JayZ's NML strategy compendium

JayZ

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IMPORTANT UPDATE
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As many of you heard, I am retiring from the game and unfortunately did not have time to keep this post up-to-date over the last few months. Many of the resources and tips here will still be helpful for beginners learning how traits work, but unfortunately it does not incorporate information about newer heroes such as Mercer or Yumiko, or how to use Tools and Supports strategically. I wish I had more time, but it has been a blast and I hope this has helped.

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IMPORTANT UPDATE
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Hey everyone!

I've been sharing tips and videos on various chat mediums (Line, Slack, Discord, GroupMe) for a while now. I wanted to compile some of the tips I've shared to hopefully help the broader community out (and also because I'm getting tired of retyping the same things, lol).

Most of this advice is tailored towards middle level players trying to figure out what to prioritize or higher level players looking to take their game to the next level. I started the game a REALLY long time ago, so I don't have particularly good advice on how to build your camp because it has been a long time since I've had to do that.

1. Links to Challenge and Distance videos
2. General tips for succeeding in the Challenge and Distance
3. How to use survivors and what their ideal traits are
4. Suggested hero guide
5. Badging strategy
6. My favorite team combinations
7. Advanced guide to melee survivors
8. Advanced guide to ranged survivors
9. Helpful pictures and diagrams

Hope this is helpful! Any ideas for future posts are more than welcome. Also, if you have comments or recommendations on my posts, I'd love to hear them so that I can incorporate other advice and perspectives.

JayZ

Links to Challenge and Distance videos

My videos for (almost) every Challenge and every Distance set can be found at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSePrANMyf_S_YKJyfJodg/playlists

When I have time, I will organize the playlists in this forum post as well so you can find things more easily.

Challenge playlists

Distance playlists

Set 1
- Nightmare - Uploaded January 2021
- Uploaded December 2019 (NO LOSSES)
- Uploaded June 2019
- Uploaded December 2018
- Uploaded April-June 2018

Set 2
- Nightmare - Uploaded December 2020
- Uploaded January 2020 (NO LOSSES)
- Uploaded June 2019
- Uploaded December 2018
- Uploaded May 2018

Set 3
- Nightmare - Uploaded December 2020
- Uploaded January 2020 (NO LOSSES)
- Uploaded July 2019
- Uploaded January 2019
- Uploaded June 2018

Set 4
- Nightmare - Uploaded February 2021
- Uploaded December 2019 (NO LOSSES)
- Uploaded June 2019
- Uploaded January 2019
- Uploaded August 2018

Set 5
- Nightmare - Uploaded December 2020
- Uploaded December 2019 (NO LOSSES)
- Uploaded August 2019
- Uploaded January 2019

Set 6
- Nightmare - Uploaded January 2021
- Uploaded February 2020 (NO LOSSES)
- Uploaded August 2019
- Uploaded January 2019
- Uploaded September 2018

JayZ

General tips for succeeding the Challenge and the Distance

Last updated: December 4, 2019

If you're a player looking to push yourself to finish another round or two in the Challenge, or looking to finish the Distance for the first time, you've come to the right place!

General tip: Keep zombies away so that you don’t get overwhelmed. There are a lot of ways to do this...
- Threat Reduction. This is a trait that can be found on Scout weapons. On maps with a countdown to zombie spawn waves, this trait can reduce the threat so that fewer zombies spawn. Michonne’s leader trait also allows for this, and is very compatible with a Scout team. (Example: Suburbia 43.1 or Blow It Up 47.2)
- Spawn Blocking. On many maps, walkers spawn in certain locations. On some maps, they can be either blocked so that zombies don’t spawn (Example: Suburbia 43.1) OR anticipated (Example: Abandoned Camp 48.2) so that you can avoid dealing with them. Try to pay attention and experiment with this at lower levels.
- Stun walkers with Bruisers or Assaults. Bruiser attacks and Assault charged attacks have the ability to stun most walkers. This can create protection for your team. (Example: Armored Force 49.1 or The Archives 48.2)
- Stun walkers with Hunter’s (or Shooter’s) Critical Aim trait. Critical Aim allows you to stun walkers and has the highest chance of activating on a critical hit, so it works best with a leader like Sasha who can charge up your survivors. This can be a huge game changer at high levels. (Example: Approaching Horde 38.2)

All about walkers
- Know how far walkers move. Walkers can move two spaces in any direction (including diagonal - be very careful about diagonal movement because walkers can move farther than you would expect). When you have weapons such as the Dragon's Tongue, Winter Bow, Kingdom Spear, etc., putting your survivor in the right position can make a huge difference. (Example: The Breach 39.1)
- Know how far walkers move, part 2. Walkers can move THROUGH another walker to attack you. If you have Assaults and Bruisers to stun an initial line of walkers, you can block the path of walkers in the back by positioning your survivors strategically. (Example: The Archives 48.2)
- Know who walkers attack first. Walkers will always attack survivors that are directly next to them (left, up, right, down) before attacking a survivor that is diagonal. If there are multiple survivors directly adjacent to a walker, they will attack your survivors in the order of your team selection screen. Knowing this can be super helpful when you are deciding on the order of your non-leader survivors, or when deciding where to place your survivors next to a tank walker. (Example: The Archives 48.2)
- Know when walkers move. Like your own survivors, walkers have an order turn. The closest walker will always move first, followed by the next closest, etc. If you have survivors with Revenge and Retaliate, you might kill the closest walker only to leave an open gap for the next one to come attack you.
- Walkers have three different statuses: Stationary, Wandering, and Aggressive. Stationary walkers do not move, and will not move unless you get close to them and alert them (shown by a white icon over their heads). Wandering walkers walk around aimlessly, until they are close to one of your survivors, and then they become Aggressive. Aggressive walkers are those that are aware of your survivors and will move to attack them.

Advanced tips for middle/high level players
- You don't need to kill everything. While it's tempting, sometimes it's best to just survive. Using Bruisers and Assaults to stun and hold off walkers while you're opening a gate is sometimes a better strategy than trying to kill everything that comes your way. (Example: Woodbury 46.1) Alternatively, on certain maps, you can just run for the crates or exit. (Example: The Getaway 49.2, Train Wreck 50.2, or Lost Bunker 49.2)
- Know when to struggle. Sometimes, maps are hard and you will get one star. That’s okay. Use that to your advantage. Accept that you will be in a struggle and CONTROL it. Let it happen when you want it to happen, not at an inopportune time. Have an exit plan to get out of that struggle. (Example: Closing Time 48.2 or Sanctuary 50.1)
- Don’t be afraid to “waste” a turn. Sometimes, taking a turn to block a spawn, get your survivors into a good position, etc. is better than rushing into things. Patience is a virtue! (Example: Suburbia 43.1 or Parking Lot 43.1)
- Use your environment to your advantage. Exploding walkers can drastically simplify some maps. You may bring non-traditional teams that are useful for a particular map. (Example: M.A.S.H. 50.1 or All Around The Watchtower 50.2)
- Use half movements to your advantage. When you don't have Daryl as a leader, a full movement past a walker could trigger an attack. A half movement allows you to walk up to the walker and then past them without a potential attack.
- Overwatch is great: You can use it to (1) stun/stop a walker moving towards you if you have a Bruiser or Interrupt on your gear, (2) avoid creating threats with ranged survivors, (3) keep your team in an advantageous setup or position, and/or (4) attack with two space melee weapons (Kingdom Spear, Dragon's Tongue, etc.) without getting hit.

