Blargh
I honestly can't believe I've had to do this much work for a character that isn't even mine. It's really quite silly. :P But anyway... I've put a bunch of little builds together for Nick's character based on different archetypes he's likely to encounter. I haven't done all the ones he'll probably need by a long shot, but... this is a start. I also make a lot of use of stuff from the Mastermind's Manual, because... well... the feats presented there are actually pretty good. The help make it a little easier for such a feat dependent character to actually get the job done.
Anti-Speedster Array (40 points)
Tactics:
Try to go first (Seize Initiative), close ground and attempt to trip, grapple, or stun the speedster. With Speed 3, move up to 1000 feet if necessary as part of a charge. If stunning, trade-off for a 15 damage bonus to provoke a DC 25 fortitude save on the stun. If attempting to trip, Sweeping strike allows for damage to be dealt as well as trip, trade off and go for 8/7 distributed to either damage or trip as necessary. Otherwise, attack and then go for the automatic grapple granted by Improved Grab.
Failing going first, fight defensively, raising Defense to 28 to attempt to avoid being hit. If missed, Defensive strike grants a +4 attack bonus on the next attack which should then be used either with Sweeping Strike, Improved Grab, or Stunning attack if the enemy is still within reach to once again attempt to stop them. Once grappled, pin the opponent to keep them from moving and use crushing pin to continue inflicting damage every round until they either escape, or fall unconscious.
If facing a time-controller type speedster... kiss your ass goodbye.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Feats: Accurate Attack, All Out Attack, Attack Focus Melee (5), Chokehold, Crushing Pin, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Dodge Focus (5), Improved Defense (2), Improved Grapple, Improved Grab, Improved Pin, Improved Throw, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Seize Initiative, Steadfast (2), Stunning Attack, Sweeping Strike, Unbalancing Strike
Left Over Points: 10 points left to fill in based on the different needs of various Speedster abilities and archetypes
Anti-Flier Array (37 points)
Tactics:
Suicidal as it sounds, fight the Flier in the air if you can. Leaping 3 provides a 200 foot vertical leap, if they’re not higher than that, take the fight to them. Technically a charge, you can meet them in the air then try to throw either a stunning attack to bring them down, or strike and lead into a grapple which gives you the advantage of sticking with them while you attempt to inflict damage. If you have to, to make this strategy work, try to get high ground before you leap if you need the extra distance to reach them.
If this plan won’t work, use whichever ranged weapon picked for the Improved Critical feat to attempt to shoot the bastard down, if you’re using the throwing knives and they get close enough to an object, attempt to pin them in place. It’ll annoy the mobile flier to no end. 15-20 crit with a ranged attack is nothing to sneeze at either.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus (5), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (3, Pick a ranged weapon), Improved Grapple, Improved Grab, Power Attack, Ranged Pin, Stunning Attack
Attack Bonus: +5
Left Over Points: 13 points left to fill in based on the different needs of various Flier abilities and archetypes
Anti-Blaster/Ranged Weapon Master Array (29 - 50 points, as needed)
Tactics:
Don’t fight the blaster at range if you can help it. That is the blaster’s Domain. Instead, use the benefit of Move-by Action to take advantage of cover as you approach if it will take more than one action reach the enemy. Pepper them with ranged attacks and then close to melee. Lead off with either stunning attack to disable the enemy, or improved grab to immediately grapple the enemy after a normal melee attack attempt to remove them from the action. If the blaster also flies, see Anti-Flier above.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus Melee (5), Crushing Pin, Dodge Focus (5), Improved Grapple, Improved Grab, Improved Pin, Move-by action, Power Attack, Stunning Attack
If an AoE blaster: Feat: Evasion; Save: +10 Reflex
If weapon Blaster: Feats: Deflect 10 (Slow or Fast as needed)
Left Over Points: If you have anything left... well... get whatever
Minion Cleaner/Anti-Duplicator Array (38 points)
Tactics:
Charge the densest group of enemies, Trade-off big, and then try to take down as many as you can as fast as you can right away. If you become surrounded, fight defensively (Standard action) boosting Defense to 28 and use bluff to trick (move action with Skill challenge feat). If the enemy misses, make him hit his friend. Also, Defensive Strike again allows a +4 bonus to hit, and then take down attack again if able. Lather, rinse repeat. Works equally well for large groups of mooks or horde duplicators. Fighting Heroic duplicators with only a few duplicates, consider Stunning attack, or the grapple series of feats to maximize the pain. Also, elusive target for melee against several enemies with guns is good. Also consider adding Charisma to the array to get more bang for your bluff buck when tricking opponents into blasting/stabbing/killing each other.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Skills: Bluff 15
Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus Melee (1), Attack Specialization Staff (2), Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Dodge Focus (5), Improved Critical Staff (3), Improved Defense (2), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Redirect, Skill Challenge (Bluff to trick as a move action), Takedown Attack (2), Uncanny Dodge (pick a sense)
Left Over Points: 12 points left to fill in based on the different needs of various Minion/ Duplicator archetypes
Anti-Brick/Powerhouse/Melee Weapon Master array (25 points)
Tactics:
Melee bad, ranged combat good. Do not melee the brick if you can help it for that is the Brick’s domain. Instead, fight them from range taking full advantage of your movement powers and Move-By Action to dance in and out of range while attacking with a ranged weapon. If you do get into melee, try not to get grappled... and failing that, immediately try to escape because you’ll likely take more damage than you’ll be able to inflict in that situation.
