Actually, some of the heaviest ranged blaster attacks are like 20 yards, for example blaze, power burst and shout. Technically, they are ranged, but practically, they are only 1 step away from melee. By and large, I agree with you that blasters should be ranged. But some unfortunate blasters can never fire off their heavy ranged attack if they are always at the back of the team.
I think blasters can go melee as well. They just need to know when to back off, and when to stop using their heavy attacks all together. For short-ranged blasters, mobility is important. Moving in to fire the 20 yard blast, and maybe blap once or twice, and then back off. For situations like an AV/monster that likes to aoe, it's better just to stand at the back.
I'm glad that you mentioned blasters have quite a few tricks up in their sleeves in the second section. However, you put it in the context that the tricks are meant to "keep enemies away from you or kill them quickly when they get too close". I already made my comments concerning melee attacks above. There are quite a few control powers in the blaster sets. Some of them are indeed situational and probably intended to be used when mobs are getting too close. But some control powers are pretty handy and blasters can sometimes help in controlling for the team as well.
Another thing that I noticed is that when you introduce the scrappers, you said that they win by "destroying the enemy one by one quickly". I think this is true. In my opinion, blasters excel in destroying a whole group quickly. Although you said blasters are all about damage, I afraid blasters might lose, for example, in damage when killing a boss compared to a scrapper. This is just my opinion about blasters' role in a team.
The above are just my comments about your post. My comments do not mean that you're wrong though. In fact, I agree with what you said in a general setting.
As a controller with clarity, I originally had my teammate type zzz if she was mezzed. On a big team that meant the following would happen:
1) Teammate types zzz
2) I look over at the teammate to find her name on the team menu.
3) Click on the teammate name
4) Type 'f' to follow
5) Hit clarity
Sometimes this would take a moment, especially if I was heavily in the throws of other actions.
So, I did 8 keybinds: left shift + numkey[1-8] = select teammate #, follow, clarity.
Thus, when teammate number 4 got mezzed, all I had to type was left shift and 4. Instead of telling my mates to type "zzz", I simply asked them to type their number if they got mezzed.
The new and improved scheme became:
1) Teammate types number, i.e. '3'
2) I type shift + numpad 3
Try it. You'll like it!
[ QUOTE ]
As a controller with clarity, I originally had my teammate type zzz if she was mezzed. On a big team that meant the following would happen:
1) Teammate types zzz
2) I look over at the teammate to find her name on the team menu.
3) Click on the teammate name
4) Type 'f' to follow
5) Hit clarity
Sometimes this would take a moment, especially if I was heavily in the throws of other actions.
So, I did 8 keybinds: left shift + numkey[1-8] = select teammate #, follow, clarity.
Thus, when teammate number 4 got mezzed, all I had to type was left shift and 4. Instead of telling my mates to type "zzz", I simply asked them to type their number if they got mezzed.
The new and improved scheme became:
1) Teammate types number, i.e. '3'
2) I type shift + numpad 3
Try it. You'll like it!
[/ QUOTE ]
I use this with the number pad on my Kin... Hitting 1-8 speed buffs them, and hitting shift and number pad uses increased density. ONly problem is you usually have to do it twice to target then cast.
[ QUOTE ]
(Fulmens) - Only one person should be starting any given fight [normally, unless
you are using an Unfocused attack strategy - PK] and everyone should know who
that is. Ideally, this would be " a tanker" or "a sniper" if you're pulling. If
you have someone who goes off by themselves and starts fights, make them the
official fight starter. It may not be the most optimal person, but it will make
them happier and it will make you happier too.
[/ QUOTE ]
Scrappers are great fight starters as well. Sometimes better then tanks because they will agro the bosses and keep them busy letting the tank or blasters grab the minions and decimate them quickly. Standard devide and conquer
Re: Knockbacks
This is a very good post and touches on many things that were well said but there is one thing in it that makes me post my first post on these Forums.
Knockbacks and my tank (Ice Energy)
I like to run in and grab as many mobs as i can, I do this by running past them and letting my AE slow aggro them, this slows them down nice so they can't destroy me with thier range attacks as i run enormous amounts of mobs towards the group. I then duck out of sight from them all, around the corner so they are forced to run all the way to me and begin thier attack. (herding)
So here I am in a wonderful position, I have 15 or so mobs beating on me, all being ae slowed (making them not hurt so much), geting all hit by my icey spikes (ae damage), and my whirling hands (ae damage + stun) and most of them still trying to attack me, but they cant get past thier buddies to do so. I am the only one with aggro, and have some nice AE stuns, and i can hit a large amout of mobs with them.
At this point I am safe, my team is safe, all the aggro is on me, i can do maximum ae damage, as can all my team mates, all thier aes hit the maximum amout of mobs. Times are good.
Them BAM someone hits them all with an ae Knockback, there are mobs everywhere, each hurt a little bit by the attack but far from dead. I can't even see them all now, there all over, my aes and all other members on the team are hitting a whopping 2-3 mobs at a time now instead of the 15 they were hitting before. And I am no longer able to attack anything because I am in chain taunt mode trying to attract all the mobs again. Not to mention they are often out of range and no longer slowed, which means Quantams and machine gunners and all range specialists, can now attack me at thier full attack rate, beating me as hard as they can.
Knockback do have thier place, like when your soloing, or your being charged by mobs that are going to kill you and have no place to run, but definatly have no place with my ice tank, or any tank that has tried so hard to herd them all together. Is your 1 knockback better than all my continuous ae damages -- no --- is it better than all the ae controllers or blasters or scrappers on the team, all of thier aes they could land continuously until the mobs are all dead. Definatly not.
