Good Night Paragon City!

December 1st marks the end of City of Heroes MMO.

For Colonel John Battlerock, aka Battlerock X, the character for whom this blog site was created, his final battle on this day was against the Rikti, the very monsters that nearly deprived him of his life ten years ago. A fitting way to end his story, overcoming his greatest threat and still standing.

Thank you to those of you who have enjoyed the entries, articles, images, videos, and reviews. This will not be the last entry, there will be more to come, but for now it is time for this old soldier to stand down and go home.

Tactical File: Midnight Squad Induction

Montague Castanella Group: Midnight Squad Rank: Leader Power: Ability to sense changes in time. Can be seen in: Steel Canyon

The Midnight Squad: the super-secret organization that has been around since the Golden Era of Heroes. While most hero groups are concerned about making sure the newspaper gets their names right or which group is “top ranked”, the Midnight Squad is concerned about the threats that aren’t made public. They deal with the enemies that are quite literally the things that nightmares come from! Most of the time, members of the Midnight Squad observe. They take notes. They collect information and then they covertly pass that information on to certain groups. They’re superb intelligence-collectors, especially when it comes to the arcane arts. In the early days of the First Rikti Invasion of 2002, the Midnight Squad found out that the Rikti were vulnerable to magic. That knowledge cost them dearly as their headquarters became ground zero for a fusion bomb that obliterated much of Baumton. The Midnight Squad headquarters itself was completely destroyed, killing almost every member of that organization. In 2008, Professor Montague Castanella began to quietly recruit certain heroes with a security level of 10 or higher. Simultaneously, Ashley McKnight would reach out to villains in the Rogue Isles with a threat level of 14 or higher. Both groups would begin recruiting for the Midnight Squad again. The induction process is different between heroes and villains, so this file will only focus on the hero-side of joining the Midnight Squad. There are several reasons why you would want to ally yourself with the Midnighters, with the best reason being it gives you access to ancient Rome. Bear in mind that this tactical file is designed for a single-person completion. You can also involve a team in the operation, but understand that some of what you do involves single-player activity. On the plus side, completion as a team will mean that the whole team will become Midnighters. So make sure that the team members stay through to the very end. For heroes, you get an automatic summons from Professor Castanella when you reach security level 10. (Don’t ask how he knows these things. That just shows you how good the Midnight Squad is!) You will meet him in the library of the Steel Canyon University and will give you several challenges. First up, you have to rescue Percy Winkley. Percy is a curious young man who always manages to find himself in trouble. At least, though, he helps. That’s an improvement over the stereotypical cub reporter with bright red hair. You’ll end up taking a trip down to a portion of Oranbega, and you will have to deal with both the Lost and the Circle of Thorns. The Lost are there for the same reason that Percy is, and they’re looking for the same thing that the Circle have in their possession. Your results will vary, but be thorough in your search. He could be right around the corner, or he could be all the way at the other end of Oranbega. Once you find him and rescue him from the Circle, he’ll give you something important. Returning to the university, Castanella will give you your second mission. Don’t worry; once you complete this mission you won’t have to go back to the campus every time. The next mission will be a little reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering. I’m sure you’ve noticed that the Lost somehow manage to get their hands on Rikti weapons, and some of the more “mutated” members don’t look that human. You’ll find out more about their connection by visiting an abandoned office that somehow has an underground passage to a Rikti stronghold. There you’ll encounter Ci’dion, the Rikti Chief that bombed Baumton. Feel free to go all-Praetorain on him. If you’re working alone, concentrate on hitting Ci’dion, then work on his Lost buddies. Not far from his location you’ll find four Rikti consoles. Get the storage crystals from those four consoles and your mission will be complete. If you’re working as a team, concentrate on clearing the area of Lost and Ci’dion before you go for the consoles. Those data streams are good places for the Lost to hide behind and attack. The information you collect next will be helpful. Now that you’ve kicked some Rikti butt, it’s time to rescue a Rikti defector. I know the concept is strange, but there are some Rikti that don’t subscribe to the war-mindset and want to defect. The Rikti’s name is Argot’BurWot, and the folks at Vanguard consider him to be a valuable