Mr. Malice's Malicious Mechanon Mastermind Manual

(Robotics/FF Guide)

OOC Note: This manual is written with a bit of character. The true author is not nearly so arrogant, self-serving, vindictive, cruel, ruthless, cunning, malevolent, evil or cool. Though he is still relatively cool.

==Mr. Malice's Welcome Message==
You are scum. You call yourself a mastermind, yet here you are, reading my notes in my shadow. You have not discovered for yourself how to control your minions and so you seek the knowledge of the Sovereign Scion of Molrovia. Ah well, I suppose at times one must consult one's superiors in areas where they lack depth of knowledge. I cannot imagine one more superior than I to expand your mind in the area of mechanon supremacy. And so, I will allow you to feed on the crumbs of my knowledge, and make no mistake, these are the mere crumbs. As many of my fallen foes have learned, I have forgotten more about tactics and strategy than most men will ever know.

==Knowing the Path - Walking the Path==
Other so-called villains will doubtless issue advice on how to use your minions when you come into contact with them. The best thing you can do in any situation is ignore their advice, especially where it conflicts with mine. You will be told to "send in the bots." This phrase makes my skin crawl in my armor. First, you do not command "bots." Bots are those insipid mechanical rodents fought in ill-conceived reality shows like "Robot Wars." Or they are programs that email ridiculous messages by the thousands promising you realty deals, cheap pharmaceuticals, or a larger... return on your investment. You command a legion of mechanons. You may call them mechs for short or robots if you have to. This is your first step to understanding your role as a mastermind. Any idiot can command a "bot." Orchestrating a successful assault using the most technologically advanced mechanons the world has ever seen requires a will of steel, a fist of iron, and a mind lacking that which most possess: compassion. Anyone recommending you "send in the bots" does not know your mechs are ranged attackers first and melee as a last resort.

The second thing you will hear from the dolts you will be forced to work with is this: "keep us bubbled." They will not understand the value of remaining within your dispersion fubble and will run through the mission like coked up gazelles. They do not understand you do not "bubble." You provide force fields to those whom you feel are most valuable to your continued survival. Since your robots are all that you can count on, these are the things that receive protection first. Then, in order, it is the Brute, the Dominator, and the Stalker. Why? The Brute is simply another mech of yours. The Brute cannot avoid attacks. He is exposed to all attacks by virtue of his melee skill. He will need your protection the most. Keep him protected and his loyalty is yours. Dominators and Corruptors will make several enemies angry at once. The reason the Dominator receives precedence is, like the Brute, the Dominator has the ability to hold enemies at range, which is beneficial for you and your mechs. The Stalker will generate hate amongst the enemies. He requires your fields to survive their initial salvo is he mistimes his assassin's strike. Protecting him is optional for you. Corruptors and other Masterminds? Well, if you're feeling kind and like the additional challenge, by all means shield them. However, Corruptors and Masterminds that do not manage their aggro well will draw enemies into your mechs. This forces them into their weaker form of combat, melee. It is much better for you to watch a Corruptor launch an ill-advised attack and be struck down by the responding strikes. This leaves the enemy at range since the fool is on the floor instead of a standing target for them to run to. Same with other Masterminds. If they cannot keep the enemy at range, they deserve to die.

This leads to my final introductory point: Ruthlessness. You are a Mastermind. Use the environment to your advantage, choose your battles, control every situation. If you fail to do this, you are doomed from the start. Your primary goals are twofold: survive and conquer. These goals are acheived in that order. If you fail to survive, you fail to conquer. You can never fail to conquer if you survive, you have merely delayed the conquest.

To sum up: You are a ruthless master of force field encased mechanons. Know it. Be it.

==Power: It's What We Wield==
The robotics/force field mastermind is a potent force, indeed. Early on the mechs will seem almost invincible. Then it will appear that you require more damage output until you reach your ultimate mech. Corruptors and Brutes will use flashy, high damage attacks that make you envious. Then, upon reaching threat level 32, you will realize your own superiority. Fear not, though you may doubt your choice in the beginning, time will prove you the greater. This is the maxim of the mastermind: Time Will Prove You The Greater.

===Robotics, On With the Show===
You may be wondering, with your single pathetic robot, when you will become the unstoppable juggernaut like Mr. Malice. Here is your answer: NEVER! But you will have as many robots as I, one day.

