AE 801 Incarnate Team Missions

[Linea]

AE 801 Incarnate Team Missions

 

WARNING:  Do not attempt 801.6 and above unless you have tried the lower difficulties and found them too easy.  +4x8 801.6 and higher generate 3.5k+ sustained dps, with frequent 10k+ spikes, and rare 20k+ dps spikes.  This is 98% Fatal to Solo Unsupported 75% resist cap ATs.

 

Just search '801' in AE.   

 

AE 801 is a variety of missions created for fun and challenge, and is designed for a team of 5+ Incarnates; but is also designed to be solo-able on much lower difficulty settings by most Tier 4 Incarnates.  The difficulty of the missions increase as the numbers increase from: 801.0 Easy, …, 801.2 Standard, …, 801.5 Hard, ..., 801.8 Extreme, 801.A Epic, ... 801.F.  Most Tier 4 Incarnates should be able to solo 801.0 set to -1x0 no-bosses, but do not expect it to be easy with all of those builds.  On the high-end 801.5 and up +4x8 have killed over 1,500 tanks that I know of, likely more that I don’t.

 

I suggest you start no higher than  801.2.   This is my standard map for testing an armored character's combined offense and durability capabilities.   If you can solo 801.2 +4x8 in the time given (2 hours), then you have enough offense and durability to handle 99% of what the official game throws at you, ... with the exception of some +4 AV dps checks, other cheaty encounters like Hamidon, and the newer Hard Mode settings.  I would suggest 801.5 as a maximum starting point for a FULL TEAM.  Most teams never get past 7, and very few have ever done A (10) and up, while only and handful of  teams have completed D (13), and less than a handful have completed F.

 

If you just want a quick and dirty less comprehensive test of durability try '801.0-Static' +4x8.  This is the shortest easiest map in the 801 series.  There are also a static versions of 801.3 (Tier 2), 801.6 (Tier 3), and 801.7 (Tier 4), which are also shorter and easier.

 

• My favorite these days is 801.6, which I run almost exclusively.  Random teams for which it is either too easy or too hard are about equally rare.
• Some of the maps are semi-random map sets, However, the hardest actual maps are unfortunately not randomizable map sets.
• 801.6 has been redesigned to better fit between 801.5 and 801.7
• 801.5 generates 2k dps sustained damage, with frequent 8k dps, and rare 15k dps spikes vs an unarmored target.  If you are not prepared to take 15k dps to the face, you may want to start with 801.0 set to  +0.
• For reference, I’ve soloed the standard difficulty 801.2 +0x0 no-bosses on SO-Only defenders, blasters, controllers, etc.  I’ve also soloed the harder versions +4x8 on my more durable full T4 IO T4 Incarnate Defenders, Scrappers, Controllers, Etc.  I make the assumption that if I can solo it, you can run it with a team.
• On the Extreme end, I only have one tank build that can Solo +4x8 801.C, and that under extreme duress and difficulty (and with nowhere near enough offense to finish it in time.  It takes 60+m just to clear the entry room solo).

 

Recommended Team

 

801.0:

• 5 Tier 4 Incarnates set to +0.

801.3:

• 5 Tier 4 IO Tier 4 Incarnates

801.7:

• A Full Well Balanced Team of 8 Tier 4 IO Tier 4 Incarnates

Other Recommendations:

• A "Tank" and an "off-tank".  These do not have to be Tank AT.  The ability to take 15k damage to the face, or otherwise control aggro will be very helpful.
• A third Tank is not out of line, but may not be required either. I'm pretty sure the 801.D team ran 3 tanks, 2 blasters, 3 support/control.
• Resist and Defense Buffs and/or De-Buffs.  Due to ‘Incarnate To-Hit’ and ‘Incarnate Damage’ running without buffs, or the debuff equivalent, is not recommended.
• One or Two Control.  Due to backwards compatibility with being able to solo +0 (with a controller), controls are particularly effective.

