Preview: The Lord of the Rings Online's New Mariner Class Is All About Balance

mmorpg.com:

Last week, The Lord of the Rings Online showcased its upcoming Mariner class, coming with theUmbar expansion later this year. The new class is all about balance, going with the ebb and flow of combat to maximize its potential.

Each class in The Lord of the Rings Online is inspired by a legendary figure from within Tolkien's world of Arda. The Mariner is inspired by Eärendil,  the legendary Mariner who is also the father of both Elrond and Elros, the latter of which became the First High King of Numenor. Eärendil himself was half-elven, and during the First Age he sailed to the Undying West to beseech the Valar to come to the aid of the Children in Middle-earth and Beleriand, which was under siege by Morgoth, the dark enemy of the World.

The Mariner theme here also fits with the location the next expansion is taking place: Umbar. A coastal city known for its natural harbor and legendary Corsairs, the Mariner fits right in with where we are going next in the Lord of the Rings Online journey.

Mariners, as the name would suggest, spend much of their time at sea, and as such both the life of a Mariner and the way they might fight while aboard a vessel is represented in how the new class operates. Singing Sea Shanties to inspire allies and demoralize foes, while taking on a Fencing stance in how they fight really feel like a class at home on the Belegaer. 

However, it's the Balance System where the Mariner really channels its nautical roots. The bar, which takes the form of the hull of a ship, represents the ebb and flow of the waves, and how those who fight on sea have always to keep balance, lest they fall overboard.

It feels a bit like the Rune Keeper's Attunement bar, where skills will either push the balance Fore-ward or