Hit Streak

Sharkhead Isle

From the cold depths of the ocean, a figure emerged onto the sandy beaches of Sharkhead Isle. Hunching over, his neck and limbs twitched and spasmed, gripping at his chest as he inhaled a hissing breath. He looked about as Arachnos soldiers peered at him in the distance. The targeting displays within their helmets zoomed in and adjusted resolution before the computer positively identified not what they were looking at, but who. Instantly they stood at attention, letting him pass. The fliers parked nearby painted his silverish body red in three-second flashes as he headed off the beach and onto the pavement. He shielded his eyes from the morning sun and moved familiarly to a square concrete building with a rounded, non-descript door. As he opened the door he hissed again and his lungs inflated while his gills settled after his morning swim in the bay.

Gideon Ray had been allotted a large swath of resources for his housing. Looking around his chambers in Sharkhead, one would never know this. But it was for convenience rather than need that he'd had the large meat locker built into his domicile. It's glass door was partially frosted over, and within he could see racks of hooks, upon which were sides of beef and pork, while others held more sporting meals. They hung there, silent now, and awaited his hunger.

The man known to the Arachnos as Captain Mako settled in as well as he could, but he felt ill at ease even here. This place was supposed to be his home, but it was more a place for others to bother him at, a place to be pinned down to. No, the seas surrounding the islands were his true home, but living on land was an inconvenience required by his station. His black eyes darted around the sparse domicile; in the corner was his armor reinforced sensory deprivation tank with the aerator pumps. In the other corner was his vid-screen and communication hub. Stepping up to it, he paused as a clawed finger felt over the glass cover of a yellowing photograph of a young man and woman. He knew he was supposed to feel something, that's what people did. But there was no emotion towards the keepsake. He wasn't even sure why he kept it, other than that's what people did. It was much like this 'residence', a social obligation he simply did not want, but did so that questions were not raised. He felt the moisture beading on his skin. He rubbed the droplets into a thin layer over him and then sniffed his hands, keeping the sea with him as long as he could.

'Activate' was all he said towards the communications hub. This was the time when people planned their day, when the cattle started their routines. It started with the consumption of information provided by the sea of images from the television. Then, once those schools of humans went about their daily lives, chewing on that cud, they spewed the chum back at each other around water coolers and break rooms. He chose to stand before the screen, fingers twitching as the screen illuminated the room in its teal incandescence. Others could sit, be complacent, he had to be ready to move, to feed. So hungry. He looked back at the meat cooler, licking his rows of razor sharp teeth. He'd have been upset over the lack of effort needed for the meal, if the raw meat wasn't so fulfilling to his palette and his belly.

"Welcome to the Morning News! I'm Joe Rohsin." Said the smiling man behind the desk, Mako curled his lips in disgust. The lighting in the studio, on cue, illuminated the woman who was always by his side like a lamprey.

"And I'm Anna Claireborn." Mako curled his thin lips. Why he kept these rituals was beyond him, these faces greeting him every morning, mocking him with their smiles, prey in a shark cage always out of reach from his teeth and jaws.

He regarded the screen; like it or not, he had to know what the herds of people were up to.

"Well, Anna, what do you know about sharks?" Mako blinked, leaning forward a bit. This was certainly a pleasant turn of events for him.

"Not much, Joe, aren't they fierce, deadly predators? Attacking any who cross their path?"

"Well, Anna, many would have you think that, but this week we are covering sharks in much of our weekly programming here on WSPDR, trying to show the real side of these magnificent creatures, the gentle, playful dancers of the waves. It's something we like to call 'Sharks: The Dolphin's Smiling Cousin'."

Mako felt his jaw drop, his rage a small ember, but growing quickly as cartoon images of sharks overlaid with soft, sweet music played.

"Joe, that looks wonderful! I had no idea sharks were so friendly! I bet that's why Lord Recluse has Captain Mako as a peacekeeper and friend to the other generals." Mako twitched, claws clenching into fists. Who were these people with a death-wish!? How DARE they?!

He continued to watch the broadcast, images of great whites and hammerheads jumping from the water in slow motion to the music of Mozart and Beethoven, making them look like ballerinas of the sea. It stripped them of their ferocity, their pure fury and power, and then came an off-hand mention of him in association with this behavior. These people would pay for this. They would pay in flesh, blood, and the tears of their loved ones.

He reared back and threw himself at the screen, crashing into the large smiling face of the man, spider webbing it and crushing it against the wall in a spray of sparks. He lifted the monitor in his blood rage, crashing it onto the ground, onto to pick it up again to smash over and over. He dug deep into his primal fury, angry that the daily routines of Gideon Ray had been twisted into this insult to his very being. He would be a laughingstock, seen as nothing more than so much fluff and chum. He looked to the cooler full of meat. No, this needed live prey, something that screamed. He'd show not just Arachnos, but the world that he was no smiling cousin to dolphins...

Perhaps after whetting his appetite for bloodlust in the Rogue Isles, a visit to his original home, Paragon City was in order. If anything, a show of power there would cement his image with Lord Recluse. He spun and exited the door back to the street. Sadly, the nearby Arachnos soldier coming to investigate the loud noises became the first victim of his rage. He looked back to the ocean, ran towards it and dove in...

