Task Force Breakdown
- Seek Electrical Anomaly (Steel Canyon/Warehouse)
Target: None
Comments: This is essentially a defeat all mission though it is not really given as such. No other objectives within mission. Mobs were typical Clockwork with a healthy scattering of Lieutenants and Boss pairs (Canon Prince & Assembler Prince). Note that an Assembler summons pets in the form of Cogs (minions) and both Princes will spawn Gears upon death.
Strategy: Jonnie Flash has a great trick for dealing with those annoying Gears. Whenever we put down a Boss, Jonnie would immediately sprinkle the carcass with caltrops. The Gears start taking damage as soon as they spawn and are slowed. Then Jonnie would drop a fire ball on em ... no more Gears. Several other archetypes can likely do variations of this stunt. - Combat the Clockwork (Hunt)
Target: Defeat 30 Clockwork
Comments: Leader talked to Synapse while the rest of the team remained in Steel Canyon. Most of the team did the bulk of the work there, but the team leader also found a few in Skyway City. All of them counted toward the total. Also note that it made no difference which zone our leader was in ... all the kills counted.
Strategy: Once the mission was up, one of the team members in Steel Canyon was quickly ambushed. This soon became a pattern with this Task Force ... ambushes. Try to keep together at all times. However, note that Clockwork kills count in any zone, not just Steel Canyon. It is possible for the bulk of your team to scout out Clockwork mobs while just your leader goes to see Synapse. This may expedite the mission, but I dont really recommend the idea because of the ambush. It is possible to call Synapse from this point forward. - Talk to Positron (Steel Canyon/Delivery)
Target: None
Comments: Positron is found in the center of Steel Canyon (near Valkyrie and base portal). Anyone in the team can contact Positron to fulfill the objective. - Defeat All Clockwork in Station (Steel Canyon/Lab)
Target: Foreman (Level 20 Boss)
Comments: Destroying the Lab Equipment (found on 2nd Floor) results in Buff or Debuff for anyone exposed to the radiation. Foreman was found on the 3rd Floor. All three of these missions release hostages who provide clues. - Defeat All Clockwork in Station (Steel Canyon/Lab)
Target: Powderkeg (Level 20 Boss)
Comments: Each mission in this section is defeat all ... no shortcuts possible. - Defeat All Clockwork in Station (Steel Canyon/Lab)
Target: Volt (Level 20 Boss)
Comments: The Bosses may appear in a different order than this, but no matter. They are essentially the same and you will have to do all three. - Patrol, Scan for Clockwork (Steel Canyon)
Target: Two Locations
Comments: I always see this described as 5 locations, never 2. But it we only had to hit two info stations before we were sent to the next mission location.
Strategy: Watch for the ambush! We were jumped by Clockwork soon after we tagged the first station. Easily handled, but could be difficult if only one of your team is in place when they attack. Note that our team called it a night at this point, parked outside the next mission door. We were just over two hours in and roughly halfway through the Task Force. - Stop All Robots in Headquarters (Steel Canyon/Office)
Target: Click, Coil, Suppressor (Level 20 Bosses)
Comments: I was not available when the team reconvened. The Task Force was also short one Blaster, but the duo went on without us. With just two Task Force members -- a Blaster and a Defender -- they dealt with two or three missions handily, without any drops. This was a defeat all mission. - Patrol, Seek King's Hideout (Steel Canyon)
Target: Six Locations
Comments: As you begin this task, the leader is given a temporary power in the form of a Clockwork Immobilizer Mk I (Ranged, Clockwork Hold). This is a one shot power and appears to hold the target for around five seconds. For subsequent missions you will given new models of the Immobilizer; if you do not use the one you have before you get a new one, too bad. The new Immobilizer always replaces the one you had.