Mechanon
* Threat Level 1 : 1 Battle Drone
* Threat Level 6 : 2 Battle Drones(1)
* Threat Level 12 : 1 Protector Bot, 2 Combat Drones(1)
* Threat Level 18 : 1 Protector Bot, 3 Combat Drones(2)
* Threat Level 24 : 2 Protector Bots(1), 3 Combat Drones(2)
* Threat Level 26 : 1 Assault Bot, 2 Protector Bots(1), 3 Combat Drones(2)

(1) -1 to your level
(2) -2 to your level

The descriptions have been provided by Red_Zero. I provide commentary on each power as I have learned to use them:

Level 1: Pulse Rifle Blast
This Pulse Rifle can fire a long range blast of energy. Deals moderate Energy damage.
*Damage: Moderate
*Recharge: Fast

Malice Musings - I did not like using a rifle. Perhaps if I could have built the blasts into my gauntlets or something. However, pulling the rifle out is annoying and unbecoming a true Mastermind. In my opinion, a Mastermind should never resort to doing anything but humiliating an enemy. Engaging in the actual battle diminishes your impending victory. In addition, the rifle drains too much endurance for the pathetic damage it produces. I have no advice on slotting for this power because I rid myself of it at my earliest opportunity.

Level 1: Battle Drones
Construct one to three Battle Drones (depending on your level) to do your bidding. Drones start out with only basic weaponry, but can be upgraded with heavier energy weapons. Drones can Super Leap. You may only have 3 Drones under your control at any given time. If you attempt to construct more Drones, you can only replace the ones you have lost in battle. If you already have three, the power will fail.
*Recharge: Very Long

Battle Drones
*Auto Res Sleep, Fear, Disorient, Lethal (28), Cold (28), Psionic (42)
*Initial Abilities: Super Leap, Laser Burst, Smash
*Equip Robot: Heavy Laser Burst
*Upgrade Robot: Full Auto Laser

Malice Musings - This is your true weapon. This should be the first power you take. Provide them with 6 slots as soon as you are able. Give them three damage and three accuracy. They will need the accuracy due to the weakened threat level they are summoned at.

Level 2: Pulse Rifle Burst
This high powered burst from your Pulse Rifle takes more energy to fire, but causes much more damage than a standard blast and has a very good chance to send your foes flying.
*Damage: Moderate
*Recharge: Fast

Malice Musings - Same as the Pulse Rifle Blast, too much endurance for the damage. It throws enemies back with decent regularity but this is accomplished, with less aggro, by using the Force Bolt.

Level 6: Equip Robot
Equip your Robots with the latest gear and weaponry. This power permanently bestow new powers and abilities to your Robot Henchman. The powers gained are unique and dependant upon the target Robot Henchman that is Equipped. This power only works on your Robot Henchman and you can only Equip any given Robot Henchman once.
*Recharge: Slow

Malice Musings - Buy it. Slot it. Never go into battle without using it. Slot for recharge, perhaps endurance reduction if you have the slots.

Level 8: Photon Grenade
Launches an Energy Grenade at long range from your Pulse Rifle. The energy from this explosion can Disorient some targets in the affected area.
*Damage: Moderate
*Recharge: Slow

Malice Musings - This is not truly a Photon Grenade and it almost never disorients. What it DOES do is signal to all enemies in the area that you require their attention. They will charge at you, sometimes ignoring your mechs are they shoot them, and attempt to kill only you. I renamed this power "Taunt Bomb" and it was the final nail in the coffin of the Assault Rifle. Too much endurance, little mezzing effectiveness, excellent taunt capabilities, and pathetic damage. Avoid.

Level 12: Protector Bots
You can summon one to two powerful Protector Bots (depending on your level). Protector Bots can defend your army by placing Force Fields on you and your allies. They can even be equipped to repair your other Robot Henchmen. Make no mistake though, the best defense is a good offence, and Protector Bots are well equipped with energy weapons. You may only have 2 Protector Bots under your control at any given time. If you attempt to summon more Protector Bots, you can only replace the ones you have lost in battle. If you already have two, the power will fizzle.
*Recharge: Very Long

Protector Bots
*Auto Res Sleep, Fear, Disorient, Lethal (28), Cold (28), Psionic (42)
*Initial Abilities: Laser Burst, Force Shield
*Equip Robot: Heavy Laser Burst, Repair
*Upgrade Robot: Photon Grenade, Seeker Drones

