release were considered to be one of the most deadliest to encounter for several obvious reasons.
- Drakes were ALWAYS Elites or Elite Master threat level which made them all but impossible to take down for a solo player bare except Lore-Master or in particular well geared and lucky player. Elites back then were specifically designed for full 6 man fellowship, whilst Elite-Master was even greater challenge a medium difficulty mini boss.
- Drakes had an ability to knock you down with their tail. They mostly avoided melee unless prolonged or baited resulting in Fire ball hammering of huge damage ,They had exceptional health , resistance to song and any other damage except one weakness.
Ancient Dwarf type of damage.
Furthermore Drakes was a nightmare for Fire-type of damage of Free people classes because they were extraordinarily resilient to it.
To make it worst Fire mitigation was close to impossible to achieve , there was plenty of Shadow mitigation virtues, Raid armour that absorbs shadow damage, even Frost from Forochel ,certain skill that boosts Fear resistance or shadow mitigation etc, but Fire was non existent.
There was but 2 or 3 ways barely making any difference was to use Destiny points or Pot from Helegrod that would measly fire defence -- Back then the mitigations were not combined into Tactical ,but rather separate to Fire,Frost, Shadow or Wound, Poison, Disease and even worst Ranged/Melee forcing player to invest into certain aspect thus leaving one vulnerable to other compared to today's modern chaos and simplifications. There was only 1 set of armour that had +5% mitigation Angmar set and you needed full six parts ,Usually even heavy classes would feel they were made of paper when facing Elite+ that dealt Fire damage. They also had Aura of blistering heat and could proper you to air or put Shadow chilling air debuff ,Damage over time making them complete package of doom.
- Drakes were notoriously difficult which made them impossible to kite properly to to avoid damage entirely was no go. Other type of enemies did common or shadow damage or could be slowed and somehow kited without suffering aura or ranged damage, that was not a case with Drakes. Ranged Fire damage from Elite+ Drakes was your death song back then
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- Additional information
They frequently inhabit underground caverns, mountainous terrain or secret passages leading to more dangerous part of certain regions and Arda. Drakes can slay thee swiftly and the wisest you can do is to avoid them , unless you are travelling with a trusty fellow , considering careful pulling and take them one by one --
Drakes are much weaker in comparison to Dragons and at the time of release and Shadow of Angmar there was but one and undead reanimated Dragon who lied in Helegrod revived by Gaunt lord Drugoth and powers of Angmar. Tis a rare sight to spot a single drake those are of Elite master level huge with Blackened or Crimson scales and skin. Towering and imposing. You can on occasion spot a non hostile fire drake flying above in certain Eriador regions.
Guide on how to properly entangle with a Drake -- Know your Nemesis.
{While Lord of the Rings Online is incredibly easy game I find it fascinating that even today Elite Drake in Angmar can wipe out your average player}
Do not be misslead. If you want to show respect and caution to one particular type of enemy that has to be a Dragon-Kind.
- A wise man once said. Knowledge is power. Knowing your foes strengths and weaknesses before even starting a battle is already half work done.
- Have a proper mindset. You will perish fast should you underestimate any type of enemy ,especially foolish if that one is a Mighty Drake ,indeed.
- If melee class - Do equip Ancient Dwarf type of damage weapon or use a scroll. Drakes are highly susceptible to it.
- Generally before killing a drake was process of small - full fellowship having primary healer ,buffer tank and usually ranged DPS with proper setup and some fundamental principles and approach as you would use common sense.
- Do not use fire damage against Drake unless you have no choice if you play a Lore-master class.-
- I generally advise you not to pull more than 1 or 2 Drakes at the same time.
- Forget what you read or heard before, nobody is perfect and will learn a hard way, Keep your head cool. It takes time get used to combat and foes to set up proper skill rotation and acquire better gear and class trait points etc, Nobody was born and learn all in one morning. It took me years and years and untold amount of learning and struggle and perfected finesse and repetition to finally done certain things I wanted to do unrelated to Drakes, speaking in general.
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- DRAKE TYPES AND SPECIFICATIONS {ERIADOR VANNILA ONLY} Notable Shard droppers and most dangerous of their kind one can encountered -
There are far more Rare unique drakes you will if aware and patient in your travels, Randir.
They are as following -- {Old Eriador uniquely}
Bleakwind , Bloodwing , Bruigon , Colnor , Gochellan ,Helegarch, Kindle-Maw , Lhugrien , Naglangon , Praunk-Goj , Remgoj , Skybreaker ,
Things you may not know --
Once upon a time Drakes were far deadlier and Elven racial Deed Enmity of the Drakes II 0/150 was considered to be the most difficult and longest often resulting in group in Ram Duath killing off level 32-35 Elite drakes.
- Drakes were sadly nerfed to Signature and even Blue dot , Standard strength mob to make it for casual player base over years. Certain zones most popular are those of Ram Duath that now are severely nerfed and that threat of once deadly Mountain pass is gone
- Particular powerful version of drakes such are Colnor, Kindle-Maw{Caldwell's Pool} or Skybreaker as notable example dropped their trophy that used to execute some rare crafting recipes. Tis obsolete now.
- Drakes of rare signature were not easy to take down or find ,party always being competitive and in search of them.
