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X-Men Legends, by Activision
Playstation 2 FaQ by jeromycraig, copyright 2004.
Version 0.07
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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I. REVISION HISTORY
II. DISCLAIMER
III. OVERVIEW
IV. CONTROLS AND GAMEPLAY
Controls
Basic Combat Controls
Jumping attacks
Grappling
Throwing Objects
Charged Objects
Fastball Special
Destruction
Knockback
Pop-Up
Using Mutant Powers
A Brief Word About the Game's Target Lock System
Combining Powers
X-Treme Powers
Puzzle-Solving with Mutant Powers
Movement Abilities
Energy Melee Attacks
Touch Damage
Call Allies
Separation Anxiety
On-Screen Map
Leveling Up
Pick Ups
Xtraction Points
Bring Out Your Dead
V. MENUS
Team Information Menu
Stats
Skills and Powers
Equipment
Options Menu
VI. PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
Beast
Colossus
Cyclops
Emma Frost
Gambit
Iceman
Jean Grey
Jubilee
Magma
Nightcrawler
Professor X
Psylocke
Rogue
Storm
Wolverine
VII. SUPPORTING CHARACTERS AND VILLAINS
Avalanche
Blob
Forge
Gateway
General Kincaid
Havok
Healer
Illyana Rasputin
Juggernaut
Magneto
Marrow
Moira MacTaggert
Mystique
Pyro
Sabretooth
Shadow King
Toad
VIII. X-MANSION
IX. WALKTHROUGH
A. New York City
B. X-Mansion (I)
C. HAARP Facility, Alaska
D. X-Mansion (II)
E. Sentinel Flashback
X. EQUIPMENT
Backpacks
Belts
Armor
Artifacts
XI. DANGER ROOM
Freshman Missions
Sophomore Missions
Junior Missions
Senior Missions
X-Men Missions
Legend Missions
XII. SECRETS
Comic Books
Danger Room Discs
Concept Art
X-Trivia
XIII. GLITCHES AND BUGS
XIV. REVIEW
XV. THANKS
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THE ACTUAL FAQ
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I. REVISION HISTORY
0.01 9/24/04 - Wrote general outline, completed Disclaimer, Overview, Controls
and Gameplay, and Menus sub-sections. Added character bios and
descriptions for Wolverine and Cyclops. Completed most of Mission One
Walk-through before getting very, very tired and having to go to bed.
0.02 9/25/04 - Read through Walkthrough and realized how very, very bad and
vague it got towards the end of the "Rooftops" section. Attempted to
improve.
0.03 9/29/04 - Corrected target lock info. Added more information about
X-treme powers and the power gauge. Added a whopping amount of various
info to "Controls and Gameplay." Added biographies and skill summaries
for twelve additional playable characters. Added some glitches to
Glitches and Bugs section.
0.04 10/4/04 - Added more details to character skills. Started New Game to
begin Walkthrough for HAARP Facility. Added ASCII maps and room
descriptions for the X-Mansion section.
0.05 10/5/04 - Added some tips and corrections from alert readers, with
exciting credits! Added X-MANSION (I) to the WALKTHROUGH section. Added
biography for Professor Xavier to PLAYABLE CHARACTERS. Completed
X-MANSION section, complete with crunchy and delicious ASCII maps!
0.06 10/8/04 - Added partial ITEM list. Added TRIVIA section. Added bios for
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS AND VILLAINS. Added further clarification on the
"Flight" ability. Added "Skill Points" and "Stat Points" to the PICK-UPS
section. Pulled most of my hair out attempting to write a Walkthrough to
the HAARP Facility, which is STILL not ready in a final form; so much for
the Bounty. Some minor corrections to character bios.
0.07 10/12/04 - Completed Walkthrough for HAARP Facility. Added some minor
corrections and items. Completed Walkthrough for X-MANSION (II),
SENTINEL FLASHBACK, and JUGGERNAUT FLASHBACK. Started a drinking habit.
Added numerous skill levels to characters. Added several secrets, and a
glitch or two.
II. DISCLAIMER
This FaQ is the property of jeromycraig. It may not be reproduced in whole or
in part by anyone else without express written permission. Failure to adhere
to this may cause bitterness and much sarcasm in the author. As of now, only
www.gamefaqs.com and faqs.ign.com have the author's permission to display this
FaQ. If found elsewhere, please inform the author at jeromycraig at yahoo.com.
Questions, comments, corrections, and suggestions are welcome. This is a
first-time effort, and is probably pretty rough around the edges. CONSTRUCTIVE
criticism is appreciated, and credit will be given where credit is due. Any
hate-mail, flaming, or "133t-speak" will be deleted and addresses blocked.
Please include "X-MEN LEGENDS FAQ" in your subject header.
III. OVERVIEW
Finally, the long-anticipated (by me) X-Men "RPG" is here. When I first heard
rumors about this game over the past couple of years, I went into paroxysms of
nerdly glee. After years of mostly sub-par X-Men gaming experiences (anybody
remember "Spider-Man and the X-Men: Arcade's Revenge" on the SNES? What the
hell was THAT all about?), it looked like this one was finally going to be the
big one, Activision's mutant counterpart to their "Spider-Man" game success
stories. People may be asking, "Well, is it The Big One? Or does it BITE the
big one?" Or they may not. They probably already have skipped ahead to the
WALKTHROUGH or SECRETS section. People are fickle. I need a hug.
Part of my reason for writing this FAQ was the fact that the game manual was
not very helpful at all. A lot of special moves and abilities definitely can
use a more in-depth description in order to use them properly, and some
abilities are left for the player to discover on his or her own. I have
completed roughly 90% of the game, and am going back to review each level for
the Walkthrough. The completed FAQ will include a full walkthrough for each
level, so be patient. It's a-comin'.
The plot of XML plays a tad bit fast and loose with established X-Men "history"
by following the plight of Alison Crestmere (Magma), a young girl who has
recently discovered her own mutant control over flame and lava. Kidnapped by
the Brotherhood of Mutants after her powers manifest, she is rescued by the
X-Men, who offer to protect her as well as train her in the use of her powers.
Unfortunately, the Brotherhood still has plans for her, as her abilities are
central to their sinister plan, a plan that will destroy the X-Men and ensure
mutant dominion! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! ... Ahem! Sorry.
XML is very much in the same vein as the "Baldur's Gate" series on the PS2:
an action/arcade game with RPG elements. It even plays on what seems to be a
very similar game engine. Fortunately, the game throws in enough extras to
keep it fresh and fun, and has enough X-Universe extras to make even the most
casual comic book afficionado wet their pants.
IV. CONTROLS AND GAMEPLAY
The controls for the game are relatively easy to use:
Left Stick Move active character
Right Stick Move camera (Left-Right); Zoom In/Out (Up-Down)
D-Pad Select active character
Triangle (T)Jump (double-tap to activate character-specific movement ability:
flight, sliding, double-jump, charge, etc)
Square (S) Different functions, according to context: Talk; Use;
Pick Up/Throw Item; Grapple
X Light attack
O Heavy attack
L1 Use Health Pack
R1 Use Energy Pack
L2 Call allies
R2 Use active character's mutant power (hold R2 + S, X, O, or T);
target lock
SELECT Access Team Information Menu (pauses game)
START Access Options menu (pauses game)
R3 Change map size
BASIC COMBAT CONTROLS:
When an enemy approaches, you can whale the tar out of 'em with various
combinations of X and O. The X button utilizes a light attack that is very
quick, but less damaging. The O button is slower, but more damaging. Ironic,
no?
Here are some combos:
Triple Strike X, X, X Your basic button-masher. Not fancy, but
good enough.
Knockback O, O Slower to execute, but more damaging.
Knocks enemy away from you.
Pop-Up X, X, O Knocks enemy straight up in the air. Can
add an air combo.
Trip X, O, X Knocks enemy down, leaving them helpless
for a split second.
Stun O, X, O, O Leaves enemy unable to act for a couple of
seconds.
Big Basic X, O, O, X, X, X Easy to use, and highly damaging. Will
take out most minor enemies.
Quick n' Easy O, X, X, X, X Pointed out by alert reader Charles B.,
all four button presses link to a fast and
highly-damaging combo.
JUMPING ATTACKS
Pressing the Triangle button causes your active character to jump. While in
mid-air, you cab initiate some smackdown with the X button. Pressing the O
button after jumping causes your character to do a downward smash attack.
GRAPPLING
You can use the Square button at close range to attempt to grapple and throw
your enemy. Moving the Left Stick when you initiate a Throw lets you determine
what direction to toss 'em in. Try to aim for objects and walls (extra damage)
or other enemies (damages both; the opponent being thrown takes less damage
than the one he lands on). Be cautious with Grappling: The Grapple animation
is relatively slow, and will open you up for attack. The game's poor targeting
doesn't do you any favors. NOTE: "Boss" enemies cannot be thrown.
THROWING OBJECTS
By pressing the Square button near most objects, your character can pick it up
and carry it. Pressing Square again or X will cause you to hurl the object in
the direction you're facing. Objects are sized from small to giant. Any
character can pick up a small or medium object, but large to giant objects
require a character with super-strength and the requisite Might skill. As a
general rule, the larger the object, the more damage it does. Some objects
will explode on contact, for some nifty extra damage. BE CAREFUL: although
you can't accidentally (or intentionally) punch or use a mutant power against
your teammates, you CAN hit them with a thrown object. This advice brought to
you by a man who accidentally wiped out his entire team with a single explosive
barrel.
CHARGED OBJECTS
Gambit and Jubilee both have the ability to charge an object with energy by
standing right next to it and pressing R2+X. If picked up and thrown, it will
explode for additional damage. If not thrown, it will eventually explode on
its own. Essentially, you can make your own grenades or landmines.
FASTBALL SPECIAL
I discovered this quite by accident. If you have both Wolverine and a
character with super-strength (Rogue, Beast, or Colossus) on the same team, you
can press the Square button to pick up Wolverine and hurl him at your enemies
for lots o' damage. The echoes of my nerdy squeal of delight when I discovered
this are probably still bounding about the universe. NOTE: Alert reader Matt
T informs me that Nightcrawler can also be hurled in a Fastball Special. I
have tried it, and it do seem to be all true and stuff.
DESTRUCTION
Many, if not most, objects and walls in the game are destructible, but some
objects are harder than others to break. When a breakable object is struck, a
"durability" bar appears over it, which is depleted by further attacks. Some
objects are fragile enough to be destroyed by any attack (e.g. cardboard
boxes), while others can only be destroyed by Destruction attacks. Certain
mutant abilities add Destruction to the character's attack. The higher the
amount of added Destruction, the quicker an object can be destroyed. See
individual power descriptions in the PLAYABLE CHARACTERS section to determine
which skills and powers add Destruction to their attacks. NOTE: Most objects
will be destroyed when thrown, regardless of durability. Also, Gambit and
Jubilee's Energy Charge will cause an object to explode automatically.
KNOCKBACK
Certain attacks and skills contain Knockback as a bonus statistic. When one of
these attacks connects, the stricken opponent is flung back for a distance.
The higher the Knockback stat, the farther the opponent is sent away. If the
opponent hits something while being flung back, they will take additional
damage. NOTE: "Boss" enemies cannot be knocked back.
POP-UP
Certain attacks and skills will knock an opponent straight up in the air.
While airborne, enemies cannot defend, and you can juggle them with jumping
attacks for some extra damage. NOTE: "Boss" enemies cannot be popped up.
USING MUTANT POWERS
By holding down the R2 button, you bring up the active character's mutant power
HUD. While holding down R2, press the corresponding button (S, T, O, X) of the
power you want to use. It's that simple, folks. Or, it should be.
Unfortunately, it's now time for:
A BRIEF WORD ABOUT THE GAME'S TARGET LOCK SYSTEM
When an enemy approaches, tap the R2 button, and a red targeting square should
appear around them. As long as the targeting square is on them, you will
USUALLY automatically aim your mutant power at that enemy. Unfortunately, a
side effect of the rare "X-gene" that gives them their powers has apparently
struck all of the X-Men with severe ADD, as the target lock square will
disappear when you least expect it. There's nothing quite like the feeling you
get when you watch Storm blithely toss lightning bolts off into the wild blue
yonder while an enemy stands DIRECTLY BEHIND HER pummeling her HP down to
nothing. Unfortunately, target lock only targets the closest enemy OR
BREAKABLE OBJECT. If you're really close to an object that you can use powers
on, sometimes the game will target that object instead of an enemy, and not let
you switch targets. The results aren't pretty.
Basically, the target lock is nice when it works, but don't depend on it.
Without target lock, the X-Men will generally use their abilities in the
direction they're facing (sometimes they'll do this even WITH target lock).
Learning to manually aim may save your life one day.
COMBINING POWERS
When two X-Men use a mutant power attack on the same opponent simultaneously,
it causes a combined power combo that dishes out extra damage, as well as extra
exp when the enemy is defeated. If the combo is successful, the name of the
combo and head icons of the involved X-Men will appear. Cyclops and Storm each
have access to the "Leadership" skill, which give additional bonuses to both
damage and exp. on all power combos executed while they are on the team. Power
combos are invaluable for leveling up your characters later in the game.
X-TREME POWERS
When an X-Man reaches Level 15, they can unlock their X-Treme Power on the
Skill Upgrade Menu. This is the character's highest level of attack, and can
only be used if you have a full X-treme gauge. It is activated by pressing
R2+T.
