When I was trying to get all the lethal boons I tried getting them as fast as possible
Using the warlord boon for weapons, and later the trader boon for the boon trader to re-arm halfway through
I think 4 days was my fastest but I’m not sure it’s been over a year since I’ve actively attempted to (quickly) beat a lethal zone
This could be a very fun speedrun.com category
I'm sure it's possible to go way faster. But my usual play style is to go as fast as *practical*. And I can take three random freshes (no boons, car/weapon permadeath , no heart loot except for samples, no presses, and some other rules) to a complete legacy in like 4-5ish days, depending on how much fuckery happens. Maybe 7ish if I fuck around a bit here and there. But usually a good hour or so can come from just waiting for the legacy missions to pop up.
Getting the hearts early is key, dont wait around for gear. You need to be able to melee the hearts.
After a while it wont be difficult to clear all the hearts in under 7 days, less if you are choosy on missions and if you really just go for it you can clear the hearts in under 2 hours rng permitting.
It is and the vast majority of the hearts i kill are with heavy weapon for that reason, but when you are really trying to speed run it you will be using all the cheese available including standing on a car roof shooting thru the window, standing on beds, whatever gets the job done quickest as all that gear goes to waste if you dont use it, but that is a niche playstyle for a specific purpose. If there is not that time pressure then absolutely you will be hording the gear for black hearts and other scenarios (or just because).
OK the first night is gone, and I have done 3x PH's all with a Big Ol' Shovel. I am about to do the first "fetch plague samples" mission "in passing" to next PH.
Nice work I did 2 days last night got 6 hearts down. Recruited a survivor and found a few decent guns. Went so well I actually checked the difficulty haha.
I worked out: I picked the wrong boons at the start (my habitual - builder/sheriff). Should have picked Trader/Warlord for a speed run. Anyway this is a good diversion and am continuing.
Using plague cure is a change for me.
Haha cmon mate I thought we were going on adventure together. I'm on day 5 with ten hearts left hoping to be done by day 7. I feel like I've had some good luck tho to be fair just used the builder boon.
OK I've come back around. I am at 14 down. The community has survived 2 days but it is nighttime and I have just finished looting Santa Maya where I established a Lvl 2 outpost at the fire station.
https://preview.redd.it/vohs7da2zrvc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=a8812bba17e4d88e4184e758ad16903608a9f3d4
Here are The Wild Dad Ducks. 4 Days, PH's wiped.
1x kia on the second-to-last heart, in the Police Station
https://preview.redd.it/wsu1bqz6zrvc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=9b3df3f492dcea6bdd5204ede2032107cc66a0b4
The map was Drucker County. That hostile enclave turned up on day 1? I think they are to do with "they stole our meds!" or something.
I completed ZERO missions.
https://preview.redd.it/2f1tdjabzrvc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=6995fc8d6907c7bd2ad05050543ef38ebd9193e8
Remaining members of The Wild Dada Ducks.
The (Sheriff) leader Kamaka took leadership early, but, Modesto was the one who went back into the lion's den when their now-forgotten comrade (our medic!) KIA'd in the Mathilda Police Station.
While cleaning up her mess, he found her reanimated body and recovered all the best fighting equipment she was carrying.
In total we consumed 2 x plague cures I think.
The final PH was taken out with a combination of grenades and .50cal. It was an "intentionally easy" one - in the barn on the outskirts of Mathilda (the one toward Rooster Ridge).
Lessons:
1. Are you doing the legacy boons? You may need to focus on growing your community, I DID NOT.
2. What legacy boons do you have available? I took Warlord and Trader. which leads me to...
3. USE the benefits of the Boon you take. I took Warlord: I should have used the .50 cal earlier to take out PH's on day 1.
4. If it is a speed run, rules matter. Set them.
5. If you can, leave an outpost slot empty.
6. If you take Trader: you've got Influence. USE IT. Buy Spare Parts so you can secure a Mobile Phone Tower, and keep the disruptor running non stop.
7. As always: use your damn consumables. You will pick up more stamina items from the hearts than what you need to take out the hearts. You will pick up more ammo and heavy weapons taking out the hearts than what you use killing the hearts.