1. CoH Mobs in general are weak to (in order):  Confuse, KB/KD, Fear.
2. Control can, if employed precisely with care and coordination, eliminate 90% of the damage from 90% of the mobs.
3. Control is extremely useful, but since 7 and up are EBs, matched coordinated or stacked controls get a greater emphasis.
4. Control becomes even more difficult in 11 and up, you might need 3 controllers instead of 2.

• Leadership Buffs. 
• Something to help punch through T9 Armors.  Tactics, Overgrowth, Mindlink, Blasters, etc, are particularly helpful here.

I want an 801 Tank:

• TLDR: Inv/ with Kinetic Dampeners
• I typically run /Bio Scrapper (or really any of my builds regardless of AT) up to 2, /EnA Brute up to 6, Inv/ Tank up to 9, and SD/ Tank up to D (13).  Each of these can more or less hold a door indefinitely solo +4x8 at those levels.  More info in the post below.

 

 

WTF Killed Me?!?

Post and Link on One of many ways to die in 801.

 

 

See Also

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

On 2/2/2022 at 4:53 PM, Linea said:

801 Tank Armor Durability Ratings  ( Link )

solo durability, not teamed

Here's how I rate the armors on Tanks, but that's not the same as brutes.  I'll get to brutes later.

 

801 Tanks:

12: SR, SD

10: Inv

9 or 10: Stone

6 or 7: All other Tank armors.  (Except Regen if it ever gets ported)

 

 

801 Brute Armor Durability Ratings (solo durability, not teamed)

For the brute conversion, and standard content, I wouldn't change the ratings, other than to move stone up to 10, and add EnA at 7.

However, for 801, the loss of defense numbers in the conversion pretty much squishes all four top armors down even to a 7 and adds EnA into the same tier.

 

801 Brutes:

7: SR, SD, Inv, Stone, EnA

5 or 6: Everything else except Regen.  I have no rating for Regen.

 

AE801 Design Notes

 

AE801 Mission Table

Note: As far as I'm aware, at last count only 6 teams have completed F. 

 

 

AE801 Spawn Design

Note: Not all maps follow the same spawn definition.  Test each map carefully. Most maps seem to behave in the following way.

The easiest maps will be relatively small and sparsely populated.  As difficulty increases, I add ‘rescue’ and other objectives to densify the maps and create adds. As you get to the much harder maps you can expect mobs hiding around corners, above you, behind doors, etc.  Eventually you will even encounter ambushes.  The faster you move through the missions the more the push back will increase.  And lastly, 801.3 and above mobs are particularly more difficult than 801.2 and below mobs.

 

Each primary spawn is backed by a “dangerous” EB; 1 dangerous boss, and 1 less-dangerous boss; 1 or 2 dangerous lieutenants, and 2 or 3 less-dangerous lieutenants; 1 dangerous minion, and 7 normal minions; furthermore every spawn will have at least one minion level sniper, if not higher level snipers.  The “dangerous” mobs are further broken down into various difficulties, and spread out pseudo-randomly in the .cvg such that it’s either impossible, or extremely rare to get two particularly dangerous mobs in the same spawn.  However, you can get two very dangerous overlapping spawn groups.  In fact, there are many places in the maps where 3 to 5 groups overlap dangerously close, and two overlapping groups is not at all rare.

 

All mobs have at least partial ‘Incarnate To-Hit’.  Due to AE mechanics this varies from ~53 to ~65, and is not the exact 59% of official content.   On easier difficulty maps you can expect some mobs to lose their Incarnate To-hit and fall back to normal standard soft-cap after a short period of time.   If you are moving slowly, pulling, fighting, and easing forward, this will make future mobs much easier.   Mobs will also become much easier in protracted fights as opposed to alpha strikes.  Beware, some of the highest level snipers have Aim, you should be prepared to take at least some damage if you give a sniper free reign to take pot shots at you.

 

Bosses Summary as an example:

• 33% - 19/58 – Primary Buff/Debuff Control, these are the primary heart of each spawn.
• 17% - 10/58 - Standard AoE damage
• 17% - 10/58 - Standard Light Damage
• 15% - 9/58 - Supplemental Buff/Debuff primarily for -resist balance and a bit more challenge
• 8% - 5/58 - Difficult to Control
• 8% - 5/58 - Tier 9 Armor, Control them first or else.

