Tactical File: Rikti Incursions

Rikti Conscript Rank: Minion Weapons: Rikti Sword, Rikti Energy Rifle Found In: Rikti War Zone Founders Falls Peregrine Island Crey's Folly Monster Island

In 2002, we were shocked to discover multiple discs appearing everywhere. These discs, we soon discovered, were actually dimensional portals, and what came through them devastated the world. The Rikti: mysterious race from another world in another dimension with knowledge and technology that clearly surpassed our own Millions were killed in the first day. Whole cities ravaged. Paragon City itself was fragmented and divided by huge War Walls that remain even to this day. But for the first time in our history, the whole world joined forces to confront this threat. The sacrifices made were both shocking and heroic. The world was saved, but the price was high, especially for our champions. Five years later, the skies darkened again. The Rikti were back. This time, though, we were prepared. The United Nations defense force known as Vanguard had been preparing for the Rikti’s return and they made sure that they would not be allowed to put down any stakes on Earth ever again. But just because we fought off the second invasion doesn’t mean that the threat is over with. There is still a mothership on Earth. Even though it was crashed in 2002 and is surrounded by Vanguard forces, it is still active and providing support and intelligence for the Rikti forces still on the ground. Plus there is a second Rikti mothership. It is connected somehow to the downed mothership inside the Rikti War Zone. Every so often it makes its approach to try to catch us off-guard. This threat, by the way, is not just limited to Paragon City. The Rogue Isles are also a Rikti target, although the reasons why still remain unanswered. Although you cannot see this second mothership, its presence is certainly felt when it approaches Earth’s atmosphere. In places where the mothership hovers over, the skies turn a sickly brown-and-green color. The presence of the mothership is also powerful enough to de-power the War Walls in Paragon City (not a surprise since they were built using Rikti technology), which allows for smaller ships to come in. Fortunately the size of the arriving mothership is massive enough for Vanguard to give people up to five minutes warning to prepare and to head for shelter. Vanguard actually has anywhere up to twenty minutes warning time; however, the specific destination cannot be determined until about five minutes before arrival, so they will hold off on issuing specific alerts until that time. The mothership cannot come as close to Earth as they did in 2002. Vanguard defense forces make sure of that. But that mothership can still send down ships and troops while they are overhead. Your typical Rikti incursion has two stages to it. The first stage is an air assault. This is where Rikti Drop Ships will bomb the area. They will fly in a straight pattern, one after another, and drop bombs on the area. It’s best to stay out of their way, though. The Drop Ships are more powerful than any single hero. In fact it usually takes a lot of heroes to bring down a single ship. Plus they fire energy bursts if you get too close to them. And, yes, it also means they will fire on you even if you are just standing still, so be very careful where you stand in certain city quadrants. Be on the lookout for unexploded bombs or UEBs. UEBs are not duds! They are strategically dropped to cause serious morale damage when people come out to either look at the bomb or else try to diffuse it. The Paragon News Network lost a reporter and cameraman in the middle of a live broadcast when they assumed that a nearby UEB was a dud. Look for a warning light in the center of an UEB to determine its status. If it is green or yellow then you may have a chance to disable it before it explodes. But if it is red, then get as far away from it as you can, and keep others away from it as well. The second stage is the ground assault. The Drop Ships will still continue to bomb the area, only now the mothership will start teleporting in troops to take on any life forces that they detect. These ground forces will consist of Rikti troopers, Rikti monkeys, and the occasional automated Rikti Probes. The secret behind the deployment is that the longer you are in exposed areas, and the more people that are in that area, the more troops that will be teleported in. Eventually they will start deploying heavier weapons to try to overwhelm that resistance. The trick to dealing with the Rikti is three-fold. First, if you don’t want to fight, then stay out of sight! Head to a nearby store or police station or even an overpass and then wait it out. If the Rikti mothership cannot spot you from low orbit, then it will not consider you a threat and it will not send out troops to get you. Second, avoid the Drop Ships entirely. You need extremely large numbers to hurt them and it doesn’t help you when you do take them down. You don’t even get a badge for your efforts, so don’t waste your time on those ships. Once you know what their bombing patterns are, then stay away from them when possible. Even if you’re on the ground and are not attacking the Drop Ships, they will attack you if you are within range of their weapons. Third, the magic word to dealing with the Rikti is TEAMWORK! If you’re not already in a team, then get on one as soon as you can. And once you are in a team, then you need to stay together. Make sure everyone is together, even if you’re working in a League. Healers need to heal, and focus on nothing but healing. Everyone else just needs to stick around and do what they do best. The best part of working with a team is that every victory in that team is shared, so you get credit for every Rikti killed in your team, but that only applies when you are in the same vicinity as your team. There are key areas where heroes (and I’m told villains as well) assemble to deal with Rikti incursions as groups. For instance, in Atlas Park, the key area is around Ms. Liberty. In Kings Row, it’s at the bottom of the stairs to the police headquarters. On Talos Island, it’s atop the giant rock in front of the train station. Once the skies start to turn, these are the places that you need to head to in order to find teams and take on the Rikti in overwhelming numbers. There are two more helpful tips for dealing with incursions. First, in Paragon City, the War Walls are a great indication as to when the Rikti are about to retreat. When the Rikti are ready to attack, their approach de-powers the War Walls. Likewise, when they are in the process of retreating, the first thing that happens is that the War Walls power back up. When you see the energy field of the War Walls come back on, then you know that the Rikti are in retreat. Second, thanks to an arrangement made with Vanguard, you are immune from any kind of medical debt should you be killed during a Rikti incursion. This is important for higher-level operatives because medical debt can be very expensive if you are killed repeatedly and need to be recovered through the medical teleporters. So don’t hold back when you’re battling the Rikti. Give them everything you have, and both your team and the support services of Vanguard will do the same. The Rikti can appear to be an overwhelming force, but they are not invincible, and they do not have infinite resources. Every incursion that we beat back costs them far more than they will ever admit to. Their failures cost them those vital resources, which is why their incursions are for a limited period of time. But, unlike the Rikti, we have far more to lose if we fail. Remember, this is our home world, not theirs.