50 Ice/Energy Tanker/50 Ice/Fire Tanker/50 Energy/Ice Blaster/50 Ice Electric Blaster/50 Fire Kin Controller/ 50 Spine Regen Scrapper/ 50 Dark Dark Scrapper/50 Fire Dark Brute/ 50 Regen Dual Blades Tank/ 50 Fire Energy Blaster/ 50 Rad Energy Blaster / 50 Warshade
My Funny Shirt Website
I feel your pain Thumps but gotta point out ways to use knockback for those Energy/Energy blasters out there feeling like they're a bane to tankers...
You, masters of KB, go pick out an Lt or a Boss and just lay into him with every knockback power you have as fast as you can. You can easily take these single high value targets out of the fight with concentrated knockback and just kick their [censored] all over the map, hardly letting them get to their feet. Of course you want to go to the far side of that critter and KB him back toward safer ground. You might also want to tell your team mates that this is your M.O.
This is also a good way to help protect your rear echelon from critters that have escaped the tank's aggro control (if you even have a tank on the team). Energy Thrust / Power Push / Power Thrust them away from your less offensive team mates and relentlessly drive them into walls and down hallways and out of range. Smaller teams, those lacking tanks or controllers, and teams having trouble keeping aggro in the right places will benefit from aggressive knockback isolation of highly threatening targets.
Could just knock them all in a corner also, that helps, some of the peeps I play with a lot, use it that way.
50 Ice/Energy Tanker/50 Ice/Fire Tanker/50 Energy/Ice Blaster/50 Ice Electric Blaster/50 Fire Kin Controller/ 50 Spine Regen Scrapper/ 50 Dark Dark Scrapper/50 Fire Dark Brute/ 50 Regen Dual Blades Tank/ 50 Fire Energy Blaster/ 50 Rad Energy Blaster / 50 Warshade
My Funny Shirt Website
Id like to add, I made an Energy Ice blaster after reading and writing here, just to see what its all about, and found that by running around a lot as i did ae Knockbacks, I could get all the mobs back in the tanks ae aggro, kiting them into it and ducking around corners etc.
Also I often will ae knockback ahead of the tank and duck around a corner behind him, so they run through his ae aggro again, its simular to herding.
I learned that I could practicaly function as a tank if I had a healer to back me up, by kiting a lot or hovering.
When I play my tank now and I see an energy blaster pick out mobs, and concentrate on them, I just let him go for it unless I see his health drop Ill taunt through him.
So basicaly, although I still hate random uncontrolled knockbacks when Im on the tank, I do understand that for a class like an energy blaster there all they have to attack with, and can be very effective with or without a tank if used properly.
50 Ice/Energy Tanker/50 Ice/Fire Tanker/50 Energy/Ice Blaster/50 Ice Electric Blaster/50 Fire Kin Controller/ 50 Spine Regen Scrapper/ 50 Dark Dark Scrapper/50 Fire Dark Brute/ 50 Regen Dual Blades Tank/ 50 Fire Energy Blaster/ 50 Rad Energy Blaster / 50 Warshade
My Funny Shirt Website
Really, it's all about communication. If you have a blaster that is knocking mobs all over the place while you are trying to herd them, that doesn't mean that the blaster's powers are horrible for interrupting your plan any more than your powers are horrible for interrupting the blaster's knockback strategy. The problem in that situation, as it is in MANY situations, is communication. If you are all on the same page, then you can devise a strategy that will work with ALL of your powers. Then you won't be working at cross-purposes.
Where there is a will there is a way, and the key is to communicate with the others on your team and find that way.
ANY team structure will work with the right strategy! 
[ QUOTE ]
Although you said blasters are all about damage, I afraid blasters might lose, for example, in damage when killing a boss compared to a scrapper.
[/ QUOTE ]
Actually, this is perfectly accurate, especially when you consider the Scrapper's natural Critical Strike ability, which the devs have said mean they have a higher chance to land a critical hit on a boss or lieutenant than they do a minion. They are made to be Boss Killers. And Blasters are just meant to blast everything they see, with no real discrimination. If it's there, they'll blast it!.
Here's what I do for my emp defender but this can apply to any AT with multiple buffs.
bind number pad keys to Heal Other
bind ctrl+number pad keys for Fortitude
bind alt+number pad keys for Clear Mind
Works great for big fights when everything is going to chaos and multiple teammates need help in some form or fashion.
Alright, this Handbook is about two years old now, so I'm going to be doing an update and overhaul on it. Please feel free to post your corrections/changes (factual only, no opinion, that's MY department!) here so that they may be included in the next version. If I like what I see, it will be in there and you will receive credit. I am also looking for someone to write for me "The Tao of the Villain Archetypes" in a similar way to what I did with the Hero Archetypes. I am going to be toning DOWN some of the "anti-villain" rhetoric in the next version considerably, and I would love for this guide to be fully applicable to all types of characters.
OK, I read through the first few pages and saw nothing BUT opinion - just what the heck are we supposed to be helping you with??
Start on Section IV if that helps any.
The Combat Handbook - v2.0
The Rebirth of True Heroes
I. Introduction
Hero - A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one
who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
Source: Dictionary.com
This manual has one simple purpose: to crystallize and publicize my two year's
worth of City of Heroes combat experience and the experiences of other brave
heroes into a good solid guide for gameplay tactics. This guide's first
version was written after the "Issue 6" crisis; in fact, it was written in
response to it, and to the coming of the true villains in our midst - the
player villains. That being said, the handbook was originally NOT a work in
progress, it was NOT going to be updated, and the points in it were NOT be
discussed by me after its publication. Upon realization of my own stupidity,
and being humbled by a few well informed posts, I have decided to revamp and
update this guide in time for its one year anniversary. Much of the knowledge
contained in this guide has been seen in many other places before; the purpose
of this handbook is not to claim ownership of these ideas, but to place them
all together in one place for ease of use. If any hero has contributed to this
guide, I will place his name next to his ideas in parentheses like so
(HeroName). This way, everyone gets the credit that they are due.
