Scout Archive
Thread: I've got Pistol I and Rifle I and I'm still gettting my butt kicked by all but the smallest...
Well, that's a good point. While I was using my snare technique, it was great for getting some combat, harvesting and trapping experience, but there was no camp making experience for sure. Somedaywe'll allhave all these boxes filled up andwe won't have to worry about experience anymore.
It's all kind of a wash I think. While you got exp for your time spent crafting and camping, I was continuing my marksman and harvesting skills.
It's all good.
Lyfisin
aka "Orion"
Last night I discovered the beauty of traps...when I last tried them in early Beta 3, they weren't really worth the time...but now....
Anyways, there are basically two kinds of white cons when you're at Advanced Rifle and Trapping I, there are a) white cons that die before they get to you and b) white cons that don't. Combat proceeds really smoothly if you:
1) Go prone and fire 1-3 headshots depending on how fast they tend to go down, though 3 shots is pushing it, you're better served throwing your trap after 2 before the creature knows where you are and charges.
2) Kneel and throw a bone spur (repeat until one is effective).
3) If you're fighting a b-type con, throw the ranged defense trap (forget what it's called) (repeat until one is effective).
4) Head shot. Head shot. Head shot. etc...
Unless you have horrible luck with your traps a b-type con will be dead before you take too much damage. a-type cons can usually be killed with 2 shots and a trap.
If you're low on resources or need some safe scouting experience, blue cons are gimmies and you don't even need to spend the time kneeling or going prone....just open with a spur and fire a headshot.
Of course all of this will probably change once DLTs start getting produced and the white cons become a bit more robust and resistant, but for CDEF stuff, it's pretty routine.
After 3 or 4 hours last night, I had gained enough experience to go from a little into Advanced Rifle to Expert Rifle, from a little into Trapping I to Trapping II, 11k Scout experience and walked away with about 400 bone and hide. All solo, 1, maybe 2 incaps, no exploits, cheats, or cheap tricks, and I walked away with my highest wound count being 36
And all I use is rifle, won't have enough points for anything else.
Tigashi
GLOW
JUICE
TRAP
My goodness what an awesome negative buff it gives to your target!!
Personally I don't care if I take more damage while kneeling. In fact, I WANT to take damage in every fight, because that means more time in camp (which I use to craft stuff) healing wounds and more Wilderness XP bonus when I'm done there. 
Another thing I discovered if you are getting beat up too easy.
Check your Battle Fatigue and Wounds. I was at 180 Battle Fatigue with 30'ish+ wounds, I went and got healed up back to 0 in everything, and what a difference it made in combat.
I was experimenting with tactics while soloinng missions last night, and I have two words for the rifle users out there:
Threaten Shot.
For those unfamiliar with this ability, it's a detaunt. When used, it causes a very small amount of damage, but often causes the monsterto stop attacking you and move away. This is incredibly important to rifle users because the damage penalty makes holding a rifle when the enemy is in close a very bad idea.
By adding Threaten Shot in after a Bone Spur/Head Shot combination, you can often keep the critter from charging you for a while so you can get a few more Head Shots in. Sometimes you can throw in another Threaten Shot after the first wears off, and the critter won't even get close. This is fantastic news for a rifle user.
Using Bone Spurs, Head Shots, and Threaten Shots in this combination, I was dropping whites before they got to me on a regular basis.
A side note: This tatic demands that you do not spam moves and fill up your combat queue, since you have to be ready to Threaten Shot again when the MOB starts charging you.
Enjoy, and good luck.
Dara K'Estell <Chilastra>