Easy
start
Tough
start
Tanker
The toughest. Walks into the crowd and takes the hits. Very forgiving for new players.
Hero classicCity of Heroes lets you build almost any hero you can imagine. The choices look like a lot at first, but they boil down to four things: your archetype, your two power sets, how you slot your powers, and the pool powers you pick up later.
Pick your archetype
This is the big one. It decides how you fight and how tough you are.
Easy
start
Tough
start
Brute
Tough melee fighter who gets stronger the more they fight.
Villain classicEasy
start
Melee
start
Scrapper
Melee damage with solid defenses. Great for playing alone.
Hero classicStalker
Sneaky melee: hides, then lands huge opening hits.
Villain classicBlaster
Big ranged damage, but fragile. Keep your distance.
Hero classicDefender
Heals and buffs the team, weakens enemies, some ranged damage.
Hero classicCorruptor
Ranged damage first, team support second.
Villain classicController
Holds, freezes and confuses enemies, plus team support.
Hero classicDominator
Control mixed with real damage.
Villain classicMastermind
Summons a squad of pets that fight for you. Keep them on a leash!
Villain classicFirst hero?
Go with a Tanker, Brute or Scrapper. They're tough, simple, and fine playing solo. Every archetype is open to heroes and villains alike, so pick the one whose style you like.
Power sets: what you can do
Every archetype picks two power sets when you make the character:
Primary set
Your main job. For a Scrapper that's the attack style, like Claws or Broad Sword.
Secondary set
Your backup. For a Scrapper that's the defense, like Super Reflexes or Invulnerability.
You start with one power from each. As you level up you unlock more powers from both sets, and you choose which ones to take. You can't change your sets later, so pick ones whose look and feel you like. They all work.
Slotting: making powers stronger
Every power comes with one empty slot. As you level you earn more slots, and you place them into the powers you use most. Then you fill slots with enhancements, little upgrades you get from defeating enemies and from stores.
Attacks
Accuracy→Damage→Endurance Reduction
Hit first, then hit harder, then stop running out of blue bar.
Heals
Heal+Recharge
Bigger heals, used more often.
Toggles
Endurance Reduction→Defense / Resistance
Powers that stay on, like armors. Keep their cost down first.
Rule of 3! Don't stack more than three of the same kind in one power. After three,
each extra one does very little.
Watch for red
Enhancements wear down as you outlevel them (they turn red). Swap them out at stores every few levels and your hero stays strong.
Pool powers & travel
Besides your two sets, you can take powers from shared pools that any hero can use. The most loved ones are the travel powers. Pick one early, because getting around the city is much more fun:
FlightSuper SpeedSuper JumpTeleport
Other pools add extras like healing (Medicine), team buffs (Leadership) or extra toughness (Fighting).
Your first day in Paragon City
1
Contacts
Talk to people with a yellow "!" over their head. They give you missions.
2
Inspirations
One-use pick-me-ups: heal, endurance, more damage. Use them, don't hoard them.
3
Respec
Made a choice you regret? A respec lets you rebuild your powers and slots later.
4
Team up
Everything is easier and faster in a group. Ask in Discord who's on.
Ready to suit up?
Grab the launcher and get your account on the Haven page.