::::::::: :::: :::: ::::::::: :+: :+: +:+:+: :+:+:+ :+: +:+ +:+ +:+ +:+:+ +:+ +:+ +#+ +:+ +#+ +:+ +#+ +#+ +#+ +#+ +#+ +#+ +#+ #+# #+# #+# #+# #+# ######### ### ### ######### . . : : A guide to surviving DMZ for average, non-sweaty solo operators : : . . I'm generally a pretty passive player, but I often play late at night when it's a total sweatfest on my servers. I like to spend as much time focusing on missions as I can, and I'm not capable of solo wiping an entire team, so these are my tips for surviving the carnage. ---[ Changes ]-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o 27 April 2023 - first cut o 5 May 2023 - fixed typos o 16 June 2023 - updated for Season 4 o 22 June 2023 - changed perspective on shotguns for Vondel ---[ Loadouts ]------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Suppressors are super important to avoid the AI from knowing where you are. An AR, a battle rifle, or a sniper rifle are the best bang-for-buck insured weapons to take in. SMGs have less ammo, and do less damage, so you run out of ammo quickly, which is actually a problem more than you think it'll be, even if you have a munitions box. LMGs are too slow and waste ammo quickly. You could make a case for marksman rifles being a good option. Shotguns are very effective against AI, especially on Ashika Island, Building 21, and Vondel where there are many bots with shotguns to replenish ammo. They're a pretty good way of killing tier 2 and 3 bots faster so they don't waste all of your armor plates. Stims or a spotter scope are the best tactical item to take in. Stims help you get away if you're being shot at, and don't have enough time to put armor plates in. The spotter scope is great for checking if a POI that you're about to rotate to has any enemy teams running around, or for checking if the AI is shooting anyone. Semtex is the most versatile lethal item for fighting AI, for killing riot shield AI in strongholds or other special areas, and for pushing enemy operators aggressively. Claymores are the best lethal item for defending a position against an enemy team if you're outnumbered, and they decide to push you. Just be aware that the AI will shoot your claymores. The Munitions Box is definitely the best field upgrade, especially when doing missions that require fighting a lot of AI - like killing the chemist with the weapon from the Sattiq Caves dead drop. If you have an armor box or a revive pistol from a previous round, those are also worth taking in. You could make a case for Battle Rage being a good field upgrade, but I've never managed to make it work well. Unlocking the second insured weapon slot is a lot easier to do from season 4 onwards - compared to earlier seasons - and can be done by most people with a few hours of gameplay. This is a good thing to prioritise unlocking now. ---[ Survivability ]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The most important thing for survivability is a 3-plate vest. If you've unlocked the ability to barter for them, the comms and stealth vests are both equally great choices for solo operators, but any 3-plate vest is better than no 3-plate vest. There are no downsides, and only upsides. If unable to get a 3-plate vest, then a 2-plate comms or stealth vest are worth looking for. The next most important thing is a self-revive. Extra self-revives or revive pistols are also a great use of your backpack space. Use the spotter scope to check out an area for signs of an enemy team before rotating, e.g. the AI are shooting something. Use a vehicle to quickly rotate through heavily guarded AI areas, like Sattiq Caves, or Al Mazrah City. Using a vehicle for rotating is good practice anyway. In the mid-game, the trains can be a good tool for rotating aswell. Prioritise armor plates in your backpack. ---[ PvP ]------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If a full team is nearby, avoid them as much as possible. When there's no other option, shoot on sight. If you want to join their team, run away, and then send a request to join their team. The key to surviving PvP against a team is putting as much distance between you and them as possible. Vehicles, and tall buildings help with this. Sniper rifles help slow down a team from pushing you. Driving into heavily populated AI areas - like Al Mazrah City - helps delay them, at higher risk to you. Claymores help delay a team from pushing you. If you have to engage with a team, down and finish an operator as quickly as possible, and then get away while they revive their teammate, or while they check for your "teammates". ---[ Exfil ]---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've unlocked personal exfils, and can afford it, buy it. If you can get a Hostage Rescue mission done, do it. Smaller buildings are better and easier as a solo, so cancel on any large buildings. Inspect the building to figure exactly which floor/room the hostage is on before breaching, since there's a timer that starts counting down as soon as you open any door to the building. Use a vehicle when approaching an exfil. Drive around until the exfil chopper arrives. Use the third person view to find any hiding enemy operators. Enemies may also mistake you for a bigger team if they can't see how many people are in your vehicle. Don't be afraid to drive away and try another exfil if another team starts pushing you. Exfil locations in the middle of nowhere have been the safest exfils for me, e.g. on the hills above Sattiq Caves. Any exfil which has lots of high ground covering it is bad, e.g. the southern part of Rohan Oil. Any exfil on top of a building is an easy pick. Place claymores on the ladders/ziplines to help defend your exfil. If the gas is expanding, pick an exfil closer to the gas. Other players generally tend to head to the exfils that are further away. Call in the exfil a few seconds before the gas covers it. The gas will cover the exfil, making it harder and less likely that other teams will push you while you wait. Obviously make sure you have a gas mask for this. Avoid the final exfil as much as possible. Personally I have a very low success rate with surviving the final exfil. So it's best to keep deployments short and sharp. ---[ Other Tips ]----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use any keys you have. Some of my favorite keys for getting 3-plate vests, large backpacks, gold bars, self revives, and other good stuff - while also mostly avoiding AI and other operators - are: 1. Police Academy Server Admin Room 2. Rohan Oil North Guard Shack 3. Special Ops Relay Station 4. Chemical Storage Warehouse 5. Crane Control Room 6. South Eastern Storage Closet 7. SC Soldier's Footlocker 8. Bomb Maker's Supply Cache