The Super Rough Archetype Guide for New Players v1.0
By
Black_Marrow,
Posted on: 2011-09-02 12:22 in Player Guides
So what are the Archetypes?
Alright, time to get to the meat of this guide.
In total, there are 14 archetypes in all.
Basic Archetypes are available to everyone, regardless of VIP Status or Reward Tier. They can also begin in any of the three starting zones (Atlas Park, Mercy Island, or Nova Praetoria).
The Basic Archetypes are:
Premium Archetypes are available to VIPs, Premium Players who have reached Reward Tier 5, or those who purchase them in the Paragon Market. Like Basic Archetypes, they may be started in any of the three starter zones.
(Atlas Park, Mercy Island, or Nova Praetoria, just in case you forgot.)
The Premium Archetypes are:
- Controller
- Mastermind
Epic Archetypes are the odd ducks in the system. These archetypes are only available to VIPs, or those who purchase them in the Paragon Market. An Epic Archetype is a character with a strong connection to the City of Heroes universe(s). They are limited in their power selections, but have access to story arcs that no other archetype has access to.
Unlike the other Archetypes, however, Epic Archetypes must begin on a specific side.
The Heroic Epic Archetypes are collectively referred to as Kheldians; symbiotic energy beings embroiled in an ancient war, who grant those they merge with incredible power. Kheldians begin in Atlas Park.
The Kheldian Archetypes are:
- Peacebringer
- Warshade
The Villainous Epic Archetypes are collectively referred to as Soldiers of Arachnos; the former minions of Lord Recluse who combine advanced training with boundless ambition to become Supervillains (or Heroes) in their own right.
Soldiers of Arachnos begin on Mercy Island.
The Arachnos archetypes are:
- Arachnos Soldier
- Arachnos Widow
Before We Begin: A Glossary of Vital Terms
Mez: Short for Mesmerize. A Mez is any effect which hinders a target's ability to act. Mezzes come in two forms.Aggro: Short for "Aggression", Aggro represents a computer controlled enemy's desire to send you to the Hospital. To "Hold Aggro" is to keep enemy attention on you.
- Hard Control: A Mez which prevents a target from acting entirely.
- Soft Control: A mez which allows the target to act in a limited way, or which can be broken by being hit by a subsequent effect.
Power Pool: Special tertiary powers available at level 4. Power Pools allow you to choose powers that supplement your character concept and playstyle.
Epic Pool Also known as Ancillary or Patron pools. Epic Power Pools are special powers made available at level 35. They are more powerful than normal pool powers, and are designed to grant abilities not normally related to your archetype.
Incarnate: VIPs who reach level 50 may enter the Incarnate System. By completing Incarnate Content, level 50 characters can craft powerful abilities they might not normally have access to, like controllable pets or AOE Buffs.
Slotting: Enhancement Slotting. CoH's version of equipment, how you slot your powers determines their effectiveness. Certain Enhancements (Invention Origin, and Store Bought Enhancements) offer additional benefits.
Invention Origin Enhancements: Enhancements crafted through the Invention System. VIPs and Players who have reached Reward Tier 7 have automatic access to the Invention System. Premium Players below Tier 7 may purchase a 30 day access pass to the Invention System. Invention Origin Enhancements are the most powerful kind of enhancement, and offer powerful bonuses when multiple IOs from the same set are slotted in a power.
Hit Points: The green bar on your UI. Hit Points or HP represent the amount of damage you can take before being defeated. The higher your hit points, the more punishment you can withstand. Characters recover hit points at a constant rate due to their Regeneration value. The inherent power Health can boost your health regeneration.
Endurance: The blue bar on your UI. Similar to Mana or MP in other RPGs. Each power you use costs a bit of endurance. If your endurance runs out, your powers shut down. Endurance Costs can be reduced with "End. Reduction" buffs, and endurance is recovered at a rate determined by your "Recovery" Value. The Inherent power "Stamina" can boost your Endurance Recovery.
And now! The Archetypes:
All Archetype Attributes are given a ranking 1 through 5.
5 means the Archetype is the best there is at that particular aspect of gameplay.
4 means the Archetype is very good at that aspect of gameplay, and can stand alongside those with a ranking of 5 in all but the most extreme situations.
3 means the archetype is good at this aspect of gameplay, but not particularly good. There may be a better choice for you if you want to focus on this aspect.
2 means the archetype is bad at this particular aspect of gameplay. An Archetype with a 2 in an attribute isn't designed to excel at that aspect without a lot of work.
1 means an archetype either lacks the ability to contribute to that aspect of gameplay without pool powers, or they're simply weaker than the other archetypes in that regard.
Blaster
The best defense is a good offense.
Primary: Ranged Damage
Secondary: Mixed Offense
Inherent: Defiance
If you're familiar with gaming, you might have heard of the term Glass Cannon. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a glass cannon is a character with a massive offensive output, but minimal defense. If you understand that term, you're pretty much 3/4th of the way to understanding the Blaster.
Blasters have a blend of face melting ranged attacks, hard hitting melee attacks, mixed buffs that can pump their damage output even higher, and the occasional soft control power.
Blasters have the highest damage output of any Archetype, and are capable of (quite literally, in some cases) RAINING DEATH UPON THEIR FOES. Anything in front of a blaster won't last very long. Period.
However, Blasters lack a means of defending themselves. Blasters instead rely on the concept of Active Defense. Rather than relying on the passive abilities of their powers to survive, a blaster has to individually freeze, fry, puncture, melt, or irradiate every single threat to their person. As a result, Blasters tend to die more often than other archetypes.
The Blaster inherent is Defiance. This allows you to continue to use your first two primary powers, as well as your first secondary power, even while mezzed. This means the first two primary powers on the list, not the first two primary powers that you choose. In addition, Blasters have a stacking damage buff built into each power. As long as you keep attacking, your attacks will do more and more damage!
Blaster Breakdown
- Survivability: 1. Blasters can be made durable, but it takes a considerable amount of work. Expect to be defeated often early on.
- Melee Damage: 4. A blaster is just as good as dealing death up close as they are from a distance, though their lack of durability hurts them a bit in this regard.
- Ranged Damage: 5 Blasters are the masters of ranged damage, and work best when raining death upon their foes from a distance.
- Crowd Control: 1. For a Blaster, defeat is the ultimate form of crowd control. They lack the more powerful controls of the other ranged classes.
- Support: 2. Blasters have some debuffs in their attacks, and may have some support powers from pools or Incarnate Abilities later in the game, but they're primarily a pure damage dealing Archetype.
- Pets: 1. Again, Blasters can pick up pets late in the game, but they aren't typically known for having them.
The Blaster Archetype is best suited to gunslingers, energy projectors, and other characters who are known more for sheer firepower than durability.
Brute
You wouldn't like me when I'm angry...
Primary: Melee Damage
Secondary: Defense
Inherent: Fury
Have you ever wanted to play an unstoppable engine of destruction? You know, the one who can rip cars apart with their bare hands? You know the one. The big, hulking green guy in comics who can punch through steel walls. And no matter how hard the army tries to stop him, all they can do is make him more angry...
That's the Brute in a nutshell.
A Brute's job is pretty simple: Hit stuff hard, and outlive the stuff you're hitting. As a result, they're good at pumping out damage, and surviving it. Before Tankers were allowed in the Rogue Isles, many a Brute was the designated meatshield for their villainous co-patriots. Today, Brutes are just as likely to fill the Tank Role as the actual Tanker archetype.
A fresh Brute (or BROOOOOT, as some people like to shout when diving face first into a pile of Freakshow) is slightly tougher than a scrapper out of the gate. However, with smart power choices and good slotting, you can rival tanks in terms of toughness.
Brutes are often hyped as having THE HIGHEST DAMAGE CAP IN THE GAME OMG. This is true. As a Brute, you enjoy immense strength, and perhaps the ability to launch Hellions into low earth orbit with your fist. However, your base damage is actually fairly low. To get those deliciously high orange numbers popping up, you need to build Fury.
Brutes have a third bar on their UI, under their endurance bar, that fills up as they fight. This is their fury bar. Every time they launch an attack, or are targeted by an attack, this bar fills up a bit. The higher the bar, the more damage it can pump out. As a result, a Brute will typically want as much enemy attention as it can survive. To help them out, the devs have added a small taunt effect to each of their attacks. This taunt is weaker than the Tanker Inherent, as it only affects one target at a time, and doesn't trigger in PVP. It does help keep people focused on hitting you, however. Assuming a Tanker isn't around, that is.
