Nemo_Utopia

Fully updated, for realz this time, the new "So You Want To Be A Corruptor?"

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=288779

Fully updated, for realz this time, the new "So You Want To Be A Corruptor?"

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=288779

So You Want to Be a Corruptor? (A Guide, v2.2)

Wayyyyyy back in July, 2006, I was surprised nobody had gotten around to writing a general Corruptor guide. I mean, every other AT had gotten that love...so unfair. So in the interest of equal rights for all ATs, I whacked one out. Five years and 14.5 Issues later, after a regretful but necessary leave of absence starting right around when I promised all my guide updates, I returned to update this guide not only for Going Rogue, but for Freem! Spoiler Alert: I failed. I made a half-hearted attempt to update before we had full information on Time, and before Power Proliferation had run its course.
So now I present to you, 2.2, a guide current through Issue 22! Warning: Shenanigans may or may not follow.

******

So, you want to be a Corruptor? Well, whether you picked the AT (that’s Archetype, if you’re still learning the lingo) because the name sounds cool, because you were a Blaster Hero or Defender Hero who wants to reap the fruits of villainy, or just Joe shmuck who picked up the box and rolled up a random toon, here's the skinny.

A few abbreviations before starting: Dmg = Damage, Acc = Accuracy, Def = Defense, Res = Resists, Rch = Recharge, End = Endurance, Spd = Speed, AoE = Area of Effect, KB = Knockback (D for Down).

First, credit North Star (Truth): Disclaimer:
Corrupters are a balanced hybrid; they do both damage and group support (in the form of heals, buffs, and debuffs.) Both roles are important; a corrupter overly focused on damage is just a gimped blaster; a corrupter focused on support is nothing but a gimped defender. As a personal preference, I want a character who can solo effectively, bring a lot to groups, and be viable in PvP. There's a lot of ways to play a corrupter; this is my personal opinion. Mileage may vary.


And now back to your scheduled programming:
Rule numbah 1: You are NOT a Blaster.
Rule numbah 1A: You are NOT a Defender.
Rule numbah 2: You can put them both to shame.


I'll go back over these rules in the "CoH rehab" section, but for now, we'll stick with more generics. Corruptors ARE the ranged damage AT for villains, and are also the primary buff/debuff class. Yes, it's true that Doms pack some ranged damage, but their true purpose is to DOMINATE a spawn. Yes, Masterminds have many (and now many more!) of the same secondaries we do, but their job is to be a mindful master...sometimes of MELEE minions. How barbaric. This means you're filling TWO roles, because your job is Corrupting things! That means making it {better/worse} {and/or} killing {it/its-target}. While you don't have to choose, you do need to manage them both (or all four, depending). This means (first and foremost) you have to put up with people who want a healer. No, seriously, you WILL have to put up with people who think your only job is to heal. The two most common misconceptions about what you do are covered in Rule numbah 1. So what's the deal?

Your primary is identical to a Blaster Primary (or Defender secondary, which gives you access to a Blast set that Blasters, alas, no longer cry themselves to sleep at night because they can't have). Almost. Although you're technically supposed to look at your Damage as being 115% of a Defender, it helps to look at it as 75% Blaster damage. You also get Scourge, which gives you free critical hits more often the lower an enemies' health gets. So, a Scourge attack actually does 150% Blaster damage! For those of you who missed that, that means you're more effective picking off weaker targets than starting on one at full health. In team settings, be the vulture, at least when you start out.

Only there's that other lingering catch, your Secondary. Your secondaries look a lot like Defender Primaries...but you aren't as effective as theirs are on a power by power basis. This is not an excuse to not take your buffs if you have them! Any buff is well appreciated by team-mates, and the longer your team-mates are alive, the longer YOU'RE alive. Even if you take every power in your Blast set, make sure to pick up the better powers from your secondary, or you're going to regret it in the long haul. No-one wants to play a gimped Blaster (too much Primary, not enough Secondary) or a gimped Defender (too much Secondary, not enough Primary), but will love playing the mix that gets to solo well and be welcomed on teams.

"But Mr. Nemo, you can’t take my FREEDO-"
*slap* Knock it off with the Braveheart, I was getting there. With Freem alive and kicking, it's important to mention that Going Rogue will be premium content, but still purchasable by non-subscribers. So while TRULY free players will be restricted to their faction's side, all VIPs and anyone willing to purchase it directly will be able to visit any gosh-dern zone they please. So how do you, as a Corruptor, contend with Blasters and Defenders, and cope with the rush of Kheldians, Tankers, Scrappers, and Controllers you will inevitably see? By being the same Corruptor you've always been. You still bring support to the table that Blasters can't match, and Scourge can push you past Offender levels of damage (Defenders are still offended by this). Since teams allow for eight players, and leagues for many, many more, pure villain teams and leagues can still punish the same content pure hero and mixed-faction teams defeat. So don't get worked up about the competition, just focus on being the Corruptor you are.

Before I go more into the actual power-sets, I need to talk for a moment about Power Proliferation. It’s like Arms proliferation, except instead of giving everyone the same guns, archetypes with overlapping powers share more of the same power-sets than originally granted to them. When v1.0 was written, Psychic Blast was Defenders only, Blasters still couldn’t have Dark OR Radiation, Pain Domination didn’t exist, and Poison was a Mastermind only secondary. This has opened up new play styles and damage types closer to defender and Mastermind play...but you are STILL A CORRUPTOR. All in all, Power Proliferation is a good thing, but if you really want to play like that other Archetype, roll a character of that AT. You’ll have more fun, trust me.

Here's a look, more from a power-set perspective. Your concept character is great...but here's a (very) basic overview of what your sets DO:

Primary

1) Archery - Not exactly Assault Rifle's little sister. In the words of a friend "You do everything Assault Rifle does, except worse. But you hit the target." You don't get Flamethrower and Flame Patch...you get Flaming Arrow and Explosive Arrow. ((blows a kazoo)) Worse, despite the tooltip you DON'T actually get a ToHit buff D= oh noez! Instead, you get a base-accuracy boost in every power of essentially 10%. This means, in fact, that ToHit Buffs and Accuracy enhancements work BETTER for you...and you will pretty much hit everything with your dinky arrows. It’s worth noting your powers also recharge faster than Assault Rifle, so your full damage output doesn’t lag behind.

2) Assault Rifle - Grab bag. You have top of the line ammunition (and a flamethrower!), and are a high damage, high endurance cost set. Smashing and Lethal damage (your bread and butter) are often resisted in-game. Despite this, your damage output is still often as good or better than other sets (unless you PvP, in which case you're sporked because everyone and their grandmother seems to have a S/L Resist and/or Defense power; sorry, dem's the breaks). Instead of a Nuke, you get Full Auto, which recharges far faster and can be very useful to follow up AoEs from teammates (especially with Scourge!).

3) Beam Rifle - Pure energy damage, joining the ranks of Electric and Radiation. Your secondary mechanic is Disintegration, which in addition to a minor DoT adds bonus effects to your attacks, though this is generally MORE damage (not complaining!). Your attacks also spread the effect around. Good setup and spread of Disintegration does rely on luck, but can let you stun groups and be a real damage terror.

4) Dark Blast - An interesting middle of the road set in terms of damage, you do Negative Energy damage, which is not often resisted by NPCs or Players (but when it is, it’s by a lot). You get reasonable damage and some interesting powers (some with DoT). Your attacks also leave a target with a -Acc penalty...and every bit less they hit you and your team helps. You also get some soft control (Immobilize) and even a minor self heal. You may be trading damage for utility, but that utility facilitates more damage.

5) Dual Pistols - You know GunFu! Woah. Firstly: Dual Pistols is NOT a strict re-do of Assault Rifle or Archery. You can change your damage essentially at will from 100% Lethal to 70% and 30% of your choice of Fire, Cold, or Toxic. TOXIC. This also changes your secondary effect from Knockback to DoT, Slow, and -Dmg, respectively. You also get two powers that are not in the standard 'shooter' repertoire: Executioner's Shot is the very-close range, high-damage power from other Blast sets, and Piercing Rounds replaces a Snipe with something in between an AoE and another ranged blast. On top of this, one of your AoEs is a brief rain, and your token control is a ranged Disorient.

6) Energy Blast - My personal favorite (but I'm heavily biased in this case). This, like Assault Rifle is a fairly high damage, high endurance set, but is not as draining. As mostly Energy damage, it's kind of hit or miss: mobs that resist it resist it a lot, but for the most part only certain groups do. The other portion of your damage is actually Smashing/Lethal, which is also hit-or-miss. However, you have KnockBack in every power (except Aim), and managing this can be the key to both a great solo career and a happy team. Mismanaging it can lead to a dead you and a pretty angry team.

7) Electrical Blast - You do energy damage! Unlike Energy or Sonic, however, it's ALL Energy damage, there's no Smashing or Lethal lurking around. You'll annihilate Freakshow and despise the Devouring Earth with every fiber of your being. For a change of pace, you are sufficiently different from other Blast sets that we get to call you weird. You get a damage pet, a Hold, your nuke is targeted AoE instead of Personal based, and you get Short-Circuit [which is amazing]. While your endurance drain won't impress Elite Bosses and up, you can make Underlings through Bosses hate you...and not be able to do a thing about it.

8) Fire Blast - Damage. Lots of it. And then some more. There isn’t a cherry on top, because you incinerated it. You get high single target damage with nice area blasting capacity and Damage over Time (DoTs) for hit targets. However, this damage and lingering damage mean you WILL draw hate on teams, so you'll learn fast (or die trying). Fire actually surpasses Smashing and Lethal in terms of enemy resists later in the game, but this is because some enemy groups (or specific enemies within a group) resist fire a lot, while most groups as a whole still lack super-high resist levels. Don’t let this stop you, as you will still burn the world down around them.

9) Ice Blast - This set gives cold damage (fairly rarely resisted) and slows, along with TWO Holds! None of that token crowd-control crap. You also get a Rain (like Fire), and your Nuke is a super-rain. You actually debuff a fair amount with Slow in everything, plenty of -Rch, and some -ToHit thrown in for good measure.

10) Psychic Blast - Definitely not standard, even on top of doing all Psi damage. Your secondary effect is -Rch, increasing the time between attacks and abilities of foes. You have multiple ranged control effects, and Psionic Tornado can even throw baddies around. While you may actually want to pass on your Sleep and have a strange combination of AoEs, Psychic Blast can be both fun and rewarding to play…just watch out for Dark themed and certain other enemies with obscenely high Psi resist.

