NightErrant

What about a top hat and kilt?

...Or something sensible?

Chronologist is a badge that assumes you're already entrusted with the secret. Since you're there. Which means they don't need to explain the secret to you.

Because it's the law.

Paragon Studios didn't decide this, the Canadian Government did.

For that matter, it's likely not a hard question. So don't fret,

There are badges for the new groups.

Defeating any Praetorian Carnival enemy grants credit for "Show's Over"

Defeating DUST rangers earns you "DUST in the Wind"

Defeating Awakened earns you the Snooze Button badge.

And defeating Talons of Veng. Earns you Chipped Talon.

Not too much.

They change the dialogue somewhat, but they don't radically change the entire Task Force.

Please please please add Dark Control and Dark Assault as well?

Ghost Widow being a Dominator has bugged me for YEARS.

I personally think Tyrant is the epitome of the dark side Vigilante alignment.

"Only I can protect the world."

In theory he is heroic. His basic intentions are the safety of his people and the stability if his world. Very Blue intentions. At least from what we have seen.

In practice however, he falls pretty close to the Red alignments. He's like a Vigilante who has done a lot of the Vig -> Vill tips, but has always stopped before making the jump.

Like a Vigilante, on the surface, he's still heroic.

Assuming what we have learned is true, he's somewhat heroic.

But I don't think he's tortured.

His ultimate sin is that he has no faith in anyone but himself. That is what makes him an Antagonist, and that is what will be his downfall.

Thanks for the feedback and advice.

I'll fix some of the grammar mistakes, and I'm planning on tweaking the breakdowns for the epic archetypes based on Kheldian Form and VEAT spec, so that they're clearer.

Updated to include a glossary, and notes on how support works in City of Heroes.

Phew. Okay, so... out of boredom today, I did this.

The Super Rough Archetype Guide for New Players.

It's quick! It's dirty! It's superfluous! But I've always wanted to do one, so...

Phew... that was one hell of a whim. This is what happens when the servers are down all day.

Hope it helps!

A Parting Note

Archetypes are, as I said before, very similar to Classes. In fact, I have used the terms interchangeably throughout this guide.

However, there is one important note to keep in minds before you create a character.

YOU define who your character is, not your archetype. An Archetype is merely a game construct, not the end all be all of what your character is and should be. You aren't locked into a tiny set of abilities, like a normal MMO class. You have literally hundreds of options as to what powers you can choose. Archetypes simply make it easier to lump those powers into bundles.

City of Heroes is a game that doesn't rely on the Trinity of Damage, Tanking, and Healing. While certain Archetypes lend themselves to specific playstyles, they don't necessarily lock you into a certain role.

No matter which Archetype you pick, the game gives you options designed to help you branch out. They can grant you those abilities you need for your character concept that your Archetype lacks, such as hard hitting punches for a Controller with super strength, or the ability to heal with a touch for a Paladin-Brute.

Going Beyond The Archetype

At various stages throughout the game, you can pick up additional powers to help round out your character. These powers are designed to fill in conceptual holes, as well as to compensate for your character's weaknesses.

Power Pools
Not just for flying anymore.

At Level 4, you unlock access to Power Pools. Most commonly used to unlock travel powers, these pools grant your character additional powers they might not otherwise have access to.

The powers from these pools are broken into tiers. The most basic powers are available at Level 4. At Level 14, you can unlock the Tier 2 and 3 powers from these pools. Tier 2 Powers require you to have a single power from the same pool before they become available. Tier 3 powers require you to have two powers from the same pool.

The Power Pools are:

Concealment: Now you see me. Now you don't. Now you're dead. Funny how that works.
Stealth based powers that grant small amounts of defense. They stack with a Stalker's [Hide] power, but not with the Stealth powers of other Archetypes.

Fighting: Just because I'm not super strong doesn't mean I can't throw a punch!
Fighting grants characters a single target, low damage melee attack, as well as two defensive toggles. For characters like Blasters, this pool is practically a must have.

Flight: Hope you're not afraid of heights!
One of the four travel pools, this power grants your character the ability to fly. The [Hover] power grants you a small defense and immobilization resistance boost, and [Air Superiority] is one of the most popular pool melee attacks for it's guaranteed knockdown. For the most part though, the powers in this pool let you take to the skies! Wouldn't be a Superhero game without it! (Also, our flight is better than Aion. Just saying) Kheldians cannot take this pool

Leadership: I love it when a plan comes together.
The Leadership pool is a set up AOE, Toggled buffs that affect your entire party, including you! Defense, accuracy, and damage boosts can be found here, as well as the [Vengenance] power for those who take joy in watching allies die and would like to squeeze a big fat damage and defense bonus out of each time it happens.

Leaping: ...Why is there a massive crater on the roof?
Leaping is one of the four travel pools. Characters with Super Leap can hop from roof top to roof top with ease, and can gain boosts to defense, immobilization resistance, and knockback protection. In addition, this pool contains two attacks: a single target kick, and an AOE STRONGJUMP. These powers also protect you from falling damage.

Medicine: Trust me, I'm a doctor.
Heals! The Medicine Pool is full of them, for both yourself and your allies. Patch up your buddies! Revive them when they get knocked out! Scan them with a Tricorder! FOR SCIENCE! This pool is great for a back up support character, but many people take the Self Heal as a survival boost.

Presence: You don't need to be huge to fill a room.
The Presence pool focuses mainly on taunts and fear effects. It makes a good aggro control tool, but the only people you really see taking it are Masterminds and Crab Spiders who want a taunt.

Speed: Wanna see me run to that mountain and back? Want to see me do it again?
One of the four travel pools, Speed is also the most varied. Only one power actually grants a movement boost. Two of the others focus on boosting, or completely bypassing recharge rates. The last is a toggled AOE that is good for protecting you in a pinch, but not needed.