Challenge-specific tips
- With the introduction of Master Missions, consider playing the Master Mission to finish a round. Sometimes, the Master Mission might be an easily repeatable map that can be more easily completed than grinding through all six individual challenge maps. (Example: Through The Wire 48.1).

Distance-specific tips
- Use early missions (first 7-10 mission) to charge up your survivors. I typically focus on Scouts and Shooters (to kill things) and Assaults and Bruisers (to stun things).
- In the middle missions (next 3-7 missions), try to get as far as you can with minimal losses. Your best survivors can usually help you get through these missions if you play it safe.
- For players that do not consistently beat the Distance, once you get to the hardest missions, your goal will be to work through the missions slowly.
- Don't be afraid to run. If you're a newer player, your survivors and your badges may not be perfect yet. Sometimes, it's better to flee and sacrifice one survivor so that you don't lose all three. (Example)
- Along the same lines, note that any enemies that you kill that originally spawned at the beginning of a mission will NOT be there the next time you replay the mission. This can help you slowly chip away at a map. (Example)
- Also, any progress you make on a gate will stay for the next round. So you can go in a few times and work on opening the gate for a few turns each run. (Example)
- Proper sacrifice of one survivor can save the others. When a survivor goes down, all walkers near him will run to feast... Use this to your advantage in tough situations, drawing enemies away and buying you time. (Example)
- Against humans and high level special walkers, use fire to your advantage. (Example)
- Keep your best survivors alive. Sasha and Scout Rick are useful in almost every situation because they help grant additional charges. They are two of the best leaders and can make a huge difference.
- Know what’s coming. If you’re really serious about completing the difference, it helps to know what maps are ahead and what types of survivors you might need. Watch videos to get an understanding of mission objectives, number of walkers, best strategies, etc. Sacrifice survivors strategically so you can keep your best survivors around for the toughest missions.

JayZ

How to use survivors and what their ideal traits are

Last updated: December 3, 2019

I am primarily viewing this from the perspective of high-level Distance and Challenge play (NOT Outpost or Guild Wars), so more PvZ than PvP combat.

Without further ado, my thoughts are below. I categorized traits into three groups and ordered traits from most valuable to least valuable within each group. I also provided a brief description of how I primarily use each class.

Hunters: light things on fire and weaken/kill lines of walkers. Great to use with Sasha.
- Must-have traits: Revenge, Ruthless, Lucky, Critical Aim, Marksman
- Nice-to-have traits: Sure Shot, Vigilant
- Useless traits: Retaliate, Dodge, Iron Skin, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

Assaults: stun large groups of walkers. Great to use with Sasha.
- Must-have traits: Revenge, Retaliate, Iron Skin, Lucky, Dodge
- Nice-to-have traits: Marksman
- Useless traits: Defensive Stance, Ruthless, Sure Shot, Vigilant, Bullet Dodge

Shooters: deal massive amounts of critical damage to targets from a safe distance. Great to use with Sasha, but also the most versatile of the ranged survivors because the Winter Bow allows you to pair them with melee survivors.
- Must-have traits: Marksman, Revenge, Ruthless, Lucky
- Nice-to-have traits: Sure Shot, Critical Aim, Vigilant
- Useless traits: Retaliate, Dodge, Iron Skin, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

Bruisers: stun walkers and absorb damage. Must-have survivors beyond RSL40.
- Must-have traits: Punish, Retaliate, Iron Skin, Dodge, Lucky
- Nice-to-have traits: Defensive Stance
- Useless traits: Power Strike, Strong, Vigilant, Ruthless, Follow Through, Bullet Dodge

Warriors (balanced): weaken large groups of zombies, perform crowd control, and take some hits. Generally preferable to use Scouts and Bruisers, but can be useful with the right class bonus.
- Must-have traits: Iron Skin, Lucky, Strong, Dodge
- Nice-to-have traits: Retaliate, Ruthless, Power Strike, Follow Through
- Useless traits: Vigilant, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

Warriors (crit damage): kill large groups of zombies with wider arc than Scouts. Generally inferior to Scouts in almost all situations, but can be useful with the right class bonus.
- Must-have traits: Strong, Power Strike, Ruthless
- Nice-to-have traits: Lucky, Follow Through, Vigilant
- Useless traits: Dodge, Retaliate, Iron Skin, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

Scouts (threat reduction): be able to take a few hits and primarily focus on killing normal walkers to reduce threats. I treat Huntsman Daryl as this type of Scout.
- Must-have traits: Iron Skin, Lucky, Strong, Dodge
- Nice-to-have traits: Retaliate, Ruthless, Power Strike, Follow Through
- Useless traits: Vigilant, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

Scouts (crit damage): fuck up all anything that moves with massive amounts of crit damage (glass cannons). Pair with Bruisers which can better absorb damage.
- Must-have traits: Strong, Power Strike, Ruthless
- Nice-to-have traits: Lucky, Follow Through, Vigilant
- Useless traits: Dodge, Retaliate, Iron Skin, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

JayZ

Suggested hero guide

Last updated: February 5, 2021

The purpose of this post is to help people prioritize which heroes they should spend their radios on, upgrade, and reroll traits.

This is one of the toughest guides because players have different amounts of resources, so it might be difficult for some to get lots of reroll tokens and hero tokens for upgrades. I've tried my best to make it easier for you. I try not to go too deep into details about traits or badges, because this is discussed in other posts, only sharing details if it is different from what you would normally expect. I briefly mention how much rerolling is necessary to improve the traits, but I mostly focus on how leader traits might be helpful.