Once X-treme powers are unlocked, some enemies and breakable objects will give
up little blue "X" symbols when defeated. Each symbol you collect fills a
portion of the X-treme gauges displayed next to the character HUD. When all
four sections of an X-treme gauge are filled, the X-treme power can be used.
X-treme gauges are shared by the party, and depleted when an X-treme power is
activated. Once X-Treme powers are unlocked, the team starts with the ability
to fill one gauge. As the game progresses, you'll earn additional gauges, to
a maximum of five.
It should be noted that X-treme powers rely solely on the X-treme gauges.
They do not deplete your EP.
PUZZLE-SOLVING WITH MUTANT POWERS
Frequently, while on a mission, you will come across obstacles or objectives
that can only be passed by judicious use of mutant powers. For example,
Iceman, Magma, and Jean Grey can use their power to create a bridge over
certain areas, so that their teammates can cross. Often, areas that require
the use of a mutant power will be marked with a spinning blue "X" symbol.
While standing on the symbol, activate the appropriate power. There's a rather
frustrating bug that can occur sometimes. See GLITCHES AND BUGS for further
details.
MOVEMENT ABILITIES
Certain characters have additional movement powers that can be activated by
double-tapping the Jump (Triangle) button, once unlocked. Most movement
abilities eat your energy gauge alive, so use them sparingly:
FLIGHT: (Storm, Rogue, and Jean Grey) Double-tap the Triangle button to
fly. Fairly useless at lower skill levels, as it can suck your energy
gauge dry. As Flight is leveled up, it uses less energy per second, and
you can also pick up an ally and carry them by pressing the Square
button while hovering right over them. Flight is excellent for scouting
an area, as you are out of range of most enemy attacks. Some areas are
only accessible by Flight. You can fight while flying (which takes extra
energy from your energy gauge), but you cannot use any other mutant
abilities until you land. While in flight, press the Triangle button to
ascend, and the Square button to descend. The X button attacks
repeatedly, while the Circle button causes you to perform a power dive
attack that ends your flight. I recommend having at least one character
with Lvl 5 Flight. At Lvl 5, it only takes 5 EP per second to remain
aloft, and you can carry an ally. With a high enough Focus, the flying
character regenerates EP faster than the Flight depletes it, allowing you
to remain aloft indefinitely. At lower skill levels, Flight is best used
as a jump enhancement to reach high ledges: fly straight up and quickly
land on the ledge; if you do it quickly enough, the EP drain per second
won't have time to activate.
DOUBLE-JUMP: (Beast and Nightcrawler) The double-jump adds another body
length of height to your jump, allowing you to reach higher ledges. Not a
must-have, but it only takes one skill point to enable it.
SLIDING: (Magma and Iceman) Double-tap and hold the Triangle button to
create a slide. You will move forward 10' per skill level (for the first
four skill levels), and indefinitely at skill level five. While sliding,
you can steer left or right with the left stick, but the turn radius is
pretty extreme. If you collide with an object or enemy, it will end the
slide, but causes energy damage to whatever you hit. Like flight, sliding
allows you to move over areas that are not accessible by ground. Unlike
flight, the slide uses more energy per skill level, and can eat your gauge
quickly. Also, if you end your slide (reach distance limit, hit an
object, or just let go of the Triangle button) prematurely, you could
potentially plummet to your death. It looks really neat, but use with
caution.
CHARGING: (Colossus) Double-tap and hold the Triangle button, and
Colossus will jump up in the air and land in a lumbering charge. He will
continue moving forward until he hits something, runs out of energy, or
you let go of the Triangle button. Hard to use as an attack when you're
already in the thick of battle, but excellent at reaching distant
opponents quickly and smacking the bejeezus out of 'em, as the Charge is
much faster than Colossus's standard running speed. You can steer left
or right with the left stick while charging, but Colossus's
maneuverability is even worse than Magma and Iceman's slide attacks.
ENERGY MELEE ATTACKS
Some characters (Storm, Jean Grey, Magma, Emma Frost, Psylocke, Iceman, Gambit)
can use skill points to add energy damage to their melee attacks. This bonus
is automatic, and can more than make up for low Striking stats. Storm, Magma,
Iceman, and Gambit add energy damage, while Jean, Emma, and Psylocke add mental
damage. The only drawback is when fighting against enemies who are resistant
to energy or mental attacks, as both melee and mutant power attacks from these
characters will be very ineffective. Please note that mental damage affects
energy-shielded enemies normally, while energy damage will affect
mentally-shielded enemies. Enemies that are resistant to physical damage
will still take the full amount of bonus energy damage when hit by a melee
attack.
TOUCH DAMAGE
Touch damage is similar to energy melee, except you don't have to attack to
inflict damage. Certain powers will give characters an aura that will damage
enemies just by bumping into them. Needless to say, enemies that use melee
attacks against a touch damage-equipped character will take almost as much
damage as they give.
CALL ALLIES
Pressing the L2 button will cause computer-controlled teammates to respond to
your active character. If not in combat, pressing L2 will call your teammates
to your side, which is useful for rounding up stragglers. If engaged in
combat, it will cause your teammates to use a predetermined power (see MENUS
section) on the enemy you're fighting, which is very useful for combining
powers to get damage and exp bonuses, when timed right.
SEPARATION ANXIETY
Occasionally, your party will get officially separated, when one character will
take a path that the others can't. When this happens, white pulsing circles
will appear around the X-Men's feet, indicating that the active character is on
his or her own until the team reunites. While separated, the party stops
acting and moving as a team, and AI characters will remain where they're left.
When the characters are all reunited, the white circles disappear, and team
movement is re-enabled. There is an occasional glitch with this, however. See
GLITCHES AND BUGS for more details.
ON-SCREEN MAP
The R3 button (pressing in on the Right Stick) toggles the On-Screen Map, which
shows your immediate area in a semi-transparent display. Pressing the R3
repeatedly will toggle the Map between small, large, and off. The map will
show mission objectives as a gold "X" symbol, giving you an idea of where to
head. Xtraction points are marked on the map as a blue "X" symbol, and exits
are marked as a red wavy line looking thing. One thing the map is lacking is a
compass, which is going to make the walkthrough portion of this FaQ a major
pain in the ass to write, much less follow: "Okay, you go around the,
uh, thing... And you come to another thing in another direction, possibly
left."
LEVELING UP
Unsurprisingly, defeating enemies earns you exp. Get enough exp, and your
characters will go up a level, as well as earn skill points to put towards
upgrading stats, buying new skills and powers, and upgrading existing ones.
See TEAM INFORMATION MENU for details on using skill points.
Exp rewards are shared by all characters. Characters currently active in a
team level up faster than inactive characters, but all recruited characters
will gain some exp, whether you use them in your team or not.
PICK-UPS
HEALTH AND ENERGY
Health (red flask) and Energy (blue square thingie) pick-ups are fairly
common. They're dropped by enemies, found inside breakable objects, and
sometimes just lying around. Later in the game, they can be bought from
the Morlock Healer by trading Tech Bits. If there is room in your
inventory, just moving over them will pick them up. Pressing L1 will
refill your active character's health, and R1 will refill his or her
mutant energy gauge. At the start of the game, you can carry a maximum of
10 each, but your maximum load increases as the game progresses.
TECH BITS
The game's equivalent of money, these are also picked up by moving over
them. They can be traded to Forge for equipment, or to the Morlock Healer
for healing items (later in the game). Tech bits can be found inside
objects, or dropped by enemies.
X-TREME POWER ICONS
These little blue "X" symbols start appearing when you've unlocked a
character's Level 15 X-Treme move. Just move over them to replenish your
"X" gauges, if you have room.
EQUIPMENT
Equipment is divided into three categories: Armor (adds to defense, or
shields against certain types of attack), Belts (raise stats, enhance
passive physical abilities, i.e. healing, energy regeneration, etc.), and
Backpacks (enhance combat abilities). Equipment can be dropped by
enemies, found inside objects, or bought from Forge by trading Tech Bits.
Equipment can be assigned to different characters in the TEAM INFORMATION
MENU. Equipment must be manually picked up by pressing the Square button.
COMIC BOOKS
Hidden in places throughout the game, comic books can be collected and the
covers viewed in the Library when between missions at the X-Mansion.
Comic books come with special bonuses when viewed, so collect 'em all.
Comics are picked up with the Square button. They look like, well, comic
books. Only spinny. NOTE: I have verified that you ONLY get the extra
stat bonuses by checking your comic collection at the Library in the
Mansion.
DANGER ROOM TRAINING DISCS
Danger Room discs are also hidden throughout the game. Finding them
unlocks new Danger Room training missions. As completing certain missions
in the Danger Room can earn you special bonuses and items not available
elsewhere in the game, I highly advise you to keep an eye out for these.
They're represented by a spinning disc symbol.
PETER'S SKETCHBOOK
These hidden spinning notebook things allow you to view concept art from
the game in Colossus's room back at the X-Mansion. Not a must-have, but
still kinda cool.
SKILL POINTS
Very rare pick-up. This resembles a rotating gold "SP". Move over it to
pick it up, and the active character gains an extra skill point to put
towards the power or skill of their choice.
STAT POINTS
Another very rare pick-up. More glowy rotating initials. Move over it to
get an extra stat point to use as you wish.
XTRACTION POINTS
These are found scattered throughout every level. Xtraction points look like a
giant blue glowy "X" symbol on the ground. Pressing the Square button while on
an Xtraction Point brings up a menu of options. Here, you can save or load
your game, switch out team members, or access Danger Room training missions
(see DANGER ROOM section). Xtraction Points are also the only place you can
resurrect a dead teammate.
By choosing to change your team from the Xtraction Point menu, you will be
taken to the TEAM INFORMATION MENU, which has the added option of replacing
team members. Select the team member you want to replace, and a list of
inactive team members will appear. Select the new team member, and they will
replace the old one. You can swap out the entire team, or just change to
members with specific abilities you might need to get through the
level.
BRING OUT YOUR DEAD
If a teammate dies, the surviving team members can go to an Xtraction Point to
revive them. Go to the Team Change menu, select the empty spot on the team
(or replace a character), select your dead character from the inactive roster,
and you can revive them in exchange for Tech Bits. That's it. Jean Grey
could've spared everyone on the team a whole lot of misery and anguish after
the Phoenix Saga, if she had only been more frugal with her Tech Bits. Selfish
cow.
V. MENUS
TEAM INFORMATION MENU
Pressing SELECT will pause the game and bring up the Team Information Menu.
This is where you go to view a character's statistics, as well as change their
equipment and upgrade their skills and powers.
Move your cursor over the character you want to view. Pressing the Circle
button will take you to the Details screen, where you can add Stat and Skill
points, as well as change equipment.
There are three screens in the Details menu. The first screen allows you to
allocate stat points and set the AI behavior for computer control of the
character. The second screen allows you to allocate skill points, purchasing
and improving mutant powers and special skills. The third screen shows the
character inventory, and allows you to change equipment. You can switch
between screens by moving the D-Pad or the Left Stick, and can change the
character by pressing L1 or R1. Pressing the Triangle button will take you
back one screen, and pressing the START button will exit the menu completely.
STATS
Level Do I need to explain this one? The higher the level, the more
powerful the character. Also, some skills and powers are only
unlocked when the character reaches a certain level (see individual
descriptions).
HP The character's health. If this reaches zero, they join the Choir
Invisible. Can be replenished with Health Pick-ups. Wolverine is
the only character who can regenerate HP automatically, although
some equipment will allow other characters to regenerate.
EP The character's mutant energy. Goes down with every use of a
mutant ability. Mutant powers require a set amount of energy to be
used (see individual descriptions). Unlike HP, EP regenerates over
time. It can also be replenished by using an Energy Pick-Up.
Exp Gained by defeating enemies, completing some quests, and certain
other events. Your characters will automatically go up a level
when they gain enough exp, earning stat and skill points in the
process.
Str The character's physical attack ability. The higher it is, the
harder you hit. Attack is equal to Level plus Strike.
Agi The character's defense. Reduces damage from attacks. Defense is
equal to Level plus Agility.
Body The character's endurance; determines maximum HP. Base HP is equal
to 25, plus 5 HP per Level, plus 10 HP per Body point (e.g. a Level
6 character with a Body score of 6 would have 115 HP).
Focus The character's willpower; determines maximum EP and EP
regeneration rate. Base EP is equal to 30, plus 4 EP per level,
plus 7 EP per Focus point, while EP regenerates at a rate of 1% per
Focus point (e.g. a Level 10 character with a Focus of 10 would
have 140 EP, which would regenerate at 14 EP per second). Some
equipment can increase this regeneration rate.
AI LVL Allows you to set the default attack strategy of a character when
computer-controlled:
AGGRESSIVE Rushes headlong into battle; usually attacks active
character's target. Uses mutant powers more often.
NORMAL Is more selective of targets; uses mutant powers more
sparingly.
DEFENSIVE Stays out of battle, only fighting if personally
attacked.
As a general rule, set your "tank" characters to AGGRESSIVE, and
everyone else to NORMAL. Save DEFENSIVE for times when a character
may be low on hp, you're almost out of Health Pick-Ups, and there's
not an Xtraction Point in sight.
AI HEAL Determines how often computer-controlled characters will use
Health Pick-Ups. Can be set to "Never," "less than 40% HP," and
"Less than 20% HP." This setting is the same for all members of
the team, and cannot be individually adjusted. Also, the computer
AI will not use a Health Pick-Up if you only have 1-2 in your
inventory. Personally, I've never seen a computer-controlled
character EVER use a Health Pick-Up on its own, regardless of the
AI setting, and spend a lot of time dashing from character to
character, healing them.
