Suggest a good Gold-side solo character

[Techwright]

Thinking about finally running through the full gold side, something I'd not done since the OG's Going Rogue.

 

What suggestions are there for a solid Gold solo character? (archetype & powers)

[Skyhawke]

Mastermind and any, really. I also took a SS/Bio brute through with hardly any issues.

[Vindicator]

Teams are harder to come by on gold side, and many of the missions have ambushes.  I recommend something that can solo well, such as a brute, and take your time in the missions.  Also, gold side has a lot of great story arcs, but they are easy to outlevel by mistake.  I recommend using something like this guide to help experience (pun intended) what gold side has to offer -

 

Edited May 17, 2023 by Vindicator

[Techwright]

2 minutes ago, Vindicator said:

  Also, gold side has a lot of great story arcs, but they're also easy to outlevel by mistake.

 

Sounds like it might be better not to visit the P2W for an XP boost.

[goatmonster]

I've done it with a brute, scrapper, and stalker. Don't think the powers matter that much, pick what you like. I did all three by leveling to 20 and then working the pillar to finish all the arcs I missed, but I'm thinking about doing it again and shutting off xp at each zone break-point to finish all the arcs that way.

Edited May 16, 2023 by goatmonster

[Hyperstrike]

Inv/SS Tank.

Always a crowd pleaser...

[lemming]

I've done numerous times.

Stalkers work pretty well since you'll be shutting off XP a lot. That allows you to stealth thru a bunch of stuff.

And yes, Ambushes can be an issue, though only some of them will actually attack you while stealthed.   There are a few where the ambush runs up to you and even follows, but won't attack unless you break stealth.

 

I use https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Apparition's_Complete_Guide_to_Praetoria

for guidance.

 

So far, done Brute, Stalker, Tank, Scrapper, Sentinel, Blaster, and Corrupter

[Bionic_Flea]

I agree that a stalker, tank, or other melee are probably your best bet as teams are few and far between goldside and you don't have a lot of powers and slots from levels 1 - 20.  Since there aren't many teams most of the support sets' powers will gather dust unless you are running a MM or controller. 

 

Alternatively, you may try to get a regular goldside team going.  Maybe a theme, maybe the only theme is that you all play goldside together Wednesdays at 8 pm, or whatever.

[Oubliette_Red]

On 5/16/2023 at 2:47 PM, Techwright said:

 

Sounds like it might be better not to visit the P2W for an XP boost.

 

Not only that, if you don't want to get locked out of the remainder of a contact's mission, turn your XP off prior to reaching their max limit. One XP over and they will lose your number.

 

Edit: speeling

Edited May 17, 2023 by Oubliette_Red

[Darmian]

2 hours ago, Techwright said:

Thinking about finally running through the full gold side, something I'd not done since the OG's Going Rogue.

 

What suggestions are there for a solid Gold solo character? (archetype & powers)

My suggestion is a bit odd.  But my Gold 50 main in my avatar pic is a Mind Control/Empathy Controller.  So I built a Seer to get around Praetoria.  It works.  Take Infiltration too.  Ghouls? I'm invisible and they're Confused. And I'm healing.  No, didn't do a lot of damage but didn't die much either. And definitely no XP buffs.

 

And If you're looking for more Gold stuff check my sig for Praetoria based AEs set between Neutropolis and First Ward, 20-25. 

Edited May 16, 2023 by Darmian

[MoonSheep]

surely any alt goldside will be a solo ambition? 😛

 

dom or corr would also work well solo if you want some additional challenge - blaster could be fun too if you enjoy the glass cannon playstyle

[Hyperstrike]

36 minutes ago, Bionic_Flea said:

I agree that a stalker, tank, or other melee are probably your best bet as teams are few and far between goldside and you don't have a lot of powers and slots from levels 1 - 20.  Since there aren't many teams most of the support sets' powers will gather dust unless you are running a MM or controller. 

 

Alternatively, you may try to get a regular goldside team going.  Maybe a theme, maybe the only theme is that you all play goldside together Wednesdays at 8 pm, or whatever.

Also because melee ATs tend to be better able to handle the ambush mechanics present in Gold-side content.

[Techwright]

2 hours ago, Oubliette_Red said:

 

Not only that, if you don't want to get locked out of the remained of a contact's mission, turn your XP off prior to reaching their max limit. One XP over and they will lose your number.

 

I suppose that means checking the wiki on each contact.  I've never heard of an in-game method for seeing the cutoff.

[twozerofoxtrot]

44 minutes ago, Techwright said:

I suppose that means checking the wiki on each contact.  I've never heard of an in-game method for seeing the cutoff.

 

Unfortunately this does require a bit of pre-game mapping out, since some contacts have cut off that are much earlier than you'd expect, leading to the overall narrative arc being abruptly ended because you can't get the next contact's story arc. 

 

Seer 1381 (who is very important in Fisrt/Night ward arcs later) is easily missed this way, since her range (8-15) is the exact same as the preceeding 3(!!) contacts you need to complete before you get to her.

 

---

 

Also FWIW +1 a SS/Bio Brute from early suggestions.

 

Any tanker that gets a Cone at lvl 4 is also a great call. Psi Melee Tanker was really good as a Loyalist since I didn't really fight bots.

