Task Force
A Task Force is a large-scale story arc in City of Heroes. Task forces are equivalent to Strike Forces in City of Villains.
Task forces are similar to Story Arcs in that they are a set of missions that tell a story. Task forces are started by talking to a task force contact, which is typically a signature hero. Unlike story arcs, task force contacts cannot be outleveled. Task forces can be started at any time, provided a team meets the task force's requirements, and characters may run them more than once.
Restrictions
Each task force has a minimum level requirement and a minimum team size requirement that must be met before the task force can be started. Each task force also has a maximum level associated with it; team members who exceed the maximum automatically exemplar down.
While running a task force, none of the team's other missions are available to them, and normal contacts won't interact with the player. This means that most stores are unavailable; however, Arena stores, Pocket D, Wentworth's, and Ouroboros are still accessible to purchase (often much needed) inspirations. Once the task force has formed, you must continue to run the task force until you finish it or drop from it. Task force missions can be run over several play sessions; the game allows you to log out without dropping from the task force.
As of 2008-03-05 task forces will always spawn according to the number of members associated with the team, no matter if they are online or not. If 4 people start the Synapse Task Force, and one logs out, the groups will still spawn as if there were 4 people on the team. If the person instead quits the task force, then the spawns will scale for 3 people.
Task Forces by Level
Enemy mobs and bosses will spawn based on a 'signature' task force's maximum level (and the leader's notoriety setting) regardless of the team's composition. Therefore task forces are usually done by characters at (or above) the top of the level range.
A *Non-signature task force spawns according to the highest level person on the team. These include: Moonfire, Hess, Imperious and all four of the Shadow Shard task forces.
| Task Force Name | Contact | Min Size |
Level Range | Merits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Rule of the Three | Positron | 3 | 10 to 15 | 55 | Considered one of the longest TFs in the game, and one of the hardest due to lack of powers. |
| The Fall of the Clockwork King | Synapse | 4 | 15 to 20 | 45 | |
| Clamor and Destruction | Sister Psyche | 5 | 20 to 25 | 40 | |
| *The Kheldian War | Moonfire | 6 | 23 to 28 | 25 | Takes place in Striga Isle. |
| Citadel's Children | Citadel | 6 | 25 to 30 | 30 | |
| *The MegaMech Cometh | Ernesto Hess | 6 | 25 to 30 | 15 | Takes place in Striga Isle. |
| Smoke and Mirrors | Twilight's Son | 1 | 25 to 34 | 4 | Minor TF with no recipe reward option. |
| A Tangled Plot | Katie Hannon | 6 | 30 to 34 | 7 | Takes place in Croatoa, considered the fastest TF within the game. |
| Following Countess Crey | Manticore | 7 | 30 to 35 | 25 | |
| The 5th Column Overthrow | Mender Lazarus | 1 | 30 to 39 | 6 | Minor TF with no recipe reward option. |
| Soul of the Woodsman | Numina | 4 | 35 to 40 | 27 | Large portion of TF is hunting for enemy groups in different zones. |
| *Time's Arrow | Imperious | 6 | 35 to 50 | 25 | Takes place in Cimerora. A player leaving the zone will auto-quit from the TF.  
|
| *Explorers and Exploiters | Dr. Quaterfield | 8 | 40 to 44 | 90 | Majority of TF takes place in the Shadow Shard. Considered one of the Longest TFs in the game. |
| *The Legend of Ruladak | Sara Moore | 8 | 40 to 50 | 50 | Majority of TF takes place in the Shadow Shard. |
| *The Saga of Faathim | Justin Augustine | 8 | 44 to 50 | 35 | Majority of TF takes place in the Shadow Shard. |
| *The Saga of Lanaru | Faathim the Kind | 8 | 44 to 50 | 55 | Majority of TF takes place in the Shadow Shard. |
| Statesman's Task Force | Statesman | 8 | 45 to 50 | 30 | Reward table choice includes random Synthetic Hamidon Enhancement. |
| The Lady Grey Task Force | The Lady Grey | 8 | 45 to 50 | 30 | Takes place in Rikti War Zone. A player leaving the zone will auto-quit from the TF.
|
| Trading Places | Mender Silos | 1 | 46 to 50 | 7 | Minor TF with no recipe reward option. |
Task Forces no longer available.
| Phased Out TFs | Contact | Min Size |
Level Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Mind in Danger | Calvin Scott | n/a | 30 to 35 | Category:Historical |
Rewards
Task forces typically have badges associated with them and often have unique mobs.
Unlike Story Arcs, every team member receives a completion reward at the end of a Task Force, not just the leader. Major Task Forces (i.e. not Ouroboros) offer the option for a Pool C Recipe drop instead of the usual origin-appropriate enhancement.
The team leader Notoriety level setting will affect enemy spawns in accordance to the maximum level range of the Task Force. It will also affect the completion reward at the end, with a same-level rare recipe (if chosen) on Heroic, +1 level on Rugged, and +2 level on Invincible. This obviously does not apply if the character's true level is 49 (for the +2 level) or 50 (+1 or +2), as level 51 and level 52 recipes do not exist.
Hardcore Badges
Complete the hardest Task/Strike Forces in the game without temporary powers and without any deaths.
3 Hour Recipe Timer
After claiming a recipe reward from a Task Force, a player cannot receive another recipe from Task Forces for the next 3 hours. Players can still receive other rewards from it, or earn recipes from Trials. Or, you can wait out the timer, e.g. by leaving the reward window up while you play or logging out and logging in back later.