Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

Heroes unite! With jaw-smashing gusto, Champions Online allows users to enter a world of true good versus evil struggle. By donning your tights (or oiling your robotic legs), your hero ventures forth into the Champions Online universe to strike fear into the hearts of evildoers everywhere. Ten Ton Hammer is here to help guide your hero on his journey for justice. This article will focus on the Southwest Desert zone in the game, and will provide a brief overview of the zone.

The Southwest Desert is, not surprisingly, a desert. In addition, nuclear tests had been conducted in the area for over half a century, and toxic waste is found throughout the area. Even worse, people have become mutated by exposure to said toxic waste and radioactive fallout. When you first enter the Southwest Desert, it will be labeled Crisis in the Desert. During the crisis, the Project Greenskin area is overrun by irradiated foes. Your vendors and mission givers are located within the base, accessible only by elevator. Once you have completed the villain, Gigaton, in the Radiation Domination mission, the map will change. Project Greenskin is now a safe area and the vendors and mission givers are spread throughout the area.

Within the Southwest Desert, there are a number of interesting locations (called ‘neighborhoods’ in CO) that vary wildly by level. We’ll glance at each one briefly, giving you the level range the neighborhood is for, and noting if there is a respawn point located at the neighborhood.



Project Greenskin
Respawn: Yes
Level: 5-9 (Crisis)/9-13
This area serves as your base camp for the zone. Located here is the transport to the Canadian Wilderness and Millennium City, crafting vendors, a tailor, and the Powerhouse (the facility in which you train your new levels). Your foes in this neighborhood are the run of the mill irradiates, people who have succumbed to the toxic nature of the desert.

Burning Sands
Respawn: No
Level: 7-9
This hunk of blistering desert lies just north of Project Greenskin, where the good forces of Primus are doing their best to hold back the irradiated horde. Typical foes here are more irradiates such as Crazed Irradiates and Weakened Irradiates. Basically, Project Greenskin missions will lead you here to begin with.

Burnside
Respawn: Yes
Level: 9-10
An old west ghost town that has literally become a town full of spooks, Burnside has had a dark force to arise that has caused the spirits of the area to walk again. Spectral gunslingers will do their best to fill you full of holes. Foes here include Restless Ghosts, Lonesome Ghosts, Doomed Souls, and Cursed Ghosts. This area is darn cool, in my opinion.

Atomic Wasteland
Respawn: Yes (the respawn point is actually just east of Burnside over the mountain)
Level: 10-12
A toxic area choked with green glowing pools of atomic waste and littered by old trailers and vehicles, the Atomic Wasteland zone is populated by more irradiates and mutants. Prowling among the old missiles and exposed warheads, you can find Crazed Irradiates, Radiation Eaters, Atomic Animators, Irradiate Projectors, and Grondlings (vicious mutant beasts).

Snake Gulch
Respawn: Yes
Level: 18-19
This is my favorite neighborhood in Southwest Desert. Snake Gulch is an amusement park populated by robot cowboys. Yes! Robotic Cowboy! Sadly, most of them have become evil (don’t you hate it when robots go crazy?) and need to be put down. Located in the saloon is a vendor, Bargainin’ Bill, who will sell you some action figures in exchange for some Snake Gulch Snakebucks. Enemies that are willing to do a Yul Brynner (a Westworld reference for you youngsters) on you are Ranch Hands, Singing Cowboys, Townsfolk, Cowboys, Sassy Saloon Lassy, Sheriff’s Deputies, and Hangmen. It’s high noon in Snake Gulch, so be prepared to slap leather!

Project: Stein Viper Nest
Respawn: No
Level: 20-21
A large base complex run by VIPER, this neighborhood is chock full of foes. The purpose of this base is to create mutant monstrosities similar to Grond (a huge behemoth that rampages throughout the zone), but with the added benefits of actually being stronger, but able to be controlled by VIPER. The forces found here include gun batteries, Anaconda Tanks, Soldiers, Squad Leaders, Brickbusters, Demolitionists, and Infiltrators.

Area 51
Respawn: No
Level: 24-25
This once secret US military base has been taken over by the evil group known as VIPER. They are using this area as a base to investigate the nearby alien crash site. The enemies here include higher level versions of ones found back at Project: Stein Viper Nest, with the addition of Powered Armor troops and Adder Technicians. Keep an eye out for a rampaging Qularr Swarmlord, who fights the troops of VIPER.

Qularr Crash Site
Respawn: No
Level: 24-25
This neighborhood is the site of a crashed Qularr space ship. Roaming around the outer edges of the crash site are the forces of VIPER, but closer to the ship are the alien Qularr. The Qularr present include Swarms, Drones, Bugkeepers, Firebugs, and Invasion Leaders. Keep a can of bug spray with you at all times when visiting this area!

Stronghold Prison / Devil’s Head Mesa
Respawn: Yes (at Devil’s Head Mesa)
Level: 24-25
Stronghold Prison was built to hold the most dangerous of criminals, supervillains. Touted to be the most secure and escape proof prison in the world, Stronghold Prison has, alas, not lived up to its reputation. There are hordes of escaped prisoners roaming the area along with guards that have been taken over. Devil’s Head Mesa is the area just south of the prison where the forces of law and order are attempting to contain the jailbreak. Enemies include: Mind-Controlled Riot Guards, Elemental Inmates, Mind-Controlled Prison Guards, Belligerent Inmates, Mind-Controlled Sergeants, Feral Inmates, Custody Supervisors, Psionic Masterminds, Contract Killer Prisoners, and Techtinkers.

You’ll notice that there are some gaps in the levels for the various neighborhoods. The zone was not meant to play in continuously. You’ll be hopping back and forth between Southwest Desert, Millennium City, and Canadian Wilderness as you level up. In addition, there are three Open Missions in this zone: Hang ‘Em High (Burnside), Asciing For Trouble (Snake Gulch), and Nadir of the Invaders (Qularr Crash Site). The level for each open mission is the same as the area in which it takes place.

Well, there ya go. A quick overview of Southwest Desert, a toxic waste filled paradise crawling with mutants, robotic gunslingers, aliens, escaped prisoners, and minions of an evil organization bent on world domination. Good times! Hopefully, this guide will help you as you bring justice to this parched land.

To help you out, here's a flyover video of the Southwest Desert. Enjoy!