Originally posted by a_tortoise_IRL

FINAL (?) EDIT: This turned into a small Colossus megathread somehow, even though I originally posted this only to talk about components. Y'all did this. Thanks to everyone for the feedback and discussions, and a special shoutout to whoever gave me gold or silver. You're a bunch of sweethearts.

1. ADDED A SECTION ABOUT CONSUMABLES, DON'T SKIP IT REGARDLESS OF YOUR JAVELIN.
2. More random edits here and there based on comments made by other posters below.
3. Added a video with 3 minutes of footage in the stronghold on hard difficulty. Bottom of the post for what suspiciously feels like an Aliens remake, friends.
4. Latest: added more stuff to highlight different builds. If the original post read like flamethrower + coil was the One True Way, I apologize. Other players are playing the colossus radically differently when it comes to dishing out damage and it's wonderful to see.

There's a lot more stuff I can't cover in the OP. If you're reading this, scroll through the comments if you can. Tons of good stuff. Props to the community. I really hope these discussions will keep happening after release.

• Why this post exists

First, I'm not gonna dive into whether our chunky boy needs balance tweaks. There'll be plenty of time for that once the demo ends or when the game's released. Also, I doubt the level 15 cap reflects how tanky or not we'll be at level 30 with six component slots. However, I've seen enough people here and on Discord complain that the colossus just can't take a punch, or may actually be "just as tanky" (meaning not tanky at all) as the other javelins. That's...quite wrong.

• Okay, so why can't I tank? Why is my shield made of paper? Why are the enemies so mean?

If you're having issues with your survivability, I want to stress just how insanely crucial colossus components are. Here's why:

only equipped the \"wrong\" one to stress the health/armor increase

No, those stats are not bugged. On the left: colossus gear. On the right: universal gear. Colossus components give a 400% health bonus compared to universal ones, and [quickly opens up calculator] well, 36 times more armor. At least in this case.

Now, granted, one component is a rare pwr 19, the other an uncommon pwr 14. So let's try and be a bit more fair:

hell, same.

On the left: a common piece of colossus gear. On the right: an uncommon pwr 16 universal component. See how the "worse" component is infinitely better for you?

Now, let's consider a few scenarios. Colossus 1 is rocking javelin-specific components, the others are still using universal stuff.

• Colossus 1, with two rare Structural Reinforcements. Health: +2088. Armor: + 1740.
• Colossus 2, with two uncommon Shield Reinforcements: Health: +56. Armor: +564
• Colossus 3, with one armor reinforcement, and one shield reinforcement: Health+ 274. Armor: 306.

Again, this is using lower level gear because that's all I have access to, but even if you assume that lvl 19 universal gear gives ~350 to shield or armor per component, you're still at a tremendous disadvantage.

• What do "health" and "armor" even mean?

According to helpful redditors: those terms will be changed in the release version because they're confusing and don't match item mods (e.g. +10% shield).

So, for components:

HEALTH: your "life" or hit points, the green bar top left of the UI. Health reaches zero = you're down.

ARMOR: your shields. Shields reach zero = next hits you take will do health damage. If you're a Storm, Ranger, or Interceptor, your shield is the blue bar near the green bar. If you are a Colossus, your shield bar is a blue semi-circle around your crosshair that only appears when your shield is drawn. When your shield is not equipped but recharging, you'll still see the blue semi-circle but with a transparency effect that progressively fills up.

So, if a component reads +1000 Armor and you have another item that reads +10% to shields (not just base shields), then your shield effectively has +1100 hp (1000 + 10%). Hope that's clear enough.

• What was that about a health bug?

I've experienced it and so have other people. Not sure whether it affects all javelins or not. As suggested in this thread, remove your components then re-equip them before heading out. Seems to fix it. Pay close attention to your health bar. If it suspiciously looks like the Ranger's, something is up.

• So, this component helps a lot. Two of them even more so. Does that mean the colossus only has ONE build? Are we all gonna run around with nothing but Structural Reinforcements? Are universal components worthless?