Must have heroes
- Sasha (some rerolls): At high levels, charge points are one of the most important factors in succeeding on missions. Sasha's leader trait gives you the ability to build extra charge points without killing things. This can help Bruisers/Assaults create stun walls, or get your Scouts/Shooters/Hunters charged up more quickly to take out enemies.
- Scout Rick (okay as-is): See note above about why charge points are important. Rick allows you to pass charges back-and-forth and also gives a nice boost to your charged attack damage.
- Scout Daryl (okay as-is, can be rerolled): Leader trait not only gives you the opportunity to conduct extra attacks, but it also lets you run away from zombies and get to exits unharmed. At very high levels, Prowl can actually do significantly more damage than a regular attack!
- Beta (some rerolls): Unique leader trait that can make many maps a LOT easier if you have the patience/strategic ability to plan ahead.
- Eugene (requires significant rerolls): Amazing leader trait for survivability by reducing critical hits and stuns. Maximize dodge, damage reduction, health, and hazard suit on this guy, and he will take you far. Getting his leader trait to level 7 is super important.
- Bruiser Glenn (some rerolls): Leader trait gives you potential charges at the beginning of a map. Although the boost is only at that beginning, having those extra charges to clear out walkers near the starting area can be a huge difference maker.
- Rufus (requires significant rerolls): Rufus's leader trait allows him to be very useful when paired with Sasha and another Assault in maps with short spawns, but he needs 3 out of 4 traits to be rerolled. For players with less resources, you are better off using Abe and a regular non-hero Assault, but Rufus is the best Assault in the game because of his leader trait.
- Yumiko (some rerolls): Hands down the best Shooter in the game now. Pairs really nicely with Sasha and Princess/Shane.
- Shane (okay as-is, can be rerolled): Unique leader trait can deal massive amounts of damage. Can be used to take down large clumps of special walkers if timed correctly.
- Princess (some rerolls): Unique leader trait that provides bonus chances for charging. Can be a good substitute for Sasha in the Distance when Sasha falls. Very good as an Assault with Sasha because of high charging chances. Also synergizes really well with Yumiko.

Good heroes with minimal investment (the useful heroes)
- Abraham (some rerolls): Great leader trait, and a good default set of traits to be a balanced Assault that can be used for offense and defense. End-gamers should focus on giving him similar traits and badges as Bruisers to pair him with Sasha.
- Alpha (okay as-is, can be rerolled): Good leader trait and great set of base traits.  Pairs really well with Sasha on some maps. Is great for rushing in, setting fires, and then backing out using her leader trait.
- Michonne (okay as-is, can be rerolled): Her leader trait makes her the perfect fit with a melee team. Her traits are already great, and does not need more adjustment. However, end-gamers may want to consider changing her traits to be the same as Scout Rick.
- T-Dog (some rerolls): Leader trait allows him to Punish twice. He should be your third best Bruiser, after Eugene and RGG.

Good heroes with minimal investment (the less useful heroes)
- Bruiser Morgan (some rerolls): Great leader trait for maps where you know you will be taking some damage because you get charges from those attacks.
- Shooter Rick (some rerolls): With his reworked leader trait, Shooter Rick is now a fairly decent Shooter (although Shooters still kind of suck).
- Hilltop Maggie (some rerolls): Any leader trait that gives extra action points is always helpful! She is great in maps with lots of special walkers/freemen or Outpost raids.
- Aaron (okay as-is): Now the second best Shooter in the game. His leader trait will allow him to do more damage than any other Shooter you could have, and his original traits are quite good!
- Gabriel (okay as-is, can be rerolled): Gabriel's leader and survivor traits make him a great candidate to be a more tanky Scout. Give him balanced badges, and have him absorb hits if you send him out with glass cannons like Rick.

Heroes with good leader traits but needs significant rerolls
- Jesus (requires significant rerolls): Jesus's leader traits and base stats make him a great candidate to be a glass cannon, pure offense Warrior equipped with the Dragon's Tongue. However, 3 out of his 4 traits need to be rerolled.
- Carol (requires significant rerolls): Similar to Jesus, Carol has a great leader trait (especially if you use her as a Prowling teammate) to be a glass cannon, but she needs several rerolls to get the right traits.
- Scout Glenn (requires significant rerolls): Unique leader trait that can make searching for clues and opening gates a LOT easier. People have divided opinions on whether he should be built defensively or offensively.
- Beth (requires significant rerolls): Leader trait is underwhelming, and she will likely not be better than HD or Rick, so she is relegated to third Scout status.

Useful in certain situations heroes
- Tara (some rerolls): Pair her leader ability (heal when using charged attacks) with Bruisers to stay alive longer in certain maps where you have to open gates, kill a special walker, etc. Badge her defensively and reroll traits to include: Lucky, Iron Skin, and Dodge. Revenge can sometimes be counter-productive.
- Carl (some rerolls): Can be a fantastic Outpost defender if you give him a flaming pistol and reroll his traits to be: Lucky, Retaliate, Revenge, Iron Skin. Way more of a luxury than a necessity.
- Hunter Daryl (some rerolls): Not bad for newer players because it's so easy to accumulate tokens for him.
- Sniper Morgan (requires significant rerolls): His leader trait, in combination with Vigilant/Retaliate/Revenge allows him to do massive damage against human enemies. I like to badge him with three damage and three DR and use him in GW maps with human enemies.
- Governor and Maggie: This is somewhat obvious. These guys are good for farming and building up your camp. Do not recommend you invest a lot in them as their tokens are easy to come by.
- Rosita, Merle, Dwight, Negan: These heroes will never be very useful in real missions, but they are not bad to toss in as Outpost defenders. Do not recommend you invest a lot in them.

Don't bother
- Ezekiel
- Jerry

Let me know if you feel any differently about the categorization of these heroes!

JayZ

Badging strategy

Last updated: March 11, 2020

In general, my strategy with badges is to (1) enhance the strongest aspects of survivors, and (2) allow my survivors to survive at high levels which means maxing out damage reduction at 80% between your gear, badges, and survivor traits.

I have three categories of badges:
1. Defensive badging to create a tank: 3 damage reduction, 3 health
2. Offensive badging to create a killer: 3 damage, 3 critical damage
3. Balanced badging for the toughest missions: 3 damage, 2-3 damage reduction, 0-1 health (if you can get 75-80% damage reduction with only 2 DR badges, then slap on a health badge to add some bulk)

Here is how I badge (and use) my survivors. Keep in mind that I'm an end gamer that regularly plays to RSL42 and finish the Distance every time, which is what motivates my badging strategy.