A hero, a true HERO as described in the above definition does NOT complain
about being powerless, for the true hero's power lies in the strength of his
heart, does NOT whine, because he knows that there are people worse off than he
is, and does NOT have the word 'nerf' in his vocabulary, because he accepts
challenge with a grin, not a frown. This manual is dedicated to all the true
heroes that are still out there.
Special Notes: The entire manual will use the pronouns "him and he" to save
time and space, not to slight the fairer sex. This guide will not cover the
Epic Archetypes or PvP.
II. Purpose and Intent - The Five Archetypes
City of Heroes was designed to be a combat-oriented game. While with each new
Issue more and more non-combat content is being added, the game at its core is
a combat game. The five archetypes represent different methods of playstyle.
Much of the reason why players become upset over changes to the game is that
they are used to one playstyle or another and the changes affected the
playstyle they were used to. Tough cookie. In the world of combat there IS no
playstyle, there is only war, and in war anything goes. The good solider knows
how to strategize and work with what he has, to be resourceful and cunning.
However in this game, the designers have explicitly stated that each archetype
was DESIGNED with one ideal playstyle in mind, one playstyle that compliments
that archetype better than any other. While players are free to attempt other
playstyles with their unique builds, these playstyles have been proven time and
time again to be the most effective:
<ul type="square">[*]Tankers: Melee combat, valuing defense more than offense. Wins by being
tougher than the enemy.[*]Scrappers: Melee combat, valuing offense more than defense. Wins by
destroying the enemy one by one quickly.[*]Blasters: Ranged combat, valuing offense more than defense. Wins by
destroying the enemy from a distance quickly.[*]Defenders: Ranged combat, valuing defense over offense. Wins by helping his
team survive the fight.[*]Controllers: Ranged combat, valuing control over enemy's actions. Wins by
stopping the enemy from doing anything.[/list]
While there are 'blappers' and 'scrankers' and 'blaptrollers' and
'blaptankrollers' and every other possible combination out there, these are the
PURPOSE, the driving force, the Tao of these archetypes. This is what these
archetypes were made for, these are the IDEAL. You can try to swim upstream,
and if you are strong in mind and will, can succeed, but if you are a new
player, going with the flow will get you the greatest deal of success.
Here are your roles:
slowly wear down your enemy to nothingness, by using your greatest strength -
your godlike ability to survive almost any battle. Tankers are at there best
when they are in ONE mob of enemies, about 7 or 8, taunting them and making
them crazy while he is whittling their life down slowly. A tanker is NOT
invincible however, no hero is meant to be. The tanker is simply the toughest
hero there is. Your natural gift of Gauntlet helps you to keep the attention of
the mobs off of your allies.
tougher than any other type of hero (except the tankers of course), you can and
will still fall fairly easily. You were not MEANT to tank, if you were, then
you would be a TANKER. No, your job and your gift is in your massive melee
damage. In general melee damage is substantially greater than ranged damage.
While there are of course exceptions to this rule, your natural gift of
Critical Hits make you the Great Gladiator. You more than anyone else should
pay CLOSE attention to the movement and position of your character. I will go
into more detail on movement later in the manual. It is far better for you to
hit and run, than stand and die. Your teammates would probably agree. And just
remember that your gift of making Critical Hits works far more effectively on
Lieutenants and Bosses than minions.
Your gift is your ability to wield that damage from a DISTANCE, saving you the
pain of the melee attacks, since you are physically weaker than almost any
other archetype. By keeping your foes far from you, you enhance your own
survivability, as well as that of your teammates. With your superior firepower
you ensure that the enemies do not survive long enough to reach you. However IF
THEY DO, you have a couple more surprises up your sleeve. I will go more into
Blasters' melee and control powers later on. Your natural gift of Defiance
gives you that last extra bit of punch to try to help you take out an enemy
before that enemy takes you out!
making you stronger, or simply healing yourself from all damage. You are much
more comfortable in a team, if you weren't, then you'd be a BLASTER. You do
have some long range punch like the blaster to damage your foes from a
distance, but your greatest strength lies in your assistance to others, and
your hindrance to your foes. Since you are the most team-focused archetype,
your natural gift of Vigilance gives you the energy when you need it the most
to save your teammates from certain doom.
commander, you stand back and control the flow of the battle, using tactics and
the right hold in the right place to seal the deal. You should make use of this
control wisely, since if you don't, you will fall quickly in battle. You have
both mass control powers for the main mob of the enemies, as well as single
target abilities to control enemies that get too close or bosses. Sometimes you
also have pets that can add to your numbers in a battle. Your natural gift of
containment gives you a bit of extra punch when you already have and enemy
under your control.
III. Primary, Secondary, and Pool Powers - The Great Confusion
Remember how I was talking about 'scrankers' and 'blappers' before? Well, they
are violating the first basic rule built into the game. Listen to this, and
repeat it as a mantra:
My primary powers are my PRIMARY powers,
and my secondary powers are SECONDARY.
Scrappers were never meant to be tankers, Blasters were sure as HECK never
meant to be scrappers, and anyone that tells you otherwise is just plain
confused. A Scrapper was designed to dish out damage, not to take it, and
blasters were meant to attack from a distance, not up close. Scrappers defense
was put in there to be a compliment to their offensive attacks, not to replace
them. Blasters melee and control powers were meant to keep enemies away from
you or kill them quickly when they get too close. I only pick on these two
archetypes because they seem to be the only ones that are confused about their
place in the world. If you really feel the need to play a 'scranker', then play
a TANKER. If you really feel the need to play a 'blapper', then play a
SCRAPPER. If you are an experienced player, you can probably make one of these
unique builds work, but only if you are brave and cunning and have a quick wit.
