For those who weren't around when the 5th Column were in the game (pics)

[GhostMachine]

I took some pics back when the 5th Column\Council war was going on - they're from a battle in Kings Row. Thought I'd post them because I was in a pick up group the other day with some veterans in it and the subject of the 5th came up while we were talking during rest breaks and a couple people in the group didn't start playing until after they were removed from the game.








That's Freedom Reborn member Vector on my left in the next to last pic (so glad I tweaked my costume since then!), and as you can clearly see the 5th Column looked a LOT better than the Council do.

[MJB]

How exactly did the "war" play out? Where there just certain mobs fighting each other on the maps or what?

Thanks for sharing the pix GM.

-MJB

[GhostMachine]

As I recall, fights between Council and 5th Column forces would pop up at random in certain zones; I remember fights in Atlas, Galaxy and Kings Row for sure, but they were probably fighting elsewhere, too. I believe it was all standard ground forces, too; no vampyri, warwolves, galaxies, mechmen, or other robots, just human troops. And as you can see, some had rocket launchers.

The 5th Column and Council troops would fight each other, but heroes could join in and attack them for xp. However, it would draw the attention of the bad guys, meaning you'd get shot at. You couldn't side with either group, or anything like that, and there weren't any badges or anything. You'd just get the usual rewards for fighting villains.

It lasted for about a week or so, I think. My memory's a little sketchy on all the exact details, because it all happened way before I quit CoH to go play WoW for a year.

You're welcome, Meej.

[Flying_Infant]

I totally miss the 5th.

I hear they're going to make a comeback.


They were a group I could totally get into beating up.

:D

[Uncle Yuan]

Yeah, so why is does everyone seem to get all misty-eyed when talking about the 5th Column?  I don't think I've heard a negative comment.   

[BlueBard]

I'm with you UY... The 5th weren't even around when I started playing.  They -look- virtually identical to the Council, at least at the lower ranks, and I don't know enough to know why they were different.  I thought the Council basically 'borged' them.

So what's the scoop?

[Midnight]

5th Column are Neo-Nazis. Council are vaguely fascist militant italians (put those discriptors in any order).

[Uncle Yuan]

Oh, I understand the *what* they were, I just don't understand why everyone is so flamin' excited about them coming back.

[GhostMachine]

Visually, the 5th Column troops looked a lot cooler than the Council troops. The Council troops are kinda bland.

[Verfall]

Nazi's, Vampires and Werewolves, mixed with giant robots just seems to mesh together better. Plus the 5th helmets looked fantastic when compared to the dullness that is the Council.

The council is very boring. When you see them on the corner shouting for you to join them, it really makes no sense. Why would a quasi fascist military group stand on a corner shouting at you to join them? But, when the nazi's do it, it makes sense. Plus Ubermensch was a  much better bad guy name than Nebula Cor Vonis.

[RTTingle]

Lets see...

"Council.  I hate Paragon City Council."
-Run by with bubble on and knock 'em all off the IP bridges and into the drink.-

Somethings just not right.

"Nazis.  I hate Paragon City Nazis."
-Run by with bubble on and knock 'em all off the IP bridges and into the drink.-

Oh yeah... MUCH better.

RTT

[GhostMachine]

I'm hoping when they return that we don't end up with both the Council and 5th Column as villain groups, but that the 5th make a huge return and wipe out the Council completely. And I've always thought the Council look more like commies than Italian fascists, anyway, which doesn't make sense. (Tell me they don't look like KGB!)

Incidentally, 5th Column bases were pretty much just similar to warehouse maps with some different graphics and 5th Column logos about the place if I remember right, not the huge, cavern bases that the Council have.

[BlueBard]

Bah.  Semantics.  I hate freaking semantics.

Besides, knocking Paragon City Council into the water would be just as fun for me as knocking Council in Paragon City into the water.

[Alaric]

Incidentally, 5th Column bases were pretty much just similar to warehouse maps with some different graphics and 5th Column logos about the place if I remember right, not the huge, cavern bases that the Council have.

Actually, at higher levels, the 5th had those cavern bases, too... at the same levels where the Council have them, now.

As for why everyone misses the 5th Column, it's a combination of the fact that everyone enjoys fighting Nazis and the fact that they just had a more interesting backstory than the Council. Also, all those Council stroy arcs and missions were originally written for the 5th, and were just much more fun in that context.

I guess you had to be there...

[ThePrelate]

I'm all for fighting 5th Column. I loved how they looked, and I'm a big aesthete!

[catastrophe]

Requiem, Vandal and Nosferatu are probably the most underrated villains in this game, id like them to get their own storyline mishs like nemesis:P

Those characters fit The 5th Column a lot better than they do as The Council too.