Strategy: Watch for ambush at one of the locations! In this case, it was the last one. - Defeat Bertha and its Guards (Boomtown/Office)
Target: Big Bertha (Level 20 Boss)
Comments: As per information submitted by Yusaku_777, this mission (and the one that follows) do not require that you clear the entire map. Defeat the boss and any other targets in the same room. - Defeat Long Tom and its Guards (Steel Canyon/Warehouse)
Target: Long Tom (Level 20 Boss)
Comments: Leader is given the Clockwork Immobilizer MK II at the begining of the mission. The Task Force returned to full strength during this mission, with the second Blaster coming in at the beginning, while I rejoined at the end, just as the mission was completed. - Rescue Hostages in Warehouse (Skyway City/Warehouse)
Target: Rescue 6 Hostages
Comments: Leader is given the Clockwork Immobilizer Mk III at the beginning of the mission, but it is best to save your one shot for Babbage (after completing the Clockwork Lord mission). The Mission Completion message appeared as soon as the 6th hostage was released. It would be possible to bypass some of the fighting and simply free all the hostages to complete the mission. - Stop Clockwork Lord, its Guards (Skyway City/Warehouse)
Target: Clockwork Lord (Level 20 Elite)
Comments: It is possible to bypass mobs and go straight at the Clockwork Lord (using stealth and recall friend, of course). You will need to defeat the Elite Boss and any other mobs in that section, possibly including any located at the entrance to the room.
Strategy: Stop! Dont move! Remain within the mission until everyone in the team is at full strength and buffed if possible. By all reports, Babbage attacks right after you exit this mission - and this was exactly what happened to us. Make sure your damage dealers have plenty of CABs to keep their endurance up for the battle. Try to exit all together, but send the Tank out first regardless.
>>> Babbage Attacks!
Target: None
Comments: This is not really a mission exactly, and it is possible to skip this fight all together. But why would you do that? Many do the Task Force for no other reason than to take down Babbage, a Clockwork Giant Monster.
Strategy: Wait for it ... wait for it! Dont start flying/jumping/running off to the next mission and leaving your team scattered. Within 30 seconds of exit from the last mission, Babbage arrived, towering above us and looking pretty damn impressive. The Tank went straight at him, taunting along the way, then standing toe-to-big-metal-foot for the fight. Our Leader fired off the Mk III Immobilizer he'd been saving and the Blasters did their thing. Throughout the fight, Babbage barely scratched us. Most of the damage was likely directed at the Tank, but Babbage just didnt seem to hit that terribly hard. (Our Defender adds this was likely due to the variety of debuffs being slapped on the big guy during the fight.) But he can take a lot of damage and heal himself. He also summons Cogs. Babbage will not go down unless you have the firepower in place to do the job. We did. He did. However, if your team simply cannot produce enough damage to finish Babbage off, you have two options: (1) Run or (2) Call for help. Heroes in the zone are usually more than happy to help out. The trick is directing them to your position.
Award: All members earned the Clockstopper Badge for defeating Babbage - Get Immobilizer from Positron (Steel Canyon/Delivery)
Target: Get Clockwork Immobilizer Mk IV
Comments: Only one member of the team needs to make the run to Steel Canyon. Yusaku_777 reports that this can be any member of the Task Force. - Defeat the Clockwork King and His Court (Skyway City/Warehouse)
Target: Clockwork King (Level 20 Elite Boss/Arch Villain)
Comments: Stop a minute and absorb the atmosphere. Aaaaahhhhh ... smell the axle grease? This is one of the unique maps you are going to encounter in Paragon City. Lots of Bosses (Level 20, Princes and Barons) almost always in pairs. After Babbage, the King is almost anti-climatic, but after all, isnt he why you came this far? Reports suggest this final mission may take place in either Skyway City or Steel Canyon.
Strategy: You can bypass a lot of the mobs and go straight for the King. But be careful! Clockwork have better perception than most mobs and your scout may be spotted. Our scout was busted about the time he found CK. Fortunately, he managed to get some distance between himself and the mob before he went down. Luckily (or actually by design) he had a higher level Awaken in his pocket and was able to rez himself once the mobs cleared off. He ported the rest of the team in and we prepared ourselves for the battle royal. CK went down hard and fast beneath a truly epic onslaught of firepower and fisticuffs. We cleaned out the Clockwork nearby as well. However, the mission was not yet clear. We could not be certain as to which mobs were supposed to be the Kings Court, so we began to scout around from his position for more targets. As we searched, we split up ... not the best plan. At one point, our Tank was engaged with a good sized mob while our Blasters were elsewhere in a major fight. The Tank stood his ground while the rest of the team converged on the Blasters just in time. The group our Tank was fighting was found in close proximity to CKs original position and they turned out to the Court in question. Once the rest of the team rejoined the Tank and finished this group off, the mission was completed. We left several Princes and Barons alive on the map - remember, we were all exemp and not here for the XP anyway - so they, it would seem, were not part of the Court, despite their names.
