Zombie Hunter University, Fairview

Survival Build at Precinct 13 Levels 23-32 (Junior Semester)
STATS	PROFICIENCIES
Strength: 40 + 10 = 50	Melee: 80 + 20 = 100
Endurance: 25 (49)	Pistols: 5
Agility:  95 + 5 = 100 (124)	Rifles: 0
Accuracy: 25 (49)	Shotguns: 30 + 30 = 60
Critical Hit: 45 + 35 = 80 (104)	Machine Gun: 0
Reloading: 25 (49)	Explosives: 0

Recommended Weapons:

• Rifle: Mini-41
• Chainsaw: Grinder
• Melee: Battle Axe/Katana
• Shotguns: Sega-20, Mannberg

Recommended Armour:

• Strength: SN-42

Weapon Progression:

• Raise Shotgun to 45 for the Sega-20
• Melee to 100 for the Battle Axe/Katana and the Grinder
• Raise Shotgun to 60 for the Mannberg

Stat Progression:

• Add 20 to Critical Hit
• Add 10 to Strength for the Grinder
• Add 15 to Critical Hit

Survival Build #4 approximates Critical Build #3 at this point, except it uses Shotguns instead of Sub-Machine Guns. In both cases, students will be doing most of their looting and grinding with Melee and Chainsaw, using Rifles (in this case, Mini-41) to pop dangerous zombies from a distance, and pulling out a grinding weapon to get out of overwhelming aggro situations.

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SURVIVAL BUILD AT FORT PASTOR
ECONOMY & LUXURY VERSIONS

As noted previously, the Economy Version and the Luxury Variation of the Survival Build diverge after reaching Level 33 at Fort Pastor. We will examine both versions, starting with the Economy Version, which is the version that most impoverished students will be able to afford. The Economy progression is designed to minimize investment in expensive armor, weapons, and ammunition. Students with large bank accounts may prefer the Luxury Variation.

Survival Build: Economy Version at Fort Pastor Levels 33-50 (Senior Semester)
STATS	PROFICIENCIES
Strength: 50 + 50 =100	Melee: 100 + 20 = 120
Endurance: 25 + 32 = 57 (81)	Pistols: 5
Agility:  100 (124)	Rifles: 0 + 20 = 20
Accuracy: 25 (49)	Shotguns: 60 + 50 = 110
Critical Hit: 80 + 8 = 88 (112)	Machine Gun: 0
Reloading: 25 (49)	Explosives: 0

Recommended Weapons:

• Melee: Nodachi, Spiker
• Chainsaw: Steel 090, Ripsaw
• Rifle: Sl8
• Shotgun: Sweeper, USAN, AA-12

Recommend Armour:

• Strength: Reative SLX, Reactive XT800, Exterminator Reactive, Exterminator Reactive XT

Weapon Progression:

• Raise Melee to 110 for for Nodachi & Steel 090
• Raise Shotgun to 80 for Sweeper
• Raise Melee to 120 for Spiker & Ripsaw
• Raise Shotgun to 110 for the AA-12

Stats:

• Add 8 to Critical
• Add 12 to Endurance
• Add 30 to Strength for Sweeper
• Add 10 to Endurance
• Add 20 to Strength for USAN-12
• Add 10 to Endurance

At Fort Pastor, Survival Build #4's Economy Version maxes out Strength for Shotguns, caps Critical at 112, and adds remaining points to Endurance.  

With 120 proficiency points in Melee and another 110 in Shotguns, only 20 points are left over for Rifles. Fortunately, the Farmer comes equipped with a Mini-41 rifle, so it is possible to hold off investing those points until this semester. Farmers will have to decide for themselves whether they are comfortable enough with a Mini-41 to forgo the advantages of the SL8 until now. Non-Farmers whose profession does not come pre-equipped with a rifle are advised to acquire an SL8 earlier in the build.

The Economy Version reaches Level 50 with the AA-12, which requires only 110 points in Shotgun proficiency. The  AA-12 is so effective that it is debatable whether the most affordable 120-proficiency shotgun, the Painshot, is an improvement; the more expensive 120-proficiency Shotguns require only 50 points in Strength, so they better fit the Luxury Variation discussed next. 

For these reasons, the Economy Version completes the undergraduate program without a 120-proficiency Shotgun. Fortunately, the AA-12 is an excellent weapon, with as much knockback as a Vulcan mini-gun (though much less DPS). It is more than sufficient near Fort Pastor and continues to perform well in Secronom Bunker.