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.

Tactical File: Dealing with Sorcerers Solo

Tsoo Sorcerer Group: Tsoo Rank: Lieutenant Powers: Self-Teleport Hurricane Chill of the Night Petrifying Gaze Brawl O2 Boost (heal) Can be seen in: Steel Canyon Independence Port Talos Island

If there is any one annoying criminal for a hero in Paragon City to fight in a solo situation, it has to be the Tsoo Sorcerer. For starters, they’re cowards. They like to run when the focus is on them. We’re not talking running away like the Trolls run away, which means they give brave words and then run in the opposite direction. No, Sorcerers are teleporters. They don’t RUN, they teleport. And they will teleport repeatedly anytime they feel threatened. If you put yourself in chase mode to follow them, then you better have some kind of flight power active as well, because they will take you everywhere they can teleport to. Rooftops, trees, ledges, power lines… if they can land their feet on it, they’ll get there. Second, Sorcerers usually work in groups. So if you focus all your attention on them, their friends will just wear you down. Or the Sorcerer will teleport away and coax you into another group of criminals, so now you’ve just aggravated them as well. Third, Sorcerers are healers. That means that if you decide to ignore the gutless coward and focus on the ones that WILL fight, then the Sorcerer will teleport back in and begin healing his friends, and they will repeat the process until you turn your attention back on him and then he’ll teleport away, and now you’re facing newly-recharged enemies. Obviously that’s not all that a Sorcerer has in his arsenal. There’s “Chill of the Night” and “Petrifying Gaze” and his Hurricane powers, which are all designed to immobilize you and wear you down, but those are really adding insult to injury. Teleportation and healing that are the two major powers that make the Sorcerer the pain in the cape that he is. Okay, so presuming you’re not on a team, you’re asked to take down a group of Tsoo and you inevitably encounter a Sorcerer amidst the bunch. What’s the best way to deal with him without getting yourself killed? The Sorcerer has a few flaws. While he may be able to heal everyone else in the group, he can’t heal himself. Any damage he gets will only be healed the old-fashioned way… unless there’s another Sorcerer in the group that can heal him. It doesn’t matter if you’re a blaster or a tanker or anyplace in between, attack the Sorcerer first. If you can’t bring him down in one or two shots, then you probably will see him teleport away. Let him leave. He won’t stay away for very long. Focus your attentions on the rest of the gang. Start attacking the other gang members. Once the Sorcerer knows you’re not attacking him, then he will teleport back to heal the others. As soon as he does come back, take your attention off the others and put it right back on the Sorcerer, and keep pounding on him until he either teleports away again or else is defeated. Repeat this process for as long as is necessary until the Sorcerer goes down for the count. If you defeat the other gang members, then the Sorcerer will decide to confront you one-on-one. In those situations, he won’t teleport in. He will instead come at you on foot. Your best bet if you’re a melee fighter (scrapper/tanker/brute) is to hit him with powers that will knock him off his feet and/or disorient him first. That will cut down on the chances he’ll be able to engage his close-quarters defensive powers. Just keep pressing forward and you’ll take him down. There is a flaw with the Sorcerer’s teleportation that also works to your advantage. If you are attacking him while he is in the process of teleporting, you stand the chance of your blows still affecting him while he’s in transit. Plus his teleportation could fail, and instead of teleporting away from the area, he would instead end up either a few inches away from where he left or even knocked out on the ground. Sorcerers are a pain to battle solo, but they can be managed as long as you remember that their strength rests in being the support member of the group. Take away that support capacity and you take away their advantage.