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Zombie Hunter University, Fairview

Dr. Raglan's Scientific-Minimalist School of Dead Frontier Weapons, Builds & Boss-Hunting

Scientific Minimalist Guide to Dead Frontier Missions: Nastya's Holdout

There are twelve missions at Nastya’s Holdout. Most of them are simple Looting Missions, which can be accomplished with only a low-level Melee weapon. Difficulty, if it exists at all, lies in finding the designated objects (a doll, medical supplies, etc).

There are a few slightly more difficult missions that involve some level of Aggro and/or Grinding; there is also one mission in which students must kill a Burning Zombie. The Grinding Mission benefits from the use of a chainsaw – almost the only Grinding Weapon available to students at this freshmen level. A chainsaw will also help kill the Burning Zombie faster, but a looting weapon with proper stats will do the job if used carefully


WEAPONS & BUILDS

In keeping with the lesson plan for Surviving Dead Frontier 190, we will assume that students level up eleven times at Nastya’s Holdout before moving on to Dogg’s Stocade. This will elevate students to Level 12, giving them 55 stat points and 55 proficiency points to distribute.

At this outpost, students should raise Agility and Critical Hit, to to increase speed and lethality. Students should raise only one Weapon Proficiency, preferably for a Looting Weapon. Students have three options: Pistols, Rifles, or Melee. The latter proficiency has the advantage of enabling students to equip Chainsaws, which can be used for grinding and boss-fighting (assuming stat points are invested in Strength).

Recommended weapons for a Level 12 Build are as follows:

  • PISTOLS:  Webster 1942 revolver
  • RIFLES: SL8
  • MELEE: Iron Pipe and/or Kris
  • CHAINSAW: Ronan Pro

These are not necessarily the most powerful weapons students can equip at this point, but they are the most powerful weapons needed. All of the looting weapons can one-hit-kill any zombie around Nastya’s Holdout, so upgrading to better equipment yields few tangible results. Stronger weapons will dispatch the Burning Zombie more quickly, but they are not necessary; even a Crowbar will do the job.


THE DOLL

  • Goal: Loot a doll
  • Zombies: Normal (Females, Males, Fat Females, Fat Males)
  • Aggro: none
  • Suggested Weapons: Iron Pipe
  • Alternative Weapons: Webster 1942; SL8

Literally, a student merely needs to loot a doll from somewhere in the mission area. Unfortunately, there is no hint as to where it might be; much searching is required.

Perseverance is key here; nothing else.

Use a simple Looting Weapon to kill any stray zombies. An Iron Pipe is sufficient and attracts less attention than the Webster 1942 Revolver or the SL8 Rifle.


THE REUNION

  • Goal: Find Katie’s missing father
  • Zombies: Normal
  • Aggro: mild
  • Suggested Weapon: Kris
  • Alternative Weapons: Iron Pipe; SL8; Webster 1942

Search the mission area to find the missing father; then get him to talk while fending off zombies in the area.

The mission is not complete until the father speaks a few times. He will not speak while zombies are attacking, so it will be necessary to kill any infected who appear nearby.

The zombies show up in groups of twos or threes, not overwhelming hordes, so they can be dispatched with any good looting weapon. An Iron Pipe is good enough, but best of all at this level is the Kris, with its faster striking speed.

Non-Melee users will need a Rifle or a Pistol. The Webster Revolver might be at a disadvantage because of its low ammo capacity, but the SL8 should be effective.


THE HUNGER

  • Goal: Loot three crates of food
  • Zombies: Normal
  • Aggro: none
  • Suggested Weapon: Iron Pipe
  • Alternative Weapons: SL8; Webster 1942

The food crates can be found on trucks that are clearly identifiable and therefore easy to find.

There is little if any aggro. An Iron Pipeis enough to take care of stray zombies.


THE CURE

  • Goal: Loot five blood samples from five Red-Skinned Zombies
  • Zombies: Normal, plus Red-Skinned Zombies
  • Aggro: mild
  • Suggested Weapon: Ronan Pro
  • Alternative Weapons: Kris; SL8; Webster 1942

Students must kill Red-Skinned Zombies and loot blood samples from their corpses. There will be consistent mild aggro. Kill all of them, but only the Red-Skinned ones will drop loot.

At first it may seem there are not enough Red-Skinned Zombies to complete the mission, but they will appear more frequently as time passes.

Use a Ronan Pro to be safe, but a Kris will do the job. The SL8 and the Webster might suffer from their slow firing speeds.


THE SICKNESS

  • Goal: Loot a box of medical supplies
  • Zombies: Normal
  • Aggro: none
  • Suggested Weapon: Iron Pipe
  • Alternative Weapons: SL8; Webster 1942

This is an easy mission. The box of medical supplies can be found on a truck in a parking lot. Fortunately, the truck is easily identifiable.

Zombies will cause little trouble. An Iron Pipe will handle the situation. Using bullets seems a waste.