Teleporation: What took you so long?
Teleportation is one of the four travel pools, and unlike the other travel pools, that's all it does. Teleporation powers teleport you or someone else around. Recall Friend is perfect for getting people to your position quickly, while Long Distance Teleport lets you get to any zone in a (literal) flash Kheldians cannot select this power pool.

Ancillary Power Pools
At Level 35, heroes and villains unlock a set of four power pools designed to fill in weaknesses in their archetype. Squishy classes like Blasters get armor. Melee focused classes like Brutes get ranged attacks. These are generic, mostly elemental powers, and serve as a great way to round out your build. Kheldians and Soldiers of Arachnos do not get Ancillary Pools.

Patron Power Pools
At Level 35, those willing to go to the dark side may speak to Arbiter Rein in Grandville to pledge their allegiance to one of the four Patrons of Arachnos. Only Villains and Rogues may pledge themselves to a Patron. Once you complete that Patron's arc, you unlock the powers of all four Patrons as Epic Power Pools on that character, regardless of alignment.

The Patron Pools Are:

Mu Mastery: Electrical powers of the ancient Mu Bloodline. Granted by Scriocco, cursed lord of the Desert Wind.
Soul Mastery: Dark powers of the netherworld. Granted by Ghost Widow, Undead Mistress of the Arachnos Widows.
Leviathan Mastery: Aquatic powers of the mysterious Coralax. Granted by Captain Mako, mutated terror of the seas.
Mace Mastery: Gadgets and technology developed by Arachnos. Granted by Black Scorpion, power armored leader of the Crab Spiders.

All Patron Pools may also grant an Arachnos themed pet for archetypes who do not normally gain pets. Kheldians may not gain Patron Powers. Soldiers of Arachnos may.


Incarnate Powers
At Level 50, a player may talk to Mender Ramiel in Ouroboros to begin the path of the Incarnate. Only VIPs may become Incarnates. The Incarnate system has it's own system of progression, based off completing trials and building new powers. Check out Dispari's guide for more detailed info.

To unlock Incarnate Powers, you need to run Incarnate Trials to gain Incarnate XP. Certain trials unlock different powers.

To unlock a Physical Incarnate Power, you need to run a Lambda Sector, Keyes Island, or Underground trial.

To unlock a Psychic Incarnate Power, you need to run a Behavioral Adjustment Facility, Keyes Island, or Underground trial.


The currently available Incarnate Slots are...

Alpha: A Global Enhancement slot. This power boosts the effectiveness all of your other powers much like an enhancement does. This power may grant a level shift, boosting your effective level in relation to enemies by one. This power is unlocked by running Mender Ramiel's arc, though it can also be unlocked through Incarnate Experience. This is the only Incarnate Power that does not require Trial Components to slot.

Judgement: A powerful Area of Effect attack capable of taking out hordes of enemies at once. This power can only be enhanced by other Incarnate abilities. This slot is unlocked by gathering Psychic Incarnate experience from end game trials. You must have your Alpha Slot unlocked to unlock these powers.

Interface: Another Global Enhancement. The Interface power adds a side effect to your damaging powers, such as additional damage over time, or a debuff of some sort. This is called a "proc", and it has an increasing chance of going off the higher tier the interface enhancement is. This power is unlocked with Physical Incarnate Experience. You must have your Alpha Slot unlocked in order to unlock these powers.

Destiny: A massive area of effect buff, including a nearly impenetrable shield, massive heal, status protection, and a full endurance refresh. The effects of these powers degrade slowly over time, but they are incredibly potent. This slot is unlocked with Physical Incarnate Experience, and you must have Interface unlocked before you can begin work on your Destiny Slot. This power can grant a +1 Level Shift during Trials.

Lore: A summonable, controllable pet themed off one of the many NPC Groups from City of Heroes. This slot is unlocked with Psychic Incarnate Experience, and you must have Judgement unlocked in order to begin working on it. This power can grant a +! level shift during trials.

Arachnos Soldier
Come on men, stay in formation! We won't let this hero make a fool of Arachnos!
Primary: Mixed Offense
Secondary: Mixed Defense
Inherent: Conditioning

Arachnos Soldiers, or "Spiders" as they're often referred to, are one of the two Villainous Epic Archetypes. For the downtrodden citizens of the Rogue Isles, joining Arachnos may be their only chance at a better life... assuming they can survive the training, of course.

The term "Arachnos Solider" actually represents three separate character builds.

All Arachnos Soldiers begin as Wolf Spiders, the rank and file of Lord Recluse's army. These soldiers are equipped with basic armor, a powerful assault rifle, and the best training Arachnos has to offer. The Wolf Spider is a primarily ranged Archetype, with good defenses.

At level 24, however, all Arachnos Soldiers undergo a Forced Respec as they are sorted into the various Corps of Arachnos Soldiers. You must reselect all your powers from level one. However, new options are made available to you.

Those who wish to continue the path of the Wolf Spider become Huntsmen; the gun toting elite commandos of Lord Recluse's forces. They retain their single target focus, but can also access several of the Bane Spider's powers by selecting their advanced power pools.

Wolf Spiders with Psychic Potential are inducted into the Bane Spider network. Their psychic potential is forced inward, producing an extremely skilled soldier with psychosomatically enhanced abilities. Bane Spiders have access to a powerful Venom Mace, and a cloaking device. Like Stalkers, they also have the ability to deal double damage from a hidden state, and have access to an Executioner's Strike. They lack the Stalker's ability to force a Critical outside of hide, however.