By Level 50, the Economy Version of the Survival Build is well-suited to the challenges ahead. The equipment may lack long-range firepower against threats in Black and White Zones (not to mention the Wasteland), but graduate students with competent dodging skills will have little trouble upon graduating from Fort Pastor to Secronom Bunker.

Survival Build: Luxury Variation at Fort Pastor Levels 33-50 (Senior Semester)
STATS	PROFICIENCIES
Strength: 50	Melee: 100 + 10 = 110
Endurance: 25 + 75 = 100 (124)	Pistols: 5
Agility:  100 (124)	Rifles: 0 + 20 = 20
Accuracy: 25 (49)	Shotguns: 60 + 60 = 120
Critical Hit: 80 + 8 = 88 (112)	Machine Gun: 0
Reloading: 25 + 7 = 32 (56)	Explosives: 0

Recommended Weapons:

• Melee: Corpse Crusher
• Chainsaw: Corpse Grinder
• Shotgun: Corpse Blaster, Ace Barrel, Buckblast 99
• Rifle: SL8

Recommend Armour:

• Strength: Corpse Carapace
• Non-Strength: Exterminator Mesh GT, Nomad Mesh

Weapon Progression:

• Raise Shotgun to 100 for Corpse Blaster
• Raise Melee to 110 for the Corpse Crusher & Corpse Grinder
• Raise Rifle to 20 for SL8
• Raise Shotgun to 120 for Ace Barrel and/or Buckblast

Stats:

• Cap Critical at 88
• Max out Endurance
• Dump remaining points into Reloading

The Luxury Variation offers a viable - albeit expensive - way to complete a Survival Build without maxing Strength. This somewhat limited option depends on a large outlay of cash for the few high-dollar shotguns that require only 50 points in Strength.

In terms of stat allocation if not expense, the Luxury Variation is easier to achieve than the Economy Version. Capping Strength at 50 makes it possible to max Endurance and add some points in Reloading before Level 50. This will benefit firearms in the long run.

The Strength limitation prevents the use of several Shotguns and Heavy Armours. Fortunately, the limited-edition Corpse Carapace can be equipped with 50 Strength. The big advantage of the Carapace is its 400 Durability, which makes the armour ideal for long trips between outposts, where repairs would be expensive if not impossible. The armour absorbs only 50% in damage (same as the SN-42), but having maxed Endurance, students will be able to withstand enormous damage with this much protection. 

Non-Strength armours are also available, such as the Exterminator Mesh GT, the Nomad Mesh, and the Shinobu Mesh. These armours tend to be more expensive than their strength-based equivalents, but they are still less expensive than the Corpse Carapace.

The Luxury Variation develops Shotgun proficiency more rapidly than the Economy Version, because limited Strength creates a long gap between the 60-proficiency Mannberg and the 100-proficiency Corpse Blaster - a gap that should be filled as soon as possible. Fortunately, there is no delay for stats to catch up with proficiency - the Strength to equip the Corpse Blaster at Level 40 is in place as soon as the Grinder chainsaw is equipped at Level 29. (Compare this to the Economy Version, in which the 100-proficiency USAN was not added until Level 48, because it was impossible to raise Strength to 100 sooner without shorting other stats.) 

Unlike the Economy Version, the Luxury Variation raises Shotgun proficiency to 120 before Level 50, in order to equip the two 120-proficiency shotguns that require only 50 stat points in Strength. In order to do this, it is necessary to use 10 points that were invested in Melee in the Economy Version.

Therefore, the Luxury Variation caps Melee at 110 during the undergraduate program. Fortunately, this limit is hardly noticeable, thanks to the Corpse Crusher and the Corpse Grinder. These 110-proficiency weapons are equal or nearly equal to the Spiker and the Ripsaw. With them in hand, there is no need to raise Melee to 120 until money has been saved for at least a Dual Blade and a Goretooth.

The Luxury Variation's 50-Strength Shotguns lack the knocback of the AA-12, but make up for it with higher DPH and DPS. The Ace Barrel delivers enough Damage Per Hit to work as a single-shot weapon; the Buckblast lives up to its name, with enough Damage Per Second (243) to stand beside the best Sub Machine Guns and Assault Rifles. Either one is strong enough to face the challenges around Secronom Bunker. 