 

AE Spawn Mechanics
Note: Not all maps follow the same spawn definition.  Test each map carefully. Most maps seem to behave in the following way.  Don’t shoot the messenger

If you want random or controlled spawns, you will have to randomize, or control your .cvg file yourself.  You can do this by the order in which you edit critters, or you can do this outside of AE with some limitations.  The former will potentially take you hours each time you want to change even one power in one critter.  The latter once you get used to it is, at least for me much easier.

AE creates three lists: minions, lieutenants, bosses.  These lists are created in sequential order from your .cvg file, which is created by default in alphabetical order from your .critter files.  Then rolls a random index in each list.  Then it spawns sequentially through those lists.  Each x8 Spawn will have approximately 2 bosses, 4 lieutenants, and 8 minions.  This means, if you have 2 nasty bosses in your group, you’ll always get 2 nasty bosses.  If you have two or three copies of your bosses in a larger group of easier bosses, but your three bosses are in your cvg file together as boss1, boss2, boss3, then you’ll get spawns of 2 hard bosses, 1 hard boss with 1 easy, and a bunch of easy spawns.  If you wanted a random hard boss here and there, you’ve completely failed by default.  This is the default AE behavior.  

 

Additional Spawn Detail:

Spoiler

MOST AE maps approximately spawn by:

{(Minion, Random Index, Linear 8 to 10), (Lt, Random Index, Linear 4 to 6), (Boss, Random Index, Linear 2 to 4), (Optional EB/AV, Random Index, Linear (probably 4)),} Loop until the spawn is full.  Full at +4x8 is usually 16, with 2 to 4 bosses, 4 to 6 lts, and 8 to 10 minions. 

EB/AV only spawn if there are no minions, lts, nor bosses.

If you do not have at least 1 minion, lt, and boss, XP is nerfed.

If you are missing minions, then it runs addtional loops on lts and bosses.  the same for the other subgroups.

It re-random_indexs for each subset itteration

+4x8 all bosses in a group, you'll get effectively 4 linear groups of 4 bosses, but with 4 random starting indexes, so overlaps are effectively guaranteed unless you have a very high number of bosses in the group.  (Random Index, 4 Linear Bosses), (Random Index, 4 Linear Bosses), (Random Index, 4 Linear Bosses), (Random Index, 4 Linear Bosses), done.  This can look like (A,B,C,D), (B,C,D,E),(D,E,F,G),(G,H,I,J); and many other similar variations.  Overlap is neither guaranteed, nor not guaranteed, but it will be related to the odds of a random index roll landing inside your previous linear selection(s).

 

This is why 801 groups typically have 120 or more entities, and those entities are carefully arranged in subsets of 4.  The subsets of 4 ensure the ratio of Debuff, DPS, Support, Tank mobs within the spawn.  It doesn't enfore any exact mob, but it enforces the random statistical ratios.

 

For additional spawn density you can use ‘rescue’ objectives, and sometimes other objectives.  AE is very strange in the way some of these interact, particularly the ‘any’ objective types.  Make sure to test carefully that one objective type isn’t over-writing another objective type.  It’s both possible to over-spawn a map and create more spawns that might otherwise ‘normally’ be available; and it’s equally possible for one spawn type to overwrite another and not spawn as many spawns as would other wise ‘normally’ be available or that appear to be available.

 

To futher confuse the situation, editing storyarcs often only count the edited objectives instead of recalculating all objectives.  This interacts with the above in strange ways, sometimes beneficially, sometimes detrimentally.

 

Warnings:

• WARNING NONE OF THIS IS OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
• AE will try to rewrite your .cvg constantly
• If you change even one power, you will need to re-order and re-write your .cvg
• Backup your .cvg, lots. Then lots more.  Then a few more times, just in case.
• If you want to manipulate the .cvg: You will need to save it in-game (and stay online), then out of game back it up, then manipulate it, then save it.  The updated version should then appear in-game.  If you’ve made a backup.txt of file.cvg, this can save you time next time you want to work on it by logging in, saving your .cvg in-game, then out of game type backup.txt > file.cvg to return it to the saved state and start working.  

