How do you deal with demolishers?

[SenLim]

My horde base is concrete and steel (mostly concrete) with narrow corridor and short hallway to a face-to-face barrier (scaffolding cheese*).

By the time this guy's visible, I have a bad day since it's likely my spear or shotgun hits his explosive (on his chest).

 

Luckily there was only 1 at day 70 (2 at day 77).

 

How do you deal with demolishers? Make a different horde base?

 

*This should be a thing, not a cheese

[theFlu]

Most commonly (as measured in numbers): an electric fence, or two, and plenty of headshots. When that fails, run them around streets and blow em up, if the spot is good for it.

 

Haven't tried anything else in A21 yet. In the past; blade traps have seemed decent, need to repair those a lot though. 9mm turrets shooting from "above and behind" have been useful.

 

And secondary positions, with the primary designed to disable itself when enough explosions happen. Say, steel walls, but concrete floor, the floor will break before the wall does and remove zed access to the wall. The floor of course needs to be elevated enough to disable the path.

[Old Crow]

As carefully as possible, since explosions now seem to set them off, and they still enjoy magically dancing their buttons right into my gunfire no matter where I aim.

[SylenThunder]

If I can get clear shots, I just shoot them in the head. Otherwise take out their knees.

 

Would not recommend a shotgun even with slugs, and I try not to let them get in melee range.

[Khissi]

Since cop explosions now set them off, it's a bit harder.  I don't make enclosed corridors but make a raised pathway using a thin walkway, like, centered bars or something.  They are easier to knock off the path when shot or even with melee and, if they do explode, the damage is a bit more limited and less inclusive of my traps.  I don't use lots of traps even though electric turrets will not set them off since, in a21, I'm not drowning in ammo any more (be wary! Junk Turrets and Sledges that hit that button will set them off), but absolutely use electric fences and jumping poles to slow them and make them fall.  Using electric fences to hold them in place while you take out their legs or attempt headshots (I suck at that so legs it is) works and other zombies will knock them off the path, as well, making them have to run back around.  Using multiple supports and double the thickness (steel) of the walkway will keep the path open for them unless you have many explosions in exactly the same place which, if that happens, run-n-gun... if your path fails, be prepared to get out there with them.  College jacket, running shoes, MegaCrush, lots of ammo... it's hairy but fun!

[Maharin]

[Riamus]

I usually blow them up at a distance with a sniper rifle because I enjoy watching them explode and seeing how messed up I can get the terrain after multiple horde night. 😁

 

However, an easier way to deal with them is to have a way for you to get behind the demolishers when you see them.  Shooting then in the back is safe.  And definitely avoid shotguns.  High damage sniper to the head or a desert vulture are great options.

[fragtzack]

Make a back up plan for horde night. For example:

 

If my current base fails, I have a backup horde base ready 20 squards away.

 

 

[RipClaw]

I have redundancies built into my horde base so a few destroyed blocks are not a problem. If I were to build the base again, I would probably add a second fighting position and a way to redirect the zombies, but so far everything has held up, even though I've had several demolisher explosions.

 

The part right in front of my fighting position is a narrow catwalk so most of the zombies fall off when they pile up.

 

My main weapon is an auto shotgun with shells and for the demolishers I have a second auto shotgun with slugs. I use electric fences to paralyze the zombies so they don't move as much. This makes aiming easier and reduces the probability that I trigger the explosion.
 

[Ray Garraty]

Stun them with electric fences and aim for the head with AP bullets

[Ramethzer0]

I mostly play with a group, and when someone in my group spots one, its called out so we have ample time to react.

 

The trick with demos is slowing them down in whatever method(s) you have available.  Traps seems to be the best tools available.

Barring that, contact grenades and missiles work just fine.   Just make sure you don't use the ones that cause a lot of block damage.

 

Having a secondary backup base, even a small one is always a good idea when playing solo.  Always always always have an entrance

and an exit from every base you have that only you can access. 

[Syphon583]

Concrete, steel (if you can afford it) and redundancies. Concrete will survive a single blast (unless you have zombie block damage turned up), so if you're careful, it will do fine.

 

As others have mentioned, slow them down. Electric fences are cheap, effective and easy to maintain through a horde night if you design you base well (easy access to them for repairs). Unless they've changed something, dart and blade traps shouldn't set them off (someone surely will correct me if they do).

 

Headshots with AP ammo is highly effective, but any ammo will do. Be warned though, that any A21 build prior to this latest experimental seems to be bugged in that headshots on demos don't work. I've yet to update to latest since I've seen it cause a few weird bugs, and just experienced my first demos last night. Headshots weren't working so I just aimed for their legs and gut with AP ammo. Took them out easily.