When you play a Brute, your first instinct is to rush from spawn to spawn, keeping that fury bar nice and high. While this is possible on higher level teams, it's best to play a bit more conservatively at the lower levels, until you and your teammates are capable of handling multiple spawns without rest.
When gathering enemy attention, it's also a good idea to share aggro with the other designated meatshields on your team. A character in City of Heroes can only hold the attention of so many enemies at once. Other enemies will either just stand around (if you're alone), or peel off and start attacking another target. If you're not holding the boss's aggro, try to focus on harvesting DELICIOUS FURY from the minions instead by keeping them from eating the Blaster. It's good for you, and for your blaster.
Brute Breakdown
- Survivability: 4 Brutes are almost as durable as tanks, though they get defensive powers at a slower rate.
- Melee Damage: 4. Brutes with enough
Fury are unstoppable engines of destruction, though they lack the consistency of some other melee archetypes. - Ranged Damage: 1. A Brute does have access to some range, depending on pool selections, but they do most of their work up close.
- Crowd Control: 3. A Brute is designed to be a center of attention. Though they aren't as good at taunting as the Tanker, they can still hold aggro with the best of them.
- Support: 2. Brutes are a very self sufficient Archetype, and their powers are mostly focused on self improvement over amplifying the power of a team.
- Pets: 1. Brutes don't typically have many pets, unless they're a Stone Armor Brute and have a Kinetics Defender on a leash or something. They can get pets through temporary powers, Paragon Rewards, and late game content, however.
The Brute Archetype is best for strong, tough characters capable of outputting immense melee damage.
Defender
Let's see how we can turn this fight in our favor...
Primary: Support
Secondary: Ranged Damage
Inherent: Vigilance
Defenders are City of Heroes's support archetype. But, as any Defender worth their salt is quick to tell you: THEY ARE NOT HEALERS.
A common mistake for a new defender is to choose a heal heavy set (like empathy), and just take the powers that restore HP.
...And nothing else.
Eventually they might take the Medicine Pool as well, and then... Well, there's a lot of pointing and laughing and ineffectual teaming and then someone starts crying and it's all very sad.
So let's set the record straight right now!
A Defender can heal. In fact, if you enjoy healing, then I would heartily recommend the Defender Archetype to you.
However, they don't just heal. A Defenders powers are focused on boosting a team's performance.
Healing is useful, but it's not always needed. Why is that? Let's ask the magic rectangle of knowledge!
Quote:
Thank you, magic rectangle of knowledge!|
Originally Posted by Regeneration And You
All characters possess a value called Regeneration, which determines their rate of Hit Point recovery. In City of Heroes, your regeneration continues to work, even while in combat. Characters with particularly high regeneration rates (Like characters with the Regeneration and Willpower defensive sets) can actually recover damage at a faster rate than it is dealt to them!
|
The fact that all characters are recovering health at all times changes the game considerably for certain powersets. While some support powersets (like Empathy, and Pain Domination) do have a focus on repairing damage, the vast majority are focused on mitigation. These characters focus instead on ensuring that the team will take less damage, either by reducing the damage enemies can output, boosting the survivability of the team, or boost the team's damage to a point where enemies don't survive long enough to deal significant damage. Even powersets with multiple healing powers have powers designed with mitigation in mind. By reducing the damage the team takes, contributing to the damage with your powers, and firing off the occasional heal, you can vastly improve your team's survivability.
Depending on the powerset you choose, a Defender will play considerably differently. Some sets, like Force Field, are fire and go. Pop the buffs on your allies and the proceed with the blasting.
Others, like Trick Arrow, are more twitch based, and require you to mix buff and debuff powers in with your other powers.
But many of them, like Cold Domination, are a blend of buffs, toggles, and enemy debuffs in various forms. Defenders enjoy the highest numbers for their support powers, and generally make all around good force multipliers for a team.
Of course, one cannot neglect the power of a Defender's secondary powers. Defenders have lower damage than Blasters or Corruptors. However, the secondary effects built into their blast powers tend to be more powerful to compensate. For a defender, your blasts are just as much of a support tool as your primary.
The Defender Inherent is Vigilance, which was recently given a make over. Vigilance is an inverted Damage/Endurance Reduction Buff designed to represent a Defender's ability to handle almost any given situation. When solo, the Defender is given a fairly good damage buff. However, for each member who joins the Defender's team, that damage buff decreases. In it's place is a stacking Endurance Reduction buff, which allows a Defender to use more powers for less endurance.
A Defender on a team will deal less damage than a solo defender, but will be able to use more powers without resting. Pretty cool, huh?
Defender Breakdown
- Survivability: 3. Defenders are surprisingly tough, thanks in no small part to their powerful support abilities.
- Melee Damage: 1. Defenders aren't so big on the punching. If a defender is in melee, they typically just fire at point blank.
- Ranged Damage: 3 A Defender isn't as powerful as a Corruptor or Blaster, but they're capable of dealing fairly decent damage. A defender relies heavily on their primary to help boost their damage output, however.
- Crowd Control: 2. Defenders aren't known for locking down enemies, but they do have a few powerful tools for manipulating the flow of battle.
- Support: 5. Defenders are the masters of support, and thrive in team based situations. If you play a defender, teams will love you long time.
- Pets: 1. Defenders just aren't a pet AT.
The Defender archetype is best suited for characters whose powers are more focused on defending others than causing harm.
Corruptor
The forces of this world are mine to command!
Primary: Ranged Damage
Secondary: Support
Inherent: Scourge
Corruptors are somewhat like the Defender's "Evil Twin". They also have access to the Defender's support abilities. However, their primary focus is on damage. For a Corruptor, the power of their support abilities is just as much of a force multiplier to themselves as to their team.
As a Corruptor, you're expected to both contribute significantly to the team's damage, and help support the team with buffs and debuffs. At the same time.
Don't panic! It's not that hard! Corruptors are a great way to get into the whole support game. As you play them, you'll find that mixing your primary and secondary powers becomes fairly intuitive. Not only that, but you'll find that your secondary powers make your primary that much better. If you've never played a support archetype before, Corruptors are a great place to start.
I heartily recommend that any budding Corruptors read "Silas Plays Support and So Can You!", as it's a great consolidated guide to the Corruptor secondaries. It's also awesome.
The Corruptor inherent is Scourge. This is a scaling chance to deal double damage based on the enemies current health. The lower the enemy's health, the greater the crit chance. It's perfect for finishing off enemies quickly, and pops up a nice SCOURGE! message when it procs.
Corruptor Breakdown
- Survivability: 2.5. Corruptors are less squishy than Blasters, but their lower support values make them a bit more squishy that defenders.
- Melee Damage: 1. Corruptors don't really get melee damage powers outside of optional power pool picks. If you're in melee, you're better off using your ranged powers at point blank range. They work just as well.
- Ranged Damage: 4. Corruptors don't have the benefit of defiance, so they don't do as much damage as Blasters. However, their powerful secondary abilities more than make up for the loss in firepower.
- Crowd Control: 2. Corruptors have access to a few fairly powerful crowd control abilities, and some secondaries are better at crowd control than others. It isn't their focus, however.
- Support: 4. Corruptors aren't quite as powerful as defenders in terms of sheer numbers, but they make versatile support characters in their own right.
- Pets: 1. Corruptors don't have many pets to speak of.
The Corruptor archetype is best for characters who blend ranged firepower with moderate durability, or for a character whose powers lend themselves equally to helping and harming.
Scrapper
Ten against one? Those are my kind of odds!
Primary: Melee Damage
Secondary: Defense
Inherent: Critical Hit
Scrappers are one of the most popular archetype in City of Heroes. In fact, according to this sexy infographic, they're also the most popular level 50 archetype. This is for a very good reason.
You know how in a kung fu movie, the hero will saunter into a room full of bad guys, and proceed to wipe the floor with them while barely breaking a sweat? That's what a Scrapper does. They hit things. Hard.
Really hard.
Really Really Really Hard
Thematically, they tend to focus more on finesse than their Brutish counterparts, but that doesn't mean they can't regularly out damage them.
