Update: Raids 64-66, Operation Phobos

I need about 1500 Exp to make Level 11.  Maybe it's time to get back to questing.  Besides, "find snacks for the Jaeger", one of my quests is Operation Aquarius.  Ostensibly, this is a cool quest because it sends me into Dorms, which is one of those places I never venture.

And it should be easy - hop in, hop out, extract. Piece of cake, right?  I bet most people can do it on the first try, but for me, I'll generously allot three raids to the attempt.

Destination: Room 206 of two level dorms on Customs.

Goal:

• Complete Operation Aquarius in three attempts or less.

Progress

• I am useless

Raid 64

Loadout: MP-9 SMG with dot sight,  laser,  and three 30 round magazines of Pst gzh.  Press armor (48K), ears, meds, one grenade.  Key to 206 in secure container along with CMS kit and IFAK.

I "salted" that first magazine with some few rounds of AP 6.3. But I can't buy that from any dealer and it costs 1.2K rubles per round on the flea. So every third or fourth round was AP 6.3.

Insurance: 22K

I spawned above railroad. Not the best spawn, but not a bad one. I made my way to dorms. On the way there, I heard someone running behind me. Dove into a bush. They ran past, heading for dorms.  Hope they are heading to three level dorms. I waited a bit, to let them get some distance, and then resumed. I went up the outside stairway on the back of the building. Opened the door. Seemed quiet. Walked down the hall, as a I passed the stairwell, a Scav from below shouted, but I didn't wait - I just unlocked the door, opened it, and entered.  Quest Complete sound rang. Good. Then I exited and ran right back down the hall. Scav shouted again, but no shots fired.  

I realized that I should have brought 7000 rubles for car extract. Dumb!  As I crossed the road by Sniper Roadblock, another Scav shouted at me. I ignored him and went down the hill. He fired no shots.  I made my way over to Smugglers extract, which was closed, and then checked out the little junk bridge near it.  This bridge, which used to be a reliable way to safely cross the water, has not been kind to me when I was last on Customs.  But, it seems quiet. Let's do it. I ran across the first span, zwip! zwip!   some sort of suppressed sniper rifle that has a high pitched slap was being fired at me from directly ahead up on the hill.  He undoubtedly has cover, and I have shit and just got hit.  I turned around and started running back. The sniper changed weapons, because I started catching automatic fire. And it was messing me up badly. I PK'd , hit the bushes, and pushed up the hill, while under automatic fire the entire time. I staggered onto the road, and the Scav I passed over earlier smiled at me and raised his weapon. My arms were so messed up I couldn't get my little SMG pointed anywhere near him before he dropped me with a single shot of 7.62x39mm PS.  

Time In Raid: 6 minutes, 31 seconds.

Exp: 200

Killed By: Vadimka Ment (7.62x39mm PS)

Also hit (several times) by unknown sniper with: 7.62x51 M80 and 5.45x39mm BP.  

Healing: 8.9K

Shots Fired: 0.

Mistakes

• I knew Vadimka was up there. I should have sought hard cover, or just laid down in a bush, instead of exposing myself to him.
• I probably should have taken the fight with Vadimka, instead of passing him over. I was singularly focused on extracting.
• I have already learned the lesson about that little junk bridge, for whatever reason, it has not been kind to me. Should have crossed on the main span.  I guess the sniper would still have been at the top of that hill, so mightn't have changed outcome.
• Maybe throw grenade up the hill? Ultimately, I don't think so. Those things take a second to unpin and throw, and the sniper would have got me. 
• Was I moving too fast? I don't think so.
• Forgetting 7001 rubles for extract. 
• Died

Successes

• Got in and out of dorms alive.  
• Escaped the sniper (this time).
• Switched to autofire and back to single as I entered and exited the building.

Raid 65

Loadout: New Ulley armored rig (48K). MP5 with dot-sight and several mags of Pst gzh. Meds. Ears (13K) Key, IFAK, CMS in secure container.