 

I would avoid auto turrets of any kind as they will set them off easily. Best to take care of them yourself.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Syphon583 (see edit history)

[SenLim]

Thanks for advices. I'll try electric fence first as first layer of defense. If I see a demo I'll switch it on and aim for his head.

I'll also have an auto turret BUT I'll place it so it'd aim behind the demo (place it at far back) so it wouldn't shoot the explosive. Hope this'll work.

[pahbi]

Its an oldie but a goodie, I use this base with some added turrets and its never failed me.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehg6YgO76mA

 

 

[OneManStanding]

We used to have a base that my brother used, which exploited zombie pathing behaviour. It was very safe. But I wanted something more generic and dramatic, so we went for a large castle - a four-turreted keep with four floors and an outer wall. When it comes to Demolishers, we target them as they spawn until they fall, then hit the explosive whilst they're at a safe distance and be sure to patch the road later. Those that get closer, or even inside, we just try not to hit the bombs. Nevertheless, if the base comes down it'll be AWESOME.

[Rotor]

Do making them crawl still work?

 

[Old Crow]

2 hours ago, Rotor said:

Do making them crawl still work?

 

 

You can still make them crawl, yes.

[pApA^LeGBa]

Still with an electric fence, a rocketlauncher using frags and/or contact grenades. Points in Demolition man and AtomJunkies and you are good to go.

 

But i don´t have such a narrow space to deal with.

Edited July 29, 2023 by pApA^LeGBa (see edit history)

[Rotor]

9 hours ago, Old Crow said:

 

You can still make them crawl, yes.

 

Then best solution from A20  was to make them crawl and shoot them in the head.

On 7/26/2023 at 4:40 PM, SenLim said:

*This should be a thing, not a cheese

 

Tell them to get some whine!

[c2chaos]

I often spec into agility, so, my solution is to use two SMGs but I keep a separate SMG loaded with AP ammo with a full auto mod, muzzle brake, foregrip, and extended/drum mag. It is faster to switch guns than to try to load to a different type of ammo. I also dye them to tell them apart. The full auto seems redundant but it increases fire rate, and the grip and brake keep it pretty steady. It feels like a laser and shreds them quick. So, even if you did hit the trigger it will be dead twice over before you have to reload. If you fully spec'd into perception, the M60 is much more effective, since you would often get the penetrator perks to pierce targets and get more armor reduction any way.

[hiemfire]

52 minutes ago, c2chaos said:

If you fully spec'd into perception, the M60 is much more effective, since you would often get the penetrator perks to pierce targets and get more armor reduction any way.

This sounds like a bug. Iirc the M60 isn't supposed to be affected by Penetrator.

[Syphon583]

Just now, hiemfire said:

This sounds like a bug. Iirc the M60 isn't supposed to be affected by Penetrator.

I could also be mistaken, but I think it's the ammo that makes the difference. AP ammo, regardless of what gun they're loaded into, will have penetration depending on how many skill points you have into the appropriate perks.

[hiemfire]

1 minute ago, Syphon583 said:

I could also be mistaken, but I think it's the ammo that makes the difference. AP ammo, regardless of what gun they're loaded into, will have penetration depending on how many skill points you have into the appropriate perks.

As I said, iirc the Penetrator perk is only supposed to affect attacks from rifles (pipe, hunting and sniper) as far as ranged weapons go and is separate from what the ammunition does. What they are describing sounds like a bug.

[Vaeliorin]

7 minutes ago, hiemfire said:

As I said, iirc the Penetrator perk is only supposed to affect attacks from rifles (pipe, hunting and sniper) as far as ranged weapons go and is separate from what the ammunition does. What they are describing sounds like a bug.

It also effects bows/crossbows and spears in terms of armor decrease.  Rifles are the only thing that gets to penetrate multiple enemies, though.

[Syphon583]

19 hours ago, hiemfire said:

As I said, iirc the Penetrator perk is only supposed to affect attacks from rifles (pipe, hunting and sniper) as far as ranged weapons go and is separate from what the ammunition does. What they are describing sounds like a bug.

You know what, you're completely right. I think I was just assuming penetrator affected any weapon that used AP 7.62s. The description of penetrator is pretty clear that it doesn't. While using AP rounds in any gun will grant a flat percentage of armor penetration, there's no added bonus that comes with the penetrator perk. It wouldn't surprise me that chaos is just assuming that as well and that there isn't in fact a bug. Haven't done any testing yet.