Vanguard Alert!

The Vanguard have issued the following warning:

Intelligence reports indicate that the Rikti are preparing to launch another wave of attacks against Earth.

As with previous incursions, the Rikti will probably focus their attacks on Paragon City and the Rogue Isles, however, all cities should still be on full alert.

The focused invasions should occur at any time between 11am on July 17th and 11:59pm on July 19th.

All operatives in Paragon City and the Rogues Isles should monitor their Vanguard Emergency channels for warnings when the next incursion should take place in their area.

Always keep in mind the following:

• Warnings will be issued via your system channel, giving you ample time to prepare for the attack should one approach your area.
  
  
• You will be given two warnings. The first will give you five minutes notice. The second warning will alert you that the Rikti have invaded. This alert will be followed by air raid sirens.
  
  
• Be sure to check the skies when an invasion is imminent in your area as it will turn a sickly brownish color as the Rikti mothership approaches. Paragon City residents will also notice that the War Walls will power down prior to invasion.
  
  
• If you do not wish to fight, then your best bet would be to seek shelter inside a building or under overpasses and parking garages. All civilians, including those deemed hostile, will be doing the same.
  
  
• If you choose to fight, it is always suggested to do so as part of a team. Teamwork allows you to share the benefits of every Rikti enemy defeated.
  
  
• Be sure to load up on as many endurance inspirations as possible before combat. While healers can heal your wounds in combat, they cannot restore the endurance that is spent in combat, and you will get tired fast using your powers for the fight.
  
  
• Under UN General Orders, all hospitals are required to provide immediate medical assistance free of charge for any hero or villain involved in combat with the Rikti in that area. You will still have to work off any outstanding hospital debt, but you will not incur new debt during a Rikti incursion in that area.
  
  
• Rikti bomb ships are heavily shielded and are not only next-to-impossible to bring down but can go through the protective shields of the War Walls in Paragon City. If you venture too close to one of the bomb ships, you will be attacked. This includes if you are stationary on building ledges and high overpasses.
  
  
• The Rikti use dimensional portals to drop not only bombs, but also teleport Rikti soldiers, automated drones, and scavenging Rikti monkeys.
  
  
• Not all Rikti bombs detonate on impact. Some bombs are on a delayed timer that start when they impact on the ground. This is done to cause maximum damage from gawkers.
  
  
• If you are near one such bomb, watch the color of the indicator light. If the indicator light shows red, RUN AWAY as fast as you can! DO NOT attempt to disarm a bomb unless you are powerful enough to do so, especially if the indicator light is red.
  
  
• Vanguard will sound the all-clear once the Rikti mothership has cleared the area, but you will notice it first when the sky changes color back to normal. Those in Paragon City will also see the War Walls power up to full strength again.

Your assistance during these trying times will continue to help cut down on the damages and casualties as we strive to bring an end to this threat once and for all.

i14 crashes Rikti Ships!

Apparently nobody told the Rikti of the changes coming for Issue 14... because they keep on crashing into the Architect Entertainment building!

This is similar to the instance that Battlerock X faced not too long ago when he single-handedly took down a Rikti ship by knocking it into the hospital.

Watch more videos of CoH & CoV

Just a reminder... Rikti Incursion this weekend!

Just a reminder: the Vanguard believe that the Rikti will be engaging in yet another incursion into our world within the next few days.

Always keep in mind the following:

• Warnings will be issued via your system channel, giving you ample time to prepare for the attack should one approach your area.
  
  
• You will be given two warnings. The first will give you five minutes warning. The second warning will alert you that the Rikti have invaded. This alert will be followed by air raid sirens.
  
  
• Be sure to check the skies when an invasion is imminent in your area as it will turn a sickly brownish color as the Rikti mothership approaches. Paragon City residents will also notice that the War Walls will power down.
  
  
• If you do not wish to fight, then your best bet would be to seek shelter inside a building or under overpasses and parking garages. All civilians, including those deemed hostile, will be doing the same.
  
