Chyll

Long post.
tl;dr at the end.

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Sunday there was a call out for 1 on a STF. I do not have a ton of characters on Virtue, but of those that I do I really enjoy my elec armor/dark melee/fire tank, Fettyr. He had not been on STF, so I accepted the call and joined the team.

(Side note: elec armor is resist set. I thought a lot about the build and made the decision not to slot for defense, instead I am regen heavy. I figure, go ahead and hit me, much of it won't hurt and I'll get it back fast. Sometimes I miss the defense, but I like the feeling living out on the edge like that and it plays like a very durable character. I also have several aoe powers, many of them unonventionally (I think) taunt slotted to get aggro and hold it.)

I quickly found out it was a group of 7 SG mates, all on a voice chat server together. I was second tank behind the team leader. I was fine with that. I've done STF before on all five of the base hero ATs, but never been lead tank for the AVs or Recluse. There was also a controller, 2 defs, and 3 blasters.

It was a relatively 'quiet' TF, I could tell a lot of voice chatter was going on, but slowly there were more team tells as the situation got more comfortable and it was clear that I was not going to flake out on them. As with almost every STF I've participated in, we breezed through almost everything. No hiccups at all. I limited my actual [Taunt] to pulling in strays and ambushes, and felt selfishly good about the occasional time I pulled aggro away from the leader just through my aura and aoe.

Anyway, the last mission...

The first pull brought GW and Sirocco. They rapidly snapped into the team and scattered us about. Ultimately, we pulled back to the ship where we kept them apart from each other. I tanked Sirocco for the team to clear, while the leader kept GW occupied. After that, we all turned on GW and pulled her down. I felt pretty good at that point - having a second tank had definitely helped control the situation and I held my own.

The next two pulls went uneventfully. The flier was the same.

Then...
(You knew there was a 'then' coming, didn't you?)

It was a mess.

The lead tank jumped on LR, we jumped on the tower. The tank held briefly and then dropped. LR knocked us about like bowling pins. I'd take a couple shots, KB throwing me, then drop. Rinse and repeat enough times that the flier respawned. We took the flier out again, and dived back in to the same situation. LR was too much, we couldn't do it. The flier came back, again.

So normally, in my experience, this is about the time a team would breakdown.

But this group of regular SG team mates and presumably friends never once indicated it was time to call it quits. I got one direct tell that said this happened to them last time they tried, which implied to me that they were determined. Determined, but something was off - team make up, something.

I took a deep breath and gambled. It was time. I jumped through an o-portal and filled my entire tray with purples, then got back to the mission as quick as I could. There was the flier, and the team spreadout between the hospital and LR. What was I doing? LR had already made me look like a wimp...

I spoke up, and presented my plan. I would take Recluse. I would keep the emp/ with me and the other 6 could take the towers. I was nervous - I was taking charge in a regular SG group. I relaxed some when they accepted the plan. We all dropped back and cleared the flier. A quick round of 'Ready!'and in we went.

I taunted LR, and ran for the corner. He followed - angry and fiesty. And smacked me hard. I nearly panicked, hit [Energize] for the regen,
and popped another purple for luck (as it were ). He kept hitting me, and I realized that my tray was not going to last long enough. A rad joined the emp and between the two of them my situation stabilized. I turned on fly and moved up over him, taunting as fast as I could.

Time passed and the first tower dropped... then it respawned. I could hear the desperation through the keyboard from the others, but I told them to go ahead and take it again. If it respawned again we could bug it, maybe it was a fluke.

The tower fell again, and this time stayed down. The team moved on to the next. The flier came back in the middle of this. They wrestled it into
submission and again when back to work on the towers.

I ran out of purples.

I had thought it was time before... no, now it was time. The last purples had left my tray. I was going to let them down. In my mind, I prepared for the end.

And nothing happened.

LR kept running around beneath me like a fool, firing away. My health bar ticked periodically and quickly recovered. The rad announced they were going back to help the team. It would be just I and the emp... That hadn't been enough before, I thought and was nervous again. And nothing happened. LR kept running around beneath me like a fool, firing away. My health bar ticked periodically and quickly recovered.

I admit, I was almost giddy. Somewhere in there I told them all that I had never tanked LR before.

I taunted, they broke the towers, we all jumped LR at the end. It was over.

I wasn't almost giddy anymore. I was downright happy.

One of my favorite characters had really stepped up and 'saved the day'.
We complimented each other and passed around out thanks for a job well done. One member kept talking with me a bit, they have an ice tank they would like to try LR out with, and picked my brain about the experience some.

I still don't think I really conveyed my enthusiasm and thanks to them all.
As a result - I am posting this.

I left off names of their SG and characters for privacy's sake. I kind of hope at least some of them see this, and recognize the story, and maybe chime in.

It was easily a top moment in my years of playing this game. Thank you.


tl;dr version: I hadn't planned on it, but I tanked LR. And it was fun.


P.S.: I just may go back and respec [Air Superiority] for [Hover]. The end drain of [Fly] and LR's shots made me plenty nervous. I do not need the extra attack at 50. It has been nice when I have exemplared down, though...

P.P.S.: As an RP follow-up, this tank was a poor fool invested by a demon during a summoning gone wrong. He barely keeps it in check, but uses the demon's power that fills him to be a hero and try to atone for past evil. I had planned that he was going to go rogue as he lost the continuing battle with demon. Sunday, facing Lord Recluse, he stepped up and gained the confidence to win out over the demon and remain a hero forever.

OK, that's funny.
If true, it breaks the immersion - but still funny.

I have not seen that, or anything similar elsewhere.

By no means am I saying it will not happen, nor that some cool things couldn't be done.

My personal thoughts are just that there are ought to be some tricks that are unique to non-AE fare.

I thought about this, too, when it was first implemented and I was running the missions on Test. I reluctantly decided that as I can already costume, power, and name as I wish (effectively creating a dopple) true doppleganger tech is one of those things that I would like to see remain a Dev specific tech and not move it into AE also.

Interesting....

Could also be related to general load on the email system - its tied into the chat server, afterall, and that is constantly in use.

And what really has to be done NOAW that needs 150+ emails?

So far I've found him to be a real bear to take down with any sort of melee character, that attack (even with the warning) is nasty. I also resorted to the elevator abuse once myself.

OTOH, so far I have found that a hovering blaster or corruptor makes him into a little girly man.

Reads the OP.
Reads the following comments.

Hopes the OP's grand plan falls fully and forcefully on its face, leaving sufficient bruising to inspire pity and amusement in all who see it.

There are times I forget I've been around since Issue 7ish... its just always fresh and new around here.

Nice work as always, Samuraiko... this vid really put the trip in perspective.

Just got this on my Dark/Cold corr. Was sweet because as they spawned, I nuked them, popped blues and went to town. The nuke floored their accuracy until after I whittled the group down to a manageable size. Giddy fun.

Off to try some other characters.

warning. just emailed myself a purple and a couple rare salvage. alted to find only 1 salvage item. switched back the sending character and all the sent items were indeed gone from his inventory.

I sent in a notice to the powers that be, but thought I'd get the caution out there

I'm usually bashful about this sort of thing, and if asked I'd tend towards a nice french door, or simple and proper residential entrance with a screen. (Certainly I've never entertained with any of those floozy fancy center pivot hinge or sliding doors.)

However, your new look, has certainly turned my head and... well, are you available for coffee later?