Insurance: 22K

Spawned across the river, near Railroad to Tarkov extract.  No reason to take the lower bridges. Started walking towards main bridge. Near the tipped over railroad car I stopped to look across the river. There was a Scav way over there.  I changed the range on my dot sight to 100 meters, aimed and fired - and hit him! But not a headshot. He ran.  Nice work, little MP5.  Took the main bridge, cover to cover, and made my way carefully to dorms.  I switched to autofire and entered same as before - outside stairwell. Walked directly down the hall, glancing in rooms as I went. Quiet. Unlocked the door, entered.  No Quest Complete sound.  Hmmm.  Did a quick circle, and then left.  I was walking back down the way I came when I was shot in the back. My movement was frozen, but I can still turn around - I spun, I could make out his outline, standing behind the water barrel in the hall. Was he camping this quest location? I started firing, but his second shot took me down.

Time In Raid: 10 minutes

Exp: 65

Killed By: yeah_yeah with two rounds of AP-20 shotgun slugs. 

Shots Fired: 17. Hits: 3, Damage to Body: 162   Accuracy: 0.18

Healing 9.4K

Mistakes:

• could have aimed better - took me a moment to see his outline and that moment may have cost me.
• should have run down the hall instead of walking, like I did the previous raid.  
• I could have gone down the stairs, making me less predictable, but that might be walking into danger. Going back down the hall was the right call - just should have run.
• Forgot 7000 rubles for extract again. 
• Died

Successes

• hit the scav across the river at 127 meters. 

Raid 66

Loadout: MP5 with dot sight, three 30 round mags of Pst gzh, A18 armored Rig (58K), ears (13K), meds, same secure container. Grenade. No backpack.

Insurance: 27K

I got the A18 armored rig from Fence for only 58K!!  On the flea market it goes for 130K. It's only class 4, but it has lots of pockets and it's not ceramic or titan or one of those difficult to repair rigs. Thanks Fence!

I spawned at trailer park, the furthest from dorms. Ok, well, I'll make do.  I carefully made my way across the main bridge, and then ducked onto the river hillside.  Went up closer to Sniper Roadblock, and crossed the road.  As I ran across, zwip! zwip! I started taking suppressed sniper fire.  Same sound as two raids ago.  I made it across, took cover behind the little shack, then ran again.  I was hoping the sniper was towards the intersection, where he might be trying to cover the bridge and the long expanse of the roads. But no suck luck. As I ran across the short open area, I started catching automatic weapon fire, AK again. He had come out of cover, and I caught the quickest glance of him on a little hilltop. If I don't do anything, he's going to gun me down.  But, there's not a lot I can do. I spun around, fired one shot, but died before I could get my weapon properly pointed at him.

Time In Raid: 7 minutes, 41 seconds. 

Exp: 0

Healing: 8K

Killed by: YUNGMULLAHBABY .  with several rounds of 5.45x39 PS

Mistakes

• Maybe I need a better approach for dealing with snipers?  Running and zig-zagging has generally worked in the past, because they tend to be loathe to surrender concealment and their position. 
• Could have been better at figuring out where he was.  
• Should I have tried baiting shots?  Randomly throwing a grenade?  
• Once I was behind the little shed, I was safe.  But also trapped. Running back the way I came would have had the least exposure - instead of trying to press on across the open.  Though, at the time I _knew_ he could fire on the road, but wasn't sure about the route ahead of me.  I guess I could have plunged toward the river, moved along the river and crossed _underneath_ the bridge and then gone around. Hmmm.
• Or I could have guessed where he likely was and tried grenading that?
• [UPDATE]: hours later, I have come to the conclusion that the best play from the little shed after being fired on by the sniper would have been to pre-PK and then throw a grenade at the hill near the intersection, and immediately start the sprint towards dorms. If I made it to cover, I could set-up on him, to see if he would pursue across the open ground, and then continue to dorms (to be likely killed by a camper).  And, I should have checked my stamina before starting the run. Maybe next time I'll remember this lesson.
• Was this the same sniper from raid 64? Same weaponry, technique and camping the same general area.  
• Forgot 7000 rubles for extract (again).
• Died

Successes

• Got a good deal from Fence.
• I died firing my weapon.

Postscript

I spent 160K today on armor plus 72K on insurance. Plus 30K in incidentals (ammo, ears).  This quest will likely bankrupt me before I can complete it.   If I had remembered to bring the 7000 rubles for the car extract, I could have finished this on the first raid (unless it would have counted as a "Run Through", need to learn about that).