Most players would do well by sticking with what their archetype is good at,
and trying to be the best tanker/scrapper/blaster/defender/controller that they
can be.
Along with that, remember that Power Pool powers were meant to be a compliment
to your character, they were never meant to be relied upon for major support.
These are nice bonuses that can enhance your current abilities or fill some
small gaps in them, but they were never meant to make you into something you
are not, they are far too weak compared to similar primaries and secondaries
for that.
IV. Movement and position - How a Little Space Goes a LONG Way
Issue 6 has brought a problem to my attention. This is a problem that I have
seen for a long time now, but a problem which has been exacerbated due to the
global defense reduction and Enhancement Diversification. Most heroes in a
combat situation, DON'T MOVE. They find a spot where they feel comfortable and
they stay there. This is a big mistake. In combat, strategy is one part
planning, one part resources, and one part cunning. While you may have the most
'uber' build out there, and you may have the best enhancements and teammates,
if you don't have a good personal strategy and knowledge of your position in
the battle, you are lost. Your enemies are AI (artificial intelligence) and
cannot move except in certain pre-defined patterns, why hinder yourself and
lobotomize your advantage by acting in the same manner??? The following are a
few movement strategies:
<ul type="square">[*]The Stance - Staying in one spot and continually firing off your powers. This
will work in a clutch, but should be only used when solo-ing a Heroic mission
or hunting easy mobs for badges. Real success comes from moving beyond this
position.[*]The Dance - This is a strategy that is perfect for the smart scrapper, or the
blaster or defender with a point blank area of effect attack/buff. A smart
scrapper will make use of positioning and run into the battle, attack a few
times, then run out. Rinse and repeat. This works because enemies must stop,
then prepare to attack you when you get into melee range. You have no such
hindrance, you can prepare a power before you are in range, then when you are
in range it will fire off and you can clear out of the area quickly. Also by
this constant movement, the enemy is confused as to whether to stand and use
ranged attacks or come after you for melee attacks. The AI is 'programmed' to
use attacks almost only when they are standing still. You don't have to play
that same game. AoE attacks and buffs/heals can use this same method to place
their attack or buff/heal, then run back out of the battle to out-of-melee
range. Blasters, Defenders and Controllers can make use of the 'melee or
ranged?' confusion by slowly walking backwards from an enemy. If you get at
just the right distance between you and the enemy, the enemy won't attack
because he won't know which method to attack with.[*]The Squeeze - See those walls and those doors? Make use of them! Use them as
a shield against enemies, by standing up by them. Only about 6 or 8 enemies can
be within melee range of you at one time, if you stand up to a wall that cuts
down that number by at least a third. If you see a doorway, use it to force the
enemies to come through it one by one, and have a tough hero at the door to
meet them and to ensure that either one or none get through at a time.[*]Knockback - Contrary to popular belief, knockback is NOT simply an annoyance
to the melee player. An intelligent melee player will use knockback to his
advantage as another form of DEFENSE. By continually knocking enemies back away
from you, you lower the number of enemies that are in melee range of you, which
means that you will take less damage and survive longer. While they are off
flying, you can get in many more attacks on the enemy's buddies that are still
breathing down your throat. On top of that, since Issue 7, ragdoll physics have
been introduced to the game that make the enemies get up slower from being
knocked down, which means knockback is even MORE effective now than it ever was
before. Other hero types can also make good use of this if they see an ally or
themselves in trouble. Philotic Knight's most innovative strategy (as a Force
Field Defender) was to make the team's tank virtually invincible. The tank
would taunt the mob around him, the mob would come into melee range and then a
repulsion bomb would knock them all back. Rinse and repeat for mobs that are
continually moving and not attacking, while the other teammates blast them into
nothingness. Using knockback for a scrapper is an awesome method to defending
YOURSELF by keeping enemies away from you that you are not actively engaged
with. Knockback can be a great power, IF USED CORRECTLY. It can be a good
component in a strategy, and can also save lives. If not used correctly, it
can really annoy tankers and scrappers by knocking away all of their targets.
So beware the power of 'soft control', and make it your friend, not your enemy.
(Fulmens) If you are the Scrapper being targeted through [and have yourself
set to autofollow your target], hit "S" to stop following the person that just
went flying [because of knockback], and DO NOT SWITCH TARGETS until the person
you're "forward observing" for finishes the person off. Otherwise, you will get
annoyed and may find yourself in the next spawn over.
(PhiloticKnight) You could also just switch targets to the next nearest target
and start hitting them. The knockbacked target will eventually come back to
you.
