Very good mate - and some additional writeup for ya as I've gone the NW path 
Reword and add to as desired
Night Widow Primary adds far better melees, psionic attacks and the Smoke Bomb (a powerful aoe blind power like the NPCs). Night Widow Secondary adds stealth (meaning critical hits from melees), superior ally buffs with Mind Link and Vengeance, a lightning reflexes clone with Mental Training and a godmode with Elude.
Fortunata Primary grants ability to make a pure psionic blast char, with strong Mind Control powers. Very aoe oriented with best aoe being Psychic Wail. Fortunata Secondary gives access to stealth (again critical hits from any melees you may have), superior ally buffs with Mind Link and Vengeance, a lightning reflexes clone with Mental Training and Aura of Confusion (pbaoe confuse).
Cheers Starscreamer - just the sort of info needed so I don't have to go digging during valuable playtime
Anyone else have any suggestions for additions to the guide keepign in it's original premise (unique features to the SoA over other AT's)
One thing to include is to make sure that people don't overlook the powers from the origional soldier/widow sets! Secondaries are less likely to be missed, as there are some important powers there, but, and I'm aiming this at fortunatas really, the attacks from your original sets can still be good! For example, lunge is still the best ST attack available for a fortunata, and poison dart is better than the Fortunata T1 attacks. With Crabs and Banes I think you get redraw, but I've read that Fortunatas don't put their claws away for psi.
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Both SoA's (Soldiers and Widows) come with the Conditioning Inherent. This is a combination regeneration (health recovery) and recovery (endurance recovery) bonus - increasing the base numbers for the AT.
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are you sure about this? I thought it was +regen and an end discount for all your powers rather than +regen +recov.
"god, how many devs did hami have to sleep with to get ED?"
Total Cat @Stagefright
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Both SoA's (Soldiers and Widows) come with the Conditioning Inherent. This is a combination regeneration (health recovery) and recovery (endurance recovery) bonus - increasing the base numbers for the AT.
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are you sure about this? I thought it was +regen and an end discount for all your powers rather than +regen +recov.
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Increase of base recovery. 1.75/second instead of 1.67/second. Might be a endurance discount factored into the powers as well, but no real way of measuring that benefit since only SoA's get the SoA powers
Okay, here's the revised guide (more comments on this version please!)...
MZ's Game of Two Halves: A Soldiers of Arachnos Primer
So, you've got your Mastermind (or lesser Villain AT!) to level 50 and you've unlocked the Soldiers of Arachnos! Congratulations, you're on your way to possibly the most confusing way of levelling a character ouside of a Kheldian.
This guide is not a build guide, or a powers comment guide. This is a general overview of the SoA AT's (Soldiers and Widows) so you can find out what you will be experiencing with their unique features.
Costume Sets and Slots
The first difference with the SoA AT's is the sub-costume creator. At character creation, you will be locked out from the regular costume creator and only be able to use custom built NPC parts to build your Soldier or Arachnos costume.
Your customisation is limited to only a few options, some of which are recolourable.
This will be the only slot where you can make use of the custom SoA Costume Creator. All your additional costume slots will be made using the standard costume pieces available to all.
The only notable exceptions to this is any Arachnos Soldier that chooses the Crab Spider track - they will be forced to have a Crab Spider Backpack on all costumes.
Soldiers of Arachnos also get early access to their second costume slot - at level 10, your SoA contact will send you on a mission to the Facemaker in Cap Au Diable that will open up your second slot.
Powersets and Tracks
You may spot something odd about the powerlistings when you're creating a SoA AT. There's not just one primary and one secondary powerset. In fact, you'll see three primaries and three secondaries.
At character creation you will only have access to the first primary and first secondary powersets. As you level pre-L24 you will only have access to these sets.
The pre-24 primary sets are Arachnos Soldier (for Soldiers) and Widow Training (for Widows). The pre-24 secondary sets are Traning and Gadgets (for Soldiers) and Teamwork (for Widows).
At L24 you will have the option to choose your first "Track". This means Soldiers choose between Crab and Bane, and Widows choose between Night Widow and Fortunata. Each of these tracks have their own primary and secondary set - the other two you see at creation/on the powers list.
You will be forced to respecify your powers when levelling with an Arbiter at L24 - at this point all three powersets will be unlocked. Make sure your allies are aware and give you some time to do so! The two sets of track powersets are mutually exclusive - once you choose a power from one of the track specific primaries or secondaries it will lock you out of the others. You will be able to select powers from the original Widow/Soldier primaries and secondaries irrespective of track chosen - useful to round out your build.
This is not a permanent lock out like Patron Powers - you will be able to change your track any time you respec in future.
Powers Overview
Finally, a brief overview of some of the key powers of the SoA AT's. This does not discuss the specific powers, but more looks at the theme and style of them.
Inherent: Conditioning
Both SoA's (Soldiers and Widows) come with the Conditioning Inherent. This is a combination regeneration (health recovery) and recovery (endurance recovery) bonus - increasing the base numbers for the AT.
Arachnos Soldier/Training and Gadgets
The primary powerset focuses around the use of a rifle, much like the Assault Rifle powerset for Corruptors. It has a mix of ranged attacks, a couple of melee attacks and some mezzes. The secondary set is mainly based around team buffs akin to the "Leadership Pool" with additional auto self buffs (including some mez protection at L1) and a pet summon.
Arachnos Widow/Widow Training
The primary set is focused around the use of Widow Claws - a mix of melee attacks, a couple of ranged powers and some self buffs. The secondary set is mainly based around team buffs akin to the "Leadership Pool" with additional auto self buffs (including a mez protection toggle at L10).