11) Radiation Blast - Fast recharges lead to decent Energy damage, and -Def to hit targets (which facilitates more hit targets). Built like a "Standard" Blast set, it's anything but standard. Blasters wailed and wailed for access to this set...and the devs had pity..but still left them in the dark. Get it? Because they didn't give Blasters Dark Bl...oh, nevermind, they gave them that too. Pansies.

12) Sonic Blast - Never been with a screamer before? They're great. With -Res in every attack, you facilitate more damage to hit targets, and while your first attack (as Smashing/Lethal, mostly) may not be THAT impressive, follow-ups (from teammates, too) will look and work better. Strangely, you get a cone Sleep power, but this can be put to good use when crowd control is needed...if you can convince your team to stop being lunkheads and just let sleeping dogs lie.



Secondaries

1) Cold Domination- Perhaps misnamed (you're no Dominator), this set still has some wicked buff/debuff potential, at the expense of no healing or rez. You have two ally shields (one VERY situational), an area buff, and an ally HP buff (Brutes will love it), as well as Dmg/Res debuff (with KD), a Dmg debuff, and an endurance killer.

2) Dark Miasma - Debuffer. Dark will debuff the enemy, keep them still, and has an accuracy dependent heal that's gonna make a Thermal jealous. You do have an ally AoE buff, a drop, a pet, a target toggle debuff, some fear...did I mention the debuff? This set is perhaps one of the most survivable secondaries available to you.

3) Fire!!! *cough* I mean, Thermal Radiation - You prove that setting things on fire is good for them. With heals, ally shields, three great ally buffs, a rez, and a killer debuff and End drain power, you've got a lot going for you. The common misconception, however, is that this is "Empath Lite." You are not an Empath. Debuffing enemies so they fall faster is a wonderful thing to do, and something you should do often. Heal, but don't put up with any team that tries to say that that's all you should be doing (and it may not be wise to stick with a team that you're scrambling to heal, despite your other pluses).

4) Kinetics - Whirling Whirlwind Shredder Team of DOOOOOoooom(tm). This set breaks the mold play-style wise: you WANT to be in melee. You also want accuracy, since you can buff and debuff in one go, but need Acc to do it. Few things will make you sadder than seeing 'MISS' when you use Transfusion. With some -regen, lots of -Dmg, plenty of -spd and -rch and the accompanying (magnified) +Dmg, +Spd, +Rch, and even nice +End Recovery and AoE target Heal (rivaling even Twilight Grasp from Dark), this late blooming set will make the end game on large teams a thing of joy.

5) Pain Domination - Again with the Domination thing...what's a Corruptor to do? The new kid on the block, PD is predominately a healing set. And at first glance, it's build like Empathy. Don't be fooled: you're STILL not an Empath. No, you really aren't. You are a very active buffer and debuffer, even if somewhat limited by your direct means, and are better at buffing offensive abilities than defensive ones...in fact, your only mitigation (about 12-15% to damage, depending on slotting) can be up about half the time with slotting and set bonuses, which is the cost of being such a powerful healer. Your enemies will be easier to hit and easier to rough up through -Def/Res. Your allies will hit like a semi with nitro boosters, but you need to be active to do it. The beatings will stop when morale improves.

6) Poison - You debuff hard. Some is AoE, but Poison is really a single target set, and you do get a weak but fast heal that provides toxic resist. While you have a hold, your control really comes from sinking the enemy’s stats…in fact, you can reduce the secondary effects of enemy powers, which really takes the sting out of control heavy enemies in a way even Radiation and Trick Arrows can’t match. Noxious Gas is an ally targeted AoE, making it perfect to throw on your most survivable in-the-fray ally.

7) Radiation Emission - Considered the AV killer set, and it's not hard to see why. You can debuff just about everything straight to heck (AoE, no less), have a self based AoE Hold (and a nice AoE one-shot hold). You can also rez fallen allies (after using them to blow the bippy out of the spawn with Fallout) and you STILL have the fabled Accelerate Metabolism (+Dmg, +Spd, +Rch).

8) Sonic Resonance - This set gets little love, because it's misunderstood. This set is heavy on the -Res debuffs and +Res buffs. You can't rez or heal (a major minus in most playbooks), but you have two good ally shields, some AoE buffs, an ALLY TARGET AoE debuff (rather unique, and a great way to debuff things around a Brute), and -Res debuffs that are nothing to dismiss offhand. You can even give (some fairly impressive) Mez protection to your buddies. In a pinch, you can also set up a field to repulse enemies from either you or an ally or Capture [read: phase out] a foe. Honestly, it's a shame more players can't seem to fall in love with this set.

9) Storm Summoning - Another gift of Power Proliferation, you are a strange mix, but thrive on slows and knockback. You're stuck with a useful cone KB power, have access to a direct heal, and a toggle team +Stealth/Def. The rest of your powers mix debuff and control through -ToHit, Knockback, Fear, Disorient, -Range, -Spd/Rch, and -Def/Res. Oh, and Lightning Storm definitely strikes twice. Storm Summoning is a pain in the keister to master, but makes you a serious pain to others.

10) Time Manipulation - Active and field-based, Time Manipulation is a mix of control, debuffing, buffing, and healing. You are able to choose a single ally and single enemy to receive magnified effects from all your powers, as well as Hold a single target, but the rest of your arsenal affects an area. Reduce your enemies’ chance to hit, damage, speed, defense, and resistance. Buff your allies’ Dam, Rech, Regen, ToHit, Def, Recovery, and throw some HoTs around.

11) Traps - Traps is an odd set, to be sure, and is different from the Blaster version. Your odd grab bag includes the famous Caltrops and Web Grenade, with a limited pet, a mobile ally +Def buff, a locational +Regen buff, Seeker Drones, and the also famous Trip Mine (and its not-nearly-as-loved red headed stepchild: Timed Bomb).

12) Trick Arrow - Say what, now? Oh, right, because we have Archers now. Trick Arrow is actually a pretty sweet set, but the redraw for using anything but Archery can get pretty annoying when you have to keep swapping back and forth. That said, you're capable of a fair bit of control and can debuff just about every game stat there is…in fact, more stats than Rad, but not quite as awesomely…to large groups for a substantial amount of time. On top of this, you get damage through Oil Slick, and have both a single target Hold and an AoE sleep. You are Jack of Everything, and you look good doing it. Rock on.


Pairing What you Wear aka 1 + 2 =/= 3
When in doubt, matching your Primary and Secondary is never a bad thing. Yet most Primaries and Secondaries play just fine together in the sandbox, and leave your particular combo up to you. That said, the reason it’s never bad to match your sets is that they usually have secondary effects that mesh well. While the secondary effects never actually counteract one another, it’s important to consider the fine line between expanding what you do and gimping yourself by spreading too thin. If your {Insert Effect Here} leave the enemy controlled or face-planted, expanding is fine. But if your effects simply aren’t having the desired effect against generic enemies, you should be trying to get MORE of the SAME, not trying to expand the pot.

This particularly applies to the weapon sets (Archery, Assault Rifle, Beam Rifle, Dual Pistols / Trick Arrow) because of a quirk called redraw. Some powers will not make you put away a weapon you are holding…but most that have a true cast animation will if they don’t share the weapon. In the end, it’s still your fun…but consider if you are REALLY willing to put up with drawing your weapon EVERY time you do something when matching more active sets with a weapon. Your enemies and allies may not notice, but trust me when I say that YOU will. The devs have shown some mercy in this regard, as many powers that originally forced redraw no longer do so. But the list is still long and potentially aggravating.

There are a lot of Corruptor Guides available, and each one will give you tips and tricks. Some will tell you how to put out truly impressive damage, others will give you a solo powerhouse or PvP monster, and others will give you a toon built for team-play. Your play-style is up to you (it's YOUR fun, not mine), but I recommend the balance mentioned above, since even if just to help yourself out, every secondary has plenty of gems that are also great team-play buttons. That said, there are a few more subjects that bear mentioning…

Power Pools
…AND STAMINA FOR ALL!!! aka The Case for Leadership
There was a time when builds were tight. Everyone wanted Stamina, but had to use three powers and one of their tertiary power-pool accesses to get it. The devs realized that everyone and their grandmother felt that they NEEDED Stamina so badly, not taking the power was just not an option. So, in the interest of making every character more powerful (and opening up the possibility for power sets with even HIGHER endurance costs), the ENTIRE Fitness pool was granted to everyone. Most people still put one or two slots into stamina for End Recovery, but they no longer have to spend three power choices to do it! This opens up more possibilities for ANY build. With new tier-5 travel powers and plenty of other options available, I leave it to you to choose how to fill the newfound space. That said…

Leadership powers are toggles that affect both you and your team. As a Corruptor, you get the second best available values for all three, and can provide about +15% damage, ~+15% ToHit , and ~+5% Def through slotting. To yourself! AND to your entire team, their pets, the whole nine yards. Not all sets are really compatible with leadership. Not all players are fully comfortable with it. Certainly, the damage and ToHit are the most noticeable for soloing, and Maneuvers is only really good when stacked with other defense benefits. But if you haven’t seen a team running around with the benefits of stacked Leadership, you have been denied a powerful aspect of the game. Only Soldiers of Arachnos and Defenders can match or surpass the power you can bring to your team through Leadership toggles. No, I don’t run all three on all my Corruptors, and some of them have no Leadership at all. On top of that, I rarely take Vengeance because Corruptors kind of got the shaft on the values for that sweet, sweet, power. But I carefully considered the power brought to the table every time, and you should too.

Patrons are Ancillary
Also once upon a time, villains only had access to Patron Pools, and heroes did not. Power Proliferation has made all Archetypes gain access to a modified form of both the Ancillary (often called Epic) AND Patron Pools. This opens up a lot of options for rounding out or specializing further, especially since you no longer have to wait until after level 40 to take these pool powers. In fact, you can start taking them before your crown-gem in your Secondary! Of course, your Epics match up to Defender Ancillaries, and they got access to our Patrons, but overall this is a good thing. Better still, there are many builds that actually pass over Patron or Epic powers altogether, and do not suffer for it, although it is certainly a trade of benefits. OPTIONS, not limitations! The advice of 1 +2 =/= 3 applies full force here.

