The Path of the Defender is one that is traveled by many yet mastered by few. When you decided to hone the skills of the Defender you are embarking on a task with many options before you. You must understand the structure of the class to truly be effective with it. This guide will explain the pros and cons of each choice that a Defender can make so that you will have a good heads up to fight evil in Paragon City. Understand that a Defender is a buff/de-buffer with a ranged attack as his or her secondary power set. They cannot stand toe to toe with tough enemies but are a necessary part of a team to fight evil. Take heed Defenders of good your mission starts here.

The origin of the Defender is much left up to the player. Science is one interesting and recommended combination for the Defender. A scientific experiment, the Defender’s origin is who he as. His background is important to the quests and crime that he will face. The first choice that a Defender must make is his or her Primary Power set. There are many options that you may chose, and these must be addressed to understand you abilities.

Dark Miasma: This is a powerful tool set that summons dark negative energies to work for you. In this power set a hero uses the negative energy to weak his foes. With powers such as tar patch, which slows a villain so that a hero may escape we see how this power set can be extremely useful in combat situations. The stronger the hero gets so to do his powers become that of his skill. The black hole is a power that will open a hole near enemies making them completely intangible. This power set will suit a defender well if they choose to use the negative energy for good.

Empathy: Empathy is a common practice for Defenders in keeping their teammates alive. Empathy is the healing power set for Defenders and most useful in all level set though more prevalent in higher level quests. The resurrect power is also include in this set and is worth an infinite amount to a team in high levels. As the crime gets tougher in Paragon city so to does the ability to fight it. This make the Defender with the empathy power set critical to any long term survival situation.

Force Field: This power set is a personal power set that a defender will have the option of selecting to help his or her survivability. Though some team force field protections are in this set it is mainly for the defenders personal protection in the battles they will face. When the heat of battle is on, the Defender can sustain much more then a normal hero would when they have the protection of a personal force field. At later levels the team will then be able to reap the benefit of this power set as the defender’s force field can expand to team if he or she chooses. To have survivability is quintessential for the Defender so this power set is a fine choice.

Kinetics: In the Kinetics power set the defender uses their bodies’ movement to battle crime. Not that which a melee would do but in a different form like no other hero in Paragon City. The Defender can Siphon power from a targeted foe thus reducing the damage that they take. They can also increase the speed of an ally. This power set is useful when there are multiple defenders in a team. This unique power set is a great addition to a great class.

Radiation Emission: In this powerful power set the defender has a variety of powers which exemplify what a Defender can do. One of the many useful powers in Radiation Emission is the Radiation Admission which heals you and all other allies in the area of effect. This is extremely useful throughout the adventures in City of Heroes. Other powers include the ability to affect the foe’s accuracy and defense with a cloud of poison fumes in an area of effect. This power set is highly effective and highly recommended for all defenders.

Storm Summoning: This the last of the primary power sets deals with the summoning of strong elemental forces to combat your foe. In this power set a hero can use mighty winds to force their foe back many feet. Or you the power of a tornado to obscure melee attacks. This is a good choice for a defender to protect not only themselves, but also their team.

The Defender will then after choosing the primary power set choice his or her secondary(example to shown to the left). The secondary power set is critical to a hero’s survival! A good mix of damage and healing can make survivability much easier for the hero. Remember that your secondary power will aid you in your journey so choice wisely. Another excellent combination that is highly recommend is a Defender taking Radiation as a primary for the heals/de-buffs and electrical blast as a secondary. This allows the Defender to heal and buff his group, as well as support them with moderate amounts of damage.

The power pool opens at level 6 for the hero and when it opens it adds an entire new perspective to your fight against crime. The power pool allows heroes to choose the option to fly, have super speed, inspire leadership, or have super jumping abilities and more! At level 6 it is highly recommended that the defender take hover. Hover is a VERY slow fly, however it allows the hero to stay suspended in the air and have much less change of getting hit and taking damage. At level 14 the hero can then take fly and believe me it is well worth the wait! To see Paragon City for the perspective of a bird is something that you must experience in this game! As your hero becomes known for their ability, skill and courage, their super powers become increasingly devastating. At higher levels the Defender becomes a team’s best friend.

The Defender is a balanced class that I must say is so much fun to play. Having the ability to heal yourself and others as well as get in the mix of the fight and prove your valiant skills in combat make this class like none other and allows the player to feel the experience of this class. As it was said in the beginning so will it be said in the end, “The Path of the Defender is one that is traveled by many yet mastered by few”.

(Defender using Radiation Infection against mobs)

In the battle against good and evil it is important to not be ill equipped. Far too many times the evil you face will be stronger then the good that is in you Defender. It is important to remember your tactics; buff and de-buff with long range powers. As twisted as the atmosphere of Paragon City can be, you must remember to stay on your toes for crime never sleeps! You the Defender are an essential part of the fight and with your skills a team will no doubt need you! You may not be able to stand toe to toe with the crime bosses you have but surely you will be able to bring them to justice with your unique set of powers. Take heed Defenders for the battle for justice beings with you!