asset in the war. “Ours is not to wonder why…” etcetera, etcetera, and so on. It means another trip down into another abandoned office building atop another Rikti stronghold guarded by the Lost. They really keep the same design, so the path you took previously to find the stronghold will take you there this time as well. You’ll also get a rematch with Ci’dion, only this time it’s one-on-one. Remind him who kicked his butt the first time around. Argot will be guarded by a few Lost minions, but once you rescue him he’ll be pretty grateful for you being there. Once that’s done, it’s time to worry about the Circle again. This time you’ll be sent in to help out Lady Jane, the leader of Europe’s premiere supergroup, the Dawn Patrol. She’s been on a quest for something so secretive and so important that she can’t trust anyone in her own group to do it, and it has something to do with Hero 1. Yes, this is a cave mission, but don’t panic too much. This will be one of those “good” cave missions. And before you go in there, make sure you’re stocked up with plenty of health and stamina inspirations. You’ll find that Lady Jane has been captured by a Madness Mage and some of his Circle cronies. If you’re doing this by yourself, then concentrate on the Madness Mage and hit him with everything you have to keep him disoriented and knocked down, or else he will disable you quickly. Once you rescue Lady Jane, she’ll follow your lead. She’s got two guns and plenty of bullets so she won’t be a wallflower, but she’s also not expendable. You have to protect her or else this mission is a bust. She’ll point you to where you need to go, but don’t take your time getting there, because once you rescue her, the Circle will send in waves of reinforcements to stop you. You have to let her reach the target. Once she’s there, she’ll give you an important item for the rest of your quest. This next part is geared more towards a single operative than for a team. The Vanguard are calling you and it seems Argot’BurWot has something vital to share with you. He’s at the Atlas Park branch of Vanguard, directly south of Atlas Plaza and City Hall. From where Ms. Liberty faces, it’s the building to the immediate left. You won’t miss it when you see the Vanguard sentry by the door. Walking inside, stay along the left and go through the two double-doors and you’ll see the Rikti ally to your right. Your next stop will be City Hall to relay your information to Azuria. If you’re new to Paragon City then you probably haven’t visited the FBSA offices yet, so go inside City Hall and take a right. Down the stairs will be the FBSA offices. Azuria will be in the one marked MAGI or “Mystical Arcane Guild of Investigation”. She’ll know what to do with Argot’s information and she’ll give you another important item. Normally at this point you should go back to the University, check-in with the Professor, and then use the invention tables to come up with the next vital item. However, you can check-in with him remotely and he’ll send you the final pieces for your invention, so all you need to do is get an invention table. If you’re in a supergroup and you have one in your base, you can use that. But if you don’t have access to a supergroup base, you can use the tables at Vanguard Headquarters. Go back to the Vanguard office in Atlas Park and take the portal to the Rikti War Zone. There you’ll be in the Vanguard HQ. Down the stairs and turn right and you’ll find your invention tables. I won’t leave you in suspense here; the item you’re crafting is a prototype cure for the Lost. Once you have it, give Castanella a call. He’ll have you try it out next. There are several places in Paragon City to try out the cure on the Lost. I’m sure Kings Row will quickly come to mind, as will Skyway City, Faultline, and Perez Park. But the best place to try it out has to be the Hollows. Exit out to Atlas Park, then from the Vanguard building, head east to the Hollows zone. Once in the Hollows, head to the far left hill past the police barricade. You’ll find that hilltop teaming with Lost minions. Hit them with the Cure and watch them turn back to humans. You’ll have to cure at least twenty of them for the mission to be a success. Fair warning: DO NOT try to use the cure on anyone other than the Lost! You have a limited number of charges and you do not want to waste them on stupid things. Once that’s done, you’re almost finished. The final step requires you to head back to the university in Steel Canyon. There’s a college student that you’ll be asked to speak with and give him the right Latin phrase. Castinella will give you the right phrase, so you just have to relay it to the student. Do it right and you’ll be granted access to the Midnight Club! Once in, talk to the guy at the front desk, and then call up the professor so he can formally welcome you to the Midnight Squad! Be sure to take a look around the Midnight Club while you’re there. You’ll find a special shop, a few hidden secrets, short-cuts to Croatoa and Founders Falls, and a very special Pillar of Ice and Flame. Where that Pillar takes you, though, is the subject of another tactical file.

