CoV: Virgil Tarikoss Strike Force

[Creole Ned]

Anyone interested in a villainy strike force (strike force = task force in CoH; villains STRIKE, they don't do tasks, I guess)? The Virgil Tarikoss SF begins in Cap Au Diable, has a level range of 15-20 and ends with a hootenany.

I've only done the first respec trial in CoV, so I'm curious to see what's in store here.

Currently I have one character in level range, the rabid but charming Carl the Bat, who is 16. Undead Greg is 14 and could probably hit 15 soonish.

If interested, please list the character you'd want to bring along.

Carl the Bat - 16 mind/psi dominator

[FoeKilla]

Crystal Cool - 10

[bridude]

yes I would like to go.

Either one

Hoochie 15 Stalker

Slushy 13 Corrupter

[Q]

Thermal Corruption - 15 Fire/Warmth Corruptor

[pogozorro]

I will go with Gravitus (14). After playing Doctor Derange last night, I realized how much I like my dominator...I think!

[Postal]

I would be interested. Electric Toaster is now 15.

[Falhawk]

ugly rita is 18

when do you wanna do this?

[Circuit]

I would like to go, but I don't have any villains in that level range.

[Creole Ned]

When we would do this depends on two things:

- having enough characters in the appropriate range
- Cryptic putting out the patch that fixes archvillains/heroes (Issue 7 grossly inflated their regen, which means many full teams literally cannot beat them with having someone on the team that has a good -regen power).

[Creole Ned]

Having done a wee bit of reading, it seems the best level to tackle this would be at about level 18 - you still get XP for the SF and the enemies will not be so far above you in level that you may actually stand a chance at hitting them.

[Q]

Are SF missions affected by the mission difficulty slider?

[Creole Ned]

The enemies are fixed in SFs and will always con at the max level or +1 to the SF. Since the Virgil Tarikoss SF has a 15-20 range, that means you'd face level 20-21 enemies. It used to be that a full team of eight would also bump the enemies up another level but I think they removed that awhile back.

[Fitty]

I got to 13 last night so I will do my best to get HoL to 18

[Patton]

Against my better judgement, I reactivated my account.

My global handle is @Duennes

My Corruptor is level 15, so when we do this, I'll be able to go as well, I think.

[Creole Ned]

Carl the Bat is now 19 and will be parked until we do the SF.

There should be a patch this week so I am thinking this coming weekend might be good.

[Q]

Thermal Corruption is now 18 and will also be parked until we can embark on the SF.

[Postal]

I probably won't be able to play this coming weekend. :(

[Fitty]

HoL is now 15 so I should be ready very soon.

[Creole Ned]

Well, the patch that rolled back the absurd regen rate on AVs and GMs went to the test server a few days back, so I was expecting it to go live today. Instead, the patch was reverted in favor of another for "server stability". It's doubtful the patch will make it to live before next week now.

AVs and GMs can still be handled with a large enough team (not possible on a TF which limits you to a max of 8) or enough players with -regen or other debuffing powers.

Do people know if the characters they want to bring along have either -regen or other debuff powers? If so, it might be possible to do the TF without waiting for the fix.

Carl has Drain Psyche, which reportedly works well. Unfortunately, it's not a power that is available at level 19.

[pogozorro]

Robot MMs have -regen on the robots's ranged attacks, I believe.

That will at least help out.

[Creole Ned]

Yep. I figure if we have about three characters who can debuff regen or resistance (look for -regen or -res in the power's description) we can probably have a good go at it.

EDIT: It looks like the 06/20 patch has been activated on test again, along with a new patch today. Slim chance it could get pushed to live tomorrow if nothing asplodes.

[Fitty]

Foxy has poisons that have -regen and -res

[pogozorro]

When are we doing this? I will be out of town from the 27th through the 3rd.

[Creole Ned]

Well, Postal is away this weekend. Maybe we can shoot for Monday? It seems unlikely the patch will be live then but we may have enough -regen to get through. The actual TF should only take a few hours, so it's not a big deal if we have to do it again or pick up an AV fight after the patch if it comes to that.

If a few of us can get Shivans from Bloody Bay, the extra damage would help nicely, too.

EDIT: At least five of us now have the Shivans from the Bloody Bay mission. I'm thinking that may be enough firepower to overcome the AVs whether the patch is in or not.

[Creole Ned]

It looks like pogo has gone out of town a day earlier than planned, so he is out like some outta here guy.

Do we want to try this tonight or wait till tomorrow? The patch is likely to be pushed to live tomorrow, but I suspect we can pull it off tonight with our nutty green Shivans.

[Fitty]

Monday or Tuesday is fine for me.

[Creole Ned]

Let's try tonight, then. I'm tired of having Carl at 19 forevah.

[Creole Ned]

Success!

Six evil-doers banded together and completed the strike force. Apart from a few deaths here and there and ninjas and mercs not understanding that lava is hot and it burns and it makes you dead when you stand in it, the SF went pretty well.

We unleashed the Shivans for Infernal and Bat'Zul, and Batty especially when down fast, with Foxy's envenom nicely killing his ability to regen.

Next up would be the Silver Mantis SF, which requires the SG base computer. We probably only need a trillion prestige to install that. :P

Here's the team (except slowpoke Hoochie).
From left to right: Luci Hell, Foxy Brown, Virgil the bad guy, Carl the Bat, Electric Toaster, Thermal Corruption

http://martiancartel.com/img/coh/virgil_sf.jpg

[Sir Lucius]

Thermal Corruption just doesn't look like a badguy to me.

[Q]

The problem is that his evil red eyes don't photograph well.

[bridude]

oh I see how it is. Forget the the MVP eh?

[Creole Ned]

Here's the team (except slowpoke Hoochie)
Ahem!

[Creole Ned]

Anyone interested in running this SF again? I think we have a few in range of it now who weren't on the first run.

[Q]

Does anyone even still play CoV other than Ned, Postal, and I?

[Creole Ned]

Orion's character is in range (although it might be difficult for him to commit, timewise). Pal's brute should be in range now and Circuit's should be there, too. If pogo was feeling masochistic, his gravity dominator could do it.

But having characters in range is one thing, getting people to play is another. That's why I'm tossing it out there.

For the lazies who don't like scrolling up, the SF range is 15-20, although I recommend being no lower than 17 or 18.

[Paladin]

Surprisingly, I am in range. Yippie. Mayhaps Sunday evening?

[Creole Ned]

I'm fine with Sunday. I have a couple characters in range, although I might need a lackey, depending.

Anyone interested should also say whether they'd prefer to do it in one shot or split it over two sessions.

[Postal]

If it is Sunday we will probably have to do it in 2 unless we can start real early.

[Creole Ned]

When would people want to do this? And would we want to get Shivans ahead of time? (I don't think it's necessary but it can't hurt.)