- Drakes were so powerful that would often decimate light armour sometimes in 2 shots if the attack was critical. Average HP of light class back then was around 2,500. For heavy it was a rare a sight to see a class without external buffs or self buffs to go more than 4,000 at 50 at best with some "uber" potent gear/sapping all buffs and heals there are it would not make notable difference because Fire damage mitigation was Indeed very low that each attack sapped great portion of one's morale.
- There were no finesse / Critical defence system Making fight thrice harder with a Drake having ability to resist, avoid and you often miss and even your attacks frustratingly deflected.
Drakes in Shadows of Angmar fell always in three distinctive levels /categories of difficulty. They were designed to make life of Free peoples living hell and in a good sense being Elite, Elite master or Nemesis even, Extremely rare to find one below it was.
THE HIGHEST Concentration of Fire Drake Matrons, Terrible fire drakes were by far and that goes randomly scattered the valley of incomparable danger and dread, Nan Gurth, Each of drakes there were Elite masters combined with other Giants , Wraiths and Angmarim made it hellish landscape.
Other Notable but much lesser deadlier spots were:
- Dorloth and quest associated with destrying eggs. A landmark in North-Eastern Angmar with EliteDrakes
- Western Angmar and hidden valley with well known and deadly Nád Nathair in chasm Bloodwindcan be found
- Helegrod Drake wing is swarming with very deadly versions of Black guards and Wintersebbdrakelings, Helegord once was not divided in four wings as now and was a complete full instance
- Southern Ram Duath with Nangalngon Rare Elite master dropper and famous quest of slaying Drake Matron a popular spot of farming drakes for Racial deed those have distinctive Brown scales.
- Misty Mountains have had one roaming Elite master Drake called Kindle-maw at High craig near Caldwell's pool.
- North Downs had one roaming Elite master drake guarding entrance to one of the passages to Angmar, Bleakwing they named it.
- Highest concentration of single unique Drakes was by far in Angmar and then followed by Ancient Fortress of Helegrod.
- Not that Ram Duath is a part of Land of Angmar. There used to be a confusion because of Wrong Deed data-base and quests associated when one had go to Ram duath and deliver to North Downs, but Ram Duath is a sub region of Southern Angmar.
- Arador's End is swarming with Wintersebb Drakelings and more powerful Variants , but the area is entirely optional to visit.
Intriguing facts and most powerful Drake on landscape and the winner goes to..
"Bruigon" the only drake excluding Lhugrien that falls in such catergory is very rare roaming Drake with hellish Red eyes that had tremendous amount of Health and would hit harder than Hammer of Aule.
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Of Eriador Drakes and where can one spot them -- As mentioned before Drakes are not so common sight - If memory serves me well Drakes can found in the most dangerous places and often isolated. They are not your typical foe roaming around as other beasts or orcs and so on.
- The Drakes can found in following regions and spots --
- Sarnur - The once and still is a massive underground caverns that used to be a primary dungeon for Thorins hall reputation --
- The Ettenmoors the only PvMP area in Arador's End region usually at outskirts and within cavern one can spot significant number of Wintersebb Drakelings or more dangerous version of Elite master Drakes that were quite deadly back then. Twas a foolish decision to tackle with both Creep and Elite Master Drake back in the days. Landscape and roaming enemies proved to be far more dangerous and many areas were safe heaven for both factions.
- Trollshaws - North-Eastern part of Giant valley. - One can spot Mountain Elite drakes roaming around ,consider extreme caution.
- There were no Drakes in following regions -
Shire was the most peaceful and green , relaxing and hopeful barely having any orc and a single warg.
Bree-Land -- no Drakes at all, Note that I keep talking about Vanilla period of Lord of the Rings Online.
Lone lands neither.
Contrary to popular belief Forochel or Evendim had no drakes on landscape at all. Later they were added in Skirmish versions. I do not include Roving Threats ,
There is one Drake within Evendim as roving Drake threat however but those foes are level 100. My focus was and will be on Original.
Note: When I name region ,that also includes drakes within instance, such is Misty mountains -- automatically linked to Helegord or in other Rift with Angmar.
Six other regions contained Drake types. From North-Downs, Angmar , Misty Mountains, Ettenmoors , Trollshaws and Ered Luin.
Origion of Drakes - {Dragon Kind}
...the fire-drakes of the North, issued from Angband's gates by night."― Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Return of the Noldor"
Nobody , nor was ever said on how Dragons originated truly. Since Bauglir cannot create life, he could have certainly twisted other beings or manipulate, conjure or magically let us simply put it "play with Sorcery, Fire and Shadow" Dragons were the most powerful of Morgoth's servants.
- I will say only following for the end --
During the final days of War Wrath the Morgoth unleased his final barrier of defence a Terrible host of Massive Winged dragons followed by Thunder and Fury along with their Chief and greatest of all dragons Ancalagon the Black the assault so potent ,so furious ,unexpected and intense that even pushed Host of the Valar and hanged of balance of fate had not be for Eärendil and his Flying-ship Vingilot.
The drakes were and always will formidable foes and the only truly enemies i personally was afraid of because I knew what follows and how difficult it was to either beat them ,resist their onslaught and to escape one.
NOTE: Subject to change, fixing typos, expanding ,updating or enriching with even more data if I remember more. May not be final. I
My thy path ever be star and Lit and bring a lot of water pouches with thee. I hope you do not end as an steaming fuming pile of ash and dust.
Best Regards,
Duje Belak
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Limbairedhiel Spirit of Fire{Ithil} Formennya/Limbformstariel Landroval ,US
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