Build Me A Villain Team

[OddHat]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

As I've said before' date=' very cool group. Sadly, the request from the Bennie is for official 5E CU villains.[/quote']

 

As I'm well aware. Still, any chance to push my characters.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

It's not so much that Holocaust is a psychopathic killer; it's that he's monumentally arrogant and condescending to everyone, has no patience or self-restraint, is vain and easily manipulated by flattery, and flies into a rage (literally Enraged) over the slightest insult.

 

And I don't think that many people actually will work with the Joker. He has few problems finding people - mostly low-grade thugs - to work for him, because he pays well. Those thugs tend not to live to retirement, though.

 

Some of them don't. The others, OTOH, make out big. So as long as you have plenty of thugs who are willing to risk their neck for the big payoff. . .

[Enforcer84]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Well, if we're using 5E villains, most of the "Master Villains" are already taken.

 

Of the Choices I have:

Holocaust

Zoran

Invictus

Engineer

 

Engineer has recieved the least amount of love.

 

So here we go.

The Reapers

 

Engineer: Seeking to create something of a Cyber Utopia with herself as Benevolent Empress. Her plots are grandiose, complex, and multilayered. The gathering of the Reapers is merely a cog in her current machinations.

 

Ankylosaur: Fairly versitile, and easily brought into the group with promises of armor augmentation. He is a frontline thug. Has no trouble working with the others.

 

Firewing If you needed any more proof that this teamis temporary at best...here it is. Firewing has joined because Engineer promised that the Reapers will be high profile and powerful. He will get to choose from the most powerful opponents the CU has to offer when the Reapers strike.

 

Gargantua: Popular choice he is. And there's good reason. He's amoral enough and smart enough to work with the others.

 

Mechassassin: Again, popular choice. He's the team's tactical leader. He's savvy enough and has enough respect to keep the others in line. Like Ankylosaur, he's in it for the armor. Engineer has promised to streamline his armor and make it less reliant of constant upkeep.

 

Thunderbolt II Brick Speedster. Smart enough to keep his mouth shut amongst these guys.

 

Reservists:

Cybermind He might just be in love. Or at least in love with the idea that he might be able to pull the strings here. He generally remains at headquarters monitoring the situation and keeping mental contact with the Engineer.

Grond: Uncontrollable rage. Controlled. Grond is like a grenade they throw to cover their tracks if they need to. He is kept sedated in a portable prison.

[proditor]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Appropos of not much, I was looking over Invictus as some have suggested, and I just kept hearing the voice of Ben Stiller as White Goodman from "Dodgeball".

 

"Nobody makes me bleed my own blood. Nobody!"

[Hermit]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Argh! Why did you put that image in my head?

[proditor]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Sorry Hermit, but I figured I'd share the wealth.

[Hermit]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Now I have the mental picture of Invictus macking on Witchcraft, being rebuffed, only to suspect she has something for Defender

"I see you've got the scent of a lesser stag in your nostrils"

 

Darn you to heck!

 

[proditor]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

"Facial Nighthawk, Total facial!"

 

Yeah, we should stop, or this is how my group is going to encounter him. Oh course, nearly 800 points of White Goodman might be even scarier...

[Andrew Cermak]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Neat subject for a thread. Here's my lineup:

 

Holocaust - Powerful, ambitious, grandiose. His many personality flaws only make him a more natural fit.

 

Mechassassin - Smart, ruthless, cool as a cucumber. A nice counterbalance to Holocaust's ranting. Although, I do see him putting two in the back of Haganstone's skull when he eventually figures out how.

 

Morph - Too versatile to leave out. She's combat monster and infiltration specialist in one.

 

Vector - Scary powerful. Not quite the right attitude as written, but if anybody can push him over the edge it's these guys.

 

Ripper - A dark horse candidate, but he brings more terror and bloodthirst to the brick slot than anyone else currently in the CU can.

 

Mordace - Cheating on this one, since he's not in any of the approved sources, but as a mentalist who can still contribute in the thick of the fighting he has a lot going for him. Plus, inspired as he is by Sinestro, he adds to the 'Legion of Doom' feel of the team.

 

For the reserves...Taipan and, uh, Zorran, I guess. Taipan doesn't really give them anything they don't have already, but he greatly increases the team's terror quotient. Zorran get the nod by default; they don't have a mystic, and he's powerful enough to carry his weight when called on.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Scott, how long does this group have to have a stable membership for it to count? We've all come up with solid candidates, but not any combination that won't eventually crumble from personality conflicts.