Malice Musings - These will not only shield you, but your other drones. Slot for accuracy if you must. Their damage isn't very impressive. I will slot them for additional damage in the future but at my current threat level of 32 it's unnecessary

Level 18: Repair
Repairs one Robot Henchmen for full health and restores some of its Endurance. This power only works on your Robot Henchmen.
*Recharge: Slow

Malice Musings - I had this power and rid myself of it. The Medicine Pool Power: Aid Other refreshes quicker and, slotted with three heal upgrades, provides substantial benefit. I may get this power once more at a later date, but I have found the Medical Pool Power to be a better choice. It works on mechs and your team mates. Repair works on your mechs only.

Level 26: Assault Bot
Builds one massive Assault Bot. Simply put, the Assault Bot is a killing machine. There is nothing subtle about its weaponry. You may only have 1 Assault Bot under your control at any given time. If you attempt to summon another Assault Bot, the power will fizzle.
*Recharge: Very Long

Assault Bot
*Auto Res Sleep, Fear, Disorient, Lethal (42), Cold (42), Psionic (42)
*Initial Abilities: Plasma Blast, Smash
*Equip Robot: Dual Plasma Blast, Flamethrower
*Upgrade Robot: Swarm Missiles, Incendiary Swarm Missiles

Malice Musings - Welcome to the big leagues. Always shield this mech. Name him something scary. Slot him to six with three damage and three accuracy. You may want to be different and slot with four damage and two accuracy. This is permissible. I will not mock you.

Level 32: Upgrade Robot
Upgrade Robot will permanently bestow the most powerful and high-tech gear and weaponry to your Robot Henchman. The Upgraded Robot will gain new abilities, powers and weapons. The powers gained are unique and dependant upon the target Robot Henchman that is Upgraded. This power only works on your Robot Henchman and you can only Empower any given Robot Henchman once.
*Recharge: Very Slow

Malice Musings - You have graduated from the big leagues into the Hall of Fame. This is the power that will make everyone you team with from that point on jealous. You will be producing damage, knockback, full auto effects, traps, and things that will make you and others go "ooh." I suggest you only use your internal "ooh" however. You should never appear surprised by something you are able to do. Slot for recharge.

===Force Field Fantastique===
Again, the basic information is from Red_Zero:

Level 1: Force Bolt
Discharges a bolt of force that knocks down foes and deals some Smashing Damage.
*Damage: Minor
*Recharge: Fast

Malice Musings - This power is understated in its usefulness. Against your standard foes, it is incredibly effective. You will want it for anything with a flamethrower and bosses and above. Read the tactical section for more information. Versus other heroes in places like Siren's Call, it is your best friend. It keep heroes at bay, knocks them down when they're flying, and can blow the shields off a tanker. Very little endurance cost, good range, quick recharge. Slot it for accuracy and possibly range increase.

Level 2: Deflection Shield
Dramatically protects an ally from Smashing, Lethal and Melee attacks for a limited time. Also reduces Toxic damage. You cannot stack multiple Deflection Shields on the same target; however, the shield can be improved by another ally using the same power. Can also be used in conjunction with your Insulation Shield. You cannot use this power on yourself.
*Recharge: Very Fast

Malice Musings - Slot when you have the chance. This is a must have power.

Level 4: Insulation Shield
Dramatically protects an ally from Fire, Cold, Energy, Negative Energy and Ranged attacks for a limited time. The Insulation also protects the target from Endurance Draining effects. You cannot stack multiple Insulation Shields on the same target; however, the shield can be improved by another ally using the same power. Can also be used in conjunction with your Deflection Shield. You cannot use this power on yourself.
*Recharge: Very Fast

Malice Musings - Same as Deflection Shield.

Level 10: Detention Field
Encases a targeted foe in a Detention Force Field. The captured target cannot be harmed, is Immobilized, and cannot attack or aid his allies. The target can, however, use powers on himself.
*Recharge: Slow

Malice Musings - I found this to be of little use when I solo or when I'm teamed. If you're teamed you will, inevitably, hear someone ask "when did these guys get invulnerability shields." Since Masterminds dislike physical contact and this comment requires the fool be smacked across the face, a paradox is created that could destroy the universe, avoid. The reason for taking this power is to lock down a single powerful foe. However, a foe powerful enough to stand against me for any length of time is not affected by it, therefore, I dropped this power as well.