It may have been Gideon Ray who heard the morning news, but it was Captain Mako who was about to make the nightly broadcast.

---------------------

Captain Mako Week kicks off a Double XP weekend from 8:00 AM CDT on Friday August 10 through 8:00 AM CDT on Monday, August 13 and continues throughout the week with in-game invasions and more! Join us in Paragon City and show Captain Mako who tops the food chain!

Discuss Captain Mako Week HERE!

That was me, not Moderator 09. I'm more behind and to the right of Zwillinger. Moderator 09 is directly behind Z.

I wish we had codes that work that way. Sadly, that's not the case.

We have a lot of codes here. And as I've stated previously, we do have other ways of distributing these. It just so happens that right now, we're announcing a program for Twitter.

This isn't a one-time thing. "Tweet Code Thursday" isn't just tomorrow.

And as I mentioned above, Twitter won't be the only way to receive these. We will use them for other activities going forward.

We have many things to give out

The codes we have are one-time use.

We're focused on giving away these codes on Twiter right now. This isn't to say that Zwillinger or myself won't be caught on a random server from time to time broadcasting codes, but we won't be announcing it if/when we do.

We create promotions like this in order to get old/new/current City of Heroes players to join us on these sites as an extension of our community.

We will continue to support our other outlets (FB, G+ and our forums) with content/updates and will do our best to make sure that no matter what method you use, you have the most up to date information possible. If we've failed you in this regard, we certainly apologize, but it's not intentional (we don't play favorites).

Thanks for the feedback.

The Web Grenade expels a strong, tenuous, and very sticky substance that can immobilize most targets. The web can bring down flying entities and halts jumping. The Web Grenade has 5 charges.The Freedom Freebie Offer can only be redeemed once by a game account. Available until July 16, 2012.

Price: Free!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New

Water Blast Power Set New!


Water Blast is a Ranged Damage Power Set that grants the weilder command over water and the power of a tidal wave to weaken and crush your enemies with cold and smashing damage. Build up Tidal Power and release it to cause additional damage and effects. You may have up to 3 stacks of Tidal Power on yourself at a time. Available to Blaster, Corruptor and Defender Archetypes. Purchase of this Power Set unlocks it for your entire account.

Price: 800 Paragon Points

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New
Powers> Power Sets > Ranged

Boost Kit New!


The ultimate kit for leveling a new character! Gain XP faster, fly at level 1, increase damage & survivability, and even rez yourself from defeat. The Boost Kit contains: XP Boosters (x6), Rocket PAck Travel Power (30 days), Self-Revive Power (x5), Offense Amplifier (+Dam, +To Hit, +Rech, 1 Hour) x2, Defense Amplifier (+Def, +Res, 1 Hour) x2, Survival Amplifier (+Max HP, +Recov, +Regen, 1 Hour) x2, and the Warwolf Whistle that summons a hulking Warwolf Boss to fight by your side (5 charges).

Price: 395 Paragon Points

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > Bundles

On Sale This Week at the Paragon Market!

Character Slots



Price:

1 Slot = 480 Paragon Points - 25% = 360 Paragon Points!
2 Slots = 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!
5 Slots = 1600 Paragon Points - 25% = 1200 Paragon Points!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Sales

Flying Disc Power



Price: 250 Paragon Points - 20% = 200 Paragon Points!

Discuss the featured items on the market here!

The Web Grenade expels a strong, tenuous, and very sticky substance that can immobilize most targets. The web can bring down flying entities and halts jumping. The Web Grenade has 5 charges.The Freedom Freebie Offer can only be redeemed once by a game account. Available until July 16, 2012.

Price: Free!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New

Water Blast Power Set New!


Water Blast is a Ranged Damage Power Set that grants the weilder command over water and the power of a tidal wave to weaken and crush your enemies with cold and smashing damage. Build up Tidal Power and release it to cause additional damage and effects. You may have up to 3 stacks of Tidal Power on yourself at a time. Available to Blaster, Corruptor and Defender Archetypes. Purchase of this Power Set unlocks it for your entire account.

Price: 800 Paragon Points

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New
Powers> Power Sets > Ranged

Boost Kit New!


The ultimate kit for leveling a new character! Gain XP faster, fly at level 1, increase damage & survivability, and even rez yourself from defeat. The Boost Kit contains: XP Boosters (x6), Rocket PAck Travel Power (30 days), Self-Revive Power (x5), Offense Amplifier (+Dam, +To Hit, +Rech, 1 Hour) x2, Defense Amplifier (+Def, +Res, 1 Hour) x2, Survival Amplifier (+Max HP, +Recov, +Regen, 1 Hour) x2, and the Warwolf Whistle that summons a hulking Warwolf Boss to fight by your side (5 charges).

Price: 395 Paragon Points

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > Bundles

On Sale This Week at the Paragon Market!

Character Slots



Price:

1 Slot = 480 Paragon Points - 25% = 360 Paragon Points!
2 Slots = 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!
5 Slots = 1600 Paragon Points - 25% = 1200 Paragon Points!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Sales

Flying Disc Power



Price: 250 Paragon Points - 20% = 200 Paragon Points!

