So, first up, let's meet the...
Lambda Sector Trial
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate Lambda Sector (also known as "That big place with all the guns and tanks and shit in Neutropolis") and slow down Tyrant's war effort by destroying the supplies he needs to produce his super-soldier army. However, all is not an easy smash-and-burn. The Big Dog himself, Marauder, is there for an inspection, and he's testing out Neuron's latest chemical cocktail, on top of Tyrant's new Incarnate boosts for his minions. Want to play with the Big Dog? You're gonna have to step up.
Phase 1: Asskicking is How They Say "Hello" in Praetoria
Simple enough, in this phase, you defeat 60 enemies. If people fail at this point, I presume that they must have all triggered self-destruct simultaneously, as a full League wipe is a failure of the trial (However, so long as any one character is still alive, everyone else can get out of the hospital)
Phase 2: Breaking and Entering
Now we're cooking with gas. Defeat the security robot to gain access to the interior of Lambda Sector. During this phase, we're doing some early prep-work for the final battle as well. The giant turret guns on the walls will be a problem later, so take these out now while you can do so at your leisure. You'll be far too busy later to deal with them, and the quickest route from the hospital to Marauder's location is jumping over the walls.
Now, before folks head right into the elevator, be aware that someone entering the elevator starts a timer for Phase 3, and so everyone should wait outside until the League leader gets everyone set up for Phase 3, which will usually involve swapping around team members to get a Balanced Breakfast of Asskicking for the IDF inside. Why do you want this? Well, read on....
Phase 3: Five-Finger Discount
(Time Limit: 5 Minutes + Special Objectives)
In this phase, you gather the temp powers needed to defeat Marauder in the final battle. Two sections of Lambda are open to you, the Front Elevators that lead to the Training Facility and the Rear Elevators that go to the Warehouse.
In the Training Facility, team members will be looking for destructible items called Containment Chambers. In the Warehouse, they will be Weapons Caches. You only have 5 minutes, so this is going to be breakneck speed. Hit the objectives, lock down spawns so they can't interrupt you, and move on. Wasting time on the IDF means less time gathering temps, and the more you have, the easier the final battle will be. Also, note that for every pair of objectives destroyed, the timer has one minute added. This means that if Team 1 destroys a Containment Chamber and Team 2 destroys a Weapons Cache, you get 1 minute added to your timer. If Team 1 gets two CCs while Team 2 only has one WC destroyed, you only get 1 minute, but you'll get another when they catch up.
There are 10 Containment Chambers (Molecular Acid Temp Power) and 10 Weapons Caches (Pacification Grenade Temp Power) in the facility. So, you'll note you can extend the timer to 10 minutes past the original 5 if you're on the ball. A good way to view this mission is like you're speed running the Shadow Cyst mission in the ITF. Since you don't get any ambushes when you destroy objectives, ignore the mobs, blow the boxes, and move on.
Phase 4: Who Let The Dogs Out?
(Time Limit: 15 Minutes)
It's time to take on Mr. Top Dog, but it's not going to be easy. Marauder's not some Primal AV who's stupid enough to let you engage him alone with no backup when you outnumber him 8+ to 1. Surrounding his arena are 10 reinforcement portals. Using the Molecular Acid on these portals permanently destroys them, reducing the number of reinforcements that can spawn to assist him.
At this point, you'll want to engage Marauder's backup squad around him. Focus on human enemies over the robots, as they spawn Battle Orbs which buff everyone around them. Enough of these makes this like being on the receiving end of a VEAT curbstomp with Spiderbuffs. Don't let that happen. After his squad is mostly down, everyone should then engage Marauder, ignoring any remaining mobs to be killed by your AoEs.
Marauder himself is pumped on Neuron's new super-serum, and has resistances like unto a god. His resistances make Reichsman curl up in a fetal position in his swastika blanket and cry for his Ubermommy. On top of that, Marauder's a level 54 AV, complete with the regen that entails. So how are you supposed to hit him? Use those Pacification Grenades you stole earlier. Each disables his ENRAAAAAAGED status and lowers his resistances to something that's actually normal. But even without his resists, that's not all the Big Dog has. There's his new NOVA FIST. When you see a warning on your screen, back away as fast as you can. The NOVA FIST is untyped damage and a PBAOE around Marauder. You don't want to get hit by the NOVA FIST if you know what's good for you. Also, Marauder has Unstoppable that he'll pop when he's low on health, but this is no different from anyone else's Unstoppable.
At certain HP threshholds, Marauder will abruptly realize you're handing him his Puppy Powered ass, and super jump away to a new location. This is frustrating, but also a good thing, as his backup doesn't have super jump. As a result, you can leave them in your dust. Bet they'll think twice about concept builds that drop a travel power next time.
Every so often, you'll hear alerts about "weapons shipments". These are spawns that give you a chance to get any temp powers you may have missed in Phase 3.
Also, in a new mechanic, you can gift your temp powers to someone else. Typically, it's best to gift all the Acids to one person and all the Grenades to another, who will be chosen to deal with their respective objectives. This avoids two people using a temp on the same target and wasting one use. Also, Pacification Grenades have no effect on Marauder's Unstoppable, so don't use them during it, even if he enrages. Just rely on -Regen debuffs to keep him from healing too much until it wears off.
Continue pounding Marauder while pacifying him whenever he enrages, and soon you'll have spanked the Big Dog with a newspaper and earned yourself a Trial victory.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."