(Reptlbrain) Don't just use knockback to knockback, use it to position mobs in
bunches. Every AT has access to knockback, and it can be so much more useful if
it puts all the mobs into one place, for existing or future AoEs. This may
entail squishies running into combat, to get the appropriate angle to slam
monsters into walls, corners, onto an Earthquake, or into a debuff field.[*]Immobilization/Slow - Blasters and Controllers have a good number of
immobilization powers that they WASTE by using the power as only another damage
dealing power. DON'T. Take advantage of the fact that your opponent cannot move
to back up and make sure that you are not in melee range of him. I've seen way
too many blasters die while they were using a Ring of Fire on an enemy while
standing RIGHT NEXT TO HIM. Be smart and use immobilize to your advantage. The
same goes for Slow powers. It can also be used as a defensive power for your
allies, to keep an enemy away from the tanker that has bitten off more than he
can chew, or save that defender with a sliver or life left and an enemy coming
right for him. Slowing down your enemy or making it so they can't move at all
is a powerful tool in battle strategy.[*]Aerial Assault - This is a strategy that seems simple enough, but that many
flying heroes seem to forget in the middle of a battle. If you are out of melee
range, you will take FAR less damage than if you are in melee range. Make use
of your flight powers and most enemies look at you helpless, because the AI for
the most part is not programmed to jump-attack. For a quick defense, just take
one quick leap into the air, then turn on Hover at the top of your jump to get
out of melee range quickly. Any 'squishy' hero with the Flight power pool
should make use of this tactic OFTEN to substantially increase his
survivability.[*]Line of Sight - A lot of heroes have no idea what this is. Line of sight
means whether or not your enemy can see you. I'm not talking about looking at
the game camera, I'm talking about placing yourself in your character or your
enemies eyes and knowing if they can physically see you. An enemy that cannot
physically see you cannot attack you. The best way to know if an enemy has
Line of Sight on you is to press the B button, this key by default (unless you
changed your keymapping) gives you a first person view like in all those first
person games (DOOM, Wolf3D, etc.). This way, you know if your enemy can see
you. If they can't, they can't fire off an attack. Making correct use of line
of sight can separate a mediocre player from an expert. If you are trying to
pull a group into melee range, the BEST way to do that is to make use of a
wall, or a corner. You fire off a power at an enemy, then get out of their line
of sight. Since they know where they were attacked from but can't see you to
attack you, they will HAVE to come around that wall or corner. Then they are in
melee range. Conversely to that, you can possibly save your life a few times if
you remember to get OUT of an enemy's line of sight to stop from being attacked
by their ranged attacks. This is a short term solution if you have low life,
but it has saved my life many times. A caveat to this is that the game's
mechanics works faster than the graphics, so if you already see the enemy's
attack icon in the top right corner of your screen, then you've already been
hit and it's too late to try to 'avoid' the attack. However, a smart player
won't let themselves be attacked in the first place and will get out of Line of
Sight before the enemy can even fire off an attack.
(Reptlbrain) When a spawn is close to any kind of obstruction, defenders'
(e.g., Freezing Rain) or controllers' (Ice Slick, Quicksand) ranged, targeted
drops are often a nice opener, since they can be placed by pivoting the
"camera" without drawing any immediate aggro. The mobs are already debuffed (or
flopping) before the attack begins. With the animation change on Radiation
Infection (and Darkest Night?), a similar tactic can be used: apply toggle
debuff and cut line of sight before it "hits". This of course also pulls most
or all of the spawn into the debuff field when "the squeeze" happens.
[*]Cutting the Pie (Fulmens) - This is a variant on "Line of Sight." The classic
setup is a Controller, three Blasters, and a corner. Controller immobilizes [no
hold required] the spawn and runs around the corner. Blasters peek out until
first badguy is visible, annihilate it, and move on to next badguy.[*]Fighting Withdrawal - There is nothing wrong or un-heroic about a strategic
retreat. In other games, this tactic is known as 'kiting' because it is a
little like flying a kite. Start retreating by running either backwards and
firing off your powers while you retreat. This thins out the mob so you have to
face less at a time, and helps you survive by keeping you out of melee range.
This tactic is not only for ranged heroes, melee heroes can also stay between
the retreating heroes and the enemy and still get in a few good swipes as they
are running. Just remember, hit, then run, hit, then run. Rinse and repeat.[*]Combat Formations - This SHOULD come instinctively to players, but to some it
doesn't. The archetypes are designed in such a way that one formation is almost
universally successful: toughies in the front, squishies in the back! This
should be simple enough to understand, but many don't seem to comprehend this
very simple strategy. Characters with high HP (Tankers, Scrappers) should be
where the most damage is (melee range). Characters with the lowest HP
(Blasters, Defenders, Controllers) SHOULD REMAIN AS FAR BACK AS THEIR POWERS'
RANGE ALLOWS. No my caps lock was not stuck, I just thought you needed to hear
that loud and clear. Very simple, very effective. This also includes flying
squishies, as long as you are out of melee range by any method, you are fine.[*]Combat Formations Revisited (Arcas) - My only edit would be "Characters with
high defense should be where the most damage is (melee range)." This could be
any AT depending on the situation. Both my force fielder and my stormer host
pick-up blaster/defender teams for invincible missions. These groups have the
advantage of being able to position themselves where ever they prefer. Because
of the massive stacked aura defenses and the usual large amount of to-hit
debuff powers. In fact, with the stormer's teams, hurricane tends to make melee
the preferred location for the team. In City of Heroes, all defense really is is
raising your team's personal defense (or lowering the accuracy of the enemy) to
such an extent that they cannot hit you with a high frequency. To me, it's
never really a question of "are you tough enough to take it" it's a question of
"are you getting hit or not."[*]Jumping the Fire (Fulmens) - This is a small trick with great results. If you
are doing a simple blitz, the Tank [or Scrapper] can keep the team safer by
jumping OVER the spawn and then starting the attack. All those cone attacks
[Flamethrowers, shotguns, firebreath,etc.] will be pointed away from the rest
of the team. . .
