Winter Event 2006

This article contains information about a past event in City of Heroes Freedom. It is provided for historical purposes.

Overview

The 2006 Winter Event ran from December 14, 2006 through January 2, 2007, and additionally from January 8, 2007 through January 15, 2007. It ran in two phases. The first phase (which began on December 14) involved gift temporary powers that players may give to each other and a hero/villain cooperative mission run out of Pocket D. The second phase (which began on December 18) was a repeat of part of the previous year's winter event, with presents scattered across the city for characters to open with various results.

Baby Time is Captured

We've gone and done the greatest crime,
We've captured little Baby Time!
We'll hold him 'till he's old and ill,
To keep the world in winter's chill!

So shiver, witches, in the cold,
And pumpkin-heads will rot with mold!
The human world will freeze and slow,
And people will be filled with woe!

For human time will be like Fey,
Unchanging! Always time to play!,
They'll know that this was Snaptooth's plan,
We'll terrorize the world of man!

We've gone and done the greatest crime,
We've captured little Baby Time!
You'll never save the little year
For Red-Caps are the ones you'll fear!

Phase 1

Mystery Gifts

Players logging in are awarded the Cold Front Badge badge, the Holiday Spirit temporary power, a single use of the Holiday Cheer power, and the Ear Muff. This power can be targeted on another player and when used will give that player a single instance of the Mystery Gift power.

Cold Front

A winter cold front has been forecast.

Holiday Spirit Special
Any debt you incur is reduced. This effect lasts for 2 days of gameplay.

Holiday Cheer Special
This is a gift you can give to someone special.

Mystery gifts, once received, can be activated to receive one of a number of things.

Mystery Gift Special
Someone special has given you a gift. What could it be?

Most of the time (60% chance) the gift will give 250 inf or 250 Prestige, depending on whether the player is in SG mode or not. The rest of the time (40% chance) the player will receive a more useful gift. Known gifts include:

Build Snow Beast Summon
Creates one Snow Beast to do your bidding. Snow Beasts desire nothing more than to freeze everything they come into contact with. You only have 1 Snow Beast and he will last for 5 minutes before melting. You cannot bring your snow beast across zones.

Snowball Ranged Special
Can be used on friend and foe alike. Although there are no lasting effects when these frozen missiles are hurled, who doesn't love throwing a snowball? Snowballs should last 12 days. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Rocket Pack Self Fly
This jet pack allows you to fly for a short period. If you attack a target while this pack is on, your flight speed will be temporarily reduced to Hover speed. This Rocket Pack will last for 30 days.

Stocking cap costume piece

More instances of the Mystery Gift power could be earned via the second phase of the event.

Ski Chalet

In Pocket D a new area was opened. A Ski Chalet, complete with it's owner, Father Time. The new area was accessed via a door upstairs in the villain side of the main Pocket D club. The chalet had a couple of ski slopes where characters can ski around. The main chalet also was home to Father Time himself.

Father Time's Ski Chalet gave access to the map area outside the main Pocket D club, including one new exploration badge. The badge was reachable via flight, superjump, or teleportation (which worked in the Ski Chalet area). For superspeedsters, the GvE Jump Pack was enough to get to the badge. Beyond these, assistance was be needed.

Trucker

You've visited the floating truck in Pocket D.

Father Time and Baby New Year

Father Time presented to players a mission to save the Baby New Year. Completing this mission earned the player a choice of one of four different badges. Two of the badges unlocked costume pieces, two granted temporary powers. Father Time's mission could be accepted an unlimited number of times by any character, so it was quite easy to run it four times and earn all the different rewards. Like the missions in the Valentine's Day Event 2006 event, Father Time's missions were cooperative missions that can be completed by combined teams of heroes and villains.

Temporary Powers

Completing Father Time's mission awards temporary powers:

Golden Rings Ranged, Minor Damage(Energy), Foe: Hold
Although this power deals very little damage, the Golden Rings encase your foe, holding him helpless in place for a while. This power will last 12 days. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Long

Renewal of Light Self Rez, Special
A guardian spirit will watch over you for the next 8 days. If you are defeated during that time, activating this power will restore you so you may continue the battle. The restoration blasts nearby foes with an explosion, knocking them down and disorienting them. You will revive with about half of your hit points and endurance. You will be invulnerable for a brief time and protected from xp debt for 20 seconds.

Badges

Completing Father Time's mission also awards a choice of the following badges:

Crystallized

The chill of the season has strange effects.

Frosty

A chill down your spine makes you feel Frosty.

Miraculous

A season of miracles, it has been called.

Joyful

The power of the season finds you overcome with joy.

In Father Time's mission a number of defeat badges may be earned, including two Croatoa badges that are normally available only to heroes, but which may be earned by villains during the event.

Cold Warrior

Hero: You have defeated 100 of the living snow creatures who plague Paragon City.

Villain: You have defeated 100 of the living snow creatures who plagued the Rogue Isles.

Toothbreaker

You have defeated Snaptooth 5 times, and are truly a Toothbreaker.

Cap Buster

You have shown the Red Caps you are not to be toyed with.

Bane of Dannan

The Tuatha de Dannan cannot stand before you.

Costume Pieces

Awarded with the Cold Front, Frosty, and Crystallized Badges.

Phase 2

Everything from phase 1 continues as the second phase is unlocked.

Phase 2 was mostly a repeat of the third phase from the Winter Event 2005.

Mysterious glowing presents appeared throughout Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.

Upon opening a present, a hero or villain would find that if they were "nice," they would enjoy a nice Present. If they were "naughty," however, they would find themselves surrounded by a Winter Horde, ready to make their holidays downright dangerous!

Returning from Winter Event 2005, opening 200 presents earns the Toy Collector Badge, and defeating 100 of the Winter Horde earns the Cold Warrior Badge.

Additions to this year's event included additional instances of the Mystery Gift power as "nice" rewards, and "naughty" spawns would occasionally include the Winter Lord Giant Monster from the Winter Event 2004. Spawning the Winter Lord was based on team size, and required teams of five or more characters opening presents.