Particularly fierce Wolf Spiders are sent to Grandville to undergo various super-soldier treatments. In addition to boosting their durability, they are also fitted with a spine mounted weapons system. The results of these procedures are the walking siege engine known as Crab Spiders. Crab Spiders are very similar to Wolf Spiders. However, they have stronger defenses and a powerful AoE focus, as well as several pets.

All Arachnos Soldiers have access to a special version of the Leadership pool via their Secondary. These powers can buff the defense, damage, and accuracy of the entire team, and stack with the Power Pool Version! The Defense Buffs, in particular, are among the most powerful in the game. It is easy to cap the defense of an entire team simply by tossing a few Arachnos Soldiers or Widows into it. After all, a Soldier finds strength in numbers.

Arachnos Soldiers are forced to use their first costume slot for a uniform. This slot has access to unique costume pieces based on the Arachnos NPCs seen throughout the game. They get a second slot at level 10, from a mission given by Brick Johnson in Port Oakes. None of their other slots have access to Arachnos themed costume pieces, however.

Crab Spiders are also victims of a bug. If you ever choose the Crab Spider pool, you will have a Crab Spider Weapons Array attached to your spine. This looks like a large set of Spider Legs, and is generally awesome. However, it doesn't come off. You can't hide it, and it blocks out certain back details. If you respec to one of the other Spider builds, the Legs will remain, so thing carefully before you decide to try out a Crab Spider.

The Arachnos Soldier inherent is Conditioning; a small buff to regeneration and recharge. You'll recover from damage more quickly, and will be able to use more powers without rest. You'll also get bigger numbers from your Fitness inherent, but this isn't that noticeable.

The Soldier Breakdown

• Survivability: 4. Soldiers are among the most durable classes in the game, and Crab Spiders have been seen tanking, at times.
• Melee Damage: 3. Bane Spiders have access to more powerful melee abilities than the other archetypes, which skews the average a bit. Wolf Spiders and Crab Spiders have melee powers as well, but Crab Spiders have a tendency to focus on ranged firepower.
• Ranged Damage: 3. Two of the three "specs" of Soldiers are designed to function at range. Wolf Spiders have their guns, Crab Spiders have their... leg... things, and Bane Spiders have a zappy mace. Banes can also take the gun as well, if you really want to.
• Crowd Control: 1. Spiders have some crowd control in the form of immobilizes, disorients, and other such shenanigans, but it's not their focus.
• Support: 3. The very same powers you take to boost your own abilities have the side effect of buffing your entire team. Spiders are one of the laziest support classes ever; you make teams better by the sheer awesomeness of your presence.
• Pets: 3. Like Controllers and Dominators, Spiders can summon non-controllable pets later in the game. Unlike Controllers and Dominators, these pets are on a recharge that is longer than the amount of time they stay out. As a result, it takes work to get them to a "perma" status. Crabs have more pets than Wolf Spiders and Banes, and it's not uncommon to see a "Crabstermind" later in the game, with a swarm of robot spiders following them around.

Arachnos Widow
How can you expect to defeat me, child, if I know every move you're going to make?
Primary: Mixed Offense
Secondary: Mixed Defense/Support
Inherent: Conditioning

Arachnos Widows are one of the Villainous Epic Archetypes. If Arachnos Soldiers are the rank and file of Lord Recluse's Army, Widows (and Widowers) are the glue that holds it together.

A Widow begins their career as a member of the Blood Widow corps. Blood Widows are Lord Recluse's personal assassins. Equipped with deadly claws and trained in the psychic arts; Blood Widows strive to prove themselves in the eyes of their leader, Ghost Widow.

When a Blood Widow reaches level 24, they receive a promotion and forced respec. Unlike Arachnos Soldiers, however, there are only two paths to choose from, as one is a direct continuation of their earlier powers.

Blood Widows who excel in assassin training are promoted to Night Widows. These operatives specialize in infiltration, stealth, and assassination. Night Widows use the same powers that they used to reach 24. However, they are given improved defenses, and Stalker-like stealth abilities. They lack the ability to perform an Assassin's Strike, but can still deal double damage while hidden.

Widows who prove their worth as psychics become Fortunatas. Fortunatas are powerful mentalists who use their ability to glimpse the future to protect their teammates from harm. They can also melt a Longbow's brain at 80 feet. Most Fortunata powers function as both high damage blasts and powerful controls.

Like Arachnos Soldiers, Widows have access to a special version of the Leadership pool, which allows them to buff their teammates simply by being near them. However, they have two additional advantages over their armored comrades. Widows have access to Mind Link, an AoE Defense buff that adds yet another layer of powerful defense to the entire team. Should a member of the team fall, Widows can inspire their comrades to seek Vengeance, buffing their damage and defense even further.

Arachnos Widows have the same inherent as Arachnos Soldiers: Conditioning. It functions identically to the soldier version, and is really nothing to write home about.

Widow Breakdown

• Survivability: 4. Widows are one of the easiest classes to cap defense on. All Defense. Even the obscure ones, like Psychic.
• Melee Damage: 3. Widows have a stronger melee focus than Spiders, and even Fortunatas have the ability to crit from hide. The inability to land an Assassin's Strike stings, however.
• Ranged Damage: 3. Fortunatas have very powerful ranged abilities, though they aren't quite as blasty as a Corruptor.
• Crowd Control: 2. Fortunatas have controls built into their powers, but tend to be more focused on using them to deal damage. Night Widows don't have any crowd control abilities to speak of.
• Support: 3. Fortunatas in particular are popular as a "lazy" support class, as the only powers that require any work on the player's part are Mind Link and Vengeance.
• Pets: 1. Widows don't get pets outside of Epic Pools or Incarnate Abilities.