Scrappers are the masters of melee. They rip through spawns like a... thing that rips through spawns.
And as for survivability? They definitely aren't slacking in that department. A Scrapper is a tough fellow, though they're less durable than Tankers and Brutes.
Scrappers are an excellent solo class. When someone plays a scrapper, they tend to enter an almost zen like state where they leap from enemy to enemy, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. While this is fine solo, this "Scrapperlock" doesn't really help your teammates. Still, if you're looking for a self sufficient archetype, a Scrapper is one of your best choices.
The Scrapper Inherent is Critical Hit. Anyone who has played any RPG ever is probably familiar with the concept. Every so often, one of your attacks will "Crit" for double damage. That's all there is to it, really. Some attacks have a higher crit chance than others, but that depends on the individual power.
Scrapper Breakdown
- Survivability: 3.5. Scrappers are scrappy; a fact which surprises no one. Don't expect to tank, however.
- Melee Damage: 5. Scrappers have high damage from the get go, and lack the setup phases required of Brutes and Stalkers. As a result, they deal consistently high damage.
- Ranged Damage: 1. Scrappers can get a few ranged attacks, but hit and run tactics really hurt them.
- Crowd Control: 2. Scrappers have a single target taunt, and might have some soft controls built into their attacks, but they aren't designed for holding aggro.
- Support: 1. Some Scrappers have been known to forget their team is even there. They're a very self-focused archetype.
- Pets: 1. Like many other classes, the Scrapper doesn't get many pets.
The Scrapper archetype is best suited for characters skilled in hand to hand combat, who aren't quite as focused on durability. Did I mention they're good at soloing?
Stalker
By the time you see me, it's already too late...
Primary: Melee Damage
Secondary: Defense
Inherent: Assassination, Assassin's Focus
I am vengeance. I am the night. I am... A STALKER!
Stalkers are stealthy assassins. Agile Ninjas. Cyborgs with cloaking devices. Nocturnal Flying Mammal Themed Men. That sort of thing.
They play a lot like Scrappers, in that they're focused heavily on melee damage. However, they are an Archetype defined by their Inherents, which actually shapes their powers in a few ways.
All level one Stalkers start play with a power called [Hide]. This is the first power in their secondary pool, and one that is vital to their career as a Stalker. This power grants them incredible stealth. So much stealth, in fact, that you can walk up to most enemies and dance in their faces without them so much as blinking. This hide power is important, as your inherent ability, Assassination, grants you the ability to land a guaranteed critical hit from a hidden state.
That's right. If you attack while hidden, you will land a crit. 100% chance. No question about it. Outside of hide, when playing PVE content, your chance to crit is roughly on par with a Scrapper.
Stalkers also have access to a special power called an [Assassin's Strike]. This is the power that makes a Stalker, and it operates differently depending on whether or not you're hidden. If you're hidden, Assassin's Strike becomes a close-range snipe attack. Your invisibility allows you to aim for an enemy's soft and squishy bits before doing horrible, violent, T-rated things to them. An Assassin's Strike from stealth is one of the single most damaging attacks in the game. It will kill pretty much anything weaker than a Boss in one hit, unless that enemy is several levels higher than you. It also has the side effect of Terrorizing any enemies in range, forcing them to cower in terror because you just emerged from the shadows to ki- er... Arrest, someone.
However, using Assassin's Strike from hide has it's costs. It takes some time to activate, and if you move, are targeted by certain friendly abilities, or are discovered, the animation for the attack resets.
Outside of hide, Assassin's Strike functions a bit differently. It's still one of your most powerful attacks, capable of inflicting large amounts of damage. It's a much faster attack, and it can't be interrupted like it can from Hide. However, it lacks the terrorize component, and it's damage isn't anywhere as near as powerful as what you can get from hide. To make up for this, Stalkers get a second inherent called [Assassin's Focus]. Every time a Stalker makes an attack that isn't an Assassin's Strike, they have a chance to gain a stack of focus. These stacks last for 10 seconds, and increase the critical chance of Assassin's Strike by 33.3% for each stack. Powers on longer timers are more likely to grant a stack, and the maximum number of stacks you can have at any given time is three. A critical Assassin's Strike isn't quite as powerful as one from Hide, but the massive amount of damage you can do is still quite impressive.
Stalkers also have access to a [Placate] power. This power not only makes an enemy stop hitting you, it also makes you invisible again, giving you a chance for a free crit.
The downside to this, of course, is that you're less durable than melee archetypes. This has gotten much better lately, with buffs to the Stalker's Hit Points, and the modern Stalker is more resilient than ever. However, you lack the tools to manage aggro. In fact, having aggro is the exact opposite of where you want to be. Stalkers do their best work from the shadows, after all. In addition, the game has a few issues related to Stealth. Your invisibility applies to friendly NPCs, and ambushes can see through your stealth like it wasn't even there.
Stalkers, therefore, play a lot like Scrappers. If you're playing a Stalker, don't get caught up with landing an Assassin's Strike from hide all the time. It's an extremely powerful tool if you have the chance to use it, but it shouldn't be your only tool. It's most effective use while on a team is to remove certain "problem" enemies like Malta Sappers or Mu Mystics from play before the fight begins. When you aren't taking out threats to your team, use your normal melee attacks to build up Focus before letting loose with an Unstealthed Assassin's Strike to put the hurt on an enemy. You have a 100% chance at landing a crit while hidden, so use powers that restore Hidden status to your advantage. Placate can be used as a one-two punch to land a guaranteed critical with some of your more powerful attacks.
Finally, if there's a mission or group of enemies you just don't want to deal with, there's a strong chance that you can just ignore them! It's great for speeding through Radio Missions.
Stalker Breakdown
- Survivability: 3.5. You've got armor powers and stealth, so you're better off than a lot of other Archetypes. You're no tank, however. Your ability to completely avoid problem encounters certainly helps while soloing, though.
- Melee Damage: 5. Stalkers are on par with scrappers in terms of melee damage, with a properly executed Assassin's Strike being one of the deadliest single target attacks in the game.
- Ranged Damage: 1. Stalkers and range aren't the best of friends.
- Crowd Control: 1. Stalkers cannot hold aggro at all. The terrorize effect from an Assassin's Strike is powerful, but it's fairly difficult to set up. Placate, on the other hand, actually forces aggro upon someone else!
- Support: 1.5. Stalkers thrive in solo play. However, their ability to stealth missions makes them a valuable asset for certain content. They're also great for removing certain enemies from the playing field almost immediately, but only in niche cases.
- Pets: 1. Stalkers are actually hindered by pets in some cases, as a highly visible robot following you around is counter-intuitive to the idea of Stealthy Assassin. Still, they have use in team content. Pick them up from an Epic Pool or Incarnate content.
The Stalker Archetype is recommended for stealthy characters, like ninjas, or infiltration specialists.
Tanker
Was that supposed to hurt?
Primary: Defense
Secondary: Melee Damage
A Tanker, contrary to what you may think, does not transport fuel from location to location.
...Unless they really want to, I guess.
What they can do, however, is take a nuclear missile to the FACE and then laugh it off. Tankers are by far the toughest archetype, even at lower levels. No matter what you throw at them, they Just. Keep. GOING.
However, out of all the melee archetypes, they have the lowest attack power. They don't have the Fury of a Brute, or the Critical Hits of a Scrapper or Stalker, so they give off an impression of being rather slow to take down foes.
What Tankers excel at, however, is tanking. It's in their name, after all.
Tankers have loads of powers designed to get enemy attention, and to keep it on them. Not the least of which is their Inherent, Gauntlet.
Gauntlet is actually built into each Tanker attack. Every time a Tanker throws an attack, he sends out a taunt aura. When enemies are affected by this aura, they turn their attention to the Tanker. This helps the Tanker build "Aggro", or enemy aggression. Tankers also have access to a Damage Resistance debuff in their first two attacks, called Bruising, which allows them to do slightly more damage to that foe.
Tanker Breakdown
- Survivability: 5. Tankers are practically indestructible at higher levels, unless they run into irresistable damage or a damage type they're not equipped to handle.
- Melee Damage: 3. Tankers can do fairly good melee damage, but it's still the lowest of any melee archetype.
- Ranged Damage: 1. Tankers are in the same boat as the other melee archetypes. Range is something they get late in the game.
