4. Melee Tools: Unconventional, Yet Super Effective
Another great weapon for close quarters, especially in early rounds, is any of the three available melee weapons like Bulldozer’s favorite tool: the Sledgehammer.
Melee weapons are pure point plays; a melee kill is worth just as much Essence as a Critical Kill (115), and after upgrading the Melee Skill to Tier II with enough Raw Aetherium Crystals, these tools are one-hit knockouts without any upgrades through Round 11. When using these weapons in a Primary Loadout, it’s often best to use that excess Essence to head for the Mystery Box and attempt to roll a strong ranged weapon, or get a Wall Buy gun to fend off deadlier creatures like the Mimic.
Even in a worst-case scenario, these melee weapons can be upgraded and Pack-a-Punched, making them viable in later rounds and in panic situations when the horde starts to surround you. As for a Field Upgrade, it might be smart to use the Aether Shroud, as those five seconds of invulnerability (or eight, when upgraded) can get help you out of situations where there are too many zombies to melee through to safety.
Gunsmith Blueprint of the Week
Our fifth loadout that we recommend syncs up with the Weapon Blueprint we want to highlight this week: the “Crimson Dozer” assault rifle, the other Blueprint featured in the “Zombie Dozer” bundle.