Introduction

Yep! It's me again. Phil "Synapse" Zeleski here to talk to you about a brand new power set. You guessed it, Water Blast! I'll be detailing each power in the set below and explaining how each of them works. Water Blast is a primary power set choice for Blasters and Corruptors and a secondary set for Defenders. This ranged set deals a mixture of Cold, Smash and Fire damage as water can be both cold and scalding hot!

New Mechanic: Tidal Power

Water Blast features a new resource mechanic called Tidal Power. Some powers build Tidal Power while others consume it. This set's resource builders are: Aqua Bolt, Hydro Blast, Whirlpool, Tidal Forces, Dehydrate, Water Jet and Steam Spray. Its consumers are Water Burst, Dehydrate, Water Jet and Geyser. You might notice that Water Jet and Dehydrate are listed as both builders and consumers of Tidal Power. That is because these powers build Tidal Power if you have 2 or less stacks and consume it only if you have 3 stacks. Below is a quick outline of the benefits of Tidal Power on powers within the set:

Water Burst

• 0 Tidal Power: Normal Damage and 33% chance to knockdown
• 1 Tidal Power: +5% damage and 45% chance to knockdown
• 2 Tidal Power: +12% damage and a 70% chance to knockdown
• 3 Tidal Power: +25 damage and a 100% chance to knockdown!

Dehydrate

• 0-2 Tidal Power: Normal damage, a moderate heal over time and builds 1 Tidal Power
• 3 Tidal Power: Normal damage and a large heal over time

Water Jet

• 0-2 Tidal Power: Normal damage
• 3 Tidal Power: Normal damage, faster cast speed and instantly recharges Water Jet!

Geyser

• 0 Tidal Power: Normal damage and a 0% chance to disorient
• 1 Tidal Power: +5% damage, and a 33% chance to disorient
• 2 Tidal Power: +12% damage and a 60% chance to disorient
• 3 Tidal Power: +25% damage and a 100% chance to disorient

Powers

Below you'll find a list of powers found within the Water Blast power set as well as their short description, long description and some designer notes. Keep in mind that these powers and their descriptions are subject to change through our beta process.

Water Blast
Water Blast grants you command over the power of water. This can be used to weaken and crush your foes with all the power of a tidal wave. Some Water Blast powers allow the user to build Tidal Power, while others consume Tidal Power. You can have 3 stacks of Tidal Power on yourself at a time. Your Tidal Power can be released to strengthen your Water Burst, Dehydrate, Water Jet and Geyser powers. Using these powers will remove all of your Tidal Power.

Aqua Bolt
Ranged, Light DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Def, Self +Tidal Power
You strike your foe with a rapid blast of freezing cold water causing Light Cold and Smashing damage as well as reducing their defense. Aqua Bolt builds 1 Tidal Power. Damage: Light, Recharge: Very Fast
Designer's Comments: Hydro Blast is a more powerful version of Aqua Bolt, however instead of reducing defense it reduces movement speed and has a chance to knock the target down. It too builds Tidal Power.

Hydro Blast
Ranged, High DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Speed, Knockdown, Self +Tidal Power
You briefly focus before releasing an intense blast of chilling water at your foe that causes High Cold and Smashing damage. Affected foes will have their movement speed reduced briefly and have a chance to be knocked down. Hydro Blast builds 1 Tidal Power. Damage: High, Recharge: Moderate
Designer's Comments: Hydro Blast is a more powerful version of Aqua Bolt, however instead of reducing defense it reduces movement speed and has a chance to knock the target down. It too builds Tidal Power.

Water Burst
Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Speed, Knockdown, Self -Tidal Power
You cause water to violently explode from beneath your target's feet blasting all foes nearby with freezing cold water. Affected targets will suffer Moderate Cold and Smashing damage, have their movement speed reduced and may be knocked down by the force of the blast. Water Burst consumes all Tidal Power. It will deal additional cold damage and have a greater chance to knockdown for each stack of Tidal Power. If you have 3 stacks of Tidal Power Water Burst will have a 100% chance to knock the targets into the air. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Slow
Designer's Comments: Water Burst is your first Tidal Power resource consumer and it's also your first AoE. This power does good damage, but as I mentioned above its damage increases with each stack of Tidal Power. It also has the potential to provide an excellent measure of crowd control to keep foes off of you and your teammates!

Whirlpool
Ranged (Location AoE), High DoT(Cold), -Speed, -Defense, Self +Tidal Power
You create a violent whirlpool at the target location causing Cold damage over time, reducing the targets' speed and defense for a short time. Whirlpool grants 1 stack of Tidal Power. Damage: High(DoT), Recharge: Long
Designer's Comments: This power is a location targeted AoE damage power. It will deal a large amount of damage over time and will debuff enemies that enter its large area of effect. As an added bonus, it builds 1 Tidal Power.

Tidal Forces
Self +To-hit, +DMG
You draw tidal energies into yourself thus boosting your chance to hit significantly, slightly boosting your damage and granting yourself +3 Tidal Power. Recharge: Very Long
Designer's Comments: Tidal Forces is Water Blast's answer to Aim. It offers less of a damage buff than Aim does, but it grants 3 Tidal Power, thus giving you a means to quickly build up this precious resource.

