City of Villains Issue 7

"Stop the presses!" as they say in the land of cliché. The rhyming land of cliché, apparently. But do, because just as we were rushing out of the office this evening, NCsoft came bashing on our door, and once we'd both extricated ourselves from the resultant messy tangle of door knobs, trench coats and ballerina outfits (stranger dressers, those NCsoft people), we realised they had a whopping pile of information on the latest City of Villains update, Issue 7, or "Destiny Manifest", which will be available in late April or early May, and affects players of all levels.

So, since it's late, we're going to give you the full lowdown, including brand new screenshots, just as NCsoft provided it. "But guys! That's so lazy!" you're complaining. Except you're not really, because if you're reading this you're a fan of the game and you want to know everything. So here it is - the new power sets in Issue 7 for City of Villains:

• Thugs (Mastermind)

The body rumbling arrival of the motorcycle, the cold metal sound of chains tightening, and the guttural growls of your thugs let everyone know that you are a Mastermind to be reckoned with. Call your gang of toughs to your side with a whistle, whip out your pistols, and let loose pure chaos onto the streets of the Rogue Isles with the new Thug Mastermind power set.

Pistols - Quickly fires a round from one of your heavy automatic pistols. Damage is average, but the fire rate is very fast. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Very Fast

Call Thugs - Calls forth one to three Thugs (depending on your level) to do your bidding. The third Thug you gain will be an Arsonist. Thugs use Dual Pistols and can be taught additional pistol attacks. You may only have 3 Thugs under your control at any given time. If you attempt to call more Thugs, you can only replace the ones you have lost in battle. If you already have three, the power will fail. Recharge: Very Long

Dual Wield - Fires both pistols at once at a time target. Firing both pistols at once is slower than a single shot, but deals more damage, and the target may get knocked down by the force of the impact. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Fast

Equip Thugs - Equip your Thug Henchmen with better ammo, weapons and training. This power permanently bestows new weapons and abilities to one Thug Henchman. The powers gained are unique and dependent upon the target Thug Henchman. This power only works on your Thug Henchmen and you can only Equip any given Thug Henchman once. Recharge: Medium

Empty Clips - You empty the clips of both your pistols in an arc of suppression fire. This attack can blast multiple foes in the affected cone area, and has a small chance of knocking some foes down. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate

Call Enforcer - Calls forth one to two Thug Enforcers (depending on your level) to do your bidding. Thug Enforcers carry a Sub-machine Gun, are possess good leadership skills. Their weapon of choice is an UZI, and can be equipped to carry up to 2 at once. You may only have 2 Thug Enforcers under your control at any given time. If you attempt to call more Enforcers, you can only replace the ones you have lost in battle. If you already have two, the power will fail. Recharge: Very Long

Gang War - Calls a gang of 10 or so Thug Posse to come to your aid for a brief while. Posse are not like your true Henchman. They cannot be given direct commands, nor will they appear in your pet window. You must select an enemy target to attack first before calling these Thugs. Posse are many, but they are very weak, and are only equipped with the most basic weapons. Although they will follow you, they are not as loyal as your Henchmen, and they will only stick around for a few minutes before taking off. Recharge: Very Long

Call Bruiser - Calls one massive Bruiser. He is strong, tough and has a mean temper. As a Brute, he will generate Fury and deal more damage the longer the combat lasts. His Super Strength powers means he favors hand-to-hand combat. He has resistance to Lethal and Smashing Damage and some resistance to Fire and Cold Damage. You may only have 1 Bruiser under your control at any given time. If you attempt to summon another Bruiser, the power will fail. Recharge: Very Long

Upgrade Equipment - Permanently Upgrade the most advanced ammo, weapons and training to one Thug Henchman. The Upgraded Thug will gain new powers, weapons and abilities. The powers gained are unique and dependent upon the target Thug Henchman that is Upgraded. This power only works on your Thug Henchmen and you can only Upgrade the Equipment of any given Thug Henchman once. Recharge: Medium

• Electric Melee (Brute)

Harness the jolting damage of electricity with this crackling power set. Arcs of energy surround your fists, dealing out endurance draining damage as you master the searing strength of lightening to smash your foes!