  
• If you choose to fight, it is always suggested to do so as part of a team. Teamwork allows you to share the benefits of every Rikti enemy defeated.
  
  
• Be sure to load up on as many endurance inspirations as possible before combat. While healers can heal your wounds in combat, they cannot restore the endurance that is spent in combat, and you will get tired fast using your powers for the fight.
  
  
• Under UN General Orders, all hospitals are required to provide immediate medical assistance free of charge for any hero or villain involved in combat with the Rikti in that area. You will still have to work off any outstanding hospital debt, but you will not incur new debt during a Rikti incursion in that area.
  
  
• Rikti bomb ships are heavily shielded and are not only impossible to bring down but can go through the protective shields of the War Walls in Paragon City. If you venture too close to one of the bomb ships, you will be attacked. This includes building ledges and high overpasses.
  
  
• The Rikti use dimensional portals to drop not only bombs, but also teleport Rikti soldiers, automated drones, and scavenging Rikti monkeys.
  
  
• Not all Rikti bombs detonate on impact. Some bombs are on a delayed timer that go off when they impact on the ground.
  
  
• If you are near one such bomb, watch the color of the device. If the indicator light shows red, RUN AWAY as fast as you can! DO NOT attempt to disarm a bomb unless you are powerful enough to do so.
  
  
• Vanguard will sound the all-clear once the Rikti mothership has cleared the area, but you will notice it first when the sky changes color back to normal. Those in Paragon City will also see the War Walls power up to full strength again.
  

The Rikti Are Coming Back!

Although their second invasion has been thwarted last June, the Rikti have apparently not given up their efforts to conquer and destroy Earth!

The UN-sponsored Vanguard organization has reported that the Rikti are preparing a series of invasion runs to wear down our resolve and deplete our resources.

The Lady Gray of Vanguard has announced the following tentative schedule for invasion attacks:

• March 7th through the 13th
• April 18th through April 24th
• June 13th through June 19th
• August 1st through August 7th
• Sept 26th through Oct 2nd
• November 14th through November 20th

During those months, Rikti raids will be frequent both in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. Warnings will be issued via your system channel, giving you ample time to prepare for the attack should one approach your area. Also be sure to check the skies when an invasion is imminent in your area as it will turn a sickly brownish color as the Rikti mothership approaches. If you do not wish to fight, then your best bet would be to seek shelter inside a building or under overpasses and parking garages. All civilians, including those deemed hostile, will be doing the same.

All hospitals have been notified of the tentative timetable and under UN General Orders are required to provide immediate medical assistance free of charge for any hero or villain involved in combat with the Rikti in that area.

Rikti bomb ships are heavily shielded and are not only impossible to bring down but can go through the protective shields of the War Walls in Paragon City. If you venture too close to one of the bomb ships, you will be attacked. A third of all casualties from Rikti attacks come from being in weapon's range of those vessels.

The Rikti use dimensional portals to drop not only bombs, but also Rikti soldiers, automated drones, and scavenging Rikti monkeys.

Not all Rikti bombs detonate on impact. Some bombs are on a delayed timer that go off when they impact on the ground. If you are near one such bomb, watch the color of the device. If the indicator light shows red, RUN AWAY as fast as you can! DO NOT attempt to disarm a bomb unless you are powerful enough to do so.

Battlerock X, a veteran of the first Rikti invasion of 2002 as well as the second, says that the Rikti will continue to fail in their efforts, and that the best way to defeat them is through teamwork.

"We faced them six years ago as teams and we survived. We faced them last year as teams and we survived. We will continue to survive and fight on as long as we do so as teams. They are not more powerful than us. They are not better than us. They are simply thugs that are in need of a serious comeuppance, and together we will deliver it to them."

Rikti War News: Rikti Incursions Decreasing!

Good news from the Rikti war front! The Rikti's new invasion attempts have been met with heavy resistance in both Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.

The following press release has been issued by the Vanguard.