No. Let me say it louder:

YES, COLOSSUS COMPONENTS MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. IT DOES NOT MEAN THERE'S ONLY ONE ACCEPTABLE BUILD.

This might feel like it now because we only have two component slots. As discussed in the thread, it's likely that there are some form of diminishing returns. Meaning: at level 30, will you DESPERATELY need 6 Structural Reinforcements that do nothing but boost your health/armor? Seems unlikely unless 1) Bioware messed up the non-demo balance or 2) you consciously choose to focus on that at the cost of variety/other skills.

/u/Thicctim mentioned in this comment right here that they got a blue colossus component that grants 10% damage reduction.

/u/FishermanYellow found this gem, as discussed here:

https://i.redd.it/xpihr4o0n5d21.png

So yes, colossus components are beneficial because they give a shitload of health/armor, but they don't only do that. In fact, looking at that Heavy Assault Augment, I believe a lvl 15 colossus, in the demo, would be perfectly viable with using that and a piece of Structural Reinforcement.

EDIT: And someone's already doing something like it, and it looks badass. /u/Mustangdood has quite a few screenshots of their artillery/long-range build. Here are their two components, including an Autocannon dmg booster I've never seen before.

noice

Once we have access to more slots (and again, just theorizing for the sake of it), it's easy to imagine that four out of six colossus components could be "enough" to handle whatever difficulty level you're at. At that point, if you're comfortable with your health/armor, you could dip into universal components that boost other aspects of your javelin (ammo/health drops/elemental effects/etc.) /u/Arcalane has found a universal component that boosts Flight Time by 10%, which could come in real handy.

For all we know, we'll see colossus builds that choose to sacrifice tankiness (2 out of 6 Structural Reinforcements only) and go for an artillery build (using the 4 remaining slots for Heavy Assault Augments, combined with a a Heavy Cannon or a Railgun that suddenly does +40% damage because of the build...)

• Bullshit. You don't even know that that could be a thing.

Okay, so let's play pretend with 1) the components we've seen so far and 2) ~hacking~ the Gibs--I mean the game to give us 6 slots at level 15. Just roll with it.

You're 15, you got 6 component slots. So, which colossus would you like to be?

1. Ultimate Thiccness: 6 Structural Reinforcements. Stats: +6264 HEALTH. +5520 ARMOR
2. The Autocannon Demon: 6 Autocannon Ammo (with the same mods in the screenshot above). Stats: +4872 HEALTH. +1944 ARMOR. +60% Autocannon damage. (and +30% shotgun, +18% Javelin Effects Resistance)
3. The Chunky Demon Hybrid: 3 Structural Reinforcements, 3 Autocannon Ammo. Stats: +5568 HEALTH. +3582 ARMOR. +30% Autocannon damage. +15% Shotgun damage. +9% Javelin Effects Resistance.
4. The Alien Queen: 6 Heavy Assault Augments (with the same mods as in the screenshot above). Only pwr 17 uncommon, so heads-up. Stats: +4542 HEALTH. +1818 ARMOR. +60% Acid-Spitter damage.
5. No, This Is A Turret: same build as the Alien Queen, but using a Railgun instead. +60% Railgun damage.

And so on. I can think of dozens of other possibilities and builds, mixing and matching different components to fit a specific playstyle. And that's only taking components into account. Once you start looking at the bonuses found on weapons/etc, it gets crazy. And good.

Do note that there could be restrictions in the final game (e.g. you can only equip a set amount of Heavy Assault Augments). Who knows.

• Okay, fine. But can I stand still and tank now?

No, because this isn't [insert MMORPG here] and you don't have a healer keeping you alive. You're your own healer. Repeat it like a mantra: "I am a strong beautiful self-healing badass who don't need no cleric," or something. Pretend you're playing Crackdown or Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Start smashing shit, run around, collect health and ammo. Keep moving. Pull up your shield 1) when an enemy is CLEARLY about to unleash hell on you 2) when you're running through a pack of mobs, knocking 5-10 of them down in one go which means they won't hurt anyone for the next ~5 seconds 3) when you're flying and about to slam down into a group of enemies.

