A LotRO guide to the new rare crafting trophies

In many MMOGs, there appears to be a plague of seemingly useless items you find along your travels. These usually include various animal parts in some disgustingly descriptive state. Many of these items are simply merchant fodder, but there are a fair majority of them which are used in crafting. The frustrating part is discovering which ones are worth the 25 copper the merchant gives you, and which ones are worth 5 gold to another player at the auction house.

In Lord of the Rings Online, this can be especially confusing because you're even teased a bit in the item's description. "This item can be used in crafting" is a frustrating statement, because you're torn between saving the item for a potentially useful rare opportunity in future crafting, or selling it for a few silver and that precious extra inventory slot.

So for this reason, we've assembled a little guide to help you get better acquainted with these rare crafting items, namely the new crafting trophies for LotRO. These trophies were introduced in Book 13 as a way to simplify and condense the more descriptive rare trophies that dropped previously. It was Turbine's hope that by doing this, the items would stack better, allowing cleaner inventory management and less confusion for who uses what. So what we've done here, is we've broken the items into categories according to trophy type. For each type, we've list the specific trophy items, what crafting professions use them, what type of monster drops them and what they're used for. Plus, as a recent addition to the game in Book 13, a new Trophy Broker NPC named Taddyn in the Bree Crafting Hall will barter for any of these items on the list in exchange for other older items you may have had in your inventory prior to Book 13. We will list those bartered items as well, because you seriously need to get rid of them and make that upgrade.

Treasures
Treasures are generally dropped by Wights and any form of a Wight in the Barrow-Downs, Lone-Lands, North Downs and Bree-Land areas.

• Dismissal Treasure - Used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) Jeweller for the Consumables and Jewelry recipes. Bartered for Diminutive Wight Barrow Treasure.
• Large Treasure - Used by the Expert (Tier 3) Jeweller for the Consumables, Jewelry and Runes recipes. Bartered for Huge Wight Barrow Treasure.
• Small Treasure - Used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) Jeweller for the Simple Jewelry recipes. Bartered for Small Wight Barrow Treasure.
• Stained Treasure - Used by the Expert (Tier 3) Jeweller for the Simple Jewelry recipes. Bartered for Shimmering Wight Barrow Treasure.
• Tarnished Treasure - Used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Jeweller for the Consumables, Jewelry and Runes recipes. Bartered for Orthodox Wight Barrow Treasure.

Heartwood
These are usually found on the Barrow Maples in the Southern Barrow Downs area and the Oaks in the Old Forest area of Bree-Land.

• Broken Heartwood - Used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Metalsmith for the Components, Dwarf Iron, Elf Iron, Iron Armour, Shields and Tools recipes. Also used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Woodworker for the Components, Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons recipes. Bartered for Blackened Huorn Heartwood and Blackened Huorn Root.
• Flawed Heartwood - Used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Woodworker for the Instruments recipes. Bartered for Dusky Huorn Heartwood.
• Scarred Heartwood - Used by the Expert (Tier 3) Woodworkers for the Components, Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons recipes. Bartered for Scarred Huorn Heartwood.

Eyes
Eyes usually drop from any sort of insect or amphibian, such as spiders, neekerbreekers, locusts, worms, toads, etc. They are all over Middle Earth, but you'll find them concentrated in swampy or marshy areas, as a general rule.

• Clouded Eye - Used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) Scholar for the Battle Lore, Consumables, Crafting Lore and Dye recipes. Also used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) Weaponsmith for the Components, Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons recipes. Bartered for Dirty Neekerbreeker Eye, Dirty Spider Eye and Dirty Toad Eye.
• Colourful Eye - Used by the Artisan (Tier 4) Metalsmith for the Shield and Westernesse Armour recipes. Also used by the Expert (Tier 3) Scholar in Dyes recipes and the Master (Tier 5) Scholar for the Bow Chant, Consumables, Crafting Lore and Dyes recipes. Bartered for Huge Spider Eye and Huge Worm Eye.
• Dark Eye - Used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Scholar for the Books, Consumables, Crafting Lore and Dyes recipes. Bartered for Blackened Crawler Egg Sac.
• Grey Eye - Used by the Artisan (Tier 4) Scholar for the Books, Bow Chants, Consumables, Crafting Lore and Dyes recipes. Bartered for Scarred Spider Eye and Scarred Worm Eye.
• Red Eye - Used by the Expert (Tier 3) Scholar for the Battle Lore, Books, Bow Chants, Consumables and Crafting Lore recipes. Bartered for Flawed Huorn Heartwood, Flawed Spider Eye and Flawed Warg Ear.

