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, and Wentworth's 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 for 4 people on the team. If the person instead quit the TF, 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.

Non-signature task forces spawn according to the highest level person on the team. These include: Moonfire, Hess and all four of the Shadow Shard task forces.

Task Force Name	Contact	Min Size	Level Range	Notes
The Rule of the Three	Positron	3	10 to 15	Considered one of the longest Task Forces in the game, and one of the hardest due to lack of powers.
The Fall of the Clockwork King	Synapse	4	15 to 20
Clamor and Destruction	Sister Psyche	5	20 to 25
The Kheldian War	Moonfire	6	23 to 28	Takes place in Striga Isle
Citadel's Children	Citadel	6	25 to 30
The MegaMech Cometh	Ernesto Hess	6	25 to 30	Takes place in Striga Isle
Smoke and Mirrors	Twilight's Son	1	25 to 34	Minor Task Force, no recipe reward option
A Tangled Plot	Katie Hannon	6	30 to 34	Takes place in Croatoa, considered the fastest Task Force within the game
Following Countess Crey	Manticore	7	30 to 35
The 5th Column Overthrow	Mender Lazarus	1	30 to 39	Minor Task Force, no recipe reward option
Soul of the Woodsman	Numina	4	35 to 40	Large portion of Task Force is hunting for enemy groups in different zones
Time's Arrow	Imperious	6	35 to 50	Takes place in Cimerora, Heroes and Villains may team together, leaving the zone will auto-quit from the Task Force
Explorers and Exploiters	Dr. Quaterfield	8	40 to 44	Majority of Task Force takes place in the Shadow Shard. Considered one of the Longest Task Forces in the game.
The Legend of Ruladak	Sara Moore	8	40 to 50	Majority of Task Force takes place in the Shadow Shard
The Saga of Faathim	Justin Augustine	8	44 to 50	Majority of Task Force takes place in the Shadow Shard
The Saga of Lanaru	Faathim the Kind	8	44 to 50	Majority of Task Force takes place in the Shadow Shard
Statesman's Task Force	Statesman	8	45 to 50	Reward table choice includes random Synthetic Hamidon Enhancement
The Lady Grey Task Force	The Lady Grey	8	45 to 50	Takes place in Rikti War Zone, Heroes and Villains may team together, leaving the zone will auto-quit from the Task Force
Trading Places	Mender Silos	1	46 to 50	Minor Task Force, 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.

All members Notoriety level settings 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.

• Master of Statesman's Task Force

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.