Scouts: I use both balanced and offensive badging.
- Scouts with Strong/Ruthless/Power Strike are great to badge offensively in order to build up massive charged attacks.
- Scouts with Iron Skin/Retaliate are great to badge in a balanced manner. These Scouts are perfect in combination with Michonne in medium difficulty levels (level 35-39).
- Survivalist Rick is a stud, and can be badged either way. However, if you are an end-gamer (level 40+ in challenges), he has to be badged offensively to deal maximum damage (200k+ with the right gear and badges).
- Huntsman Daryl can also go either way. Similar to Rick, he was originally balanced for me but is now full offense. This depends a lot on how far you go in challenges. Up to 40, balanced Daryl will help save you a star or two. After 40, you need more firepower, so you should go full offense.
- Carol is a great Scout to go full offense because she has extraordinarily high base damage, but she needs her traits to be rerolled to be more useful.
- Gabriel is the only exception here. His leader trait and base traits make him a great option for defensive badging.
- Top heroes that I like to badge (in order): Survivalist Rick, Huntsman Daryl, Carol (with rerolled traits)

Bruiser: Defensive badging all the way.
- Bruiser damage is so low that it's more important to take hits and stun.
- In some cases, not killing Z's is better on some maps where you have to open a gate and escape. If you can stun a circle of walkers around your survivors, then newly spawning walkers can't reach you.
- Top heroes that I like to badge (in order): Eugene, Riot Gear Glenn, T-Dog, Morgan

Warriors: I use both balanced and offensive badging.
- End-gamers should reroll traits of heroes like Michonne to be more similar to Scout Rick and go with full-offense badging. Note, you REALLY need the Dragon's Tongue to be successful here because of the increased range and Destructive/Tactical trait.
- Balanced badging can be very helpful in GW at levels 38-41. There are a lot of choke points and regular spawns, so Warriors (who can attack more targets than Scouts) can be very useful in these situations.
- Top heroes that I like to badge (in order): Beta, Michonne, Jesus

Assaults: Either balanced or defensive badging is best for Assaults.
- With the recent boosts to melee survivors, Assaults are best used for their ability to stun.
- Assaults have a high base health compared to other ranged survivors, so use them to stun and to take hits on high levels when you are playing with all ranged teams.
- Assault damage is too low to make it worth using Critical Damage badges. Their charged move is also NOT a guaranteed critical attack, so it's even less worth it.
- For farming and grinding out low levels, balanced badging is nice. At high levels of the challenge, go full defensive.
- Top heroes that I like to badge (in order): Rufus, Abe

Shooters/Hunters: Offensive badging, with a few exceptions.
- Shooters and Hunters have a guaranteed critical attack on their charged attacks, so enhance that damage with badges and Ruthless armors.
- Shooters and Hunters don't have enough health to withstand too many attacks. It's not worth trying to maximize their damage reduction.
- Sasha is a possible exception. Because Sasha's leader trait is so useful in so many different situations, some people like to give her a balanced badge set. Like Rick/Daryl, I previously used a balanced badge set on Sasha but am finding that the increased damage is more valuable at the 40+ levels where she gets into one-hit struggles regardless of how much DR she has.
- I also like to give one Shooter and Hunter a balanced badge set for Guild Wars and maps with ranged Freemen. Personally, I prefer Merle and Dwight for this. Both of them already have a great set of traits for PvP (Iron Skin, Retaliate, Bullet Dodge), so I badge them for the purpose of using them against human enemies.
- Tara is the lone exception. She is a good candidate to go with full defensive badges to be used with Bruisers.
- Top Hunter heroes that I like to badge (in order): Sasha, Shane, Alpha
- Top Shooter heroes that I like to badge (in order): Rick, Aaron, Maggie, Tara

JayZ

My favorite team combinations

Last updated: October 26, 2020.

This post will highlight some of the teams that I use most frequently. The first hero in each team represents the recommended leader of a team. I know that not everyone has the ability to reroll all of their heroes to have perfect traits, so unless there is a specific hero I have in mind, there are times where I may refer to a general survivor class (like "Scout" or "Bruiser"). These can be heroes or non-heroes, but in many situations, heroes are generally better because they have higher base damage/health and also useful leader traits.

Scout Daryl -- Scout Rick -- Bruiser
- Best situations to use this team: Almost every situation. Daryl's Prowl will allow you to get a lot of extra attacks in. Both Daryl and Rick are great at killing regular and special walkers. If you run into trouble, a Bruiser can help stun walkers and take some hits.
- Additional notes: Gear setup depends on the situation, but I recommend: Daryl's Hunting Knife for Daryl, Tactical Spear for Rick, and Morgan's Staff for your Bruiser (preferably Morgan/Eugene/Glenn).
- Example: Attention Class 46.1, The Back Lot 45.1

Scout Daryl -- Scout Rick -- Scout
- Best situations to use this team: Similar to the above, but better in situations where there is more space to maneuver where you can run and avoid walkers.
- Additional notes: Gear setup depends on whether there are spawns or not, but I recommend a combination of Daryl's Hunting Knife, Tactical Spear, and Swift Strike Spear.
- Example: Lost Bunker 49.2, Abandoned Camp 48.2

Eugene/Glenn -- Bruiser -- Bruiser
- Best situations to use this team: Maps where you have to open gates, open crates, or run to the exit.
- Additional notes: Glenn is a great leader in situations where you start off surrounded by a lot of walkers. Eugene's leader trait allows for extra survivability. Morgan is a good leader at lower levels, but when one-shot critical hits from walkers bring you into struggle, then Morgan's trait isn't really worth it. Tactical Staff can be a game-changer here.
- Example: Escape Map 50.1, Woodbury 49.1

Sasha -- Assault -- Assault
- Best situations to use this team: Maps where you have a large number of regular walkers and potentially some special walkers. Use your Assaults to stun walkers and charge with Sasha's leader trait.
- Additional notes: Sasha is usually best off with either the Harpoon rifle or a rifle that can start fires. Critical Aim can help provide additional stun opportunities. Abe and Rufus (with rerolled traits) are ideal Assaults to pair with Sasha. Lucky, Revenge, and Retaliate on your Assaults will maximize their chances of charging. Damage Reduction and Dodge will help your Assaults survive longer.
- Example: Boombox 50.1, Army of 3 50.2, 

Sasha -- Bruiser -- Bruiser
- Best situations to use this team: Similar to above, maps where you need to build a stun wall and kill special walkers.
- Additional notes: Sasha is usually best off with the RPG. Critical Aim can help provide additional stun opportunities. Eugene and Glenn (with rerolled traits) are ideal Bruisers to pair with Sasha. Lucky, Retaliate, and Punish on your Bruisers will maximize their chances of charging. Be careful to not let your stun wall break down. Damage Reduction and Dodge will help your Bruisers survive longer.
- Example: Hershel's Farm 50.2, Vermin Control 50.1

Sasha -- Eugene/Glenn -- Assault
- Best situations to use this team: Similar to above.
- Additional notes: Switching in Eugene/Glenn allows for some strategic versatility. Eugene is the ultimate tank, while Glenn can give you an advantage right at the beginning of the map if he starts charged.
- Example: Fish In A Barrel 50.1, Junkyard Dwellers 50.1

Beta -- Scout Daryl -- Scout Rick
- Best situations to use this team: Maps where you need to get to an exit or search for clues, but there are enough walkers that you need to kill some first before you can accomplish your objectives.
- Additional notes: Be careful with Scout Daryl. His Prowl can break a herd. But once you get used to using him with Beta, he is a very powerful tool because he can kill and herd all at once.
- Example: The Box 50.1 or Good Neighbors 50.1