Charged Brawl - Your fists become electrically charged and deliver a powerful punch. Charged Brawl can drain some Endurance from the target and may overload his synapses, leaving him writhing for a moment. A portion of drained Endurance may be returned to you. Disturbing an overloaded target will disperse the electrical charge and release him. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Fast

Havoc Punch - The Havoc Punch is a slower attack than Charged Brawl, but makes up for it with a greater damage. Havoc Punch can drain some Endurance from your target and may overload his synapses, leaving him writhing for a moment. A portion of the drained Endurance may be given back to you. Disturbing an overloaded target will disperse the electrical charge and release him. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate

Jacobs Ladder - You are able to generate a strong current between your arms and snap a powerful bolt of electricity in an arc in front of you. This melee attack can electrocute all foes within the arc dealing High energy damage. Jacobs Ladder can drain some Endurance from your target and may overload his synapses, leaving him writhing for a moment. Disturbing an overloaded target will disperse the electrical charge and release him. Damage: High, Recharge: Moderate

Build Up - Greatly increases the amount of damage you deal for a few seconds, as well as slightly increasing your Accuracy. Recharge: Long

Thunder Strike - A massive attack. You smash your foes with all the power of a lightning bolt. The pummeled victim takes tremendous damage and may be Disoriented. Any nearby foes may be knocked down and take some damage from the shockwave. Damage: High, Recharge: Slow

Taunt - Taunt foes to attack you. Useful to pull enemies off allies and keep them attacking you to raise your Fury. Recharge: Fast

Chain Induction - This Electric Melee attack deals moderate Smashing and Energy damage and may drain some of the targets Endurance. However, this attack also induces an unstable electric charge that may jump to another enemy target. The charge will jump randomly between multiple targets, until it inevitably dissipates. Enhancements and Fury will only boost the effectiveness of the initial attacks, not the jumping charge. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Slow

Lightning Clap - You can clap your hands together to release a violent Lightning Clap. The Lightning Clap can knock down most nearby foes, Disorienting many of them. Lightning Clap deals no damage. Recharge: Slow

Lightning Rod - You can polarize your body and become a living Lightning Rod. This power calls forth a massive lightning bolt from the sky to strike you. You can then ride this bolt and instantly Teleport a short distances. You rematerialize in a massive bolt of electricity, dealing massive damage and knocking down all nearby foes. You must target the ground to activate this power. Damage from the lightning bolt is superior but is not affected by your Fury. Damage: Superior, Recharge: Slow

• Electric Armor (Brute)

With Electric Armor, you master this simultaneously damaging and protective force of nature in order to shock your foes while shielding yourself. Manipulating power to your advantage, this new set allows you to harness electric energy to do your bidding!

Charged Armor - When you toggle on this power, you are surrounded in a charged field that makes you highly resistant to Smashing, Lethal and Energy damage. Recharge: Fast

Lightning Field - While active, you emit a storm of electricity that constantly damages all nearby foes. Damage: Minor(DoT), Recharge: Slow

Conductive Shield - When you toggle on this power, you are surrounded in a Conductive Shield that will conduct many sorts of energy away from your body. Conductive Shield grants high resistant to Fire, Cold, and Energy damage, as well as good resistance to Negative Energy damage. Recharge: Fast

Static Shield - You can create a field of Static Electricity around your body. This Static Shield protects you from Hold, Sleep, and Disorient effects as well as Endurance Drain, Recovery DeBuffs and enemy Teleportation. Static Shield can also help normalize your synaptic activity, granting you good resistance to Psionic Damage. Recharge: Fast

Grounded - You are Grounded and naturally very resistant to Energy and Negative Energy damage. You also have added resistance to Endurance Drain effects. This power is always on and costs no Endurance.

Lightning Reflexes - Your Lightning Reflexes allow you to move faster than normal, as well as resist slow effects. This power is always on and permanently increases your attack rate and movement speed.

Conserve Power - You can focus for a moment to Conserve your Endurance. After activating this power, you expend less Endurance on all other powers for a while. Recharge: Very Long

Power Sink - Power Sink leeches energy directly from the bodies of all nearby foes, draining their Endurance. Each foe you draw energy from increases your Endurance. If there are no foes within range, you will not gain any Endurance. Recharge: Long

Power Surge - When you activate this power, you transform your body into living Electricity and become extremely resistant to all damage but Psionics, as well as Disorient, Sleep, Hold, Immobilize, Knockback, End Drain, Recovery DeBuff, and enemy Teleportation. Your Endurance recovery is also increased. As Power Surge wears off, the charge in your body explodes in a massive EMP pulse. However, expending all this energy will leave you exhausted, and drained of almost all Health and Endurance. Recharge: Very Long

• Dark Melee (Stalker)

Drawing upon the darkest currents of the underworld, this melee power set calls forth shadowy forces to smash your foes. Tapping into the Netherworld, you will deal out insidious damage striking fear into the hearts of those you destroy.