(Reptlbrain) Addendum to "Jumping the Fire" (which I have done with a scrapper,
but only to get a better view of the battle/teammates, not purposely to protect
them from AoEs, having never thought of that): On knockback heavy teams,
positioning players on opposite sides of a spawn (if feasible) allows the
ping-pong effect, keeping mobs mostly corralled for AoEs, and probably adding
to the mobs' melee-or-range confusion described by the OP.[*] Remember T.G.I.F., Tanks Go In First (Local_Man) - As a Tank, I wait until
everyone is ready (use the F7 key!), and then I usually go for the biggest bad
guy on the front line. I hope to clog things up for the baddies behind. If
there is another Tank on the team, I try to coordinate with him so that I take
one side, he takes the other. I also try to coordinate with the other tank on
who will really lead into the first attack, so that the other will follow the
first one's lead. (As stated above, communications is key. Keybinds can be set
up for this. I sometimes use /bind [key] "team I have the $target in my sights"
or something like it.) As a tank, it generally is NOT my role to save a
squishy, unless there are very few bad guys left. My role is to try to keep the
bad guys AWAY from the squishies. As a scrapper, I often try to hang out with
the Tank. I let him go into the front line, then start attacking the bad guys
orbiting around him. I only go after his target if it looks like he is in
trouble, otherwise I focus on the others around him. If you have two tanks and
two scrappers, each pair should be a sub-team. I DO keep an eye on the health
of the squishies, and run off to help if someone is in trouble. If there are
more scrappers than tanks, have one scrapper hang back closer to the
blasters/defenders/controllers specifically to take care of any bad guys who go
after them. [*] Aura Efficiency (Arcas) - Having a near invulnerable team with tons of
stacked auras and outside defense (dispersion bubble + triple maneuvers +
steamy mist, etc.) doesn't do much good if the team formation isn't taking
advantage of it. Stacked auras are only a bonus when everyone on the team is in
range of all the auras. You don't always need everyone in a tight cluster, like
my storm defender who piles the team inside of hurricane. This is definitely
the case with the previously mentioned tank/scrap front line and ranged rear
line. But it's a major help on any team when everyone is in range of the
leadership and aura defense powers or when a acc. metabolism or recovery aura
fires and hits everyone on the team. The same for healing powers. It's much
more endurance and battle efficient when a team can take care of all the
healing with a few auras, than with a lot of time consuming single target heals
because no one is close enough for the auras. [/list]
VI. Targeting and Combat Strategies - Oh Those Lovely Reticules!
This is another aspect of combat that is almost universally looked over. Most
heroes just use Tab and attack the first target that they acquire, then attack
it until it is dead. This is another big mistake. That is what the computer
does, and don't you want to be smarter than the computer??? There are several
strategies that you can take with different methods of targeting. There are two
main methods, and several smaller ones:
<ul type="square">[*]Focused Attack - All players on the team click the Tanker or Scrapper (if no
tanker is available) on the team window. Now whenever you fire your powers, the
powers will hit the toughie's target. This works really well with high level
mobs that you need to take down one by one, and excellent against bosses. If
there is a boss that heals or mezzes in any way, you should use this strategy
to take them out first. Other melee combatants can attack as they please,
wherever they please. This will draw attention away from the main toughie that
is focusing the rest of the group's attack. The toughie needs to make sure that
he keeps a fresh live target at ALL times, otherwise the team will sit there
doing nothing while the enemies whale on them.[*]Unfocused attack - All players each target a different minion, to take the
minions out more quickly. Use this when the number of minions is large and when
there is fear that you could be 'plinked' to death by 1,000 tiny attacks. As
long as every hero takes on at least one minion alone, they should each be able
to handle the small aggro they draw. This works best as an aggro management
strategy when everyone attacks the enemy mobs at ONCE.[*]Aggro Splitting, Unfocused Attack part B (Arcas) - Outside of a tank, you
rarely want any single hero taking all the aggro completely alone. Try to
coordinate it so multiple teammates can open a battle, if possible. Aggro
splitting is key for my scrapper who runs all-tanker/scrapper teams. Everyone
on those teams is pretty tough individually, but every single one of them would
die if they tried to take ALL the aggro by themselves. But when they rush in as
a group, quickly eliminates the bosses, and split the remaining aggro, the
total damage taken is greatly reduced.[*]Buddy System - This works really well either with sidekicks or without. Each
team member picks a 'buddy', and they attack enemies as a mini-team. This
allows your team to follow more subtle or complex strategies, and gives you
some backup assistance from a close ally.[*]Save Me! - When you see an ally's health meter turn orange or red, and if you
are not a defender, there is still something you can do about it! Click on them
in the team menu and fire off your powers. If you are a tanker or scrapper, you
can click your ally's name, then press F (by default( and more easily get to
the source of the problem. Hopefully you will have enough power to either
destroy your teammates would-be assassin, or at least draw him away. Buffs and
healing also works out well this way. The team window is not just for seeing
who is on your team, it is also a valuable targeting tool.[*]Targeting Techniques (Arcas) - Many heroes have binds set up to target
specific teammates. Others simply click on the hero or the name of that hero on
the team list. I continue to use the old school method of SHIFT-selecting.
Holding SHIFT and pressing the number keys 1-8 will select the team member in
that position on the list. Given practice as a chronic assisting blaster, a
force fielder, a kinetic, or a single target healer, and you can become
incredibly fast with shift-selecting.[*]Aggroball (Fulmens) - The idea is that one character starts with the aggro
and then then someone else steals, thus distributing the pain among multiple
characters. Often a Scrapper/Tank pair can do this nicely- Scrapper takes
alpha, Tank taunts the villains off them. I've also done it with multiple
Blasters, one with Phase Shift, and in other situations as appropriate. [*]Shock and Awe (Fulmens) - This is another "PUG" (Pick Up Group)-friendly
technique, because it's basically what a Blaster does all the time soloing. You
hit the enemy spawn with all the AoE damage the team can muster and then clean
up the lieutenants and bosses. There are subtleties to doing this. For one
thing, most minions take about three AoE attacks to drop - even with buffs- and
Blasters generally only have one or two. So the multiple Blasters have to hit
pretty much together. For another thing, the non-knockback attacks have to hit
first. Think "Burn, then scatter. "[/list]
VII. Communication -
A crucial area of combat that I almost completely forgot
about in my original Handbook was communication. Luckily, alot of heroes have
stepped forward to provide much of this information.