AI PWR Select which power the computer-controlled character will use if
the "Call Allies" button is pressed. X-treme powers CANNOT be
selected as an AI power.
When your character goes up a level, he will automatically gain in one or more
stats, and you will one or two extra stat points to add to either Str, Agi,
Bod, or Foc. Press the X button to add a stat point, or the Square button to
delete an added stat point so it can be used elsewhere (NOTE: You can only
delete a stat point that you have manually allocated; also, once you return to
play with that character, any allocated points are permanently changed, and
cannot be subtracted later). Pressing the Circle button lets the computer
auto-allocate points, but why would you want to do that?
SKILLS AND POWERS
The second menu screen allows you to use skill points to purchase new skills
and powers, or to improve those you have already learned. Most powers and
skills have several levels, and improve significantly from level to level.
Most skills, powers, or skill levels require that your character be a certain
level before the skill can be purchased or improved.
To allocate skill points, highlight the power or skill you want to assign the
point to. The information at the bottom of the screen will tell you current
level information, how the next level will improve, and what character level
prerequisites you must meet (if any). Skill Point allocation is done just like
Stat Point allocation: press "X" to add a point, or "Square" to delete a
point.
Powers are slightly different from skills. First of all, while new skills can
be purchased with a single stat point, new powers cost TWO skill points. After
that, however, it only takes one skill point per level to improve a power.
Each character will eventually have access to four different powers: two
attack powers, one defensive power, and one "X-Treme" power. In addition, the
three basic powers have two or more tiers. Once a power has been leveled up
all the way, two skill points can be allocated to the next tier, upgrading
that particular ability to a more powerful form. For example: Wolverine
starts out with the "Brutal Slash" ability at Lvl 1. As he goes up in
experience, he allocates skill points to "Brutal Slash," bringing it up to Lvl
5. He then allocates two skill points to the second tier, changing his "Brutal
Slash" attack to the more powerful "Eviscerate," which will start over at
Lvl 1. Lather, rinse, and repeat.
Please refer to the PLAYABLE CHARACTERS section for more information on
character-specific skills and abilities.
EQUIPMENT
The third menu screen allows you to assign equipment you've purchased or found
to individual team members. Each team member can equip one backpack, one belt,
and one armor. Just select the type of item you want to equip, and then choose
the item from the inventory list.
OPTIONS MENU
Pressing the START button pauses the game and brings up the Options menu.
Here, you can review your Mission Objectives, change game options, access
multiplayer options, Load a saved game, or Quit to the title screen. Oddly
enough, you can also access the Team Information Menu from here, which seems a
tad redundant. You can also set your On-Screen Map display, for those who
still haven't figured out where the R3 button is.
VI. PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
Here you will find all of the playable characters for X-Men Legends, including
a brief history of the character, suggestions for leveling up and using skills,
a list of all skills and powers available, and how they upgrade and change
with added skill points. Many powers and skills require a minimum character
level (CL) before they can be used or improved; if I've listed an ability as
requiring CL 1, it just means that there is no minimum level. Please note that
bonuses from improving abilities ARE NOT CUMULATIVE. When a defensive ability
states that it decreases Dmg by x amount (e.g. -10 Dmg), it subtracts that
amount from each damage roll against that character.
BEAST (Dr. Henry McCoy)
One of the five original X-Men, Hank McCoy earned the nickname "Beast"
playing college football, due to his incredible strength, speed, and
agility. Professor Xavier revealed to him that his physical abilites were
due to genetic mutation, and he joined the X-Men, adopting his old college
nickname as his codename. Originally normal in appearance, later further
mutation evolved him into his current familiar blue, furry form. Beast is
incredibly strong and agile. He has extraordinary dexterity, and is
capable of using his feet to manipulate objects as well as his hands. He
is also possessed of a genius-level IQ, and is considered a world-renowned
expert on genetics, as well as being a top-notch scientist in other
fields.
Beast is very gentle in nature, with a dry wit, and is particularly
close to Iceman, his best friend. Hank has served on several other
superhero teams in the past, including the Defenders, the Champions of Los
Angeles, and the Avengers. He remains in good standing with the Avengers
today.
Beast is, quite simply, a tank. You should develop his Striking, Agility,
and Body stats accordingly, but don't ignore Focus, as his Propeller Kick
is devastating in a group of enemies.
Beast is available as a party member at the beginning of Mission Two, at
the HAARP facility. He is voiced by Richard Doyle, a veteran character
actor with dozens of tv and voice credits to his name.
ABILITIES
Pinball (R2+X) Rolls into a ball and spins into enemies. Decent range.
Lvl 1 15-18 Phys Dmg; 10 EP (initial).
Lvl 2 25-31 Phys Dmg; 15 EP (CL 3).
Lvl 3 50-63 Phys Dmg; 20 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 4 80-100 Phys Dmg; 25 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 5 100-125 Phys Dmg; 30 EP.
Cannon Ball (R2+X) More powerful version of Pinball.
Lvl 3 150-165 Phys Dmg; 305 Knockback; 50 EP.
Lvl 4 175-215 Phys Dmg; 370 Knockback; 55 EP (CL 21).
Legend Ball (R2+X)
Propeller Kick (R2+O) Spinning handstand kick; hits enemies around him.
Lvl 1 15-18 Phys Dmg; 5' range; 25 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 25-31 Phys Dmg; 6' range; 30 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 50-63 Phys Dmg; 6' range, 35 EP (CL 9).
Lvl 5 100-125 Phys Dmg; 7' range; 45 EP.
Propeller Lash (R2+O) More powerful version of Propeller Kick.
Lvl 1 125-150 Phys Dmg; 8' range; 90 Knockback; 55 EP.
Lvl 2 150-165 Phys Dmg; 9' range; 245 Knockback; 60 EP (CL 22).
Legend Propeller (R2+O)
Beastial Feats (R2+S) Temporarily decreases damage received.
Lvl 1 15 sec; -5 Phys Dmg; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; -8 Phys Dmg; 70 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 17 sec; -10 Phys Dmg; 80 EP (CL 9).
Beastial Instinct (R2+S) Temporarily decreases damage and raises defense.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -13 Phys Dmg; +5 Agi; 120 EP.
Beastial Soul (R2+S) Temporarily decreases damage, raises defense, and
increases jump range.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -20 Phys Dmg; +12 Agi; +150% Jump; 160 EP.
Orbital Bombardment (R2+T) X-treme power. Calls satellite beam to strike
all enemies on screen.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Toughness (auto) Raises max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Raises max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Acrobatics (auto) Allows double-jumping, and permanently raises Agility.
Lvl 1 +2 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 3 +6 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 4 +8 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 5 +10 Agi (CL 1).
Grappling (auto) Improves Strike, and reflects melee damage back at
attackers.
Lvl 1 +2 Str; reflects 4-5 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4 Str; reflects 9-11 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Lvl 3 +6 Str; reflects 15-18 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Lvl 4 +8 Str; reflects 25-31 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Lvl 5 +10 Str; reflects 50-63 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Critical Strike (auto) Improves chance of critical physical attack.
Lvl 1 +2% chance critical (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% chance critical (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +6% chance critical (CL 12).
Might (auto) Increases melee Dmg; allows you to pick up larger objects.
Lvl 1 +5% Dmg; Heavy objects; +3 Destr (initial).
Lvl 2 +10% Dmg; Massive objects; +5 Destr (CL 1).
Lvl 3 +15% Dmg; Gigantic objects; +8 Destr (CL 1).
Beast is a powerhouse, but his melee fighting is oddly slow. You will
probably want to rely more on his mutant attacks, which is why I recommend
building up his Focus pretty well. He is one of the three X-Men with
super-strength, allowing him to destroy most objects with normal punches.
The Might skill is awesome; when leveled up, he is capable of picking up
and throwing most objects, including cars and trucks. He is also able to
perform a Fastball Special when teamed up with Wolverine. His Beastial
Soul power enhances his jump distance, allowing you to clear half a screen
with a single jump. His Propeller attacks damage all enemies in a circle
around him; at higher levels, you can take out entire groups at once. Set
his AI Level to Aggressive, with Propeller Kick as his default power.
COLOSSUS (Piotr "Peter" Nikoleivitch Rasputin)
Raised as a simple farmer in a remote collective farm in Siberia, Peter
discovered his mutant abilities while attempting to shield his little
sister Illyana from a runaway tractor. He discovered he had the ability
to transform his body into solid steel, vastly increasing his strength,
and rendering him nearly indestructible. Soon after, he was contacted by
Professor Xavier and enlisted into the X-Men. He served with the X-Men
with honor for years. Unfortunately, he suffered several losses in a
relatively short period of time. His parents were murdered, and Illyana
came to live with him in the US. Unfortunately, she became one of the
first victims of the mutant-killing Legacy Virus. These losses filled
him with self-doubt, and during a subsequent battle with Magneto, he
suddenly left the X-Men to join Magneto's Acolytes. It was later
discovered that a brain injury was causing him to behave irrationally.
The X-Men kidnapped him and corrected the injury, but he returned to
Magneto, as he had given his word. Eventually, he left the Acolytes and
served for a time with his former paramour Shadowcat on the British team
Excalibur. Still haunted by the loss of Illyana to the Legacy Virus,
he eventually sacrificed his life to create a cure, although
recent events have shown that he may still be alive. As previously
stated, Peter had the ability to transform his body into solid steel,
giving him superhuman strength and near-invulnerability. While in steel
form, he had no need to eat or breathe, and could survive for a time in
extreme environments, such as underwater or in the vacuum of space.
A very simple and gentle man, Peter was well-loved by all of the X-Men,
and was in a relationship for a time with Shadowcat. He was a talented
painter.
Colossus is another tank, and his Strike, Agility, and Body should be
modified accordingly. As a super-strong character, he has access to the
Might skill, allowing him to hurl objects with the best of 'em.
Colossus becomes available for recruitment following the mission at the
Russian Nuclear Power Plant. He is voiced by Earl Boen, who has made the
alarming choice of voicing Colossus to sound like Crazy Alcoholic Uncle
Dmitri from the Olde Country (I'm not a big fan of this particular voice
work, can you tell?).
ABILITIES
Power Smash (R2+X) Powerful lunging punch.
Lvl 5 125-150 Phys Dmg; 5 Destr; 305 Knockback; 30 EP.
Titanic Smash (R2+X) Extra-powerful lunging punch.
Lvl 3 250-310 Phys Dmg; 5 Destr; 500 Knockback; 50 EP.
Lvl 4 300-375 Phys Dmg; 5 Destr; 555 Knockback; 55 EP (CL 21).
Titanic Legend (R2+X)
Concussion Slam (R2+O) Handclap that produces an arcing shockwave.
Lvl 5 50-63 Phys Dmg; 245 Knockback; 2 Destr; 10' range; 45 EP.
Concussion Blast (R2+O) Upgraded shockwave; higher damage.
Lvl 1 80-100 Phys Dmg; 305 Knockback; 5 Destr; 20' range; 55 EP.
Lvl 2 100-125 Phys Dmg; 370 Knockback; 5 Destr; 20' range; 60 EP
(CL 22).
Concussion Legend (R2+O)
Steel Skin (R2+S) Increases protection for Colossus's armor.
Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Phys Dmg; -33% Pain; 80 EP.
Titanium Skin (R2+S) Upgraded armor; adds Beam protection.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Phys Dmg; -13 Beam Dmg; -66 Pain; 120 EP.
Osmium Skin (R2+S) Upgrades further; immune to pain, and deflects Phys.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Phys Dmg; -20 Beam Dmg; 50% chance to deflect
Phys Dmg; 160 EP.
Seismic Smash (R2+T) X-treme power. Smashes ground, sending shockwave
in 360 degree radius.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Colossus Charge (T+T) Colossus sprints, charging into enemies.
Lvl 5 80-100 Phys Dmg; 10 Destr; 305 Knockback; 50 EP.
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical melee attacks.
Lvl 1 +2% chance of critical.
Lvl 2 +4% chance of critical (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +6% chance of critical (CL 12).
Knockback (auto) Adds additional Knockback to all Knockback attacks.
Lvl 5 +305 Knockback.
Might (auto) Increases melee Dmg, lifting strength, and Destr.
Lvl 3 +15% Dmg; Gigantic Objects; +8 Destr.
Colossus is the strongest of the three super-strong X-Men, with the most
damaging physical attacks. His main drawback is his slowness; his Smash
attack will often miss because his target has moved during the attack
animation. This weakens his effectiveness against single opponents.
Where he shines is in crowd control. His Concussion Slam/Blast is
excellent in taking out large groups of opponents, especially with the
extra Knockback provided by the Knockback skill. Level up his Concussion
Slam/Blast as quickly as you can, as well as his Knockback skill. Set his
AI Level to Aggressive, with Concussion Slam/Blast as his default power.
CYCLOPS (Scott Summers)
The very first X-Man, Cyclops has served on and off with the team since
its inception. He is a skilled leader and tactician, and commands the
respect of nearly everyone he meets (Wolverine being a notable exception).
He tends to be very serious and introspective in nature. His body is a
living battery, absorbing solar energy and converting it into power for
his optic blast, a beam of concussive force projected from his eyes. Due
to brain damage from a childhood accident, he is unable to shut this power
off, and has to wear special ruby quartz lenses to keep from destroying
everything he sees.
Cyclops is particularly close to the other original X-Men, Beast, Angel,
and Iceman, and is in a long-standing relationship with Jean Grey.