 

Strongly recommend avoiding Defenders for these levels, especially if solo. Typically self-buffs are few and far between and you end up short on blasts. Even Debuff heavy sets feel less optimal. I realy struggled with a Poison/DP that I duo'd with another player (a Stalker who incidentally did great).

 

 

 

[huang3721]

IMO get anything that can handle multiple ambush mobs at a low level. 

The loyalist power storyline is chock full of such ambushes. 

Keep in mind that some gold factions have debuff (The Resistance's Burst, for example).

 

Failing to do that, you could coax/persuade/force your friends to play gold side with you.

 

If you can't do that, set the diff to -1. 

[Snarky]

Brute or a Tank.  Heavier armor (like Invul as Hyperstrike suggested)  I would go with something that gets its nice attack powers early, like SS.  Get P2W grenades and P2W summon pets.  have fun.

[InvaderStych]

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

I suppose that means checking the wiki on each contact.  I've never heard of an in-game method for seeing the cutoff.

 

This is an old guide, but I followed with success on a Goldside solo run in 2020 with an Elec/SD Stalker.  I was able to do the undercover stuff as well as obtain each "All Missions" badge for all three zones by following it with obsessive attention to when I was shutting XP on/off and what order I was talking to whom.

 

I forget whom, but there is an additional write-up on HC Wiki by someone who ran into a couple of snags during their run. Less detailed, but iirc explains potential traps more clearly?

 

Either way, I got this to work, meant to do another run along a different choice tree.

 

 

Tips:

 

Start in the tutorial. This is the only way to get the undercover options.

 

Pick a path from the options available and do not deviate from it: ie - if you exit the tutorial as a Loyalist and choose Always Betray, then stick to that list in the order listed.

 

Turn off XP for Zone Events. Protest is easy, Syndicate is tough to solo, don't recall what the 3rd one is, probably didn't run it.

 

You don't have to go through the portal. You can delay choosing hero or villain as long as you like. Head straight to First Ward -> Night Ward as a Praetorian if it suits the toon.

 

[Major_Decoy]

The third one is either "help the cops" or "help the ghouls"

[Rigged]

Currently running it with a Savage/Bio stalker and it rocks. If you're after the story specifically, Stalker will let you skip a lot of boring killing which you are getting no XP for since you disable it for goldside.

[SeraphimKensai]

I solo'd an Elec armor/ice melee tanker from 1-50 Gold Side. I then went primal for incarnate stuff. For stuff from about 35-50 there's repeatable missions or you can run custom arcs in the AE or do a SBB.

[Go0gleplex]

I've done several toons to 20. Fire/Rad Brute, Water/Rad Sentinel, Electric/Rad Sentinel, Seismic/Fire Sentinel, a few others I don't remember...and am working on a Fire/Dark Corruptor presently. No real issues with any so far...though I do pull the hover trick with the squishies. 

[wjrasmussen]

9 hours ago, Techwright said:

Thinking about finally running through the full gold side, something I'd not done since the OG's Going Rogue.

 

What suggestions are there for a solid Gold solo character? (archetype & powers)

I had you covered until you wrote good.

[Apogee]

11 hours ago, Techwright said:

 

Sounds like it might be better not to visit the P2W for an XP boost.

 

I load up on double xp to get to the cutoff levels (10, 15, and 20) faster.  You will need to shut off XP regardless if you want to complete all arcs so why not get to the level faster and get the use of your powers/slots sooner?  Just be aware that final arc missions give a significant amount of XP and with double XP on you can gain over a full level at once.  If you do use the XP boost and are close to the level cap for an area, shut off XP before completing an arc.

 

You will find a few opinions on when to shut off XP as well.  I have run early Goldside at least 20 times, and each time I shut off XP at level 10 for Nova, 15 for Imperial, and 20 for Neutroplis.  You do not need to be introduced to the starting contacts in each zone, but you will only be able to talk with 3 of the 4 factions at a time.  The Crusader (Resistance) and Power (Loyalist) contacts are gated and require the appropriate alignment to access.  Be warned, some contacts are killed/removed during the course of the arcs.  Doing an arc in the wrong order can cause you to miss out on another arc.  Check the wiki.

 

Most mobs will not follow you so you can usually run past (even in the sewers) and take out the objective at the end of the map.  This works especially well during a certain mission for Bobcat where the ambush can get quite insane.   Most ambushes are staggered and some have npc's to help you.  There are a few defeat all missions, and a few rescue/escort missions, but thankfully not a lot.  Stealth helps, but is not required.  If you don't want/need to defeat all, turn on Sprint and Ninja Run and speed past the yard trash.  You may catch a stray rock or energy blast but nothing too worrisome.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Apogee

[Shred Monkey]

I like brute for low level stuff because your damage is so strong.   I like MA mixed with Air superiority for a quick/easy attack chain and good mitigation.  For secondary I like the defense options to layer with storm kick's buff and the +3 defense enhancements x2 for very solid survivability at low levels.  I went with ma/shield on my gold sider.

 

 

[Arcadio]

I've run through gold side solo a good few times. I'd say, unless you can IO your defenses to be decent as you go, you want something with good recovery. The missions are pretty difficult and for some of the bosses you're gonna need to play kinda hit-and-run. I'd actually recommend regen if you haven't been impressed by one yet, pretoria is a really good place to let its strengths shine. Sentinel or melee would both be good.