Dehydrate
Ranged, Moderate DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Speed, -Defense, Light DoT(Cold), Self +Heal Over Time, +Tidal Power
You rapidly dehydrate your target, causing Moderate Cold and Smashing damage, reducing their movement speed and defense as well as causing a measure of Cold damage over time. You are then healed over time for a moderate amount of health. Dehydrate grants 1 stack of Tidal Power if you have 2 or less. Dehydrate will consume all stacks of Tidal Power if you have 3, but the power's heal over time effect is increased by 50%. Damage: Moderate, Light DoT, Recharge: Moderate
Designer's Comments: Dehydrate is a very versatile power. It deals a good amount of damage, it debuffs the enemy, it heals you over 4 seconds and it both builds and consumes Tidal Power. Should you have 2 or less Tidal Power it will grant you a single stack of this resource. However, if you have 3 it will consume it and increase the effectiveness of this power's heal by 50%!Dehydrate is a very versatile power. It deals a good amount of damage, it debuffs the enemy, it heals you over 4 seconds and it both builds and consumes Tidal Power. Should you have 2 or less Tidal Power it will grant you a single stack of this resource. However, if you have 3 it will consume it and increase the effectiveness of this power's heal by 50%!

Water Jet
Short, High DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Speed, Self +/-Tidal Power
You spray a concentrated torrent of water at short range toward your target that causes High Cold and Smashing damage as well as reducing your target's movement speed. If you have 2 or less Tidal Power, you will gain a stack of Tidal Power. If you have 3 Tidal Power and you activate this power, it will have an enhanced effect causing Water Jet to cast slightly faster and immediately reset the recharge of Water Jet. Water Jet's enhanced effect can be used once every 15 seconds. Damage: High, Recharge: Moderate
Designer's Comments: Water Jet is a rather unique power. On the surface it can be compared to powers like Fire Blast/Blaze or Radiation Blast/Cosmic Burst, however it some tricks up its sleeve. Should you use this power with 3 Tidal Power it will cast slightly faster and immediately recharge itself. This allows you to cast it back to back and deal extreme damage in a little under 2.5 seconds to anyone foolish enough to get close to you. However, this perk has a small drawback. Water Jet can only be used this way once every 15 seconds.

Steam Spray
Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Fire), Foe -Defense, Minor DoT(Fire), Self +Tidal Power
You spray scalding hot steam in a cone in front of you badly burning affected targets. Steam Stray causes Moderate Fire damage, Minor Fire damage over time and reduces the target's Defense slightly. Steam Spray grants 1 stack of Tidal Power. Damage: High, Recharge: Long
Designer's Comments: This power not only deals additional damage over time, but it also mixes up some fire damage into the set. This makes Water Blast fairly versatile.

Geyser
Ranged (Targeted AoE), High DMG(Fire/Smash), Foe High DoT(Fire), -Speed, Knock Up, Disorient, Self -Tidal Power
You cause the earth to erupt beneath your target's feet as a Geyser of scalding hot water burns your foes and tosses them violently into the air. Geyser causes High Fire and Smashing damage before causing High Fire damage over time as well as reducing their movement speed. Geyser consumes all Tidal Power. Both the initial damage and damage over time portions of this power will be increased and have a scaling chance to disorient for each stack of Tidal Power. If you have 3 stacks of Tidal Power Water Burst will have a 100% chance to disorient affected targets. Damage: High & High DoT, Recharge: Very Slow
Designer's Comments: This "crash-less" nuke does a mixture of excellent damage and a damage over time component. With three stacks of Tidal Power, you can decimate a large group knocking them up into the air and potentially disorienting them.

Tips and Tricks

Below are some tips and tricks that may suit your play style. These tips and tricks are not intended to be the definitive method for playing this powerset. There are merely some suggestions from playing the power set extensively.

• Spend your Tidal Forces wisely! Many of your Water Blast powers consume all of your Tidal Power. So you'll want to make sure you use the right Tidal Force consumer at the right time.
• If you are faced with a single foe, hammering them with two consecutive Water Jets is a viable tactic to deal a considerable amount of damage very quickly.
• If you're low on health, consider using Dehydrate. It can help you recover Hit Points
• If you're facing a large group, Water Burst and Geyser are excellent choices.
• Keep your foes at a distance. Water Blast features several powers that can reduce a target's movement speed. Use this to your advantage and keep dangerous melee opponents away from you. You also have several powers that can knockdown foes. Both of these tools can change the tide of battle quite quickly.
• Chain your finishers! You can chain two back-to-back Tidal Power consumers by first building 3 Tidal Power (by using resource-building attacks like Aqua Bolt and Hydro Blast) then using a finisher. Follow up with Tidal forces to instantly give you 3 Tidal Power and then follow up with another one.

Below is an example attack chain:
The above attack chain will hit the target three times with basic attacks, knock them off their feet and then give you enough time to chain an enhanced Water Jet combo on them!

