User:GuyPerfect/Bob the Biohazard

Another Day, Another Beaker

They laughed when I went to work at WetWare Engineering, saying I'd never have the patience to reverse-engineer biological slop. They laughed when I crafted my own little combat narcotics, claiming chemical warfare is worthless if it wears off so fast. They laughed when I told them I would infiltrate the Arachnos flier when it attacked Zigursky Pennitentiary and stow away to the Rogue Isles. And even Arachnos laughed when I told them I wasn't interested in recruiting for henchmen. I've got my own ideas; my own goals... There's no reason I have to obey some preconceived laws of the universe just because everyone else does. That's not the way I'm wired up.

My name is Rachel Biggers, though friends call me Bobbie. Long story. I say friends, but I don't suppose that's entirely accurate... I've never really been too close to anyone. I can't stand the way people embrace tradition like it's the only way to do things. Heck, if people weren't constantly shoving it in my face, I'd forget about Christmas and be happier for it. I long for the day when I can stand out doing my own thing--proving to everyone else that it not only works, but works well--and watch as their jaws sway in the breeze in amazement. The rules of life can be broken, but they say it can't be done. If I present myself as a living example, on the other hand, how can they hope to refute my hopes and dreams?

I'm a registered villain now, but I'm not super in any way. I have no extraordinary strength or ability to shoot flames from my fingertips. I'm unremarkable in every way, except one: I'm smart and I'm determined to make the most of it. If it weren't illegal for non-metahumans to arbitrarily fight crime in Paragon City, I'd be spending my time there. Registered heroes are allowed to beat up anyone on the streets who happens to have blue skin even if they're not breaking any laws, but civilians like me get in all sorts of legal trouble if we attempt to put a stop to a warehouse raid or bank robbery. I figure I can beat up the same villains for the same reasons in the Rogue Isles, and no one will even toss me a suspicious glance. A win-lose situation, perhaps, but it gives me an opportunity to do what I believe I can accomplish.

Bob the Biohazard is my villainous handle. I can get away with it because my gas mask alters my voice, and my costume has disguised the fact that I'm a woman. The mask isn't just for filtering air intake, mind you: in battle, it dispenses powerful toxins in a huge cloud in front of me. In fact, my costume as a whole is a custom combat suit designed to introduce the fruits of my WetWare training to the battlefield. Every time I bust down an evil laboratory, I get more toys to play with, so I'm constantly improvising and improving my chemical arsenal. The way I see it, even though I'm not super, I can still take you on by making you less super.

All I have to fight with are a pair of lightweight firearms and my own two fists, but I can build better bullets; I can vitalize my body with new potions; I can improve my combat armor. It's just gonna take some time and a lot of money, but I'm in the right business for that. I will become super, at least to an extent, and then I will return to Paragon City to show them what I've become. Another day, another beaker, and it won't be much longer before it will be my turn to laugh.

Character Details

Statistics: Name:   Bob the Biohazard Server: Triumph Alignment: Villain Archetype: Mastermind Threat Level: 50 Primary: Thugs Secondary: Poison Epic: Leviathan Mastery

Powers: (Hover mouse)

To Gimp or Not to Gimp

The question passed down through the ages is "Why make a Mastermind with no Henchmen?" The answer, quite unsurprisingly, is generally "Because I can." It's something different to do, and after making a few characters that completely demolish anything that manages to squeeze its way into the targeting reticle, it's a welcome change. The game's been in easy mode for the last few years, so why not do something people think is impossible and make a decent character out of a Mastermind with no Henchmen? The initial knee-jerk reaction to the suggestion is typically that such a character is doomed to fail. Even after being presented with evidence that it may be closer to "limp out of it barely breathing" rather than "fail," people still seem to insist that it's a dead end and the only way it can end is if you wind up dead. Well, that's their problem, I suppose. If I can prove otherwise, I just might have my chance of making history in the course of character builds in the community.

Combat effectiveness is a two-fold interweaving of one's survivability and aptness to dispatch one's enemies. If you can take a hit and dish one out, you'll come out on top. Masterminds have a different approach to this equation than any other archetype, however: they come in seven distinct pieces, and any one piece will be terribly inadequate in battle by itself. To remove all six Henchmen from a Mastermind, therefore, is to trim off six sevenths of what the Mastermind as a class was designed to be in the first place... and that's a lot to make up for. Fortunately, it's not as hopeless as it seems. A lot of a Mastermind's potential is lost due to babysitting the Henchmen, so they generally underperform compared to what they're technically capable of. Set bonuses also give a convenient way to buff one's base stats, and as I've come to find out, a Mastermind with no Henchmen can actually be made more effective than certain other stock archetypes.

I've chosen Thugs for the Dual Pistols attacks, as at the time of this writing, it is still prior to the release of Dual Pistols and I wanted to be the one who says "been there, done that" when it's all said and done. Now that I know about Swap Ammo, it's a bit of a different story, but I already got to 50, so nyah! I also opted for Poison, because it's a really cool concept and powerset design and you simply don't see a lot of it. Besides, it's the only buff set that's currently exclusive to Masterminds. If I'm gonna be different, I'm gonna be different, darn it! So I had Thugs and Poison and no Henchmen and I got to see what I could do with it. Sounds like fun, eh?

Now, Masterminds are severely clamped down in both the survivability and damage output scenarios since they're designed to work with Henchmen, and those are the problems that need to be addressed. The hit points are the lowest in the game; two-thirds that of Blaster. The best counter for this is +HP and +Damage Resistance, since the longer that green bar stays above 0, the longer you'll survive. Knockback protection is good to keep from taking unnecessary damage too. As for damage output, the Mastermind's attacks deal so little damage anyways that slotting Enhancements to boost it won't get you anywhere fast. However, since the damage is so low, damage procs do just as much if not more every time they fire off than the Mastermind's attack total.

Bob's build takes all of these into account. So what's the character like with all that stuff on it? Awesome, that's what. When facing foes that deal primarily Smashing and Lethal damage such as Malta Operatives, Council or Longbow, Bob steadily cruises on through like a melee class with dedicated defensive powers. The AoE debuff and attacks make for good damage splash, and the multi-proc'd / low-endurance / fast-recharge melee attacks make an unorthodox warrior that nonetheless works out very well. The character can tackle groups set for more than one player as well as single-handedly take down select Elite Bosses.

Media

I know, I know: pics or it didn't happen. Well, I can top that: here's a video!