Peacebringer
I have traveled lightyears in pursuit of justice. I will not allow you to stand in my way.
Primary: Luminous Blast
Secondary: Luminous Aura
Inherents(!): Cosmic Balance, Energy Flight.

Peacebringers are one of the two Heroic Epic Archetypes. Energy beings from a far off world, pursued by the forces of the Coming Storm. Long ago, the Kheldian People faced a schism, where a group of scientifically oriented Kheldians transformed themselves in order to remove what they saw as the weakness of their species. These newly formed "Nictus" fed upon their former brethren, sparking a war that would spread across the cosmos, and which has recently come to Earth.

Peacebringers are "pure" Kheldians who have merged with a willing host. The union of these two beings grants the newly unified being amazing energy powers, including the ability to shapeshift into different forms.

Peacebringers are Jacks of all Trades. They're locked into two power sets, but have far more choices than any of the normal archetypes. They have an exclusive contact in the form of Sunstorm, and are designed to fill multiple holes in a team.

All Kheldians have three forms, which grant them different powers depending on which one they choose. In Human form, a Peacebringer has access to various blast powers, shields, and melee attacks.

Starting at level 6, they can transform into a flying, squid like form known as a Bright Nova. In this form, their powers are replaced with a set of powerful blasts, and you gain bonuses to accuracy and endurance recovery.

At level 20, Peacebringers can become massive, crustacean like creatures called a White Dwarf. In this form, their resistances receive a massive buff, and they gain access to various Tanker-esque powers.

In essence, a Peacebringer can switch from a Melee/Ranged Hybrid, to a Blaster, to a Tank at a whim. Some choose to remain in a single form, while others dance between them with glee. It's really up to your playstyle.

Peacebringers also have access to multiple inherent abilities!

The first Peacebringer Inherent is Cosmic Balance, which reinforces a Peacebringer's role as a Jack of All Trades. Each time someone joins your team, you gain a specific buff designed to fill in the team's weak points.

If a Tanker, Mastermind, Defender, or Corruptor joins your team, you gain a damage buff.
If a Brute, Scrapper, Blaster, or Stalker joins your team, you gain a resistance buff.
If an Epic Archetype joins your team, you gain a Slow Resistance buff.
And if a Dominator or Controller joins your team, you gain resistance to Mez effects.

Peacebringers can also fly from level one, and get an equivalent of Hover for free. Group Fly and Afterburner equivalents are available as power choices. They are forbidden from choosing powers from the Flight and Teleport pools.

Peacebringers also have an enemy in the form of Void Hunters. The Nictus have armed various villains with guns designed specifically for slaying Kheldians. If you're hit by this attack, you take extra damage and are stunned. Keep an eye out for Quantum enemies!

Peacebringer Breakdown

• Survivability: 2.5 as a Human, 1 as a Nova, 4 as a Dwarf. Peacebringers are tough, with multiple shields, a self heal, and and fairly good resistances. They'd easily qualify as a 3 for survivability, except for one major detail: No Status Protection. A Peacebringer in human form needs outside help to avoid mez effects. This can be avoided, however, by switching to Dwarf Form. In addition to being resistant to mez effects, Dwarf Form grants you a fat stack of resistances, massively boosting your survivability when used properly. Nova form, conversely, reduces your defenses significantly.
• Melee Damage: 3 as a Human, 1 as a Nova, 3 as a Dwarf: Peacebringers get a few nice PUNCH attacks that deal decent damage, and just make you feel powerful. Unfortunately, they also send people flying across the room. This tends to annoy people. While in Nova Form, you completely lose any melee capability, though you can still shoot while in melee. Dwarf Form has melee attacks with a satisfying crunch, but they do less damage than those of a Human Form Peacebringer.
• Ranged Damage: 4 as a Human, 4.5 as a Nova, 0 as a Dwarf: Peacebringers deal pretty good ranged damage, boosted even higher with a team. Nova Form places a pretty significant buff on your damage, allowing you to function as a pseudo-blaster. Dwarf Form, however, locks you out of your ranged powers. Unlike a Scrapper, who can gain ranged abilities through temporary powers or Epic Pools, a Dwarf simply doesn't get ranged powers. Fortunately, the powers of your other forms more than make up for that.
• Crowd Control: 3 as a Human, 2 as a Nova, 3 as a Dwarf. Peacebringers have a somewhat maligned form of crowd control, and that's knockback. When played properly, a Peacebringer can bunch enemies together, knock them away from squishy allies, and generally guide the battle in a certain direction. When played improperly, the battlefield quickly becomes a mess of scattered enemies and confused scrappers. Novas work a lot like Human Peacebringers, though their lower survivability and limited power selection reduces their effectiveness. A Dwarf controls the battlefield in much the same way a tank does, by holding aggro. They lack some of the tricks Tankers and Brutes can pick up to control aggro, however.
• Support: 1.5 as Human, 1 as Nova, 2 as Dwarf. Peacebringers have one ally heal, and group fly. Well, and they're designed to fill in gaps in a team, so that is sort of a support role. Novas lack support powers entirely, and Dwarves are about as supportive as tanks. Not really a support class.
• Pets: 1.5 on Humans, 1 as a Nova, 1 as a Dwarf. Human form Peacebringers get one... sort of kind of a pet, but it's really more of an attack. The other forms don't get any. The only way you're getting pets is from Temporary Powers and Incarnate Abilities.

Warshade
I once turned my back upon my brethren. I won't make that mistake again!
Primary: Umbral Blast
Secondary: Umbral Aura
Inherents: Dark Sustenance, Shadow Step.

Warshades are the other Heroic Epic Archetype. When the Nictus split off from the Kheldian people, some of their ranks had doubts about the tactics of their leaders. A small number of Nictus, disgusted by the evil of their former leaders, joined the Peacebringers in their endless war against the Nictus. These redeemed Nicti are called Warshades, and merge with willing hosts to help protect their new home from their former leaders. However, the temptation of the dark side is never far behind...