Battlerock X: Journal Entry 20120428

An intelligence report that was intercepted confirmed my fears of something bad coming soon.

Nemesis!

Bad enough that we are still recovering from the destruction of Galaxy City. Bad enough that we are still mourning the deaths of Statesman, Miss Liberty, and Sister Psyche. Bad enough that we are still facing threats from the Praetorian Universe. Now Nemesis has to stick his ancient rusted armor back up.

My memory is still a bit foggy of those pre-Rikti days, but I seem to recall that Nemesis has always been more talk than threat. He relies on automation, creating tin soldiers instead of recruiting people to carry out his delusional fantasy of world domination. He lives on manipulation and misdirection. Just when you think you have him, you discover it’s just another one of his replicas.

Still, after all that has happened, we should take even his threats seriously.

I pulled out my old outfit from my so-called “hero” days. It’s time to stop hiding. The tights still fit, but it took a bit to remember working with the metal skulls on my shoulder.

The Tenth-Generation Battlerock Warrior is no longer hiding. Battlerock X and the rest of Paragon City are ready for whatever Nemesis can come up with.

(A special 8th Anniversary tribute to NCSoft, Paragon Studios, and City of Heroes Freedom.)

Happy Holidays!

A little cross-comic holiday message from both "The Guardian Powers" and "Tales from Paragon City".

By the way, you'll notice some of the characters with the TfPG banner are ones you haven't seen before. Those will be featured in future issues. Plus, of course, John Battlerock's own story will be appearing. It's just a matter of when. Meantime, enjoy the Holidays!

Click on the image to see the full-sized version.

(And, yes, that Santa beard itches!)

Battlerock X’s Omega Team Letter

On November 27^th, 2009, the Omega Team Time Capsule was opened. Inside were letters and mementos left behind by the fifty heroes that volunteered to give their lives to end the Rikti invasion once and for all. Most were letters. Some left heirlooms and keepsakes. One left an insurance policy for his goldfish.

Of the fifty, so far only four survived. Ajax was left in a coma by the Rikti before he could make it through the portal. Glacia and Infernia survived and made back through a Rikti transport. Another was Battlerock X, also known as Colonel John Helix Battlerock, who was badly damaged in the attack and suffered from amnesia for five years before the shock of the 2007 Invasion restored some of his memories.

The following is the letter he wrote for the Time Capsule.

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To my beautiful daughter Joan,

I’m sorry that I may have to break the promise I made to you. I know I promised to come back, that I wouldn’t be going through with the others, but sometimes things don’t work out the way we want to.

I know that even as I go into battle for what may be my last time, our family will go on. The spirits of our ancestors live on through me and through you. When I fight, I fight with the spirits of all that came before us, and should you choose to follow the same path, you will fight with my spirit.

I have been proud of the daughter you have been and I will continue to be proud of you as you grow, even if that pride will only be in spirit.

To my darling wife Brittany,

I would love to be there with you as you read this letter. To stand there with our daughter as we remember those who could not be there with you. But I fear that I may not be there with you after all.

We both know that this day could come. Your Longbow training and my years in the service tried to prepare us for this possibility, but I don’t know if any amount of training can prepare you for the actual loss.

I face my enemy knowing that you and our daughter will be safe. I go to war knowing that you will raise our daughter to follow us in the way you know best. You know what to do if I am not here for that time when Joan chooses to follow in my path. I have always known you are not comfortable with the path of the Battlerock Warrior, but once she becomes an adult it will be her choice to make, just like it was for me and for my father and all those before us. I just hope that you will be there for her when she needs it in whatever choice she makes just as you were for me when I needed it.