 

 AE 801 DPS Tests

• 801.5: 2k dps average, 8k spikes, 15k max spike
• 801.A: 5k dps average, 10k spikes, 25k max spike
• 801.B: 10k dps average, 25k spikes, 46k max spike

 

 

AE 801 Actual CVG Spawn Lists:
Note: EBs are not sorted, as they only spawn when purposefully put into a spawn individually.  However, you can see the sorting with the Bosses and below, and the note how various spawn compositions would look given the sequential nature of spawns. Random Starting Index, Then Sequential Spawn.
 
 

AE801

 

Additional Information and Files for 801.6 (Link)

 

Tagged For Search: AE 801, AE801

cvgui.pl IC - 6035.cvg

Edited June 7, 2022 by Linea

[Slithershot]

Woot. Stuff to play with

[Sabrehawk]

Ran one of these with a team today. Really hard and really, really fun.

[Linea]

Congratulations and Many Thanks to the first team to complete 801.A, It really felt like an epic battle, and tremendous win when we pulled it off, barely.

 

Rah -Xephon,   Cirque de Mirage,   Nightzone,   Nuclear Bite,   Lummi,   Rum Bull,   and   Anonymous Blaster

(The blaster left before I got a screen shot to remember the name)

 

The the evil marauders literally pushed us right out the front door once, and nearly out the door a couple more times before we finally got the entrance secured.

They continued to push back multiple times on the first level, but we mostly held.

They pushed us completely off the second level two or three times before we could secure the elevators.

Eventually we fought our way through and defeated the last group just minutes before they could open a portal to bring in more troops from off-world.

Paragon city can sleep safely tonight, but it was a very close call.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Linea

[Linea]

Notes From Testing 801.A

I'm probably gonna build either an SR/RadM or SR/DM, probably the SR/RadM to test next.

I have an alternate build for the Kat/Ena Brute I want to test, but I don't expect the gain to be worth the offensive loss.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2021 by Linea

[Linea]

Published 4 more 801.7 difficulty and above maps.

Moved 801.9 to 801.A as it felt like Epic difficulty level.

 

[Grindingsucks]

I tried the easiest one (801.0 I think it was?) at +0/1 with my tier 3 incarnate.  Very challenging.  Soloing this with a tier 3 incarnate felt equivalent in difficulty to doing regular content at about +3/8 or +4/6, IMO.  It was timed and have you around an hour and a half to complete it.  I think it took me around 45 minutes to an hour to clean the  map, iirc.  Fights were very close.  I came within a hairsbreadth of eating the floor, several times. Regrouping and retreating was periodically necessary to win the day.

 

This is superbly designed high level content.  The challenge level is right where it needs to be for incarnate level characters.  I wish there was more regular mission/story content with this kind of challenge.

[Bastille Boy]

Thanks, @Linea, for creating these missions! They're a fun challenge, especially for my odd playstyle, which is to create team-oriented toons for character concept reasons and then try to solo hard things with them. The current focus of my altitis is to create toons that can solo 801.2 at max difficulty. My best runs so far, none of them deathless:

 

Super Reflexes / Garden Shovel (War Mace) Tanker: +3/8, four minutes to spare. I did not yet have lores; I may be able to beat this at max difficulty when I have T4 lores. (Edit 3/13: Nope.) Pulling in the big rooms is key to survival. So is Rebirth Destiny, due to the lack of a self-heal in SR. This powerset combination is vastly better on a tanker than it is on a scrapper. Or at least it is for me. (I do not have super reflexes!)

 

Invulnerability / Street Justice Tanker: +2/8, 18 minutes to spare. I tried and failed at +3/8 but might be able to do it with more practice. +4/8 clearly won't happen with this build. I'm not sure whether the limitation is damage or durability. Dealing with the rangers is a challenge. More to-hit in the build might help.