[casualplayer]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Unflinching eyes took in everything around him. A tug on platinum cufflinks was the only outward sign that the raw-boned man felt anything about what he saw. The once-child of a mighty nation, now he was the wizened, worldly power broker of a broken superpower. The diminishment of Russia wore at Molnya as few things could anymore, and he valued his homeland too much to use it as the chessboard for the game he had in mind. However an ideal playing field did come to mind. Flesh became lightning which then streaked southward toward Africa, toward Lugendu.

 

Anger, raw and bestial, radiated from the big man standing on the shore. His formal presidential garb seemed ill-suited and ill-fitting, chafing him like a restraining collar. The arrival of the man he waited for did nothing to calm Joseph Otanga's savage breast. Lightning once again resembled flesh and Molnya stood next to the president-for-life, within striking distance but apparently unconcerned. Otanga considered lashing out, with words or a mighty paw, but resigned himself to returning his gaze to the water, as the taciturn Russian was doing now.

 

They did not have to wait long. Emerging from the water smoothly and sleekly, a regal maid from the depths approached the men. She gestured toward them with a trident, both weapon and scepter of rule, and waited for the courtesy that was her due. Behind her the sky darkened into a threatening storm and from out of the stormfront came another woman, a tempest in female form. Succor and shelter were offered by President Otanga, upon prompting by Molnya. With the addition of Princess Thalassa, better known as Stingray, and Monsoon now they were an apparent alliance of four.

 

Returning to the presidential palace in a celebrated entourage, they passed close to the Temple of Flame Unbridled. A freshly built mecca in Otanga City surrounded by neglected and shunned squalor, the gilt shone and flickered in the light of the pyres lit to celebrate the greatness of the Ifrit inside. Followers exchanged worship for otherwise scarce meals and left the services warm and well-fed.

 

They also drove past an Asian man making shadowpuppets on the walls. On closer look the light was wrong and the man was even more so. If the children watching were not appreciate enough, appreciative enough meaning screaming themselves hoarse with praise, they were soon screaming for another reason. The shadowpuppets lunged from the walls towards the audience and smothered some in shadow, and it was probably best that you couldn't see what wrung such shrieks out of the villagers. Shadowdragon's satisfied grin was disturbing enough.

 

When the caravan reached the palace, the lead car discharged several hulking bodyguards and a man in streamlined grey-and-black armor. Once he was certain the courtyard was clear Steel Commando signalled to the remaining bodyguards to get the presidential party inside.

 

After pleasantries and banter, Molnya turned the conversation to the establishment of wildlife preserves. He had a specific type of wildlife in mind and Obelisque had frightfully demanding needs for space and food. While it may take devoting a tenth of the country to the ebon monstrosity's home, they all saw no reason that area couldn't be on hostile borders. The Dominant, for that is what they called themselves when alone, laughed and plotted and laughed some more.

[GestaltBennie]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Scott' date=' how long does this group have to have a stable membership for it to count? We've all come up with solid candidates, but not any combination that won't eventually crumble from personality conflicts.[/quote']

 

As stable as any other established group. The Ultimates or Eurostaar would make perfectly good benchmarks.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Wait a minute, I think I had a flash! Scott's request was for a six-member core combat team, with allowance for two more "reserve members" for "major operations." There's been quite a bit of concensus that Mechassassin would make an excellent team field commander, but the sticking point has been finding an appropriate overall leader for the group. Several of us favor Molnya for his competence and stability, except that he prefers to work from behind the scenes.

 

Well, who says the leader always has to be on the front lines? That's not the way most generals run their armies. What about leaving Mechassassin in charge of team field operations, but putting Molnya into one of those "reserve" slots? Molnya can decide overall objectives and tactics for the team, but assign Mechassassin to carry them out while he remains at headquarters. Rather like the relationship between Professor X and Cyclops. That would just leave us to fill out the rest of the combat team, and the additional reservist.

 

Would that be acceptable, Scott?

[GestaltBennie]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Wait a minute, I think I had a flash! Scott's request was for a six-member core combat team, with allowance for two more "reserve members" for "major operations." There's been quite a bit of concensus that Mechassassin would make an excellent team field commander, but the sticking point has been finding an appropriate overall leader for the group. Several of us favor Molnya for his competence and stability, except that he prefers to work from behind the scenes.

 

Well, who says the leader always has to be on the front lines? That's not the way most generals run their armies. What about leaving Mechassassin in charge of team field operations, but putting Molnya into one of those "reserve" slots? Molnya can decide overall objectives and tactics for the team, but assign Mechassassin to carry them out while he remains at headquarters. Rather like the relationship between Professor X and Cyclops. That would just leave us to fill out the rest of the combat team, and the additional reservist.

 

Would that be acceptable, Scott?