Warshades are similar to Peacebringers in many ways. They have access to the Blaster-esque Dark Nova, and the Tanker-Esque Black Dwarf. They also share the Peacebringer's weakness to Quantum attacks.

However, while Peacebringers draw power from their inner light, Warshades drain in from their foes. A Warshade's buffs rely on having enemies to feed off of. They can drain power from their enemies, and turn fallen foes into pets.

The Warshade Inherent is Dark Sustenance. Instead of filling in the holes in the team, a Warshade plays to the team's strength. Tankers and other support classes buff a Warshade's damage resistance. Blasters and other damage dealing classes buff their damage. Epic Archetypes buff slow resistance, and Control classes buff mez resistance, just like a Peacebringer.

Warshades can also Teleport from Level 1. They gain Teleport Friend as an inherent later on, and can choose Teleport Foe and Long Distance Teleport from their Powersets. They are locked out of the Teleportation and Flight pools.

Warshade Breakdown

• Survivability: Survivability: 4 as a Human, 3 as a Nova, 5 as a Dwarf.: Warshades can be a bit squishy early on, but the vampiric nature of their powers grants them an advantage over their shiny counterparts. Two key powers are Stygian Circle and Eclipse. Stygian Circle can almost completely refill a Warshade's health and endurance by draining energy from any nearby defeated foes. Eclipse is the top tier defensive power, and grants a stacking resistance and endurance buff for each nearby foe. If activated in a large group, you can easily hit 85% resistance to all damage, even Toxic and Psionic. This carries over to all forms. Human Form with Eclipse up is hardy, and can refill their bars with a click. Novas are a bit squishier, as they lack any real defensive powers outside of Eclipse, and are vulnerable when it wears off. Dwarves have massive resist bonuses out of the box, and can easy bypass the Scrapper/Stalker resist cap with only SOs. However, they don't get Psionic Resistance without Eclipse.
• Melee Damage: 2.5 as a Human, 1 as a Nova, 3.5 as a Dwarf: Human Form Warshades get two melee range attacks, both at the same level. Not bad, but not really what they're known for. They do decent damage, however. When a Warshade wants to punch something, they get in Dwarf form. Black Dwarves get an ability called Mire, which stacks with the Sunless Mire ability that Human Form Warshades get. This can pump their damage output to fairly respectable levels, especially if you stack the,. It's dependent on available foes, however. Novas still don't have melee attacks.
• Ranged Damage: 4.5 as a Human, 5 as a Nova, 0 as a Dwarf: Again, this is dependent on available foes, but the Sunless Mire ability also works on ranged damage, serving as a massive boost when a clever Warshade stacks them properly. Dwarves lack ranged attacks entirely.
• Crowd Control: 3 for Humans, 2 for Novas, 3 for Dwarves: The main form of crowd control you get are slows, which reduce the speed at which enemies move and attack. It's a fairly simple, fire and forget form of crowd control. In addition, you have access to a few holds and stuns to balance things out. Dwarves can hold aggro like tanks, and Novas take a hit to their score due to limited power selection.
• Support: 3 for Humans, 1 for Novas, 2 for Dwarves: Warshades don't have any ally buffs. What they do have, however, are debuffs out the wazoo. The Wazoo being a unique part of the Kheldian Anatomy. Every Warshade power does something unpleasant to those poor souls who happen to be attacking you. In addition, you get Teleport Friend for free, which teams will love you for.
• Pets: 3 for Humans, 1 for Nova Form, 1 for Dwarf Form: Warshades get pets! Well... a Pet. It's name is Fluffy, and you can pick it up at level 32. The Dark Extraction Power lets you summon a squiggly little minion who will follow you around and melt the faces of your foes. The bad news is that Fluffy requires that you yank him out of a freshly defeated foe, so if you're fighting something that doesn't leave a corpse, like Ghosts or Shivans, you're out of luck. The good news is that you can have multiple pets out at once! Warshades also have access to Incarnate Pets, but not Ancillary Power Pool pets.

Controllers
Going somewhere? I didn't think so.
Primary: Control
Secondary: Support
Inherent: Containment.

Controllers are one of the two Premium Archetypes. If you're a brand new player of City of Heroes, and aren't currently subscribed, chances are you won't have access to this Archetype.

This is a good thing, however, as Controllers are actually one of the more difficult Archetypes to play.

Unlike every other Archetype, a Controller lacks a direct means of offense. Their primary focuses mainly on locking down enemies, and their secondary powers are drawn from the same pools as Defenders and Corruptors. This is because a Controller isn't designed to be an offensive role.

Controllers manipulate the flow of battle, by removing select foes from combat, and using powerful buffs and debuffs. Rather than serving as a frontline combatant, the Controller moves with the battlefield, reacting to changes as they see fit. They might toss a confuse on an enemy attacking one of their allies, or throw out an AoE damage buff to turn the fight in their favor. Controllers make a very powerful support class.

...But, I can still hear you complaining. "But they don't have any damage powers! How am I supposed to solo?!"

Well, dear reader, that's where their Inherent comes in. Controllers excel at harming foes who have been locked down. Whenever a Controller attacks a foe under the effect of a control power, they deal double damage. Early on, this power is indispensable for soloing. Once you gain dedicated attack powers from Epic pools, however, it's absolutely monstrous.

Controllers also gain access to pets, like Dominators. Permanent little minions of destruction that will help boost your DPS, and (usually) benefit from your support powers.

Mind Control does not get a pet, instead it relies on confuse powers to turn foes into disposable allies.

