Raider Reservations - Raids 62 to 64 - Level 16

I ran four quick raids on Reserve. Three as a PMC and one as a Scav.  In two of them, I don't believe there were raiders in the bunker. In another two I know firsthand there were neither raiders or scavs in the bunker.

Destination: Reserve

Goal: Kill raiders in the bunker. I'm going armorless.  When (not if) I lose my kit, it's less stressful if it's just the weapon and the meds. Armor, even crappy armor, drives my cost up. 

Raid 62 - Showering and Cowering

Loadout: MPX with dot sight. Meds. Ears.  - I've tried the MPX offline and I like it well enough. 

I spawned at the death trap spawn, in the corner vehicle bunker across the field from black bishop.  This time I made my way south, cut over and entered black pawn via the hole in the wall to the bathrooms. There were multiple footsteps in the building. I stepped further into the bathrooms, out of sight from anyone ahead or behind me, listening. Someone unlocked a door - that's the marked room downstairs, should I go surprise them? But there were more foot treads and another door being unlocked, close by. Where is that?  Is that some quest destination? Footsteps everywhere, no fighting.  There are at least two guys here, and I'm pretty sure there are three or more. Now what?

I was frozen to inaction. I made a plan, but it wasn't very good. When these guys go down to fight the raiders, I will follow and third party them. Or if they leave via these bathrooms, maybe I'll catch them by surprise. They continued stomping around while I cowered in the showers, trying to keep my aiming laser tucked to the bathroom so as to not draw attention. Someone ran through the bathroom - I fired but he was gone before I got off a shot. Stupid!!

Now I need to act or I'll be dead. I left the bathroom, crossed the hall and entered a side room. Some naked guy came to check on me, to make sure I was ok. I blasted him to death. You know what? I'm just going to the basement, which is where I wanted to go when I first got here. I ran, reloading. The stairs to the basement were blocked by some kitted PMC. OK then, I'll just step outside while I finish reloading. I rotated away, trying to move so the door frame would protect me. But he rotated out and fired on me just as I was pulling my charging handle.  

Time In Raid: 5 minutes, 27 seconds
Exp: 454
Ammo Used: 17, Hits: 1, Accuracy: 0.06  ( these numbers are deceptive - I dumped a mag in his head, he died on the first shot)
Kills: USEC Level 1-10
Killed by: JOJO--    . Good game JOJO-- , sorry about the loss of your friend. I'm sure he's in heaven watching over you.

Mistakes

• firing on the guy who was exiting. 
• not taking initiative sooner. debatable
• there was no sound of combat in the basement. Maybe these guys didn't go all the way into the bunker, but it seems odd. Were there no raiders or scavs?

Successes

• killed a PMC
• learned that Black Pawn may be highly contended

Raid 63 - Lonely Looting

Loadout: AKS-74UB (the suppressed one).  Meds and ears.  

I spawned at the observatory. I hit the safe at the gatehouse and then entered the entrance that leads to  D-2 and the bunkers. Hit the next safe on the way down. When I finally arrived at the bunker I could hear someone moving around. I quieted down and carefully scoped the ramp leading to King. No one. I crept back along the hallway - I could still hear someone moving around. I crept down the white pawn stairs, as I did the footsteps seemed to stop. Either he's left the area or is camping.  I carefully peeked the antechamber. Clear. I started moving normally, clearing room by room. All clear. No bodies, not a single one.  That's odd. The D-2 lever already pulled.  I grabbed some loot and headed to D-2. Whoever I had heard had gone this way before me, because I had been restoring doors to their closed positions when I came and now they were open.  I extracted with a bag full of loot.

Time In Raid: 14 minutes, 49 seconds
Exp: 778

Mistakes

• Should I have pushed for a fight? If I'd gone down the ramp to the King antechamber I bet I would have encountered him. But that ramp is not a good place to fight from. The antechamber is ok though - lots of cover and exploitable angles.
• Not a single raider or scav in the bunker. What's up with that?

Successes

• Survived and that's not nothing

Raid 64 - Prefire FTW

Loadout: Same suppressed AK-74UB, meds, ears. My mags have mostly 5.45 BP but I've top loaded them with Igolnik, so watch out!

Spawned out near the trains. Made my way to King. The gate before the stairs was open. I entered, closed it, and quietly descended the stairs. Once in the staircase I could hear some sounds of quiet movement. Is that above or below? 

I exited the stairs, got the loot in the side room, as I stepped back into the hall ZIP - I took a hit from a suppressed weapon. Is that up the stairs? Seems unlikely. I ran to the store room, I caught sight of someone down in the bunker on my way. Healed my arm in the storeroom. Exited and took cover at the entryway  - someone was coming up the stairs. I fired, he threw a grenade. I ran backwards to the bathroom, just making cover before it exploded. Another grenade - those F-1 grenades roll left so I can't stay - I zipped across the hall back to the room at the bottom of the stairs. The grenade exploded, but I was again safe. I aimed down sight in cover and carefully leaned out.  

My adversary had finished his ascent and was in the hall. I saw his shoulder. As soon as he makes one more step I'm going to blast him. But that's not what happened. Instead he prefired and crossed. I smashed the fire button but nothing happened, well I died, that happened.

Time In Raid: 5 minutes, 26 seconds
Exp: 69  
Ammo Used: 6, No hits
Killed By: Jahaelll with M856A1 .  Good prefire Jahaelll - that's a skill I need to learn. 

Mistakes

• This was my fight to lose. The minute I saw his shoulder I knew exactly where he was. I had an autofire weapon - I should have prefired at head height and stepped out. Had I done so this likely would have been my win instead of his.  Instead, waiting for it got me killed.
• I arrived late, but I never heard any sound of combat down in the bunker. Either Jahaelll killed the raiders and scavs before I got there, or there were none.

Successes

• Good reactions otherwise. Jumped to cover after being fired upon and safely dodged two grenades. Good work, cornflake!

PostScript

After these three raids I had no weapons and not much time (though, most of these raids have been short, so that's debatable).  I ran a scav run, because shopping must be done.  I hit a bunch of file cabinets. I made my way to the bunker - there was one dead player scav on the King stairs. I took his loot and weapon. But I searched the rest of the bunker and surrounding hallways completely (including up near the marked room under Black Pawn). No other bodies. No scavs. No raiders.   It figures, the second I decide "let's go kill raiders in the bunker" is the second they go on vacation. Should I water their houseplants while they are gone?