Looting/Scouting[]
Despite its rather hefty chance to raise an aggro spike, Explosive can still stand out as one of the more effective room clearers in indoor looting scenarios, thanks to its indirect fire capability, speed and cost effectiveness.
- Try to use walls to your advantage. Due to the zombies' basic pathfinding AI, most of the horde will not be able to reach you if even a modest length of wall stands between you and them, allowing you to rain down grenades with impunity.
- Always have a secondary weapon ready to snipe stray zombies, such as a pistol or a SMG. While Explosives are excellent against larger horde, they are rather ineffective against single target and also lack the needed knockback to fend off threats in close combat situations.
- One tactic to clearing an entire floor of zombie is to rush through the entire floor, attracting as many zombies as possible before going to a walled, easily defendable location and killing all of them. Since new zombies do not spawn indoors except in aggro spike situations, the tactic should left the entire floor devoid of threats and let you loot freely.
Aggro Combat/Grinding[]
Grinding with Explosives is comparatively harder compared to with other weapons, due to Explosives' unusual mechanics and non existent knockback. To succeed with Explosives, the following methods will be needed:
Method 1: Wall Grinding[]
Dead Frontier - Junker 6 - walling grinding (Max aggro after boss)
The first method involves finding a well enclosed area that can keep the majority of zombies outside (such as the walled area at the back of the Gas Station 1D of Bunker), then fire with impunity at the trapped horde. Inevitably, a few zombies will find their way in; defeat them as fast as possible with high DPS weapons such as Rifle-caliber Machine Guns, then continue wall grinding.
This method is ideal for lower leveled players who want to grind with Explosives, but do not want to afford speed drugs and/or do not have enough skill to circle grind. The safety this method provides is in exchange of a huge loss in efficiency, however.
- The game has an anti-AFK countermeasure that prevents you from gaining EXP if you haven't moved a significant distance for about 3 minutes. This is countered by keeping a counter and open inventory when the 3 minute mark approaches.
Method 2: Circle Grinding[]
Deadfrontier - SB Outpost Attack Grenade Launcher Circle Grinding-0
Green: Ideal for grinding.
Yellow: Usable for grinding, with possible efficiency loss.
Red: Not usable.
The second method involves finding an open intersection area (or location with very wide, open spaces such as the Soccer Field 1U2L of Bunker), corral the zombie into a large clump by moving in a circular motion around the area, then fire at the center of the area.
- Almost every block in the City should have an intersection area suitable for grinding. Ideally, choose the intersection area that satisfies these requirements:
- The area should not have any car in the middle or nearby, to prevent you from bumping into them and getting mauled by zombies
- The area should be a 3-way or 4-way intersection, to maximize possible zombie spawn.
- (Additional) The area should not have walled areas nearby, to prevent zombies from clumping up there and reducing spawn rate.
- Speed boost drugs (purchasable in the Credit Shop) is vital for this method, especially in black/white zones. High knockback weapons such as Shotguns are also useful, in case you need to recharge sprint energy or eliminate speedy enemies like Flesh Hounds as fast as possible.
- Bring a lot of backup armors and medicine; this method is infamously risky for even experienced players, and you will have to accept that you will get hit often and even die a dozen of times before perfecting.
Understanding Zombie Spawn[]
Red = Primary zombie spawning direction
Yellow = Trigger zones
As a general rule, the more flat ground there is, the more zombies can spawn.
- At corner intersections, the majority zombies will come from roads opposite to the exit (red arrow).
- Due to the large difference in spawn rate amongst different directions, in a grinding run that utilizes circling tactics, zombies will usually only spawn in large quantities upon approaching the "trigger zones" (yellow), as those areas represent moving from a low spawn rate to a high spawn rate area.
- Regardless of circling pattern, it is recommended to exercise high alert and expend as much sprint energy as needed when entering the trigger zones.
- In wide open arenas, such as intersections in the middle of the map, open football fields or Wasteland blocks, zombies will approach from all directions evenly, due to there being equal amount of space in all directions for zombies to spawn.
Pattern 1: The Simple Circle (O-Shape)[]
The O-Shape pattern simply moves around in a circular motion around the area, either clockwise or counterclockwise. This pattern is simple and easy to learn and can be used in almost everywhere, but can prove to be dangerous in corner intersection as you are forced to charge directly into a trigger zone and collide directly with a fresh zombie wave every cycle; it is recommended to expend sprint energy to quickly get out of those situations.
Pattern 2: The 9-Shape[]
This corner intersection-specific pattern is designed to minimize the threat of trigger zones by carefully positioning yourself in a way to prevent direct collision with the fresh waves. It is more difficult to remember and get used to, but rewards with a much higher degree of safety.
Instruction:
- Start at the furthermost edge of an exit corner (near the traffic light), turn a sharp 90 degree corner to the 2nd exit corner and keep moving straight afterwards.
- At the first trigger zone, you will be hit with a zombie wave angled 45° from you. Keep moving straight until the wave has completed spawning, then perform a small circle angled away from the 2nd exit corner.
- After the circle has ended, move in a 45° degree angle to return to the 1st corner. You will enter the 2nd trigger zone, but the wave will be angled in a way that's going to be practically harmless to you.
- Repeat from step 1.
Wasteland Wall Grinding[]
-DF1- Wasteland Wall Grinding
(under construction)
Boss Hunting with Explosives[]
Dead Frontier - Junker 6 grinding (FR only) Part 2
Generally speaking, Explosives are not ideal for fighting bosses because of their low DPS against single target. Explosives can still prove effective against groups of minibosses like Flaming Rumbler and Flaming Long Arm packs, using any of the methods mentioned above.