(Cyberforce)
<ul type="square">[*]Talk to one another. Take the time to assess your enemy, develop a strategy,
organize your attack, and devise a "go command" to start it all. Team leaders
and experienced players usually know how best to survive. Listen to them. Here
are some simple rules when on a team:[*]If you don't know, don't do it. Nothing will gain you the ire of your
teammates faster than jumping into a fight before everyone's ready. You will
quickly find yourself abandoned to a buttkicking for your lack of restraint.[*] If the team leader says not to do it, don't do it. Team leaders are supposed
to be looking out for everyone. They tend to be cautious, wishing to slow down
the pace of the mission often to make sure everybody's on the same page. Don't
compromise team strategy by disobeying orders.[*]Tell your team what you are doing. If you're a tanker and you need to rest,
tell the team. If you're a healer and you need to rest, tell the team. If you
want to level up before the next mission, tell the team. Snap decisions,
running blindly into battle or engaging hordes of Trolls on your own and
bringing them running toward your exhausted team is not good RP everybody. [/list]
(gWrath)
<ul type="square">[*]If you need help, ask for help by typing it out or pressing the default
function key. As a tanker teammate, I can run over there or taunt your target.
As a blaster or scrapper teammate, I can target you (which in turn targets your
foe) and blast away. Use the team window or SHIFT+# to choose your teammates.[*]If you're mezzed, type "zzzz". Healers can unmez you or someone can run over
and hand you a break free.[*]If something's broke, fix it. The standard strategy I see in PUG is the
simple "run-in and blow everything up" strategy. Teams likes that bc it's
simple and it works many times. But if you rush in, and get face planted, or
worse, team-wiped, then it's time to talk some strategy.[*]Speak up and take a few moments when the team forms to explain any key powers
or tactics. For example, explain what an anchor is and how you should keep it
alive until all the other mobs are defeated.[*]Change things around to keep things interesting. I play a tank so I'm the one
who rushes in first. Now, I'm trying to lead spawns through choke points for
better positioning. With scrappers, we all go in at the same time. When a
blaster is with me, who has snipe or likes to pull, we try the "double strike"
where I run toward the mob when he starts his snipe. Ideally, we hit em at the
same time, sparing the blaster the aggro.[*]Make up cool names for maneuvers and let your teammates know. For example, I
team with a D3 (called Night's End) who had recall friend. If we needed to make
a strategic retreat, he would zip out to a safe place, while I hold the line.
Then I'm tp'd away (hopefully alive). We called this the "Night Express". It
makes things more interesting and mirrors the comics. Anyone for a "fastball
special"?[/list]
(Local_Man) - I use keybinds or macros for advising my team that team buffs are available.
I have keybinds or macros to tell my team when I need to rest. Keybinds and
macros have really improved my enjoyment of the game. They allow me to have
quick access to the powers I need most in an emergency. For example, I usually
bind any healing power to the "plus" key on the numeric keypad. This allows me
to flick out my thumb to pop a quick heal anytime it is needed. Keybinds and
macros let me do quick communications without having to type.
(Reptlbrain) - The top bar of my power tray is devoted to team combat macros that I need
instant access to: "Incoming!" "Fall back!*" "Holding $target" "Sapper!" etc.
This sounds so much better than Run!, and indicates a fighting withdrawal.
(Su_Lin) - The first thing I think anyone should do upon entering a group, is run an Info
on each and every member, and take note of level and powersets, including
pools. Do the same for every new person that joins the group. As a secondary to
this, it's very important to understand those sets. Take time to skim the
boards, read guides for other ATs, dig through the Hero Planners, and so on.
This is stuff you NEED to know; it may make all the difference if tactics,
communication, et al fail you. If you don't know your defender is Force Field
instead of Storm Summoning or Kinetics instead of Dark Miasma, or you don't
know that Force Fields are a defense-buffing set as opposed to a heal/buff or
debuff set... you're operating on a set of misconceptions. It's important to
know what your groupmates CAN do, enough about what they can do to have an idea
what they're GOING to do, and what you can't reasonably expect them to do in a
fight. If you expect a heal that isn't coming, slows and holds that don't
exist, ranged knockback from a set that doesn't have it, tanking from a
scrapper that can't do it, then it's no one's fault but your own when that wipe
comes. This is a tenet many people overlook, so it may be in best interest if
you happen to be one of these little-understood sets(my Storm Defender comes to
mind) to educate others how your powerset works. "I'm going to trap them in the
corner with Hurricane and you can pound away", etc.
VIII. Other Game Hints and Tips
This section is for other strategies and tips to make you a more effective
player and hero. Anything that doesn't fit in Movement, Targeting, or
Playstyle Strategies will go here.
Inspiration Management (Arcas) - There is no larger crime in a team setting
than walking around with a full inspiration tray. Use those inspirations and
use them often. If a teammate can use it more than you can, give them the
inspiration by dragging it over to him. If no one can use it, throw it out. If
you can't use it right now, but it's taking up space, use it anyway and make
room for better stuff to come. Always keep at least one open slot, you won't
receive anything from villains, as well as that life-saving inspiration from a
teammate, if you have a full tray. There's no time for full-on trading during
an extreme battle.