Claws
Claws are another of those trophies that are widely spread across all the lands. Usually obtained from a variety of creatures ranging from birds to lynx to bears, they can be one of the easiest trophies to find. The Great Claw, dropped from most Kilpa-Kita and Cave-Claw creatures, is probably one of the most versatile and widely-used crafting trophies there are for most Grand Master professions.

• Dusky Claw - Used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Jeweller for the Simple Jewelry recipes. Also used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Metalsmith in Crafted Armour and Heavy Shields recipes and the Journeyman (Tier 2) Weaponsmith for the Melee Weapons, Ranged Weapons, Spikes, Traps and Tricks recipes. Bartered for Dusky Lynx Claw.
• Flawed Claw - Used by the Expert (Tier 3) Weaponsmith for the Components, Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons recipes. Bartered for Jagged Bear Claw.
• Great Claw - Used by the Artisan (Tier 4) Jeweller for the Consumables, Jewelry and Runes recipes. Also used by the Master (Tier 5) in five other professions. Jeweller in Consumables, Gemstones, Jewelry and Simple Jewelry recipes. Metalsmith in Components, Knight's Armour, Shields, Soldier's Armour and Tools recipes. Tailor in Armaments, Campaigner's Armour, Components, Pristine Armour, Protector's Armour and Radiant Armor recipes. Weaponsmith in Components, Melee Weapons, Ranged Weapons and Traps recipes. Woodworkers in Components, Instruments, Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons recipes. Bartered for Lethal Sharp Dread Turtle Webbed Claw.
• Grey Claw - Used by the Artisan (Tier 4) Weaponsmith for the Components, Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons recipes. Also used by the Artisan (Tier 4) Woodworker for Components, Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons recipes. Bartered for Very Sharp Bear Claw.
• Torn Claw - Used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) of three professions. Metalsmith for the Components, Shields and Tools recipes. Tailor for the Cloaks, Components, Light Armour and Medium Armour recipes. Woodworker for the Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons. Bartered for Dirty Bat Claw, Dirty Hendroval Talon, Dirty Shrew Claw and Very Sharp Aurochs Horn.

Intestine
As one of the more disgusting of the crafting trophies, the intestines can mostly be found in any boar-like creature throughout Middle Earth. They are mostly used to make strings for the various instruments, especially the lute.

• Crushed Intestine - Used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) Cook for the Strings recipes. Bartered for the Blackened Boar Intestine.
• Small Intestine - Used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Cook for the Strings recipes. Bartered for the Bulbous Boar Intestine.
• Torn Intestine - Used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) Cook for the Strings recipes. Bartered for the Squishy Boar Intestine.

Tail
Tails are mostly obtained from any wolf-like or deer-like creatures such as the Wargs, Hill-Hind, Barghest and Bucks.