 

Absolutely. In Gestalt, Imoerator's the leader of the Tyranny League, but rarely gets directly involved. I have no problems with a non-tactical leader.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Absolutely. In Gestalt' date=' Imoerator's the leader of the Tyranny League, but rarely gets directly involved. I have no problems with a non-tactical leader.[/quote']

 

All right then, let's see here. I have to consider the excellent suggestions that others have contributed to the discussion. At this point I'm thinking

 

Mechassassin (field commander)

Gargantua (major brick)

Vector (major speedster)

Taipan (martial artist/speedster)

Morph (fighter/infiltrator)

Not sure about the last field team member. I'd like to say Zorran, because the team could use a blaster, mentalist and flier, and he's all of those, as well as a mystic. But it's tough imagining him taking Mechassassin's orders.

 

Molnya (overall leader)

Tesseract (extremely useful in a non-killing role)

 

Still needs some tuning, but I think it's taking shape.

[OddHat]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

All right then, let's see here. I have to consider the excellent suggestions that others have contributed to the discussion. At this point I'm thinking

 

Mechassassin (field commander)

Gargantua (major brick)

Vector (major speedster)

Taipan (martial artist/speedster)

Morph (fighter/infiltrator)

Not sure about the last field team member. I'd like to say Zorran, because the team could use a blaster, mentalist and flier, and he's all of those, as well as a mystic. But it's tough imagining him taking Mechassassin's orders.

 

Molnya (overall leader)

Tesseract (extremely useful in a non-killing role)

 

Still needs some tuning, but I think it's taking shape.

 

Use Zoran, and add a layer. Zoran is thought of as the Leader, and thinks of himself as the Leader with Molnya as his advisor. Zoran sees Mechassassin as his field leader. Mechassassin, Taipan, and Morph know that Molnya is the real boss. The tension between the two leaders is one possible way to take out the group.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Hmm... intriguing idea, but that tension leaves a lot of potential for the team to break up in the near future. Scott seems to want a team with Eurostar-level staying power. I don't think we're quite there yet.

 

Still a darn cool suggestion, though.

[OddHat]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Hmm... intriguing idea' date=' but that tension leaves a lot of potential for the team to break up in the near future. Scott seems to want a team with Eurostar-level staying power. I don't think we're quite there yet.[/quote']

 

It would be easier to start from scratch, or to re-write existing characters to fit that new team, if long term staying power is the goal. I am aware that this is beyond the rules of the thread, but it's worth thinking about if there ends up being a Digital Hero version of the CU Masters of Evil.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

It would be easier to start from scratch' date=' or to re-write existing characters to fit that new team, if long term staying power is the goal. I am aware that this is beyond the rules of the thread, but it's worth thinking about if there ends up being a Digital Hero version of the CU Masters of Evil. [/quote']

 

If we could have gotten away with rewriting a Psych Lim or two, this exercise would probably have been over by now.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

BTW for that last spot on my suggested field team, I think I'll second the earlier recommendation of the Black Paladin. He's treacherous and would have to be watched, but he's powerful, almost as versatile as Tesseract, and actually delights in bloodshed.

[MitchellS]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

All right then, let's see here. I have to consider the excellent suggestions that others have contributed to the discussion. At this point I'm thinking

 

Mechassassin (field commander)

Gargantua (major brick)

Vector (major speedster)

Taipan (martial artist/speedster)

Morph (fighter/infiltrator)

Not sure about the last field team member. I'd like to say Zorran, because the team could use a blaster, mentalist and flier, and he's all of those, as well as a mystic. But it's tough imagining him taking Mechassassin's orders.

 

Molnya (overall leader)

Tesseract (extremely useful in a non-killing role)

 

Still needs some tuning, but I think it's taking shape.

It's a sad thing when only 1 original [pre 5E] Champions character is worthy enough to make the team.

 

I guess we've all grown away from the originals.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Hey, read further downthread - I included Black Paladin.

 

It isn't a matter of worthiness IMO, but of the parameters that Scott set for this exercise. To be fair, though, most of the characters well suited to membership in a permanent team, pre- or post-5E, already are in permanent teams.

 

Speaking of pre-5E, since in the current CU the name "The Conquerors" isn't taken, I nominate that as the moniker for this team. It's exactly what they're about, and there's something to be said for tradition.

[casualplayer]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Hmm... intriguing idea' date=' but that tension leaves a lot of potential for the team to break up in the near future. Scott seems to want a team with Eurostar-level staying power. I don't think we're quite there yet.[/quote']

 

The only reason Eurostar stays together is because they have only one suitable leader, and he reminds them at every turn. Too many chiefs and not enough indians and the team melts down, hero and villain alike. As a one or two-shot appearance team, your line-up makes me wanna fill my pants. I just think they will dissolve over who gets the last beer.

