Valentine's Day Event 2009

This article or section contains information about a past event in City of Heroes/Villains. It is provided for historical purposes.

Overview

The Valentine's Day Event (officially called Spring Fling) celebrates the anniversary of Pocket D, the anniversary of Manticore and Sister Psyche's wedding, and Valentine's Day.

The event ran from Feb 9, 2009, through February 23, 2009. It included heroes and villains teaming up together, Snaptooth, and some

Stage One - Working together

Two mission contacts, Ganymede and Scratch, were added to the Pocket D club. Ganymede assigned missions to heroes, and Scratch to villains. Upon completing missions for both contacts, a third mission contact, DJ Zero was unlocked.

As it was the previous year, both contacts gave out a two-mission arc. Both arcs required players to bring along at least one teammate from the opposing faction to get to the end-reward. The first mission of the arc could be soloed, but players had to have an opposing faction teammate to complete the second mission of the arc (only the opposing faction teammate could target and destroy the last object).

Characters had to be in the final mission of both arcs long enough to get credit for completing those two missions in order to acquire the Handsome/Beautiful badge. The Handsome/Beautiful badge granted the temporary power of Nectar, a 20-use targeted area of effect confuse and placate.

For characters that already had the Handsome/Beautiful badge from the previous year's event, they are able to do these missions again, but the badge isn't re-granted, and thus, the character did not get Nectar again.

Nectar

Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Confuse, Placate
Eros has fashioned a version of Ambrosia from the waters of the Well of the Furies, which he has dubbed 'Nectar'. Eros' Nectar can be used up to 20 times on opponents to beguile them, effectively Placating and Confusing them. You have 20 doses. Recharge: Very Long [4 minutes]

Characters could only pick up one arc from their one contact. In order to do the other arc, they will need to get invited to an opposing faction team, or, invite an opposing faction teammate into their team and have that person pick up the mission.

Ganymede (Hero Contact)

Mission 1 - Defeat-all, Council Base, click computers (on solo and Heroic, it's only 21 foes).
Mission 2 - Arachnos Base - Find key, destroy box. (Key is within a hall or two of the locked elevator with a named boss, Tupelo, and his spawn.)

Scratch (Villain Contact)

Mission 1 - Defeat Circle of Thorn leader, Terrigol, and his coven; Oranbegan Map (can be stealthed to the boss battle).
Mission 2 - Arachnos Base - Find key, destroy cauldron. (Key is within a hall or two of the locked elevator with a named boss, Finch and his spawn.)

Heroes and Villains who completed the second mission from both Ganymede and Scratch received the Handsome Badge (called Beautiful Badge on female characters):

Handsome / Beautiful

Eros can bring out the beauty in any being.

Several normally City of Villain only badges were available to heroes in this part of the event. Weed Whacker Badge, Coldblooded Badge, and two gladiators. These badges are for certain villain style Circle of Thorns enemies. When done right, Scratch's first mission gave heroes access to these enemies, and thus the badges. In order to spawn a map with City of Villain style Circle of Thorn enemies, a villain must be the first player to zone into the map. This flags the entire mission for City of Villain style enemies, and the rest of the team can then enter. The enemies necessary for the different badges spawn at different levels. Hordelings, for Coldblooded and one of the gladiators, spawn for lower level mission holders (levels 8-25), while Hellfrost and Succubi, for Weed Whacker, spawn at mid to high levels (25-40 or so).

Stage Two - Snaptooth again

DJ Zero sent players on a mission to prevent Snaptooth from destroying a Dimensional Portal. This is exactly the same mission as the previous year, except with a new reward pop-up menu upon completion.

Reward choices:

Female Heart Pattern

Male Heart Pattern

Toga
Victory Laurel and Hellenic Sandals
Heart of Light Badge/Heart of Darkness Badge
Partygoer Badge
Heart Pattern - Note that the Heart Pattern is an overlay (like stripes or camo) for select tops, bottoms, and boots. (Sorry, no gloves or capes.) In general, the tops that take the Heart overlay are long sleeved tops that don't show any skin.

Strategies for Snaptooth and difficult missions:

Like all regular missions, the level of the foes of all these missions are set according to the mission-holder's level (not the team leader's or the highest level teammate's level) and the mission holder's difficulty. So, for example, a level 2 character can pick up a level 2 mission that can then be blown away with ease by a level 50. No experience, but all involved do get the reward popup.
If you defeat Boss Level Snaptooth and run out of his aggro range while the Elite Boss level Snaptooth is spawning, then the Elite Boss level Snaptooth just sits there doing nothing giving you time to wipe out all the waves of Red Caps which are aggro'd onto you. Try leaving the mission and coming back to see if you can lose their aggro.
If you have the damage capability, you can kill Snaptooth the three times over before the first wave of helpers even show up. But, if you take your time with Snaptooth, the waves will build up and overwhelm you.
The waves are aggro'd onto team members. If you leave a lowbie by the entrance, the lowbie will get a visit from Red Caps, too!
A solo squishy player on lowest difficulty hovering over Snaptooth with a tray of half defense, half damage inspirations is golden.
Snaptooth spawns up on the airfield near the tower.
Remember, while you can have teammates of the opposing faction help you with Snaptooth, the mixed team is only necessary for the second missions of Ganymede and Scratch. However, with the use of the Dimension Drop Powers, it might be worth it to bring along members of the opposing faction and give one another the powerful DDP buffs.
You can get the mission from DJ Zero 10 times.

Note: There was a cool bug that appears in the NW corner of the map a few minutes after entering the mission.

Partygoer

You've celebrated the one year anniversary of Pocket D by participating in DJ Zero's recreation of the inaugural Spring Fling.

Heart of Light

Through the choices made in your life, you have been blessed with a Heart of Light.

Heart of Darkness

Through the choices made in your life, you have been cursed with a Heart of Darkness.

Dimension Drop Powers

The event store contacts, Chilly and Dram, sold special temporary powers called Dimension Drop powers. These powers increase your teammate's damage, defense, or buff their hit points and endurance, but if used on one's traditional enemy (heroes on villains or villains on heroes), the power had a significantly greater effect. Chilly sells these temporary powers to heroes, and Dram to villains.