Beta -- Scout -- Bruiser/Scout
- Best situations to use this team: When you are trying to get to an exit, open crates, etc. but don't need to kill walkers. This is a versatile team that allows you to herd, stun, and run.
- Additional notes: Bruiser Glenn and Scout Glenn are usually my preferred teammates here. Bruiser Glenn's charge points can be very helpful, while Scout Glenn's ability to open a box and move helps you get out faster.
- Example: Jail Break 50.2, Building Blocks 50.2

Scout Rick -- Bruiser -- Bruiser
- Best situations to use this team: Maps where you are overwhelmed by large numbers of walkers, but you have some time to get yourself into position and clear out some walkers.
- Additional notes: Rick as a leader can help pass charges between him and your Bruiser heroes (preferably Morgan/Eugene/Glenn). Swift Strike Spear can be useful for more quickly killing and charging up your survivors.
- Example: Cabin By The Lake 46.2

Bruiser Glenn -- Scout Rick -- Bruiser
- Best situations to use this team: Similar to the above, except Glenn's leader trait can help provide a valuable boost on maps where you might be surrounded and overwhelmed at the beginning.
- Additional notes: Nothing else to note.
- Example: Room Service 43.2

JayZ

How to use melee survivors: ideal traits, badges, recommended gear

Last updated: February 5, 2021

I am primarily viewing this from the perspective of high-level Distance and Challenge play (NOT Outpost or Guild Wars), so more PvZ than PvP combat.

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Bruisers
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Purpose: Used to stun walkers and absorb damage. Bruisers should be built to maximize their ability to take or dodge hits. These are must-have survivors for anyone who wants to push their limits. Bruisers should prioritize:
(1) A weapon with Razor and wide arc
(2) Maximum Damage Reduction at 80%
(3) An armor with Hazard Suit
(4) As much Dodge and Health as possible

Survivor traits
- Must-have traits: Punish, Retaliate, Iron Skin, Dodge, Lucky
- Nice-to-have traits: Defensive Stance
- Useless traits: Power Strike, Strong, Vigilant, Ruthless, Follow Through, Bullet Dodge

What weapons traits are helpful?
- Razor (must-have): Absolutely imperative for stunning high level walkers
- Lucky (high priority): Can be very helpful by boosting leader traits, dodge, stun resistance, etc.
- Tactical (high priority): Very useful because it adds DR and allows for extra movement - can be very helpful in maps where you have to get to an exit or open crates
- Concussion (high priority): Can stun walkers for an extra turn
- Interrupt (useful in some situations): Can be useful against walkers that cannot be stunned (fatties, goo, spike) but absolutely NEEDS to be paired with Razor. Interrupt ONLY works when it is not a body shot, so against high level walkers, you will need Razor to give you a chance to not be a body shot

Ideal weapons
- Tactical Staff (Silver Tactical, Gold Concussion and Razor)
- Lucky Staff (Silver Lucky, Gold Concussion and Razor)
- Festive Lucille (Silver Tactical, Gold Concussion and Razor)
- Kingdom Shield (Silver Tactical, Gold Concussion and Razor)

What armor traits are helpful?
- Hazard Suit (must-have): This trait can't be found anywhere else, so it is a must-have - the chance to reduce attacks to a body shot is super important to be able to take extra hits
- Dodge (high priority): At lower levels, this trait allows you to completely dodge hits. At higher levels, this trait can reduce a critical hit to a regular hit. When paired with Hazard Suit, Hazard Suit can turn a critical hit into a body shot, and then Dodge can allow you to completely dodge an attack
- Health (medium priority): Good to have, but not as valuable as the two traits above
- Stun Resistance (useful in some situations): Self-explanatory - keep this around for fatties and goo walkers
- Iron Skin (useful in some situations): This is a must-have if it helps you get to 80% DR, but if you already have 80% DR, you don't need it

Ideal armors
- Health armor (Silver Health, Gold Hazard Suit and Dodge)
- Stun resistance armor (Silver Stun Resistance, Gold Hazard Suit and Dodge)

Strategies with Bruisers
- Run for a gate or the exit. (Example: Abandoned Camp 50.2 or Woodbury 49.1)
- Take hits and create stun walls when paired with Sasha and/or other Bruisers and Assaults. (Example: Armored Force 49.1 or In The Compound 50.1)
- Mix Scouts and Bruisers for a team with balanced offensive and defensive capabilities. (Example: The Back Lot 45.1 or Cabin By The Lake 46.2)

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Scouts (Glass Cannon build)
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Purpose: Used for their long movement range, ability to reduce the threat counter, and capacity to deal high amounts of damage to walkers. Scouts should be built to maximize their critical and non-critical damage. These are must-have survivors for anyone who wants to push their limits. At low levels, a team of Scouts can effectively coast through maps with their high offensive output. At higher levels, surround them with Bruisers to protect them. Scouts should prioritize:
(1) A weapon with Razor and either Threat Reduction or Destructive
(2) Maximizing survivor and gear traits that increase their damage (Ruthless, Power Strike, Strong, etc.) - these survivors are glass cannons, which means that defensive traits are not a priority

Survivor traits
- Must-have traits: Strong, Power Strike, Ruthless
- Nice-to-have traits: Lucky, Follow Through, Vigilant
- Useless traits: Dodge, Retaliate, Iron Skin, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

What weapons traits are helpful?
- Razor (must-have): Absolutely imperative for non-body shots against high level walkers
- Destructive (must-have): Needed for the bonus damage on critical attacks
- Threat Reduction (high priority depending on the map): Can reduce threats - only useful on maps with a spawn counter
- Tactical (high priority): Not as useful for the DR, but the extra movement can be really effective to attack and then back up, Prowl for a second attack, Herd with Beta to protect yourself if you don't get the kill, or open a crate. Best paired with a Power Strike survivor trait
- Swift Strike (useful in some situations): It's always nice to have the ability to perform a second attack after a kill! Pair this with Michonne for some serious slash-and-go
- Lucky (lower priority): Can be very helpful by boosting the chance of Swift Strike, Threat Reduction, or Critical Chance, but lower on the priority list because there are simply too many good traits available
- Charging (lower priority): Potential for bonus charge points on kills and increased charged attack damage is never a bad thing, but like Lucky, it's lower on the priority list because of the other traits available

Ideal weapons
- Tactical Spear (Silver Tactical, Gold Destructive and Razor)
- Crescent Edge (Silver Destructive, Gold Threat Reduction and Razor)
- Destructive Daryl's Hunting Knife (Silver Destructive, Gold Threat Reduction and Razor)