Cyclops is a good all-around character, with nice long-range attacks. His
optic beam attack is very quick, and doesn't use very much energy, and his
Optic Sweep is particularly good for flinging back crowds of enemies. His
leadership skill is excellent for increasing earned exp at higher levels.
His starting stats are highest in Agility and Focus, but Strike and Body
are fairly low. Build up his Body stat as best you can, but plan on
putting lots of points into Focus, as he should mostly rely on his mutant
abilities.
Cyclops becomes available during the first mission, after defeating
Mystique. He is voiced by Robin Atkin Downes.
ABILITIES
Optic Beam (R2+X) Long-range optic attack. Can be used to weld.
Lvl 1 9-11 Energy Dmg; 1 Destr; 10 EP (initial).
Lvl 2 15-18 Energy Dmg; 2 Destr; 15 EP (CL 3).
Lvl 3 25-31 Energy Dmg; 3 Destr; 20 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 4 50-63 Energy Dmg; 3 Destr; 25 EP (CL 7).
Optic Blast (R2+X)
Legend Blast (R2+X)
Optic Sweep (R2+O) Wide beam attack. Less powerful than Optic Beam, but
knocks back several enemies at once.
Lvl 1 4-5 Energy Dmg; 1 Destr; 120 Knockback; 25 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 6-8 Energy Dmg; 1 Destr; 190 Knockback; 30 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 9-11 Energy Dmg; 1 Destr; 245 Knockback; 35 EP (CL 9).
Optic Slam (R2+O)
Legend Slam (R2+O)
Tactics (R2+S) Buffer skill that raises combat abilities.
Lvl 1 15 sec; +2 Str; +2 Agi; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; +4 Str; +4 Agi; 70 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 17 sec; +6 Str; +6 Agi; 80 EP (CL 9).
Strategy (R2+S)
Command (R2+S)
Optic Rage (R2+T) X-Treme Power! Fires a high-power wide-range optic
blast.
Unlockable at CL 15.
Toughness (auto) Increases maximum HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases maximum EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12).
Accuracy (auto) Increase chance of criticals for ranged attacks.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 4 +8% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 5 +10% critical chance (CL 1).
Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of criticals for physical attacks.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12).
Leadership (auto) Damage and exp bonus to any combo done while on team.
Lvl 1 +25% Dmg; +5% exp (CL 4).
Lvl 2 +50% Dmg; +10% exp (CL 9).
Lvl 3 +75% Dmg; +15% exp (CL 14).
Point Blank Shot (auto) Increases damage done by ranged attacks within
10 feet.
Lvl 1 +10% Dmg (CL 4).
Lvl 2 +20% Dmg (CL 9).
Lvl 3 +30% Dmg (CL 14).
Cyclops is a capable hand to hand combatant, but his low initial Str stats
will make you rely more on his ranged attacks. Although his optic blasts
don't do very much damage at low levels, they improve nicely once you've
invested some skill points towards improving his ranged damage. His Optic
Sweep is particularly useful for when you're swarmed by enemies, as it can
knock back several at once. If you can spare the points for his
Leadership skill, the damage and exp bonuses add up nicely, especially
later in the game, when it's harder to level up your characters.
Set his AI Level to Normal, with Optic Beam as his AI Power.
EMMA FROST (aka White Queen)
Emma originally appeared as an enemy of the X-Men. As the White Queen,
she was a co-leader of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club, and used her
mutant telepathic abilities and influence to further her own ambitions.
She began her own recruitment drive of young mutants and formed a team of
mutants dubbed the "Hellions," based at the exclusive Massachusetts
Academy, where she was headmistress. Unfortunately for her, they were
attacked by Sentinels programmed by the villainous future mutant, Trevor
Fitzroy, an attack that left Emma in a coma. When she awakened, she found
that the young mutants under her care had almost all been slaughtered by
Fitzroy. These traumatic events led her to repent of her earlier actions,
and she became an associate of the X-Men. Eventually, Professor Xavier
entrusted a new group of young mutants under her care, and she and Banshee
became co-mentors for the group Generation X, based once more out of her
Massachusetts Academy. After the group eventually disbanded, she returned
to the X-Men. Recently, she has discovered she has the ability to
transform her body into a diamond-like substance, making her nearly
indestructible.
Emma's mutant abilities are unique, in that she does not have a directly
damaging mutant power (until upgraded). Instead, her abilities disable or
disorient large groups of enemies. As you have the option to add psychic
damage to her melee attacks, concentrate more on enhancing her Agility,
Body, and Focus. Her melee abilities increase significantly when in her
diamond form.
Emma Frost becomes available as a team member on the first mission to the
Astral Plane to rescue Illyana. She is voiced by Bobby Holliday.
ABILITIES
Confuse (R2+X) Causes enemies to stop attacking for a brief time.
Lvl 5 1-7 sec; short range; 30 EP.
Command (R2+X) Causes enemies to attack each other briefly, while
increasing their stats.
Lvl 1 2-10 sec; med range; +2 to stats; 40 EP.
Lvl 2 2-11 sec; med range; +4 to stats; 45 EP (CL 17).
Legend Command (R2+X)
Fear (R2+O) Causes enemies to run away for short duration.
Lvl 5 1-7 sec; short range; 45 EP.
Terror (R2+O) Causes enemies to run away, while decreasing their stats.
Lvl 1 2-8 sec; med range; -2 to stats; 15-18 Dmg; 55 EP.
Lvl 2 2-9 sec; med range; -3 to stats; 25-31 Dmg; 60 EP (CL 22).
Legend Terror (R2+O)
Psychic Shell (R2+S) Changes into diamond form, increasing defense.
Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Phys Dmg; -33% pain; 80 EP.
Diamond Shell (R2+S) Upgraded diamond form, adds resistance to beam
attacks.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Phys Dmg; -13 beam Dmg; -66% pain; 120 EP.
Impervious Shell (R2+S) Adds further protection.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Phys Dmg; -20 Beam Dmg; -100% pain; 160 EP.
Psychic Bedlam (R2+T) X-treme power. Damages and stuns all enemies.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Psionic Strike (auto) Adds mental damage to melee attacks.
Lvl 3 15-18 Mental Dmg.
Psionic Fury (auto) More powerful version of Psionic Strike.
Lvl 3 50-63 Mental Dmg.
Hardness (auto) Chance to reflect Phys Dmg back at enemies.
Lvl 5 50% chance to reflect 100-125 Phys Dmg.
Shell Might (auto) Increases strength and damage while in shell form.
Lvl 3 +15% Dmg; Gigantic objects; +8 Destr.
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical physical attacks.
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance.
Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12).
Given the nature of her abilities, Emma works best in a supportive role.
Set her AI Level to Normal, with Confuse as her default power. Fear works
as well, but causes your opponents to scatter, making you have to chase
them down. You may want to use her as a melee fighter: she attacks very
quickly, and her Shell form and Psionic strike give her enhanced fighting
capabilities.
GAMBIT (Remy LeBeau)
Remy first came into contact with the X-Men when he encountered Storm, who
had been kidnapped by the X-Villain Nanny and reduced in age to that of a
young girl. When Storm was eventually reunited with the X-Men, he came
along with her, and soon joined them. Although most of his past is
shrouded in mystery, it is known that he belongs to the Thieves' Guild in
New Orleans, and is highly trained in martial combat, preferring to wield
a staff when fighting. He has the mutant ability to charge an object with
kinetic energy, causing it to explode. He usually carries playing cards,
which he charges and hurls as weapons.
Gambit is very secretive about his past, which has made it difficult for
the other X-Men to trust him. His incessant flirting with Rogue led to a
genuine romantic attachment, although his shady past often interferes with
them. Out of all of the X-Men, he is closest with Storm and Rogue.
Remy's natural speed and agility make him an effective close combat
fighter. Use your stat points to increase his Agility, Body, and Focus,
primarily Agility and Focus. As he has the ability to add Energy Dmg to
his physical attacks, Strike should not be a high priority.
Gambit becomes available for recruitment after successfully completing the
first mission in the Morlock Sewers. He is voiced by Scott MacDonald, a
character actor with numerous credits, the most interesting of which would
have to be the killer snowman in the hilariously inept "Jack Frost"
movies.
ABILITIES
Charged Card (R2+X) Hurls charged playing cards in an arc; can be used to
charge objects as well.
Lvl 5 3 cards, 15-18 Energy Dmg each; 3 Destr; 30 EP.
Charged Shuffle (R2+X) Increases number of missiles; adds Knockback.
Lvl 1 5 cards, 15-18 Energy Dmg each; 4 Destr; 120 Knockback;
40 EP.
Lvl 2 5 cards, 20-25 Energy Dmg each; 5 Destr; 120 Knockback;
45 EP (CL 17).
Staff Slam (R2+O) Radial attack; knocks back and adds Energy Dmg.
Lvl 5 50-63 Energy Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 7' radius; 45 EP.
Staff Detonation (R2+O) Upgraded radial attack.
Lvl 1 80-100 Energy Dmg; 3 Destr; 370 Knocback; 8' radius; 55 EP.
Lvl 2 100-125 Energy Dmg; 4 Destr; 370 Knockback; 9' radius; 60 EP
(CL 22).
Staff Legend (R2+O)
Kinetic Boost (R2+S) Temporarily adds Energy Dmg bonus to melee attacks.
Lvl 3 17 sec; +9-11 Energy Dmg; 80 EP.
Kinetic Amplification (R2+S) Upgrade; increases speed, affects adjacent
allies.
Lvl 3 24 sec; +20-25 Energy Dmg; +15% speed; 120 EP.
Kinetic Mastery (R2+S) Upgrade; affects all allies.
Lvl 3 36 sec; +50-63 Energy Dmg; +30% speed; 160 EP.
52 Pick Up (R2+T) X-treme power. Fires entire deck of cards into air,
exploding and damaging all opponents.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Kinetic Strike (auto) Adds kinetic damage to punches and kicks.
Lvl 3 +9-11 Energy Dmg; 4 Destr.
Kinetic Fury (auto) Upgrade to Kinetic Strike.
Lvl 3 +20-25 Energy Dmg; 5 Destr.
Overload (R2+X when adjacent to object) Adds Energy Dmg to charged
objects.
Lvl 1 +15-18 Energy Dmg; 40 Knockback; 4' radius; 20 EP.
Lvl 2 +25-31 Energy Dmg; 120 Knockback; 5' radius; 20 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +50-63 Energy Dmg; 190 Knockback; 6' radius; 20 EP (CL 12).
Staff Master (auto) Adds Energy Damage to staff attacks.
Lvl 5 +100-125 Energy Dmg.
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical melee attacks.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance.
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7).
Gambit is primarily useful as a demolition character, with his ability to
charge objects and make them explode. His Charged Card/Shuffle ability is
more potent at close range, as all cards will hit a single target. His
Staff Slam is useful for clearing out groups of opponents. Perhaps his
most useful ability is his fully-leveled Kinetic Mastery, as all allies
will have their attack damage increased, as well as their movement speed.
Set his AI Level to Normal, with Charged Card/Shuffle as his default
power.
ICEMAN (Bobby Drake)
Another of the five original X-Men, Bobby's powers allow him to lower the
surrounding temperature to sub-zero levels, producing ice. He can use
this ability for effects such as instantly sculpting objects of ice,
creating protective shields, and traveling via a constantly-generating
ice slide. Originally, he would generate an icy protective sheath around
himself, but as his powers developed, he became able to transform to solid
ice.
The jokester of the X-Men, Bobby is rarely serious, a trait that
masks deep insecurities. Only recently has he started to understand just
how potentially powerful he really is. Bobby tends to avoid leadership
roles, content to let others call the shots. His best friend is Beast,
and he has worked with him as a member of the Defenders and the Champions.
Bobby retired from active super-heroics for a while, working as an
accountant in his father's firm. He returned to active duty upon learning
that Jean Grey was alive, joining up with the five original X-Men to form
the group X-Factor. X-Factor eventually was absorbed back into the X-Men,
where Bobby remains today.
Iceman's strengths lie in his Defense and ice abilities. Concentrate on
building his Agility, Body, and Focus. He can enhance his melee attacks
with ice damage, but works best as a ranged fighter, using his ice attacks
to damage and disable his opponents.
Iceman is available for recruitment at the beginning of Mission Two, at
the HAARP facility. He is voiced by Darren Scott, who is apparently the
host of something called "Sexy Urban Legends" on the Playboy Channel.
Good to know. If I'm ever caught watching it, you have my permission to
bludgeon me.
ABILITIES
Freeze Blast (R2+X) Temporarily slows enemy movement; builds bridges and
extinguishes fires.
Lvl 1 4 sec; -35% speed; 10 EP (initial).
Lvl 2 5 sec; -45% speed; 15 EP (CL 3).
Lvl 3 6 sec; -55% speed; 20 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 4 7 sec; -65% speed; 25 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 5 8 sec; -75% speed; 30 EP.
Deep Freeze (R2+X) Temporarily freezes, then slows, enemies; builds
bridges.
Lvl 1 4 sec freeze; 4 sec -70% speed; 40 EP.
Lvl 2 5 sec freeze; 4 sec -70% speed; 45 EP (CL 17).
Legend Freeze (R2+X)
Ice Shards (R2+O) Flings ice darts in an arc.
Lvl 1 3 shards; 4-5 Ice Dmg each; 1 Destr; 25 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 3 shards; 6-8 Ice Dmg each; 1 Destr; 30 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 3 shards; 9-11 Ice Dmg each; 2 Destr; 35 EP (CL 9).
Lvl 5 3 shards; 15-18 Ice Dmg each; 3 Destr; 45 EP.