Crab Spider Track
The primary powerset is based around powers firing from the Crab Spider Backback - a mix of ranged and melee attacks culminating in a summonable "nuke" attack. This set also has the Aim power. The matching secondary gives some improved resistances, a Dull Pain clone, and a pet summons
Bane Spider Track
The primary powerset is based around the Bane Mace - a mix of melee and ranged attacks along with the Placate power. This set also has the Buildup power. The secondary gives access to improved resitances, a Stealth power (with critical hit capability), a debuff and a hold.
Night Widow Track
The primary for this track adds far better melees, some psionic attacks and an AoE blind power in Smoke Bomb (much like the NPC Widows). The secondary adds stealth (with critical hit capability), some superior ally buffs, a lightning reflexes clone and Elude.
Fortunata Track
The primary grants a mix of psionic blasts, mind control powers and is very AoE orientated. The secondary gives access to stealth (with critical hit capability), some superior ally buffs, a lightning reflexes clone and Aura of Confusion.
New section for the beginning...
Epics in the CoX Game
In the "City of" series of games an Epic Archetype is not designed as an "uber" build, but rather a versatile one. Much like the Kheldian Hero Epics, the Soldiers of Arachnos Villain Epics can fulfill a variety of team roles (though the roles between the two sets do differ).
Epic AT's are designed as an integrated part of the storyline - having a custom storyline only available to their AT (unlike the rest of the game content). For instance, no Soldier of Arachnos begins in Breakout and instead has a different introduction contact (they can still get the jail Bird badge from the Breakout Ouroboros Flashback mission).
All,
I've started on a bit of a guide for Soldiers of Arachnos and its turning into a bit more work than I expected.
I'm happy to continue and flesh it our further, but only if people think it'd be useful. Here's what I have so far - I'd like some thoughts and comments please!
---
MZ's Game of Two Halves: SoA Primer
So, you've got your Mastermind (or lesser Villain AT!) to level 50 and you've unlocked the Soldiers of Arachnos! Congratulations, you're on your way to possibly the most confusing way of levelling a character ouside of a Kheldian.
This guide is not a build guide, or a powers comment guide. This is a general overview of the SoA AT's (Soldiers and Widows) so you can find out what you will be experiencing with their unique features.
Costume Sets and Slots
The first difference with the SoA AT's is the sub-costume creator. At character creation, you will be locked out from the regular costume creator and only be able to use custom built NPC parts to build your Soldier or Arachnos costume.
Your customisation is limited to only a few options, some of which are recolourable.
This will be the only slot where you can make use of the custom SoA Costume Creator. All your additional costume slots will be made using the standard costume pieces available to all.
The only notable exceptions to this is any Arachnos Soldier that chooses the Crab Spider track - they will be forced to have a Crab Spider Backpack on all costumes.
Soldiers of Arachnos also get early access to their second costume slot - at level 10, your SoA contact will send you on a mission to the Facemaker in Cap Au Diable that will open up your second slot.
Powersets and Tracks
You may spot something odd about the powerlistings when you're creating a SoA AT. There's not just one primary and one secondary powerset. In fact, you'll see three primaries and three secondaries.
At character creation you will only have access to the first primary and first secondary powersets. As you level pre-L24 you will only have access to these sets.
The pre-24 primary sets are Arachnos Soldier (for Soldiers) and Widow Training (for Widows). The pre-24 secondary sets are Traning and Gadgets (for Soldiers) and Teamwork (for Widows).
At L24 you will have the option to choose your first "Track". This means Soldiers choose between Crab and Bane, and Widows choose between Night Widow and Fortunata. Each of these tracks have their own primary and secondary set - the other two you see at creation/on the powers list.
You will be forced to respecify your powers at L24 - at this point all three powersets will be unlocked. Well, until you choose a power from one of the track specific primaries or secondaries at which point it will lock you out of the others.
This is not a permanent lock out like Patron Powers - you will be able to change your track any time you respec in future.
Powers Overview
Finally, a brief overview of some of the key powers of the SoA AT's. This does not discuss the specific powers, but more looks at the theme and style of them.
Inherent: Conditioning
Both SoA's (Soldiers and Widows) come with the Conditioning Inherent. This is a combination regeneration (health recovery) and recovery (endurance recovery) bonus - increasing the base numbers for the AT.
Arachnos Soldier/Training and Gadgets
The primary powerset focuses around the use of a rifle, much like the Assault Rifle powerset for Corruptors. It has a mix of ranged attacks, a couple of melee attacks and some mezzes. The secondary set is mainly based around team buffs akin to the "Leadership Pool" with additional auto self buffs (including some mez protection at L1) and a pet summon.
Arachnos Widow/Widow Training
The primary set is focused around the use of Widow Claws - a mix of melee attacks, a couple of ranged powers and some self buffs. The secondary set is mainly based around team buffs akin to the "Leadership Pool" with additional auto self buffs (including a mez protection toggle at L10).
Crab Spider Track
The primary powerset is based around powers firing from the Crab Spider Backback - a mix of ranged and melee attacks culminating in a summonable "nuke" attack. This set also has the Aim power. The matching secondary gives some improved resistances, a Dull Pain clone, and a pet summons
Bane Spider Track
The primary powerset is based around the Bane Mace - a mix of melee and ranged attacks along with the Placate power. This set also has the Buildup power. The secondary gives access to improved resitances, a Stealth power, a debuff and a hold.
Night Widow Track
The primary powerset is based around further claw attacks. The secondary gives access to x
Fortunata Track
The primary powerset is based around a mix of psionic damage and mez powers. The secondary gives access to x