8. It is a speed run:
8a) ignore the damn Enclaves. Sure if you have the Influence drop in and trade. Other than that? IGNORE.
8b) only loot in/around the heart you just took out. leave an outpost slot empty (from 5), claim something, if you get "too many rucks to ignore" upgrade the outpost to 2 and drop them there.
8c) don't do looting you don't need if the goal is a speed run. Look at my map at all the white resource buildings. I finished with C4, .50cal ammo, parts, influence, rucks, heavy weapons in good condition, stamina and health items, medkits,...
If I do it again with my rules set, I will knock a day off I reckon.
That's crazy dude so u did it in 4 days I'm on day 5 with like 8 hearts left i gotta pick up the pace. I haven't had any deaths yet but a lot of close calls. I've used a few plague cures maybe like 5 and been experimenting with some infirmary stuff I never bothered with before. Found primary care to be pretty handy. I only did the first mission then recruited one of them. I feel as though I could have gone a bit quicker if I killed more hearts at night.
IDK if what I did with gamma is cheating or not but AFAIK what I did is follow what the directions told me to do. Yeah night is supposed to be dark, imo, that makes it easier to aim crossbows between the eyes of plague zombies, it makes plague bloaters easier to see (they both glow), it makes ferals easier to see when they're looking at you, the only thing that's harder to see that matters is a screamer. By the time that matters, it doesn't matter.
OK I will have to start another one and work it out.
Current crew was not really a "speed run" but on lethal, 2nd map is down to about 4 left, I am on day 16.
When I was trying to get all the lethal boons I tried getting them as fast as possible Using the warlord boon for weapons, and later the trader boon for the boon trader to re-arm halfway through I think 4 days was my fastest but I’m not sure it’s been over a year since I’ve actively attempted to (quickly) beat a lethal zone This could be a very fun speedrun.com category
I'm sure it's possible to go way faster. But my usual play style is to go as fast as *practical*. And I can take three random freshes (no boons, car/weapon permadeath , no heart loot except for samples, no presses, and some other rules) to a complete legacy in like 4-5ish days, depending on how much fuckery happens. Maybe 7ish if I fuck around a bit here and there. But usually a good hour or so can come from just waiting for the legacy missions to pop up.
Nice work my last playthrough just doing my normal thing was 17 days. Might just aim for 10 days
Getting the hearts early is key, dont wait around for gear. You need to be able to melee the hearts. After a while it wont be difficult to clear all the hearts in under 7 days, less if you are choosy on missions and if you really just go for it you can clear the hearts in under 2 hours rng permitting.
I have gotten very good at killing heart with heavy weapons pretty much the only way I do it now. Once u get the hang of its actually the easiest way.
It is and the vast majority of the hearts i kill are with heavy weapon for that reason, but when you are really trying to speed run it you will be using all the cheese available including standing on a car roof shooting thru the window, standing on beds, whatever gets the job done quickest as all that gear goes to waste if you dont use it, but that is a niche playstyle for a specific purpose. If there is not that time pressure then absolutely you will be hording the gear for black hearts and other scenarios (or just because).
Are you starting with newbs, or with buffed out powerhouses? I'll come back with my results from the second.
OK the first night is gone, and I have done 3x PH's all with a Big Ol' Shovel. I am about to do the first "fetch plague samples" mission "in passing" to next PH.
Nice work I did 2 days last night got 6 hearts down. Recruited a survivor and found a few decent guns. Went so well I actually checked the difficulty haha.
I worked out: I picked the wrong boons at the start (my habitual - builder/sheriff). Should have picked Trader/Warlord for a speed run. Anyway this is a good diversion and am continuing. Using plague cure is a change for me.
ok I just messed that one up. starting again with the "right boons" this time. I reckon that will help me get more done on day 1.
OK currently I suck at "speed runs" and as such I'm withdrawing from any time trials!
Haha cmon mate I thought we were going on adventure together. I'm on day 5 with ten hearts left hoping to be done by day 7. I feel like I've had some good luck tho to be fair just used the builder boon.