Truly Epic: Corruption Incarnate
Incarnate Powers are not like other power pools. The very ability must be unlocked through additional XP after level 50, and each ability must be crafted. There is no difference between Archetypes when it comes to Incarnate Power. For this reason, the existing Incarnate guides will better serve you than a dissertation here. However, you are a Corruptor, and remembering this should guide your power choices. It is your choice whether you want to be strong and rounded, or highly specialized around a certain effect, and Incarnate powers open up both potentials. The effects you call are YOUR Destiny, the damage you throw is YOUR Judgment, the pets that aid you are YOUR Lore, and secondary affects you empower are YOUR Interface. With that said, I still have some general advice:
-Alpha slot is wonderful for filling a hole. If you are always struggling with endurance, NEED your powers up more often, find your damage [or hit rate] lacking, or [new to the game] find you just desperately want more control, endurance modification, or resistance buffs for your shields, Alpha can fill that hole. The flip side of this coin is that you find yourself with no particular needs you can simply empower what you do best.
-Judgment: Ionic by default. All Judgments are impressive, but Ionic is by far the easiest to use and the least picky about how your enemies have decided to arrange themselves. If you’ve mastered a particular type of AoE or are confident you can, go nuts and build whatever you want. But if you are lazy, learning, or wind up in too many difficult fights, Ionic will take you far.
-Interface: Reactive by default. You can always use more damage and benefit from lower enemy resists. ALWAYS. The various Interface options are wonderfully devious and varied, and I actually recommend building multiple trees of this Incarnate slot for a Corruptor more than any other if you can spare the resources. Control, defense, offense, the choice is yours. But if you JUST CAN’T CHOOSE, Reactive has your back.
-Lore requires you to DO THE RESEARCH if you are trying to optimize. On the other hand, Lore doesn’t really punish you for going with your heart and choosing your favorite NPC faction or concept-friendly group. But most Lore powers pack secondary effects based on the power-sets of the group they pull from, making them wonderful complements to your own potential.
-Destiny provides great power for your team, and like Alpha is great for filling a gaping hole or, if you are rounded, bettering what you do best. You must choose your own Destiny, youngling (but I’m personally a sucker for Clarion).
-Hybrid has been redeemed. The choice is yours, regardless of your set combination, to either improve what you do in a meaningful way, or broaden your horizons. Pick what you think is most fun, and don't hesitate to ask those with experience!


Now, if you're new, there are plenty of other guides to help you out, and I can't really help you much more. However, if you played in City of Heroes it's time for rehabilitation.


(Thinking you're a) Blaster Rehab
The Blaster mindset has issues if ported over to a Corruptor toon. Part of this is that with the exception of Kinetics (and having certain, specific power combos from other sets), getting into melee at all is likely a death sentence, unlike Blasters who can Blap. You get no special damage buff for being in melee, you get no melee powers, even. Unless you have Kinetics or a specific build built for it: STAY OUT OF MELEE. Also, (us) Blasters tend to love opening fights with attacks and making things fall over fast. As a Corruptor, doing so will get you agg you don't need, and you have less hit-points to take it with. Until your toolbox includes the debuffs and/or control you need to open a fight, avoid doing so. Even then, co-ordinate with your team for agg mitigation to someone who can handle it (and you can sometimes heal). You're better off sniping from the edge of the battlefield, setting up the team as a mighty hammer, and playing vulture (that's what Scourge does, after all). If you have a Nuke, however, there may potentially be ways to open that DON'T involve a faceplant and still involve lots of dead mobs. Many Corruptors can self buff to an extent, and when teamed with other Corruptors (especially Kinetics buddies) can reach the damage cap and really explode into fights by buffing each other. Whatever the guides tell you, if you find yourself faceplanting, it's time to rethink your tactics, and maybe consider dropping a Range SO into your attacks (an extra 16' or so does more than many realize). Use your tools, and if you constantly remember Rule numbah 1, you can go a long ways towards obeying Rule numbah 2.


(Thinking you're a) Defender Rehab
If you've played a Defender, you actually may not have too much to go over, since you are likely used to managing when to buff/debuff, setting up chains and combos properly, managing aggro for your squishy self, and blasting. It doesn't require too much rethinking to shift to the new equilibrium you'll find as a Corruptor. If, however, you don't play Defenders too much, are trying for a more Empathic style of play, or have misconceptions about what Defenders actually do and how they contribute with both buffing/healing AND their debuffing and blasts, you are gonna be in trouble carrying that over as a Corruptor. Playing a team-friendly or solely team build is nice...but you're a villain! Picking up EVERY power in your secondary isn't always wise, and even if it is, you need the right Blast powers. I mean, come on, you're freezing your allies, summoning the darkness of the Netherworld around them, setting your allies on fire (SETTING...THEM...ON...FIRE!!!!), breaking the laws of physics (and probably allies' bodies), actively manipulating their pain response, injecting them with toxins, overextending their bodies' resources, infecting them with (potentially lethal) radiation, screaming at them constantly, covering them in wind/sleet/hail and a freaking hurricane, forking with their temporal mechanics, using hazardous inventions around them, or firing sharp sticks with gimmick payloads willy-nilly into their midst. You are obviously not nice. You do more damage to wounded things!!! Ay carumba. Keep your allies alive, but remember that defeating enemies is also 100% damage mitigation from that mob. Don't hesitate to be a vulture and pick off the wounded so that your allies can move to other threats. You don't want too many Blast powers (barring some exceptions), but you want an attack chain at least. If you have an attack chain (for when things are going sweepingly well), a buff/debuff suite (for helping things go well), and learn to use utility powers and soft (or even hard) control, you can fill both your roles, and learn to balance things to do both when needed.


The moral of the story: learn your primary. Learn your secondary. Always remember that both are equally important, and find the balance that's right for you. Now go prove that you're what Defenders wish they could grow up to be and make those Blasters jealous!



Thanks to all you Corruptor guide writers out there, and thanks for sticking with me. I'd also like to thank everyone who has voiced their support over the iterations of this guide and helped with corrections! If you spot typos or have other input about how this guide can be better, either post in this thread or PM me! This guide is not meant to be the definitive "C0rrupt07 1s j00" guide, but instead something to help any Corruptor choose what they want and run with it. Help make it better for all the fledgling villains out there, so that Paragon City will fall that much faster.

Shame on all of you who suggested this thread is wonderful and should be stickied, starred, and what have you. This guide is clearly not sticky-worthy, as it should be required reading with a quiz you must answer correctly to play, nay, even log-in to the game. What's sad is, I'm only half joking there.

Epic win, seebs, I just hope there are updates coming!

I'm back (offically!) with the update to:

So You Want to Be a Corruptor? (A guide, Version 2)

So You Want to Be a Corruptor? (A Guide, v2.0)

Wayyyyyy back in July, 2006, I was surprised nobody had gotten around to writing a general Corruptor guide. I mean, every other AT had gotten that love...so unfair. So in the interest of equal rights for all ATs, I whacked one out. Five years and 14.5 Issues later, after a regretful but necessary leave of absence starting right around when I promised all my guide updates, I've returned to update this guide not only for Going Rogue, but for Freem! Warning: Shenanigans may or may not follow.

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So, you want to be a Corruptor? Well, whether you picked the AT because the name sounds cool, because you were a Blaster Hero or Defender Hero who wants to reap the fruits of villainy, or just Joe shmuck who picked up the box and rolled up a random toon, here's the skinny.

A few abbreviations before starting: Dmg = Damage, Acc = Accuracy, Def = Defense, Res = Resists, Rch = Recharge, End = Endurance, Spd = Speed, AoE = Area of Effect, KB = Knockback (D for Down).

First, credit North Star (Truth): Disclaimer:
Corrupters are a balanced hybrid; they do both damage and group support (in the form of heals, buffs, and debuffs.) Both roles are important; a corrupter overly focused on damage is just a gimped blaster; a corrupter focused on support is nothing but a gimped defender. As a personal preference, I want a character who can solo effectively, bring a lot to groups, and be viable in PvP. There's a lot of ways to play a corrupter; this is my personal opinion. Mileage may vary.


And now back to your scheduled programming:
Rule numbah 1: You are NOT a Blaster.
Rule numbah 1A: You are NOT a Defender.
Rule numbah 2: You can put them both to shame.


I'll go back over these rules in the "CoH rehab" section, but for now, we'll stick with more generics. Corruptors ARE the ranged damage AT for villains, and are also the primary buff/debuff class. Yes, it's true that Doms pack some ranged damage, but their true purpose is to DOMINATE a spawn. Yes, Masterminds have many (and now many more!) of the same secondaries we do, but their job is to be a mindful master. This means you're filling TWO roles, because your job is Corrupting things! That means making it {better/worse} {and/or} killing {it/its-target}. While you don't have to choose, you do need to manage them both (or all four, depending). This means (first and foremost) you have to put up with people who want a healer. No, seriously. The two most common misconceptions about what you do are covered in Rule numbah 1. So what's the deal?

Your primary is identical to a Blaster Primary (or Defender secondary, which gives you access to a Blast set that Blasters still cry themselves to sleep at night because they can't have it). Almost. Although you're technically supposed to look at your Damage as being 115% of a Defender, it helps to look at it as 75% Blaster damage. You also get Scourge, which gives you free criticals more often the lower an enemies' health gets. So, a Scourge attack actually does 150% Blaster damage! For those of you who missed that, that means you're more effective picking off weaker targets than starting on one at full health. In team settings, be the vulture, at least when you start out.

Only there's that other lingering catch, your Secondary. Your secondaries look a lot like Defender Primaries...but you aren't as effective as theirs are on a power by power basis. This is not an excuse to not take your buffs if you have them! Any buff is well appreciated by team-mates, and the longer your team-mates are alive, the longer YOU'RE alive. Even if you take every power in your Blast set, make sure to pick up the better powers from your secondary, or you're going to regret it in the long haul. No-one wants to play a gimped Blaster (too much Primary, not enough Secondary) or a gimped Defender (too much Secondary, not enough Primary), but will love playing the mix that gets to solo well and be welcomed on teams.

