Brutes live to fight, and as a Brute, you will revel in hand-to-hand combat. With strong offensive Power Sets designed to inflict pain and impressive defenses to take it, you're the best there is in a straight melee fight. Protracted battles only make you mad, and the madder you get, the more damaging your attacks become. You build up Fury as you attack and are attacked, multiplying your base damage potential dramatically. This unique combination of powers makes your strategy one of speed and aggression.

A specialist in dealing out massive ranged damage, the Corruptor is the primary ranged-attack class in City of Villains. This means you get to stay at a distance and hurl potent attacks at your unfortunate prey. You also have a wide range of buffs to enhance the abilities of teammates, making you quite valuable to groups. Corruptors are not the most physically imposing class, but you more than make up for it in raw damage output. Keep your distance, though—closing ranks with the enemy usually results in a solid beating for the Corruptor.

Fortunately, Corruptors have Scourge, a special ability that allows them to deal a critical final blow to already weakened enemies. As an enemy’s health drops, your chances for a critical strike dramatically increase, making the Corruptor a surprising and deadly foe.

Wielding a vast array of devastating powers, Dominators are a complex class. You excel at forcing foes to bend to your will. You can lock your enemies to one spot, render them unconscious, or even turn them against their allies. But you do far more than control the battle; you truly dominate by dealing damage while you hold or immobilize those around you. You are a fairly effective solo class though you lack defenses and have no mez protection. For this reason, you are particularly fearsome when paired up with a corruptor to buff you or a stalker to strike down your dominated targets. When an entire group can take advantage of the foes you've locked down, your controlling powers will really shine.

The special power Domination makes you welcome in any group.Each time you attack yourenemies you build up Domination. Once your Domination bar is full you can unlock this power, increasing your base damage by 75% while allowing you to control even the most resistant foes. When Domination is activated, your longer and more powerful holds can turn the tides of an otherwise hopeless battle.

The Mastermind may well be the most complex Archetype in City of Villains. Much of your power comes from the various Henchmen (or “pets”) you can summon to your side, such as the living dead, a band of ninja, several mechanized monstrosities, or a team of mercenaries. Since you must simultaneously control your character and the minions you command, the Mastermind is a daunting Archetype. Of course, it’s also one of the more powerful Archetypes in the game; no one but a Mastermind can function as a one-man group!

As a Mastermind, you’ll play very differently from other villains, primarily due to your ability to summon henchmen. In City of Villains, there are four types of henchmen: Zombies, Ninja, Robots, and Soldiers. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, but the deciding factor in combat is how these pets are controlled by you, their master. You need to be aware of your surroundings at all times, since the well-being of your henchmen is vital to your own—a Mastermind without henchmen is easy prey.

The Stalker attacks from concealment, quickly dealing out massive amounts of damage. You aren't nearly as resilient as Brutes. You are however, an excellent complement to Dominators and Corrupters. Stalkers are primarily melee-focused and do not deal in ranged attacks. The Stalker is also fantastic as a solo player, as you are capable of getting in and out quickly and effectively.

This archetype's main Secondary Power is the ability to hide. This allows you to strike from the shadows and greatly increases your ability to get an initial critical hit. While hidden, Stalkers are able to deal out a devastating Assassin’s Strike against their unsuspecting foes. It also allows you to sneak around enemies (of similar level range) undetected.