- Crowd Control: 4. Tankers are designed to hold aggro, after all, and a skilled tanker tends to control the battlefield.
- Support: 2. Tankers don't have many dedicated support powers, but their ability to take damage to the FACE helps teams enough.
- Pets: 1. Tankers aren't a pet AT.
Tankers are best suited for nigh indestructible characters, or those who can shrug off massive amounts of damage.
Dominator
You will bow before me!
Primary: Control
Secondary: Mixed Offense
Inherent: Domination
There is an apt comparison about the two crowd control classes in City of Heroes; "If Controllers use their powers to manipulate the flow of battle, Dominators use their powers to tie the battle to a chair and beat it with a lead pipe until it gives up."
Dominators excel at two things.
- Locking an enemy down.
- Pummeling it to death.
They are very good at both of those things. A Dominator's primary powers focus mostly on keeping the enemy from murdering them and feasting on their squishy corpse. Holds, immobilizes, sleeps, confuses, fears, knockdown, endurance drain... if it can keep an enemy from acting, a Dominator can do it.
A Dominator's secondary powers are focused more on the hurting. They gain a mix of Ranged and Melee powers designed to make bad guys (or good guys, or morally ambiguous guys) cry. Bolts of lightning, giant hammers made of stone, swords made of fire... It's an eclectic blend, but a good one.
Every time a Dominator uses a power that targets a foe, a bar on their UI fills up. This is part of their Inherent, Domination. Once this bar reaches 90% or higher, they can enter Domination Mode. In this mode, they instantly regain all endurance, and their holds gain a significant power boost. Holds against minions and lieutenants will last longer, while bosses and even certain elite bosses can be held in a single click.
Dominators are unique in that their Inherent is an actual, clickable power. It has a recharge and appears on the power tray. As a result, many Dominators strive for a legendary "Perma-Dom" build, which allows them to maintain this incredibly powerful buff indefinitely. As a result, Dominators can actually have some of the most powerful controls in the game!
Dominators are the only Basic Archetype with consistent access to pets. Each Dominator Primary with the exception of Mind Control has a permanent pet at level 32. These pets are not controllable, but tend to be fairly well behaved.
Mind Control does not get a pet, instead, it relies upon confusion powers to turn enemies into disposable allies. Keep that in mind when creating a Dominator.
Dominator Breakdown
- Survivability: 2. Dominators are very, very squishy, but make up for it with their powerful controls. You can't die if nothing is attacking.
- Melee Damage: 3. Dominators have fairly powerful melee attacks in their secondary, and are just as comfortable as smashing faces in up close as they are melting them from afar.
- Ranged Damage: 3.5. Dominators typically have some blasts as part of their secondary, and have additional range in many of their primary powers,
- Crowd Control: 5. Dominators, with help from their inherent, can lock down nearly anything with relative ease. They also have the ability to consistently boost their control powers with the legendary Perma-Dom Build.
- Support: 2. Crowd Control functions as a fairly good form of support, and many of their powers have a debuff component. But all in all, they're not really a support Archetype.
- Pets: 3. OMG FINALLY. Dominators do get pets. Good pets. Pets that will run around and kill things for you. You lack direct control of them, and you get them fairly late in the game, but you do get them before any other Basic Archetype.
The Dominator Archetype is best suited for characters whose powers can hinder a foe while still doing powerful damage.
Controllers
Going somewhere? I didn't think so.
Primary: Control
Secondary: Support
Inherent: Containment.
Controllers are one of the two Premium Archetypes. If you're a brand new player of City of Heroes, and aren't currently subscribed, chances are you won't have access to this Archetype.
This is a good thing, however, as Controllers are actually one of the more difficult Archetypes to play.
Unlike every other Archetype, a Controller lacks a direct means of offense. Their primary focuses mainly on locking down enemies, and their secondary powers are drawn from the same pools as Defenders and Corruptors. This is because a Controller isn't designed to be an offensive role.
Controllers manipulate the flow of battle, by removing select foes from combat, and using powerful buffs and debuffs. Rather than serving as a frontline combatant, the Controller moves with the battlefield, reacting to changes as they see fit. They might toss a confuse on an enemy attacking one of their allies, or throw out an AoE damage buff to turn the fight in their favor. Controllers make a very powerful support class.
...But, I can still hear you complaining. "But they don't have any damage powers! How am I supposed to solo?!"
Well, dear reader, that's where their Inherent comes in. Controllers excel at harming foes who have been locked down. Whenever a Controller attacks a foe under the effect of a control power, they deal double damage. Early on, this power is indispensable for soloing. Once you gain dedicated attack powers from Epic pools, however, it's absolutely monstrous.
Controllers also gain access to pets, like Dominators. Permanent little minions of destruction that will help boost your DPS, and (usually) benefit from your support powers.
Mind Control does not get a pet, instead it relies on confuse powers to turn foes into disposable allies.
Conversely, Illusion Control has multiple pets, though only one can be affected by your support abilities.
Controllers also have a chance to "crit" with their control powers, allowing them to hold more powerful foes with a single hit. This "Overpower" effect rounds out the Controller's repertoire.
Controller Breakdown
- Survivability: 3. Controllers have an advantage over Dominators in the form of support powers, which make their lives much easier.
- Melee Damage: 1. Controllers don't many have melee powers to speak of.
- Ranged Damage: 2. Controllers get powerful ranged abilities later in the game, and most of their controls tend to be ranged, but they're weaker than Defenders, on average.
- Crowd Control: 5. Controller are extremely powerful, and require less investment than those of a Dominator. However, they lack an equivalent to Perma-Dom.
- Support: 4. A Controller is on par with a Corruptor in terms of support numbers.
- Pets: 4. A Controller has access to the same pets as a Dominator, with the added benefit of powerful buffs and debuffs to make them even more effective.
The Controller Archetype is best suited for characters focused more on locking enemies down than beating them up.
Mastermind
Go forth, my minions!
Primary: Pet Summoning
Secondary: Support
Inherent: Supremacy
Masterminds are the other Premium Archetype, and they're also one of the most difficult to master. The rewards of doing so, however, are astronomical.
A Mastermind is a pet archetype. Not like the Controller and Dominator, where you only have a few pets that you get late in the game.
I mean their whole deal is pets. An entire army of pets.
On their own, Masterminds are the weakest of the archetypes. Their attacks deal low damage, and they have incredibly low hit points. It's when they have Henchmen on their side that they really come into their own.
A Mastermind's damage and defense comes in the form of controllable, upgradable pets called Henchmen. These are your own personal army of minions. They will fight for you, they will tank for you, and they will even take damage for you. (More on that later.)
All you have to do is lead them. To do that, you are given a variety of tools. The first is a support powerset. These are the same as those used by the other support classes, with some differences. First and foremost, a Mastermind is more likely to use their support powers on their pets than on their allies. You can also use more of your powers solo, as you have a nice big group of minions to cast them on. In some cases, your powers might have tweaked ranges, or even completely different effects designed for Mastermind use.
The next tool you have at your disposal is the ability to upgrade pets. As you level, you gain powers that can be used to make your pets better. Stronger, tougher, cooler looking. These unlock new powers for your vicious little darlings to use.
Finally, Masterminds have a powerful Inherent in Supremacy. Whenever a Mastermind is nearby, all of their Henchmen gain a buff to damage and To Hit. Supremacy also has another useful feature: When a Henchmen next to bodyguard mode is in range of a Mastermind who takes damage, that Henchman will absorb some of the damage for you. All of this combined makes for an archetype that's even more self sufficient than a Scrapper, if a bit tough to play.
There is a small subschool of Masterminds who prefer not to take pets, focusing instead on their personal attack powers. These Petless Masterminds are extremely difficult to play, but functional. They rely heavily on Invention Origin Enhancements and other outside buffs to be effective, however.
Mastermind Breakdown
- Survivability: 3.5. Masterminds need to work to keep their pets up, but as long as they can manage that, they're golden. Without pets, you'll go down like a wet paper bag.
- Melee Damage: 1. Masterminds aren't big on hitting things themselves, and only one Mastermind set (Demon Summoning) has dedicated melee abilities.
- Ranged Damage: 2. Masterminds have ranged attacks, but these are vastly inferior to the combined power of their pets.
- Crowd Control: 2. A Mastermind's Pets can function as a psuedo tank, but they lag behind Tankers and Brutes.
