Before delving into the particulars of Legendary Items, sometimes
also called "Legendaries" or just "LI's", it's important to under-
stand what they are, and more importantly, what they *aren't*.

Legendary Items are NOT...

• innately powerful: This is perhaps the most confusing point about LI's, because we assume "Legendary" means something suggestive of epic power. The fact is Legendary Items (Third Age ones anyway) are common in Moria, and you will find and deconstruct or give away hundreds of them over the course of your career. The power of a Legendary Item is mostly determined by the luck of the draw, as its starting stats and legacies (more on these later) are random, and while it can level up and earn new and upgraded legacies as it goes, they too, are determined randomly, with a couple of decisions granted to the player along the way. Perhaps then it would be more accurate to think of Legendary Items not as actually already "Legendary" but rather possessing "Legendary Potential". Just how much potential is determined when you identify the item, but it's still up to the player to level up the item and make the most of that potential.
  

• exactly what you want them to be: This is related to the last point, but it ought to be mentioned just the same. You may look at the list of legacies later in this guide and think: "I need this one, that one, some of those and the one over there." Unfortunately, that's pretty much never going to happen. Because the legacies are determined randomly, the chances of getting exactly what you want for every legacy on an item, for those legacies to all be high or even max tier (more on tiers later), and for the item itself to be second or even first age and have high stat bonuses are downright infinitesimal. You could be hunting for years and never find that item, though you might eventually find something close. This is important. Since you can't have exactly what you want, you should instead focus on just one or maybe a select few legacies or properties for the item to have, and keep your eyes peeled for them. Chances are you'll only find them on a Third Age item because they are so common. When it comes to Second or First Age items, remember that even if the legacy you want isn't on the item when it's first identified, it may be added later as you level the item up. Just keep in mind that the more picky you are, the more likely you are to be disappointed.
  

• visually unique: While it would be nice if every Legendary Item had its own unique model, unfortunately art assets are somewhat limited, and many weapons have the same appearance, especially if they're the same item type from the same level (in other words, all level 57 Third Age clubs look exactly the same). At the moment it seems that there are a total of 3-4 different appearances for each weapon type, though clubs and maces seem to share their looks. More appearances may be added in the future however, so stay tuned. Also, certain weapon titles (more on titles later) can change the color that the item glows, so there's a little room for customization there.
  

• off-hand weapons, armor or jewelry: A very basic sort of point, but it bears noting. Legendary Items are only main-hand weapons, two-handed weapons, ranged weapons, and class items (to go in the class item slot). No other kind of item is ever used in the Legendary Item system.
  

• for anyone below level 45: In order to use the Legendary Item system, a player must have completed the first book of Volume Two of the epic quest series. This cannot be attempted 'til at least level 45, and it can be just a little tricky to do even at that level for some classes. By completing this series, the player will have access to Moria and also have two bound Legendaries that they can equip at any level, either a melee weapon and a class item for most classes, or a melee weapon and a ranged weapon for hunters and wardens. Aside from these "freebies", the player will not be able to equip another legendary item until at least 51, which is the lowest level that they can be found normally.

Legendary Items ARE...

• statistically unique: This is the counterpoint and main benefit of the randomness of the Legendary Item system, and one that I think is widely unappreciated by most players. By not letting players have exactly what they want and instead introducing a little randomness into the system, you are pretty much guaranteed that every Legendary Item is one-of-a-kind. It's your chance to own something that is yours and yours alone. The ability to name the item during a reforge really drives this point home. Even if your item has the same legacies as someone else's (a very rare event in and of itself) it's pretty much certain that the legacies are of different tiers, maintaining uniqueness. Some items will be more powerful than others, but even the weakest Legendary Item can be used for all content successfully, with a little levelling at least.
  

• potentially powerful: I already said Legendary Items are not automatically the most powerful items in the game, but they can be the most powerful, with a little luck and dedication. For one thing, weapons, even with poor legacies, always have a "tier-less" DPS legacy which raises the damage of the weapon. By maxing this legacy out, which can be done as early as item level 22, the weapon will have more DPS than any "normal" weapon of that level can possibly have. Second Age items have better DPS than Third Age and First Age have better DPS than a Second Age (of the same minimum level anyway). Throw in some half-way decent legacies and relics and you're already looking at something far more powerful than would be possible with any "normal item", and leveling will just improve it even further. For classes that don't rely on the weapon's DPS, they have more points to throw around at other legacies, many of which increase the class's DPS with their various skills, and others which increase a class's power in ways other than damage. And this is just weapons. Class items typically fill a slot that is never filled beforehand or at most had a simple rudimentary item with some very basic bonuses. Putting a legendary item with decent legacies and relics into that slot increases the power of the player significantly. And remember, this is just with "decent" legacies. It can only get better from here.