What armor traits are helpful?
- Ruthless (must-have): Adds a lot of Critical Attack damage
- Hazard Suit and Dodge (only if paired together): If you're really lucky, these traits can save your Scout from an attack. Hazard Suit will need to kick in first, changing a regular attack to a body shot. Then, Dodge will need to kick in, which allows you to Dodge the attack completely. Against high level walkers, one of them activating will not be enough to prevent your survivor from going into a struggle. But both of these traits together can save you every once in a blue moon
- Wrestler (medium priority): Can get your Scout out of a struggling situation (which may happen relatively often, given that your Scout will be vulnerable to attacks
- Stun Resistance (useful in some situations): Most walkers will bring you into a struggle in one-shot, so generally it is not needed. However, if you are fighting goo walkers, Stun Resistance can be helpful in protecting your Scout if the goo walker explodes and stuns survivors around them

Ideal armors
- Ninja armor (Silver Dodge, Gold Hazard Suit and Ruthless)
- Stun resistance/wrestler armor (Silver Stun Resistance, Gold Wrestler and Ruthless)

Strategies with Scouts:
- Run for the exit without taking damage. (Example: Lost Bunker 49.2 or Opposing Forces 50.1)
- Prowl your way to victory with Daryl as the lead! (Example: Abandoned Camp 48.2 or The Back Lot 45.1)
- Mix Scouts and Bruisers for a team with balanced offensive and defensive capabilities. (Example: The Back Lot 45.1 or Cabin By The Lake 46.2)
- Pair with Beta to run away from enemies or kill them without worrying about getting hit. (Example: Train Wreck 50.2 or The Box 50.1)

--------------------
Warriors (Glass Cannon build)
--------------------

Purpose: Used for their ability to perform effective crowd control and ability to deal high damage with the Chainsaw. The build is very similar to the Glass Cannon Scout, but the uses are slightly different, as Warriors can hit more targets but have more limited movement range. Warriors should be built to maximize their critical and non-critical damage. These can be effective survivors, but generally lower priority relative to Scouts and Bruisers. Warriors should prioritize:
(1) Obtaining the Dragon Tongue. This is the ultimate Warrior weapon, and most Warrior builds without it are unfortunately kind of useless
(2) Maximizing survivor and gear traits that increase their damage (Ruthless, Power Strike, Strong, etc.) - these survivors are glass cannons, which means that defensive traits are not a priority

Survivor traits
- Must-have traits: Strong, Power Strike, Ruthless
- Nice-to-have traits: Lucky, Follow Through, Vigilant
- Useless traits: Dodge, Retaliate, Iron Skin, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

What weapons traits are helpful?
- Razor (must-have): Absolutely imperative for non-body shots against high level walkers
- Destructive (must-have): Needed for the bonus damage on critical attacks
- Tactical (high priority): Not as useful for the DR, but the extra movement can be really effective to attack and then back up, Prowl for a second attack, Herd with Beta to protect yourself if you don't get the kill, or open a crate. Best paired with a Power Strike survivor trait

Ideal weapons
- Morning Star (Silver Tactical, Gold Razor and Destructive)
- Dragon's Tongue (Silver Tactical, Gold Razor and Destructive)
- Chainsaw (Silver Lethal, Gold Razor and Destructive) - can be useful in certain situations because of the ability to strike twice on each attack

What armor traits are helpful?
- Ruthless (must-have): Adds a lot of Critical Attack damage
- Hazard Suit and Dodge (only if paired together): If you're really lucky, these traits can save your Warrior from an attack. Hazard Suit will need to kick in first, changing a regular attack to a body shot. Then, Dodge will need to kick in, which allows you to Dodge the attack completely. Against high level walkers, one of them activating will not be enough to prevent your survivor from going into a struggle. But both of these traits together can save you every once in a blue moon
- Wrestler (medium priority): Can get your Warrior out of a struggling situation (which may happen relatively often, given that your Warrior will be vulnerable to attacks
- Stun Resistance (useful in some situations): Most walkers will bring you into a struggle in one-shot, so generally it is not needed. However, if you are fighting goo walkers, Stun Resistance can be helpful in protecting your Warrior if the goo walker explodes and stuns survivors around them

Ideal armors
- Ninja armor (Silver Dodge, Gold Hazard Suit and Ruthless)
- Stun resistance/wrestler armor (Silver Stun Resistance, Gold Wrestler and Ruthless)

Strategies with Warriors:
- Using Beta as a leader can help you look through crates at high levels without engaging in combat. (Example: Train Wreck 50.2 or Jail Break 50.2)
- Using Beta as a leader can help you run for the exit at levels without engaging in combat. (Example: Day Out 50.1 or Lock In 50.1)
- Using Beta as a leader can help you in combat in maps with open spaces and no fatties/goos/spikes. (Example: The Box 50.1 or Good Neighbors 50.1)
- Using Dragon's Tongue Warriors with Scout Rick as a Leader is a great way to pass charges back-and-forth. (Example: Battlegrounds 48.2 or Yard Work 46.2)
- The Morning Star is a great weapon to use in conjunction with Beta while herding. (Example: The Box 49.1 or The Future 47.2)

JayZ

How to use ranged survivors: ideal traits, badges, recommended gear

Last updated: February 5, 2021

I am primarily viewing this from the perspective of high-level Distance and Challenge play (NOT Outpost or Guild Wars), so more PvZ than PvP combat.

--------------------
Assaults
--------------------

Purpose: Used to stun walkers and absorb damage. Assaults should be built to maximize their ability to take or dodge hits. These are important survivors for certain end=game missions. Assaults should prioritize:
(1) Minimizing damage (no Marksman, Lethal, Destructive, Ruthless, etc.) and maximizing body shots (no Piercing)
(2) Maximum Damage Reduction at 80%
(3) An armor with Hazard Suit
(4) As much Dodge and Health as possible

Survivor traits
- Must-have traits: Retaliate, Revenge, Dodge, Lucky, Iron Skin
- Nice-to-have traits: Marksman
- Useless traits: Defensive Stance, Ruthless, Sure Shot, Vigilant, Bullet Dodge

What weapons traits are helpful?
- Concussion (must-have): Can stun walkers for an extra turn
- Lucky (must-have): Increases the chances of dodge, charging with Sasha, or extra stuns
- Wide Spread (must-have): Increases with width of your attack

Ideal weapons
- Decimator (Silver Lethal, Gold Lucky and Concussion)
- Golden Assault Rifle (Silver Lucky, Gold Concussion and Wide Spread)
- Daryl's Assault Rifle (Silver Lucky, Gold Concussion and Piercing) - do NOT upgrade Piercing to maximize your chances of stunning

What armor traits are helpful?