 

Super Strength / Willpower Tanker: +1/8. This was an experimental proc monster build, which I think was ill-conceived. If missions like this are my goal, building for damage rather than durability is a mistake. The difference in DDR between Invulnerability and Willpower is noticeable. (Edit 3/13: I may be blaming Willpower for the vulnerabilities of Super Strength. Rage crash is a problem.)

 

Pain Domination / Sonic Attack Defender: +0/8. I didn't expect this to be a top-tier build for soloing. Getting through the mission at this difficulty was a pleasant surprise.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Bastille Boy

[Linea]

WARNING: Do not attempt 801.7 and above unless you have tried the lower difficulties and found them too easy.

 

So you think you're a bad ass and want to run 801.A?

Then, you need to be able to:

• run 801.7 in approximately 30m.
• run 801.8 in approximately 40m.
• run 801.9 in approximately 45m.
• Clear the first floor of 801.A in approximately 60m

 

Do you want an all day epic event?

Run both 801.7 missions, then 801.8, 801.9, and finish up with 801.A.   That should run you about 5 hours, ... or kill you very dead.

 

[Linea]

 

[Linea]

Published 3 more new 801.7 missions: Random New Warehouse Maps, Random Praetorian Tech Maps, Random Praetorian Biolab Maps.

[Linea]

WARNING: Do not attempt 801.7 and above unless you have tried the lower difficulties and found them too easy.  I suggest starting with 801.2.

Published 3 more maps: 801.A-Short, 801.B, 801.C

A shorter version of A that should be a little more accessible to more teams.  And a pair of more difficult versions for those crazy people that thought A was too easy.

 

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by Linea

[Linea]

@Jacke

Quote

... They had some tuning issues like too many ambushes. ...

This is intentional.  The faster you move through the maps the more resistance you'll catch.   The fact that 7 and up actually kick you out the front door, I find that is unintentionally working as intended.

 

Each tier of 801 has 3 missions of increasing difficulty.   Each successive tier has more difficult mobs.  If you are a small weak squishy team without buffs, you may want to skip up the ladder 0, 3, 7 sticking to the easiest mission per tier, these can probably be run safely by 3-man teams.  Avoid A and up entirely, they don't play by any rules.

• Charging in and nuking rooms will trigger ambushes, and potentially lots of them, as well as aggroing up to four or five mobs that are already in the room to start with.
• Ambushes mean the team has to figure out what to do when the tank is overwhelmed.  If the team as a whole is too weak or too small, then stick to the easiest mission of each tier (0,3,7).
• The hardest mission of each tier is intended for a stronger team of incarnates, it's intended that the team have some way to deal with multiple groups of enemies.
• Team-wide Buffs are strongly encouraged, as is Control.
• The one EB per mission that can cage a tank, means the team has to figure out what to do when the tank is taken out, even if for only 30 seconds.

To expand on the missions in each tier:  I use simplier easier maps on the first, and the most complex difficult maps on the last.  As to Ambushes: The first mission has zero or one ambush, the second mission has a one-trigger and a two-trigger, the third has a pair of three-triggers.  I have considered spreading the last out into a one trigger, two trigger, three trigger, but that really won't help much if you charge in and nuke the room with judgements.  Also spawn points and geometry are limited, it's really hard to design that room if I have to give up yet another spawn point just to spread out the ambushes.   Charging in Leroy Style and Nuking one of those rooms is just asking for a team-wipe even without the ambushes.

 

PS: Published D, E, and F.  Don't even attempt them.

 

Edited April 8, 2021 by Linea

[Jacke]

@Linea 🙂

Quote

... They had some tuning issues like too many ambushes. ...

 

That was me actually referring to the new Page 1 arcs, particularly the Hero-side one. 🙂

 

@Alty took a team of stormers including meself into that one at +1.  But we had so much soft-control from Storm Summoning that we could stand the overheavy ambushes.  Which apparently are getting tuned down.

[Linea]

Gaint Congratulations and Many Many Thanks to the first team to complete 801.C and 801.D.

