How to survive bandits as a fresh spawn.

[plrsniper 87]

Having spent my last couple of months killing everyone on sight no matter what they have or where they are i have come to the conclusion that most players just don't know a thing about PvP in DayZ. And that is what i hope to change with this post.

First, let me point out that i don't expect everyone to become KoS monsters, bandits, heroes or any of the "professions" you can have in DayZ. I just except people to know how to act when fresh spawned and beyond.

To me, there is no such thing as a "Fresh spawn" to begin with. I understand the definition but i beg to differ with it's implications etc. I'd much rather call them unarmed players.

Mind you, when i spawn i can easily find a weapon in less than 20 minutes (many times it takes 3-4 minutes) and as such i don't consider myself unarmed or fresh for long.

Ok, so i just spawned in Elektro... What should i do?

Many people here on these forums would tell you to get out of Elektro ASAP and run for the hills. But i urge you to reconsider, spawning in Elektro (or Cherno) is actually a great opportunity to gear up fast and get some proper experience under your belt.

Here are some pointers to stay alive for the first 10 minutes.

• Do NOT run in straight lines. Doing so will make it much easier to hit you! Strafe and change directions a lot!
  
• Try to avoid zombie aggro as much as possible but be quick on your feet and move in cover. NEVER crawl, crouch walk or stay inside i house. If you do get zombie aggro it's not the end of the world but be aware that zombie aggro is the number one reason bandits will spot you. Try and lose your aggro ASAP but never stop moving.
  
• Search the fire station(s) for military weapons but ALWAYS be on the move as you do. If you see a player in there and you have no weapon then RUN erratically away from the threat. It is nearly impossible to hit a target that is changing directions every .5 seconds. (Really)
  
• Remember, Zombies are dumb and as long as you are running away from them they cannot hit you. If you encounter a zombie in front of you then run around him with at least 2 meters to spare. You really don't have time to deal with zombies in Elektro, your best option is to ignore them and lose them to the best of your ability. Run through houses and around corners and you will lose between 70 - 100% of them every time.
  
• If you for whatever reason get stuck somewhere with zombies coming at you... DON'T PANIC! Simply assess the situation and if you can make them ignore you in any way that is the best option. (you shouldn't have gotten stuck to begin with but we are talking about surviving this mistake)
  
• If you have a rifle and a hatchet and you have to kill a zombie... Drop the gun and use the hatchet! You are only going to make things MUCH worse if you try to shoot your way out with a noisy weapon. (Not to mention, bandits will kill you soon thereafter as you have given away your position)
  
• You can lure zombies away from other places by using VON in the direct chat channel. You don't have to say anything, they will aggro none the less. Be aware that this trick only works ONCE for each zombie until they decide to follow another trigger. And obviously, all players in the area will see zombies running towards your position.
  You need to balance it right so all bandits think you are somewhere but in reality you have now flanked around and are in a completely different (hopefully zombie free) location. You can abuse this trick to lure bandits into looking a certain direction while you loot another building or come up behind the bandits and kill them.
  

There are many more things to consider but i will get to them later possibly. Now, lets talk about the layout of Elektro for a moment.

Points of interest:

1. Central fire station. (Military loot, Shotguns, SMG's, Assault rifles and the occasional sniper rifle)
   
2. The store. (Food, drinks and backpacks. As well as maps, compasses, Pistols, Lee Enfield, Winchester etc)
   
3. Power plant fire station. (Military loot, Shotguns, SMG's, Assault rifles and the occasional sniper rifle)
   
4. School. (Food, drinks and backpacks. As well as maps, compasses, Pistols, Lee Enfield, Winchester etc)
   
5. Church. (Food, drinks and backpacks. As well as maps, compasses, Pistols, Lee Enfield, Winchester etc)
   
6. Hospital. (Medical supplies, Bandages, Blood bags, Morphine and antibiotics)
   
7. Zombie hill. (Nothing to find normally but an excellent vantage point!)
   
8. Sniper hill / mountain. (Other players, mainly snipers. Loot depends on what they carry with them. Requires a weapon to loot!)
   
9. Farm. (Slight chance of finding a CZ550 sniper rifle or a winchester, hatchet, food, drink etc)
   

1. Central fire station.

The goto place for guns and ammo. If you are feeling cocky you can make a beeline for this location. Just remember to move erratically and strafe a lot. Make sure you don't have many zombies with you as you go in and don't stay for long. If you don't find any weapons then get out ASAP and move along.

Potential threats come from the church, school roof and the sniper hill.

Best approached during rain and fog.

Be mindful of bandits on top of the tower roof. They have a perfect 360 vision of the city (minus the school and hospital area) and will abuse this to their advantage. Especially when survivors come into town from the west side.

They also have a perfect view over the sniper mountain from there and will easily defeat snipers who are setting up on the sniper hill should they have a sniper rifle.

2. The store.

Stock up on food and drinks here and find a backpack. Make sure you don't get stuck inside with zombies blocking all doors.

Stay away from the windows! Be quick and get out ASAP!

Potential threats come from the school, central fire station, zombie hill and sniper hill.

Best approached after you have a decent weapon. (rifles etc)

3. Power plant fire station.

Much like the central fire station but off to the side with less zombies. You can find guns and ammo here but beware of snipers as they have a perfect angle on you in the tower and outside the station.

Potential threats come from all angles. School, central fire station, hospital, sniper hill and zombie hill.

Best approached during rain and fog and strafing erratically.

Beware that this location is surrounded by large fields and is right next to the sniper hill. Going up the slopes to sniper hill from here is an exercise in futility if someone is looking at you so BEWARE!