Even if I am not there with you in body, I will be there in spirit, watching over you both. You are my anchor, B. You always have been and I love you for it, and I hope you will keep our daughter anchored as well.

Love always,

John Battlerock

Battlerock X: Journal Entry 20090126

I’m using my down time to put together some of my thoughts of my most recent missions.

I had just finished a team mission with some people on Talos Island when I was surrounded by Rikti forces. Apparently we missed out on getting the warning because we were in the sewer. I fought off the swarm of soldiers and was trying to get to the rally point when I was taken down by a passing swarm of Rikti drop ships.

I had NEVER seen so many drop ships at any one time! It was almost as though the Rikti were carrying out their November offensive.

As I left the hospital, I was greeted by a whole caravan of drop ships, one after another after another, right outside of the hospital door and thirty feet off the street. Rage got the better of me, and I had charged up and attacked the closest ship with everything I had. I knew it was a futile gesture, but it was one that I had to make anyway. This metal plate on my face is not for decoration.

I knew at best I would get in maybe two or three good punches before the drop ship weapons send me back to the hospital, and that’s pretty much what happened. But as I exited the medical teleporter, the whole hospital started shaking! I had apparently knocked the drop ship into the hospital and it could not free itself. It was difficult getting to the ground floor so I could give it another attack. The whole building was shaking violently.

Just as I exited the hospital I got a new tactical team message.

“Drop ship has been destroyed.”

I could not believe it. I had single-handedly taken down a Rikti drop ship… with the help of a building.

Obviously if this was planned I would have used some OTHER building. I had no intention of putting a hospital in harm’s way. Fortunately there was no loss of life, most of the hospital staff and patients were already moved to the basement shelter, and the damage to the building itself was negligible.

Still, given the fact that it normally takes a whole team of heroes at level 50 to bring down one of these ships, this is an incredible moral victory to know that I could do it at level 24.

Battlerock X: Journal Entry 20081224

It’s Christmas Eve here in Paragon City. I’m in the Ski Chalet in Pocket D trying to compose my thoughts on the recent events.

I wish I could bring Brittany here to see this. We always talked about wanting to spend a second honeymoon at a ski resort. She hasn’t stepped a foot into Paragon City after the memorial service, back when she thought that I had died. I really don’t blame her either.

Circumstances (*) forced me to let my daughter Joan know that I was still alive. That became something of a mixed blessing for me, because now I have her in Omega 2 along with a few others. She’s become quite a formidable adventurer, and I am, of course, proud of her progress. She also was able to let her mother know that I was still alive but that I could not see her yet. At least not until I can resolve what happened during those missing five years and find out who is responsible for putting the metal plate on my face and what kind of signal it is transmitting.

My work with the Midnight Squad was able to pierce through some of the mystery surrounding my disappearance. Montague Castanella revealed that his people had been searching for me ever since the end of the 2002 invasion when they couldn’t account for my whereabouts. They somehow knew who made it through the Rikti portal and who were killed at the portal site, and I was neither.

Lady Jane from the Dawn Patrol gave me more information about the plate itself, and what kind of signals it is sending. She said that the plate was “enchanted”, which means there was a low-level magic spell placed on it to prevent my body rejecting it. The side-effects of this spell have an effect not only for me, but also those in the immediate proximity. Nobody knew who I was… even those that had worked with me for years, including members of the Freedom Phalanx. The spell dissipates over time, though, which explains why I’m now suddenly getting my memories back, and why people who once knew me are now remembering who I am. That probably also explains why my own daughter could not recognize me even after patrolling the city for a year and a half.

I have taken the fight to the Rikti and I took on the Rikti officer that took credit for the destruction of Baumton. Unfortunately he managed to escape from justice thanks to his Lost friends. I certainly will not stop trying to hunt him down so he can pay for the deaths of all of the people from that day.

In the meantime, the quest continues. The spell on my face plate is gone now, thanks to Azuria, which means that more people are starting to recognize me again. That will only make what I do that much harder, but I suppose it can’t be helped. It was going to happen sooner or later.

