To guide you through this process and to show you an example of how a hero is shaped and formed, we’re going to create an example hero who you can read about whilst we detail the character creation process. Read all about our new hero in the ‘Hero’s Journey’ sections on these pages.

Your choice of which Archetype to play in City of Heroes will fundamentally define your play experience, so it’s a pretty important choice to make. Don’t worry though, every Archetype is enjoyable to play in different ways - in time you might find yourself trying every Archetype, just to experience all that City of Heroes has to offer.

Archetypes are a simple way to help determine a hero’s role in Paragon City. Not every hero can have every power available to them, and your Archetype will influence your play style and determine your abilities.

There are five Archetypes initially available for you to choose from: Blaster, Controller, Defender, Scrapper and Tanker. The other two Archetypes you can see greyed out are Peacebringer and Warshade; these are Epic Archetypes, and are unlocked for play once you have attained Security Level 50 with one of the five basic Archetypes. (Epic Archetypes are designed for experienced City of Heroes players, which is why they are not available initially for play - but they’re worth the effort to unlock, we assure you!)

The five initial Archetypes can be roughly divided into five different play styles, although these lines can be blurred with the careful allocation and use of powers. They are summarised as follows (these details are also given in the character creation screen):

Blaster

Hit Points: Low
Damage: High
Primary Powers: Ranged
Secondary Powers: Support

The Blaster is an offensive juggernaut. This hero can deal a ton of damage from a distance. But the Blaster must be careful, because he’s somewhat fragile compared to other heroes. The Blaster can’t stand toe-to-toe with most opponents at melee for long. His best defence is a great offence!

Play style: Blasters usually suit slightly more cautious players who want to do a lot of damage easily, and who don’t want to get up close and personal with the villains of Paragon City.

At low Security Levels, a Blaster can be a formidable force and a very easy Archetype to play solo; however later in the game as the challenges become more life threatening, Blasters will usually need to team up with other heroes to ensure they don’t spend all of their time in and out of Paragon City’s hospitals. Careful selection of a Blaster’s Secondary Powers can keep them alive for longer, however.

Controller

Hit Points: Low
Damage: Low
Primary Powers: Control
Secondary Powers: Buff

The Controller is at the same time the weakest and yet the most powerful of the Archetypes. The Controller has few offensive attacks and possesses few hit points. But the Controller has access to a range of powers and abilities that no-one else does. Armed with these powers, a Controller can affect the behaviour of villains, from freezing them in place, to putting them to sleep, to routing them away. Armed with such abilities, the Controller is the backbone for any super group, but the Controller depends upon their teammates for protection.

Play style: Playing a Controller is often an exercise in patience! Most effective in groups, at low levels a Controller can be hard to play solo, but as you enter your Security Level ‘teens’, suddenly a Controller will be very much in demand when faced with hordes of villains.

Those players who enjoy having power over villainy will most enjoy playing Controllers; watching a rampaging gang member being frozen solid, or forced to attack another crook, can be very entertaining.

The Controller’s Secondary Powers can be very important to groups, too; a balanced Controller can heal and resurrect fallen heroes, defend them from harm and generally assist them in a variety of ways. These powers are all beneficial, and are hence known as Buff powers (as in, you can be ‘buffed’ by them).

Defender

Hit Points: Low
Damage: Medium
Primary Powers: Buff
Secondary Powers: Ranged

The Defender tends to help his allies, and attack his foes, from a distance. The Defender excels at powers that assist friends, but can also hinder his enemies. The Defender is able to attack at quite a range, however, the Defender is not built for hand to hand. He might be able to dodge a few attacks, but the Defender won’t last for long.

Play style: Perhaps the most versatile of the Archetypes, a Defender can be played as a support role, an offensive role or a combination of both. While never as effective in straight combat as a Blaster or Scrapper, a well built and planned Defender can certainly hold their own in combat, and can be a very easy hero to play solo.

However, Defenders really excel in groups, where their Primary Buff powers allow them to be of great assistance to everyone else - either by healing them or increasing their defensive capabilities.

Group-minded players or those who enjoy support roles will most enjoy playing Defenders, but ultimately this is the Archetype with ‘something for everyone’.

Scrapper

Hit Points: Medium
Damage: High
Primary Powers: Melee
Secondary Powers: Defence

The Scrapper is a fierce melee combatant. In hand to hand, no other hero can compare. But the Scrapper is not as resilient as the Tanker, and might find himself in a little trouble if he heedlessly wades into combat. The Scrapper’s aptitude for melee is countered by a total lack of long distance attacks. Scrappers possess critical strike capability. Their melee attacks have a chance to sometimes do double damage.

Play style: If you want to think with your fists, play a Scrapper. An Archetype that dishes out damage in a very personal way, Scrappers are often the first to fight - but sometimes the first to fall. Being in range of villains’ melee attacks means Scrappers must be prepared to kiss the dirt fairly often, but with the help of a team, they can be extremely effective.

For players who want to really feel justice being meted out by their character, Scrappers are often the best choice… but just try not to let all that power go to your head.

Tanker

Hit Points: High
Damage: Medium
Primary Powers: Defence
Secondary Powers: Melee

The Tanker can take it and dish it out all at once. The Tanker primarily can absorb vast amounts of damage, and hold his own in a fist fight. But the Tanker lacks any long range punch. The Tanker would prefer just to charge straight ahead anyway.

Play style: Tough, unyielding and prepared to take some serious damage, Tankers are a vital component in any serious team. Tankers are there to absorb as much damage as possible, so will almost always be left standing when the Scrappers and Blasters have fallen; however you must also be patient to play one, especially solo, as their damaging attacks - while more powerful than Defenders or Controllers - cannot match up to the abilities of the Scrapper or Blaster.

Players who like being at the centre of many bad guys’ attention, or who like to feel invincible, will inevitably enjoy playing a Tanker. It’s not an easy Archetype to play effectively, especially at higher levels where your team role is much more akin to a Controller because of crowd management, but it’s very rewarding and uniquely satisfying.