Bandits can be prone on the roof of the tower so be mindful of this as you approach.

4. School.

Pretty much identical to the store but beware! The school is a killing floor and zombies tend to be a real threat here too! You can stock up on food and drinks here and find the occasional backpack. You can also find Lee Enfields and shotguns here as well as pistols. Worth a visit if you don't already have a gun.

Potential threats come from one direction mainly (not that you should ignore the rest) and that is the hospital roof. Due to the windows on the front of the school staircase it is ill advised to linger.

Bandits can be on the very top of the school and have a perfect vantage point into the store main entrance and the yard in front of the school.

5. Church.

One of the few locations where you can stay without the immediate threat of being shot at from the outside. You find food, drinks and the occasional Lee Enfield, shotgun or pistol in here.

Beware of zombies blocking the only entrance (and thus exit) and remember that if someone saw you go in they will very likely shoot at you when you leave or set up a blockade outside.

Grenades tend to find their way into the church from time to time so stay in the far back.

6. Hospital.

Broke a leg? Out of bandages? Need a blood bag for your friend? The hospital is where you'll find all you need in medical supplies.

If the glass is broken it's rather "safe" to sit inside. The zombies cannot enter the hospital and players rarely shoot at you when inside because they will find it hard to get a good angle on you. Don't go up on the roof unless you intend to stay there. Obviously, if some sort of bandit is up there then you really shouldn't go up as he will murder you before you even get a chance to turn around.

The hospital is a great vantage point for bandits and it gives them decent cover. Always keep this in mind as you go near it.

7. Zombie hill.

You will not find much up there, there are no spawn points and the only reason it's mentioned is because the occasional player (possibly bandit) can be there and have a good vantage point on the sniper hill as well as all rooftops in the city.

It's not advisable to go up there though as you are an easy target if spotted and zombies tend to patrol the hill. Hence the name "Zombie hill".

8. Sniper hill.

The number one pick of any sniper examining the city or setting up to snipe players in the city. Here is where you will find the occasional fully geared (DMR, M107, AS50 etc) player with a ghillie suit. It's not a great spot for bandits though because of the limited vision you have of the city and the number of places in the city where counter snipers can poke around corners and take them out.

It's worth a visit if you have a gun as you can easily sneak up behind players and kill them while they look down into the city.

Just be mindful of the ghillie suited snipers. They are nearly impossible to spot and at times you will walk right over them before you realize they are there.

9. Farm.

The farm is a good spot to find a gun, some spare food and drink. It's surrounding areas are also great observation points and you will find the occasional sniper out near the power lines as well.

Beyond that, it's not a priority location to visit and going into town from there is coupled with a great deal of risk as you are exposed on an open field.

And here is a picture where i have drawn the areas where players are most likely to get shot. (from personal experience shooting players and being shot)

It's not 100% accurate but you get the idea i hope.

The best way to enter the city is via the industrial area to the west following the coast and heading to the back of the church or hoses south of the hospital.

Or if you are coming from the east, follow the train tracks and go in from the backside of the hospital.

And that is all i have energy and time for today. At least now you know why you keep dying in Elektro by KoS bandits. They see you easily and you are doing it all wrong.

Don't be an easy target, become good at PvP and KoS will not be such a big issue to you anymore.

And there may actually be some gunfights that last more than 5 seconds as well!

[beatSTV 631]

this is very informative well done sir. the fag bandits will be dissapointed but us real ones relish a chance to shoot more geared up opponants

[Mr Nasty 1023]

You get an A for effort. Only the smart bambis will read this. The rest will make threads about how much they despise bandits.

[TheBambiAvenger 146]

Well done.

[jk_scowling 44]

Cool, how about doing Cherno?

[plrsniper 87]

Cool, how about doing Cherno?

At some other time.

[okiimatsu 56]

As a fresh spawn in the twin cities you increase your chances of survival by getting the hell out. This is hilarious.

[jdz (DayZ) 238]

Please don't confuse bandits with 12 year olds camping the coast. I'm a bandit, I travel the northern reaches looking for gear but you will never catch me camping on the coast unless we hear of people camping the hills of Elektro in which case I may venture down to kill them.

But yeah, bandits and kids camping the coast are different things. Otherwise, great wee guide you have there!

[DayzForumer 284]

I cant help my 5 FPS. ._.

[Zombie Jesus 723]

As a fresh spawn in the twin cities you increase your chances of survival by getting the hell out. This is hilarious.

It is about risk vs reward. What are you risking as a new spawn by going into one of the two major coastal cities, for myself I never care if I die after five minutes by attempting to get geared up because I am risking a flashlight and a bandage. I like to at least have a map and a better backpack before making my way north, hitting the industrial spawns can also yield a vital toolbox that is hard to find in the north. Guns are easy to find on the trip north so if the city seems sketchy I might just skip the fire station and hit up some deer stands with my newly acquired map.

[Cap'n (DayZ) 1827]

Thats a pretty a nice guide you made there. Sometimes its better to take advice from an actual bandit, as you might learn a thing or two on how to deal with them.

[drayson 158]

Only smart players will read this and smart players don't need to read this.

[bfisher 561]

One thing to keep in mind. Try to move through the back alleys and keep a wall or other obstruction between you and sniper hill / firehouses as much as possible. Change direction frequently. Keep looking around you. Not every bandit is a sniper.

Also get off the damn road! Nothing screams "bambi" like some newspawn with the stock backpack and no weapons running crazy down the middle of the street.

[TheDesigner 1197]

Oh god... You're guide basically sums up to "RUN FUR YUR LIFE"

[zombiekiller777 10]

Amazing detail