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.



alt="" src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/75153">



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!



[video]http://video.tentonhammer.com/co/zones/champions_desert_overview.flv[/video]