I forgot how completely badass Thugs are

[JayboH]

Due to the overhauls I've been messing with Mercs mostly with a little Necro and Bots for months (since alpha patch...) 

 

...then I went back to my old Thugs and remembered why I always have liked them best.  It's a Traps MM with softcaps.

 

Just seeing the enforcers in their Matrix-style leather trenchcoats and sunglasses tossing ammo clips/magazines at enemies AND SHOOTING THEM IN THE AIR AS THEY ARRIVE TO MAKE THEM EXPLODE gave me a big dumb grin on my face.  Having a literal brute using super strength while this is all going on plus the maniac pyro going berserk just reminded me how incredibly awesome the set is theme-wise, plus the damage is wonderful of course.

 

Calling out a whole mob from time to time on top of all this makes me wonder why I even bother with the others sometimes.  Just a sick theme/concept.  😈

[Crysis]

Thugs have always been my fave MM animation sets.  

 

I almost universally take Cross Punch on all my Thugs/anything MM’s because I love to follow the bruiser and take turns beating down his target with him.  It’s just giggle-inducing fun for me.  Plus you get a better appreciation for the all the Thugs various animations by watching them from inside the spawn.  The little hellions all seem to have their roles figured out and just go…well…all thug on everything.

 

Honestly, while MM’s still need a bunch of work, it was the MM class in this game that made me miss it so much at original sunset.  I’ve yet to find a single other game that gives me such diversity of pet classes.  I don’t know which dev cooked up the AT animations (and I’m sure it had a cast of many) but just know if you read this….COH’s MasterMind AT is literally in a class all by itself in the entire history of gamedom.

 

The only thing I found even somewhat close was playing the game Overlord back in the day, but even that didn’t compare to the tactical nature of MM battles, especially when soloing.

[JayboH]

I went the other way and grabbed Web Envelope to help the Pyro keep them in burn patches.  I have Traps loaded up with procs.  I also grabbed Spectral Interface for that tiny bit of immobilization for the same reason even though it's practically pointless.

 

I think it was the Enforcer's comment I made earlier that really hit me.  Seeing that again after completely forgetting about it just made me all happy inside.

[Nyghtmaire]

21 hours ago, Crysis said:

Honestly, while MM’s still need a bunch of work, it was the MM class in this game that made me miss it so much at original sunset.  I’ve yet to find a single other game that gives me such diversity of pet classes.  I don’t know which dev cooked up the AT animations (and I’m sure it had a cast of many) but just know if you read this….COH’s MasterMind AT is literally in a class all by itself in the entire history of gamedom.

Couldn’t have said it better. I feel the same way about Necro. The shit-talking Lich was an eye opener back on Live, and has been something that brings the same tingle of pleasure still to this day. On discovery of Homecoming, a number of masterminds were the first thing I made, including my remaking my main from the original game. 
 

The most recent changes here (to Necro, Ninja, Bots, Mercs) have engendered a lot of confidence in this development team. Excited to see (and hopeful) for what comes next. 
 

That said, I’ve never made a Thug MM. Ever. Guess I better get on that!

[evetsleep]

21 hours ago, Nyghtmaire said:

That said, I’ve never made a Thug MM. Ever. Guess I better get on that!

 

Thugs are, in my view, a fantastic implementation from the start and why they've always been so popular.  That said, at 18 when you get the arsonist just remember to keep an eye on him.  He's almost always is the first one to crumble because of his kamikaze mentality, but he also is responsible for a lot of your damage (i.e. balance).

 

Overall a fantastic set and goes with just about anything.

[smnolimits43]

hmm.. how does one role play Thugs as a Hero ???

[Nyghtmaire]

1 hour ago, smnolimits43 said:

hmm.. how does one role play Thugs as a Hero ???

Off the top of my head:

* backup singers for a singer just going solo 

* bodyguards for a “famous” person

* leftist agitators mobilized against fascists

* paintball enthusiasts in over their heads (lts = goths in trench coats, tier 3 is the dude who takes it TOO FAR)

* a family (who is too close) taking matters into their own hands but have a heart of gold, the law be damned (good for vigilante alignment)

Edited January 14, 2023 by Nyghtmaire
Spelling

[WumpusRat]

On 1/13/2023 at 10:02 PM, Nyghtmaire said:

* backup singers for a singer just going solo 

* bodyguards for a “famous” person

A kind of combination of those two is one of my D&D bard concepts. When the other adventurers who arrived in Paragon were out beating up criminals and establishing a place for them to all call home, she was out finding out what sorts of social places there were. She can into a bunch of bikers who started hitting on her, and so she started telling stories, jokes, riddles, and basically just won them over. Then they heard her sing, and were captivated. So they decided to stick with her and protect her. 

[Williwaw]

Thugs/Traps was my second-ever MM to 50 on the Live servers, shortly after my Robotics/Storm MM.  Great powerset, especially for a Natural-origin character like he was. (I tried all of the available MM sets, but those were the only two I got to 50 before the game shut down)

 

When I first made the character, I was expecting the pets to be more mafia-themed (like the Mooks and the Family) rather than street punks. I still wish that was an option.

[High_Beam]

On 1/13/2023 at 11:30 PM, smnolimits43 said:

hmm.. how does one role play Thugs as a Hero ???

A guy mentioned it; backup singers.

 

I have a Thugs MM called Sleazy Record Exec whose thugs are named after boy band members; Timberlake, Fatone, Brown, Osmond.

 

Fun

[JayboH]

On 1/17/2023 at 9:14 AM, Williwaw said:

Thugs/Traps was my second-ever MM to 50 on the Live servers, shortly after my Robotics/Storm MM.  Great powerset, especially for a Natural-origin character like he was. (I tried all of the available MM sets, but those were the only two I got to 50 before the game shut down)

 

When I first made the character, I was expecting the pets to be more mafia-themed (like the Mooks and the Family) rather than street punks. I still wish that was an option.

Yeah it's pretty great.

[dangeraaron10]

On 1/13/2023 at 9:30 PM, smnolimits43 said:

hmm.. how does one role play Thugs as a Hero ???

I had a character concept of a gang that styled themselves as freedom fighters from Mercy Island called "The Merciless".  Without numbers or funding they were little different from common Skulls or Hellions but were so good at being thorns in Arachnos's side they had to skip town to Paragon but maintain a Vigilante alignment to keep a line to Mercy.

 

So less like actual thugs and more like Resistance without the wacky weapons and wackier vernacular.

[Relvinian]

This is the description of my toon Star Security

 

 At the top of the Security Industry, skilled professionals set high standards for individual and corporate security.  Obviously not everyone can afford those security firms, and they turn to other, less reputable firms. Enter Star Security.  It's rumored that they will do anything for money.  Some say they aren't security at all, but are mostly hired thugs with connections to biker gangs or organized crime. Well who are those people?  Because Bruno would like to talk with them.

 

He is actually a rogue and i built him for fun not optimization.

 

Natural thug/trap

Edited February 5, 2023 by Relvinian