Level 16: Personal Force Field
The Personal Force Field is almost impenetrable to all attacks, even Psionics, although attacks from more powerful foes may get through more easily. Personal Force Field will also reduce the damage of any attacks that do get through. The Personal Force Field works both ways; while it is active, you can only use powers that affect yourself. This includes your inherent power, Supremacy, will no longer buff your Henchmen. Cannot be used with Rest.
*Recharge: Slow

Malice Musings - This is your most potent force field. It will protect you when your mechs fail. It will frustrate your foes in Bloody Bay, Siren's Call, and, to a certain extent, Warburg. Slot it for defense buff and endurance reduction. It makes you nearly indestructible. Be on the lookout for those who attack you and eat several "yellow pills" however. See the tactics section for when to use this power and when not to.

Level 20: Dispersion Bubble
Creates a large bubble which protects all allies inside. While active, the Dispersion Bubble gives all allies within increased Defense against all attacks including Psionic and Area of Effect attacks. The Dispersion Bubble also protects allies from Immobilization, Disorient, and Hold effects.
*Recharge: Slow

Malice Musings - This is a must have power. Slot it fully with defense buffs and endurance reduction.

Level 28: Repulsion Field
This Toggle power creates a field that violently repels nearby foes. Each foe that is repelled costs you additional Endurance.
*Recharge: Slow

Malice Musings - The jury is still out on this power. It keeps foes at arms length but it generates aggro. I believe it will drop toggles in PvP but cannot tell definitively. I will continue testing but this power's uses appear limited.

Level 35: Repulsion Bomb
Projects an expanding Force Bubble around an ally that knocks down and Disorients nearby foes. This power cannot be used on yourself.
*Recharge: Slow

Malice Musings - I have no feelings on this power and have never witnessed it in use.

Level 38: Force Bubble
Creates a large bubble which protects all allies inside. While active, this power keeps all foes at bay, protecting all allies inside from melee or short ranged attacks. More powerful foes may be able to penetrate the Force Bubble, but may slip and get knocked down and forced back if they try.
*Recharge: Slow

Malice Musings - I have no feelings on this power at this time. I will test this the same as I will test Repulsion Bomb. My instinct tells me this power is a good one, but only time will tell.

===Leadership: Your Tertiary Necessity===
Maneuvers: With your force fields, the additional protection added by Maneuvers is trivial, little more than 2% base. It is not stupid to use, but the effect is negligible for the endurance cost. You may choose this power without being derided.

Assault: This is a must have due to the lower standing of your three lowest robots. It will increase their damage.

Tactics: This is a must have as well, especially if you plan to venture into the contested zones or fight Longbow SpecOps. Tactics provides increased accuracy and perception. Slot both Assault and Tactics with endurance reduction and enhancers to their primary effects. With base numbers, your mechs should be getting about 8% more accuracy and 11% more damage. Tactics also increases your robots' resistence to placate and taunt.

Vengeance: There's no reason for this. If your teammates are dying, you should be leaving.

===Hippocratic Hypocrisy?===
The Medicine Pool you say? But Mr. Malice, I'm an evil genius, why would I want to heal anything? Read below, dolt, and become slightly more enlightened than you are.

Aid Other: I have found this to be superior to Repair. It is available more often and heals a respectable amount for my mechs. Between myself and my protector models, I am never for lack of healing. Slot for additional heals and, possibly, recharge.

Stimulant: Between Supremacy, your inherent power I will talk about momentarily, and your Dispersion Bubble, you shouldn't need this power. It is a good backup, however, against heroes in the contested zones.

Aid Self: With this power and Personal Force Field you have become invincible, and not in the Invulnerability set sense, you are truly invincible. You will rarely be hit and, even when you are, you can heal yourself. This combination of powers allows you to do what every good Mastermind wants to do: Monologue!

Resuscitate: Honestly, I don't know if this works on your mechs. If it does, ok, but resummoning is probably a better idea since it will replace all of one type. I don't plan to take this power unless I run out of other technology to explore.

===Movement?===
This topic is too volatile to address. I personally use Teleport and will eventually have Fly. Superspeed and Superjump are not in the style of Royalty and, hence, not in the style of Mr. Malice. Your robots will have a hard time keeping up with you if you are using Superspeed and Superjump. They will teleport to you every so often but if you're moving too fast you won't know exactly where they went. Testing in Siren's Call with a jump pack showed me that the mechs will run through everything, bringing with them a parade of the nearest enemies once they catch up to you.

