Brigandine

The most popular (with over 600 accounts now) CoH channel in Champs is the CoX channel (Case sensitive)

/channel_join CoX will get you in.

Ignore 'em, they're not worth the time. Join the CoX channel and one of the many newly formed Paragon S.G.'s and you'll be surrounded by like minded individuals. Last checked, the CoX channel had over 600 unique accounts subscribed to it, several hundred of them having just joined the channel and have recently come over from CoH. I'm one of the CO and CoH vets in that channel trying to help any and everyone, and the channel is laid back and calm, where you can get your questions about CO answered, chat with fellow CoHers and decent CO vets, and find CoHers to team with.

Yes, it does. Starting at level 25 you create your first Nemesis. You name your Nemesis. choose the powerset it has, you customize the Nemesis through the same character creator you use to create your own character. You also choose the type of minions it has, and the powerset the minions uses. As well as choosing what persona (through a list of three) your Nemesis has. You're also provided a place where you can type in your Nemesis' bio, in it's info screen.

You go on missions about your Nemesis, trying to foil it's plot(s). Nemesis'll also find you in missions. And there is a high level lair revolving around your Nemesis (And the Nemesis' of your team)

And you can have more than one Nemesis (When you put one away, you are prompted to create another)

I greatly enjoy the Nemesis system, and can't wait til they update it again. I think my favorite Nemesis is the one my character Migraine (psionic user) has, named Professor Excedrin, a gadgeteer.

Actually, the story does get pretty dark and takes itself pretty seriously at times. The adventure packs, specifically Demonflame, has a great story about ancient gods in the Qliphothic. The Comic Series "Aftermath" follows after Demonflame, and shows you what happens when casualties of transdimentional battles get left behind in a dimension that is full of twisted and dark creatures (think of the Shadow Shard). The Comic Series "Whiteout" has a very dark story that has you stranded in the middle of a Canadian blizzard with shape-shifting aliens and has great atmosphere that reminds me of John Carpenters The Thing. (Seriously, if you ever play Whiteout, make sure the volume is turned up. It has great effects)

And Vibora Bay's entire crisis zone has you saving the Champions, going back in time and trying to prevent a... "certain events."

But that's not to say there isn't plenty of camp in Champs, there really is. I liken it to the 1960's Batman show on T.V. That then goes off into darker avenues that takes a more serious tone. It definitely isn't as serious and dark consistently as CoH is, but when the story gets serious, it's comparable.

Yeah, trailturtle has been in the CoX channel on and off for about four hours now. Talking to people in the channel, answering people's questions about the game. He has even teamed with several groups for Alerts, and helped several others create their supergroup. He's still there as I type this.

Two for free players. Eight for subscribers. Twelve for Lifetime. You can also earn new character slots by getting characters to level 40. Also vet rewards grant some slots too. Between getting characters to level 40, and vet rewards, I have 18 character slots.

Yes, you can switch costumes. You're limited to switching them once every 15 (I think) seconds. You can get upwards of 8 costume slots, and another one from joining an S.G.

Plus, you can also assign different costumes for different builds. So that when you switch builds, your costume automatically changes. On my Power Armor character I have my tanker role set with a heavier, bulkier armor, with the character scales set taller and more muscular. On the assault role, I have a costume that's slimmer and sleeker. And these costumes automatically swap as I swap roles. Unlike CoH, you don't have to buy access to a 'super tailor', and can make characters more muscular, taller, thinner wider, across costumes.

That's open to debate. But I routinely see characters with around five six pets. But that's including some powers that come with multiple pets (like healing drones).

Yes. A defensive passive only works in tank and hybrid roles. Hybrid is basically the default role, it's well rounded without any real weaknesses, but not excelling in any area either. Your super stats affect your damage and healing potential. And you start off playing in Hybrid role (You gain other roles early on in the game.)

In other words, you're not really a tank in Hybrid mode, using a defensive passive. You're just more resilient.