Ice Spikes (R2+O) Improved ice shard attack; adds Piercing ability.
Lvl 1 5 spikes; 15-18 Ice Dmg each; 4 Destr; 55 EP.
Lvl 2 5 spikes; 20-25 Ice Dmg each; 5 Destr; 60 EP (CL 22).
Legend Spikes (R2+O)
Ice Armor (R2+S) Temporarily boosts defense.
Lvl 1 15 sec; -8 Dmg; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; -10 Dmg; 70 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Dmg; 80 EP (CL 9).
Ice Equipment (R2+S) Temporarily boosts defense and adds energy dmg to
adjacent allies' punch attacks.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Dmg; allies gain 9-11 Ice Dmg; 120 EP.
Ice Forge (R2+S) Temporarily boosts defense; all allies add energy dmg to
punches. Adds touch dmg.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Dmg; allies gain 20-25 Ice Dmg; 20-25 Touch Dmg;
160 EP.
Freeze Frame (R2+T) X-treme power. Freezes and damages all enemies.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Cold Smash (auto) Adds energy damage and Destr to melee attacks.
Lvl 1 4-5 Ice Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 3).
Lvl 2 9-11 Ice Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 5).
Lvl 3 15-18 Ice Dmg; 4 Destr (CL 9).
Cold Crush (auto) More powerful version of Cold Smash.
Lvl 3 80-100 Ice Dmg; 5 Destr.
Ice Tracks (T+T) Ice slide; damages charged enemies, and can cross
dangerous terrain.
Lvl 1 9-11 Ice Dmg; 40 Knockback; 10 EP per 10'; 10' slide (CL 2).
Lvl 2 15-18 Ice Dmg; 120 Knockback; 15 EP per 10'; 20' slide (CL 7)
Lvl 3 25-31 Ice Dmg; 190 Knockback; 20 EP per 10'; 30' slide
(CL 12)
Lvl 5 80-100 Ice Dmg; 305 Knockback; 30 EP per 10'; no limit to
distance.
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical physical attacks.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12).
Point Blank Shot (auto) Increases ranged damage within 10'.
Lvl 1 +10% Dmg (CL 4).
Lvl 2 +20% Dmg (CL 9).
Lvl 3 +30% Dmg (CL 14).
Lvl 5 +50% Dmg.
Iceman's Ice Forge ability is a must-have. It gives all allies additional
energy damage, and creates a touch damage aura. It takes a total of 12
skill points to level it up all the way, however. Don't overlook the
potential of his Freeze Blast. At higher levels, enemies will be slowed
down to a crawl, including Bosses, making this the perfect ability to
bring speed demons like Mystique and Marrow down to a more manageable
level. His Ice Shards are more effective at close range, as they will all
strike a single enemy. Combine Ice Shards with Point Blank Shot to create
a devastating attack. Set Iceman's AI Level to Normal, with Ice Shards as
his default power. You may want to keep him under active control, as the
computer won't be nearly as effective with his versatility.
JEAN GREY (aka Phoenix)
Jean has been with the X-Men from the very beginning. After the death of
a friend triggered her telepathic abilities while she was very young, her
parents sought out Professor Xavier to help her. She stayed with him
learning to control her telepathy, and developed telekinetic powers as
well. When he later formed the X-Men, she joined as one of the founding
members, eventually falling in love with Cyclops. Jean's abilities
grew stronger, and she apparently became the cosmically powerful entity
Phoenix during an away mission in space. Telepathic manipulation by
the mutant Mastermind and the Hellfire Club awakened her dark side, and
she served as the Inner Circle's Black Queen briefly before surrendering
to her dark side completely, becoming the destructive Dark Phoenix.
When it became apparent that Dark Phoenix's power would destroy everything
she held dear, Jean's personality reasserted itself long enough to commit
suicide. Later, it was revealed that the Phoenix entity had actually
substituted itself for the real Jean, patterning its memories and
personality after the real thing. Jean was recovered and returned to the
X-Men. She and Cyclops eventually married.
Jean possesses enormous psychic potential, and is one of the most powerful
telekinetics on the planet. Part of her still is linked to the Phoenix
force, and she tries to maintain total control over her abilities. She is
also a skilled telepath. She acts as a "den mother" to the younger X-Men,
and is best friends with Storm.
Jean works well as a distance attacker, and her Focus and Agility should
be well-developed. She gains the ability to add mental damage to her
melee attacks, negating the need to develop Strike very highly.
Jean becomes available before Mission Two at the HAARP Facility. She is
voiced by Leigh Allen Baker, who has several low-budget horror flicks and
tv appearances under her belt.
ABILITIES
Telekinesis (R2+X) Move or throw objects and enemies at a distance.
Lvl 1 No Dmg; Light objects; 10 EP+20 EP/sec (initial).
Lvl 2 4-5 Mental Dmg; Light objects; 15 EP+19 EP/sec (CL 3).
Lvl 3 9-11 Mental Dmg; Light objects; 20 EP+18 EP/sec (CL 5).
Lvl 4 15-18 Mental Dmg; Light objects; 25 EP+17 EP/sec (CL 7).
Lvl 5 25-31 Mental Dmg; Light objects; 30 EP+16 EP/sec.
Telekinetic Mastery (R2+X) Increased damage and lifting power.
Lvl 1 25-31 Mental Dmg; Large objects; 40 EP+15 EP/sec.
Lvl 2 50-63 Mental Dmg; Large objects; 45 EP+14 EP/sec (CL 17).
Telekinetic Legend (R2+X)
Psychic Shout (R2+O) Radial attack; inflicts mental damage and decreases
enemy stats.
Lvl 1 4-5 Mental Dmg; -1 Str for 3 sec; 10' radius; 25 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 9-11 Mental Dmg; -1 Str, -1 Agi for 4 sec; 10' radius; 30 EP
(CL 7).
Lvl 3 15-18 Mental Dmg; -2 Str, -1 Agi for 4 sec; 10' radius; 35 EP
(CL 9).
Lvl 5 50-63 Mental Dmg; -3 Str, -2 Agi for 5 sec; 10' radius;
45 EP.
Psychic Scream (R2+O) Enhanced radial attack.
Lvl 1 80-100 Mental Dmg; -3 Str, -2 Agi for 5 sec; 20' radius;
55 EP.
Lvl 2 100-125 Mental Dmg; -4 Str, -3 Agi for 6 sec; 20' radius;
60 EP (CL 22).
Psychic Legend (R2+O)
Telekinetic Shield (R2+S) Reduces damage.
Lvl 1 15 sec; -10 Dmg; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; -13 Dmg; 70 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Dmg; 80 EP (CL 9).
Telekinetic Shell (R2+S) Improved shielding; affects nearby allies.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Dmg; 120 EP.
Telekinetic Armor (R2+S) Further improved; affects all allies.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Dmg; 160 EP.
Phoenix Force (R2+T) X-treme attack. Telekinetically body slams all
enemies.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Psionic Strike (auto) Adds mental damage to physical attacks.
Lvl 1 +4-5 Mental Dmg (CL 3).
Lvl 2 +9-11 Mental Dmg (CL 5).
Lvl 3 +15-18 Mental Dmg (CL 9).
Psionic Fury (auto) Higher mental damage to physical attacks.
Lvl 3 +80-100 Mental Dmg.
Telekinetic Combat (auto) Increases damage to all mental attacks.
Lvl 1 +4-5 Mental Dmg (CL 4).
Lvl 2 +15-18 Mental Dmg (CL 9).
Lvl 3 +50-63 Mental Dmg (CL 14).
Lvl 5 +150-165 Mental Dmg.
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12).
Flight (T+T) Allows flight.
Lvl 1 40 EP/sec (CL 1).
Lvl 2 30 EP/sec (CL 1).
Lvl 3 20 EP/sec; can carry ally (CL 1).
Lvl 4 10 EP/sec; can carry ally (CL 1).
Lvl 5 5 EP/sec; can carry ally (CL 1).
Critical Strike (auto) Improves chance of critical physical attack.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12).
Jean's telekinetic abilities make her a formidable opponent. Psionic
Strike/Fury stacks with Telekinetic Combat, adding an incredible amount of
damage to her melee attacks. She is one of only three characters with the
extremely useful Flight ability. Her Psychic Shout/Scream ability is very
potent. It is highly-damaging, and has a huge attack radius when leveled
up.
A special note about Jean's telekinesis: if you press R2+X and hold them
down, her target will be held in the air, and can be maneuvered around
with the left stick. If you release the buttons while the target is still
being moved, it will be hurled in the direction it is moving.
JUBILEE (Jubilation Lee)
Jubilee was born into wealth and privilege in Beverly Hills. When she was
a teenager, her parents lost all of their wealth and were subsequently
killed by assassins. She ran away from a foster group home and lived for
a time in a Hollywood shopping mall, stealing what she needed to survive,
and using her pyrotechnic mutant abilities to entertain crowds. She was
eventually targeted by a group of mutant hunters, but rescued by Storm,
Rogue, Psylocke, and Dazzler, who happened to be shopping there that day.
Unknown to them, she followed them through a teleportation portal and
stayed as an unseen "guest" at their hideout in the Australian Outback,
which used to belong to the killer cyborgs known as the Reavers. The
Reavers attacked and reclaimed the base while the X-Men were away,
overpowering and torturing Wolverine. Jubilee rescued him, and the two
escaped and traveled together for a time, becoming very close. When
Wolverine reunited with the X-Men, Jubilee joined the team as well,
learning to control her abilities. When Emma Frost and Banshee opened up
a separate school for younger mutants, Jubilee went with them, as a
founding member of the group Generation X.
Jubilee has the mutant ability to form plasmic energy, which she can
manifest in a variety of shapes, including sparks, spheres, and streamers.
She has some control over their speed and trajectory, and can cause them
to explode for concussive or energy damage, or simply give off a dazzling
flare. She can also charge an object with energy, causing it to explode
at the molecular level, but feels uncomfortable utilizing the more
destructive aspects of her power. She is very brash and full of attitude,
and a constant wisecracker. She is closest to Wolverine, who she views as
a father figure. She became romantically involved with fellow Generation
X member Synch, but it ended badly when he, well, died.
Jubilee's main strengths are in her speed and agility. Unlike other
energy-based characters, she is unable to add Energy Dmg to her melee
attacks, so be sure to develop her Strike stat, along with Focus, so she
has continual access to her mutant powers.
Jubilee becomes available for recruitment after meeting her in the
X-Mansion's back yard following the mission to the HAARP facility. She is
voiced by Danica McKellar, best known as Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder
Years."
ABILITIES
Energy Burst (R2+X) Throws fireworks in an arc; charges objects.
Lvl 1 3 bursts, 4-5 Energy Dmg each; 10 EP (initial).
Lvl 2 3 bursts, 6-8 Energy Dmg each; 15 EP (CL 3).
Lvl 3 3 bursts, 9-11 Energy Dmg each; 20 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 4 3 bursts, 12-15 Energy Dmg each; 25 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 5 3 bursts, 15-18 Energy Dmg each; 30 EP (CL 9).
Energy Blast (R2+X) Upgrade; increases number of missiles and Dmg, and
adds Knockback.
Lvl 1 5 blasts, 15-18 Energy Dmg each; 120 Knockback; 40 EP.
Lvl 2 5 blasts, 20-25 Energy Dmg each; 120 Knockback; 45 EP (CL 17)
Legend Blast (R2+X)
Photo Flash (R2+O) Radial attack that disorients opponents.
Lvl 1 1-3 sec Confusion; short range; 25 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 2-4 sec Confusion; short range; 30 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 2-5 sec Confusion; short range; 35 EP (CL 9).
Lvl 5 2-7 sec Confusion; short range; 45 EP.
Strobe Flash (R2+O) Upgrade; increased range, converts enemies.
Lvl 1 2-10 sec Conversion; medium range; 55 EP.
Lvl 2 2-11 sec Conversion; medium range; 60 EP (CL 22).
Legend Flash (R2+O)
Bait (R2+S) Penalizes enemy attack.
Lvl 1 15 sec; -25% Dmg to enemy attack; 10' range; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; -35% Dmg to enemy attack; 10' range; 70 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 17 sec; -45% Dmg to enemy attack; 10' range; 80 EP (CL 9).
Taunt (R2+S) Upgrade; increased range and effect.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -50% Dmg to enemy attack; 13' range; 120 EP.
Pep Rally (R2+S) Upgrade; penalizes enemies while helping allies.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -50% Dmg to enemy attack; +20% to allies' Strike
and Agility; 13' range; 160 EP.
Independence Day (R2+T) X-treme power. Fireworks explode all around,
damaging all enemies.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Detonate (R2+X when adjacent to object) Charges objects with energy,
causing them to explode.
Lvl 1 15-18 Energy Dmg; 40 Knockback; 4' range; 20 EP (CL 2).
Lvl 2 25-31 Energy Dmg; 120 Knockback; 5' range; 20 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 50-63 Energy Dmg; 190 Knockback; 6' range; 20 EP (CL 12).
Lvl 5 100-125 Energy Dmg; 305 Knockback; 8' range; 20 EP.
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Accuracy (auto) Increase chance of critical ranged attack.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 4 +8% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 5 +10% critical chance (CL 1).
Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of critical melee attack.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12).
Point Blank Shot (auto) Increases ranged Dmg within 10'.
Lvl 1 +10% Dmg (CL 4).
Lvl 2 +20% Dmg (CL 9).
Lvl 5 +50% Dmg.