- Support: 3. Masterminds have powerful support abilities, but tend to be too embroiled in micromanagement to focus that much on the team as a whole.
- Pets: 5. This is the whole point of the class. If you want pets, roll a Mastermind.
Masterminds are best suited toward characters who find power in numbers. Gang leaders, military commanders, necromancers, demon summoners, mad scientists... Even people who are just particularly charismatic.
Peacebringer
I have traveled lightyears in pursuit of justice. I will not allow you to stand in my way.
Primary: Luminous Blast
Secondary: Luminous Aura
Inherents(!): Cosmic Balance, Energy Flight.
Peacebringers are one of the two Heroic Epic Archetypes. Energy beings from a far off world, pursued by the forces of the Coming Storm. Long ago, the Kheldian People faced a schism, where a group of scientifically oriented Kheldians transformed themselves in order to remove what they saw as the weakness of their species. These newly formed "Nictus" fed upon their former brethren, sparking a war that would spread across the cosmos, and which has recently come to Earth.
Peacebringers are "pure" Kheldians who have merged with a willing host. The union of these two beings grants the newly unified being amazing energy powers, including the ability to shapeshift into different forms.
Peacebringers are Jacks of all Trades. They're locked into two power sets, but have far more choices than any of the normal archetypes. They have an exclusive contact in the form of Sunstorm, and are designed to fill multiple holes in a team.
All Kheldians have three forms, which grant them different powers depending on which one they choose. In Human form, a Peacebringer has access to various blast powers, shields, and melee attacks.
Starting at level 6, they can transform into a flying, squid like form known as a Bright Nova. In this form, their powers are replaced with a set of powerful blasts, and you gain bonuses to accuracy and endurance recovery.
At level 20, Peacebringers can become massive, crustacean like creatures called a White Dwarf. In this form, their resistances receive a massive buff, and they gain access to various Tanker-esque powers.
In essence, a Peacebringer can switch from a Melee/Ranged Hybrid, to a Blaster, to a Tank at a whim. Some choose to remain in a single form, while others dance between them with glee. It's really up to your playstyle.
Peacebringers also have access to multiple inherent abilities!
The first Peacebringer Inherent is Cosmic Balance, which reinforces a Peacebringer's role as a Jack of All Trades. Each time someone joins your team, you gain a specific buff designed to fill in the team's weak points.
If a Tanker, Mastermind, Defender, or Corruptor joins your team, you gain a damage buff.
If a Brute, Scrapper, Blaster, or Stalker joins your team, you gain a resistance buff.
If an Epic Archetype joins your team, you gain a Slow Resistance buff.
And if a Dominator or Controller joins your team, you gain resistance to Mez effects.
Peacebringers can also fly from level one, and get an equivalent of Hover for free. Group Fly and Afterburner equivalents are available as power choices. They are forbidden from choosing powers from the Flight and Teleport pools.
Peacebringers also have an enemy in the form of Void Hunters. The Nictus have armed various villains with guns designed specifically for slaying Kheldians. If you're hit by this attack, you take extra damage and are stunned. Keep an eye out for Quantum enemies!
Peacebringer Breakdown
- Survivability: 2.5 as a Human, 1 as a Nova, 4 as a Dwarf. Peacebringers are tough, with multiple shields, a self heal, and and fairly good resistances. They'd easily qualify as a 3 for survivability, except for one major detail: No Status Protection. A Peacebringer in human form needs outside help to avoid mez effects. This can be avoided, however, by switching to Dwarf Form. In addition to being resistant to mez effects, Dwarf Form grants you a fat stack of resistances, massively boosting your survivability when used properly. Nova form, conversely, reduces your defenses significantly.
- Melee Damage: 3 as a Human, 1 as a Nova, 3 as a Dwarf: Peacebringers get a few nice PUNCH attacks that deal decent damage, and just make you feel powerful. Unfortunately, they also send people flying across the room. This tends to annoy people. While in Nova Form, you completely lose any melee capability, though you can still shoot while in melee. Dwarf Form has melee attacks with a satisfying crunch, but they do less damage than those of a Human Form Peacebringer.
- Ranged Damage: 4 as a Human, 4.5 as a Nova, 0 as a Dwarf: Peacebringers deal pretty good ranged damage, boosted even higher with a team. Nova Form places a pretty significant buff on your damage, allowing you to function as a pseudo-blaster. Dwarf Form, however, locks you out of your ranged powers. Unlike a Scrapper, who can gain ranged abilities through temporary powers or Epic Pools, a Dwarf simply doesn't get ranged powers. Fortunately, the powers of your other forms more than make up for that.
- Crowd Control: 3 as a Human, 2 as a Nova, 3 as a Dwarf. Peacebringers have a somewhat maligned form of crowd control, and that's knockback. When played properly, a Peacebringer can bunch enemies together, knock them away from squishy allies, and generally guide the battle in a certain direction. When played improperly, the battlefield quickly becomes a mess of scattered enemies and confused scrappers. Novas work a lot like Human Peacebringers, though their lower survivability and limited power selection reduces their effectiveness. A Dwarf controls the battlefield in much the same way a tank does, by holding aggro. They lack some of the tricks Tankers and Brutes can pick up to control aggro, however.
- Support: 1.5 as Human, 1 as Nova, 2 as Dwarf. Peacebringers have one ally heal, and group fly. Well, and they're designed to fill in gaps in a team, so that is sort of a support role. Novas lack support powers entirely, and Dwarves are about as supportive as tanks. Not really a support class.
- Pets: 1.5 on Humans, 1 as a Nova, 1 as a Dwarf. Human form Peacebringers get one... sort of kind of a pet, but it's really more of an attack. The other forms don't get any. The only way you're getting pets is from Temporary Powers and Incarnate Abilities.
I once turned my back upon my brethren. I won't make that mistake again!
Primary: Umbral Blast
Secondary: Umbral Aura
Inherents: Dark Sustenance, Shadow Step.
Warshades are the other Heroic Epic Archetype. When the Nictus split off from the Kheldian people, some of their ranks had doubts about the tactics of their leaders. A small number of Nictus, disgusted by the evil of their former leaders, joined the Peacebringers in their endless war against the Nictus. These redeemed Nicti are called Warshades, and merge with willing hosts to help protect their new home from their former leaders. However, the temptation of the dark side is never far behind...
Warshades are similar to Peacebringers in many ways. They have access to the Blaster-esque Dark Nova, and the Tanker-Esque Black Dwarf. They also share the Peacebringer's weakness to Quantum attacks.
However, while Peacebringers draw power from their inner light, Warshades drain in from their foes. A Warshade's buffs rely on having enemies to feed off of. They can drain power from their enemies, and turn fallen foes into pets.
The Warshade Inherent is Dark Sustenance. Instead of filling in the holes in the team, a Warshade plays to the team's strength. Tankers and other support classes buff a Warshade's damage resistance. Blasters and other damage dealing classes buff their damage. Epic Archetypes buff slow resistance, and Control classes buff mez resistance, just like a Peacebringer.
Warshades can also Teleport from Level 1. They gain Teleport Friend as an inherent later on, and can choose Teleport Foe and Long Distance Teleport from their Powersets. They are locked out of the Teleportation and Flight pools.
Warshade Breakdown
- Survivability: Survivability: 4 as a Human, 3 as a Nova, 5 as a Dwarf.: Warshades can be a bit squishy early on, but the vampiric nature of their powers grants them an advantage over their shiny counterparts. Two key powers are Stygian Circle and Eclipse. Stygian Circle can almost completely refill a Warshade's health and endurance by draining energy from any nearby defeated foes. Eclipse is the top tier defensive power, and grants a stacking resistance and endurance buff for each nearby foe. If activated in a large group, you can easily hit 85% resistance to all damage, even Toxic and Psionic. This carries over to all forms. Human Form with Eclipse up is hardy, and can refill their bars with a click. Novas are a bit squishier, as they lack any real defensive powers outside of Eclipse, and are vulnerable when it wears off. Dwarves have massive resist bonuses out of the box, and can easy bypass the Scrapper/Stalker resist cap with only SOs. However, they don't get Psionic Resistance without Eclipse.