When playing defensively, your shield should be up long enough to soak some damage. When it gets low, find cover and let it recharge. Again, assuming you have the right gear, the shield goes back to full pretty damn fast. I need to run some tests, but it at least feels like it recharges way faster than the auto-shield other javelins have. Use that to your advantage. Taunt some enemies to draw them away from your teammates, let them get mad at you for a few seconds, then get the hell out of dodge. Lower your shield. Wait a handful of seconds, then show yourself again.

Finally, you can use your shield while flying. So uh, do that. Always. Especially when you're in panic mode and need to fly away.

• It feels like I'm doing no damage because I'm always switching between shield and my weapons

One, do not make the mistake I made: you really don't want two main weapons with long reload times. One is fine, but the other should be something you can whip out quickly. Think shotgun or rifle. Why? Because you can't have your shield up and reload simultaneously--at least not manually. See two paragraphs down. (EDIT: apparently the Colossus can't use pistols, so there goes my idea. Thanks to the people who pointed it out.) Anyway: as a general rule, save the slow reloads for when you're in cover and waiting for your shield to charge up.

Second, there are weapons that seem to work particularly well. Lightning Coil is the obvious one: once activated, it keeps doing damage even when your shield is up. Activate the coil, pull up your shield, run into enemies and slam them down/melee attack. Pulling out a flamethrower also combos well with the coil. You can self-combo that way. What does that mean? It means that the flamethrower + coil interaction work in unison and make all the affected enemies go boom. And the boom is an AOE too. Yes, it's as good as it sounds. The railgun is also insane, assuming you can aim for a weak spot and need to do damage from afar.

EDIT: as /u/grayrest and others mentioned in the comments below, Picking up ammo will refill AND reload your weapons. I have just tested this in game. Yes, your weapons will fill up AND auto reload when you pick up ammo. Yes, it does mean that you can use your autocannon for two+ minutes without stopping assuming you get enough ammo. No, seriously**.** Anyway, that's an additional reason to keep running around and picking shit up.

• You mentioned combos. Uhh, how do they work?

Look at this article, friend.

• I don't get how the coil/flamethrower combo works.

Hell, neither do I. Thankfully, /u/AgentHan14 saves the day with this comment:

Another minor note for people who fear the lightning coil won’t proc on an ignited enemy

Lightning coil prioritizes status effected enemies

So if you lit up a single enemy in a crowd of them lightning coil will detonate that one first

So, even though I don't time it well in the video attached to this post, you probably want to use the flamethrower first (assign a status to as many enemies as possible) and then use the coil to detonate them.

• That's boring/I don't have a flamethrower. Any other cool build I can try?

Obviously, the demo limits us quite a lot, but I'd like to recommend shotgun + flak cannon. It's like having two shotguns that hurt a lot. A lot.

Peep this great comment by /u/WolfeXXVII which seems to confirm it.

We also have /u/clark_kent25 who's been using the railgun (I'm a big fan too), melee to set off combos, and the Torrent auto-cannon to f**k snipers' shit up.

Again, familiarize yourself with the concept of primers and detonators.

Other builds, playstyles, and tips HERE, or HERE, or HERE (with screenshots for the last one!).

In short: there is no proof we'll be limited to flamethrower/coil because we already aren't. People are wrecking shit with completely different builds.

• Do I have a panic button of sorts? What do I do when I'm about to die?

Yeah, your ultimate is your get-out-of-jail-free card. You're invincible while using it, and it fully recharges your health. I generally save mine until I'm at ~20% health and my shield's down. At which point I'll use it regardless of whether there's a convenient target or not (although there generally is). There you go, enjoy your complete heal.

• What if I'm low on health, my shield is down, my ultimate isn't up, there's no cover anywhere at all, and I have a headache?