Jubilee's main strength is in her Energy Burst/Blast. At close range, all
missiles will hit a single target, doing a lot of damage. Adding points
to Accuracy and Point Blank Shot will greatly increase her damage
potential, as she is the only multiple-missile character with access to
both of these abilities. Her defensive power (Bait/Taunt/Pep Rally) is
particularly good for disabling opponents. Set her AI Level to Normal,
with Energy Blast/Burst as her default power.
MAGMA (Alison Crestmere)
Magma was introduced in the original "New Mutants" comic, in a retarded
storyline that involved the NM discovering a lost Roman colony (!) in the
jungles of South America (!!) that had not progressed in civilization past
the glory days of the Roman Empire (!!!). Amara, a Roman senator's
daughter, discovered her mutant abilities to control lava while fighting
the mutant villainess Selene, and was urged by her father to join the New
Mutants and learn about the New World (sigh). Years later (in real time),
it was revealed that all of the citizens of Nova Roma, including Magma,
were actually modern-day people from around the world kidnapped and
brainwashed by the immortal Selene to recreate her beloved Rome, which
almost made up for the original retarded storyline. Magma's real name was
revealed to be Alison Crestmere, a British citizen. Magma seems an odd
choice for this game, lacking the name recognition of some fan favorites
that were left out. Personally, I would have liked to have seen Shadowcat
as a playable character. Or even a guest appearance. I just like me some
Shadowcat. Leave me alone.
Magma has the mutant ability to control lava, in a form of specialized
telekinesis. Rather than generate lava, she is able to pull it directly
from the ground beneath her, and fire it in destructive blasts, as well as
sculpt it into a variety of shapes. She can also instantly cool lava into
hardened rock. She is immune to heat and fire damage, and is able to
transform her body into a fiery magma form, increasing her strength and
mutant power.
Magma starts out highest in Focus, with average Agility and Body, and a
low Striking score. As with other energy-based mutant characters, Magma
can use skill points to add quite a bit of energy damage to her basic
attacks, so Strike is a low priority for building up. Focus should be
your main priority, while keeping her Agility and Body at a decent enough
level that you won't be dying every other battle.
Magma is the active character when back at the X-Mansion between missions,
but can only be used in Danger Room training at first. She becomes
available for away missions later on in the game. She is voiced by Cree
Summer, who has had extensive voice experience in cartoons and video
games, and was the voice of Elmyra in the Tiny Toon Adventures cartoon
series. And now that I've looked that up on the IMDb, I'll never be able
to hear Magma talk again without imagining her strangling small fuzzy
"aminals."
Fiery Blast (R2+X) Hurls several fireballs in an arc. Welds and builds
bridges.
Lvl 1 3 Fireballs, 4-5 Fire Dmg each; 10 EP (initial).
Lvl 2 3 Fireballs, 6-8 Fire Dmg each; 15 EP (CL 3).
Lvl 3 3 Fireballs, 9-11 Fire Dmg each; 20 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 4 3 Fireballs, 12-15 Fire Dmg each; 25 EP (CL 7).
Magma Blast (R2+X)
Magma Legend (R2+X)
Lava Fissure (R2+O) Lava knocks enemies straight up. Can build bridges.
Lvl 1 9-11 Fire Dmg; 5' radius; 25 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 15-18 Fire Dmg; 5.5' radius; 30 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 25-31 Fire Dmg; 6' radius; 35 EP (CL 9).
Lava Rift (R2+O)
Legend Rift (R2+O)
Fiery Form (R2+S) Temporarily boosts Attack and Defense; fire resistance.
Lvl 1 15 sec; -5 Dmg; +1 Might; 50% resist fire; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; -8 Dmg; +1 Might; 50% resist fire; 70 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 17 sec; -10 Dmg; +1 Might; 50% resist fire; 80 EP (CL 9).
Magma Form (R2+S)
Atlas Form (R2+S)
Volcano (R2+T) X-treme power. A volcano erupts, striking all enemies.
Unlockable at CL 15.
Burning Rage (auto) Adds fire damage and destruction to melee attacks.
Lvl 1 4-5 Fire Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 3).
Lvl 2 9-11 Fire Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 5).
LVL 3 15-18 Fire Dmg; 4 Destr (CL 9).
Erupting Rage (auto) Additional fire damage and destruction to melee
attacks.
Lava Tracks (T+T) Lava slide that does energy damage when charging an
enemy. Can travel over unsafe terrain.
Lvl 1 10'; 9-11 Fire Dmg; 40 Knockback; 10 EP per 10' (CL 2).
Lvl 2 20'; 15-18 Fire Dmg; 120 Knockback; 15 EP per 10' (CL 7).
Lvl 3 30'; 25-31 Fire Dmg; 190 Knockback; 20 EP per 10' (CL 12).
Magma Might (auto) Increases strength and melee damage when in Magma
form.
Lvl 1 +5% Dmg; can lift Heavy objects; +3 Destr (CL 4).
Lvl 2 +10% Dmg; Massive objects; +6 Destr (CL 9).
Lvl 3 +15% Dmg; Gigantic objects; +8 Destr (CL 14).
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of critical physical attacks.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7).
Although one of the more obscure X-characters, Magma brings a lot to the
game in terms of flexibility and raw power. She is capable at all
ranges, but her blast attacks are particularly effective at close range,
as all fireballs will hit a single target. Her sliding movement ability
allows her to move to inaccessible areas. Level up her Magma Form as much
as possible. It uses a lot of EP, but the damage and defense bonuses are
worth it. Her Lava Fissure and Lava Rift attacks are good for clearing
large groups of enemies, as they can strike several targets at once, if
they are grouped together. Set her AI level to Aggressive, with Fiery
Blast as her default attack.
NIGHTCRAWLER (Kurt Wagner)
Born in Germany, Kurt was abandoned and left for dead as a baby due to his
demonic appearance. He was found and adopted by a traveling circus, where
he became an acrobat, and their eventual star attraction. After leaving
the circus, he was nearly killed by an angry mob before the X-Men rescued
him and recruited him. He remained with the X-Men for several years,
before the team apparently sacrificed their lives while he was recovering
from injuries. He and fellow X-Men Shadowcat and Phoenix joined with
British superheroes Captain Britain and Meggan to form the team Excalibur.
After Excalibur disbanded, he returned to the reformed X-Men.
Kurt possesses the ability to teleport himself and others short distances.
He often uses this ability in combat, combined with his natural agility,
to keep his opponents off-balance. He is also able to become nearly
invisible in shadows, and can crawl up walls, much like Spider-Man (NOTE:
not in this game, he can't). He is a gifted swordsman and acrobat,
behaving like a modern-day swashbuckler. He is close to all of the X-Men,
but particularly so with Wolverine and Rogue (whom he regards as a sister,
due to the discovery that Mystique is his biological mother).
All of Nightcrawler's attacks are physical in nature, so be prepared to
invest lots of points into his Strike and Agility. His teleportation
attacks keep the enemies from being able to counterattack effectively, but
use a lot of EP, so put more points into Focus than Body.
Nightcrawler becomes available following Mission Two at the HAARP
Facility. He is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, a voice actor who has been
on roughly every cartoon ever shown on the Cartoon Network.
ABILITIES
Teleport Leap (R2+X) Teleports behind enemy and hits them; can be used to
bypass obstacles.
Lvl 1 4-5 Phys Dmg; 15' range; 10 EP (initial).
Lvl 2 6-8 Phys Dmg; 18' range; 15 EP (CL 3).
Lvl 3 9-11 Phys Dmg; 22' range; 20 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 4 12-15 Phys Dmg; 26' range; carry allies; 25 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 5 15-18 Phys Dmg; 30' range; carry allies; 30 EP (CL 9).
Teleport Strike (R2+X) More powerful version of Teleport Leap.
Lvl 3 50-63 Phys Dmg; 42' range; carry allies; 50 EP.
Lvl 4 80-100 Phys Dmg; 45' range; carry allies; 55 EP (CL 21).
Legend Strike (R2+X)
Teleport Flurry (R2+O) Teleport repeatedly, striking random targets.
Lvl 1 4-5 Phys Dmg; 14' range; 2 hits; 40 EP+5 EP/hit (CL 5).
Lvl 2 9-11 Phys Dmg; 16' range; 2 hits; 50 EP+5 EP/hit (CL 7).
Lvl 3 15-18 Phys Dmg; 18' range; 3 hits; 60 EP+5 EP/hit (CL 9).
Lvl 5 50-63 Phys Dmg; 22' range; 4 hits; 80 EP+5 EP/hit.
Teleport Frenzy (R2+O) More powerful version of Teleport Flurry.
Lvl 1 50-63 Phys Dmg; 24' range; 5 hits; 90 EP+5 EP/hit.
Lvl 2 65-80 Phys Dmg; 26' range; 5 hits; 100 EP+5 EP/hit (CL 22).
Legend Frenzy (R2+O)
Shadow Blend (R2+S) Blends in with shadows to increase defense.
Lvl 1 15 sec; -5 Dmg; +2 Agi; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; -8 Dmg; +3 Agi; 70 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 17 sec; -10 Dmg; +4 Agi; 80 EP (CL 9).
Shadow Arts (R2+S) More powerful defense.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Dmg; +8 Agi; 120 EP.
Shadow Mastery (R2+S) Highest upgrade to defensive ability.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -80 Dmg; +12 Agi; 160 EP.
Blindside Blitz (R2+T) X-treme power. Teleports multiple times, doing
massive Dmg to random targets.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Leap of Faith (auto) Chance to prevent ally from dying; ally must be
within range, and Nightcrawler cannot be active
character.
Lvl 1 25% chance; 10' range (CL 3).
Lvl 2 50% chance; 15' range (CL 8).
Lvl 5 100% chance; 60' range.
Sucker Punch (auto) Increase chance of critical teleport attack.
Lvl 1 +3% critical chance (CL 4).
Lvl 2 +6% critical chance (CL 9).
Lvl 5 +15% critical chance.
Toughness (auto) Increase max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increase max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Acrobatics (auto) Allows double-jump; provides bonus to Agility.
Lvl 1 +2 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 3 +6 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 4 +8 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 5 +10 Agi (CL 1).
Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of critical physical attack.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12).
Nightcrawler might seem weak at first, but can develop into the best
physical fighter in the game. His Sucker Punch skill stacks with Critical
Strike, giving him a whopping +25% chance to enable a critical teleport
attack. His X-treme attack, Blindside Blitz, is incredibly useful for
Boss battles, as he tends to target the closest enemy for the bulk of the
attack. A single Blindside Blitz can take off 1/3 to 1/2 of even a Boss's
lifebar, unless they are resistant to physical attacks. Teleport Flurry
is almost as useful. His teleport attacks almost always connect, and make
defeating speedy opponents a breeze. Set his AI Level to Aggressive, with
Teleport Flurry as his default power.
When not in combat, Nightcrawler's Teleport Leap/Strike allows him to move
past many otherwise impassable barriers. If you move him adjacent to an
ally while teleporting, he will carry them with him to his destination.
PROFESSOR X (Charles Xavier)
Born into wealth, Charles's father died when he was very young. His
mother eventually remarried, landing Charles with a stepbrother and
emotionally distant stepfather. His stepfather left Charles alone for the
most part, although he was verbally abusive to Charles's mother. He saved
most of his abuse for his own son, Cain Marko. Cain resented Charles for
the abuse that the younger man was spared, a resentment that developed
into murderous hatred years later. While in his teens, Charles began to
develop telepathic abilities, a side effect of which caused him to lose
all of his hair while he was still young. Charles taught himself how to
use his abilities and shield his mind from the intrusion of all the
thoughts around him. He developed a strong set of ethics regarding the
use of power, possibly due to witnessing the abuse of his stepfather. A
brilliant student, Charles went on to become a renowned geneticist. He
traveled the world for some time, during which time he met and became
friends with Erik Lensherr. Erik helped Xavier with his research into
mutation, and helped him design the computer Cerebro, which would augment
his telepathic abilities to planetary range. The two eventually split
over philosophical differences; Xavier believed in peaceful coexistence
between humans and mutants, while Erik believed that humans would
eventually try to wipe mutants out, and that the mutants should strike
pre-emptively and take their place at the top of the evolutionary ladder.
Some time after he and Erik went their separate ways, Charles lost the use
of his legs while in battle with the villain Lazarus. Realizing that
evil mutants would cause humanity to rise against the mutant race, Charles
began recruiting young mutants and training them in the use of their
powers to fight against threats to humanity. He dubbed them the "X-Men"
(after the "X" gene that gave mutants their special gifts), and based them
out of his old family estate.
Charles is quite possibly the most powerful mutant mind on the planet.
His telepathic abilities allow him to read minds and communicate mentally
at vast ranges. He can alter others' perceptions or plant convincing
illusions in their minds. He can even completely erase or alter memories,
or assume control over a less mind, though he is loathe to do so unless
left with no other choice. Using the computer Cerebro, he can extend the
range of his abilities across the entire planet.
Professor X is available only during two missions on the Astral Plane, and
is automatically included in the party. He is voiced by Patrick Stewart,
who was chosen by God at an early age to be Professor Xavier in all future
movies and video games.
PSYLOCKE (Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock)
As the result of an extradimensional heritage, Betsy was born a mutant
with enormous psychic gifts. Her brother was Brian Braddock, better known
as Captain Britain, and she often aided him. During a time when he gave
up being Captain Britain, she adopted the identity, but was severely
wounded and blinded by the villain Jackdaw. Shamed by what happened to
his sister, Brian re-assumed the powers and responsibilities of Captain
Britain. Betsy eventually was given bionic eyes by the extradimensional
villain Mojo and joined the X-Men. Unknown to her, her eyes recorded
everything she saw, and the images were broadcast as entertainment on
Mojo's world. Betsy was with the X-Men when they apparently sacrificed
their lives to save the world from the influence of the chaotic demon,
Adversary. They were revived by the Guardian of Order, Roma, and decided
to let the world continue to think them dead, and operated in secret.