Teleport IS endruance consuming. I have successfully used Teleport Foe and consider it indespensible to the way I do business. I have not taken recall friend but have been in situations where I've wished I had. The mechs tend to get snagged on elevator carpets quite easily which can be embarrassing if there is a welcoming committee close at hand. See the tactics section for more on teleport foe. Group Teleport can be problematic because there is no indicator of precisely where the "group range" is. You sometimes leave part of the group behind.

Fly has received some criticism lately because the Mastermind is faster than his henchmen when he uses group fly. This causes your henchmen to fall once you're out of range resulting in the same parade of enemies mentioned above. However, if you are able to keep your henchmen within range, the sight of a Mastermind descending into battle with a full complement of combat mechanons and force fields blazing will cause any hero to wet his spandex.

===Fitness and Hasten: Put 'em in the Books, They're History===
With the tactics and power choices I advocate, you are not bound to taking fitness and hasten like so many others. You will be low on endurance once: the beginning of the mission. You will not need to speed anything because you are unlikely to lose mechs. Hasten would be useful in battling heroes (not the player driven type) if you were solo, but a good Mastermind does what? Picks his battle, that's right. Take backup, not hasten.

===Other Pool Powers===
Depending on what the Epic Pools look like for Masterminds, I would currently recommend Concealment simply for its many versatile uses. Other than that, none of the pool powers look particularly attractive to me.

===Supremacy: Your Inherent Power===
Supremacy grants your mechanons a 15% bonus to accuracy and damage. It is range and line of sight dependent. Keep a close eye on your henchmen menu to ensure you are within range and nothing silly is blocking your view. I discovered early on that the small railing that comes up to my knees in many warehouses will keep my mechanons from the benefit of my Supremacy. Also, Personal Force Field will cut off your Supremacy over your henchmen. For some reason your henchmen see you being invincible as a sign of weakness. Actually, my studies into the subject of why this works the way it does always leads me down a trail ending with a mystical omnipresent, omnipotent being called "the Balancer" who seeks to exert an insane vision which is, as yet, undefinable and immeasurable. The Balancer cannot be argued or reasoned with and generally shuns contact with lesser beings. I have not been able to discover an avenue into his inner sanctum and smack sanity into him as of yet.

==Mastermind Tactics: Ruthless is Your Watchword==
There are four keybinds I have found to be invaluable. I do not use the macros provided in the beginning and instead bind what I find useful. Alter the buttons to suit yourself:

/bind f "petcom_all att agg" - This bind directs the mechanons to attack your target until it is dead. They will then begin firing at anything within range once the initial target is down.

/bind g "petcom_all def foll" - This bind directs the mechanons to follow me and attack only that which attacks us. This is tricky, because if you direct them to perform this action and they are hit with a follow up attack during retreat, they will immediate rush back to respond to the assault. This is what led to the addition of this:

/bind v "petcom_all pass foll" - This bind directs them to follow you in passive mode. They will not attack even if you and they are being pelted from all sides.

And finally:

/bind t "petcom_all goto agg" - If you can't see around a corner or up a cave, you send in your mechanical slayers ahead of you, but only slightly. This is to be done as a last resort. Clustered flamethrowers will be your downfall, well, not yours, but your robots' downfall if this is handled badly. This bind allows you to target an area and direct your mechanons to advance to that spot and shoot anything moving.

===The Mastermind Versus The World (Environment)===
Stop by a Fortuna right now and let her know you're Ruthless. You can take anything they have to throw at you, and if you can't, you can simply "retrograde," rebuild, and re-attack. A Mastermind never retreats, remember, just as he never fails as long as he survives. Victory is merely delayed, hence, in lieu of retreat a Mastermind will retrograde and reestablish his dominance at a later time that suits him. Keep in mind these tactics are the processes I use to destroy all resistance to my will. You may find something else more useful. Until I am defeated, I will continue to use these tactics.

====The Mission====
As you enter the door, there may be a welcoming committee directly in front of you. If you have taken teleport, then you will win this scenario. If you haven't, then you will have to recruit a lackey to clear the enemies for you. Shame on you for not being self-sufficient. If the door is not clear and you have teleport, simply teleport to a safe area within the mission. DO NOT skip blindly around corners and such, only teleport further is you can SEE the way is clear.