Well, that sucks. Rather than throw in the towel, see if there's a pack of enemies nearby. Jump up, and AOE slam the f**kers. Remember the part where you're your own healer? How else can you heal yourself without attacking? Hopefully they'll drop some health. If not, you tried. I do not recommend this move with full health/shield elites, however.

• If I can't "tank" the "traditional" way, what's the point of the Taunt skill?

I can think of a few things.

1. Drawing enemy aggro while a squadmate gets revived by someone else.
2. Piling up the enemies together so you can AOE smash them easily or pull off a combo.
3. Drawing aggro away from a teammate who's horribly low on health/shield.
4. Pulling enemies to a specific location so you and your squad can unleash hell on them.
5. Grouping enemies together to fire your ultimate and wipe off half the map.

• Any other gear I should look out for?

Yes. Anything that boosts your Shield Recovery and Health Drop Rate. Melee damage if you're feeling beefy enough. Also, I don't have a screenshot loaded up, but I'm fairly certain I have a weapon that increases my armor/shield by 10%, for example. That's...a lot.

• Anything else?

YES. USE SOME DANG CONSUMABLES. If you're asking yourself, "wait, consumables?", look at your menu when preparing to go on an expedition. On the right side, you'll see:

​

You really wanna click that

Click on it, and it'll take you to a consumables sub-menu. I'm not sure how blueprints/recipes work, but I got a bunch. At end-game, we'll have three slots but for now we only have one. They need to be crafted and are only good for one (1) "run" outside the fort. Here's how good they are:

https://i.redd.it/flr7m3p5szc21.png

And another one:

https://i.redd.it/pf9mayj7szc21.png

Enter and hold (or left click and hold) to craft one, assuming you have the required ember. Once done, return to the previous menu and equip it here:

https://i.redd.it/2iqmsfddszc21.png

Congratulations, you now have +10% extra shield, or +10% extra health, or tons of other modifiers. Non-colossus folks reading this: there are quite a few elemental consumables that would be incredible for you.

• Can I finally do the stronghold on hard?

Yeah, assuming the matchmaking doesn't f**k you over. My first stronghold run on medium was a mess because I didn't have the components. Lots and lots of deaths. Since then, I've been running hard exclusively. No problem whatsoever, as long as I remember to not stand still. The colossus is way trickier to play than I expected.

• Um, it's really really shitty that we need to spend a few hours feeling weak as hell until the right components drops. We need to grind world events/the stronghold while being severely disadvantaged. Doesn't that suck?

It does suck, imaginary person who asked me a suspiciously convenient question. I don't think it should be totally excused by the fact that this is a looter shooter. That's one of the changes I'd like to see once the game's released. I think the colossus, when unlocked, should come equipped with at least one common colossus component, or something like that. A hint that shows players, "hey, there's actually something to this beast." Once properly geared, the colossus is a damn monster. I don't see myself going back.

EDIT: As others have said, keep in mind that the current balance is "super different" from the final game. Source:

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https://i.redd.it/m72qjrtm81d21.png

Furthermore, it's also possible that by the time we hit level 4 and unlock the Colossus, we'll already have a couple of common components. If not, I would assume it'll only take a couple of levels (way before level 10) to finally get one.

• Yeah this sounds okay and all, but what does this aggressive, not-a-World-of-Warcraft-warrior colossus look like in practice?

A little something like this. I apologize for the micro-stutters and frame drops. The servers were shitting the bed (as evidenced by the rubber banding, and me getting disconnected not long after the video ends...) and my lowly Geforce 1060 had a hard time coping with recording + running the game. Still, I hope it'll do.

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DO NOT CLICK/WATCH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE WHAT THE SECOND (THIRD?) PHASE OF THE STRONGHOLD LOOKS LIKE. Not a boss fight, but still. Difficulty, in case that matters, is set to Hard.

Also, don't be me. Stay on the objective because it apparently progresses faster when more players remain in the area. I didn't know because I am dumb. Thanks, /u/Bruhahah.

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flames and combos and stutters and bunny hops oh my

Streamable mirror just in case: https://streamable.com/7swli