Award: All members earned a +3 SO (three better than the current level of the hero) for defeating the Clockwork King.
Award: All members earned the Synapse's Cohort Badge (Synapse has awarded you this medal in recognition of your defeat of the Clockwork King) and a +3 SO for completing the Task Force.
Special note of thanks to Darkspade for helping complete this guide and to Yusaku_777 for clarifications.
Random FX
aka Jon Random; Aracknight (Champion)
aka Pandemonia; Daemonica (Victory)
aka Ultra Supreme; Mr. Eos (Infinity)
A few pictures from Task Force Cyclone ...
Lair of the Clockwork King
Sniper Blast
The Clockwork King
The Winners Circle
Random FX
aka Jon Random; Aracknight (Champion)
aka Pandemonia; Daemonica (Victory)
aka Ultra Supreme; Mr. Eos (Infinity)
Well written guide, but a couple of notes for you:
Missions 10 amd 11 are Defeat Boss and guards. No need to clear all. I have tested this a few times myself. Just need to clear the room the boss is in, and the mission is complete.
Mission 14, anyone can talk to Positron for the Temp Power, same as the first time you talk to him.
Mission 15 can be in either Skyway City or Steel Canyon.
Other than that, nice work.
Petey Quick, SL50 Ene/Ene Blapper - Cynapse, SL50 Inv/Ene Tanker
Witchblaze, Fire/Fire Blaster - Lo Ping, MA/Regen Scrapper
Astre, Fire/Kin Controller - Terri Volta, Rad/Rad Defender - Solarkinetic, Peacebringer
Yusaku's Guide to the Energy/Energy BLAPPER
Nice! I hope to do this tomorrow.
I love your winner's circle picture, much better than most pictures of a group standing in a line. 
Thanks for the info, Yusaku! I had some questions on those issues ... and I hope to update the guide with your corrections soon.
Random FX
aka Jon Random; Aracknight (Champion)
aka Pandemonia; Daemonica (Victory)
aka Ultra Supreme; Mr. Eos (Infinity)
[ QUOTE ]
I love your winner's circle picture, much better than most pictures of a group standing in a line.
[/ QUOTE ]
Since it took a little effort to get everyone in position for that pic, thanks for noticing!
Random FX
aka Jon Random; Aracknight (Champion)
aka Pandemonia; Daemonica (Victory)
aka Ultra Supreme; Mr. Eos (Infinity)
I'm going to be working on future TF guides such as this one. I would welcome any comments or suggestions as to what other heroes find helpful and what is completely unnecessary in sucha guide.
Next up ... Sister Psyche
Random FX
aka Jon Random; Aracknight (Champion)
aka Pandemonia; Daemonica (Victory)
aka Ultra Supreme; Mr. Eos (Infinity)
Recently completed another go at the Synapse Task Force, this time with one of my alts on Victory and a pick up group. All the info posted here in the original guide checks out completely. The team on this attempt was squishy heavy with controllers, defenders, blasters, and a tank. We found that with all the buffs/debuffs in effect, the clocks could barely scratch us. While it took better than four hours to complete, it went remarkably smooth, even the GM and AV battles.
Well done to all my fellow cohorts on the Task Force!
Random FX
aka Jon Random; Aracknight (Champion)
aka Pandemonia; Daemonica (Victory)
aka Ultra Supreme; Mr. Eos (Infinity)
Speaking as a person who has done this task force at least 50 times in two years I have some observations I can share.
This task force can be done in 2.5 hours but some elements must be in the right combination to pull this off. Generally it's a small team of either very experienced Synapse TF veterens or at a level far greater than 20 and exemped down to do it. Or both.