Now, assuming you have a safe place to set up your "doom patrol," follow these steps:

1) Turn off all powers
2) Summon Assault Bot
3) Summon Combat Drones
4) Summon Protector Bots
5) Upgrade Assault Bot
6) Equip Assault Bot, then Drones, then Protectors
7) Begin Upgrading the Drones once it is recharged
8) Turn on Tactics, Assault and Dispersion Field
9) Take stock of your situation

You are prepared to destroy anything at this point. Provide additional force fields in the same order you equip your mechs. Provide Upgrades as they become available, but you do not have to wait for combat if you don't wish to. You may begin laying waste now.

As a general rule, take out anything with a flamethrower or burn patch in its arsenal. Next, take down anything with an EMP. Then work your way down as you wish.

Malice Specific Tactics: Anything that uses fire is teleported into a corner, hit with a force bolt, and targeted by the mechs for termination. For me it's a simple process of teleport foe, forcebolt, hit 'f' simultaneous with the force bolt. Try to keep the flamer slipping or down. If you see a burn patch go off, remove yourself from the patch but keep close, and begin healing in this order:

1) Assault Bot
2) Protector Bots
3) Combat Drones

The Protector Bots are pretty good at keeping your Drones alive. You must not lose your Assault Bot. Anything that drops your Assault Bot is capable of dropping you and your Drones very quickly.

Once you've healed what you can and are waiting for it to recharge, shield the weakest of your mechs immediately to try and slow their demise. If your mechanons are taken out too quickly for you to react, immediately turn on your Personal Force Field and retrograde using teleport. Rebuild, and slowly use teleport foe to reduce their numbers.

Remember, the reason you don't run around with Personal Force Field is because it removes Supremacy. It also removes the effects of the Dispersion Field, Tactics, and Assault. This is a bad thing.

The final bit of advice when fighting the world is this: Use force bolt as much as you have to. You won't run out of endurance as long as you've slotted a few endurance reducers in your other powers. It will keep the truly dangerous enemies off balance and off of your robots.

===The Mastermind Against the Human Factor===
At some point, you may want to face off against a hero in one of the contested zones. These heroes are not the dullards your normal enemies are. Many will ignore your robots and attack only you. Being the true Mastermind you are, though, after reading and implementing my advice, that is, you will be able to defeat these halfwits. They believe they are being highly intelligent ignoring your henchmen.

There are two ways set up for combat in the contested areas. You can build your arsenal at the base. This is the safest but the most problematic for movement. You will have to drag your robots across debris, walls, and through enemies to get to the heroes. But you are unlikely to be attacked in this place. The second way is certainly dangerous but separates the Mastermind from the monkey with toys.

Teleport to a concealed location near where you plan to engage your foe and build your forces there. Be vigilant and retrograde as needed. If attacked and you are unprepared, do not hesitate to gain distance and time on your foe. Ignore their taunting jibes. Then, once your preparation is complete, feign insolence and rage at their "smack talk" and challenge them to a duel. When they arrive, destroy them with your fully prepared attack force.

Some things of note: Keep Personal Force Field up once the robots are all equipped and upgraded. The heroes, believing themselves clever in attacking only you, will find they are unable to hit you while the robots weaken them much quicker than they previously thought possible. When they attempt to flee, drop your field and teleport them into your robots. While your field is down, place your Force Bolt on autofire. This will simultaneously knock down their toggles and keep them at range until your field is recharged and ready for re-establishment.

This is the simplest process to follow in PvP. There are other, more advanced tactics, but you are not yet ready for them and, even if you were, I would not teach them to you. As I have continually stated, a Mastermind's watchword is "ruthless." I will have no compassion, advice, nor mercy should I meet you in combat. I will have only one thing to give you: defeat.

==Parting Patronization==
I hope these tidbits of information assist you in your quest to become a Mastermind. While you will never approach my level of competency and superiority, at least you will be able to put up a better contest against the odious oppressors of Paragon City which will give me a slightly better timeline for world domination. This is my only reason for imparting this knowledge. Now go, do bad things, and when the time comes, bow down and remember who taught you all you know.

OOC Note: I know a lot of people decry the weaponless MM, but I have been having a blast ever since I dumped the rifle. Also, all the bravado in here is Mr. Malice. I don't believe myself to be uber or any such thing, but I have found all these things to be useful. I rarely die in groups now and I never die solo even with the missions set on ruthless. It's not because I'm overpowered, either, it's because I use what some would consider slow, methodical tactics with interspersed bursts of controlled chaos. I hope you enjoyed reading.