 

801.C (Excelsior):  Brandis, Fubar-Licious, Jezebel Delias, Krazy Kilowatt, MidnightBloom, Miss Super Anarchy, Micro Atomic

 

801.D (Excelsior):  Brandis, Jezebel Delias, Fubar the Hunter, R3d H3rring, Charmed to Meet You, Heat Loss, Celestial Shot

 

You were all Awesome!

[hakurr]

is there 1 combination that seems to do better than the rest as far as tanker primary/secondary and has anyone looked to see if there is a difference between tank and brute for ability to complete a run. does tank do better than brute or does brutes damage out put help?

[Arbegla]

I wonder how a Mastermind will do in these missions... Especially with the "We have infinite pets now" changes...

[UncPenbags]

Hey Lin it is Saint Nick...Just took a group and cleared and 801.F all AVs i can't believe that man.

[Linea]

Additional 801 Team Recommendations

• Bring your best incarnate character.  If you’re dead … you’re venge-bait.  
  • 2 or 3 tanks.  7 and up I recommend at least 2 tanks.  Aggro can be insane, and more than one tank can handle alone.
  • 2 or 3 control.  Control is awesome, but the higher difficulty you go the harder it is for a single controller to do the job.
  • 2 or 3 buff/debuff.  The higher you go, the harder they hit, the more you need to protect the entire team.
  • 2 or 3 damage.  If you go high enough in difficulty, the EBs become almost as durable as AVs.  Don’t neglect your damage capabilities.
  • How you stuff 12 roles into 8 slots is up to you. 😜
• I suggest using Caution, Strategy and Tactics.
• In the worst case, If you go in guns blazing you can end up facing 16 spawns from all directions.  Under those circumstances buffs trump debuffs.  Under more careful conditions the higher magnitude of debuffs can outweigh buffs.
• CoH enemies as a whole have a weakness to: Fear, Confuse, KD … this is no different.  
  • Control can, if employed precisely with care and coordination, eliminate 90% of the damage from 90% of the mobs.
  • Control is extremely useful, but since 7 and up are EBs, matched coordinated or stacked controls get a greater emphasis.
  • Control becomes even more difficult in 11 and up, you might need 3 controllers instead of 2.
• CoH incarnate enemies are primarily SLE damage, this is no different.  Their To-Hit and Damage are both increased to at least Incarnate levels.  They will hit you, and it will hurt.
• 801.A is (5k dps average, 10k spikes, 25k max spike) vs an aggro-capped unarmored target. Any and all Buffs/Debuffs will be useful.

 

 

[BigKahuna337]

Great job Linea we've run a few times before (Meta Girl Elec/Elec Brute) Do you have a standard time when you run? I'd like to go again. Thanks.

[Linea]

I try to run after work EST, Everlasting(home), Excelsior(May/June). I might try Torch in June/July.  Any other time is rare.

[Saint Nick]

Man those missions are something else man...we are loving them.  We really got a kick out of the 801.F...ALL AVs.  We did a 7 to start out and my SG members were like, "We should just max it out."  Imagine their surprise when they saw all AVs in there.  We cleared it all though 

[KaizenSoze]

On 5/10/2021 at 1:02 AM, Saint Nick said:

Man those missions are something else man...we are loving them.  We really got a kick out of the 801.F...ALL AVs.  We did a 7 to start out and my SG members were like, "We should just max it out."  Imagine their surprise when they saw all AVs in there.  We cleared it all though 

I am surprised @Saint Nick did come here to post that we beat 801.F on Thursday the 13th.

 

I do think his tanking was a great part of it.

 

Can't wait till your next tweak or 801.G @Linea

[DarionLeonidas]

Deleted

Edited May 21, 2021 by DarionLeonidas
Question irrelevant

[Darmian]

1 minute ago, DarionLeonidas said:

Hi, Linea;

I have just started running these missions and I want to add my praise to the chorus of cheers. These are excellent!

I would like to ask how you exceeded the three-published missions cap? Has that been lifted or have you earned the extra slots in some way?

Thanks in advance, and thanks for these great missions!

Darion

Just pop a request in to a GM via Discord or the Support option in Menu and ask 🙂 They don't want to hear about more farms though.