User blog:Avix g/Advanced Tactics

Last Updated: 1 June 2017.

Note: This information may not be entirely accurate, particularly as more and more updates occur. Always question whether information is accurate before believing it (contrary to what the government advocates).

I'll assume that you have read my Advice for Starters blog post. If you still have no idea why people keep yelling at you to get off the roof, you shouldn't be here. Anyways, for those of us who want to go from the metaphorical candle to the metaphorical incandescent light bulb, this is for you.

Luring zombies away from the shop.
Is it 5:00 and are the zombies at the door, with only you and a few comrades still alive? Use this tactic to buy another 15 seconds as the sun makes its way above the horizon at its usual leisurely pace. Walk to the zombies at the door, but only close enough for them to sense you. If they catch up to you, you're screwed. Now hold "left shift" and run away from the Shop. Any other zombies still present on the field will be drawn into the horde. Eventually, your stamina will run out and you will slow to an agonizing crawl, at which point the zombies will be glad to have you join their forces. Hopefully, they are far enough from the Shop that they will burn up before they return. You could also pay the $7 500 for zombie bait, but why do that when this is free?

Luring the boss away from the shop.
When the boss locks onto you, your first instinct is to run backwards, right? What if, instead of dragging it towards the Shop, you could drag it away, like with the zombies? Simply walk backwards (towards the Shop) initially, then make a large U-turn and start walking towards the forest (now facing the shop). Oh, and have your highest-DPS gun out to score hits on the boss. You will most likely die, but that's how this game works.

Avoiding dips in firepower.
Ever been on a server where everyone expends their 108 pistol shots, then walks to the ammo box simultaneously? When you turn around, the zombies are in your face. What if you could always have one person fending off the undead horde at all times? To do that, delay your shooting until about 15 seconds after the first zombie appears. Now you can be the star as everyone goes off to refill their guns, at least until you die. Temporary dip or permanent dip? Your call.

Having one player on wraith duty.
Wrai-what? They appear starting from night 11. They are black, translucent embodiments of darkness who sneak up behind you and kill you. How do you avoid this? Designate a player to stand on the highway to check the tunnels every two seconds and gun down any shadows that appear. You don't need your highest DPS player in this role, but you also don't want your pistol noob here either. Here's one important fact though. The wraith guy can only do its job if it doesn't need to worry about zombies at the front. If its attention is diverted for even a second, everyone dies.

Specializing in different areas.
Darwin's finches seem to have done well applying this concept. Except here, you're not deciding whether to eat plants or humans. You're deciding who's at the front, who's laying down mines, who's ADC, etc. I already talked about the wraith guy earlier, but planning and strategy is key to success.

Knowing when to use laser weapons.
"Lasers! Cool! I want!" Turns out that laser weapons aren't exactly the best for every situation. They are expensive, generally have low DPS, and can only be bought or upgraded once every 5 days. As a general rule of thumb, only use laser weapons when the ammo box is maxed but there's not enough ammo to feed another Minigun.

Choosing upgrades wisely.
"Oh great. First perks, now this?". Yeah, this. I'm sure all upgrades will come in handy at one point or another, but some tend to be more useful than others. Experimentation and asking around will help you decide what upgrades are worth it.

Not prioritizing shop health upgrades.
No matter how many 2" x 4"s you nail on the windows, it won't last from dusk 'till dawn. You know what that money could be spent on? Things that stop zombies before they get there. Guns(duh), mines, molotovs, etc. I know what you're thinking...

Knowing the purpose of the barricade.
While zombies don't have grapeshot, their slashes seem to do a respectable amount of damage to walls haphazardly placed by a band of people with a common goal. The barricade's effective life is around 3 seconds. Maybe 4 if maxed. It is mainly to hold off zombies for a few seconds while you reload, not to be a wall you sit behind for the entirety of the night. Barbed wire is cool, but it doesn't really have much effect. Zombies do so little damage compared to their health that it would take ages for them to die from barbed wire.

"Do you hear the people sing? Singing the songs of angry men. It is the music of a people who- oh **** it's a wrai-" *dies*

Obtaining survivability enhancements.
They say that the best defense is a good offense. Unfortunately, the best offense in the world won't help you if you're reloading and a wraith sneaks up on you. Introducing body armour. This funny looking piece of Kevlar will give you enough time to reload your weapon and kill that embodiment of darkness before dying. While body armour should be first priority, First Aid Kits and the Equilibrium perk are also available. Also, if wraiths are getting through, you should probably fire your wraith guy.

Final thoughts.
Congratulations! You are well on your way to carrying the entire server of noobs! Actually, if one thinks about it, the people on your side of the road and the people on the other side of the road are quite similar. They have no brains, no organization, walk aimlessly around, and haven't read my blog posts. This begs the question:

"Who are the real zombies?" - Avix_G

In the real world, well-trained soldiers tend to be more likely to survive. Hopefully, this applies to The Final Stand 2 as well.