Hopefully this time next year I can find a way to bring my wife and daughter here and enjoy the holidays as a family. In the meantime, I wish them and everyone else the best for this season.

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(*) As told in the forthcoming story “Putting Together the Pieces”.

(Pictured above: Colonel John Helix Battlerock, a.k.a. "Battlerock X", relaxing in the Ski Lodge)

Battlerock X: Journal Entry 20080505

My investigation of what happened during those missing five years of my life progresses ever-so-slowly.

I recently found my old black-ops uniform. The term is sort of redundant, because if you’re in black-ops, then you’re really not supposed to exist, much less have a uniform saying you’re in black-ops. But if I needed a quick military transport to, say, Germany, I couldn’t show up at a military base and pull rank in civilian attire. I needed to wear something that said I was on the same side and not have to deal with too many questions. So I got my old dark camouflage gear again. It felt good put it on.

I found the location of the original Omega Team base. Supposedly you could be allowed to wear a cape afterwards, but I didn’t care about that. I wasn’t there to get a cape. I was there so I could know where the base was so I could go there again. The Lost were ransacking it, defiling the memories of my friends and comrades. I had to chase them out, for their sake and my own. I had to really fight the urge to kill them.

At the far back of the base was our time capsule. It had personal messages and mementos that we wanted preserved. It was sealed by a mystical lock, and even though the Lost were trying to smash the chamber open, the magic still held. Even though I knew how to unlock the capsule, I didn’t want to open it.

Just touching the chamber brought back those memories of my last days before the battle. I know precisely what I put in that capsule. It was a picture of me and my wife and daughter, along with a letter telling them how much I loved them and that they would have to be strong for my sake. I remember what some of the other heroes put in there as well. Letters, pictures, a lock of hair, a few wedding rings and bracelets. A few wills were put in, not to mention one insurance policy. I even remember the hero who put it in there. We joked and said that if they honored it; he would have the richest goldfish on the planet.

I wanted to visit Ajax in the hospital. I just wanted him to know that I was still alive. But before I could make it to the hospital I was intercepted by a member of the Midnight Squad. I don’t remember too much about them, except for the fact that they were the first ones decimated by the Rikti. They certainly knew me, though. They said that they were watching me and that I also had “dark eyes” watching me. They said they couldn’t tell me anything more than that, but warned me that I needed to be careful about where I go and what I see. I wished they told me something that I didn’t already know. Damned Midnighters. It’s a little hard to ignore the fact that there’s a metal plate on my face that I can’t get off that is transmitting some unknown signal.

He did give me an address, though… a place where to find Montague Castanella. I remember him briefly from my pre-Rikti life. He helped provide some intelligence for a black-op mission. Hopefully he can help me piece together the missing five years of my life, or at least what is behind this face plate.

Exciting Changes Ahead

Changes are afoot in Paragon City!

Recent discoveries have unearthed a hidden organization called the Midnight Squad. This clandestine group consisting of mages, scholars, and mystics believe that they hold the key to stopping the Rikti threat once and for all. But in order to do so, both heroes and villains will have to travel via Ouroboros to the days of the Roman Empire. There they will unlock new powers, new costumes, and face a new evil, including the great mastermind of time itself!

In addition, Longbow intelligence has discovered the expansion of Arachnos into two new ELITE groups of villains. The Wolf Spiders and Blood Widows have originally been closed groups, but Lord Recluse has ordered their ranks opened. The new members of these groups will have access to unique powers and exclusive costumes. Arachnos scientists have also found a way to expand on the abilities of current villain groups so they will better mimic their Paragon City counterparts. Paragon City officials have been able to reverse-engineer this process and should soon allow all heroes to do the same, giving them access to whole new power sets.