In comparison - tanker role increases your maximum health, damage resistance, control power resistance (Mez protection) and energy from blocking, while reducing maximum energy and equilibrium down to 80%. Super stats in this role increases your threat generation.


That's correct. You can switch roles every 10 seconds. And you unlock builds (lets call them character templates) that houses different gear and powers and even another passive. So someone with the Celestial power set, could go from being a healer, to switching roles (and builds) to being a tanker and tank for a team. It's something I use heavily on my Power Armor character. I have one build where he has Invulnerability and has gear stacking his Constitution, and he can tank for a team. I have another build that puts him into the ranged damage role, with the offensive passive Targeting Computer. Which increases damage, and energy regeneration. And I actively switch between both roles, whether in a team or soloing, depending on whether I need damage or defense.

Each build (your character can have multiple builds, using one role, one passive and whatever powers you have chosen) has one passive. Certain passives only work in certain roles (A defensive passive, can either work in a tank role, or hybrid/balanced (default) role.) and all passives (now, they didn't before) scale to your super stats.

Examples of passive types are:

Invulerability

Regeneration

Personal Force Field

Stormbringer

Ego Form


To use Invulnerability as an example - Invul works in CO as a passive. You buy the power, it automagically goes into your passive power slot. The invulnerability power grants you a % of damage resistance to all, plus reducing damage of every attack by a set amount. The damage resistance and damage absorption increases as you level, plus increases with the ranks you put into the power. And also scales to your super stats.

In other words, with just the Invulnerability passive in CO, it encompasses the entire defensive powerset of Invulnerability in City of Heroes, (excluding the mez protection and Unyielding and the top tier power Unstoppable) with just one power. Instead of having individual defensive toggles that increases your damage resistance, elemental resistance, energy resistance, you have a single passive that costs no endurance, and does all of that automatically and is always on while the power is slotted.

Offensive passives work in a similar fashion. They can only be used in a offensive or 'balanced' role. Each offensive passive buffs specific power-types. For instance, in the Wind powerset, wind powers cause lightning, crushing and cold damage (Depending on the powers) the Wind Passive Stormbringer increases (by a large margin) your lightning, crushing and cold damage, plus increases your damage resistance to lightning, crushing and cold damage, as well as generating small amounts of endurance for you whenever you get hit by lightning, crushing and cold damage.

I have to bring up that how many enemies you can take on at one time, really depends on whether you're free-form or using an arch-type and if you're using an arch-type, which type. And how far along in progression you are, how many powers you have. It also depends on what enemies you're fighting. Champions has the eqiviliant of minions, lts, bosses, elite bosses, supervillians, giant monsters. Most groups are comprised of several minions and an LT, or four or five minions and no LT. If a boss is in the group, then it's usually one boss one minion (This outside of missions)

Before getting a passive - whether offensive or defensive - you're pretty squishy. When you get a passive (especially for tanks) your survivability goes through the roof. Even at lower levels, tanks can have upwards of 7-8 minions and a LT or two on them at the same time, by themselves. They can tank more enemies, obviously, if they have team member support. Those in the hybrid or ranged damage roles (ranged role is essentially a blaster) can take to the air - or attack at a distance and drop a group of 5 enemies using a variation of single and cone attacks.

To give an example - last night I was tanking an elite mission, with a group of five (myself included) and I herded an entire room of elites (they're called "toughs") comprising of 24 enemies. I held their aggro and smacked them around the room with super strength (might) while another player was dropping sigils and healing me occasionally. The other three were doing damage and mopping up enemies.

I also often run comic series and adventure packs on this character solo, on the "Very Hard" difficulty, and can herd groups of 15+ enemies, by myself, and take them down using room sweeper, havoc stomp, expulse, planar fracture and ebon rift. And blocking when I run out of endurance to recover it faster.

Cox channel is "CoX" you can use the slash command /channel_join CoX or right click a chat-tab go to channels and type in "CoX" to join.