- Melee Damage: 2.5 as a Human, 1 as a Nova, 3.5 as a Dwarf: Human Form Warshades get two melee range attacks, both at the same level. Not bad, but not really what they're known for. They do decent damage, however. When a Warshade wants to punch something, they get in Dwarf form. Black Dwarves get an ability called Mire, which stacks with the Sunless Mire ability that Human Form Warshades get. This can pump their damage output to fairly respectable levels, especially if you stack the,. It's dependent on available foes, however. Novas still don't have melee attacks.
- Ranged Damage: 4.5 as a Human, 5 as a Nova, 0 as a Dwarf: Again, this is dependent on available foes, but the Sunless Mire ability also works on ranged damage, serving as a massive boost when a clever Warshade stacks them properly. Dwarves lack ranged attacks entirely.
- Crowd Control: 3 for Humans, 2 for Novas, 3 for Dwarves: The main form of crowd control you get are slows, which reduce the speed at which enemies move and attack. It's a fairly simple, fire and forget form of crowd control. In addition, you have access to a few holds and stuns to balance things out. Dwarves can hold aggro like tanks, and Novas take a hit to their score due to limited power selection.
- Support: 3 for Humans, 1 for Novas, 2 for Dwarves: Warshades don't have any ally buffs. What they do have, however, are debuffs out the wazoo. The Wazoo being a unique part of the Kheldian Anatomy. Every Warshade power does something unpleasant to those poor souls who happen to be attacking you. In addition, you get Teleport Friend for free, which teams will love you for.
- Pets: 3 for Humans, 1 for Nova Form, 1 for Dwarf Form: Warshades get pets! Well... a Pet. It's name is Fluffy, and you can pick it up at level 32. The Dark Extraction Power lets you summon a squiggly little minion who will follow you around and melt the faces of your foes. The bad news is that Fluffy requires that you yank him out of a freshly defeated foe, so if you're fighting something that doesn't leave a corpse, like Ghosts or Shivans, you're out of luck. The good news is that you can have multiple pets out at once! Warshades also have access to Incarnate Pets, but not Ancillary Power Pool pets.
Arachnos Soldier
Come on men, stay in formation! We won't let this hero make a fool of Arachnos!
Primary: Mixed Offense
Secondary: Mixed Defense
Inherent: Conditioning
Arachnos Soldiers, or "Spiders" as they're often referred to, are one of the two Villainous Epic Archetypes. For the downtrodden citizens of the Rogue Isles, joining Arachnos may be their only chance at a better life... assuming they can survive the training, of course.
The term "Arachnos Solider" actually represents three separate character builds.
All Arachnos Soldiers begin as Wolf Spiders, the rank and file of Lord Recluse's army. These soldiers are equipped with basic armor, a powerful assault rifle, and the best training Arachnos has to offer. The Wolf Spider is a primarily ranged Archetype, with good defenses.
At level 24, however, all Arachnos Soldiers undergo a Forced Respec as they are sorted into the various Corps of Arachnos Soldiers. You must reselect all your powers from level one. However, new options are made available to you.
Those who wish to continue the path of the Wolf Spider become Huntsmen; the gun toting elite commandos of Lord Recluse's forces. They retain their single target focus, but can also access several of the Bane Spider's powers by selecting their advanced power pools.
Wolf Spiders with Psychic Potential are inducted into the Bane Spider network. Their psychic potential is forced inward, producing an extremely skilled soldier with psychosomatically enhanced abilities. Bane Spiders have access to a powerful Venom Mace, and a cloaking device. Like Stalkers, they also have the ability to deal double damage from a hidden state, and have access to an Executioner's Strike. They lack the Stalker's ability to force a Critical outside of hide, however.
Particularly fierce Wolf Spiders are sent to Grandville to undergo various super-soldier treatments. In addition to boosting their durability, they are also fitted with a spine mounted weapons system. The results of these procedures are the walking siege engine known as Crab Spiders. Crab Spiders are very similar to Wolf Spiders. However, they have stronger defenses and a powerful AoE focus, as well as several pets.
All Arachnos Soldiers have access to a special version of the Leadership pool via their Secondary. These powers can buff the defense, damage, and accuracy of the entire team, and stack with the Power Pool Version! The Defense Buffs, in particular, are among the most powerful in the game. It is easy to cap the defense of an entire team simply by tossing a few Arachnos Soldiers or Widows into it. After all, a Soldier finds strength in numbers.
Arachnos Soldiers are forced to use their first costume slot for a uniform. This slot has access to unique costume pieces based on the Arachnos NPCs seen throughout the game. They get a second slot at level 10, from a mission given by Brick Johnson in Port Oakes. None of their other slots have access to Arachnos themed costume pieces, however.
Crab Spiders are also victims of a bug. If you ever choose the Crab Spider pool, you will have a Crab Spider Weapons Array attached to your spine. This looks like a large set of Spider Legs, and is generally awesome. However, it doesn't come off. You can't hide it, and it blocks out certain back details. If you respec to one of the other Spider builds, the Legs will remain, so thing carefully before you decide to try out a Crab Spider.
The Arachnos Soldier inherent is Conditioning; a small buff to regeneration and recharge. You'll recover from damage more quickly, and will be able to use more powers without rest. You'll also get bigger numbers from your Fitness inherent, but this isn't that noticeable.
The Soldier Breakdown
- Survivability: 4. Soldiers are among the most durable classes in the game, and Crab Spiders have been seen tanking, at times.
- Melee Damage: 3. Bane Spiders have access to more powerful melee abilities than the other archetypes, which skews the average a bit. Wolf Spiders and Crab Spiders have melee powers as well, but Crab Spiders have a tendency to focus on ranged firepower.
- Ranged Damage: 3. Two of the three "specs" of Soldiers are designed to function at range. Wolf Spiders have their guns, Crab Spiders have their... leg... things, and Bane Spiders have a zappy mace. Banes can also take the gun as well, if you really want to.
- Crowd Control: 1. Spiders have some crowd control in the form of immobilizes, disorients, and other such shenanigans, but it's not their focus.
- Support: 3. The very same powers you take to boost your own abilities have the side effect of buffing your entire team. Spiders are one of the laziest support classes ever; you make teams better by the sheer awesomeness of your presence.
- Pets: 3. Like Controllers and Dominators, Spiders can summon non-controllable pets later in the game. Unlike Controllers and Dominators, these pets are on a recharge that is longer than the amount of time they stay out. As a result, it takes work to get them to a "perma" status. Crabs have more pets than Wolf Spiders and Banes, and it's not uncommon to see a "Crabstermind" later in the game, with a swarm of robot spiders following them around.
Arachnos Widow
How can you expect to defeat me, child, if I know every move you're going to make?
Primary: Mixed Offense
Secondary: Mixed Defense/Support
Inherent: Conditioning
Arachnos Widows are one of the Villainous Epic Archetypes. If Arachnos Soldiers are the rank and file of Lord Recluse's Army, Widows (and Widowers) are the glue that holds it together.
A Widow begins their career as a member of the Blood Widow corps. Blood Widows are Lord Recluse's personal assassins. Equipped with deadly claws and trained in the psychic arts; Blood Widows strive to prove themselves in the eyes of their leader, Ghost Widow.
When a Blood Widow reaches level 24, they receive a promotion and forced respec. Unlike Arachnos Soldiers, however, there are only two paths to choose from, as one is a direct continuation of their earlier powers.
Blood Widows who excel in assassin training are promoted to Night Widows. These operatives specialize in infiltration, stealth, and assassination. Night Widows use the same powers that they used to reach 24. However, they are given improved defenses, and Stalker-like stealth abilities. They lack the ability to perform an Assassin's Strike, but can still deal double damage while hidden.
Widows who prove their worth as psychics become Fortunatas. Fortunatas are powerful mentalists who use their ability to glimpse the future to protect their teammates from harm. They can also melt a Longbow's brain at 80 feet. Most Fortunata powers function as both high damage blasts and powerful controls.
Like Arachnos Soldiers, Widows have access to a special version of the Leadership pool, which allows them to buff their teammates simply by being near them. However, they have two additional advantages over their armored comrades. Widows have access to Mind Link, an AoE Defense buff that adds yet another layer of powerful defense to the entire team. Should a member of the team fall, Widows can inspire their comrades to seek Vengeance, buffing their damage and defense even further.
Arachnos Widows have the same inherent as Arachnos Soldiers: Conditioning. It functions identically to the soldier version, and is really nothing to write home about.