Conversely, Illusion Control has multiple pets, though only one can be affected by your support abilities.

Controllers also have a chance to "crit" with their control powers, allowing them to hold more powerful foes with a single hit. This "Overpower" effect rounds out the Controller's repertoire.

Controller Breakdown

• Survivability: 3. Controllers have an advantage over Dominators in the form of support powers, which make their lives much easier.
• Melee Damage: 1. Controllers don't many have melee powers to speak of.
• Ranged Damage: 2. Controllers get powerful ranged abilities later in the game, and most of their controls tend to be ranged, but they're weaker than Defenders, on average.
• Crowd Control: 5. Controller are extremely powerful, and require less investment than those of a Dominator. However, they lack an equivalent to Perma-Dom.
• Support: 4. A Controller is on par with a Corruptor in terms of support numbers.
• Pets: 4. A Controller has access to the same pets as a Dominator, with the added benefit of powerful buffs and debuffs to make them even more effective.

The Controller Archetype is best suited for characters focused more on locking enemies down than beating them up.

Mastermind
Go forth, my minions!
Primary: Pet Summoning
Secondary: Support
Inherent: Supremacy

Masterminds are the other Premium Archetype, and they're also one of the most difficult to master. The rewards of doing so, however, are astronomical.

A Mastermind is a pet archetype. Not like the Controller and Dominator, where you only have a few pets that you get late in the game.

I mean their whole deal is pets. An entire army of pets.

On their own, Masterminds are the weakest of the archetypes. Their attacks deal low damage, and they have incredibly low hit points. It's when they have Henchmen on their side that they really come into their own.

A Mastermind's damage and defense comes in the form of controllable, upgradable pets called Henchmen. These are your own personal army of minions. They will fight for you, they will tank for you, and they will even take damage for you. (More on that later.)

All you have to do is lead them. To do that, you are given a variety of tools. The first is a support powerset. These are the same as those used by the other support classes, with some differences. First and foremost, a Mastermind is more likely to use their support powers on their pets than on their allies. You can also use more of your powers solo, as you have a nice big group of minions to cast them on. In some cases, your powers might have tweaked ranges, or even completely different effects designed for Mastermind use.

The next tool you have at your disposal is the ability to upgrade pets. As you level, you gain powers that can be used to make your pets better. Stronger, tougher, cooler looking. These unlock new powers for your vicious little darlings to use.

Finally, Masterminds have a powerful Inherent in Supremacy. Whenever a Mastermind is nearby, all of their Henchmen gain a buff to damage and To Hit. Supremacy also has another useful feature: When a Henchmen next to bodyguard mode is in range of a Mastermind who takes damage, that Henchman will absorb some of the damage for you. All of this combined makes for an archetype that's even more self sufficient than a Scrapper, if a bit tough to play.

There is a small subschool of Masterminds who prefer not to take pets, focusing instead on their personal attack powers. These Petless Masterminds are extremely difficult to play, but functional. They rely heavily on Invention Origin Enhancements and other outside buffs to be effective, however.

Mastermind Breakdown

• Survivability: 3.5. Masterminds need to work to keep their pets up, but as long as they can manage that, they're golden. Without pets, you'll go down like a wet paper bag.
• Melee Damage: 1. Masterminds aren't big on hitting things themselves, and only one Mastermind set (Demon Summoning) has dedicated melee abilities.
• Ranged Damage: 2. Masterminds have ranged attacks, but these are vastly inferior to the combined power of their pets.
• Crowd Control: 2. A Mastermind's Pets can function as a psuedo tank, but they lag behind Tankers and Brutes.
• Support: 3. Masterminds have powerful support abilities, but tend to be too embroiled in micromanagement to focus that much on the team as a whole.
• Pets: 5. This is the whole point of the class. If you want pets, roll a Mastermind.

Masterminds are best suited toward characters who find power in numbers. Gang leaders, military commanders, necromancers, demon summoners, mad scientists... Even people who are just particularly charismatic.

Tanker
Was that supposed to hurt?
Primary: Defense
Secondary: Melee Damage

A Tanker, contrary to what you may think, does not transport fuel from location to location.

...Unless they really want to, I guess.

What they can do, however, is take a nuclear missile to the FACE and then laugh it off. Tankers are by far the toughest archetype, even at lower levels. No matter what you throw at them, they Just. Keep. GOING.

However, out of all the melee archetypes, they have the lowest attack power. They don't have the Fury of a Brute, or the Critical Hits of a Scrapper or Stalker, so they give off an impression of being rather slow to take down foes.

What Tankers excel at, however, is tanking. It's in their name, after all.
Tankers have loads of powers designed to get enemy attention, and to keep it on them. Not the least of which is their Inherent, Gauntlet.

Gauntlet is actually built into each Tanker attack. Every time a Tanker throws an attack, he sends out a taunt aura. When enemies are affected by this aura, they turn their attention to the Tanker. This helps the Tanker build "Aggro", or enemy aggression. Tankers also have access to a Damage Resistance debuff in their first two attacks, called Bruising, which allows them to do slightly more damage to that foe.

Tanker Breakdown

• Survivability: 5. Tankers are practically indestructible at higher levels, unless they run into irresistable damage or a damage type they're not equipped to handle.
• Melee Damage: 3. Tankers can do fairly good melee damage, but it's still the lowest of any melee archetype.
• Ranged Damage: 1. Tankers are in the same boat as the other melee archetypes. Range is something they get late in the game.
• Crowd Control: 4. Tankers are designed to hold aggro, after all, and a skilled tanker tends to control the battlefield.
• Support: 2. Tankers don't have many dedicated support powers, but their ability to take damage to the FACE helps teams enough.
• Pets: 1. Tankers aren't a pet AT.