A good portion of powers can be used and charged without rooting you down. However quite a few of the heavier hitting, more powerful powers (Such as Lightning Strike) roots you down as you charge it.

You get your first travel power at level 6. They get their second travel power at level 35. So yes, you can take super jump too, yes. Almost all travel powers can also be charged, as well.

Ego and block is the only status protection in Champs. However I should note, that you'll see specific symbols over your enemies heads that alerts you when they're charging up an attack or hold, and what type of power it is (I.E. single target, AoE, cone, etc.) so you're visually alerted to types of powers, and can react accordingly.

Champions has , arguably, more things to do and requires more moving, dodging and creative use of powers than CoH. Since attacks don't hit (and damage) you until they connect. For instance, if said enemy is charging up the power Room Sweeper, you can move back, jump over them, take to the air and completely avoid their attack.

What you described is acrobatics as a travel power. Not as fast as superspeed, can't jump as tall as super jump, but runs, twirls around in the air, back flips and the likes.

If you need any help, you can join the CoX channel in-game that was set up to help CoH players transition over. You can also contact me via @Akaebeel in-game, and I'll be glad to answer your questions, and try to put it into CoH terms.


Do you mean mez protection? If so, Champion has a similar system that CoH does, in term of protection, certain stats increases your resistance to it. But where it differs in you're actually held, instead of riding the hold out, using a break free or power, you can repeatedly press z (or any button really) and break out of it earlier. But the primary defense is to block. Blocking vastly reduces damage as well as increases mez protection.

I find the stats to be no real different than enhancements in CoH. Certain enhancements increase damage, accuracy, end redux, recharge redux, etc. And the same goes for stats in Champions. Certain stats effect certain powers better than others - just like certain enhancements increase certain powers better than others. And instead of having to slot multiple powers, in CO you pick stats that blankets all your powers.

Now this I can completely agree with, and it is the same thought I have when playing 'strong' but not 'super-strong' characters. However, despite having Super strength, you don't have to pick up heavy objects. When you approach an item that you can lift, you get a small prompt at the bottom of the screen telling you to press z to lift it. All characters in-game have the ability to pick up the basic of items, barrels and small crates, as well.

Champions is pretty easy on mediocre builds. And as long as you follow the basic rules of having some form of self heal (when you get over your head and are unsure of your build) and slotting a passive, whether offensive or defensive, you can survive pretty easily. And if you're using an arch-type, they're pretty balanced to begin with, and there isn't too much to worry about. A self heal can be forgone by the use of inspiration like orbs that drop from enemies, and health consumables. But a self-heal can really make things easier.

Critical chance can be completely ignored and acts like a scrappers innate. Each super state works automagically in conjunction with whatever passive you choose. Before, each passive worked better with specific stats. They removed that, thankfully. In other words, doesn't matter what you choose, it benefits your passive the same.

For a dumbed down view of the stats in-game:

Strength: Increase melee damage, knock-back distance and knock back resistance. It also influences how much you can lift in-game. Cars, barrels, street lights and posts, tanks, etc.

Constitution: It simply increases your hit points per level.

Intelligence: Reduces the endurance cost of your powers, increases the recharge speed of your powers as well as increase perception.

Endurance: Increases your maximum energy level, also increases how much endurance your Endurance builder attack builds.

Dexterity: Increases your critical strike chance, as well as the effectiveness of stealth granting powers.

Ego: Directly influences your ranged damage (Not melee damage) and increases your hold resistence.

Presence: Increases the effectiveness of healing powers. Also increases the duration and strength of crowd control powers.

Recovery: Increases your energy equilibrium (Where your energy sits at outside of combat) as well as increasing your maximum energy and the amount of energy your energy builder generates.

Stats are not as complicated in CO as I have seen in other RPG's. And if you don't want to look too hard into the numbers you don't have to, to be an effective player. You just look at what compliments the type of character you want to play. Min-maxers and number crunchers on the other hand can pour over the numbers and fine-tweak their character through super stats, gear and mods.