Widow Breakdown
- Survivability: 4. Widows are one of the easiest classes to cap defense on. All Defense. Even the obscure ones, like Psychic.
- Melee Damage: 3. Widows have a stronger melee focus than Spiders, and even Fortunatas have the ability to crit from hide. The inability to land an Assassin's Strike stings, however.
- Ranged Damage: 3. Fortunatas have very powerful ranged abilities, though they aren't quite as blasty as a Corruptor.
- Crowd Control: 2. Fortunatas have controls built into their powers, but tend to be more focused on using them to deal damage. Night Widows don't have any crowd control abilities to speak of.
- Support: 3. Fortunatas in particular are popular as a "lazy" support class, as the only powers that require any work on the player's part are Mind Link and Vengeance.
- Pets: 1. Widows don't get pets outside of Epic Pools or Incarnate Abilities.
A Parting Note
Archetypes are, as I said before, very similar to Classes. In fact, I have used the terms interchangeably throughout this guide.
However, there is one important note to keep in minds before you create a character.
YOU define who your character is, not your archetype. An Archetype is merely a game construct, not the end all be all of what your character is and should be. You aren't locked into a tiny set of abilities, like a normal MMO class. You have literally hundreds of options as to what powers you can choose. Archetypes simply make it easier to lump those powers into bundles.
City of Heroes is a game that doesn't rely on the Trinity of Damage, Tanking, and Healing. While certain Archetypes lend themselves to specific playstyles, they don't necessarily lock you into a certain role.
No matter which Archetype you pick, the game gives you options designed to help you branch out. They can grant you those abilities you need for your character concept that your Archetype lacks, such as hard hitting punches for a Controller with super strength, or the ability to heal with a touch for a Paladin-Brute.
Going Beyond The Archetype
At various stages throughout the game, you can pick up additional powers to help round out your character. These powers are designed to fill in conceptual holes, as well as to compensate for your character's weaknesses.
Power Pools
Not just for flying anymore.
At Level 4, you unlock access to Power Pools. Most commonly used to unlock travel powers, these pools grant your character additional powers they might not otherwise have access to.
The powers from these pools are broken into tiers. The most basic powers are available at Level 4. At Level 14, you can unlock the Tier 2 and 3 powers from these pools. Tier 2 Powers require you to have a single power from the same pool before they become available. Tier 3 powers require you to have two powers from the same pool.
The Power Pools are:
Concealment: Now you see me. Now you don't. Now you're dead. Funny how that works.
Stealth based powers that grant small amounts of defense. They stack with a Stalker's [Hide] power, but not with the Stealth powers of other Archetypes.
Fighting: Just because I'm not super strong doesn't mean I can't throw a punch!
Fighting grants characters a single target, low damage melee attack, as well as two defensive toggles. For characters like Blasters, this pool is practically a must have.
Flight: Hope you're not afraid of heights!
One of the four travel pools, this power grants your character the ability to fly. The [Hover] power grants you a small defense and immobilization resistance boost, and [Air Superiority] is one of the most popular pool melee attacks for it's guaranteed knockdown. For the most part though, the powers in this pool let you take to the skies! Wouldn't be a Superhero game without it! (Also, our flight is better than Aion. Just saying) Kheldians cannot take this pool
Leadership: I love it when a plan comes together.
The Leadership pool is a set up AOE, Toggled buffs that affect your entire party, including you! Defense, accuracy, and damage boosts can be found here, as well as the [Vengenance] power for those who take joy in watching allies die and would like to squeeze a big fat damage and defense bonus out of each time it happens.
Leaping: ...Why is there a massive crater on the roof?
Leaping is one of the four travel pools. Characters with Super Leap can hop from roof top to roof top with ease, and can gain boosts to defense, immobilization resistance, and knockback protection. In addition, this pool contains two attacks: a single target kick, and an AOE STRONGJUMP. These powers also protect you from falling damage.
Medicine: Trust me, I'm a doctor.
Heals! The Medicine Pool is full of them, for both yourself and your allies. Patch up your buddies! Revive them when they get knocked out! Scan them with a Tricorder! FOR SCIENCE! This pool is great for a back up support character, but many people take the Self Heal as a survival boost.
Presence: You don't need to be huge to fill a room.
The Presence pool focuses mainly on taunts and fear effects. It makes a good aggro control tool, but the only people you really see taking it are Masterminds and Crab Spiders who want a taunt.
Speed: Wanna see me run to that mountain and back? Want to see me do it again?
One of the four travel pools, Speed is also the most varied. Only one power actually grants a movement boost. Two of the others focus on boosting, or completely bypassing recharge rates. The last is a toggled AOE that is good for protecting you in a pinch, but not needed.
Teleporation: What took you so long?
Teleportation is one of the four travel pools, and unlike the other travel pools, that's all it does. Teleporation powers teleport you or someone else around. Recall Friend is perfect for getting people to your position quickly, while Long Distance Teleport lets you get to any zone in a (literal) flash Kheldians cannot select this power pool.
Ancillary Power Pools
At Level 35, heroes and villains unlock a set of four power pools designed to fill in weaknesses in their archetype. Squishy classes like Blasters get armor. Melee focused classes like Brutes get ranged attacks. These are generic, mostly elemental powers, and serve as a great way to round out your build. Kheldians and Soldiers of Arachnos do not get Ancillary Pools.
Patron Power Pools
At Level 35, those willing to go to the dark side may speak to Arbiter Rein in Grandville to pledge their allegiance to one of the four Patrons of Arachnos. Only Villains and Rogues may pledge themselves to a Patron. Once you complete that Patron's arc, you unlock the powers of all four Patrons as Epic Power Pools on that character, regardless of alignment.
The Patron Pools Are:
Mu Mastery: Electrical powers of the ancient Mu Bloodline. Granted by Scriocco, cursed lord of the Desert Wind.
Soul Mastery: Dark powers of the netherworld. Granted by Ghost Widow, Undead Mistress of the Arachnos Widows.
Leviathan Mastery: Aquatic powers of the mysterious Coralax. Granted by Captain Mako, mutated terror of the seas.
Mace Mastery: Gadgets and technology developed by Arachnos. Granted by Black Scorpion, power armored leader of the Crab Spiders.
All Patron Pools may also grant an Arachnos themed pet for archetypes who do not normally gain pets. Kheldians may not gain Patron Powers. Soldiers of Arachnos may.
Incarnate Powers
At Level 50, a player may talk to Mender Ramiel in Ouroboros to begin the path of the Incarnate. Only VIPs may become Incarnates. The Incarnate system has it's own system of progression, based off completing trials and building new powers. Check out Dispari's guide for more detailed info.
To unlock Incarnate Powers, you need to run Incarnate Trials to gain Incarnate XP. Certain trials unlock different powers.
To unlock a Physical Incarnate Power, you need to run a Lambda Sector, Keyes Island, or Underground trial.
To unlock a Psychic Incarnate Power, you need to run a Behavioral Adjustment Facility, Keyes Island, or Underground trial.
The currently available Incarnate Slots are...
Alpha: A Global Enhancement slot. This power boosts the effectiveness all of your other powers much like an enhancement does. This power may grant a level shift, boosting your effective level in relation to enemies by one. This power is unlocked by running Mender Ramiel's arc, though it can also be unlocked through Incarnate Experience. This is the only Incarnate Power that does not require Trial Components to slot.
Judgement: A powerful Area of Effect attack capable of taking out hordes of enemies at once. This power can only be enhanced by other Incarnate abilities. This slot is unlocked by gathering Psychic Incarnate experience from end game trials. You must have your Alpha Slot unlocked to unlock these powers.
Interface: Another Global Enhancement. The Interface power adds a side effect to your damaging powers, such as additional damage over time, or a debuff of some sort. This is called a "proc", and it has an increasing chance of going off the higher tier the interface enhancement is. This power is unlocked with Physical Incarnate Experience. You must have your Alpha Slot unlocked in order to unlock these powers.
Destiny: A massive area of effect buff, including a nearly impenetrable shield, massive heal, status protection, and a full endurance refresh. The effects of these powers degrade slowly over time, but they are incredibly potent. This slot is unlocked with Physical Incarnate Experience, and you must have Interface unlocked before you can begin work on your Destiny Slot. This power can grant a +1 Level Shift during Trials.