(teflonshugenja)
<ul type="square">[*]Know your enemy - Tactics can make all the difference in the world, but not
unless your team knows which ones to use...and when. For example, I have a
couple Scrappers and a Peacebringer, and when I'm on a team with a Tank I like
to play Aggroball and Jumping the Fire to help keep things under control. It
usually works well, especially since I'm not trying to usurp the toughie's job,
but to complement it. However, against enemies like Nemesis soldiers that are
heavy on AoE attacks, being close to the primary fire target can be a quick
trip to the hospital. If you're fighting Crey or Nemesis, be on the lookout for
Snipers that can start a fight before you're ready. If you're fighting Malta,
mez or quickly kill Sappers first. If the enemy is heavy on mezzes, protect
your toggle-Defenders to prevent a slippery slide into trouble. Remember kids,
knowing is half the battle![*]Be aware of your surroundings - When you enter a room, pause for a second and
remember what your mother used to tell you about crossing the street when you
were a kid: look both ways first! Check your flanks and make sure there aren't
any additional spawns close by that might aggro. If there's a Kheldian in the
team, scan each group for Quantums and Voids. If you see something dangerous,
say something.[*]Stay flexible - Just as you shouldn't try to fight Carnies like you fight
Clockwork, don't stick with a losing strategy. A single wipe can be the result
of bad luck or a momentary lapse in judgment. Multiple chain deaths are
another matter. That's a clue that you need to change strategies. If the usual
charge-in-and-blast-away MO isn't working, try a more cautious approach. Often
it doesn't take anything exotic to make a seemingly impossible situation into a
win. Start with line-of-sight pulls. Most of the time, your teammates will
already know how to best leverage their own abilities to help, once a strategy
has been decided on.[*]Don't Panic - If things take a turn for the worse - if, for example, a second
group of enemies adds midway through the fight - don't lose your cool.
Remember: there is something you can do about it! Not just "you" in the general
sense, but YOU individually. Think about what tools you have to change the
battlefield. If you're a Scrapper, for example, you can make a conscious
decision to focus on occupying a dangerous enemy rather than doing damage, to
take the pressure off your teammates and let them thin the crowd down to
something more manageable. If you're a Defender and you're struggling to keep
the tank up, don't panic, do something by going after the sources of the
damage, even if all you do is knock them down; if the incoming damage is too
much to keep up with, then cut it down at the source. If you're a Blaster,
don't neglect your secondary controls or, if things have already gone too far,
the Nova. Sometimes it's worth the crash if the alternative is being
overwhelmed.[*] Don't be afraid to fight defensively - Remember, as long as your teammates
stay alive, they're doing damage to the enemy. Stay alive long enough and
eventually, you'll win. Shift to a defensive footing. Fall back to a choke
point or change your own personal tactics. If there are simply too many foes to
take all at once, try to Divide and Conquer: split the enemy force in two and
focus fire on one half. Often it only takes one or two heroes on a defensive
footing to occupy a large group of enemies they could never hope to defeat on
their own, but can buy enough time for the team to deal with the rest. It
doesn't take a tanker to do this - in a pinch, anyone with a handful of Lucks
and Respites can buy some time. Just be aware of your limits - know how many
you can take, and for how long, and know when to cut and run. [/list]
Control Strategies (Local_Man) -
<ul type="square">[*]My main is an Illusion/Rad controller, and he uses his pets as the first line
of "control." Phantom Army is even better than the tanks at taking the Alpha
strike, so PA goes first, before the tanks. After the tanks go in, it is time
for AoE holds and debuffs, after the alpha strike is gone and the bad guys'
attention is focused on the tank or PA.[*]For other kinds of controllers, I usually wait for the tanks to go in, then
lock down anyone getting past the tanks. I try to line them up for the
damage-dealers to take out, so if there is a blaster with AoEs, I use AoE
immobilize. If there are bosses, I may try to hold them, or hold the Lts and
debuff the bosses.[*]If there is an Illusion or a mind controller on your team, keep an eye out
for Deceive/Confuse. Try not to take out the bad guys who are Deceived/Confused
until there is no one else to target. Be Patient and let the Controller use
Deceive/Confuse before the battle starts, and it can make a big difference in
the battle. If you have a Defender or Controller on the team with Anchor-based
debuffs, try to avoid taking out the Anchor, if you can. [/list]
Alpha Attack Decisions -
(Reptlbrain) - If the map permits it, the group should also see which approach to
an enemy spawn will be most effective. Just because you came upon the mobs from
the southwest doesn't mean you have to attack them from there.
(Fulmens) - Only one person should be starting any given fight [normally, unless
you are using an Unfocused attack strategy - PK] and everyone should know who
that is. Ideally, this would be " a tanker" or "a sniper" if you're pulling. If
you have someone who goes off by themselves and starts fights, make them the
official fight starter. It may not be the most optimal person, but it will make
them happier and it will make you happier too.
IX. Conclusion - And Final Notes
I began the first version of this manual about two hours after hearing my
brother rant about how Issue 6 'ruined' his level 50 Broadsword/Invulnerability
Scrapper. He had said that he had some small problems with previous Issues but
that this was too much. As a direct result of this conversation, I felt
compelled to write this handbook to assist my fellow heroes in not only
surviving, but prospering in this new, more difficult environment. I see all
new Issues as challenges and a call to action, and a way to weed out the weaker
heroes among us from the ones that are willing to work hard for Our Beloved
Paragon City. In war, as in all the rest of chaotic life, you either adapt and
learn with the changes, or you stagnate and die. I hope that this guide can
help you all to grow and become the heroes I know you can be. I leave you now,
with a word from one of our greatest heroes.
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and
endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
-Christopher Reeve: former Superman, current Hero
If you have any new strategies that I may not know about, please feel free to
post them here. If I like what I see, I will add it to the next version of the
Handbook and ensure that you get the credit that you deserve. Any
contributions may be edited for content and/or grammatical errors. Please
report any such errors that you see to me.
Good luck to all the True Heroes out there!
-The Philotic Knight
Original Version: 10/30/2005