There is 26 powerpools and individually there is 432 powers in the game. 49 of them are travel powers. More powers are coming soon for Telepathy, as well. There is a mind-boggling amount of powers going free-form. If you play as an arch-type, then yes, it does limit them.

Quite a few costume sets that can be bought in the Z-store can also be found in drops. For example the Roin'Esh costume set can be found in drops in the Whiteout comic series, and can be found on the auction house. Other costume sets can be found as vet rewards. Many consumables in the Z-store can be found as mission rewards and boss drops. You also get a 500 point monthly stipend for subscribing. And can trade questionite (in-game end game currency) that drops from various sources, through an in-game auction exchange for Z-points. Many of the devices that can be purchased via the Z-store isn't bind on pickup, but bind on equip, so you can often find these devices in the in-game auction house.

Creating this character would be quite easy in CO. To create Sam Tow as you envision, you would either need to be subscribed and create a free-form character or purchase a free-form character slot. After you had that, you would have access to all powerpools and sets simultaneously.

To put a rough build together for this character, I would choose:

Single Blade from the martial powerpool with a Katana weapon skin with the following powers:

Reaper's Touch (Single Blade energy builder)

Reaper's Caress (Single Blade Attack)

Dragon's Bite (Single Blade Melee Rush)

Inexorable Tides (Single Blade AoE)

Bountiful Chi (Self Heal)

And Lightning Reflexes (Basically Super Reflexes in CoH) defensive passive.

Then I'd choose Munitions from the Technology powerpool with the following powers:

Bullet Beatdown (Single Target Dual Pistol Combo Attack)

Two Gun Mojo (Single Target Dual Pistol Ranged Attack) or if you didn't want dual pistols then:

Holdout Shot (Single Target Range Attack) which does more damage when fired with low Endurance.

Breakaway Shot (Ranged AoE - Reverse Lunge)

With this build, the primary stat would be Super Strength which increases melee damage. Your two secondary stats would be Ego, which increases range damage, and Dexterity, which increases critical chance. This isn't a full build, but gives you a look at the variety of powers available.

There is other munition powers, such a shot-guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and grenades.

Travel power could be acrobatics, or swinging, if going for a natural superhero feel, or perhaps superspeed

That depends; if you go free-form, you could create a Force Field Defender/support character quite easily. With a combination of Force Fields and some of the sorcery powersets.

For instance From Forcefield you could pick up:

Force Bolts (Energy builder)

Force Blast (Range attack)

Force Cascade (Range Are Attack)

Containment Field (Single Target Hold)

Personal Force Field (Defensive Passive)
-or-
Kinetic Manipulation (Offensive Passive)

Protection Field (Single Target Friendly Defense Buff)

Inertial Dampening Field (PbAoE Team Defense Buff)

Then from the sorcery power pool (which has eight different themed powersets)

You could pick up any number of single target or group heals such as Vala's Light, which is a targeted AoE heal or get further team buffs.

If you go with the Impulse premium arch-type you'll have access to no heals, but still have bubbles to buff team-mates and yourself.

Free-to-play players get access to 10 "themed' arch-types. The Behemoth, Soldier, Mind, Marksman, Inferno, Grimoire, Glacier, Blade, Unleashed and Radiant. Which span from melee tank, to ranged damage, or support.

There is also 14 "premium" "themed" arch-types, which encompasses more of Champions powersets.

If you wanted to play as an electric power based character, if you're free-to-play, you'll have to buy The Tempest, which pulls it's power from the Electricity powerset of the Energy Projector powers. You don't choose primary or secondary powersets, like in CoHs; the powers are chosen for you - except at levels 17 and 27, where you can make a choice of several powers - all electricity based.

If you wanted to choose both electricity and ice powers, there are several options. You can purchase a Free-form character slot, that grants you access to every powerset available in the game on that one character. And from there you can choose whatever powers strike your fancy.