 

For my design philosophy, I did what many have suggested and put Molnya as the power behind the throne. Then I added a throne. Joseph Otanga could only operate as the undisputed leader of any group he was part of, and he does bring some vicious leadership skills to the table. His ego makes him supremely malleable, but only by someone he respects enough to listen to. Stingray wants her kingdom back badly enough to liase with the devil himself, so Otanga makes an arguably better ally. Monsoon and Obelisque want a place to call home. Ifrit wants worshippers, and Otanga's high unemployment rate meant there were plenty of idle hands to pray. Shadowdragon wants people to gape in awe at the Power of the Darkon...er, something like that. Steel Commando wants a really big paycheck.

 

Molnya and Otanga would rarely been confronted face-to-face, unless the storyline veered onto Lugumban soil. Stingray would lead in the field, with most of the strategy actually coming from Molnya and the tactics from Steel Commando.

 

The roster was assembled by Molnya as leverage towards much of the CU. Monsoon and Obelisque are there as a potential influence of Teleios. Steel Commando has Warlord tech, as opposed to Mechassassin's stolen US tech which would have tied up too many resources diplomatically sorting that one out. Stingray pulls in Lemurian and Atlantean fun. And being based in Africa means they conflict with VIPER often, but heaven help the world if they come together in agreement. The rest of the team is grunts, set up in a rock, paper, scissors structure where they keep each other in check.

 

I purposefully left holes in the team (no mentalist, no speedster, no tactical brick) so that they wouldn't just steamroller PCs. I really wanted Zoran but I felt that Molnya would be uncomfortable with powers he couldn't quantify. I really wanted Tesseract but this is supposed to be a lethal team and she couldn't ignore the bloodshed (the Wants to Conquer and Pillage Psy Lim really does not work with the CvK. WTF?) Taipan would be delightful but he's basically a plot device. Vector would have been an excellent addition but if he ever gets the drive and competency to match his powers he'll be unstoppable, and I couldn't come up with a hook to keep him on the team. I couldn't find a mentalist with both power and the ability to be controlled by Molnya, plus he really would not want someone around who could read his mind.

 

I really like the Conquerers though. I may use that line-up, with permission of course. They have a nice Legion of Doom feeling to them, which was after all the point to this thread.

[JackValhalla]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

Off the top of my head...

Holocaust as the field commander, not the overall leader. Not a popular choice, everyone seems to want him to be the Big Cheese. But I don't think that he could work with other villains for any period of time, unless you pick and choose the rest of the team to accomodate him. or, unless he's not in charge.

Gargantua has the power and the smarts to be a useful member of the team, he's quite likely the toughest brick in the material outlined for this thread. With some good air support, he can flatten a city with his bare hands.

Firewing is fully able to provide that air support in spades. Yes, he's hot-headed and flighty, very independent and conflicted. But that can be remedied.

Vector is my choice for the speedster slot for all the reasons mentioned by other posters.

Masquerade isn't much of a martial artist by most standards, but he does fit the bill. And he is an insanely dangerous addition to this team, broadening their scope considerably.

Utility because he's got the power, the gadgets, the training, and the brains. His attitude is all wrong for this kind of operation, but we can work around that. He's got the right gadget for every occasion.

Zorran the Artificer as a reservist. Frankly, I hate him, but I can't deny his usefulness to something like this. He's versatile, powerful, and he's got Shirak. What can you say to that?

Mentalla as the team leader. She can do it, she's got the power to slap their brains around. She gets tired of listening to Fiacho's "conquer Europe" bit, and decides that he's been thinking too small. She rounds up a bunch of powerful villains, heavy hitters that she can brainjack, and turns them all towards one goal.

Frankly, it would take Mind Control to make all of these cats work together. But, once you've MCed them into a cohesive team, they're gonna clean up anyone and everyone in their way. Mentalla is deceitful and ruthless, and her powers put her in a position to keep these crazy animals on task.

 

Anyway, that's what I've got.

[OddHat]

Re: Build Me A Villain Team

 

I think the reason I don't like Gargantua is that, as tough as he is by Supers standards, he's kind of a wuss by CU Military Hardware standards. 40/25rPD, not hardened, 25% Dam Red, 55 Stun, -3 DCV (unless it bottoms out at 3; haven't checked). A couple of fighter planes or even well armed ground troops kill him stone cold dead if he doesn't have that air support. His tactics need to be grow, strike, shrink, run before the X-SWAT gets there. With air support, he's a nasty peice of work, but I just don't see him as having the durability to play city stomper. Indoors or underground, he's just a mediocre tough guy.