Finally, Paragon City officials are able to report that changes in the area known as The Hollows are FINALLY beginning to bear fruit! The area is undergoing a reorganization which will allow for more areas to become hospitable since the great Hollowing tragedy of 2000. The efforts of heroes like Battlerock X to help clean up the streets and shut down criminal masterminds like Frostfire have worked, and the number of gang members should be on the decline in the near future. Paragon City Police have also redoubled their manpower and have finally been joined by Longbow agents. They will no longer cower when faced up against gang members. Unfortunately the changes to the area have also meant that new groups are moving into the area. The Hellions, Skulls, and the Lost have all staked out certain districts. The Hydra, Corlax, Vahzilok, and even Devouring Earth have also been rumored to make a presence there. The Legacy Chain have also agreed to aid in the areas covered by the Circle of Thorns, pitting magic against magic.

To help coordinate the changes to the area, Paragon City will be sending Meg Mason in as a new mission contact. She will be located at the water tower where all supergroup teleport beacons are found. This will be a new secure area that will ensure that heroes teleporting into the Hollows will not be attacked by criminal gangs.

All-in-all there are some exciting changes that will soon take place in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. If you haven't joined, then NOW IS THE TIME!

Announcement: The City of Commercials contest!

This message comes from a friend over at w00t Studios, from a modest little idea originally dreamed up and hyped up by Battlerock X (who also came up with most of the rules).

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THE PLAYER EVENT RESOURCE COMMITTEE in association with w00t Studios
Proudly Presents:

CITY OF COMMERCIALS

Here are the rules:

1. All entries must be a 25-45 second commercial promoting the City of Heroes or City of Villains franchise. Max
video size is 10 MB and can be in any format for quality sake.

2. All entries must be posted on www.w00tstudios.net for consideration. Entrants will need a user account to post videos. Only one entry per person please.

3. Any medium can be used (ex.: live action, gameplay, cartoon). Participants are encouraged to use as much original content as possible. Entries can incorporate certain elements of previous videos released by NCsoft or other players, but cannot consist solely of such reproduced footage.

4. Entries cannot use obvious rip-offs of copyright-protected characters (in other words, no Superman look-a-likes, no Wolverine clones, no Hulk clones, etc). This rule does not apply to the use of established "City of" characters (i.e. Statesman, Lord Recluse, etc).

5. All entries submitted via www.w00tstudios.net , need to be linked back to the City of ___ Forums, in the Multi-Media~City of Heroes/Villains forum, in the post marked City of Commercial Contest Entries. Entries will be separated into Hero and Villain categories.

6. The contest entries will be accepted from February 17, 2008 through March 16, 2008. Public judging will run from March 17-22, 2008. Finalists will be judge from March 23-28, 2008. Winner will be announced March 29, 2008.

Prizes:
Prizes will be given to the top 5 entries for both Hero and Villains:

Grand Prize:

1 Statesman Statue and 1 Wootie Owl(for heroes)
1 Lord Recluse Statue and 1 Wootie Owl(for villains)

Runner-Up

1 T-shirt (not all sizes available)
1 Battle Poster (signed by any dev that Ex/LH can get their hands on)
1 Wootie Owl

Honorable Mention

1 Bumper Sticker/Comic Book pack


The gauntlet has been thrown, will you pick it up and run with it?

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Common Q/A:

Q: I have no clue how to make a video-- HELP!
A: The Feb. 8th edition of the City Scoop had a nice write-up on how to make a video. Also you can find player guides linked in the Multi-Media forums.

Q: What time does the judging start/end and what zone does the judging operate on?
A: All times are Midnight ET

Q: Uh, what do you mean by public judging?
A: There will be a poll set up onwww.w00tstudios.netfor you, the general public to judge all the entries received. We will take the top 15 favorites (hero and villain) from there and judge them in the finals.

Q: Who will be judging the finalists?
A: No less then 4 PERC members will be judging the finals.

Q: What will the finalists be judged on?
A: We will be judging on 4 aspects. Originality, Professionalism, Creativity, and Commercialism. This is a COMMERCIAL contest, not a music video contest. Make sure that you sell, sell, sell!

Q: If I win, how will I get my prize?
A: If you win, be prepared for a member of PERC to contact you for your shipping address. I promise not to stalk you.