"But Mr. Nemo, what about Going Ro-"
Shush, you, I was getting there. With Freem coming, it's important to mention that Going Rogue will be premium content, but still purchasable by non-subscribers. So while TRULY free players will be restricted to their faction's side, all VIPs and anyone willing to purchase it directly will be able to visit any gosh-dern zone they please. So how do you, as a Corruptor, contend with Blasters and Defenders, and cope with the rush of Kheldians, Tankers, Scrappers, and Controllers you will inevitably see? By being the same Corruptor you've always been. You still bring support to the table that Blasters can't match, and Scourge can push you past Offender levels of damage (Defenders are still offended by this). Since teams allow for eight players, and leagues for many, many more, pure villain teams and leagues can still punish the same content pure hero and mixed-faction teams defeat. So don't get worked up about the competition, just focus on being the Corruptor you are.


Here's a look, more from a power-set perspective. Your concept toon is great...but here's a (very) basic overview of what your sets DO:

Primary

1) Archery - Not exactly Assault Rifle's little sister. In the words of a friend "You do everything Assault Rifle does, except worse. But you hit the target." You don't get Flamethrower and Flame Patch...you get Flaming Arrow and Explosive Arrow. ((blows a kazoo)) Worse, despite the tooltip you DON'T actually get a ToHit buff D= oh noez! Instead, you get a base-accuracy boost in every power of essentially 10%. This means, in fact, that ToHit Buffs and Accuracy enhancements work BETTER for you...and you will pretty much hit everything with your dinky arrows.

2) Assault Rifle - Grab bag. You have top of the line ammunition (and a flamethrower!), and are a high damage, high endurance cost set. Smashing and Lethal damage (your bread and butter) are often resisted in-game. Despite this, your damage output is still often as good or better than other sets (unless you PvP, in which case you're sporked because everyone and their grandmother seems to have a S/L Resist and/or Defense power; sorry, dem's the breaks). Instead of a Nuke, you get Full Auto, which recharges far faster and can be very useful to follow up AoEs from teammates (especially with Scourge!).

3) Dark Blast - An interesting middle of the road set in terms of damage, you do Negative Energy damage, which is not often resisted by NPCs or Players. You get reasonable damage and some interesting powers (some with DoT). Your attacks also leave a target with a -Acc penalty...and every bit less they hit you and your team helps. You also get some soft control (Immobilize) and even a minor self heal. You may be trading damage for utility, but that utility facilitates more damage.

4) Dual Pistols - You know GunFu! Woah. Firstly: Dual Pistols is NOT a strict re-do of Assault Rifle or Archery. You can change your damage essentially at will from 100% Lethal to 70% and 30% of your choice of Fire, Cold, or Toxic. TOXIC. This also changes your secondary effect from Knockback to Slow, DoT, and -Dmg, respectively. You also get two powers that are not in the standard 'shooter' repertoire: Executioner's Shot is the very-close range, high-damage power from other Blast sets, and Piercing Rounds means your Snipe can hit multiple targets if you aim very carefully (and of course, they obligingly line up for you).

5) Energy Blast - My personal favorite (but I'm heavily biased in this case). This, like Assault Rifle is a fairly high damage, high endurance set, but is not as draining. As Energy damage, it's kind of hit or miss: mobs that resist it resist it a lot, but for the most part only certain groups do. The other portion of your damage is actually Smashing/Lethal, which is also hit-or-miss. However, you have KnockBack in every power (except Aim), and managing this can be the key to both a great solo career and a happy team. Mismanaging it can lead to a dead you and a pretty angry team.

6) Electrical Blast - You do energy damage! Unlike Energy or Sonic, however, it's ALL Energy damage, there's no Smashing or Lethal lurking around. You'll annihilate Freakshow and despise the Devouring Earth with every fiber of your being. For a change of pace, you are sufficiently different from other Blast sets that we get to call you weird. You get a damage pet, a Hold, your nuke is targeted AoE instead of Personal based, and you get Short-Circuit [which is amazing]. While your endurance drain won't impress Elite Bosses and up, you can make Underlings through Bosses hate you...and not be able to do a thing about it.

7) Fire Blast - Damage. Lots of it. And then some more. You get high single target damage with some area blasting capacity and Damage over Time (DoTs) for hit targets. However, this damage and lingering damage mean you'll draw aggro on teams, so you'll learn fast (or die trying). Fire may be just about the second most commonly resisted damage type in the game on average (right there behind Smashing and Lethal), but don't let that stop you!

8) Ice Blast - This set gives cold damage (fairly rarely resisted) and slows, along with Holds! You get two, in fact. You also get a Rain (like Fire), and your Nuke is a super-rain. You actually debuff a fair amount with Slow in everything, plenty of -Rch, and some -ToHit thrown in for good measure.

9) Radiation Blast - Fast recharges, decent Energy damage, and -Def to hit targets (which facilitates more hit targets). Built like a "Standard" Blast set, it's anything but standard. Blasters wailed and wailed for access to this set...and the devs had pity..but still left them in the dark. Get it? Because they didn't give Blasters Dark Bl...oh, nevermind.

10) Sonic Blast - Never been with a screamer before? They're great. With -Res in every attack, you facilitate more damage to hit targets, and while your first attack (as Smashing/Lethal, mostly) may not be THAT impressive, follow-ups (from teammates, too) will look and work better.



Secondaries

1) Cold Domination- Perhaps misnamed (you're no Dominator), this set still has some wicked buff/debuff potential, at the expense of no healing. No rez, either. You have two ally shields (one VERY situational), an area buff, and an ally HP buff (Brutes will love it), as well as Dmg/Res debuff (with KD), a Dmg debuff, and an endurance killer.

2) Dark Miasma - Debuffer. Dark will debuff the enemy, keep them still, and have an accuracy dependant heal that's gonna make a Thermal jealous. You do have an ally AoE buff, a drop, a pet, a target toggle debuff, some fear...did I mention the debuff? This set is perhaps one of the most survivable secondaries available to you.

3) Fire!!! *cough* I mean, Thermal Radiation - You prove that setting things on fire is good for them. With heals, ally shields, three great ally buffs, a rez, and a killer debuff and End drain power, you've got a lot going for you. The common misconception, however, is that this is "Empath Lite." You are not an Empath. Debuffing enemies so they fall faster is a wonderful thing to do, and something you should do often. Heal, but don't put up with any team that tries to say that that's all you should be doing (and it may not be wise to stick with a team that you're scrambling to heal, despite your other pluses).

4) Kinetics - Whirling Whirlwind Shredder Team of DOOOOOoooom(tm). This set breaks the mold play-style wise: you WANT to be in melee. You also want accuracy, since you can buff and debuff in one go, but need Acc to do it. Few things will make you sadder than seeing 'MISS' when you use Transfusion. With some -regen, lots of -Dmg, plenty of -spd and -rch and the accompanying (magnified) +Dmg, +Spd, +Rch, and even nice +End Recovery and AoE target Heal (rivaling even Twilight Grasp from Dark), this late blooming set will make the end game on large teams a thing of joy.

5) Pain Domination - Again with the Domination thing...what's a Corruptor to do? The new kid on the block, PD is predominately a healing set. And at first glance, it's build like Empathy. Don't be fooled: you're STILL not an Empath. No, you really aren't. You are a very active buffer and debuffer, even if somewhat limited by your direct means. Your enemies will be easier to hit and easier to rough up through -Def/Res. Your allies will hit like a semi with nitro boosters. The beatings will stop when morale improves.

6) Radiation Emission - Considered the AV killer set, and it's not hard to see why. You can debuff just about everything straight to heck (AoE, no less), have a self based AoE Hold (and a nice AoE one-shot hold). You can also rez fallen allies (after using them to blow the bippy out of the spawn with Fallout) and you STILL have the fabled Accelerate Metabolism (+Dmg, +Spd, +Rch).

7) Sonic Resonance - This set gets little love, because it's misunderstood. This set is heavy on the -Res debuffs and +Res buffs. You can't rez or heal (a major minus in most playbooks), but you have two good ally shields, some AoE buffs, an ALLY TARGET AoE debuff (rather unique, and a great way to debuff things around a Brute), and -Res debuffs that are nothing to dismiss offhand. You can even give (some fairly impressive) Mez protection to your buddies. Honestly, it's a shame more players can't seem to fall in love with this set.

8) Storm Summoning - Another gift of essentially Going Rogue, you are a strange mix. You're stuck with a useful cone KB power, have access to a direct heal, and a toggle team +Stealth/Def. The rest of your powers mix debuff and control through -ToHit, Knockback, Fear, Disorient, -Range, -Spd/Rch, and -Def/Res. Oh, and Lightning Storm definitely strikes twice.

9) Traps - Traps is an odd set, to be sure, and is different from the Blaster version. Your odd grab bag includes the famous Caltrops and Web Grenade, with a limited pet, a mobile ally +Def buff, a locational +Regen buff, Seeker Drones, and the also famous Trip Mine (and its not-nearly-as-loved red headed stepchild: Timed Bomb).

10) Time Manipulation - SOON[tm] Once we know more, v2.01 will tell you

11) Trick Arrow - Say what, now? Oh, right, because we have Archers now. Trick Arrow is actually a pretty sweet set, but the redraw for using anything but Archery can get pretty annoying when you have to keep swapping back and forth. That said, you're capable of a fair bit of control and can debuff just about every game stat there is [more than Rad, but not as awesomely] to large groups for a substantial amount of time. You are not only Jack of Everything, you look good doing it. Rock on.


There are a lot of Corruptor Guides available, and each one will give you tips and tricks. Some will tell you how to put out truly impressive damage, others will give you a solo powerhouse or PvP monster, and others will give you a toon built for team-play. Your play-style is up to you (it's YOUR fun, not mine), but I recommend the balance mentioned above, since even if just to help yourself out, every secondary has plenty of gems that are also great team-play buttons.

Now, if you're new, there are plenty of other guides to help you out, and I can't really help you much more. However, if you played in City of Heroes it's time for rehabilitation.