- Hazard Suit (must-have): This trait only appears on special Assault aromrs, but it is a must-have - the chance to reduce attacks to a body shot is super important to be able to take extra hits

- Dodge (high priority): At lower levels, this trait allows you to completely dodge hits. At higher levels, this trait can reduce a critical hit to a regular hit. When paired with Hazard Suit, Hazard Suit can turn a critical hit into a body shot, and then Dodge can allow you to completely dodge an attack

- Health (medium priority): Good to have, but not as valuable as the two traits above

- Stun Resistance (useful in some situations): Self-explanatory - keep this around for fatties and goo walkers

- Iron Skin (useful in some situations): This is a must-have if it helps you get to 80% DR, but if you already have 80% DR, you don't need it

Ideal armors

- Hazard Suit armor (Silver Health, Gold Hazard Suit and Dodge)

- Stun resistance armor (Silver Stun Resistance, Gold Hazard Suit and Dodge)

Strategies with Assaults

- With Sasha as a leader, build and maintain stun walls. (Example: Army of 3 50.2 or Boombox 50.1)

- With Sasha or RGG as a leader, root special walkers with Daryl's Assault Rifle. (Example: Attention Class 50.1)

- On precharged weeks, or when RGG is a leader, stun and run. (Example: Rush Home 50.1 or Private Stash 50.1)

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Hunters

--------------------

Purpose: One of the most versatile classes in the game, in large part because of Sasha's amazing leader trait. Hunters can set walkers on fire, attack large groups of walkers with spread weapons, root walkers in place, and more. Sasha is one of the most important heroes in the game, and absolutely critical in high level challenge and GW play. Hunters should prioritize:

(1) Obtaining special weapons such as the Harpoon Gun and RPG, which allows for maximum versatility.

(2) Maximizing survivor and gear traits that increase their damage (Ruthless, Destructive, etc.) - these survivors are glass cannons, which means that defensive traits are not a priority

Survivor traits

- Must-have traits: Revenge, Ruthless, Lucky, Critical Aim, Marksman

- Nice-to-have traits: Sure Shot, Vigilant

- Useless traits: Retaliate, Dodge, Iron Skin, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

What weapons traits are helpful?

- Destructive (must-have): Needed for the bonus damage on critical attacks

- Lucky (high priority): Increases the likelihood of charging your survivor on body shots (with Sasha as a leader)

- Large Caliber (high priority): Increases the damage spread of attacks

- Incendiary (uesful in some situations): Can be helpful to set enemies on fire

- Silenced (useful in some situations): Can be helpful on a fire weapon to set enemies on fire in high level challenge missions

Ideal weapons

- Silent Winter Harpoon Gun (Silver Large Caliber, Gold Lucky and Destructive)

- Festive Shotgun (Silver Lucky, Gold Incendiary and Destructive)

- RPG (Silver Accurate, Gold Piercing and Destructive)

- Silenced Fire Rifle (Silver Lucky, Gold Incendiary and Silenced)

What armor traits are helpful?

- Ruthless (must-have): Adds a lot of Critical Attack damage

- Wrestler (medium priority): Can get your Shooter out of a struggling situation (which may happen relatively often, given that your Shooter will be vulnerable to attacks

- Sniper Harness (medium priority): Can add damage on maps with freemen/cover

- Stun Resistance (useful in some situations): While you are generally not expected to survive an attack, you might encounter goo walkers who will explode and stun you if you are nearby

Ideal armors

- Damage maximizing armor (Silver Wrestler, Gold Ruthless and Sniper Harness)

- Stun resistance/wrestler armor (Silver Wrestler, Gold Stun Resistance and Ruthless)

Strategies with Hunters:

- With Sasha as a leader, use Bruisers and Assaults to stun walkers so that you can safely kill them with Sasha. (Example: Fish In A Barrel 50.1, Boombox 50.1, or Junkyard Dwellers 50.1)

- With Sasha as a leader, build and maintain stun walls using Bruisers and/or Assaults. Kill special walkers using RPG. (Example: Hershel's Farm 50.2 or Army of 3 50.2)

- With Sasha as a leader, bring an all-Hunter team on "Kill All Walker" challenge maps, using Harpoon to root and fire to kill. (Example: Through The Wire 49.1 or Hershel's Farm 48.2)

- With Sasha as a leader, use silenced rifle to kill tough boss walkers on challenge maps with a threat counter. (Example: Nightly Visitors 50.1)
- With the silenced Harpoon gun, you can now use new team combinations such as Sasha with two melee glass cannons. (Example: Rat Race 49.2 or Porch Swing 46.1)

--------------------

Shooters

--------------------

Purpose: Unfortunately, one of the worst classes in the game due to limited damage potential compared to Scouts. All around far less versatile. Shooters should prioritize:

(1) Obtaining special weapons such as the Winter Bow, Hunting Bow, and Flare Gun. Shooters unfortunately do not have much use without these weapons

(2) Maximizing survivor and gear traits that increase their damage (Ruthless, Destructive, etc.) - these survivors are glass cannons, which means that defensive traits are not a priority

Survivor traits

- Must-have traits: Marksman, Revenge, Ruthless, Lucky

- Nice-to-have traits: Sure Shot, Critical Aim, Vigilant

- Useless traits: Retaliate, Dodge, Iron Skin, Defensive Stance, Bullet Dodge

What weapons traits are helpful?

- Destructive (must-have): Needed for the bonus damage on critical attacks

- High Powered (high priority): Increases range of attacks

- Charging (medium priority): Increases charge attack damage and chance of charging

- Piercing (useful in some situations): This can make Shooters more effective, but be careful as it counteracts Sasha's LT

- Incendiary (uesful in some situations): Can be helpful to set enemies on fire if you have a Bruiser to help maintain a stun wall

Ideal weapons

- Winter Bow (Silver High Powered, Gold Destructive and Piercing)

- Hunting Bow (Silver High Powered, Gold Charging and Piercing)

- Flare Gun (Silver High Powered, Gold Incendiary and Lucky)

What armor traits are helpful?

- Ruthless (must-have): Adds a lot of Critical Attack damage

- Wrestler (medium priority): Can get your Shooter out of a struggling situation (which may happen relatively often, given that your Shooter will be vulnerable to attacks

- Sniper Harness (medium priority): Can add damage on maps with freemen/cover

- Stun Resistance (useful in some situations): While you are generally not expected to survive an attack, you might encounter goo walkers who will explode and stun you if you are nearby

Ideal armors

- Damage maximizing armor (Silver Wrestler, Gold Ruthless and Sniper Harness)

- Stun resistance/wrestler armor (Silver Wrestler, Gold Stun Resistance and Ruthless)

Strategies with Shooters:

- Using silenced bow in combination with melee survivors, attack enemies from a safe distance. (Example: Porch Swing 46.1 or Overgrown 44.2)

- Using Bruisers to create a stun wall, kill special bosses with a fire gun. (Example: Straw Men 45.1 or Sanctuary 41.1)

- Using silenced bow Shooters with Scout Rick as a Leader is a great way to pass charges back-and-forth. (Example: Attention Class 43.1 or Hammer and Saw 43.2)

JayZ

Helpful pictures and diagrams

Last updated: February 5, 2021

Guild War VPs by level



Guild War VPs by sector



Stars earned with round passes



Season missions chart



Hero traits at each level



Regular traits at each level



Difference between the base damage and health of heroes relative to normal survivors at the same level



Walker health



Walker attack priority

vshield50

You have an excellent YouTube channel to help out with strategy and such Awesome what you are doing here.

