Best Way To Destroy An Automaton

[GoldenAge]

In my most recent Epic City game I led the heroes (Epic Alliance) into a battle with copies of themselves (a classic comic book trope):

Grove of Shattered Reflections

 

Description: A reflective pool of dark violet surrounded by towering crystal mirrors formed by soaring crystals. The heroes see distorted reflections of themselves, making it difficult to identify their true surroundings. At the center of the small pool is a crystal cairn with the following inscribed upon it:

 

"Mirrors shatter, fragments dance in hall's illusion,
Distorted echoes reveal a deeper fusion.
True reflections pierce the fractured profusion,
What hidden truth lies beneath the final illusion?"

 

Encounter: Within the mirrors, illusionary doppelgängers of the heroes emerge, mimicking their every move. The heroes must defeat their own reflections to proceed, and each doppelganger poses a unique challenge based on the hero's abilities.

So, out came the refracted copies of the heroes, identical except for the fact that each crystal refraction had only 10 BODY ant their bodies were distorted) - As expected, the heroes assessed the situation quickly and set upon eliminating the threats.

Here's the rub...

The heroes are built like, well, heroes. Much of what they do is tempered by STUN based attacks - No one in Epic Alliance is running around with a 4d6 AP RKA. The villainous automations have all the powers of the heroes, and can stun them, a worry they conversely don't have. So, the goal: Epic Alliance must battle the refraction automations, breach their (own)  considerable defenses and deliver 10 BODY of damage to each villain to shatter them.

Question: What are your best, favorite, most creative ways to destroy the corrupted crystal refractions of the heroes themselves?

Note: The heroes are quite powerful, built in 6E with between 475 and 650 XP utilizing complex/compound powers and power pools. They can deliver considerable NORMAL damage (in the 12-18d6 range), fly, teleport, create barriers and more, and are allowed access to every 6E maneuver.
 

(*Battlemap of the Grove of Shattered Reflections encounter linked below)

Any fun ways to kill themselves???

[Grailknight]

Are the doppelgangers going to have their defenses adjusted to equivalent points using the Automaton rules? With only 1/3 of the PC's defenses, you should be able to do the job with Haymakers, Move-Throughs and Pushing.

 

If their defenses are not adjusted, then Drain BODY or some sort of Damage Over Time attack are the only ways I can see.

 

 

Edited February 22 by Grailknight

[Lord Liaden]

Each of the heroes has to inflict 10 BODY damage to themselves, with their own attacks. That's reflected in their doppelgangers. They can choose to bypass their own Defenses. If you go this route you'll want to give them a clue.

[GoldenAge]

Grailknight - The doppelgängers of the heroes possess all of the powers (offensive.Devensive/Movement/Adjustment/Etc.) as their originals. Unfortunately, none of the heroes have any powers that drain Body. The members of Epic Alliance were all built to be heroic and approach their adversaries as wrongdoers that need to be apprehended, not destroyed. If someone has a VPP and can make that power, it might work, but I don't think anyone does.

Lord Liaden - That's a fun idea! However, the encounter is designed to enforce teamwork like Castling, Called Shots, and Multiple Attacker Bonuses. As such there are a few stipulations of the battle...
1. The doppelgängers will only attack their likeness, utilizing the most common attack of their likeness or an attack witnessed during the battle.

2. The doppelgängers are immune to damage from their likenesses - The hero's must attack a doppelgänger other than their reflection.

The entire encounter is all an inescapable illusion, perpetrated by a guardian Fae whom the heroes need to appease. She is testing them to be her new heroes. To their credit, Epic Alliance has already succeeded in the first 2 (of 3) Enchanted Groves. The Grove of Shattered Reflections is the ultimate test.

Perhaps I gan give an example of what I'm looking for:
In order to do more BODY than normal one character could grab and hold a reflection (to reduce DCV to 1/2 to offset the -8 Called Shot Head penalty) while another administered a Call Shot Head (gaining x2 Body [after defenses] and gaining another +1 OCV for Multiple Attacher bonus).
or
A Hero with Flying could grab a doppelgänger they know can't fly and drop him/her from an incredible height.

Edited February 23 by GoldenAge

[Hugh Neilson]

The defenses are the key, in my view.  If these characters are tossing around, and soaking up, 12 - 18d6 Normal damage routinely, I'd expect that they have defenses in the 30s or higher.  A 15d6 Normal attack averages 52.5 STUN.

