Amygdala

This. On a serious note, I don't think it makes sense, or is necessary, to deem one person 'Mayor of Champion' when so many people contribute to the server in different, but equally important, ways.

So if we're going to do this, it might as well be fun and entertaining, and anything but 'serious'.

Just one person from the SG has to click on the Mission Computer/Oracle.

This is exactly what I was describing. Instead of Tanks though, we have used melee toons in general. We haven't had to 'chain' the melee to the cubes though. Fortunately, they have been very good about getting in position ASAP. But I can see how this would be a good idea for those newer to the trial. I think it's the easiest way to keep the spawns localized, leading to a more efficient defeat.

That's pretty much my take on it. You're there, so why not try it?

I would agree that taking down the cube spawns fast is key. While having IOs in your build helps this, I think the biggest time sink in taking them down is the fact that it's difficult to pin them down. As soon as the shield drops, mobs start to fly around and scatter. That's why it's essential to jump on them as quickly as possible. Rularuu tend to resist a lot of control/mez powers, so I've found it effective to have one of the melee toons jump in as soon as the spawns are up to cause them to aggro on a focal point in order to keep them together. Then each team can go to their assigned cube and take out the spawns without having to chase them around nearly as much.

I'd also hesitate to assume that having IOs or purples necessarily equates to having a good build, or a build that's better suited to the CoP. I've seen lots of builds with these things that aren't nearly as effective as cheap, but well constructed builds. A lot of casual players have IOs these days and have likely incorporated some sets, so I'm not really sure what constitutes a 'generic build' anymore. There's never going to be a practical way to account for each and every build. For this reason, I'd place an emphasis on support toons, toons that debuff, toons that increase recharge and damage out put.

What I've stated above I've stated with the assumption that these are to be done without nukes/temps. I've already heard of successful runs with the Storm using these things. I really don't think they should be necessary, so I would like to continue to work on ideas that do not involve them, making it easier to pick up folks and go.

If by 'handled down to 50%' you mean brought down to 50% health, I'd say that's very promising! If you can get him down 50% of the way, you should be able to get him down the rest of the way given enough time. I am curious to know the circumstances under which you achieved this, i.e., did you use nukes, did you run out of time, what was the cause of failure, etc. Apologies if I have misinterpreted your statement.

As a general update, I've tried a few more of these blueside, but have not been able to get the Storm. The 'Big Red' version is being completed easily in under 10 minutes without nukes/temps, the fastest time being 8:23. This was accomplished with a few of my SG mates/friends and several PuGers. These results have given me hope that, when we do get the Storm AV again, we will be able to take him down with a more PuG heavy group.

Pretty much what Fiery-Enforcer said. Buffs and debuffs are important for this trial, and ranged damage is only preferred because of the chance of getting the Storm AV. I use the word preferred very loosely, because even then, I have some ideas on how to better incorporate melee.

The idea is to get people the badges on the toons they need them on, so if that's your Scrapper, you're still more than welcome to come.

You're very welcome.

Yo listen up here's a story
About a big blue guy that lives in a game world
And all day and all night and everything he sees
Is just blue like him, inside and outside
Blue his face with some blue little boots
And blue Energy Blasts
And everything is blue for him and hisself
And everybody around
Cuz he ain't got nobody to...

Anyways.

Vote 'blue' da ba dee da ba die...

I second the nomination for Cobalt's face. Not the rest of him though. That much blue is overkill.

I've done the last few blueside, so I'll try to see about a redside one the next time around.

Apologies if I was unclear. I'd like to gather more information at this point in a more structured manner so that it might be useful to someone. Like I said, it is my impression that AT selection and team balancing has a lot more to do with succeeding than the general strat, which most people have a general understanding of. Since I don't have a record of the teams, I can't really offer much more information. I can tell you we did not try to hold him.

Once I have more experience with it and a more precise understanding of what is needed, I will gladly share what I learn with you.

I would agree that the discrepancy in difficulty between the 2 AVs should be addressed, regardless if they are both 'doable' or not.

I would like to get more experience with the Storm AV before giving specific advice. I don't feel having done it a couple times qualifies me as an expert. I just know that it is possible. Knowing it is possible causes me to think that over time, with more experience, it should become easier and more knowledge of what is needed to succeed will be available. You bring up an excellent point that handling the spawns inside the cathedral is on par with having defeated the spawns at the obelisks. And that once the bug with the AV shooting through his shield is fixed, the whole ordeal should be more manageable.

As for the tactics, the teams were composed of several debuffers, buffs, with an emphasis on ranged damage. The exact ATs I can't recall. I hope to get a more comprehensive list during further attempts. I can't account for everyone's build, but on average I'd say these players have invested in IOs. We did not use nukes, Shivans, or HVAS.

The strategy used was similar to what has been suggested. Each team was assigned a spawn point (very much the same way each team was assigned to an obelisk) and switched back to it very quickly once the shields were up. We had to be quick about defeating them, for obvious reasons. Cycling back and forth between the spawns and AV we were able to defeat him. I've found that anything you can do to minimize the mobs flying around is key. Once they scatter, people scatter and it adds time before you can switch back to the AV. This is why we've found assigning teams to each spawn point is useful. If they've cleared theirs early, they can always assist other teams.

My general impression is that most people have the strategy down more or less. What it will come down to, beyond what to do and how to do it, is AT composition and balancing the teams.

That's fine. Unfortunately I have nothing to prove it happened beyond my recollection of the experience. If I did, I would gladly provide it. It's unfortunate that a completion screen doesn't show up once you've succeeded.

I agree that the initial attack is by far the best way to coordinate the obelisks given your teams are adequately balanced. We have tried it a few different ways (e.g. leaving mobs alive while leaving the obelisk at around 20% health) but the best results come from having all 3 teams start attacking at the same time. Well balanced teams will defeat the spawns and take down the obelisks in sync with each other and you'll be in the portal on your first attempt.

I also wholeheartedly agree that the challenge of this trial is a welcomed change. I especially would like to encourage people to take up the challenge and not be disenchanted if they do not succeed the first time. Which is why I feel BlazingTiger should elaborate on this part of his/her guide:

There is no doubt that the Storm AV is more difficult than 'Big Red'. This does not mean that he is impossible to defeat and does not mean that nukes or temps are mandatory for success. So far I have been on a blueside and redside CoP with the Storm AV present that were both successful without the use of nukes or other temp powers that are time consuming to acquire. It is true that right now, because the CoP is relatively new, there has likely been a lower success rate for the more difficult of the 2 encounters so far. However, I don't think this is any cause to encourage teams to give up and not even bother with the rest of the trial should they get the Storm AV, especially in a guide. A guide IMHO, should provide strategies for completion. I can think of several examples in the game where something was challenging when it first came out, but with time and experience, players can now complete those tasks with great ease. My guess is that the CoP is no different. Progress cannot be made if teams do not at least try.