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COMPLETING THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

Upon reaching Level 50, a student acquires the Stat & Proficiency points needed to complete Zombie Hunter University's Undergraduate Program for this build - a necessary requirement for earning Bachelor's Degree in Scientific Minimalism. Graduates may hone their skills in Fort Pastor while finishing up their degree requirements, or they may embark upon advanced studies in Secronom Bunker.

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SURVIVAL BUILD
POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM

After earning a Bachelor's Degree in Scientific Minimalism, students interested in postgraduate studies may pursue a Master's Degree through the next 55 levels. Progress will be much slower, because only 2 proficiency points and 1 stat point are allocated for each new level.

Advancing to Secronom Bunker is a requirement for completing the Master's Program. Graduate students may tarry for awhile at Fort Pastor, developing their build further before embarking for more dangerous climes; however, Level 70 is the absolute latest during which students should remain in the outpost. After reaching Level 71, students will require Level 71 food and medicine, which cannot be found in Orange Zones. At this point, looting in Black and White Zones farther east becomes necessary.  

During the undergraduate program, Scientific Minimalism recommended using the minimum weapon needed to defeat local threats. In Secronom Bunker, however, it is wise to equip the most powerful weapons possible. The two undergraduate versions of this build will be sufficient to loot and grind successfully while adding more expensive weapons and developing the build further.

The following charts showcase the postgraduate development of the Survival Build through Level 105, so that students can see what weapons and stats will be in place upon earning their Master's Degree.

Survival Build: Economy Version at Secronom Bunker Click to See Complete Chart Levels 51-105 (Master's Program)
STATS	PROFICIENCIES
Strength: 100	Melee: 120
Endurance: 57 + 43 = 100 (124)	Pistols: 5
Agility:  100 (124)	Rifles: 20 + 100 = 120
Accuracy: 25 (49)	Shotguns: 110 + 10 = 120
Critical Hit: 88 (112)	Machine Gun: 0
Reloading: 25 + 12 = 37 (61)	Explosives: 0

Recommended Weapons:

• Melee: Dual Blade
• Chainsaw: Goretooth
• Shotguns: Painshot
• Rifles: M1 Garand, Chesterfield, M82A2, Dragon SVD, VSS Vintorez, 577 Rex, Ironsight, Marksman G8

Recommend Armour:

• Strength: Bio Reactive, Tatakau Reactive

Weapon Proficiency:

• Raise Shotgun to 120 for Painshot
• Raise Rifle to 120 for Ironsight

Stats:

• Add 43 to max Endurance
• Dump remaining points into Reloading

Implants:

• 2 Rage Implants
• 2 Survival Implants

During the post-graduate period, the Survival Build's Economy Version continues to raise Endurance while maxing Shotguns for the Painshot, then switches to Rifles, eventually acquiring a VSS Vintorez. 

Meanwhile, students should be carrying at least a Spiker, a Ripsaw, an AA-12, and an SL8. Our clinical trials, performed with volunteers, have proven that this weapon combination can succeed in Black and White Zones. Students will not be able to one-hit-kill the stronger Long Arms and Rumblers in the area, but the silence of Melee is very valuable while looting.

Despite conventional wisdom, Chainsaws can still be used for grinding, though it will be necessary to switch to firearms against exploding zombies. Even if a student is caught in the blast from a Rumbler, high Endurance and Strength Armour will offer sufficient protection to prevent serious injury from a single incident.

The SL8 rifle will not be very effective against the local zombies, but its use will be similar to that seen when students first encountered Small Bloats: wound the exploding zombies almost to death with Melee before stepping back to finish them off with the rifle.

The Painshot has slightly lower DPS than the AA-12. However, the Painshot's slower firing rate uses less ammunition and delivers more Damage Per Hit - enough to function as a single-shot weapon instead of a rifle. The Painshot can provoke agro, but if used carefully, it can finish off Irradiated (i.e., exploding) Rumblers. The trick is getting close enough to deliver all the damage to a single target while staying far enough away to avoid the death blast.

After the Painshot, the Economy Version develops Rifles. Unfortunately, Reloading is so low at this point that when proficiency is in place to swap out the SL8 for an M24, the small clip size seriously impairs the new rifle's usefulness. For this reason we recommend skipping the M24 - the frequent pauses to reload create windows of vulnerability that can be avoided by using rifles with bigger magazines.

Ammo capacity can compensate for low Reloading. The M1 Garand is more powerful than the SL8, but its clip size is almost as small as the M24's. The Chesterfield, M21, and Glacial Warfare (three rifles with same performance but different appearances) offer only slightly larger clip size, but the MG9-9, with 20 rounds, is a must-have upon reaching 60 Rifle proficiency.

