Zombie Hunter University, Fairview

MOTHER PROFILES

The Mother is a contradiction. Slower than the Titan, she should be easier to kill; yet her lack of speed keeps her protected behind a layer of aggro, making it harder to inflict damage from a distance.Strategy need to be adjusted accordingly. Also, she explodes upon death, making it necessary to withdraw to safety and deliver the kill-shot with a firearm.

As with most bosses, there are two types of Mothers. Their info is contained in the chart below.

FIND A FENCE

Suggested Minimum Weapons:

• SL8 or M1 Garand or higher rifle
• Kolt Anaconda or Alpha Bull pistols

When executing the Find-a-Fence strategy, remember to stand well away, in order to avoid projectile vomit.

Be prepared to handle aggro, which will occasionally escape from behind the fence. Don't become so distracted by aggro as to walk into the path of the Mother's vomit.

CIRCLE & GRIND

Suggested Minimum Weapons:

• Steel MS800 or Sabre
• SL8 or M1 Garand
• Kolt Anaconda or Alpha Bull

To execute the Circle-and-Grind strategy, try to lure the Mother into a field or some other partially enclosed area, which will keep out a portion of the aggro. We recommend that Melee-Chainsaw students use a Steel MS800; though it is possible to defeat a Mother with a Sabre (it just takes a while), the chainsaw will more easily cut through any aggro that intercedes. Just remember to retreat to a safe distnace before delivering the kill-shot, thus avoiding close proximity to the Mother's explosive demise.

Like the Titan, the Mother will foreshadow her death by losing her limbs. The sequence is usually one arm, then her head, then the other arm. After the second arm has fallen off, it is safe to risk a few more strikes from the MS800 or the Sabre, but after that, move away to finish her off with an SL8.

Students using firearms have the advantage of being able to strike from a distance. Rifles have an additional advantage over Pistols in that they have better Accuracy. The difficulty is shooting the Mother through the protective layer of smaller zombies surrounding her.

Another concern is that, while outrunning the surrounding aggro, it is possible to outrun the Mother as well, making it necessary to circle around the block and find her again - and she probably will not be conveniently waiting at her last known location.This is another reason the find-a-fence method beats a running firefight in open streets.

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ANTI-BURNING MOTHER STRATEGIES

Though the Burning version of the Mother lives longer and inflicts more damage, her slightly faster speed makes her, ironically, easier to kill. She can keep up with and sometimes surpass the surrounding zombie hordes, making herself a better target for single-shot firearms such as rifles and pistols. This enables the use of a Run-and-Shoot Strategy - basically, Run-and-Strike but from a safe distance, using a single-shot firearm.

RUN AND SHOOT

Suggested Minimum Weapons:

• SL8 or M1 Garand or higher rifle
• Kolt Anaconda or Alpha Bull pistol

Alternative Weapon Suggestions:

• 577 Rex, Ironsight rifles

Keep walking around the perimeter of the area. Tight alleys or streets with narrow paths (between obstacles such as blocked cars) work better, because the Burning Mother will wedge her way through them, trapping other zombies behind her.

As long as there is a clear view of the target, weapons with Very Slow Firing Speed (the 577 Rex and the Ironsight) work well and save  ammunition. It is even possible to shoot the Mother when she is off screen, directing firepower toward the projectile vomit or simply in the last direction she was seen.

No matter how well this strategy is executed, from time to time aggro will surround the target. A firearm with Slow or Average speed (1.5 shots per second and 2 shots per second, respectively) will be fast enough to clear small groups of zombies.

A Machine Gun or a Shotgun with good DPS may be necessary to dispel larger crowds. Knocking the zombies around is not enough; they need to be exterminated so that remaining ammunition can be directed at the Burning Mother.

How much DPS is needed for grinding weapons will depend on the color of the zone in which the Burning Mother appears. In Yellow Zones, a Chicago Typewriter is enough. In Black Zones, a Heavy Machine Gun or a Mini-Gun is preferable.

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