Paragons also tend to fall into this category and the combination of Flight and Melee combat prowess can make them hard to deal with. Attempt to find cover that will make it more difficult for them to use their advantages. If you’re particularly daring, you can try to utilize the flier tricks listed above, but most Paragons are high on the fortitude save so a leaping stunning attack will probably fail and aerial grappling is something you’ll probably lose at, resulting in your ass impacting the concrete as they use you as an improvised lawn dart.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Traits: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus Ranged (1), Attack Specialization Throwing Blades (2), Dodge Focus (5), Improved Critical Throwing Blades (3), Move-By Action, Power Attack
Left Over Points: 25 points left to fill in based on the different needs of various Brick/Powerhouse archetypes. Caught in a grapple consider Enhanced Dexterity 20, Enhanced Skill Escape Artist 15 for 24 points and +30 bonus to try to squirm out of the grapple as the best you can do on Strength alone is a +25, and that’s with super strength. When Fighting a Melee Weapon Master, a dirty trick is pick up several ranks of Improved Disarm, like say 5, for a +10 bonus to the check, and Improved Range Disarm from the Mastermind’s manual if it is allowed to remove the penalty for disarming at range and take away their weapons.
Anti-Speedster Array (40 points)
Tactics:
Try to go first (Seize Initiative), close ground and attempt to trip, grapple, or stun the speedster. With Speed 3, move up to 1000 feet if necessary as part of a charge. If stunning, trade-off for a 15 damage bonus to provoke a DC 25 fortitude save on the stun. If attempting to trip, Sweeping strike allows for damage to be dealt as well as trip, trade off and go for 8/7 distributed to either damage or trip as necessary. Otherwise, attack and then go for the automatic grapple granted by Improved Grab.
Failing going first, fight defensively, raising Defense to 28 to attempt to avoid being hit. If missed, Defensive strike grants a +4 attack bonus on the next attack which should then be used either with Sweeping Strike, Improved Grab, or Stunning attack if the enemy is still within reach to once again attempt to stop them. Once grappled, pin the opponent to keep them from moving and use crushing pin to continue inflicting damage every round until they either escape, or fall unconscious.
If facing a time-controller type speedster... kiss your ass goodbye.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Feats: Accurate Attack, All Out Attack, Attack Focus Melee (5), Chokehold, Crushing Pin, Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Dodge Focus (5), Improved Defense (2), Improved Grapple, Improved Grab, Improved Pin, Improved Throw, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Seize Initiative, Steadfast (2), Stunning Attack, Sweeping Strike, Unbalancing Strike
Left Over Points: 10 points left to fill in based on the different needs of various Speedster abilities and archetypes
Anti-Flier Array (37 points)
Tactics:
Suicidal as it sounds, fight the Flier in the air if you can. Leaping 3 provides a 200 foot vertical leap, if they’re not higher than that, take the fight to them. Technically a charge, you can meet them in the air then try to throw either a stunning attack to bring them down, or strike and lead into a grapple which gives you the advantage of sticking with them while you attempt to inflict damage. If you have to, to make this strategy work, try to get high ground before you leap if you need the extra distance to reach them.