Thanks for Master Zaprobo and Red_Zero for their guides and work in the Mastermind Community.

Mr. Malice
While I LOATHE listening to anyone else but the dominant voice in my mind, I have given your guide a brief glance (or two).
I must say that much of what you have given I will use..and use against you in my conquests.
((Very nice!!! I just rolled MM mech/forcefield to see what it was like and I am going to make it my main!! Your guide gives me a great idea of what to expect..thanks!!))

One of the main reasons I ended up getting rid of my weapons was endurance. I can heal, forcebolt and bubble all day long while running all toggles and it's never a problem. If you like having the attacks then I'd recommend getting Stamina. Just thought I should toss that out there.

Very nice. I enjoyed your writing style as much as the info you put out. I am new to CoV, and I find myself instantly drawn to MM. I am currently making a Mech/DM ( I agree with your views on "bots"), but think I may also try out a Mech/FF build as well. Thanks for the informative and entertaining guide.

[ QUOTE ]
Very nice. I enjoyed your writing style as much as the info you put out. I am new to CoV, and I find myself instantly drawn to MM. I am currently making a Mech/DM ( I agree with your views on "bots"), but think I may also try out a Mech/FF build as well. Thanks for the informative and entertaining guide.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've played all the MM powersets through a few levels to get a feel. If I was going to build a robot MM to beat me I'd definitely go for dark. So many great powers in that set, I think you'll do well with it.

Tar Patch is like dropping a nuke in PvP...

The first (and only) CoV character I've made is a MM Robotics/FF, just cause it sounded cool and fit the bill for the vague idea I had for an alter ego super villain. Interesting that this guide should pop up right about the time I need more in-depth material to keep me focused.

(/begin rp)

...however I must point out that the author has made one critical mistake, and that is to assume that anyone, even themselves, could even imagine about knowing more than I, about anything, ever.

(/end rp)

Great Guide. Thank you for taking the time to write it!

You were wise to make your home on Champion, or else I would insist on trading monologues with you.

The Robot advice is what I would pass on. If I felt anyone was worthy. Too often todays MMs build to lvl 12 or do a herobuilder. You gave into temptation, though. Should have waited till lvl40 to spread the word. Till then, you are a lackey.

There is actually a villain on Champion named Dr. Monologue. He believes his robots are reincarnations of his cats which died in a lab fire... talk about insane genius!

My Bots/FF MM is an evil doctor who likes to stick thermometers in places they shouldn't go Talk about being a sicko.

Mr. Malice, your pathetic ramblings appear to slowly converge on truth.

You may prove useful to me yet. Do not fail me, the wrath of Dr. Demonica is stern indeed.

My first post on the forum!

First, let me thank the evil genius that is MisterMighty/Mr. Malice. I really liked your guide, both in tone and content. Well written and a great build.

I do have a couple questions, though. Can you give some insight as to how you slotted each individual power beyond a basic "Slot for Accuracy" or the like?

Second, do you have any feedback yet on the powers you hadn't reviewed? I'm trying to create a plan and stick to it.

A comment as well: you were right about the travel power choices. I took SJ and regret is every day. When I respec, I'll take TP or Flight.

Thanks again for the guide!

-Bob

Whoah, sorry I missed the post, Bob.

As for my build, as soon as I get home I'll get it posted. I'm not happy with a couple things that I will be changing. I don't have everything slotted like I want yet, mainly having to do with how the game has turned into a prestige banking marathon.

I have since taken repulsion field, which I regret, and aid self, which I don't. I should probably get an update to this guide going. I'll get back to you on that build a little later today.

And welcome to the forums!

Thanks, Mister. Appreciate you taking the time.

I keep running out of time to do this, so I've resorted to the lazy version of posting how I'm currently slotted:
Mr. Malice

I'm a prestige banker, so I suffer in the influence dept which explains the empty slots.

I'll probably drop repulsion field and move the slots from force bolt to something else.

Thanks, that's a start.

Update:

Upon reaching threat level 38 I was able to procure parts for a Force Bubble generator and install them into my armor. This generator is simply outstanding.

