Burglars are masters of stealth and cunning, able to use their skills to confuse and weaken their enemies, or simply sneak past them. This guide will show you the basics of playing the Burglar class, setting you on the path to becoming an expert Burglar.
Burglar Basics
Burglars are skilled at slight of hand tricks and misleading enemies; in gameplay terms this means that Burglars are given the role of debuffers. They use their skills to weaken foes and rob them of their ability to dish out maximum damage and use their most powerful skills. Burglars can also play a role in crowd control, and are the only class that can consistently and reliably initiate fellowship manoeuvres, making them highly valued in fellowships.
When it comes to dealing and taking damage, Burglars are in about the middle of the pack when compared to other classes. They can do a fair bit of damage and can also take hits when needed, but that doesn’t mean you should simply stand and fight when playing one. The real strength of the Burglar class is in its skills, which you need to learn and take advantage of to play this class effectively.
Creating and Equipping your Burglar
Burglars can be played by either humans or hobbits, and both races offer advantages and disadvantages. Hobbits earn the ability to feign death, which can be useful for avoiding disaster while adventuring. However, humans earn a powerful healing trait which can also come in handy during quests. Both races also offer small statistical pros and cons, but neither race truly stands out as a superior Burglar. You can’t go wrong with either choice.
There aren’t too many tricks for properly equipping your Burglar, however it is important to wear items that raise your stealth level whenever possible. There are numerous cloaks and pocket items that can accomplish this. Some will be encountered during the mainstream story and class quests, while others can be found in more obscure areas. Regardless of how you come across them, items with stealth bonuses should be used until superior equipment comes along.
The Art of Stealth
Stealth is a skill your Burglar will learn at level four, and it is this ability that makes the class so unique. There are a few things you should keep in mind to maximise the usefulness of this skill. First, always use stealth to get behind an enemy before attacking. You receive a bonus for attacking from behind, and when combined with other skills such as Aim and Surprise Strike a back attack can become among the most powerful in the game. There is absolutely no reason not to take on opponents from behind.
Conversely, you should take care never to walk directly in front of enemies while in stealth mode. Stepping in the line of sight of mobs, even ones well below your level, will almost always result in you being spotted, dragging you into a fight you aren’t prepared for. So when planning your sneaking route through a group of enemies be sure to take the direction that they’re facing into account. Diversion, a skill learned at level eighteen, should help you with this. It causes its target to turn its back to you, which can be immensely helpful in both avoiding being detected and safely pulling off back attacks.
Finally, remember that while in stealth mode you have the opportunity to, as the class name implies, burgle enemies (once you reach level 14). Try to take advantage of this ability whenever reasonable; at worst it’s a nice source of additional income, and on rare occasions you can come up with loot that’s a little more valuable.