Tankers are best suited for nigh indestructible characters, or those who can shrug off massive amounts of damage.


Dominator
You will bow before me!
Primary: Control
Secondary: Mixed Offense
Inherent: Domination

There is an apt comparison about the two crowd control classes in City of Heroes; "If Controllers use their powers to manipulate the flow of battle, Dominators use their powers to tie the battle to a chair and beat it with a lead pipe until it gives up."

Dominators excel at two things.

1. Locking an enemy down.
2. Pummeling it to death.

They are very good at both of those things. A Dominator's primary powers focus mostly on keeping the enemy from murdering them and feasting on their squishy corpse. Holds, immobilizes, sleeps, confuses, fears, knockdown, endurance drain... if it can keep an enemy from acting, a Dominator can do it.

A Dominator's secondary powers are focused more on the hurting. They gain a mix of Ranged and Melee powers designed to make bad guys (or good guys, or morally ambiguous guys) cry. Bolts of lightning, giant hammers made of stone, swords made of fire... It's an eclectic blend, but a good one.

Every time a Dominator uses a power that targets a foe, a bar on their UI fills up. This is part of their Inherent, Domination. Once this bar reaches 90% or higher, they can enter Domination Mode. In this mode, they instantly regain all endurance, and their holds gain a significant power boost. Holds against minions and lieutenants will last longer, while bosses and even certain elite bosses can be held in a single click.

Dominators are unique in that their Inherent is an actual, clickable power. It has a recharge and appears on the power tray. As a result, many Dominators strive for a legendary "Perma-Dom" build, which allows them to maintain this incredibly powerful buff indefinitely. As a result, Dominators can actually have some of the most powerful controls in the game!

Dominators are the only Basic Archetype with consistent access to pets. Each Dominator Primary with the exception of Mind Control has a permanent pet at level 32. These pets are not controllable, but tend to be fairly well behaved.

Mind Control does not get a pet, instead, it relies upon confusion powers to turn enemies into disposable allies. Keep that in mind when creating a Dominator.

Dominator Breakdown

• Survivability: 2. Dominators are very, very squishy, but make up for it with their powerful controls. You can't die if nothing is attacking.
• Melee Damage: 3. Dominators have fairly powerful melee attacks in their secondary, and are just as comfortable as smashing faces in up close as they are melting them from afar.
• Ranged Damage: 3.5. Dominators typically have some blasts as part of their secondary, and have additional range in many of their primary powers,
• Crowd Control: 5. Dominators, with help from their inherent, can lock down nearly anything with relative ease. They also have the ability to consistently boost their control powers with the legendary Perma-Dom Build.
• Support: 2. Crowd Control functions as a fairly good form of support, and many of their powers have a debuff component. But all in all, they're not really a support Archetype.
• Pets: 3. OMG FINALLY. Dominators do get pets. Good pets. Pets that will run around and kill things for you. You lack direct control of them, and you get them fairly late in the game, but you do get them before any other Basic Archetype.

The Dominator Archetype is best suited for characters whose powers can hinder a foe while still doing powerful damage.

Scrapper
Ten against one? Those are my kind of odds!
Primary: Melee Damage
Secondary: Defense
Inherent: Critical Hit

Scrappers are one of the most popular archetype in City of Heroes. In fact, according to this sexy infographic, they're also the most popular level 50 archetype. This is for a very good reason.

You know how in a kung fu movie, the hero will saunter into a room full of bad guys, and proceed to wipe the floor with them while barely breaking a sweat? That's what a Scrapper does. They hit things. Hard.

Really hard.

Really Really Really Hard

Thematically, they tend to focus more on finesse than their Brutish counterparts, but that doesn't mean they can't regularly out damage them.

Scrappers are the masters of melee. They rip through spawns like a... thing that rips through spawns.

And as for survivability? They definitely aren't slacking in that department. A Scrapper is a tough fellow, though they're less durable than Tankers and Brutes.

Scrappers are an excellent solo class. When someone plays a scrapper, they tend to enter an almost zen like state where they leap from enemy to enemy, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. While this is fine solo, this "Scrapperlock" doesn't really help your teammates. Still, if you're looking for a self sufficient archetype, a Scrapper is one of your best choices.

The Scrapper Inherent is Critical Hit. Anyone who has played any RPG ever is probably familiar with the concept. Every so often, one of your attacks will "Crit" for double damage. That's all there is to it, really. Some attacks have a higher crit chance than others, but that depends on the individual power.

Scrapper Breakdown

• Survivability: 3.5. Scrappers are scrappy; a fact which surprises no one. Don't expect to tank, however.
• Melee Damage: 5. Scrappers have high damage from the get go, and lack the setup phases required of Brutes and Stalkers. As a result, they deal consistently high damage.
• Ranged Damage: 1. Scrappers can get a few ranged attacks, but hit and run tactics really hurt them.
• Crowd Control: 2. Scrappers have a single target taunt, and might have some soft controls built into their attacks, but they aren't designed for holding aggro.
• Support: 1. Some Scrappers have been known to forget their team is even there. They're a very self-focused archetype.
• Pets: 1. Like many other classes, the Scrapper doesn't get many pets.

The Scrapper archetype is best suited for characters skilled in hand to hand combat, who aren't quite as focused on durability. Did I mention they're good at soloing?

Stalker
By the time you see me, it's already too late...
Primary: Melee Damage
Secondary: Defense
Inherent: Assassination, Assassin's Focus

I am vengeance. I am the night. I am... A STALKER!

Stalkers are stealthy assassins. Agile Ninjas. Cyborgs with cloaking devices. Nocturnal Flying Mammal Themed Men. That sort of thing.