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Vanguard today is reporting that their efforts in holding off the attacking Rikti forces have met with resounding success. In city zones in both Paragon City and the Rogue Isles, Vanguard rapid response teams have been instrumental in not letting the invading Rikti get a foothold in our dimension.
“This is not to say that the threat is over,” said Incandescent, the press secretary for Vanguard. “Major activity should be slowing down soon, but the Rikti still have the capability of launching massive strikes at both Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.”
In fact, citizens of both cities are being told to still be on the lookout for warnings from Vanguard about zones being targeted for invasion.
“We are simply seeing a lull in the fighting.” Incandescent reported, “Vanguard is hesitant to say that the threat is over, as there is still a large Rikti presence in the Rikti War Zone. This may be a harbinger of a larger scale invasion, so heroes and other super-powered beings are being asked not to let their guard down.”
Vanguard is still taking recruits into their ranks. Heroes with Security Level of 35 or higher, as well as citizens of the Rogue Isles with a Threat Level of 35 or better are asked to visit the nearest Vanguard recruitment station, where they can find a teleporter that will take them to the Vanguard base in Rikti War Zone.
An electronic press kit can be obtained from the Vanguard website, and questions should be forwarded to Incandescent at her normal email address.
 

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It is believed that the Rikti incursions are no longer a daily occurrence, but will still happen on a random basis.

T’Vrg: Assault on Atlas Park

The following is T’Vrg’s account of a recent Rikti incursion into Atlas Park. T’Vrg is a relatively new electrical/electrical cybernetic citizen of Paragon City. This should give you a feel of what Rikti combat is like outside of the Rikti Warzone.

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I had just upgraded my systems to security level six and was preparing to depart to regenerate when the alert was issued for Atlas Park. The sky above turned yellowish brown. There was a broadcast message about forming an invasion team. I had never participated in an invasion team before, so I acknowledged the message and became part of an eight-person team.

The bulk of our team along with several other operatives gathered around Ms. Liberty. Many of the participants began giving us additional powers. There was much discussion of other people wanting to be part of an invasion team, but unfortunately we were at our eight-person maximum.

A few minutes later, the first Rikti soldiers arrived. My powers are electrical-based, so I charged up my lightning field and targeted the first soldier in my area. It was quickly defeated, though obviously not from my own assault. Soon other soldiers appeared along with drones. It is hard to describe what was happening because there were many people in one area, each using their own powers to defeat arriving Rikti soldiers.

At some point I lost power and was defeated. I teleported to the hospital for a quick recovery and then hurried back to the battle, although my progress was slowed by the sheer volume of Rikti participants.

When I returned to the battle, other participants were using their healing powers to sustain the health levels of all participants. No doubt if this was employed during the first part of the battle I would not have been defeated. Again, I charged my lightning field and began attacking any Rikti operative in my visual range.

Soon the number of Rikti operatives began to diminish. The skies cleared and the all-clear alert was sounded that the Rikti had retreated from Atlas Park. Our team quickly dissolved and I returned to my regeneration chamber.

My observation of the battle is that although the Rikti were defeated through large numbers, it was also difficult to see any kind of progress because of the large volumes of operatives and powers in use.

The one thing to keep an eye on while engaged in combat is your endurance levels. Although nearby healers can keep your health levels high, repeated use of your powers will deplete your endurance. If those levels are down to zero, any sustaining power you may have running, such as my lightning field, will shut down. You should disengage your sprint power while in combat to help conserve endurance. Also if you are near someone selling inspirations, be sure to buy several “catch a breath” inspirations to replenish your endurance in battle.

In a group setting, do not stray too far from a healer. I suspect that my defeat in battle was either because the nearby healers did not continue to maintain our health levels or because they moved away from the area of battle. This is why team activity is important in such a situation as a healer can spend their time using their power in a support capacity and still receive the benefits of battle.

In conclusion, I strongly suggest if you are participating in repelling an invasion that you do so in a team environment. Also be sure to go into it prepared. It is a very illogical and confusing experience for all participants.

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