Q: Will I need to register for this contest?
A: The only registration that you will need to complete is for the CoH forums and www.w00tstudios.net.

Q: I have 2 commercials one for heroes and one for villains, can I enter both?
A: No, pick your favorite and post it--- share the other in the multi-media forum!

Q: Rose you are awesome, can I get a date?
A: I will think about it.... but I don't like catgurls.

Q: How will you contact the winners?
A: A PM will be sent to the CO__ forum name of the winning entry. At that time, be prepared to supply your shipping address.

Q: Why do I need to link my video after it's been uploaded on w00t's website?
A: We need a way to contact you.

Q: Boy, this is a lot of questions and answers to type out... are your hands tired?
A: Yes, I am going to stop presuming now, and let you come up with your own questions... if you need to- feel free to contact any member of PERC and they will get back to you with an answer, or post! We like to answer posts!

Frostfire Apocalypse

Frostfire Apocalypse
– a City of Heroes story as told by Battlerock X

Frostfire… damn.

It’s barely 10am and I’ve already been drawn into another Frostfire mission.

I suppose I have only myself to blame for this. I’ve been out of it for several years, forced by the damage that I suffered during the First Rikti Invasion to revert back to square one. Having to re-learn all of my skills, go through all of the hassles to get back the past that I was missing… but I’m still in the lower levels, and because of that, I still get missions in the Hollows… and Frostfire.

Frostfire… damn.

There’s a part of me that wishes I remembered my old black ops days with Uncle Sam. The “old” me probably would have had no problem making sure that Frostfire was only dealt with once. But then again, those were different times, and I’m certainly not the same person that I once was.

I don’t hate Frostfire, per se, but I certainly hate the mission, especially after you have to go through it over and over again with a different collection of fresh-faced heroes each time. The team-members will change, but the game stays the same. It doesn’t help when every contact you meet forces you into the Hollows, and the rookies foolishly feel that they must complete every mission there before moving on. And EVERYONE faces Frostfire at some point in Paragon City. If you’re on a team, then you’ve either faced Frostfire, or you’re going to. It’s just the way things are.

It’s a multi-floor mission, with members having to pass certain obstacles each time before being allowed to move on to the next level. Each time you have to face dozens of Outcast gang members with various mutant powers. Sometimes defeating them is the obstacle itself.

On the first floor, you have to destroy a mystical altar. Nobody knows why the Outcasts need it, but they do. I’m told it gives the Outcasts that guard it extra health. You’d think that something that potent would be a lot closer to Frostfire, wouldn’t you? Sloppy. You blow that up, and you can move further. But be careful when you do. If you’re too close to it when it blows up, you get knocked on your butt and disoriented for a bit. Not good if there are still any punks in play. It’s best to let your ranged-powered members hit it from a distance. It’s gravy if you can blow it up with some of the punks right there.

Moving up, you have to go through several groups of Outcasts. They seem to be around every corner. Some are right there as you get off the elevators, so you can’t take the ones that are closer to the threshold.

New people make big mistakes here. They think they can mow on through to the B3* himself, but it doesn’t work like that. They gotta be careful and they gotta work as a team to get through it all. They get everyone killed quickly if they can’t pool their resources and use all the skills they have as a team.

This is probably the biggest of reasons why folks like me hate Frostfire missions. It’s because this is the first real team task for many heroes. They don’t know what to expect and they don’t want to rely on the advice of the veterans who have been through this over and over again. They think that numbers make the day, or that loading up on ranged heroes and scrappers and tankers would somehow do it. They’re impatient and inexperienced. They just want to get through the mission and get it done with.

The worst parts of this mission before you get to the B3 are the ones where the gangs are waiting for you around the corner or from above. The ones on the overhead balconies are the ones that really get you. They just drop on down, or else they’ll fry you from a distance.

The ice doesn’t help either. You’re always sliding on it. Frostfire loves to freeze the rooms up, so everyone is sliding around. One room looks like a ski slope with all of the ice slides in there.

