Archetypes determine the nature of your powers, granting you access to a specific Primary Power Set. It is also the single most important choice you will make in your character creation. Each archetype has its own unique powers, abilities, and pros and cons; choose wisely, as this choice is permanent. Power Pools are powers that are accessible at Threat Level 6, and all archetypes have access to them.

Brute

Hit Points: High
Damage: High
Role: Melee
Primary Powers: Melee
Secondary Powers: Defense

Brutes live to fight, and as a Brute, you revel in hand-to-hand combat. With strong offensive Power Sets to inflict pain and impressive defences to take it, you’re the best there is in a straight melee fight. Protracted battles only make you mad, and the madder you get, the more damaging your attacks become. You do lack ranged attacks, which could leave you vulnerable to hit-and-run tactics if you don’t have allies to cover you.

Stalker

Hit Points: Low
Damage: High
Role: Melee
Primary Powers: Melee
Secondary Powers: Defense

The Stalker is a well-balanced offensive/defensive combination that serves as an ideal shock trooper that quickly deals massive amounts of damage. They aren’t nearly as resilient as Brutes, but they are an excellent complement to them, as Stalkers can shred foes in little time due to their high DPS (damage per second) attacks. Stalkers are primarily melee-focused and do not deal in ranged attacks.

The Stalker is also fantastic as a solo player, as his balanced nature makes him capable of getting in and out quickly and effectively. The Stalker is also a very good beginner archetype.

This archetype’s first Secondary Power is the ability to hide. This allows Stalkers to strike from the shadows and greatly increases their ability to get an initial critical hit. It also allows them to sneak around enemies (of a similar level range) undetected.

Mastermind

Hit Points: Low
Damage: Medium
Primary Powers: Summon Henchmen
Secondary Powers: Buff

The Mastermind is perhaps the most complex archetype to play, because much of his power originates from the various “pets” - called Henchmen - he can summon to his side, such as the living dead, a band of ninjas, or several mechanised monstrosities.

This adds an extra layer of complexity, since you must simultaneously control your character and the minions he commands. This makes the Mastermind daunting, but it also makes it one of the more powerful archetypes in the game and makes it a one-man group.

The Mastermind archetype is played very differently from the others, which is primarily due to its ability to summon what are commonly known as “henchmen”. In the case of City of Villains, these skills come in one of four types:

Robotics, Necromancy, Ninjas, and Mercenaries

Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, but how these pets are controlled by the player is more important to your gameplay. As you have to control both your character and the henchmen, you need to be aware of your surroundings at all times - a Mastermind without henchmen makes for easy prey.

There are three different stances you can put your pet in:
Passive: Your pet will take no action when you are attacked.
Defensive: Your pet will defend itself when attacked.
Aggressive: Your pet will attack nearby enemies.

Each stance is useful depending on the situation.

In addition to each of these stances you can also order your pet to do specific tasks:

Attack My Target: This will send your pet to attack the enemy you have targeted.
If you switch targets, it will abandon the current one and attack the new one.
Go To: Selecting this and clicking on a location will send the pet to that location.
Follow Me: Your pet will follow you wherever you go.
Stay: Your pet will stay in the designated spot.
Dismiss: Your pet will be removed from play, until summoned again.

Be wary when you combine the various stances with the orders. For example, setting your pet in Aggressive mode and then having it follow can be dangerous since your pet may attack any foe it gets too close to.

Dominator

Hit Points: Low
Damage: Medium
Role: Control
Primary Powers: Control
Secondary Powers: Assault

Wielding a vast array of devastating powers, Dominators are another complex class. Their powers primarily consist of forcing a foe against their will, whether it’s grounding them to the spot, rendering them unconscious, or inflicting other malicious attacks.

Dominators are an interesting archetype in that they are fairly effective to play solo at lower levels. However, as they advance, you’ll find that they need to group more and more often due to the slightly more complementary nature of their powers.

Corruptor

Hit Points: Low
Damage: High
Role: Ranged
Primary Powers: Ranged
Secondary Powers: Buff

The Corruptor is the primary ranged-attack class in City of Villains. This means they get to stay at a distance and hurl various energy attacks at their unfortunate prey. They also have a wide range of buffs to enhance the abilities of teammates and, as such, can be valuable in groups.

Corruptors aren’t the most physically imposing archetype, but they more than make up for it in raw damage output. Getting up close to enemies usually ends with the Corruptor taking a solid beating. Partnering with a good Brute, however, can work wonders for this archetype.