Conclusion

Water Blast features stunning visuals and sound effects with a new mechanic that should keep your attack chains flowing nicely (no pun intended). I look forward to seeing what crazy characters our player base comes up with! I know I've got quite a few myself. Water Blast will be making a splash on the Paragon Market July 10, 2012!

Introduction

Yep! It's me again. Phil "Synapse" Zeleski here to talk to you about a brand new power set. You guessed it, Water Blast! I'll be detailing each power in the set below and explaining how each of them works. Water Blast is a primary power set choice for Blasters and Corruptors and a secondary set for Defenders. This ranged set deals a mixture of Cold, Smash and Fire damage as water can be both cold and scalding hot!

New Mechanic: Tidal Power

Water Blast features a new resource mechanic called Tidal Power. Some powers build Tidal Power while others consume it. This set's resource builders are: Aqua Bolt, Hydro Blast, Whirlpool, Tidal Forces, Dehydrate, Water Jet and Steam Spray. Its consumers are Water Burst, Dehydrate, Water Jet and Geyser. You might notice that Water Jet and Dehydrate are listed as both builders and consumers of Tidal Power. That is because these powers build Tidal Power if you have 2 or less stacks and consume it only if you have 3 stacks. Below is a quick outline of the benefits of Tidal Power on powers within the set:

Water Burst

• 0 Tidal Power: Normal Damage and 33% chance to knockdown
• 1 Tidal Power: +5% damage and 45% chance to knockdown
• 2 Tidal Power: +12% damage and a 70% chance to knockdown
• 3 Tidal Power: +25 damage and a 100% chance to knockdown!

Dehydrate

• 0-2 Tidal Power: Normal damage, a moderate heal over time and builds 1 Tidal Power
• 3 Tidal Power: Normal damage and a large heal over time

Water Jet

• 0-2 Tidal Power: Normal damage
• 3 Tidal Power: Normal damage, faster cast speed and instantly recharges Water Jet!

Geyser

• 0 Tidal Power: Normal damage and a 0% chance to disorient
• 1 Tidal Power: +5% damage, and a 33% chance to disorient
• 2 Tidal Power: +12% damage and a 60% chance to disorient
• 3 Tidal Power: +25% damage and a 100% chance to disorient

Powers

Below you'll find a list of powers found within the Water Blast power set as well as their short description, long description and some designer notes. Keep in mind that these powers and their descriptions are subject to change through our beta process.

Water Blast
Water Blast grants you command over the power of water. This can be used to weaken and crush your foes with all the power of a tidal wave. Some Water Blast powers allow the user to build Tidal Power, while others consume Tidal Power. You can have 3 stacks of Tidal Power on yourself at a time. Your Tidal Power can be released to strengthen your Water Burst, Dehydrate, Water Jet and Geyser powers. Using these powers will remove all of your Tidal Power.

Aqua Bolt
Ranged, Light DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Def, Self +Tidal Power
You strike your foe with a rapid blast of freezing cold water causing Light Cold and Smashing damage as well as reducing their defense. Aqua Bolt builds 1 Tidal Power. Damage: Light, Recharge: Very Fast
Designer's Comments: Hydro Blast is a more powerful version of Aqua Bolt, however instead of reducing defense it reduces movement speed and has a chance to knock the target down. It too builds Tidal Power.

Hydro Blast
Ranged, High DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Speed, Knockdown, Self +Tidal Power
You briefly focus before releasing an intense blast of chilling water at your foe that causes High Cold and Smashing damage. Affected foes will have their movement speed reduced briefly and have a chance to be knocked down. Hydro Blast builds 1 Tidal Power. Damage: High, Recharge: Moderate
Designer's Comments: Hydro Blast is a more powerful version of Aqua Bolt, however instead of reducing defense it reduces movement speed and has a chance to knock the target down. It too builds Tidal Power.

Water Burst
Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Speed, Knockdown, Self -Tidal Power
You cause water to violently explode from beneath your target's feet blasting all foes nearby with freezing cold water. Affected targets will suffer Moderate Cold and Smashing damage, have their movement speed reduced and may be knocked down by the force of the blast. Water Burst consumes all Tidal Power. It will deal additional cold damage and have a greater chance to knockdown for each stack of Tidal Power. If you have 3 stacks of Tidal Power Water Burst will have a 100% chance to knock the targets into the air. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Slow
Designer's Comments: Water Burst is your first Tidal Power resource consumer and it's also your first AoE. This power does good damage, but as I mentioned above its damage increases with each stack of Tidal Power. It also has the potential to provide an excellent measure of crowd control to keep foes off of you and your teammates!

Whirlpool
Ranged (Location AoE), High DoT(Cold), -Speed, -Defense, Self +Tidal Power
You create a violent whirlpool at the target location causing Cold damage over time, reducing the targets' speed and defense for a short time. Whirlpool grants 1 stack of Tidal Power. Damage: High(DoT), Recharge: Long
Designer's Comments: This power is a location targeted AoE damage power. It will deal a large amount of damage over time and will debuff enemies that enter its large area of effect. As an added bonus, it builds 1 Tidal Power.