(Thinking you're a) Blaster Rehab
The Blaster mindset has issues if ported over to a Corruptor toon. Part of this is that with the exception of Kinetics (and having certain, specific power combos from other sets), getting into melee at all is likely a death sentence, unlike Blasters who can Blap. You get no special damage buff for being in melee, you get no melee powers, even. Unless you have Kinetics or a specific build built for it: STAY OUT OF MELEE. Also, (us) Blasters tend to love opening fights with attacks and making things fall over fast. As a Corruptor, doing so will get you agg you don't need, and you have less hit-points to take it with. Until your toolbox includes the debuffs and/or control you need to open a fight, avoid doing so. Even then, co-ordinate with your team for agg mitigation to someone who can handle it (and you can sometimes heal). You're better off sniping from the edge of the battlefield, setting up the team as a mighty hammer, and playing vulture (that's what Scourge does, after all). If you have a Nuke, however, there may potentially be ways to open that DON'T involve a faceplant and still involve lots of dead mobs. Many Corruptors can self buff to an extent, and when teamed with other Corruptors (especially Kinetics buddies) can reach the damage cap and really explode into fights by buffing each other. Whatever the guides tell you, if you find yourself faceplanting, it's time to rethink your tactics, and maybe consider dropping a Range SO into your attacks (an extra 16' or so does more than many realize). Use your tools, and if you constantly remember Rule numbah 1, you can go a long ways towards obeying Rule numbah 2.


(Thinking you're a) Defender Rehab
If you've played a Defender, you actually may not have too much to go over, since you are likely used to managing when to buff/debuff, setting up chains and combos properly, managing aggro for your squishy self, and blasting. It doesn't require too much rethinking to shift to the new equilibrium you'll find as a Corruptor. If, however, you don't play Defenders too much, are trying for a more Empathic style of play, or have misconceptions about what Defenders actually do and how they contribute with both buffing/healing AND their debuffing and blasts, you are gonna be in trouble carrying that over as a Corruptor. Playing a team-friendly or solely team build is nice...but you're a villain! Picking up EVERY power in your secondary isn't always wise, and even if it is, you need the right Blast powers. I mean, come on, you're freezing your allies, summoning the darkness of the Netherworld around them, setting your allies on fire (SETTING...THEM...ON...FIRE!!!!), breaking the laws of physics (and probably allies' bodies), actively manipulating their pain response, overextending their bodies' resources, infecting them with (potentially lethal) radiation, screaming at them constantly, covering them in wind/sleet/hail and a freaking hurricane, using hazardous inventions around them, or firing sharp sticks with gimmick payloads willy-nilly into their midst. You are obviously not nice. You do more damage to wounded things!!! Ay carumba. Keep your allies alive, but remember that defeating enemies is also 100% damage mitigation from that mob. Don't hesitate to be a vulture and pick off the wounded so that your allies can move to other threats. You don't want too many Blast powers (barring some exceptions), but you want an attack chain at least. If you have an attack chain (for when things are going sweepingly well), a buff/debuff suite (for helping things go well), and learn to use utility powers and soft (or even hard) control, you can fill both your roles, and learn to balance things to do both when needed.


The moral of the story: learn your primary. Learn your secondary. Always remember that both are equally important, and find the balance that's right for you. Now go prove that you're what Defenders wish they could grow up to be and make those Blasters jealous!



Thanks to all you Corruptor guide writers out there, and thanks for sticking with me. If you spot typos or have other input about how this guide can be better, either post in this thread or PM me! This guide is not meant to be the definitive "C0rrupt07 1s j00" guide, but instead something to help any Corruptor choose what they want and run with it. Help make it better for all the fledgling villains out there, so that Paragon City will fall that much faster.

I'm very glad to see this guide has been a rousing success! With a net 0 outside suggestions for improvement or spotted errors, nearly eighteen thousand views, and no feedback of the negative variety, I think its safe to say this guide has done well...but I always strive to make it better. There IS an update in the works, to expand the sections on power sets and help Corrupters choose the sets that are right for them! Like my other updates, this will hit by the end of Feb!

[ QUOTE ]
Glad to see others are awaiting the I9 update. Sorry it's taken so long, but it will definitely be up by Saturday!

Also, I don't believe Power Boost scales to level...if you can find a source to confirm that it does, please let me know!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, so I lied. However, I'm working on fully updating my guides, by which I mean NOT being distracted by the game and actually sitting down and editing the updates. This WILL be up by the end of Feb!

After what sums up to a long forum absence, I'm semi-back, and will be bringing the update to this guide to account for IO advice withing the month! No more Soon(tm), I'm officially kicking on it, and it will be here by the end of Feb! Also look for an update to my Energy Manipulation factbook and So You Want to Be a Corrupter?

[u]Lethal Beginnings[u]

-Professor Todesfall was born Gregor Zimmerman in Germany, to American parents of primarily German descent visiting the homeland. His father was a very successful carpenter (as had been most of the Zimmerman line), and was pleased when Gregor seemed to have a knack for building things, even at a young age. However, it was soon evident that Gregor's talents lay not with wood, but with metal and electronics. Although initially disappointed that Gregor did not seem destined to follow the family profession, his father was proud enough of Gregor to encourage his talent, and find toys and books that would continue to encourage this different kind of builder. However, a family was not meant to be, and at the age of seventeen, a terrorist attack ended the lives of Gregor's parents (along with Gregor's younger sister) short.

Alone and with only the inheritance of his family, without any true relatives to turn to, Gregor forged ahead, knowing that dwelling on loss would lead only to depression. Idealistic but shaken, he enrolled in a Crey Industries educational outreach program that accepted him based on his aptitude with computers and robotics. A new purpose found Gregor: the ability to help others in the world by advancing technological research. Graduating the program at only age 21, he went straight to work for Crey and dove into his work. It was at this time, however, that while organizing his inherited baubles and books, he stumbled across the journal of his paternal grandfather.

Gregor was fascinated at his grandfather's recounting of history and technology, and came to realize why his parents never spoke of him. The man seemed crazed, obsessed only with technology for technology's sake, and continually rambled about how he was the truest kind of professor and researcher, a student of lethality and destruction. And then the journal abruptly stopped. After a quick internet search, Gregor discovered that his grandfather had gone on to become an underground free-agent for the highest bidder, and a deal gone foul ended his career two days after the last journal entry.

Amazed at his grandfather's exploits and reminded of his own immediate family's destruction, his idealism was burdened by this new perception of reality. His work occupied him, however, and his work on energy systems, cybernetics, and robotics was coming along superbly.

Then there was the "accident." Unknown to Gregor at the time, he had actually been advancing Crey's Tank program. The problem was that there was a leak, and the way it was disposed of was by a "freak energy surge" in the building adjacent to Gregor's own work labs. This surge overloaded power systems and caused a massive explosion. The walls shielded Gregor from the worst of the blast, but also crumbled and caused sever damage to both legs, his right humerus, and his jaw, in addition to fracturing three ribs. Gregor was rescued and sent to a hospital to recover, in a coma for a year.

Gregor awoke, his body damaged, lying in the hospital bed, to find that the only good news was that there had been a safety oversight settlement by another survivor, which as a class action suit left a sizeable sum to Gregor…that had been acquiring interest for half a year. Gregor immediately sought to purchase the products of his own research: prototype limbs and a mechanical mandible, his own design. It turned out that Crey had not yet tested them, and as they needed a volunteer to bypass federal restrictions, paid Gregor even more to be his own first subject. Instead of going back to work, however, Gregor followed a hunch. Something about the explosion at the lab had been disturbingly familiar to him. Researching the casefiles and various histories of the accident, and comparing to those of the explosion that killed his family, he made a discovery that forever changed his outlook. Crey had been participating in industrial sabotage against a technology firm adjacent to his father's shop, causing the explosion that killed his family with the same technology that had exploded in the adjacent laboratory.

Researching further, he discovered why Crey had caused the "freak surge"…it wasn't hard to interrogate the paid off officials with his new enhanced arm and a hasty disguise. Gregor knew what he felt he must do, and after retrieving his research from Crey proceeded with his plan. Building a powered suit and a combat robot, he dropped his disguise and adopted his new self. Remembering scraps of his grandfather's journal, he decided that Professor Todesfall (Professor Lethality) would be the last name the treacherous persons behind his family's deaths and his own maiming would ever hear. The Greek sign of Pluto (Hades) on his chest and empowered with his armor and robot, he decided that the time had come. Under the cover of darkness and reveling in his new identity, Gregor easily broke into the home of the Crey man who had caused such trouble for himself and others in life.

Gregor (eventually) killed the man and left his corpse lying in the house, his work finished. It was the next day he was arrested on getting out of bed by the S.W.A.T. arm of the PPD. Gregor's trial went swiftly, as he chose not to plead insanity. The jury saw a cruel murder, regardless of the justification, and violently resisting arrest was the proverbial coffin nail that prevented any sympathy. His drone disassembled and his armor depowered (they couldn't figure out how to remove it, and felt like not bothering the Freedom Phalanx over such a seemingly trivial case), Gregor was sent to the Zig. Not a week later, the Rikti Invasion began.

Helped by the confusion, Gregor was able to gather the pieces necessary to reconstruct a drone and store them away for the right moment over time, and was able to covertly re-empower his suit. He remained aloof from the other prisoners, and any trouble from the "normals" (Gregor was classified as a metahuman despite his status) was silenced with his arm…pre-empting other trouble. Gregor got his chance when the first strike of Operation Destiny came.

Free in the Isles and disillusioned with humanity, Gregor struck out on his own, making a name and known only as Professor Todesfall. He soon met Dr. Zaprobo, and the rest, as they say, is history (in the making).

[u]Tales of the Star Scout: Twin Suns[u]

Gregory Ridgevue had donned his MK-4 armor again, and was standing at the portal synchronization computer with the Portal Corps scientist. Dimensional physics wasn’t his strongest subject, but Gregory had helped maintain and upgrade the power systems, and was familiar with the basics. The tech was explaining the destination to him, “We’re sending you into the shard to investigate our readings describe as a ‘transtemporal flux anomaly.’ This isn’t the first such flux we’ve seen, and while they have been scattered and seemingly random in timing and placement, they all have the same basic characteristics to their reading. We strongly suspect they are Nictus transit points, the initialization of Cyst crystals into the Shard. We think the Nictus have found some way to travel to the Shard to forcibly take over natives…I don’t have to tell you how bad that is.”

Gregory responded with the calm confidence that came from a year and half of use and upgrades of his armor, “No, I get it. So how do you think the Nictus are creating tesseracts?” The scientist gave him a blank look, and Gregory elaborated “Tesseract, foldspace, slipstream, wormhole, the bending of space and time to travel light years and dimensions?”

The scientist gave him a slightly annoyed look, “Well, why didn’t you just say that?”

Gregory sighed, “Never mind. Do you know how they’re doing it?”