Lambda Sector Trial
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate Lambda Sector (also known as "That big place with all the guns and tanks and shit in Neutropolis") and slow down Tyrant's war effort by destroying the supplies he needs to produce his super-soldier army. However, all is not an easy smash-and-burn. The Big Dog himself, Marauder, is there for an inspection, and he's testing out Neuron's latest chemical cocktail, on top of Tyrant's new Incarnate boosts for his minions. Want to play with the Big Dog? You're gonna have to step up.
Phase 1: Asskicking is How They Say "Hello" in Praetoria
Simple enough, in this phase, you defeat 60 enemies. If people fail at this point, I presume that they must have all triggered self-destruct simultaneously, as a full League wipe is a failure of the trial (However, so long as any one character is still alive, everyone else can get out of the hospital)
Phase 2: Breaking and Entering
Now we're cooking with gas. Defeat the security robot to gain access to the interior of Lambda Sector. During this phase, we're doing some early prep-work for the final battle as well. The giant turret guns on the walls will be a problem later, so take these out now while you can do so at your leisure. You'll be far too busy later to deal with them, and the quickest route from the hospital to Marauder's location is jumping over the walls.
Now, before folks head right into the elevator, be aware that someone entering the elevator starts a timer for Phase 3, and so everyone should wait outside until the League leader gets everyone set up for Phase 3, which will usually involve swapping around team members to get a Balanced Breakfast of Asskicking for the IDF inside. Why do you want this? Well, read on....
Phase 3: Five-Finger Discount
(Time Limit: 5 Minutes + Special Objectives)
In this phase, you gather the temp powers needed to defeat Marauder in the final battle. Two sections of Lambda are open to you, the Front Elevators that lead to the Training Facility and the Rear Elevators that go to the Warehouse.
In the Training Facility, team members will be looking for destructible items called Containment Chambers. In the Warehouse, they will be Weapons Caches. You only have 5 minutes, so this is going to be breakneck speed. Hit the objectives, lock down spawns so they can't interrupt you, and move on. Wasting time on the IDF means less time gathering temps, and the more you have, the easier the final battle will be. Also, note that for every pair of objectives destroyed, the timer has one minute added. This means that if Team 1 destroys a Containment Chamber and Team 2 destroys a Weapons Cache, you get 1 minute added to your timer. If Team 1 gets two CCs while Team 2 only has one WC destroyed, you only get 1 minute, but you'll get another when they catch up.
There are 10 Containment Chambers (Molecular Acid Temp Power) and 10 Weapons Caches (Pacification Grenade Temp Power) in the facility. So, you'll note you can extend the timer to 10 minutes past the original 5 if you're on the ball. A good way to view this mission is like you're speed running the Shadow Cyst mission in the ITF. Since you don't get any ambushes when you destroy objectives, ignore the mobs, blow the boxes, and move on.
Phase 4: Who Let The Dogs Out?
(Time Limit: 15 Minutes)
It's time to take on Mr. Top Dog, but it's not going to be easy. Marauder's not some Primal AV who's stupid enough to let you engage him alone with no backup when you outnumber him 8+ to 1. Surrounding his arena are 10 reinforcement portals. Using the Molecular Acid on these portals permanently destroys them, reducing the number of reinforcements that can spawn to assist him.
At this point, you'll want to engage Marauder's backup squad around him. Focus on human enemies over the robots, as they spawn Battle Orbs which buff everyone around them. Enough of these makes this like being on the receiving end of a VEAT curbstomp with Spiderbuffs. Don't let that happen. After his squad is mostly down, everyone should then engage Marauder, ignoring any remaining mobs to be killed by your AoEs.
Marauder himself is pumped on Neuron's new super-serum, and has resistances like unto a god. His resistances make Reichsman curl up in a fetal position in his swastika blanket and cry for his Ubermommy. On top of that, Marauder's a level 54 AV, complete with the regen that entails. So how are you supposed to hit him? Use those Pacification Grenades you stole earlier. Each disables his ENRAAAAAAGED status and lowers his resistances to something that's actually normal. But even without his resists, that's not all the Big Dog has. There's his new NOVA FIST. When you see a warning on your screen, back away as fast as you can. The NOVA FIST is untyped damage and a PBAOE around Marauder. You don't want to get hit by the NOVA FIST if you know what's good for you. Also, Marauder has Unstoppable that he'll pop when he's low on health, but this is no different from anyone else's Unstoppable.
At certain HP threshholds, Marauder will abruptly realize you're handing him his Puppy Powered ass, and super jump away to a new location. This is frustrating, but also a good thing, as his backup doesn't have super jump. As a result, you can leave them in your dust. Bet they'll think twice about concept builds that drop a travel power next time.
Every so often, you'll hear alerts about "weapons shipments". These are spawns that give you a chance to get any temp powers you may have missed in Phase 3.
Also, in a new mechanic, you can gift your temp powers to someone else. Typically, it's best to gift all the Acids to one person and all the Grenades to another, who will be chosen to deal with their respective objectives. This avoids two people using a temp on the same target and wasting one use. Also, Pacification Grenades have no effect on Marauder's Unstoppable, so don't use them during it, even if he enrages. Just rely on -Regen debuffs to keep him from healing too much until it wears off.
Continue pounding Marauder while pacifying him whenever he enrages, and soon you'll have spanked the Big Dog with a newspaper and earned yourself a Trial victory.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."