Shadow Punch - You wrap your fists with Negative Energy channeled from the Netherworlds, then perform a quick punch that deals minor damage. Shadow Punches cloud the target's vision, lowering his Accuracy for a short time. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Fast

Smite - You wrap your fists with Negative Energy channeled from the Netherworlds, then perform a Smite that deals more damage than Shadow Punch, but has a longer recharge time. Smite clouds the target's vision, lowering his Accuracy for a short time. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate

Shadow Maul - You wrap your entire arms with Negative Energy channeled from the Netherworlds, then perform a series of blows that deal a lot of damage over a short period of time to multiple targets in front of you. These blows cloud your target's vision, lowering his Accuracy for a short time. Damage: High (DoT), Recharge: Moderate

Assassin's Eclipse - A signature Stalker attack. This attack does moderate smashing and negative energy damage on its own as a frontal attack. However, if it is executed while you are Hidden, this attack will do tremendous damage, as you waylay your unsuspecting foe with all the powers of darkness. This attack may be interrupted if you move or are attacked while executing this power. Damage: Special, Recharge: Slow

Build Up - Greatly increases the amount of damage you deal for a few seconds, as well as slightly increasing your Accuracy. Recharge: Long

Placate - Allow you to trick a foe to no longer attack you. A Successful Placate will also Hide you. This Hide is very brief, and offers no Defense bonus, but it will allow you to deliver a Critical Hit or an Assassins Blow. However, if you attack a Placated Foe, he will be able to attack you back. Recharge: Long

Siphon Life - You tap the power of the Netherworld and create a life-transferring conduit between a foe and yourself. This will transfer Hit Points from your enemy to yourself. Foes Siphoned in this manner have their Accuracy reduced. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Slow

Touch of Fear - The Netherworld is one scary place, and with but a touch, you can give your enemy a glimpse into this dark world. This will cause them to helplessly tremble in Fear. Foes in this state of panic have reduced Accuracy. Recharge: Moderate

Midnight Grasp - Mastery over the forces of the Netherworld allows you to create dark tentacles that can Immobilize a foe and continuously drain his life force. Damage: Superior(DoT), Recharge: Slow

• Dark Armor (Stalker)

Dwell in the shadows as you cloak yourself with the dark undercurrents flowing through the Netherworld. Guiding these shadowy forces to do your bidding, Dark Armor allows you to strike at the very heart of your foes.

Hide - Hide makes you almost impossible to detect. When properly 'Hidden", a Stalker can pull off Critical hits with his attacks, and even land a massive 'Assassins Strike' with an Assassins power. When you attack or are damaged while using this power, you will be discovered. Even if discovered, you are hard to see and retain some bonus to Defense. Unlike most stealth powers, Hide can be used at the same time as other Concealment powers, giving you even greater stealth capability. Very low Endurance cost.

Dark Embrace - You tap into the energy of the Netherworld to protect yourself from damage. This Dark Embrace shrouds you and grants resistance to Lethal, Smashing, Negative Energy and Toxic damage. Recharge: Fast

Murky Cloud - You create a Murky Cloud enshrouding you. This cloud can absorb all forms of energy, making you more resistant to Fire, Cold, Energy, and Negative Energy attacks, as well as Endurance Drain effects. Recharge: Fast

Shadow Dweller - You are a true Shadow Dweller of the Netherworld. Your affinity for the shadows grants you an inherent bonus to all Defense, as well as an increased Perception and a resistance to Immobilization. Your Perception bonus and resistance to Immobilization improves over level. Shadow Dweller is an Auto power. It is always on and costs no Endurance.

Obsidian Shield - You can create a special Obsidian Shield that grants good resistance to Psionic damage. With your mind enshrouded in darkness, you are protected from Sleep, Fear, Hold, Immobilize and Disorient attacks. Recharge: Fast

Dark Regeneration - You can tap the dark essence of the Netherworld to drain a small amount of life from all enemies nearby, thus healing yourself. The more foes affected, the more you will be healed. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Slow

Cloak of Fear - You can wrap yourself in a nightmarish Cloak of Fear. Foes close to you are treated to visions most horrific, forcing them to tremble in terror, only attacking if attacked, and even then, at reduced Accuracy. Recharge: Fast

Oppressive Gloom - The Netherworld has many mutable properties, such as the Oppressive Gloom. This power allows you to use your own Hit Points to keep enemies near you Disoriented and unable to use any powers. Endurance cost for this is minimal, but the power can be dangerous to use. Recharge: Moderate

Soul Transfer - Should you fall in battle, you can perform a Soul Transfer, sucking the life force of all foes around you to bring yourself back from the brink of death. The more foes nearby, the more life is restored to you. Drained foes are left Disoriented. The dark effects of this Soul Transfer will actually leave you invulnerable for a brief time, and protected from XP Debt for 20 seconds. There must be at least one foe nearby to fuel the Transfer and revive yourself. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Very Long