Like the M24, the Hawk OP96 suffers from small clip size; its big brother, the M82A2 (same DPH and DPS but more ammo capacity) is worth the extra expense. All high-end rifles (100 proficiency and over) fire enough rounds per clip to work well with few stat points in Reloading.

Implants

Reaching Level 50 opens up four slots to equip implants for the first time. Several different types of implants are available, but as with stats, it is better to focus on one or two capacities rather than three or four. 

In general, we recommend first-generation implants because they are less expensive. For example, a single Violence Implant will increase DPH by twice as much as a Rage Implant, but the Violence Implant cost nearly one hundred times more. You do the math.

We recommend using two Rage Implants and two Survival Implants.

The two Rage implants will boost inflicted damage by 2%, enabling the Dual Blade to one-hit-kill ordinary Rumblers in Red Zones. The Survival Implants will decrease incoming damage by 2% - and this is, after all, a Survival Build.

The same recommendation holds true for both the Luxury Variation.

Survival Build: Luxury Variation at Secronom Bunker Click to See Complete Chart Levels 51-105 (Master's Program)
STATS	PROFICIENCIES
Strength: 50	Melee: 110 + 10 = 120
Endurance: 100 (124)	Pistols: 5
Agility:  100 (124)	Rifles: 20 + 100 = 120
Accuracy: 25 (49)	Shotguns: 120
Critical Hit: (112)	Machine Gun: 0
Reloading: 32 + 55 = 87 (111)	Explosives: 0

Recommended Weapons:

• Melee: Dual Blade
• Chainsaw: Grinder X3
• Rifles: Rebellion, Hawk OP96, M82A2, Corpse Piercer, Marksman G8, Worg Carbine, Longshot

Recommended Armour:

• Strength: Corpse Carapace
• Non-Strength: Shinobu Mesh, Hazard Mesh

Weapon Proficiency:

• Raise Melee to 120 for the Dual Blade & Grinder X3
• Raise Melee to 40 for the Rebellion
• Raise Melee to 110 for the Corpse Piercer
• Raise Melee to 120 for the Marksman G8, Worg, or Longshot

Stats:

• Add 55 points to Reloading
• Alternatively, dump some points into Accuracy, if desired.

Implants:

• 2 Rage Implants
• 2 Survival Implants

After Level 50, max Melee proficiency for a Dual Blade and a Grinder X3; then raise Rifle proficiency to 40 for a Rebellion. Meanwhile, raise Reloading and Accuracy to suit personal preference. Equip two Rage Implants to boost the Dual Blade's DPH to one-hit-kill Rumblers, and two Survival Implants to decrease incoming damage by 2%.

Several mid-level rifles are not shown in the Luxury Variation's weapon progression, because we are assuming that students can afford the 40-proficiency Rebellion, which outperforms subsequent rifles until the 577 Rex and the Corpse Piercer.

The Hawk Op and the M82A2 are included because they deliver more Damage Per Hit than the Rebellion, even though their Damage Per Second is lower because of slower firing speed. They also have the advantage of Very High Accuracy. 

Because of the investment in Reloading, the ammunition capacity of firearms is not as significant a consideration as it is for the Economy version of this build. Though the reloads times are still noticeable, students will be able to use low-capacity weapons, with less concern about safety.

In any case, students should not be spending too much time in the far eastern regions of Fairview. The rational behind the Survival Build is that it allows postgraduate students to live in other areas without concern about looting food (which the farmer produces for himself). Trips to Secronom should be made to purchase inventory as low prices in the marketplace and transport them to other outposts where they can be sold at markup. 

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SURVIVAL BUILD
COMPLETING THE POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM

Level 105 marks the conclusion of the Postgraduate Program in this field, with students earning their Masters Degree in the Scientific Minimalist approach to Dead Frontier.

The Economy Version of the Survival Build should reach Level 105 with a Dual Blade, Goretooth, Painshot, and VSS Vintorez. The Luxury Variation should have a Dual Blade, a Grinder X3, an Ace Barrel or a Buckblast, and a Rebellion.

After Level 105, graduate students with the Economy Version may consider a stat-rest to the Luxury Version when they have earned enough money to afford the 50-Strength Shotguns.

Students using either version of the Survival Build may consider a reset when the equip high-end rifles requiring only 80 stat points in Critical; however, lowering Critical will impair Chainsaws. We recommend sticking with the Survival Build.