With that in mind, the best way to do this task force is with the bare minimum and with higher level people. The more 20 or higher players you have the easier this will be to pull off.
For example, I can take my level 50 scrapper into the task force with 3 level 15's and I can successfully complete the task force in about 3-4 hours with little or no assistance from the others. Give me a second damage dealer >20 and I can usually finish it in about 3 hours.
The trick is to keep the task force smaller. Smaller team = smaller mobs (and less bosses) = faster finish.
All that being said, you will find 2 times in the task force where you come to a problem:
1) Babbage. in my example a level 50 scrapper exemped to 20 with 3 level 15s can have a real problem with Babbage. The work around here is to invite other players in the area (Skyway) to assist. People are quick to come help and you still get your xp and badge for the defeat.
2) The Clock King. For a level 50 scrapper exemped to 20 this shouldn't be a life or death struggle if your build is relatively solid. But, it can be. The key here is being careful and respecting his power. No one, regardless of level, is beyond his ability to defeat you. He can take out a level 20(50) scrapper in 2 or 3 quick, well timed and successful hits. If your 4 players are actively contributing here, he should be reasonably easy to defeat.
I know it is hard to find a person 20> to do the tf when they know they wont be getting xp, but some people will. Look for those people first. If this isn't panning out, then build this TF team like you would a missions team. Don't take just anyone who wants to do it. If you weren't in a task force, would you take a team full of 15's into a mission full of level 20 villains? Of course not, that's a disaster, build your team accordingly. A little extra time up front can make the difference between finishing the tf with a couple levels or a washout with a boatload of debt.
Anyway, thats my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps.
Introduction: When Strategic Operations Limited (SOL) decided to take on this task force, the team we put together had long since out-leveled Synapse. Fortunately, the auto-exemp feature permits us to do it anyway. While the XP is always missed, doing it this way still had a few perks. First, we continued to earn influence and prestige for the SG. Second, death (and the corresponding debt) is not an issue. A team wipe would be inconvenient, but otherwise fallen teammates could be quickly rezzed and any debt would vanish almost immediately.
Finally, exemping down significantly reduces the difficulty of the task force. I have personally started the Synapse Task Force several times. Before the SG tackled it, the previous Task Forces (I use that title loosely) did not successfully complete even the first door mission. In part because the Task Forces were inexperienced and ill equipped; more importantly, the mobs were all orange, red, and even purple cons to most of the team. Given the sheer numbers, and the fact they were all clocks, those early Task Forces were doomed. That is not to say that a properly constructed team - all the same level or very close - couldnt do it; they could. But when you are effectively level 20 going in and all the mobs are the same, Synapse is a time consuming (yet less lengthy than some), but not all that difficult, Task Force to complete.
The Task Force is initiated by Synapse in Skyway City. All team members must be in the zone, but only the leader has to see Synapse. You can find Synapse by selecting the Skyway City trainer (Mynx) on your map. Synapse waits on a platform close-by, near the T station.
Team Requirements: 4 minimum
Levels: 15-20 (Clockwork)*
Time: 2.5 to 5 hours**
* Ive seen this Task Force listed as level 15-21; I do not think this is accurate. The level cap is 20.
** Almost every mission is defeat all so I cannot fathom how anyone gets it done in 2.5 hours. However, I have seen that figure reported by others. Our effort took approximately 4.5 hours over two nights.
Task Force Cyclone
Darkspade: Defender (Dark/Dark)
Jon Random: Tank (Invulnerable/Super Strength)
Blaze Blast: Blaster (Energy/Energy)
Jonnie Flash: Blaster (Fire/Devices)
This was an ideal team for Synapse. We were not XP farming, so no need for a larger team and the corresponding bigger mobs. The two Blasters deliver superior damage, our Defender had both healing and controller-type abilities, and our Tank was there to take the pounding. I could see substituting a Scrapper for one Blaster and/or a Controller (with healing) for the Defender. Regardless, this combination of powers and archetypes was perfect for the job.
CONTINUED
Random FX
aka Jon Random; Aracknight (Champion)
aka Pandemonia; Daemonica (Victory)
aka Ultra Supreme; Mr. Eos (Infinity)