The scientist hung his head a bit and stated, “No. They could be making a deal with the entities of the Shard, they could have hijacked, stolen, or bargained for the technology to do it from any number of Nemesis or Crey outposts, they could have found a new use for their own energy…the Nictus are still very much an enigma to us, and we’re as in the dark right now as you about it.”

Gregory pressed the activation sequence and felt the mighty thrumming as the portal device recalibrated. Donning his helmet and stepping forward, he called to the scientist, “Then I guess it’s my job to find out!”

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He had no idea what stepping through a portal was like for others, his armors always isolated him from whatever sensation it caused. After what felt like barely two seconds of pause, Gregory stepped back into reality, on one of the many islands freely floating in the shard. Wasting no time, he set up the teleportation relay that linked to his mediport transonder. No point taking chances, he’d learned one too many times to never think that the strange Rualruu creatures were out of surprises…or that things not Rualruu were going to be friendly. He didn’t even have to engage a search pattern of the island, the warped eddies that the…whatever it was…the Nictus used to get to the Shadow Shard created were clearly visible, and Gregory flew close to the “ground” to avoid being spotted too soon.

As he approached, he saw a sight that was chilling to any veteran hero…bargainers. Bargainers standing together, furthering the plots and schemes of their organizations, expanding the power of those who were best with none at all. Crey, Nemesis, and Council all standing together with what could only be a Nictus-dominated host…and surprise, surprise, the Nictus/host wasn’t a bargaining chip as the Council often used, but one of the bargainers! What he saw shocked him…they were clearly arguing about rights and price over the shining essence that could only be a Kheldian energy being. If the readings coming through Gregory’s visor were correct, a severely wounded, unbonded Kheldian at that, one that needed immediate retrieval to recuperate its energies.

As he had found himself doing far too often of late, Gregory charged in recklessly after he cycled for the energy overcharge that generated an energy field to absorb the brunt of any impact or injury…he wouldn’t be truly impervious, but for the next 176.67 seconds he would be pretty well off. It paid off, however, as his opening torrent of energy knocked the negotiators off their feet and into the air, giving Gregory time to activate the two powerful energy bursts needed to take the Crey Protector out of commission (those cryo guns really gunked up the armor). Speaking cavalierly as the second burst fired off, he teased the negotiators, “What, no invite for little old me? You guys know I hate it when you leave me out of the loop!”

None of the negotiators cared to respond with anything other than a guttural “Kill the cape!” from the Council Vampyri. Jumping over the Vampyr’s head, Gregory narrowly avoided a beam of hungry darkness as he used his propulsion to deliver a solid blow with his energy gauntlets. Unable to hold back, Gregory quipped, “Don’t hate me because I look fabulous and you look all wrin…”

He was cut off as both the Nemesis and Nictus shot him, connecting solidly with a bolt of energy and an explosive round. His overcharge made it so the armor wasn’t even scratched and he was hardly jostled, but the concussive impacts sent him flying backwards and caught the words in his throat. Mentally noting that he needed to spend less time imitating comic book characters and more time saving the day, Gregory hopped to his feet and sent an explosive ball of energy right on target to the bound Nictus, taking the Vampr out of the picture and once more planting both the Nictus and Nemesis soldier onto their rumps. Charging the Nemesis who was trying to aim his rifle again (how Nemesis got those contraptions to work still baffled him), Gregory landed a hard knock with the energy gauntlets. The soldier slumping over left only the Nictus, who had just regained its feet and decided to turn into one of those neither-small-nor-particularly-dwarven “Dwarf” forms.

Unable to resist a straight line and once more testing a tried and true stratagem, Gregory piped in as his own punch met the Nictus’s in rather cliché manner, “Star Scout three, bad guys zero. Looks like you gotta ask yourself, ‘do you feel lucky’? Well do yah, punk?” The Nictus stood up straight and piped out in a rumbling bass “You moron, that’s not even halfway how the quote go…”

While the Nictus had been speaking, Gregory had over-focused energy through his gauntlets and clobbered the Nictus out cold with an over handed strike and quick follow-up. Nudging the nearly unconscious (and now ‘human’) form with his armored foot, Gregory replied, “Yeah, and you were dumb enough to try to tell me with your mouth and not your fists.” A feeble voice came back, “…dirty…trick…” Pulling his boot away, Gregory shot back, “Coming from the likes of you? I’ll take that as a compliment.” Shaking his head from side to side as if in shame, he muttered, “I still can’t believe how often that works…”

A series of sharp beeps in his ear brought Gregory back to the moment and warned him the situation was taking a turn for the worse instead of the better. The Kheldian’s energy signature had started to decay again, and many signals identifiable as unbound Nicti (Nictuses? It was a Latin ending, but one never knew these days…) were coming to their position at top speed…only thirteen Nicti now, but more on their way!

Moving fast, Gregory ran to the Kheld and took off his helmet, thinking “loudly” while speaking forcefully “We need to get out of here! How I can move you safely?” A voice entered his mind, seeming weak, “Would you carry me for a time, a temporary host?” Without thinking (those Nicti were only getting closer), Gregory urged the Kheldian, “Tell me how, I’ll get you out of here.” He wasn’t told with words as much as a feeling about what he should do, and in the course of but a few seconds and a flash of light, Gregory found himself suffused with vitality and thoughts not his own.

Donning his helmet again, Gregory knew they weren’t going to escape the inbound Nicti without a fight, and his overcharge was about to crash his combat systems. Feeling the fear of his passenger from sensing where his thoughts were going, Gregory rushed towards the incoming Nicti and muttered “Come and get it, you little abominations…”

His armor’s N.O.V.A. (Non-lethal Omni-directional Variance-energy Application) assault system lead to spectacular and satisfying results, as it always did, buying him precious time to escape at the cost of powering down his systems. Booking it to the portal beacon, Gregory’s thoughts veered to his passenger. “So how did you get into this mess, buddy?” The weak mental voice returned, stronger than before, “You may call me Zil’tal, not ‘buddy’, and I’d rather save that story for a long day in a safe place.” Chuckling to himself (and he guessed that meant his passenger too), Gregory thought back while rushing to the beacon site, “Fair enough, and point taken, here’s our trip out of here.”

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Stepping double time, Gregory marched over to the portal computer and keyed the shut down sequence, ignoring the protesting scientist from before. A piercing shrillness entered the scientist’s voice, “Stop! Do you know what you’re doing?!”

Briskly cutting the scientist off with what he thought of as his authoritative speaking voice (his siblings always told him it was his ‘dad’ voice), bowling over continued protests, “Yes, I realize the portal shouldn’t be shut down like this except in a dire emergency, yes, I realize what the load does to the power lines, yes, I realize how much work it is to restart, but I rather happened to think that cutting off any way that at least twenty unbound Nicti of unknown purpose with confirmed access to a Cyst crystal and unknown trans-spatial travel abilities could track, or heaven forbid, follow me was in the city’s best interests;” a short pause for breath as he continued forcefully, “unless, of course, you want to explain to the Freedom Phalanx and the citizens of Paragon why you didn’t take necessary precautions against an incursion by hostile aliens?”

As the scientist sputtered out, Gregory continued softly as he removed his helmet. “Besides, I’m pretty sure my passenger has all the information we need and more.” A soft voice that seemingly emanated from Gregory, startling the tech, began “Yes, those were Nicti from an alternate dimension where they have taken over this entire planet, and had found their way to the Shadow Shard by a freak accident. I destroyed their access at great cost as they were bargaining with some beings from your planet for portal technology to invade other dimensions…they have been stopped for the foreseeable future. If this man had not come and taken action, I would be deceased or worse, and the danger to your world would have been incalculable.”

The scientist threw up his hands in resigned frustration, “Fine! Fine, you’ve taken care of business, now go talk to my boss about it so I don’t get chewed out for what you did!” Patting the scientists shoulder, Gregory engaged his flight boots and said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll file the exploration/incident report you one-eyed one-horned flying purple portal eaters love so much before going to see Sunstorm.” Zil’tal’s voice stated in clear confusion, “He has two eyes, no horns, and…” Cutting him off, Gregory said with rolled eyes, “Okay, I get it; my music references are out of date for the times, ay carumba already.”

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After filing the proper paperwork (which had been changed again, he noted with a mix of amusement and exasperation), Gregory flew straight to Sunstorm with his new charge, not sure what to do. Gregory talked to his passenger the whole flight, as they discussed not only everything about the Nicti that had been stopped, but also what needed to happen for Zil’tal’s safety. As he landed near Sunstorm in Atlas park, Gregory removed his helmet and approached Sunstorm, still trailing his conversation with Zil’tal, “…and I know you said that’s what’s normal, but you also said you’re not able to reform yourself entirely. I guess that makes you kind of like me…” Gregory trailed off, thinking about his own cybernetics and knowing that Zil’tal got the psychic impression of his thoughts.

Their conversation with Sunstorm, recounting everything about the Nicti and their return, quickly came to involve Shadowstar. While they had seen Kheldians in the past who had been damaged beyond reconstruction, Zil’tal’s case was outside their experience. The damage was perfectly analogous to a human who had lost limbs, but something unique was preventing reformation. For the next few days, Gregory and Zil’tal retained their bond because they didn’t know what else to do (and got to know each other very well), or if Zil’tal could even bond with a host. Undergoing a lot of D.A.T.A. testing and involving other helpful Kheldians and humans, it was soon found that Zil’tal could move to and from hosts and bond unimpeded. The questions remained, however ‘Whom to bond with?’ and ‘Would the result be complete?’ After much deliberation and soul-searching, and then a day of long discussion of the repercussions, both Gregory and Zil’tal requested to bond together. Both felt an inherent rightness to the decision, and now wanted only to be complete.

Sunstorm and Shadowstar were both present at the bonding, as were many of the volunteer testees. Gregory left his signature armors behind, and sat down cross-legged so he and Zil’tal could follow the instructions of Sunstorm. After a few tense moments, a soft brilliance suffused the room, and then the newly bound Kheldian stood before the room of friends with the cybernetics once bound to Gregory lying inert on the floor. A full minute passed during which the newly bonded Kheldian looked himself over and reveled in the feeling of wholeness, so poignantly missing from his two previous lives, when one Warshade chimed in from one of the corners, “Well, how do you feel?”