Eventually, Betsy was separated from the X-Men, and kidnapped by the
league of assassins known as The Hand. Her consciousness was exchanged
with one of their assassins, and she was brainwashed into joining them in
her new body. She was eventually found and freed by Wolverine and
Jubilee, and traveled with them for a time, but was unable to reclaim her
original body, still inhabited by the Hand's assassin. She was finally
reunited with the assassin in her original body, only to find that the
assassin, now known as Revanche, was dying from the mutant-killing Legacy
Virus. Revanche died, trapping Betsy in her current body forever.
Betsy has enormous telepathic talents. Her training with The Hand has
given her martial arts skills equivalent to a modern-day ninja, and she
has learned to combine her telepathy with her fighting skills, including
the ability to focus her telepathy into forming a mind-shredding "psychic
knife." Normally cool and sophisticated, Betsy gives in to her body's
urges during combat, revelling in the fight. She actually prefers to
couple her psychic abilities with her fighting, rather than using them at
range, causing Wolverine to dub her an "action junkie." NOTE: her hair
is dyed as an affectation; she is not a natural magenta.
Psylocke is an excellent front-line combatant. As she gains the ability
to add psychic damage to her melee attacks, focus more on developing her
Agility, Body, and Focus.
Psylocke becomes available for team recruitment after stopping the riots
in New York, driving the GRSO soldiers out of the Morlock Tunnels, and
defeating Juggernaut on Muir Island. She is voiced by Masasa, who needs
a last name, STAT!
ABILITIES
Psychic Slash (R2+X) Attacks an enemy with her psychic knife.
Lvl 5 50-63 Mental Dmg; 30 EP.
Psychic Hammer (R2+X) Upgrade; increases Dmg and adds Knockback.
Lvl 3 125-150 Mental Dmg; 245 Knockback; 50 EP.
Lvl 4 150-165 Mental Dmg; 305 Knockback; 55 EP (CL 21).
Hammer Legend (R2+X)
Psychic Bolts (R2+O) Hurls several psychic blades in an arc.
Lvl 5 3 blades, 15-18 Mental Dmg each; 45 EP.
Psychic Spikes (R2+O) Upgrade; increases number of missiles and Dmg.
Lvl 2 5 blades, 20-25 Mental Dmg each; 60 EP.
Lvl 3 5 blades, 25-31 Mental Dmg each; 65 EP (CL 24).
Legend Bolts (R2+O)
Psychic Defense (R2+S) Temporarily reduces Mental Dmg; affects adjacent
allies.
Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Mental Dmg; 80 EP.
Psychic Armor (R2+S) Upgrade; reduces Mental Dmg and Knockback; affects
adjacent allies.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Mental Dmg; -13 Knockback; 120 EP.
Psychic Wall (R2+S) Upgrade; affects all allies, and adds Focus bonus.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Mental Dmg; -30 Knockback; +30 Focus; 160 EP.
Psychic Onslaught (R2+T) X-treme power. Psychic waves attack all enemies
for Mental Dmg.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Psionic Strike (auto) Adds Mental Dmg to melee attacks.
Lvl 3 +15-18 Mental Dmg.
Psionic Fury (auto) Upgrade; increases Mental Dmg.
Lvl 3 +80-100 Mental Dmg.
Blade Master (auto) Increases size and Dmg of Psychic Knife.
Lvl 5 +175-215 Mental Dmg; Psychic Sword.
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical melee attack.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance.
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance.
Psylocke doesn't bring a whole lot to the game that other characters don't
already. Her biggest power advantage would be her Psychic Wall; the Focus
boost to all allies is very helpful. Her Psychic Knife can potentially
pack quite a punch (tremble in awe at my alliteration here) once you've
leveled up the appropriate abilities. Set her AI level to Aggressive,
with Psychic Bolts/Spikes as her default power.
ROGUE (real name unrevealed)
Rogue's mutant power to absorb memories and abilities manifested when she
was a teenager experiencing her first kiss, a kiss that left her boyfriend
in a permanent coma. Traumatized, Rogue ran away from home and was
eventually taken in by Mystique to join the Brotherhood of Mutants. While
on a mission for the Brotherhood, she came into conflict with the Avenger
Ms. Marvel, and ended up permanently absorbing Ms. Marvel's powers,
including flight, super-strength, and near-invulnerability, as well as her
memories. Unable to deal with this psychic trauma, she sought help from
long-time enemies the X-Men. Although suspicious of her at first, they
eventually accepted her as one of their own. She has been one of their
most faithful members ever since, and developed a relationship with
Gambit. Rogue's sassy Southern attitude and enormous physical power mask
a deep vulnerability. Her inability to shut off her absorption power
means she will never be able to touch someone without harming them. She
regards Mystique as her mother, but does not let it conflict with her
duties to the X-Men. She has forged a lasting friendship with Wolverine.
Although she loves Gambit, his shady past keeps her from fully trusting
him. She and Nightcrawler formed a bond after the latter discovered
Mystique was his natural mother, and consider each other adopted siblings.
Rogue is a powerhouse, and should be on the front lines of combat. She is
able to do as much damage as Beast and Colossus, with the added bonus of
being quicker. Raise her Strike and Body stats as high as possible,
adding enough Focus to use her mutant abilities when needed, and enough
Agility to keep her from being an easy target.
Rogue is available for recruitment at the beginning of Mission Two at the
HAARP Facility. She is voiced by Erin Matthews, who has a few minor film
and tv credits, and was apparently once married to Neve Campbell's
brother, which, given Neve's visibility these days, gives them an
approximately equivalent level of fame.
ABILITIES
Southern Strike (R2+X) Powerful dashing punch attack.
Lvl 1 15-18 Dmg; 40 Knockback; 10 EP (initial).
Lvl 2 25-31 Dmg; 120 Knockback; 15 EP (CL 3).
Lvl 3 50-63 Dmg; 190 Knockback; 20 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 4 80-100 Dmg; 245 Knockback; 25 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 5 100-125 Dmg; 305 Knockback; 30 EP.
Southern Smash (R2+X) Increased Dmg and Knockback.
Lvl 1 150-165 Dmg; 305 Knockback; 40 EP.
Lvl 2 175-215 Dmg; 370 Knockback; 45 EP (CL 17).
Southern Legend (R2+X)
Ability Drain (R2+O) Stuns enemy and steals basic attack.
Lvl 1 4-5 Dmg; 10 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 1; 25 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 9-11 Dmg; 15 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 2; 30 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 15-18 Dmg; 17 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 3; 35 EP (CL 9).
Lvl 5 50-63 Dmg; 21 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 5; 45 EP.
Ability Sap (R2+O) Stuns enemy and steals heavy attack.
Lvl 1 80-100 Dmg; 25 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 5; 55 EP.
Lvl 2 100-125 Dmg; 28 sec Stun; Dmg lvl 6; 60 EP (CL 22).
Consume Ability (R2+O)
Bullet Proof (R2+S) Boosts defense and resistances.
Lvl 1 15 sec; -5 Phys Dmg; -30% Pain; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; -8 Phys Dmg; -60% Pain; 70 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 17 sec; -10 Phys Dmg; -60% Pain; 80 EP (CL 9).
Iron Maiden (R2+S) Boosts defense; adds additional resistances.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -16 Phys Dmg; -10 Beam Dmg; -60% Pain; -100%
Knockback; 120 EP.
Invulnerability (R2+S) Adds chance of avoiding Phys Dmg altogether.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -30 Phys Dmg; -16 Beam Dmg; -100% Pain; -100%
Knockback; 40% chance to avoid Phys Dmg; 160 EP.
Energy Drain (R2+T) X-treme attack. Stuns and damages all enemies, as
well as preventing them from using powers.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12).
Flight (T+T) Allows use of Flight.
Lvl 1 40 EP per sec (CL 1).
Lvl 2 30 EP per sec (CL 1).
Lvl 3 20 EP per sec; can carry ally (CL 1).
Lvl 4 10 EP per sec; can carry ally (CL 1).
Lvl 5 5 EP per sec; can carry ally (CL 1).
Grappling (auto) Increases Strike and reflects Melee Dmg.
Lvl 1 +2 Str; Reflects 4-5 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4 Str; Reflects 9-11 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Lvl 3 +6 Str; Reflects 15-18 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Lvl 4 +8 Str; Reflects 25-31 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Lvl 5 +10 Str; Reflects 50-63 Melee Dmg (CL 1).
Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical physical attack.
Lvl 1 +2% chance critical (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% chance critical (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +6% chance critical (CL 12).
Lvl 4 +8% chance critical (CL 17).
Might (auto) Increases Phys Dmg; allows lifting of larger objects.
Lvl 1 +5% Phys Dmg; Heavy Objects; +3 Destr (initial).
Lvl 2 +10% Phys Dmg; Massive Objects; +5 Destr (CL 1).
Lvl 3 +15% Phys Dmg; Gigantic objects; +8 Destr (CL 1).
Rogue is perhaps the best of the super-strong characters, even though she
lacks a multiple-opponent attack (other than her X-treme move). She is a
much quicker attacker than Beast or Colossus, and has the best defensive
abilities of all the X-Men. Her Ability Drain/Sap power leaves an enemy
completely helpless for a time. She has both the Might and Flight skills.
Unfortunately, she can't pick up objects while flying; that would rock.
Although Southern Strike/Smash does a lot of damage at higher levels, you
might want to look at increasing her defensive capabilities. She is the
closest thing to completely invulnerable out of all of the X-Men when her
abilities are leveled all the way up.
Ability Drain/Sap steals attack abilities from mutant enemies. To use it,
activate the ability as normal, and then activate it again to use the
stolen ability. The ability can only be used while the victim is still
stunned. THANKS to Scott E. for the tip!
STORM (Ororo Munroe)
Ororo's parents were an American photojournalist and an African priestess
named N'Dare. Her parents were killed in a bombing raid when she was very
young, and Ororo was trapped in the rubble of their home with her parents'
bodies. This event traumatized her, and she remains extremely
claustrophobic to this day. She escaped from the ruins of her home and
lived on the streets of Cairo for a time. She and several other children
were taken in and trained as thieves and pickpockets. She eventually
attempted to leave her master, crossing the African desert and nearly
dying in the attempt. She was taken in by a friendly African village and
raised as one of them. When her mutant abilities to control the weather
manifested in her early teens, she used them to help the surrounding
villages by providing rain for crops. Her abilities, combined with her
striking silver hair and blue eyes, caused the villagers to worship her as
a goddess, a role she came to believe in. Professor Xavier eventually
contacted her and recruited her to the X-Men, where she remains to this
day. Storm lost her mutant powers for a time after being zapper by a
neutralizer gun developed by Forge, but he eventually found a way to
return them to her.
Ororo has the ability to control all aspects of the weather. She can
cause rain, sleet, and fog manifest, and hurl bolts of lightning. She can
manipulate the wind to create tornados or hurricanes, or use the wind to
allow her to fly. She is largely immune to temperature extremes, and
remains quite comfortable in both blazing summer heat or sub-zero arctic
weather. One of the most powerful mutants alive, Storm could potentially
use her abilities to alter the weather on a planetary scale, but she has
a great sense of responsibility, and always uses her powers to have a
minimal effect on the environment. In addition to her mutant powers,
Storm is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant. Storm possesses a great
deal of empathy, and is close to all of the X-Men, particularly Jean, who
is her best friend. She is very close with Wolverine, and once had a
romantic relationship with Forge. She serves as co-leader of the X-Men,
sharing the burden of responsibility with Cyclops.
Storm is most effective in combat when utilizing her mutant abilities, so
be sure to level up her Focus as much as possible. As she gains the
ability to add electrical damage to her melee attacks, focus more on
increasing her Agility than her Strike.
Storm becomes available at the beginning of the HAARP Facility mission.
She is voiced by Cheryl Carter, who has numerous minor tv and movie
credits to her name.
ABILITIES
Lightning Strike (R2+X) Calls down a lightning bolt; can weld.
Lvl 1 9-11 Electric Dmg; 1 Destr; 10 EP (initial).
Lvl 2 15-18 Electric Dmg; 1 Destr; 15 EP (CL 3).
Lvl 3 25-31 Electric Dmg; 2 Destr; 20 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 4 50-63 Electric Dmg; 2 Destr; 25 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 5 80-100 Electric Dmg; 3 Destr; 30 EP (CL 9).
Chain Lightning (R2+X) Upgrade; increased Dmg and Destr.
Lvl 1 100-125 Energy Dmg; 4 Destr; 40 EP.
Lvl 2 125-150 Energy Dmg; 5 Destr; 45 EP (CL 17).
Legend Lightning (R2+X)
Whirlwind (R2+O) Temporarily lifts and damages enemies and objects; can
extinguish fires.
Lvl 1 1 sec, 1-2 Dmg per sec; Small objects; 25 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 1.5 sec, 1-2 Dmg per sec; Small objects; 30 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 2 sec, 2-4 Dmg per sec; Small objects; 35 EP (CL 9).
Lvl 5 3 sec, 4-5 Dmg per sec; Small objects; 45 EP.
Tornado (R2+O) Upgrade; increased Dmg and duration, larger objects.