Lore: A summonable, controllable pet themed off one of the many NPC Groups from City of Heroes. This slot is unlocked with Psychic Incarnate Experience, and you must have Judgement unlocked in order to begin working on it. This power can grant a +! level shift during trials.
Phew... that was one hell of a whim. This is what happens when the servers are down all day.
Hope it helps!
Okay, it took a while, but I found a thing I could nitpick!
You don't define "mezzed" but you use it a fair bit.
... Apart from that, really amazing. This is very close to the thing I wish I'd read when I started playing.
The one other thing is... People coming from other MMOs may be really confused by the notion that buff/debuff is not mostly about healing. Mentioning that regeneration continues normally in combat, so reducing incoming damage is Good Enough, might help deconfuse some of the people coming from games where combat stops health recovery.
Still an excellent guide; I think this does a really good job of helping people understand how to pick their archetype in terms of play style rather than some notion of "best" sets.
I think you did a great job and that this will be helpful to new players. 
Omega Zim - lvl 50 Rad/Dark/Power Defender, Alpha Zim - lvl 50 Tri-form Peacebringer
Theta Zim - lvl 50 Tri-form Warshade, Nightshade Zim - lvl 50 Dark/Dark/Psi Defender
Omicron Zim - lvl 50 Emp/Psi/Power Defender, Scrappy Joe - lvl 50 MA/SR Scrapper
Updated to include a glossary, and notes on how support works in City of Heroes.
*nitpick*
Should mention for Controllers and Doms - *Most* of the powersets get pets. Mind does not, of course (or, alternately, it gets anything it can target as a pet.)
Quote:
I mentioned this already, but I've edited it to make it a bit clearer.
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
*nitpick*
Should mention for Controllers and Doms - *Most* of the powersets get pets. Mind does not, of course (or, alternately, it gets anything it can target as a pet.) |
That was a very enjoyable read, made my long night at work pass just a bit more quickly!
Just a few nitpicks on the villain epics:
- Conditioning inherent increases regeneration and recovery
- the forced respec is at lvl 24
Wow, very comprehensive and great guide. Good resource for any new players or old players looking to try a new AT. Well done 
Support Guides for all Corruptor secondaries and Fortunatas
The Melee Teaming Guide for Melee Mans
The Melee Teaming Guide for Melee Mans
Your guide may be "Unnecessary" as you titled it, but it was very articulate and entertaining. Thanks for creating and sharing it.
I noticed a few typoes:
- Under "Controllers" in the phrase "...But, I can still here you complaining", the homophone should be "hear".
- Under "Warshades" in the phrase "Again, Warshades vary to much to be quantified", the homophone should be "too".
- Again under "Warshades" in the phrase "What you can do is dependent on your form, team, and how many targets around their are to drain buffs off of", the homophone should be "there".
Thanks for the feedback and advice.
I'll fix some of the grammar mistakes, and I'm planning on tweaking the breakdowns for the epic archetypes based on Kheldian Form and VEAT spec, so that they're clearer.
Excellent resource and very well done!
You may wish to add a link to Master Zaprobo's guide to Modern Masterminding.
Here is the URL: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=179053
It is a non-AT specific introductory guide to the masterminds, and answers many frequently asked questions.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
...[I]t would be more proper to say this game is slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowly dying.
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Did I miss it and we now get PPP's and the hero equivilent at 35th now?
The more people I meet, the more I'm beginning to root for the zombies.
Quote:
This guide is written for the game as of i21, so yes.|
Originally Posted by pyrite
Did I miss it and we now get PPP's and the hero equivilent at 35th now?
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When i21 is released, you will be able to access those pools at level 35.
A few notes.
- Homophones have been fixed.
- The VEAT description has been edited to reflect the proper respec level.
Excellent guides. I was thinking of doing something along these lines, but you've done it in a far superior way. Excellent rundowns on all the archetypes!
Only a few additional tweaks/clarifications I might add:
Brute Inherents: Fury, Gauntlet. Fury You went over. The Brute guantlet is a taunt power built into all their primary attacks. Every punch/slice/whatever will taunt ONLY those the power hits. (Unlike the tanker version) The duration of this effect is enhanceable.
Tanker Inherents: Guantlet, Bruising. Guantlet is an AoE taunt generated from any attack, either single target or AoE, from the tanker's secondary. Anytime you attack from your secondary, any nearby enemies will be taunted. The duration of this effect is enhanceable.
Bruising is an unstackable -resistance power all tankers have from their first secondary power.
Stalker Inherents: Assasination, Critical Hit, Demoralize
Assasination is the critical chance from hide. This greatly boosts the assassin strike power, giving it an automatic critical from hide. Single target attacks gain a high critical chance, and most AoE attacks have a 50% critical chance.
Outside of Hide, Stalkers have a 10% chance for critical hits, with a bonus +3% chance per nearby teammate.
Demoralize is an unresistable -tohit/+fear that has a chance to trigger every time a stalker lands a critical assassin strike that does not kill its target.
The Super Rough and Totally Unnecessary Guide to the Archetypes for New Players (i22)
These Archetypes have almost identical powersets. However, a Tanker is better at holding aggro and surviving damage, while a Brute is better at outputting large amounts of melee damage. Both are capable of fulfilling either role, but are designed to excel in the one represented by their Primary.Table of Contents
I: Introduction to the Archetypes (You Are Here!)
II: Archetype Rundown
III: Blasters and Brutes
IV: Defenders and Corruptors
V: Scrappers and Stalkers
VI: Tankers and Dominators
VII: Controllers and Masterminds
VIII: Kheldians: Peacebringers and Warshades
IX: Soldiers of Arachnos: Spiders and Widows
X: A Parting Note: Don't let your Archetype hold you down!
Introduction
Hello, potential new Hero and/or Villain! So, you're considering trying out City Of Heroes, huh? That's wonderful!
City of Heroes is a game that allows for a wide variety of character concepts, each with their own merits and flaws. Chances are, you might have a character concept in your head already. (I mean, come on, everyone has made up a superhero at some point. Otherwise you wouldn't be here, would you?)
But before you embark on your heroic (or villainous, or morally ambiguous) journey, you need to choose what archetype your character represents. The Freedom character creator does a pretty good job of breaking the archetypes down into different playstyles. But if you're like me, you like reading up on this stuff before you dive in. So let's get started.
What is an Archetype?
An Archetype is similar to a Class in other MMORPGs. They represent the classic roles filled by the comic book heroes and villains you're likely already familiar with: indestructible Tankers, high powered Blasters, stealthy Stalkers, and brilliant Masterminds.
In mechanical terms, an Archetype determines which powersets are available to you and how powerful those powers are in relation to one another. In addition, each Archetype has an Inherent Power that shapes their intended playstyle.
Wait, what do you mean by "how powerful"? Are some Archetypes more powerful than others?
Yes and no. You see, Archetypes are designed so that no one archetype holds any major advantage over the others. There is no "best" archetype. Instead, Archetypes are designed with a specific playstyle in mind. In this way, one archetype might be "better" at one task than another, even if they have the same powers.
All Archetypes have a Primary Powerset and a Secondary Powerset, which are chosen from two separate lists presented at Character Creation.
An Archetype's Primary is their main focus. They receive these powers sooner, and tend to have higher values in them than other archetypes with similar powers.
An Archetype's Secondary is their secondary focus. They get these powers a bit later than they gain their Primaries, and the numbers are slightly lower.
Take a look at Tankers and Brutes for example:
But what about Archetypes with the same Primaries? Like Blasters and Corruptors?
Some archetypes have nearly identical primary lists, but different secondaries. In these cases, it's the Secondary that makes a lot of difference. Look at the following.
Blasters get a mixed blend of powers designed to do more damage. Corruptors get team buffs and powerful debuffs. As a result, they lend themselves to vastly different playstyles.
Alright, but what about if they have the SAME Primary and Secondary, what then?
These archetypes have access to very similar powersets. It's perfectly feasible to make three Street Justice/Willpower characters, each of a different Archetype.
However, they won't play the same, thanks to Inherent powers.
Let's look at that list again, this time adding simplified versions of each Archetype's inherent.
Not so similar looking now, are they? The archetype you select will shape your playstyle for that character, so choose the Archetype that feels right for you.