Other option is to subscribe to the game, which allows you to choose free-form for all your character slots.

To give an example of a freeform character - I have a level 20 tank that has superstrength melee attacks from the Might powerset, lightning ranged attacks from the Electricity powerset, invulnerability from the Power Armor powerset for his defensive passive, and heroic flight for his travel power. And I plan to get more electric and might powers as he levels.

The arch-types are more restrictive than CoH's version - but they're a good place to get started. But if you want to start mix-matching powers from multiple sets, free-form is the way to go.

On my Power Armor free-form character, which I use to primarily tank for teams has Invulnerability and his defenses are sitting at, and I quote:

"Reduces incoming damage by a flat 75 damage and also grants a +51% resistance to all damage."

That's with rank 2 Invulnerability. Using the tanker role. Which increases the follow stats:

Max Health: 125%
Damage Resistance: 110%
Threat: 110%
Control Power Resistance (Mes Resistance): 125%
Energy from Blocking: 125%

That's without using Mods for his equipment. While completely agree that in the first few months of CO's release, they've definitely buffed defenses up since then. I've seen Regen, Lightning Reflex and Defiance tanks preform admirably. Comparable to CoH tanks.


I can't say that teaming is as well of an oiled machine as CoH's is. But it has gotten better in recent years. With the Adventure Packs and Comic Series, as well as Nemesis Confrontation, lairs such as Therakiel's Temple - teaming is there. Though it does help to get into a supergroup or a LFG channel.

178 alts? Ever have a hard time remembering their names? :P

When I say creating a concept character to your hearts content, wasn't exactly thinking about someone creating almost 200 alts. Though I do know a few players in CO approaching 60 alts.

Was kind of talking about free-form characters, and using any combination of 26 powersets and 49 travel powers.

There's options and control schemes to make the controls closer to CoH's. There's even some guides on the CO's forums detailing how to make the camera operate similar to COH's.

Paid members get eight character slots. Free-to-play gets two. (Life-time accounts get 12, I believe.)

Paid members get extra character slots via vet rewards. Plus getting the icon perk (badge) grants you another character slot. (Which you get at reaching level 40. And counts for every character you get to level 40.) I have 18 character slots through combination of vet rewards and level 40 characters.

Extra character slots can also be purchased through the Z-store. Z-store currency can also be exchanged for Questionite (in-game currency) from other players. (Using an in-game auction system)

Champions Online has changed dramatically in the past three years.

It's virtually a new game.

Instead of starting in Canada or the desert, players start in Millennium City. Freeform characters are still alive, and just as versatile as before - you can min/max, FOTM, and create your concept characters til your hearts content.

There has been a steady increase of missions and story arcs (Though not near the degree CoH has) and has become more alt-friendly. Especially since they've added several "Adventure Packs" and "Comic Series."

They've also added a plethora of new power sets (Wind, Earth, Batman-esque gadgetry) as well as padded out other powersets that were lacking (Might, Power Armor, Telepathy) and are continuing to do so. Cryptic is also releasing this Autumn customizable character vehicles. And currently have an in-game event regarding them.

Both Champions Online players, Ex-City of Heroes players and those that played both (like me) have been trying to ease any transition City of Heroes players may have coming over to Champions. Several CoH chat channels have been created, as well as Roleplaying channels. There has also been several Supergroups created for City of Heroes players that want to join other CoH players.

So if anyone is willing, You might want to give Champions a try. While it's a close cousin to City of Heroes, and it isn't as robust as CoH has become over eight years. It isn't all too different.

And anyone that has played Champions several years ago and quit, you may want to try it again. While it was admittedly sub-par when it first released, it's grown and gotten better in leaps and bounds.

If anyone joins and wants help, or wants to be pointed to the direction of other CoH players, feel free to get contact with me @Akaebeel (Both here and in Champs.)