The physical voices of both Gregory Ridgevue and Zil’tal responded in stereo “I feel fine.” The entire room was startled by this as much as the two. The same stereo continued “We feel fine? Well this just isn’t normal…look, Greg/Zil, you can stop with the echo.” A short pause. “Alright, fine then, we’re both still clearly here. Can anybody tell m…us what happened?”

The room was abuzz with chatter among the attendees, this was something new indeed! After the chatter had died down and planning could start, all of the Kheldians in the room, as well as the scientists who brought in testing equipment, confirmed that neither Zil’tal’s energy nor Gregory’s life-force was present. By all appearances, they had bonded into one being normally as any Kheldian should. So why were they still separate personalities? Some of those who were more mystically inclined before their transformation suggested something about ley lines and the essence of Janus. The scientists were abuzz about trans-temporal disruptions, warp energy, and the uniqueness of both subjects having been incomplete before bonding. Whatever the reason, it seemed they would have to learn to live with each other in a way they hadn’t expected or prepared for.

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It didn’t take long for Gregory and Zil’tal to figure out most of the specifics about their fusion. They were alike enough in most thinking that conflicts only occurred the few times they disagreed over something (however minor), and they quickly learned to keep this from being problematic. They chose that it would be easiest to be known by Gregory’s identity under most circumstances, and now learn the potential of their new body and union. They have been known to take Gregory’s Star Scout armor series to fight crime still, and proudly continue to be a hero in Paragon City and beyond. They’ve even learned not to freak out other heroes by talking to each other out loud …for the most part.

As his career as a hero began, it was the series of development that had me create five toons on Infinity: a hero of each archetype modeled in power armor based on energy research, each tying together.

The MK-1 armor is a robot/exo-suit. Built to defend the laboratory, it is extremely resistant to punishment and uses prototype energy gauntlets as an attack system [Invul/EM]. While the other armors use a variation on the alloy used throughout this armor, they are not as heavily layered. So while they offer a fair amount of protection from things that can kill you, they'll still leave you hurting, whereas the MK-1 is more likely to deactivate from overload before a wearer slips into unconsciousness. Passed over by the military for other contractors.

The MK-2 uses sharpened blades as a melee attack. Built to hyper-stimulate the wearer's brain function and senses, the wearer becomes fast, agile, and hyper-aware. [Claws/SR scrapper] The military took interest in this idea as a way to improve infiltrating agents, but found the functions cost-prohibitive for mass production.

The MK-3 armor is a field medic, designed as a support role for large engagements or working on a strike team. While the military found the displays made by the anti-entropy and ally nodal stimulation systems [based on the MK-2] impressive, they felt that these systems drew too much power from the prototype energy assault gauntlets. [Empathy/Energy Defender]

The MK-4 armor is a cannon of sorts. The entire armor is a giant-feedback loop, conserving and reusing power to generate massive, raw output. The prototype assault systems on both the MK-1 and MK-3 have been fully developed here, and output a non-destructive energy field of startling levels. [Energy/Energy Blaster] The military found the power required cost-prohibitive for what was seen as an inferior [non-lethal] war weapon.

The MK-5 armor directly manipulates space-time, building further on the anti-entropy systems of the MK-3. While it contains identical support systems to the MK-3, its primary energy draw is from the experimental and highly theoretical quantum flux gauntlets [a misnomer, as the actual unit is a fully enveloping torso piece with armbands]. [Gravity/Empathy Controller]. The military bypassed this unit nearly immediately as they were unwilling to deal with instability and what was termed "a contraption based on unproven and potentially unsound theories."

Now, as the Star Scout, Gregory Ridgevue takes to the streets in his armors [Star Scout MK-#] for the good of the city. Recent developments have changed Gregory's life, however, and that of another being all-together...

Just a collection of my writings so far...feel free to comment and what-not. I'm mostly posting this so I can find them in one place instead of multi-tabbing to reference things.

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A Star Is Born

Dark. No. Light. Not bright…just there. Where? Here and there? Eyes flutter but won’t open…a woman’s gasp. The beeps of a heart monitor…not in sync…who’s? Someo…Darkness

Voices “Son. Gregory. It’s dad, I need…I need you to watch them for me.”
“Brother, please, wake up…”
“Sir…sir, he can’t hear you…he’s barely with us.”
“Son, if you can hear me…I have to go. I might not come back. It’s war, now.”
Dad? Marie? Another voice…who…?

A raspy voice managed to breathe out, “Dad…?” His own? So dry…a grip, on his hand. Could only be dad. Where?

“Son?! Gregory, talk to me…”

Eyes fluttered open weakly, seeing the strong face of Howard Ridgevue. “Dad, what…” Gripping his father’s hand as tightly as he could. “Where?”

“You’re in the hospital, Greg, there was an explosion at the lab. You’ll be fine, son, just stick with us. Something…something else has happened, just yesterday. You can learn about it later. You need to know that I have to go…it’s war.”

“Wa…r?”

“Son…I need you to be strong. I might…I might not be able to watch over you anymore and I need…I need to know you’ll come through. Take care of your mother…your siblings…for me.”

Sobbing in the corner…Marie?

“Da..d. I…I love you, man…” Gregory managed, with a weak smile.

Smiling back and gripping Greg’s hand tightly, Howard fought back tears and a chuckle all at once. “That’s fine, son…you’re still not getting my Bud Lite. I love you, too.”

Gregory felt his chest move, an attempt at laughter… Darkness

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Gregory opened his eyes and heard the beep of a heart monitor. Everything was white…he was in the hospital? He had been in the lab earlier, but what…the lab! Gregory tried to rise and fell back on the hospital bed weakly, finding it hard to move. The lab…

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The Accident

The hum of scientific equipment, the lights of computer monitors. Gregory leaned over his station attentively in his white lab coat, monitoring the current energy readings on the new flux-inhibitor. If he could just get the inhibtor right, the cybernetics he had been developing could finally be tested, could help people like amputees. Suddenly the lab shook, and Gregory looked around pensively. He tried to raise Crey’s guard tower on the com unit, but only got intense static. “Station B9-7-RF, calling Main Tower…calling Main Tower…anyone?” He dropped the standard unit in disgust and heard a resounding BOOM and gripped the nearest workbench almost in a panic as another quake came.

“Wha…?” was all he had time to say as a deafening roar filled the room as the far wall exploded and the ceiling collapsed. Unable even to pray, he raised his left arm to protect himself…from the explosion or the ceiling he couldn’t say. Darkness

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

The hospital room came back, and Gregory saw a nurse standing worriedly over him, asking something…shaking his head slowly from side to side, he looked her in the eye.

“I’m sorry, I just…memories…was there an accident at Crey? Can I have some water?”

The nurse handed him a cup and spoke gently, “Sir…you…we were afraid you wouldn’t make it.”

Looking a little confused, Gregory wondered why on earth his left hand hadn’t come to grasp the cup with his right. Looking over he realized – it was in a cast…like his legs. He gaped slightly and mouthed like a fish, unable to speak as the nurse continued.

“You were…injured…the doctors…they don’t think you’ll walk…I…”

Calmly Gregory spoke up, coming out of his shock, “No…no. It’s…I’ll be fine. I just…I want to know everything just…not right now.” A weak smile met the same from the nurse, and she nodded as she walked to check on other patients.

---

The Road To Recovery, Shining From Dark Space

The next month was a blur as Gregory recovered, learning a little more every day. He learned of the accident. He learned of the lawsuit which Crey settled to avoid the courts (even the Countess didn’t want this publicity at all). He learned of the Rikti attack, how his father with his group of Uncle Sam’s military heroes, Patton’s Platoon, had been among the valiant front line against the invasion…and among the first to fall. The Platoon had been like a crew of aunts and uncles, friends that meant as much as family…and their losses each hurt nearly as much as that of his father. The rest family was safe, and heroes had come to Paragon City.

When he was finally released, he contacted Crey Industries about his research. At first, he was met with the standard brushing off, but the words “volunteer test subject” caught ears. Meeting a representative from Crey in his wheelchair, he had made up his mind.

“Sir, you realize the legal implication of such a thing?”

“Yes. I’ll sign any contract. What I want is simple. I finish my research on the inhibitor. I build the parts and limbs. I’m the first test subject, and as a volunteer bypass all the restrictions and inspections the Countess hates. It’ll be a success, and she’ll have a product for use that’s 100% tested safe. After that, I just don’t care. The patent, the extra funding money, time lost, severance, everything. The original settlement and the limbs are mine. The Countess can take the rest, and will never hear from me again. No more suits, no publicity, no media, no ‘oh, woe is me’, a categorical refusal for inclusion in any documentary or investigative journalism or movie or book, everything.”

A few moments passed, and Gregory knew it was the Countess herself talking to the representative over his ear com-unit. “Crey Industries finds your proposal…mutually beneficial. Sign here.”

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A Day Of Revelation

It was bright and sunny out, and Gregory truly appreciated walking again. The synthetic skin he had designed even made him look like his old self, and he could feel again! It helped that he didn’t feel cold to everyone who shook his hand now, too. He was walking by and a thug suddenly jumped out and started grabbing at a woman’s purse right in front of him. Without hesitation, Gregory swung a left hook (his cybernetic arm) and laid the crook out flat with a resounding “Clang!” Gregory mistook the woman’s sudden staring and started to stammer. “Miss…I just…I was trying…”

“Oh, no need to bother, I’m not calling the cops. You saved me. Where’s your costume?”

Gregory was stunned for a second, and gaped. “Costume?”

“Yes, all registered deputized heroes have costumes, silly. They wouldn’t be called ‘tights’ all the time by hooligans otherwise.”

Gregory looked left and right warily, wondering what was going on. No one had filled him in on this ‘hero’ stuff. “Riiiiiiiiight. It’s…um…uh…”

The woman laughed for a second, and then looked ashamed when she realized he was serious. “Oh, oh, you’re not registered are you, here, just take this and it will fill you in.” She scribbled something on the back and smiled as she put the brochure in Gregory’s hand, holding his hand for a long moment. Then she walked away.

“Um…thanks…” Gregory walked slowly back to his basement laboratory (he was a successful independent research consultant now) and mulled over the brochure. As he finished the brochure, he also realized she had left a seven digit number and a scribbled note on the back. Well that was o…?!?!?! Well, she did seem to think he was funny. Why not? At least he could learn more about this hero stuff. And besides…she was cute.