Tidal Forces
Self +To-hit, +DMG
You draw tidal energies into yourself thus boosting your chance to hit significantly, slightly boosting your damage and granting yourself +3 Tidal Power. Recharge: Very Long
Designer's Comments: Tidal Forces is Water Blast's answer to Aim. It offers less of a damage buff than Aim does, but it grants 3 Tidal Power, thus giving you a means to quickly build up this precious resource.

Dehydrate
Ranged, Moderate DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Speed, -Defense, Light DoT(Cold), Self +Heal Over Time, +Tidal Power
You rapidly dehydrate your target, causing Moderate Cold and Smashing damage, reducing their movement speed and defense as well as causing a measure of Cold damage over time. You are then healed over time for a moderate amount of health. Dehydrate grants 1 stack of Tidal Power if you have 2 or less. Dehydrate will consume all stacks of Tidal Power if you have 3, but the power's heal over time effect is increased by 50%. Damage: Moderate, Light DoT, Recharge: Moderate
Designer's Comments: Dehydrate is a very versatile power. It deals a good amount of damage, it debuffs the enemy, it heals you over 4 seconds and it both builds and consumes Tidal Power. Should you have 2 or less Tidal Power it will grant you a single stack of this resource. However, if you have 3 it will consume it and increase the effectiveness of this power's heal by 50%!Dehydrate is a very versatile power. It deals a good amount of damage, it debuffs the enemy, it heals you over 4 seconds and it both builds and consumes Tidal Power. Should you have 2 or less Tidal Power it will grant you a single stack of this resource. However, if you have 3 it will consume it and increase the effectiveness of this power's heal by 50%!

Water Jet
Short, High DMG(Cold/Smash), Foe -Speed, Self +/-Tidal Power
You spray a concentrated torrent of water at short range toward your target that causes High Cold and Smashing damage as well as reducing your target's movement speed. If you have 2 or less Tidal Power, you will gain a stack of Tidal Power. If you have 3 Tidal Power and you activate this power, it will have an enhanced effect causing Water Jet to cast slightly faster and immediately reset the recharge of Water Jet. Water Jet's enhanced effect can be used once every 15 seconds. Damage: High, Recharge: Moderate
Designer's Comments: Water Jet is a rather unique power. On the surface it can be compared to powers like Fire Blast/Blaze or Radiation Blast/Cosmic Burst, however it some tricks up its sleeve. Should you use this power with 3 Tidal Power it will cast slightly faster and immediately recharge itself. This allows you to cast it back to back and deal extreme damage in a little under 2.5 seconds to anyone foolish enough to get close to you. However, this perk has a small drawback. Water Jet can only be used this way once every 15 seconds.

Steam Spray
Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Fire), Foe -Defense, Minor DoT(Fire), Self +Tidal Power
You spray scalding hot steam in a cone in front of you badly burning affected targets. Steam Stray causes Moderate Fire damage, Minor Fire damage over time and reduces the target's Defense slightly. Steam Spray grants 1 stack of Tidal Power. Damage: High, Recharge: Long
Designer's Comments: This power not only deals additional damage over time, but it also mixes up some fire damage into the set. This makes Water Blast fairly versatile.

Geyser
Ranged (Targeted AoE), High DMG(Fire/Smash), Foe High DoT(Fire), -Speed, Knock Up, Disorient, Self -Tidal Power
You cause the earth to erupt beneath your target's feet as a Geyser of scalding hot water burns your foes and tosses them violently into the air. Geyser causes High Fire and Smashing damage before causing High Fire damage over time as well as reducing their movement speed. Geyser consumes all Tidal Power. Both the initial damage and damage over time portions of this power will be increased and have a scaling chance to disorient for each stack of Tidal Power. If you have 3 stacks of Tidal Power Water Burst will have a 100% chance to disorient affected targets. Damage: High & High DoT, Recharge: Very Slow
Designer's Comments: This "crash-less" nuke does a mixture of excellent damage and a damage over time component. With three stacks of Tidal Power, you can decimate a large group knocking them up into the air and potentially disorienting them.

Tips and Tricks

Below are some tips and tricks that may suit your play style. These tips and tricks are not intended to be the definitive method for playing this powerset. There are merely some suggestions from playing the power set extensively.

• Spend your Tidal Forces wisely! Many of your Water Blast powers consume all of your Tidal Power. So you'll want to make sure you use the right Tidal Force consumer at the right time.
• If you are faced with a single foe, hammering them with two consecutive Water Jets is a viable tactic to deal a considerable amount of damage very quickly.
• If you're low on health, consider using Dehydrate. It can help you recover Hit Points
• If you're facing a large group, Water Burst and Geyser are excellent choices.
• Keep your foes at a distance. Water Blast features several powers that can reduce a target's movement speed. Use this to your advantage and keep dangerous melee opponents away from you. You also have several powers that can knockdown foes. Both of these tools can change the tide of battle quite quickly.
• Chain your finishers! You can chain two back-to-back Tidal Power consumers by first building 3 Tidal Power (by using resource-building attacks like Aqua Bolt and Hydro Blast) then using a finisher. Follow up with Tidal forces to instantly give you 3 Tidal Power and then follow up with another one.

Below is an example attack chain:
The above attack chain will hit the target three times with basic attacks, knock them off their feet and then give you enough time to chain an enhanced Water Jet combo on them!