Just a suggestion but what about a section to describe how to maximize Leader Traits for heros? Basically which leader trait is best in situations and how to pair them with other survivors (yes the possibilities are endless but could be helpful)?

Just a suggestion. Love what you are doing here

JayZ

Thanks for the suggestion @vshield50! I will add that to my growing to-do list. You're one of the best in the game, so please jump in if you have tips of your own

vshield50

Not one of the best the way I have been slacking lately but thanks lol!

I posted this below a little while ago but sharing this here for you in case you want to use any of it @JayZ. I shared some things with my guild over time so if you want I can send you some other things to help your cause (on PM or here if you like). You obviously can use any or all of it at your discretion my friend



"At RSL 47 a critical hit from an enemy is devastating. It will put you in the red instantly even with a bruiser that has full leg health badges and 80% DR. Likewise many critical hits with exception of scouts with all damage and critical damage badges and Rick in the lead will not drop a walker. It can take multiple hits.

So for me it comes down to equipping your survivors with the best gear you have depending on the situation.

Dodge and Hazard are life savers! I use Eugene quite often at higher RSLs because his Leader trait is excellent to avoid critical hits. I also don't put stun armor on him (since his Leader trait has some stun resistance) so I can utilize another armor trait.

The trick is to strategize in a way where the right survivors take hits while others attack and can be safe. My ideal armor for bruisers have Gold Hazard, Gold Dodge and Silver Health.

Now with Dodge and Hazard, badges do help a little or a bit because you can survive a body shot. I also have lucky on all my bruisers to increase dodge. And if Hazard and dodge kick in (or Eugene's leader trait and dodge kicks in) you can take no damage from an attack.

I don't have a hero that has more than 3 pink stars. I also have defensive and offensive scouts with dodge, hazard and ruthless armor.

Tara is a great gate opener when paired with 2 bruisers who can charge (like Morgan). They will still bruiser but they can heal and not drop into the red.

Razor weapons are a MUST HAVE. Your bruiser weapons must have the Razor trait to be able to stun at higher RSL.

Putting the right Hero in the leader spot makes a difference too. If you are using 3 bruisers I usually have Eugene in the lead at higher RSL. Morgan if they can survive.

Having the right survivor traits (based on your playing style) is also key In optimizing the abilities of your survivors/heros to perform best and survive/kill. Positioning yourself to be able to Powerstrike would be an example.

These are some non exhaustive pre battle tactics I use but it really does come down to how you play the map too. Spawn blocking, threat reduction, setting fires at the right time, etc are all factors.

At high levels I don't always use Sasha with a piercing weapon. I use a weapon that has gold incendiary and lucky to increase her chances to light the enemies up. Sometimes I keep her in overwatch and put her in a spot to light the enemy I want on fire without creating a threat. I also try creating a wall of stunned walkers to block tanks that are on fire so they lose damage without being able to get to me.

Using your charge attacks wisely will also ensure a better success rate. Don't just use a charge because you can if it can benefit you later.

The spear is a great weapon to have Rick wield when you have room to move and can attack a walker in overwatch (where they can't reach you)."

JayZ

That's awesome @vshield50! I'm signing off soon for the night to watch some basketball games, but will incorporate those tips.

ATLAS-Z

@zbot @Fluxxx sticky that post please?

AchillesV

ATLAS-Z said:

@zbot @Fluxxx sticky that post please?

Tsk tsk very sneaky.

imnfiction

@JayZ

Awesome, thanks for your effort.
Can you also explain why the critical aim is must have for hunters?

Stalker20

Thanks for this @JayZ, I put a link to it in my guild line chat 🙂

SPC_TORRES

@JayZ

Awesome........ I also wanted to say...... Thank You! Been using your videos for the challenges on our guild chat...... I have changed up my play style and with your videos, I have moved for doing 1k stars with the Governor lead... then stopping. Now ...but not last week was sick, Will hit 1,200 - 1,700
Still know I could go higher...... but still having badge issues and few key heroes not unlocked

So, thank you for taking the time and sharing what you have learned... it is very helpful

SmokeandMirrors

@JayZ EXCELLENT post and thank you to everyone who is contributing. This will be my go to for players asking advice. Just excellent. Thank you!

JayZ

Thank you all for your support! Really glad this is helpful. I want to do a lot more, so please bear with me while I finish fleshing out the content. I'll reply and let you know when major sections are done, but I don't want to spam the frontpage for minor revisions.

@imnfiction Critical Aim works better with Hunters than Shooters because they can hit multiple targets. Critical Aim gives Hunters stopping power, i.e., the ability to stun a walker so that they stop coming towards you. With a leader like Sasha who can quickly charge up herself and other Hunters, Critical Aim can give you just enough of a break to finish a mission, get out of harms way, recharge your survivors, etc. Check out the last 20 seconds of this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQiL06_cjh8

JayZ

Made a lot of updates to my general tips post. Tried to include some videos to demonstrate. Hope it helps!

rogueDS

@JayZ amazing I must say. Dang hats off. Maybe I'll stop doing just MM only. Info is awesome.

Reeconn

Great work @JayZ i have bookmarked this for future references

Novell

Awesome work. Thank you for that.

Why is the spear the weapon of your choice? The muscet makes more damage as far as i know.

Johnbert

Novell said:

Awesome work. Thank you for that.

Why is the spear the weapon of your choice? The muscet makes more damage as far as i know.</p>

Musket does indeed more damage but you can only attack one walker at time (except charged attack) while with the spear you can kill up to 3 (6 if swift kicks in) walkers in one turn. Both weapons are great and I wouldn't say one is better than the other, they are just different.

dalmer

> @JayZ said:
>Check out the last 20 seconds of this video:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQiL06_cjh8

You were extremely lucky! The chance was only 0.64% for such outcome.

BttlOpener

@JayZ good stuff. Are you doing an updated version of @OneLessTitan 's wordpress (https://twdnomansland.wordpress.com/)? It would be fantastic to have this updated information on a web page outside the forums. Good luck on your efforts.

JayZ

@Novell few reasons. First, as @Johnbert stated, musket can only attack one. Second, I like Tactical on Spear. Third, musket charged attack causes threat. And fourth, musket charged attack is a lot weaker than Spear!

@BttlOpener unfortunately, I have no plans of going that big. It’s much easier to share tips than to keep an entire fact-based Wikipedia up-to-date. Sorry...

vshield50

@JayZ bumping your thread with an added caveat. My guild appreciates your post and we are sharing your info with them. And I was not even the one who posted it in our chat.

I dig what you are doing and support it 100%

JayZ

Awesome @vshield50 - this is meant to be shared to all! Glad your guild likes it