 

Normal defenses of 30 will block all BOD from a terminal velocity fall.  BOD from a 20d6 Normal attack is not going to get past those defenses, so there is nothing to double from a head shot.

 

Making the doppelgangers identical and then adding all the advantages of automatons means that they are massively more powerful than the heros, especially defensively.  If they are identical copies (not automatons) and can be knocked out, then the heroes will have to knock them out, then carefully and meticulously bypass their defenses to murder the doppelgangers.

 

Forcing the heroes to demonstrate their heroism by diligently slaughtering their foes seems a little odd.

 

We had a Supers game with an alternate earth scenario some years back, and realized very early on that we would eventually be fighting ourselves.  By the time that happened, it was a bit of a cakewalk as we knew the best tactics as a team to take down an identical team.

Edited February 23 by Hugh Neilson

[LoneWolf]

The best strategy I can see is to divide and conquer approach.   First neutralize all but one of the duplicates.  Use things like entangles or barriers that will take the duplicates time to break out.  Then have the whole group focus on the one remaining target, when that target is down switch to a new target. If one of the neutralized targets breaks free before you take out the first either neutralize him again or neutralize the one you were attacking.  The idea is to fight many against one.  

Edited February 23 by LoneWolf

[Sketchpad]

Do you allow Power Stunts? An inventive player could reason out a quick KA if you do. 

"I'm going to focus my eye beam tight and see if I can blast through this double!"

 

[Grailknight]

3 hours ago, Hugh Neilson said:

The defenses are the key, in my view.  If these characters are tossing around, and soaking up, 12 - 18d6 Normal damage routinely, I'd expect that they have defenses in the 30s or higher.  A 15d6 Normal attack averages 52.5 STUN.

 

Normal defenses of 30 will block all BOD from a terminal velocity fall.  BOD from a 20d6 Normal attack is not going to get past those defenses, so there is nothing to double from a head shot.

 

Making the doppelgangers identical and then adding all the advantages of automatons means that they are massively more powerful than the heros, especially defensively.  If they are identical copies (not automatons) and can be knocked out, then the heroes will have to knock them out, then carefully and meticulously bypass their defenses to murder the doppelgangers.

 

Forcing the heroes to demonstrate their heroism by diligently slaughtering their foes seems a little odd.

 

We had a Supers game with an alternate earth scenario some years back, and realized very early on that we would eventually be fighting ourselves.  By the time that happened, it was a bit of a cakewalk as we knew the best tactics as a team to take down an identical team.

 

Hugh's post just doubles down on my original question. Normally, the Takes No Stun Power triples the cost of Resistant PD/ED. Will the doppelgangers have full value, or will they be reduced? This is going to be the biggest factor in determining strategy.

[Doc Democracy]

5 hours ago, Hugh Neilson said:

Normal defenses of 30 will block all BOD from a terminal velocity fall.

 

That is presuming that they aren't falling onto broken ground, sharp edges. 🙂

 

I would be looking to find ways of dropping, pushing, pulling the doppelgangers onto sharp/edged surfaces.  Change velocity into killing damage.

[LoneWolf]

I think the point is that if the DEF of the duplicates are not reduced, they are likely to be able to bounce any attacks the players may have.  In most Champions games taking BODY is fairly rare.  The first post states no one is throwing 4d6 AP KA around.  If the characters, DEF is in the 30’s and is not reduced the players may not be able to do any BODY.  

 

If that is not addressed there is no way for the players to succeed.  At this point there is no indication of what the DEF of the duplicates is going to be like. 
 

[GoldenAge]

Update: The battle went well - I kept their original defenses, their only limitation was a singleminded approach towards attacking "themselves) - eliminating the many bonuses that come from tactics and multiple attackers)
Epic Alliance were on their heels for a moment, then got their bearings and strategy together. The castled to take advantage of the doppelgängers enraged state, they englobed with Barrier, entangled, grabbed and blinded their doppelgängers - The ultimate result was multiple called shot heads against entangled or bind opponents. Epic Alliance overcame the problem in shining fashion.

It was very interesting watching them overcome their codes against killing and utilize their powers in new ways.

Thanks all!!!

Edited March 5 by GoldenAge