Conclusion

Water Blast features stunning visuals and sound effects with a new mechanic that should keep your attack chains flowing nicely (no pun intended). I look forward to seeing what crazy characters our player base comes up with! I know I've got quite a few myself. Water Blast will be making a splash on the Paragon Market July 10, 2012!

Join the Community discussion on Water Blast here!

Next up, Thrifty Thursdays...items released on Tuesdays and available until Wednesday.

This is still considered a beta program for us.

That's right, the offer that's so popular we couldn't just confine it to Fridays! We're reintroducing the Freedom Friday feature for a limited time, and renaming it to Freedom Freebies! We're going to celebrate the U.S. Independence Day in style by giving everyone a free hat (because nothing says Freedom like hats)! That's right, by simply logging in between now and Monday, July 9th at 9:00 AM PDT/12:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM BST and claiming the Freedom Freebie offer from the Paragon Market, you can be the proud owner of one limited edition Tri-Corner Hat!

So bust out your fife, pack your muzzle loaded musket and celebrate City of Heroes Freedom in 18th Century style with the Freedom Freebie offer!

That's right, the offer that's so popular we couldn't just confine it to Fridays! We're reintroducing the Freedom Friday feature for a limited time, and renaming it to Freedom Freebies! We're going to celebrate the U.S. Independence Day in style by giving everyone a free hat (because nothing says Freedom like hats)! That's right, by simply logging in between now and Monday, July 9th at 9:00 AM PDT/12:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM BST and claiming the Freedom Freebie offer from the Paragon Market, you can be the proud owner of one limited edition Tri-Corner Hat!

So bust out your fife, pack your muzzle loaded musket and celebrate City of Heroes Freedom in 18th Century style with the Freedom Freebie offer!

Discuss the Freedom Freebie here!

Celebrate independence with a FREE Tri-Corner Hat. Available for Male, Female and Huge characters on your account. It can be equipped at any Tailor or Facemaker in-game or during Character creation. This Freebie Offer may only be redeemed once by a game account.

*Available until Monday July 9, 10:00 a.m. PDT

Set: Salvo (RARE) New!


A RARE Ranged Damage Enhancement Set. This set contains 3 Enhancements and is designed for characters that are level 10-25.

Price: 372 Paragon Points - 50% = 186 Paragon Points!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New
Paragon Picks > Bundles
Paragon Picks > Sale
Crafting / Gear > Max Level 25 > Damage Sets > Ranged Damage

Tempest (RARE) New!


A RARE Ranged Damage Enhancement Set. This set contains 4 Enhancements and is designed for characters that are level 15-30.

Price: 508 Paragon Points - 50% = 254 Paragon Points!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New
Paragon Picks > Bundles
Paragon Picks > Sale
Crafting / Gear > Max Level 30 > Damage Sets > Ranged Damage

Entropic Chaos (RARE) New!


A RARE Ranged Damage Enhancement Set. This set contains 5 Enhancements and is designed for characters that are level 20-35.

Price: 620 Paragon Points - 50% = 310 Paragon Points!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New
Paragon Picks > Bundles
Paragon Picks > Sale
Crafting / Gear > Max Level 35 > Damage Sets > Ranged Damage

25% off select Account Services!

Character Rename Token



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Character Respec Token



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Alignment Change Token (Quantity 1)



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Character Server Transfer



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Super Tailor Access



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Aura Unlock



Price: 160 Paragon Points - 25% = 120 Paragon Points!

Back Slot Unlock



Price: 160 Paragon Points - 25% = 120 Paragon Points!

25% off Storage Inventory!

Mission Architect Story Slot x1



Price: 400 Paragon Points - 25% = 300 Paragon Points!

Mission Architect Story Slot x2



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Mission Architect Story Slot x5



Price: 1600 Paragon Points - 25% = 1200 Paragon Points!

Enhancement Increase



Price: 1600 Paragon Points - 25% = 1200 Paragon Points!

Auction Storage Increase



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Vault Inventory Increase



Price: 400 Paragon Points - 25% = 300 Paragon Points!

Salvage Inventory Increase



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Recipe Inventory Increase



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

50% off select Costume Powers!

Malta Gunslinger Transformation Power (Permanent)



Price: 440 Paragon Points - 50% = 220 Paragon Points!

Knives of Artemis Transformation Power (Permanent)



Price: 480 Paragon Points - 50% = 240 Paragon Points!

Coralax Minion Transformation Power (Permanent)



Price: 480 Paragon Points - 50% = 240 Paragon Points!

Freakshow Boss Transformation Power (Permanent)



Price: 480 Paragon Points - 50% = 240 Paragon Points!

50% off Fireworks Aura and Fireworks Emotes

Fireworks: Rocket Flare Emote



Price: 40 Paragon Points - 50% = 20 Paragon Points!

Fireworks: Bloom Emote



Price: 40 Paragon Points - 50% = 20 Paragon Points!

Fireworks: Sparkle Emote



Price: 40 Paragon Points - 50% = 20 Paragon Points!

Fireworks Aura



Price: 80 Paragon Points - 50% = 40 Paragon Points!