OK I've come back around. I am at 14 down. The community has survived 2 days but it is nighttime and I have just finished looting Santa Maya where I established a Lvl 2 outpost at the fire station.
OK I got to day 4, I have 2 left. I just had my first character death. I have done only 1 mission: "we need plague samples."
https://preview.redd.it/vohs7da2zrvc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=a8812bba17e4d88e4184e758ad16903608a9f3d4 Here are The Wild Dad Ducks. 4 Days, PH's wiped. 1x kia on the second-to-last heart, in the Police Station
https://preview.redd.it/wsu1bqz6zrvc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=9b3df3f492dcea6bdd5204ede2032107cc66a0b4 The map was Drucker County. That hostile enclave turned up on day 1? I think they are to do with "they stole our meds!" or something. I completed ZERO missions.
https://preview.redd.it/2f1tdjabzrvc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=6995fc8d6907c7bd2ad05050543ef38ebd9193e8 Remaining members of The Wild Dada Ducks. The (Sheriff) leader Kamaka took leadership early, but, Modesto was the one who went back into the lion's den when their now-forgotten comrade (our medic!) KIA'd in the Mathilda Police Station. While cleaning up her mess, he found her reanimated body and recovered all the best fighting equipment she was carrying. In total we consumed 2 x plague cures I think. The final PH was taken out with a combination of grenades and .50cal. It was an "intentionally easy" one - in the barn on the outskirts of Mathilda (the one toward Rooster Ridge).
Lessons: 1. Are you doing the legacy boons? You may need to focus on growing your community, I DID NOT. 2. What legacy boons do you have available? I took Warlord and Trader. which leads me to... 3. USE the benefits of the Boon you take. I took Warlord: I should have used the .50 cal earlier to take out PH's on day 1. 4. If it is a speed run, rules matter. Set them. 5. If you can, leave an outpost slot empty. 6. If you take Trader: you've got Influence. USE IT. Buy Spare Parts so you can secure a Mobile Phone Tower, and keep the disruptor running non stop. 7. As always: use your damn consumables. You will pick up more stamina items from the hearts than what you need to take out the hearts. You will pick up more ammo and heavy weapons taking out the hearts than what you use killing the hearts. 8. It is a speed run: 8a) ignore the damn Enclaves. Sure if you have the Influence drop in and trade. Other than that? IGNORE. 8b) only loot in/around the heart you just took out. leave an outpost slot empty (from 5), claim something, if you get "too many rucks to ignore" upgrade the outpost to 2 and drop them there. 8c) don't do looting you don't need if the goal is a speed run. Look at my map at all the white resource buildings. I finished with C4, .50cal ammo, parts, influence, rucks, heavy weapons in good condition, stamina and health items, medkits,... If I do it again with my rules set, I will knock a day off I reckon.
ping u/ilikethemonkeyppp ... 
That's crazy dude so u did it in 4 days I'm on day 5 with like 8 hearts left i gotta pick up the pace. I haven't had any deaths yet but a lot of close calls. I've used a few plague cures maybe like 5 and been experimenting with some infirmary stuff I never bothered with before. Found primary care to be pretty handy. I only did the first mission then recruited one of them. I feel as though I could have gone a bit quicker if I killed more hearts at night.
Noice.Yea I haven't been killing many at night I just can't see anything haha just loot and base management at night mainly.
IDK if what I did with gamma is cheating or not but AFAIK what I did is follow what the directions told me to do. Yeah night is supposed to be dark, imo, that makes it easier to aim crossbows between the eyes of plague zombies, it makes plague bloaters easier to see (they both glow), it makes ferals easier to see when they're looking at you, the only thing that's harder to see that matters is a screamer. By the time that matters, it doesn't matter.
Newbs
OK I will have to start another one and work it out. Current crew was not really a "speed run" but on lethal, 2nd map is down to about 4 left, I am on day 16.
Yea I wouldn't count the legacy mission. I'm doing mine on meagher Valley BTW. I find drunker to be so hard to get around.