Lvl 1 3.5 sec, 6-8 Dmg per sec; Medium objects; 55 EP.
Lvl 2 4 sec, 9-11 Dmg per sec; Medium objects; 60 EP (CL 22).
Legend Vortex (R2+O)
Storm Shield (R2+S) Temporarily reduces Dmg.
Lvl 1 15 sec; -8 Dmg; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; -10 Dmg; 70 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 3 17 sec; -13 Dmg; 80 EP (CL 9).
Hail Shield (R2+S) Adds touch Dmg; affects adjacent allies.
Lvl 3 24 sec; -20 Dmg; 9-11 Touch Dmg; 120 EP.
Blizzard Shield (R2+S) Increased Dmg; affects all allies.
Lvl 3 36 sec; -50 Dmg; 25-31 Touch Dmg; 160 EP.
Cyclone Fury (R2+T) X-treme power. Tornado touches down, striking all
enemies with wind and lightning attacks.
Unlocked at CL 15.
Lightning Fury (auto) Adds Energy Dmg to melee attacks.
Lvl 1 +4-5 Electric Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 3).
Lvl 2 +9-11 Electric Dmg; 3 Destr (CL 5).
Lvl 3 +15-18 Electric Dmg; 4 Destr (CL 9).
Lightning Rage (auto) Upgraded Lightning Fury.
Lvl 3 +80-100 Electric Dmg; 5 Destr.
Toughness (auto) Increases max HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases max EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12).
Flight (T+T) Allows use of Flight.
Lvl 1 40 EP per sec (CL 1).
Lvl 2 30 EP per sec (CL 1).
Lvl 3 20 EP per sec; can carry an ally (CL 1).
Lvl 4 10 EP per sec; can carry an ally (CL 1).
Lvl 5 5 EP per sec; can carry an ally (CL 1).
Critical Strike (auto) Increases chance of critical melee attack.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 2).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7).
Lvl 3 +6% critical chance (CL 12).
Leadership (auto) Increases Dmg and Exp for team Combo attacks.
Lvl 1 +25% Dmg; +5% exp (CL 4).
Lvl 2 +50% Dmg; +10% exp (CL 9).
Lvl 3 +75% Dmg; +15% exp (CL 14).
Lvl 5 +150% Dmg; +25% exp.
Storm starts out rather ineffective, but levels up into one of the most
useful members of the team. Her Lightning attacks, while rather slow,
will always hit an opponent at any range, as long as the target lock is
active. She is the only character capable of inflicting electrical Dmg,
which is particularly effective against robots and other machines. Her
whirlwind attacks, while not particularly damaging, temporarily take
groups of enemies out of the fight, and combo particularly easily, as the
attack remains active for several seconds. Storm should always be used as
a ranged attacker, to maximize the use of her lightning bolts. Set her AI
Level to Normal, with Lightning Strike as her default ability.
WOLVERINE (James Howlett, now known as Logan)
One of the most popular X-Men (if not THE most popular) among fans,
Wolverine has won the hearts of millions, despite his tendency to leave a
trail of bloody corpses in his wake. His mutant powers include a
superhuman healing factor that allows him to regenerate almost instantly
from wounds, enhanced senses, enhanced endurance, and enhanced strength
(though not in the superhuman range). He is almost immune to poison and
disease. His healing factor has slowed his aging process to the point
where his age is undeterminable. His bones are laced with unbreakable
adamantium, and he possesses retractable claws of the same material that
can cut through most substances. The experiment that gave him his metal
skeleton unfortunately traumatized him to the point of amnesia, making his
past mostly a mystery. He has studied multiple forms of armed and unarmed
combat, and is particularly well-versed in several martial arts
disciplines. Although very blunt and unsociable on the surface, he is
possessed of a very strong sense of honor and loyalty. He has formed
several close friendships with other X-Men, particularly Nightcrawler,
Storm, and Shadowcat, and has had a long-standing unrequited love for
Jean Grey. He frequently comes into conflict with Cyclops, often baiting
him. He serves as a father figure for Jubilee, and indeed seems to view
her as his own daughter. Wolverine has recently had his memories restored
to him, including the fact that his real name is James Howlett, which
sounds like a Bible salesman. Stick with Logan, bub.
Wolverine is very much a tank character, and should be played as such.
Most of his attacks are short-ranged (but deadly) physical attacks.
His starting stats are highest in Agility and Body, and lowest in Focus.
Concentrate on primarily adding stat points to his Body, Agility, and
Strike, as he will spend all of his time in close combat. Focus isn't a
high priority for Wolverine, as his regular melee attacks are already very
powerful without relying heavily on mutant power attacks, particularly
with judicious use of skill points in the right skills (hint, hint:
Sharpness; hint, hint).
Wolverine is available at the very start of the game. He is voiced by
Steven Blum, another veteran voice actor, who is also the voice of the
Announcer on Cartoon Network's "Toonami."
ABILITIES
Brutal Slash (R2+X) Close-range claw sweep. Can miss, so aim carefully.
Lvl 1 25-31 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 10 EP (initial).
Lvl 2 50-63 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 15 EP (CL 3).
Lvl 3 80-100 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 20 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 4 100-125 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 25 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 5 125-150 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 30 EP.
Eviscerate (R2+X) More powerful slash attack. Adds additional bleed Dmg.
Lvl 1 150-165 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 40 EP.
Lvl 2 175-215 Phys Dmg; 3 Destr; 245 Knockback; 45 EP (CL 17).
Legend Slash (R2+X)
Claw Flurry (R2+O) Multiple slashing attacks at random targets.
Lvl 1 9-11 Phys Dmg; 25 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 15-18 Phys Dmg; 2 attacks; 30 EP (CL 7).
Lvl 5 80-100 Phys Dmg; 3 attacks; 45 EP.
Claw Frenzy (R2+O) More powerful version of Claw Flurry.
Lvl 1 100-125 Phys Dmg; 3 attacks; 55 EP.
Lvl 2 125-150 Phys Dmg; 4 attacks; 60 EP (CL 22).
Legend Frenzy (R2+O)
Feral Rage (R2+S) Temporarily boosts defense and speed.
Lvl 1 15 sec; +5 Agi; +30% Speed; 60 EP (CL 5).
Lvl 2 16 sec; +5 Agi; +30% Speed; 70 EP (CL 7).
Berserker Rage (R2+S)
Unstoppable Rage (R2+S)
Savage Rampage (R2+T) X-treme Power. Slashes all enemies on screen.
Can unlock ability at CL 15.
Healing Factor (auto) Automatically regenerates HP.
Lvl 1 2 HP/sec after 5 idle seconds; -20% pain (CL 1).
Lvl 2 4 HP/sec after 5 idle seconds; -40% pain (CL 7).
Sharpness (auto) Adds Dmg and Destr to all claw attacks.
Lvl 1 +4-5 Dmg; +3 Destr (CL 3).
Lvl 2 +9-11 Dmg; +5 Destr (CL 8).
Toughness (auto) Increases maximum HP.
Lvl 1 +10% max HP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max HP (CL 12).
Mutant Mastery (auto) Increases maximum EP.
Lvl 1 +10% max EP (CL 10).
Lvl 2 +20% max EP (CL 12).
Critical Strike (auto) Increase chance of criticals for melee attacks.
Lvl 1 +2% critical chance (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +4% critical chance (CL 7).
Expertise (auto) Bonuses to Str and Agi.
Lvl 1 +1 Str; +1 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 2 +2 Str; +2 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 3 +3 Str; +3 Agi (CL 1).
Lvl 4 +4 Str; +4 Agi (CL 1).
Wolverine is a melee fighter, so add skill points to Brutal Slash,
Sharpness, Healing Factor, and Expertise as soon as you can. Sharpness is
especially potent, as most of Wolverine's attacks make use of his claws.
Set his AI Level to Aggressive, with Brutal Slash as his default AI Power.
Change his default power to Claw Flurry once it is leveled up, as it does
a lot more damage at higher levels.
VII. SUPPORTING CHARACTERS AND VILLAINS
AVALANCHE (Dominic Petros)
Very little is known about Avalanche's past before he joined Mystique's
incarnation of the Brotherhood, other than that he was a Greek immigrant
who was naturalized as an American citizen. He has stayed with the
Brotherhood since its inception, with brief solo criminal forays. In his
most well-known solo effort, he held the state of California hostage,
threatening to use his powers on the fault line and completely destroy the
state. The Hulk attempted to stop him. During the battle, he directed
his shockwave in desperation directly at the Hulk. The wave rebounded,
shattering every bone in his arms. He has since healed, and returned to
the Brotherhood.
Avalanche has the ability to project a vibrating shockwave from his hands
that has two effects: 1) it shatters, disrupts, and disintegrates solid
matter; 2) it causes the matter to be propelled away from him. He uses
this ability most often in combat to create huge crashing waves of earth
and debris to overwhelm his enemies. Curiously, his shockwave has no
effect on living organic material. In fact, if he targets his shockwave
on a living thing, it reflects back to him and could potentially damage or
kill him. He often uses his power to ride a wave of earth, which seems to
suggest a background in, or at least a knowledge of, surfing.
Avalanche is voiced by Peter Lurie, who has apparently been in every video
game that has ever featured voice-work. He also voiced Sabretooth for
this one.
BLOB (Fred Dukes)
Fred Dukes began his career as a circus performer. Not realizing he was a
mutant, he assumed he was just an abnormally strong freak, and worked in
the circus's freak show. The X-Men contacted him and offered him a place
with them, but he declined. Having come to realize the nature of his
abilities, he decided to use them for criminal activities. He took over
the circus, and had fellow performers join him in attacking the X-Mansion,
figuring they had equipment he could use to set himself up as a super-
criminal. The X-Men defeated him and his allies, and Professor X used his
telepathic abilities to remove all knowledge of the X-Men from their
minds.
Later, he was contacted by Magneto and offered a place in the original
Brotherhood of Mutants. Together with Mastermind, Toad, Unus,
Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch, he served under Magneto with the
Brotherhood for some time, until Magneto abandoned them. Blob continued
his criminal career solo, until Mystique reformed the Brotherhood and
offered him a place with them. He has been with the Brotherhood ever
since.
Grossly obese, the Blob's skin and body fat are much more dense than that
of a normal human, rendering him highly resistant to physical damage. His
thick skin and layers of fat allow him to repel most missile attacks
without harm to himself. He has been known to even withstand the impact
of a torpedo. He is also superhumanly strong, able to lift
several tons. The Blob possesses the mutant ability to bond himself to
the surface he is standing on, making him almost impossible to move. His
powers make him a powerful physical presence, but he is fortunately
somewhat slow-witted, especially when acting on his own. He was
particularly close with Pyro, until the latter's death from the Legacy
Virus.
The Blob is voiced by Mark Klastorin, who is primarily a voice actor.
FORGE (real name unrevealed)
Little is known about Forge's past, other than a few specific details. It
is known that he is a full-blooded Cheyenne, and served as an apprentice
to the Cheyenne shaman Naze in his teen years. He served in the Viet Nam
conflict and lost his right hand and right leg in a bombing attack. He
retaliated by using his mystic powers to open a portal that allowed demons
to manifest on this plane and attack his foes. The subsequent slaughter
traumatized him to the point where he completely turned his back on his
mystic heritage, and embraced science. His first recorded use of his
mutant ability to invent things was when he replaced his missing limbs
with robotic duplicates.
Forge worked with the government as a weapons contractor, creating many
devices, probably the most notorious of which was a neutralizer gun that
would strip a superhuman being of its powers. During this time, he had
met and struck up a romantic relationship with Storm. Unfortunately, the
government took Forge's working prototype of his neutralizer with the
intent of using it against Rogue. While protecting Rogue, Storm took the
blast that was meant for her, and lost all of her powers. She was rescued
by Forge, but left him in a fury when she found out he was responsible for
inventing the device. Forge later destroyed the plans for and all working
copies of the neutralizer.
Later, it was revealed that a mystic force known as the Adversary was
released onto this plane through the portal Forge had created during the
Viet Nam war. He joined up with the X-Men to battle the Adversary, during
which time he created a device to reverse the neutralizer's damage, and
restored Storm's powers to her. In order to defeat the Adversary, he had
to use his mystic training to sacrifice nine willing souls to send the
Adversary back to its dimension of origin. The X-Men willingly gave their
lives, and the Adversary was defeated. Forge retired from the public eye
out of grief for his actions. Unknown to him at the time, the X-Men were
subsequently resurrected by the Guardian of Order, Roma, and operated in
secrecy for a time. Upon learning she was alive, Forge once again began
a romantic relationship with Storm, only to leave when he was offered the
chance to lead the government-sponsored team X-Factor. He has remained
with X-Factor since.
Forge has the mutant ability to invent almost anything. Through unknown
means, his mind works through all of the steps needed to create almost
anything he can imagine. He is limited only by his imagination and
available materials.
Forge is available throughout the game at any Xtraction Point. You can
trade tech bits for items he has invented. He is voiced by Lou Diamond
Phillips, who at one time had a promising career ahead of him. Let us all
have a moment of silence for Mr. Phillips's career.
GATEWAY (real name unrevealed)
Gateway was first seen working for the criminal cyborg group, the Reavers.
It was the Reavers who apparently named him "Gateway;" his real name has
never been revealed. He used his teleportation powers to shuttle the
Reavers back and forth between their hideout and their various targets.
After the X-Men defeated the Reavers and took over the complex, he seemed
content to operate in the same role (transportation) for them, although he
occasionally acted on his own for unknown reasons, such as when he
secretly tr