THE FLAMES

  • Goal: Kill a Burning Zombie and loot a blood sample
  • Zombies: Normal, plus one Burning Zombie
  • Aggro: little except for the Burning Zombie
  • Suggested Weapon: Ronan Pro
  • Alternative Weapon: Crowbar, Shovel, Kris

The Burning Zombie is a fast Mini-Boss that is difficult to kill and deals more damage than other zombies near Nastya’s Holdout.

A Ronan Pro Chainsaw will do the job nicely, thanks to its constant knockback, which provides protection from the Burning Zombie and from any others that get in the way. Circle and grind until the target keels over and drops loot; it should take about a minute and a half.

An Iron Pipe will work, though it may take longer. This is one of the few situations around Nastya's Holdout in which a Crowbar or a Shovel will show improved performance. A Kris offers the advantage of slightly faster striking speed (1.5 hits per second instead of 1 per second).

Pistols and Rifles have the advantage of putting  a little distance between the student and the target, but at this level, students are likely to have sub-par weapons with poor Reloading and weak Critical Hit. (Accuracy will probably be low, too, but that will be a lesser issue since the Burning Zombie will probably be up close most of the time.)

Do this mission as a solo endeavor; otherwise, more Flaming Zombies may appear as other survivors enter the area.


THE RESCUE

  • Goal: Find a survivor and exterminate 20 zombies
  • Zombies: Normal
  • Aggro: moderate
  • Suggested Weapon: Ronan Pro
  • Alternative Weapon: Kris

This is a Search-and-Rescue Mission combined with an Extermination Mission. As in the Reunion, the student must find and talk to a missing person while fending off zombies; but in this case, the student must kill 20 zombies to complete the job.

The aggro will send a small but steady stream of zombies into the mission area. A Ronan Pro will slice through them quickly, and there’s nothing to stop students from killing more than twenty if they enjoy going on a grinding rampage.

A Kris should be fast enough to do the job. Pistols and Rifles might suffer from their slow firing speed.


THE SCIENCE

  • Goal: Loot three boxes of medical supplies
  • Zombies: Normal, lots of them
  • Aggro: moderate
  • Suggested Weapons: Kris and/or Ronan Pro
  • Alternative Weapons: SL8; Webster 1942

Like other missions of this sort, the medical supplies are on trucks that are easy to identify.

Unlike other looting missions, this one features noticeable aggro, especially after all the supplies have been found

A Kris knife should suffice initially, while quietly looting. After that, it is time to fire up the Ronan Pro! Firearms will serve well when looting but not so well when grinding.


THE CLUE

  • Goal: Loot a videotape
  • Zombies: Normal
  • Aggro: non
  • Suggested Weapon: Iron Pipe
  • Alternative Weapon: SL8: Webster 1942

Like “The Doll,” this mission can be dull, since there is no indication of what loot spot might contain the sought-for object. Students  must search everywhere until they find the videotape.

Other than that there is no difficulty. An Iron Pie is all that is needed to complete this mission.


THE SEARCH

  • Goal: Find four civilians
  • Zombies: Normal
  • Aggro: mild
  • Suggested Weapon: Kris
  • Alternative Weapons: Ronan Pro; SL8; Webster 1942

This mission takes place in four different, contiguous areas. One civilian will be in each area.

As in “The Rescue,” the student needs to let the missing persons talk until they finish. One by one the civilians will leave after completing their conversation.

As is the case in missions like this, the personnel tend to clam up when zombies are around, so it may be necessary to clear the area.

A Kris will do nicely, a Ronan Pro for those who enjoy overkill. Firearms should work if stats are in place.


THE CULL

  • Goal: Find Nastya and Exterminate 100 zombies
  • Zombies: Normal , lots of them
  • Aggro: moderate
  • Suggested Weapon: Ronan Pro

This is an all-out Grinding Mission, which requires the student to kill 100 zombies. As in “The Rescue, the student must also hook up with personnel in the area (in this case, Nastya herself) and stand by until she finishes speaking.

Students can achieve these tasks in any order: talk first, then kill; kill first, then talk; or kill some, talk, then kill some more.

 The zombies will come slowly at first, then in swarms that are harder to defeat with Melee or slow firearms. A Ronan Pro is ideal for this mission.

The participating student will receive assistance from Nastya and her cohorts, who will be armed.


THE ANALYSIS

  • Goal: Loot an electronic component from a downed helicopter
  • Zombies: Normal
  • Aggro: none
  • Suggested Weapon: Iron Pipe
  • Alternative Weapons: SL8; Webster 1942

The helicopter is large and easy to find.

There is little or no Aggro is present. An Iron Pipe will suffice for this mission – no reason to bring anything else. Firearms will work, but bullets seems like a waste on such an easy mission.


Scientific Minimalist Guide to Missions: Chapters

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Body Count

1242728