• Blackened Tail - Used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) Metalsmith for the Bronze Armour, Dwarf Bronze and Elf Bronze recipes. Also used for Journeyman (Tier 2) Tailor for the Armaments, Cloaks, Components, Light Armour and Medium Armor recipes. Bartered for the Clean Barghest Tail.
• Dusty Tail - Used by the Artisan (Tier 4) of three professions. Jeweller for the Simple Jewelry recipes. Tailor for the Cloaks, Hunter's Armour and Scholar's Armour recipes. Weaponsmith for the Melee Weapons, Ranged Weapons, Spikes, Traps and Tricks recipes. Bartered for the Huge Drake Tail.
• Grey Tail - Used by the Artisan (Tier 4) Tailor for the Armaments, Cloaks, Components, Explorer's Armour, Medium Armour, Skirmisher's Armour and Tools recipes. Bartered for the Very Shaggy Aurochs Tails and the Very Sharp Lynx Claw.
• Ragged Tail - Used by the Expert (Tier 3) of two professions. Metalsmith for the Components, Shields, Steel Armour and Tools recipes. Tailor for the Armaments, Cloaks, Components, Cotton Armor, Medium Armour and Tools recipes. Bartered for the Large Warg Tail.
• Scarred Tail - Used by the Expert (Tier 3) of two professions. Weaponsmith for the Melee Weapons, Ranged Weapons, Spikes, Traps and Tricks recipes. Tailor for the Cloaks, Medium Armour and Traveler's Armour recipes. Bartered for the Clean Drake Tail and the Shaggy Aurochs Tail.

Horn
Horns are interesting items as they drop from seemingly opposite creatures. The Streaked Horn and the Slender Horn are usually obtained from the Hoar-Mantles or the Snow-Mantles, yet the smaller Delicate Horns fall from the Neekerbreekers of the Midgewater Marshes. These horns are all used for specific Champion horns and aren't usually considered a general crafting component. They are similar to the intestines in that way, as those are used specifically for the lute strings recipes.

• Delicate Horn - Used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) Woodworker for the Horns (Instrument) recipes. Bartered for the Broken Neekerbreeker Horn.
• Slender Horn - Used by the Woodworker in the Horns (Instrument) recipes. Bartered for the Very Sharp Aurochs Horn.
• Streaked Horn - Used by the Expert (Tier 3) Woodworker for the Horns (Instrument) recipes. Bartered for the Jagged Aurochs Horn.

Misc.
These are the components that don't fall into any special category. That doesn't make them any less useful though! They defy the boundaries of a categorical restraint. How's that?

• Blackened Ear - Used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Weaponsmith for the Components, Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons recipes. Bartered for the Blackened Barghest Ear. These are mainly obtained from Wargs and other wolf-like creatures.
• Broken Root - Used by the Journeyman (Tier 2) Tailor for the Cloaks, Light Armour and Medium Armour recipes. Bartered for the Dusky Huorn Root. These are mostly dropped from the Haunted Barren-Oak in the Old Forest of Bree-Land.
• Delicate Wing - Used by the Apprentice (Tier 1) Woodworker for the Components recipes. Bartered for the Dirty Neekerbreeker Wing. These are mostly dropped from the Neekerbreekers of the Midgewater Marshes.
• Dusty Egg Sac - Interestingly enough, the Dusty Egg Sac seems to be the only real item on this list that isn't used in any crafting as of yet. It is still not know if it will be introduced later, or was simply an oversight. It can be bartered still though, from a Blackened Spider Eye. Feel free to add any updated information on this component in the comments below.
• Grey Ear - Used by the Artisan (Tier 4) Metalsmith for the Components, Dwarf-Iron Armour, Shields and Tools recipes. Bartered for the Grey Wolf Ear. These are mostly dropped from the wolf-like creatures such as the Moor-Stalkers.
• Large Skull - Used by the Expert (Tier 3) Metalsmith for the Defender's Armour and Shields recipes. Bartered for the Decrepit Wight Skull. These are mostly dropped from the Wights in just about the exact same areas as the Treasures mentioned above.
• Tough Leg - Used by the Artisan (Tier 4) Woodworker for the Instruments, Melee Weapons and Ranged Weapons recipes. Bartered for the Extremely Sharp Cave Claw Talon. These are mostly dropped from the Barrow-Spiders and Blade-Beak Ravagers of Angmar.

We hope this guide helps relieve your frustrations when it comes to your rare crafting needs. With those recent changes that came with Book 13, many players got confused as to what previous rare crafting trophies converted to this new system. We can't help but wonder what will happen with Book 14, and eventually Mines of Moria. Will these changes continue, or are they in preparation of things to come? Until then though, this guide should aid you in the knowledge of what to keep and what to sell when it comes to getting you on your way to great riches in Middle Earth.