APEX Task Force
Revised and Updated
Apex is one of the TWO new task forces in I 19 and it is great fun, has an epic feeling, and also contains a few nasty surprises. It is however easy if you follow some simple guidelines for success.
BADGES: There are several badges that can be earned inside this task force, getting them all through successful runs will grant the master of Apex task force.
Burden Bearer: For NOT using any drones during the police station battle.
Drone Protector: For NOT letting any drones die during the police station battle. This counts if they are activated or not. As long as one does not die.
Already Dead: For killing Battle Maiden in 15 minutes or less.
Warrior Princess or Weapon Master: For completing the Task Force on either a female or male character.
Master of Apex Task Force: For earning all 4 of the badges listed above in one or more runs.
TEAM MAKE UP
Unlike some Task Forces Apex is doable with almost any team composition provided they are alpha slotted and have a basic sense of how to play. IT is nice to have a diverse group though and debuffs do come in handy. It is also essential to have the Alpha Slot unlocked and slotted.
The strongest team I had led into Apex was an all Blaster, Dom, Defender, and Controller with a couple of VEAT (Crabs), we completed the TF in 26 minutes purely because we had two DOM’s with above average builds and skills. With that said an all melee team has completed this TF during test, and I took a team of mostly melee in last night with success though it took and 1:12 minutes.
Based on input from Huron I am going to recommend a DOUBLE taunt system as I have tested this on several runs with great success.
I would recommend the following for a good solid run:
Ranged damage x 2
Crowd Control/debuff with Single target and good AoE hold/immob x 2
Tauter x 2
Assorted damage x 2
This can be done with any mix of AT but the more range the better for most teams. Melee is great but takes more effort.
PREMISSION PREP
Yes if you want you can get shivans, heavies, nukes, Amy, and whatever. If you are light on debuffs the envenomed dagger temp is nice. YOU DO NOT NEED ANY of this for success.
Make sure ALL players are on the same page regarding the status of the police drones for earning the badge(s). We have had TWO failed master runs because someone rezzed a drone even though we had repeatedly said NOT TO. Some people don’t read chat, others don’t understand sometimes and some folks are just to excited to be doing something new to pay any attention to anything besides killing stuff.
MISSION ONE: Kings Row
This mission is in three parts:
Part 1: Clocks in the Street
You enter onto a rooftop, there are EIGHT glowie boxes. These contain a temp power to resuscitate police drones. If you are going to use the drones EVERYONE needs a power as they are slow to recharge. If you are NOT going to use the drones you don’t need the power.
This is pretty simple three groups of level 54 Praetorian Clockworks. Kill them to unlock the next part of the mission. If you have not fought these before they do have some nasty debuffs and DoT attacks, oh and did I mention they are level 54.
Part II: Into the Sewers!
You are instructed to defeat three Rikti pylons in the sewers. They are protected by level 54 Rikti, Hydra and tentacles. Stay mission focused here DESTROY THE PYLONS, ignoring the Hydra as best you can because when the pylon POPS the hydra all die.
We have found that engaging the pylons from range is the best bet as you will find toxic hydra spit at level 54 to be a real bummer. (It is fun to watch the tanks and brutes charge in and die in seconds, fortunately they only do it once and they learn to stand close to blasters and taunt any Rikti off of them.)
Kill all three pylons which are conveniently placed in separate sections of the sewers and you’re on your way to part III.
Part III: So where the hell is Blue Steel?
CoH’s most uber hero is taking a coffee break so it is up to us to save the Police Station.
A group of PPD Kheldians is vainly trying to stop the Clocks. Help them…or not. Here is the decision point for a badge. If you want to use them resuscitate one or more of the drones on the courtyard. If you want the BURDEN BEARER badge then leave them alone. The point will be to NOT have any of them die during the upcoming epic battle. You can earn two badges at once if you don’t wake up any drones and you don’t let any die. The drones do one shot clockwork so they can be useful. They don’t affect the warwalkers at all.
Whoa…did you say WARWALKERS. Yes I did. Err wait LEVEL 54 WARWALKERS?
Yep that’s right along with clockwork infantry in support. All you need to do is fight off a few waves of these critters and this mission is in the history books. It is not as hard as it sounds. HOLDS are your friend, debuffs too, and TORNADO knocks these things off their feet. The goal is to kite, taunt, KB, whatever, the critters away from the drones so that a stray orbital bombardment does not kill one. WE try to keep all players and enemies DOWN on street level to avoid any collateral damage to drones.
Once this mission ends you’re halfway done with the task force and feeling pretty damn good about yourself!! Hit the RWZ combat medic and BUY as many greens as you can fit in your tray, nothing else really are as useful as greens for the next mission.
MISSION TWO: Blyde Square in Chaos!
Battle Maiden and her troops are wreaking havoc in Blyde Square, Positron is still grabbing a donut in Faultline with Fusionette (don’t tell Jim) so once again we must jump in and save the day!