Anything rated a Boss level threat or below is instantly pushed to the perimeter rendering any melee skill the enemy has useless. I tested the bubble on Paragon's heroes in Warburg to no effect. I have not tinkered with the parameters or improvement slots (enhancements).

Hero ranked threats and archvillain ranked threats walk through the bubble, but for regular villainry, this power is outstanding for a robotic mastermind.

I'll add it to my list of 'Gotta Haves'.

Progress with Amelie is slow but inevitable. Soloing is safe but slow, so I'm attempting to team more.

I was sort of dreading the two-minute cool down for Personal Force Field coming with I7, but I don't think it will really affect us as much as some MM builds.

It won't effect you in the least in PvE. I've almost never needed to use it unless I was trying to "stealth" a mission (not truly stealth, just run by and pray they miss).

I don't plan on doing any PvP (well, maybe for kicks someday), so you are dead-on correct there. I can't imagine getting in so much trouble that I would need to use my 'panic button' that often.

Honestly? I use it most for three things- when traveling, so I don't accidently get smacked by some big bad I came too close to, my panic button so I can run away without being too concerned about taking a 300 point shot to the back of my head, and if I'm soloing and come into an area where the baddies are waiting for me. I had to wait until I had it to complete a couple missions where I was ambushed as soon as I came in the door.

I still use your guide everytime I play Amelie. It's printed out!

Wow! I'm really glad I could help!

Very well done guide. From style to information, this guide has it all.

Why, thank you, Choice.

I am here to update on a startling discovery. The MalTech Force Bubble generator is formidable, indeed. A House of Malice noble called for aid in his battle against the Wailer Lord. This creature was an immense Wailer specimen and was rated as an Elite Boss according to the Arachnos Threat Scale (ATS). He was accompanied by a Wailer King, two Queens, and some lesser sonic demons.

The three of us, another mastermind using MaliceMechs modified with his own black magic, and a brute of palatable skill, assaulted into the room. The other mastermind was instantly killed by a single volley from the Wailer Lord and his attendants. I activated the force bubble, seeking to separate the lesser wailers and the Lord.

To my utter surprise, I pushed them all back. The Wailer Lord could not resist. I have had to re-evaluate my assessment of the force bubble. I was able to push any class of Wailer and keep the beast off balance. In the corner, with the force of the bubble pressing at him constantly, he was repeatedly knocked back by either the bubble or my forcebolts. He was, in effect, rendered ineffective.

Another useful note, before I leave you once more, the force bubble is excellent for "corking" a hallway. Because the MaliceMechs do several area of effect attacks, it is more efficient to kill them in tightly packed groups. Therefore, I now attempt to get the attention of several foes at once and withdraw to a choke point, capping it with the force bubble. At that point they gather en masse at the perimeter and I unleash the Mechanoid fury.

Adieu.

I've read a complaint that Force Bubble will draw aggro from baddies out of your LOS. You might draw in a group of enemies from the next hallway, instigating a fight with multiple mobs. Sounds like the Bubble does a pretty awesome job keeping them at bay, but let me know if you run into this being an issue.

[ QUOTE ]
I've read a complaint that Force Bubble will draw aggro from baddies out of your LOS. You might draw in a group of enemies from the next hallway, instigating a fight with multiple mobs. Sounds like the Bubble does a pretty awesome job keeping them at bay, but let me know if you run into this being an issue.

[/ QUOTE ]

By my testing, not true. If someone has aggroed enemies with force bubble, they must have been within LoS at some point.

To test just put up force bubble in Cap and stand behind a wall or around a corner until some Luddites walk into view. You'll see them coming from behind the wall, as soon as they are in LoS, they zip away and aggro.

Now the force bubble is quite large. I would say the people with this view simply aren't keeping the entire battlefield in view and aggro things without noticing. The power is based on LoS whether the animation looks it or not.

Another thing that may be happening, is when the bubble comes up to a door it will push whatever is in front of it off to the side. This is remedied by coming up to the door straight on so you don't miss whoever is standing on the other side with your field of view. Or you can send in the Mechs first. Doors in sewers are problems but can also be pretty funny because the baddies have nowhere to go except into the corners.

If you're on Champion server I'd be happy to demonstrate why Force Bubble is a LoS power.

Cool, thanks for the feedback.

No Champion characters worth mentioning right now, althourhg I'm going through and creating a single villain and hero on each server for just these instances.

38 is a long way off for me, anyhow. Do you have 1,000,000 xp you could loan me?