If this plan won’t work, use whichever ranged weapon picked for the Improved Critical feat to attempt to shoot the bastard down, if you’re using the throwing knives and they get close enough to an object, attempt to pin them in place. It’ll annoy the mobile flier to no end. 15-20 crit with a ranged attack is nothing to sneeze at either.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus (5), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (3, Pick a ranged weapon), Improved Grapple, Improved Grab, Power Attack, Ranged Pin, Stunning Attack
Attack Bonus: +5
Left Over Points: 13 points left to fill in based on the different needs of various Flier abilities and archetypes
Anti-Blaster/Ranged Weapon Master Array (29 - 50 points, as needed)
Tactics:
Don’t fight the blaster at range if you can help it. That is the blaster’s Domain. Instead, use the benefit of Move-by Action to take advantage of cover as you approach if it will take more than one action reach the enemy. Pepper them with ranged attacks and then close to melee. Lead off with either stunning attack to disable the enemy, or improved grab to immediately grapple the enemy after a normal melee attack attempt to remove them from the action. If the blaster also flies, see Anti-Flier above.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus Melee (5), Crushing Pin, Dodge Focus (5), Improved Grapple, Improved Grab, Improved Pin, Move-by action, Power Attack, Stunning Attack
If an AoE blaster: Feat: Evasion; Save: +10 Reflex
If weapon Blaster: Feats: Deflect 10 (Slow or Fast as needed)
Left Over Points: If you have anything left... well... get whatever
Minion Cleaner/Anti-Duplicator Array (38 points)
Tactics:
Charge the densest group of enemies, Trade-off big, and then try to take down as many as you can as fast as you can right away. If you become surrounded, fight defensively (Standard action) boosting Defense to 28 and use bluff to trick (move action with Skill challenge feat). If the enemy misses, make him hit his friend. Also, Defensive Strike again allows a +4 bonus to hit, and then take down attack again if able. Lather, rinse repeat. Works equally well for large groups of mooks or horde duplicators. Fighting Heroic duplicators with only a few duplicates, consider Stunning attack, or the grapple series of feats to maximize the pain. Also, elusive target for melee against several enemies with guns is good. Also consider adding Charisma to the array to get more bang for your bluff buck when tricking opponents into blasting/stabbing/killing each other.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Skills: Bluff 15
Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus Melee (1), Attack Specialization Staff (2), Defensive Attack, Defensive Strike, Dodge Focus (5), Improved Critical Staff (3), Improved Defense (2), Move-By Action, Power Attack, Redirect, Skill Challenge (Bluff to trick as a move action), Takedown Attack (2), Uncanny Dodge (pick a sense)
Left Over Points: 12 points left to fill in based on the different needs of various Minion/ Duplicator archetypes
Anti-Brick/Powerhouse/Melee Weapon Master array (25 points)
Tactics:
Melee bad, ranged combat good. Do not melee the brick if you can help it for that is the Brick’s domain. Instead, fight them from range taking full advantage of your movement powers and Move-By Action to dance in and out of range while attacking with a ranged weapon. If you do get into melee, try not to get grappled... and failing that, immediately try to escape because you’ll likely take more damage than you’ll be able to inflict in that situation.
Paragons also tend to fall into this category and the combination of Flight and Melee combat prowess can make them hard to deal with. Attempt to find cover that will make it more difficult for them to use their advantages. If you’re particularly daring, you can try to utilize the flier tricks listed above, but most Paragons are high on the fortitude save so a leaping stunning attack will probably fail and aerial grappling is something you’ll probably lose at, resulting in your ass impacting the concrete as they use you as an improvised lawn dart.
Traits:
Abilities: Enhanced Strength 10
Traits: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus Ranged (1), Attack Specialization Throwing Blades (2), Dodge Focus (5), Improved Critical Throwing Blades (3), Move-By Action, Power Attack
Left Over Points: 25 points left to fill in based on the different needs of various Brick/Powerhouse archetypes. Caught in a grapple consider Enhanced Dexterity 20, Enhanced Skill Escape Artist 15 for 24 points and +30 bonus to try to squirm out of the grapple as the best you can do on Strength alone is a +25, and that’s with super strength. When Fighting a Melee Weapon Master, a dirty trick is pick up several ranks of Improved Disarm, like say 5, for a +10 bonus to the check, and Improved Range Disarm from the Mastermind’s manual if it is allowed to remove the penalty for disarming at range and take away their weapons.