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A Crazy Idea

After being filled in on all the hero info (and getting invited to dinner), Gregory just needed himself to be alone to think. He had never though about actually being a hero hero. But something about it called to him, and he remembered his dad’s voice… He had been working on an exo-suit project, one that could be used to protect workers in dangerous situations. And he’d already converted a prototype over for guarding the lab. And the attack systems needed testing for the MK-4 military version. Grabbing his white and blue lamination tools, Gregory had an idea.

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Testing The Waters

Gregory looked at himself in the mirror, wearing his MK-4 armor. It was new in white and blue…something about it reminded him of old comic books he’d read, but it seemed practical instead of fantastical. He looked almost like a robot, really…but it was fairly clear it was powered armor. Well, the only way to know was to see what someone else thought. And tonight was when Sarah had invited him to dinner. And he could drop by mom and Marie the next morning before actually doing something crazy like registering as a deputized hero.

Knocking gently on the door with his oversized gauntlet, Gregory felt his breath catch as he saw Sarah standing there to greet him. She looked absolutely stunning in a dress and heels that made him wonder why she wasn’t out dancing. She smiled and said, “When you’re done acting like a statue, you can come in you know. I’m glad you found your costume!”

Remembering to breathe, Gregory replied quickly, “Well, you know, the clown suit’s at the dry cleaners and the tutu is in the wash, so…”

Laughing again, she took his oversized gauntlet and led him in. “It looks great. So what’s your name, what do you do? You can’t just be called ‘that guy’ or ‘The Walking Erector Set.’”

Blushing a bit, Gregory timidly muttered, “Uh…well…I hadn’t really gotten the name thing down, I was…uh…I was hoping maybe you could help?”

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What’s In A Name?

The next day, Gregory took Sarah along with him and wore his armor, carrying his helmet under his arm. He could only wonder what mom would say seeing him in this. Marie opened the door, and Anthony was just inside.

Anthony was wearing his service uniform, and when he saw Gregory drawled, “Okay, I don’t even want to know what you did this time. If you need armor and a lawyer to protect you from mom that bad, it’s probably best if I don’t know about it.”

“Har, har, good to see you too. Let’s just get everything in the family room so I only have to go over things once.”

Marie’s voice picked up loudly “MOOOOOOom, Greg’s here to see us! Come downstairs already!”

When everyone had gathered in the family room, Gregory stood up and knew the speech he’d practiced wasn’t going to do. In his public speaking voice and trying not to tremble, he began “Mom, Marie, Anthony, this is Sarah and…”

“You’re getting married already, hon, it’s a little rushed don’t you think? You didn’t have to dress up like that to tell me, you know…”

Anthony and Marie burst out into gales of laughter as Sarah giggled uncontrollably behind him. Gregory sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Mom. We’ve been over this. Completing my sentences before you say anything.”

“Oh, alright dear, but you really should look into set…”

”MOM.”

“Okay, dear, calm down.”

Anthony and Marie had managed to get their laughter under control by now, but still had some giggling fits as Gregory continued. “You all remember the accident, and my work. I got cybernetics I made, and I’ve been working on some independent contracts, powered suits to protect government workers and such. Well, I figured that I can help people around here with some of this, that this suit I’m wearing now, a military prototype…I could put my energy research to use and be…well…I could get deputized.”

There was a long pause as the room was quiet.

Marie spoke first, “Are you sure, Greg…I mean…is it safe?”

Anthony interjected, “Of course it’s not safe, it’s like being a police officer. Only you face…all that stuff. I stand by it, I think he knows what he’s doing.

Marie nodded, and Gregory looked at his mom, unsure of what to say. “Mom?”

“I just…when your father went to face the Rikti…it’s just…I don’t…”

Gregory spoke up softly, “Mom, I understand. It’s something I’ve thought about. I think…I think it’s what dad would have wanted. The mediport system is really good, the chances of preventing anything serious happening with a mediport tag active is statistically higher than any prevention system in the world. I’ll be with other heroes, constantly working on the armor to make it better. The armor can stand up to some serious punishment too. I…” Gregory’s voice lowered to a whisper, “I just wish I’d had this stuff ready for dad and the Platoon. Maybe then they wou…they wouldn’t…”

Anthony broke the tension, “You can’t blame yourself, bro. I think you’ve got the right idea, I think dad would be proud of you making this decision.”

Looking Gregory in the eye, his mother spoke in her determined voice, “Anthony’s right. Howard would be speechless right now, so proud of you. Just…be as careful as you can, okay?”

Sarah spoke up for the first time, “So, what are we going to call this lunatic in his bucket of bolts?”

“Oh, thank you so much for your vote of confidence, Sarah, I’m so glad you’re here.”

She fake punched Gregory in the head, pushing him so he rocked a bit on the couch. “Well, you need a good name. I don’t want to know that I helped encourage some ridiculous name like ‘Mighty Max’ or ‘Serious Steve’ or ‘Man who loves pudding’ get deputized.”

Marie excitedly chimed in, “Well, you were a Boy Scout right? You made Eagle? How about Super Scout?”

Sarah rolled her eyes as Anthony groaned, “Seriously, sis, Super Scout? He may as well paint a target on his chest and say ‘shoot me now, I’m easy!’ I mean, he could at least use a rank name or variation. I’d think ‘The Timid Tender Toes’ works best.”

Marie punched Anthony in the arm, “And you said I had a bad idea?”

Gregory had an idea. “Well, he’s on the right track anyway. Or was, anyway, before his train of thought derailed at the station. How about Star Scout? Life Scout just sounds weird, Eagle Scout’s kind of…well…cheesy. It’s the MK-4 armor, too, so I could be Star Scout MK-4.”

Sarah laughed. “I like it. What do you all say we take this crazy man down to City Hall in Atlas to get registered?”

And so one hero’s story began…

I'm gonna go ahead and say you all are reading WAY too much and too hard into this symbol, folks. I'm betting it's not so deep, and a little more obvious.

Connect the newspaper article we've seen [your hero/villains story contributions have been negated...it's as if you didn't exist] and the wallpaper symbol: A stylized, BRASS orborous, the symbol for infinity, doubly so because it is in the orintation of a mobius strip [a second symbol for infinity] and not just the traditional wheel format. My money is on Nemesis, dealing in some way with alternate timelines/universes, dimensional travel, and/or time-travel. Think about it.

[edit] and the Nike argument only helps that, because what better to represent Nemesis's infinite victory?[/edit]

[edit2] Think about it. Nemesis has figured out a way to either change this reality so YOU, the protagonist/antagonist, the foiler of his plans, the one who has managed so much...simply aren't, or he's found a way to create/enter a reality just that way. Where he wins for the simply reason that the hero/villain who has stopped him [you] NEVER STOPPED HIM AT ALL. It fits.[/edit2]

Sure, feel free! I've got the theoretically build complete [I really am working on this update, I swears, fellas], and am finishing up the section about pre-ideal slotting.

I actually plan on putting the final bit of that together this weekend, but we'll see how it goes. Part of the concern is the practicality of the build. When you're min/maxing, it's great to just cherry pick the best sets and go with it, but practical influence and availability on the market limit things like slotting the Heal uniques.

So I'm finishing the theoretical build [it's a Stamina build], and then going to go into how to make do with the "poor man's" sets until you can upgrade

)_)...(_(...more?

[ QUOTE ]
Nice guide, but your info on Infenro isnt too good. If the Corr version has the same numbers as the blaster version, I can kill +2 Lts. pretty easy without insp.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, he's right. It IS the same Inferno...the Damage Scalar value is identical. The problem is that Blasters multiply that value by 1.0 and Corruptors multiply that value by .75. That means you're doing 75% of a Blaster's Inferno...not to mention that Blasters typically have Build Up in addition to Aim, which adds much more damage as well. It may still well be enough to crumple some +2 Minions, but I'm not sure about Lts.

Glad to see others are awaiting the I9 update. Sorry it's taken so long, but it will definitely be up by Saturday!

Also, I don't believe Power Boost scales to level...if you can find a source to confirm that it does, please let me know!

Well, I wasn't able to get a submission together thanks to two problems:

1) Time (college exams, singing at a graduation, recording for a CD...time!)

2) Still need to fix the screenshots function on this thing (it's not sending them to the right folder, and they just...get lost).


Good luck to all participants, and I look forward to seeing all submissions!

[ QUOTE ]
Let me see if I have this straight, you said, "Having large numbers of powers that take a given set type allow us to get large stacked set bonuses. Because you can stack a given type and strength of bonus up to five times, the easiest way to get large set bonuses is to stack five of the same set."

Now, does that mean I can have 5 +Regens at 12% and another 5 +Regens at 4%? Can I have 5 at 12% from one set and 5 at 12% from another set? Or am I limited to only 5 +Regens no matter which set?

Thanks for any clarification!

[/ QUOTE ]

Just pretty sure it goes as follows:
Case 1) Yes
Case 2) No
Long answer: It doesn't matter what set the bonus comes from, only the strength. Bonuses are limited to five of the same strength by type, not just the same type.

[ QUOTE ]
i also would like to hear the above quoted's thoughts. sounds like a good question. um, i am wondering why we are calling it the ambush tower now though.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'M calling it the ambush tower, because it allows Lord Recluse to spawn a metric crap-ton of Bane Spiders (all level 54) at somewhere around 1/4th health.

[ QUOTE ]

With the Red, Green & Yellow (optional) towers down LR was debuffed and we took him out without a lot of problem. When he got to around 10-15% he spawned a bunch of henchmen, but a Fulcrum Shifted nuke from one of the blasters handled things nicely and LR bit the dust a few seconds later.

[/ QUOTE ]

Glad to see there's a team setup that can handle the blue tower ambush power. What was your full team setup, just so I have an idea? I want to find out what exactly is required to make the ambush "ignorable", or at least enough so that a Blaster can nuke/clear it of minions and Lts and leave only bosses managable for the final bit of LR's health.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

That's pretty spiffy, especially since the max HP and Regen work together. Stacking that 5 times gives this.

CI +PS
+5.625% HP
+40% regen.
+12.5% acc

MB + PS
+7.5% hp
+40% regen
+15% dmg


[/ QUOTE ]

Woo, yeah! And the 8% Regen bonus is relatively uncommon, which means builds focused on Regen could get even more stacking.

Hmm... *eyes the fire/fire tanker guide speculatively*

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, it's something I'm looking at for my Elec/Elec Brute, too. Definitely trying to get some squeeze out of those magic numbers!