Oh, by the way, if you have any Kheldians on your team, you should know there is always one quantum gunner, and you know how Kheldians and quantum weapons don’t really mix. And you thought this was going to be a cakewalk!

Finally there’s the B3 himself… Frostfire.

Frostfire’s usually at the other end of the room, but if you barge in there, he’ll know it and he’ll come after you. And he won’t come alone either! Frostfire has some of his most powerful stooges in there with him watching his back. You gotta get as many of them out of the room as you can before tipping him off.

Even when you start whittling down his forces, this B3 still has a neat little trick up his sleeve. Frostfire lives up to his name in that he controls both fire AND ice, and not only will he freeze you solid and then fry you where you stand, he can also summon his little fire drones and his ice-cubed friend Jack Frost. So Frostfire still has plenty of backup, even when he’s by himself.

The mission officially “ends” when you take down the B3, but I seriously suggest you don’t rush out first. There are usually some stragglers who stick around in the far corners of the room. This is a great chance for you to mop up the area and get some extra experience. If you’re running the team, make sure everyone stays in play until they all hear “Clear”. Then you can all exit the room.

Maybe someday we can get the orders to take down Frostfire once and for all. Until that day happens, though, we just gotta get through those missions and not turn them into fiascoes that piss everyone off.

(* Editor’s note: “B3” is old Paragon City code for “Big Bad Boss”, or in this case Frostfire.)

Battlerock X: Journal Entry 20071031

I am composing my thoughts as I attempt to rebuild my life and regain the memories that are still missing.

This is what I know… I know that my name is John Helix Battlerock. I know that for several decades I was a covert operative for some government agency before retiring.

I know that I was forced to return to action when the Rikti arrived in 2002. My last memory of that action was in helping to defend Hero 1 and the rest of the Omega team as they prepared their final assault on the Rikti homeworld. I know that I was declared “killed in action” and that for nearly five years I was roaming Paragon City as a brain-damaged vagabond.

I don’t know what brought some of my memories back. Maybe it was my experience with the Rikti that forced me to remember again. Maybe it was a nearby portal that put my brain back into alignment. All I know is that I’m remembering most of who I was before the war.

I do know that someone found me, and they did something to me. There is a metal plate on my face that I can’t get off, and I don’t know why it is there. I don’t think it was for just cosmetic purposes. I’ve gone to the medical center a few times but the doctors don’t want to help me. I can see it in their facial expressions. They have some idea of what this thing is, but they don’t want to get involved.

I know that I have a wife and a daughter who should be 18 now. I have not had the chance to see them yet, to let them know that I am still alive. I am not ready to make my presence known to them yet. I don’t want to put them in danger when I have no idea what this metal plate on my face is about.

Part of my resurrection forced me to start from square one. All that I knew once about fighting and my inherited abilities as a Battlerock Warrior were gone. I had a high security rating before the first Rikti invasion. That disappeared. I have to start from the bottom again.

Since my return I’ve created my own super-group called Omega 2. This gives me the chance to create my own base of operations so I can figure out what the missing parts of my life are and what happened after I was “killed”. I cannot trust the Paragon City infrastructure to help me, so I will have to conduct my own investigation as to what happened and who put this thing on my face.

Part of my “death” had something to do with the Rikti portals. Every time I fight one of those bastards when they just arrive, I have a flash of the life that I used to have. Unfortunately, my fellow heroes have made things difficult, because the number of Rikti invasions has decreased. I will probably have to go to the crash site itself, and to do that, I’ll need to get clearance from the Vanguard. That in and of itself will be difficult since my security level was reset.

I don’t know if I should get my daughter involved with this, but I may have to. I’ve seen reports of a “Battlerock Babe” in the Paragon Times, and she is wearing a modified version of my Rikti War outfit. No doubt her mother tried to talk her out of it, but Joan is a Battlerock Warrior, and my family has a strong history of doing whatever it is that we set ourselves to do. I just hope she doesn’t make the same mistakes that I made in the past.