They play a lot like Scrappers, in that they're focused heavily on melee damage. However, they are an Archetype defined by their Inherents, which actually shapes their powers in a few ways.

All level one Stalkers start play with a power called [Hide]. This is the first power in their secondary pool, and one that is vital to their career as a Stalker. This power grants them incredible stealth. So much stealth, in fact, that you can walk up to most enemies and dance in their faces without them so much as blinking. This hide power is important, as your inherent ability, Assassination, grants you the ability to land a guaranteed critical hit from a hidden state.

That's right. If you attack while hidden, you will land a crit. 100% chance. No question about it. Outside of hide, when playing PVE content, your chance to crit is roughly on par with a Scrapper.

Stalkers also have access to a special power called an [Assassin's Strike]. This is the power that makes a Stalker, and it operates differently depending on whether or not you're hidden. If you're hidden, Assassin's Strike becomes a close-range snipe attack. Your invisibility allows you to aim for an enemy's soft and squishy bits before doing horrible, violent, T-rated things to them. An Assassin's Strike from stealth is one of the single most damaging attacks in the game. It will kill pretty much anything weaker than a Boss in one hit, unless that enemy is several levels higher than you. It also has the side effect of Terrorizing any enemies in range, forcing them to cower in terror because you just emerged from the shadows to ki- er... Arrest, someone.
However, using Assassin's Strike from hide has it's costs. It takes some time to activate, and if you move, are targeted by certain friendly abilities, or are discovered, the animation for the attack resets.

Outside of hide, Assassin's Strike functions a bit differently. It's still one of your most powerful attacks, capable of inflicting large amounts of damage. It's a much faster attack, and it can't be interrupted like it can from Hide. However, it lacks the terrorize component, and it's damage isn't anywhere as near as powerful as what you can get from hide. To make up for this, Stalkers get a second inherent called [Assassin's Focus]. Every time a Stalker makes an attack that isn't an Assassin's Strike, they have a chance to gain a stack of focus. These stacks last for 10 seconds, and increase the critical chance of Assassin's Strike by 33.3% for each stack. Powers on longer timers are more likely to grant a stack, and the maximum number of stacks you can have at any given time is three. A critical Assassin's Strike isn't quite as powerful as one from Hide, but the massive amount of damage you can do is still quite impressive.

Stalkers also have access to a [Placate] power. This power not only makes an enemy stop hitting you, it also makes you invisible again, giving you a chance for a free crit.

The downside to this, of course, is that you're less durable than melee archetypes. This has gotten much better lately, with buffs to the Stalker's Hit Points, and the modern Stalker is more resilient than ever. However, you lack the tools to manage aggro. In fact, having aggro is the exact opposite of where you want to be. Stalkers do their best work from the shadows, after all. In addition, the game has a few issues related to Stealth. Your invisibility applies to friendly NPCs, and ambushes can see through your stealth like it wasn't even there.

Stalkers, therefore, play a lot like Scrappers. If you're playing a Stalker, don't get caught up with landing an Assassin's Strike from hide all the time. It's an extremely powerful tool if you have the chance to use it, but it shouldn't be your only tool. It's most effective use while on a team is to remove certain "problem" enemies like Malta Sappers or Mu Mystics from play before the fight begins. When you aren't taking out threats to your team, use your normal melee attacks to build up Focus before letting loose with an Unstealthed Assassin's Strike to put the hurt on an enemy. You have a 100% chance at landing a crit while hidden, so use powers that restore Hidden status to your advantage. Placate can be used as a one-two punch to land a guaranteed critical with some of your more powerful attacks.

Finally, if there's a mission or group of enemies you just don't want to deal with, there's a strong chance that you can just ignore them! It's great for speeding through Radio Missions.

Stalker Breakdown

• Survivability: 3.5. You've got armor powers and stealth, so you're better off than a lot of other Archetypes. You're no tank, however. Your ability to completely avoid problem encounters certainly helps while soloing, though.
• Melee Damage: 5. Stalkers are on par with scrappers in terms of melee damage, with a properly executed Assassin's Strike being one of the deadliest single target attacks in the game.
• Ranged Damage: 1. Stalkers and range aren't the best of friends.
• Crowd Control: 1. Stalkers cannot hold aggro at all. The terrorize effect from an Assassin's Strike is powerful, but it's fairly difficult to set up. Placate, on the other hand, actually forces aggro upon someone else!
• Support: 1.5. Stalkers thrive in solo play. However, their ability to stealth missions makes them a valuable asset for certain content. They're also great for removing certain enemies from the playing field almost immediately, but only in niche cases.
• Pets: 1. Stalkers are actually hindered by pets in some cases, as a highly visible robot following you around is counter-intuitive to the idea of Stealthy Assassin. Still, they have use in team content. Pick them up from an Epic Pool or Incarnate content.

The Stalker Archetype is recommended for stealthy characters, like ninjas, or infiltration specialists.

Defender
Let's see how we can turn this fight in our favor...
Primary: Support
Secondary: Ranged Damage
Inherent: Vigilance

Defenders are City of Heroes's support archetype. But, as any Defender worth their salt is quick to tell you: THEY ARE NOT HEALERS.

A common mistake for a new defender is to choose a heal heavy set (like empathy), and just take the powers that restore HP.

...And nothing else.

Eventually they might take the Medicine Pool as well, and then... Well, there's a lot of pointing and laughing and ineffectual teaming and then someone starts crying and it's all very sad.

So let's set the record straight right now!

A Defender can heal. In fact, if you enjoy healing, then I would heartily recommend the Defender Archetype to you.

However, they don't just heal. A Defenders powers are focused on boosting a team's performance.

Healing is useful, but it's not always needed. Why is that? Let's ask the magic rectangle of knowledge!