75% off Archetypes and select Power Sets

Mastermind Archetype



Price: 1200 Paragon Points - 75% = 300 Paragon Points!

Controller Archetype



Price: 1200 Paragon Points - 75% = 300 Paragon Points!

Warshade Epic Archetype



Price: 1000 Paragon Points - 75% = 250 Paragon Points!

Peacebringer Epic Archetype



Price: 1000 Paragon Points - 75% = 250 Paragon Points!

Arachnos Widow Epic Archetype



Price: 1000 Paragon Points - 75% = 250 Paragon Points!

Arachnos Soldier Epic Archetype



Price: 1000 Paragon Points - 75% = 250 Paragon Points!

Dual Pistols Power Set



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 75% = 200 Paragon Points!

Electric Control Power Set



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 75% = 200 Paragon Points!

Celebrate independence with a FREE Tri-Corner Hat. Available for Male, Female and Huge characters on your account. It can be equipped at any Tailor or Facemaker in-game or during Character creation. This Freebie Offer may only be redeemed once by a game account.

Set: Salvo (RARE) New!


A RARE Ranged Damage Enhancement Set. This set contains 3 Enhancements and is designed for characters that are level 10-25.

Price: 372 Paragon Points - 50% = 186 Paragon Points!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New
Paragon Picks > Bundles
Paragon Picks > Sale
Crafting / Gear > Max Level 25 > Damage Sets > Ranged Damage

Tempest (RARE) New!


A RARE Ranged Damage Enhancement Set. This set contains 4 Enhancements and is designed for characters that are level 15-30.

Price: 508 Paragon Points - 50% = 254 Paragon Points!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New
Paragon Picks > Bundles
Paragon Picks > Sale
Crafting / Gear > Max Level 30 > Damage Sets > Ranged Damage

Entropic Chaos (RARE) New!


A RARE Ranged Damage Enhancement Set. This set contains 5 Enhancements and is designed for characters that are level 20-35.

Price: 620 Paragon Points - 50% = 310 Paragon Points!

Market Location:
Paragon Picks > Featured
Paragon Picks > New
Paragon Picks > Bundles
Paragon Picks > Sale
Crafting / Gear > Max Level 35 > Damage Sets > Ranged Damage

25% off select Account Services!

Character Rename Token



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Character Respec Token



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Alignment Change Token (Quantity 1)



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Character Server Transfer



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Super Tailor Access



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Aura Unlock



Price: 160 Paragon Points - 25% = 120 Paragon Points!

Back Slot Unlock



Price: 160 Paragon Points - 25% = 120 Paragon Points!

25% off Storage Inventory!

Mission Architect Story Slot x1



Price: 400 Paragon Points - 25% = 300 Paragon Points!

Mission Architect Story Slot x2



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Mission Architect Story Slot x5



Price: 1600 Paragon Points - 25% = 1200 Paragon Points!

Enhancement Increase



Price: 1600 Paragon Points - 25% = 1200 Paragon Points!

Auction Storage Increase



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Vault Inventory Increase



Price: 400 Paragon Points - 25% = 300 Paragon Points!

Salvage Inventory Increase



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

Recipe Inventory Increase



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 25% = 600 Paragon Points!

50% off select Costume Powers!

Malta Gunslinger Transformation Power (Permanent)



Price: 440 Paragon Points - 50% = 220 Paragon Points!

Knives of Artemis Transformation Power (Permanent)



Price: 480 Paragon Points - 50% = 240 Paragon Points!

Coralax Minion Transformation Power (Permanent)



Price: 480 Paragon Points - 50% = 240 Paragon Points!

Freakshow Boss Transformation Power (Permanent)



Price: 480 Paragon Points - 50% = 240 Paragon Points!

50% off Fireworks Aura and Fireworks Emotes

Fireworks: Rocket Flare Emote



Price: 40 Paragon Points - 50% = 20 Paragon Points!

Fireworks: Bloom Emote



Price: 40 Paragon Points - 50% = 20 Paragon Points!

Fireworks: Sparkle Emote



Price: 40 Paragon Points - 50% = 20 Paragon Points!

Fireworks Aura



Price: 80 Paragon Points - 50% = 40 Paragon Points!

75% off Archetypes and select Power Sets

Mastermind Archetype



Price: 1200 Paragon Points - 75% = 300 Paragon Points!

Controller Archetype



Price: 1200 Paragon Points - 75% = 300 Paragon Points!

Warshade Epic Archetype



Price: 1000 Paragon Points - 75% = 250 Paragon Points!

Peacebringer Epic Archetype



Price: 1000 Paragon Points - 75% = 250 Paragon Points!

Arachnos Widow Epic Archetype



Price: 1000 Paragon Points - 75% = 250 Paragon Points!

Arachnos Soldier Epic Archetype



Price: 1000 Paragon Points - 75% = 250 Paragon Points!

Dual Pistols Power Set



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 75% = 200 Paragon Points!

Electric Control Power Set



Price: 800 Paragon Points - 75% = 200 Paragon Points!

Discuss the Independence Day sale here!

We've also seen this and QA is currently investigating the issue. As soon as we identify the cause, we'll address it in a future patch.