This mission has 2 parts, the rooftop and the battlefield. Three parts if you consider running back from the hospital a part.
Warning there are two kinds of players who run this task force…those who die during Battle Maiden fight, and those who haven’t died yet during the Battle Maiden fight. Yeah I’m sure somebody has made it through without dieing, or will but that’s not the point. The point here is that you’re probably gonna die at least until you figure out the system, and then you will still die just not as much.
PREMISSION PREP: If you have ground effect powers that are shaded blue, or in other ways obscure the ground you may want to change the color to something that will allow you and your teammates to see the auras that will be in effect.
Part I: Up on the roof.
Look at the side of the helicopter as you exit, yes those are swords, lots of swords…in fact the same kind of swords that are about to attack you! Two waves of level 54 flying swords just to get your blood pumping, and then it’s down the stairs to save the world!
Part II: Hey wow look at the pretty blue…WTF I’m dead!
Battle Maiden and her Champions are wiping up all that remains of a few throw-a-way heroes who had been trying to start a Posi part I. Drop her champions and then pound her, both at once if your team can multi-task. Keep an eye out for stray flying swords and blue death auras, they do nasty nanite damage with DoT and are auto hit and irresistible and untyped. They hurt and will kill most folks in seconds though fast people can sometimes fire off enough greens to survive for a second while running away.
There will be warning auras that form around your feet these are a light blue and are basically telling you to MOVE NOW. Once they form you have about eight seconds to clear datum (change location in MILSPEAK) or you will get pounded by the death aura. The death auras also have a – fly and do spawn in the air so being on the ground is probably safer but some folks fly. The ground is strewn with debris so watch out for getting stuck on terrain. I have fond NINJA RUN or COMBAT JUMP to be about the best tool.
Once you have beaten Battle Maiden to 50% she will retreat to have a beer and chat with Cole. She will send THREE waves of her Champions after you. KILL THEM FAST, ignore the swords just kill the champions. The faster you kill them the faster she comes back. If you can kill her in 15 minutes or less you get another badge (Already Dead) and that is needed for a Master of Apex badge. The waves in between her two sessions do not count against your time as far as I can tell. (based on reports from other teams too.)
Once she comes back CONCENTRATE ON HER, shoot and scoot watch the auras and ignore the adds, you can lock them down or kill all but one or two, if you kill them all they just respawn. Debuff her if you can and POUR ON THE DPS. Every shot at a sword or champion is less DPS on her and folks, DPS is the game winner here damage is king.
USING THE DOUBLE TAUNT METHOD
Two Tanks/Brutes/Scrappers with taunt, NOT just taunt aura.
One is the main and TAUNTS Battle maiden and is constantly backing up away from her to keep her moving out of the blue and shooting at him/her. The second is the Garbage Collector and taunts/kills the stray champions and swords keeping them off the shooters/debuffers.
Two tanks work, a tank on Battle Maiden and a brute collecting garbage is awesome.
SOME key things to make your life easier:
1. Do NOT think this is a tank and spank encounter. If you stand still and mash buttons as fast as you can you will die and you will fail.
2. If you have a tank, they should be constantly trying to taunt her out of the blue death so other melee can get in some good licks.
3. Don’t queue up attacks like usual. Fire…check for warning aura…fire…MOVE…fire rinse repeat. You can get caught in a long animation and killed so it is easier to not string long chains of attacks, Again this is not a CoH button fest AV. You can also joust her with attacks.
4. KEEP moving and KEEP aware of your surroundings. Situational Awareness is the key to this as is the ability to move. It is not TWITCH as some people have claimed, as you actually have a long time to move away before the death aura strikes…trust me eight seconds in combat is a lifetime. It takes practice.
5. DON’T try to use wakies in here chances are good you will be pounded before you can recover. Just go to the hospital it is close and there is a combat medic to restock inspirations.
6. DO NOT linger in one place longer then 5-10 seconds or you will attract a warning aura. PLEASE stay away from the doorway so that an aura won’t spawn in the doorway cause insta-death to someone coming back from the hospital.
7. You can look down from the roof and check the door (if you have a nice video set up and uber computer) or you can just yell… “DOOR?” and folks will tell you clear or not.
I know that some folks will have bad lag, or crappy computers, or be color blind or have a disability or for whatever reason have trouble with this mission. I’m sure you can find teams that will help you complete this. If not find me on Victory and I’ll be glad to help.
Well that’s it for my first attempt at a guide hope you find it useful and if you have something to add feel free to do so.
Many thanks to the heroes on Victory who came on our first couple of runs, and many thanks to the fine closed beta folks who helped perfect the tactics used in this guide!
PEACE…through superior firepower!
If you’re on Victory and need help hit me up on global @Kidon
Failed a run this evening, even though someone referred to (and quoted portions of) this fine guide. We just had too much melee and not enough ranged, and couldn't bring enough DPS to bear on Battle Maiden. (Some more debuffing of her sick regen would have been nice too.)
