The basement strategy

[TroubledTurkey]

I am reposting this here, since there is now a strategy board, and I feel this was almost completely overlooked.

Some time ago, A friend and I were playing Five on Split Screen when we realized the windows in the Basement level. After about 3 attempts at trying to utalize these windows we finally found a (nearly) Foolproof lapping strategy in the basement (The strategy was originally created in a SOLO game. After several attempts to form something with my friend, I went in solo to see what Icould come up with, and this was the first strategy developed.) It began as simply our alternative way of playing Five, but soon evolved into our only way of playing Five. The basement Window Jumping Strategy is a lot more intense than the normal strategy, but it leaves you in good distance from the most beneficial wall guns and it has the elevator and Teleporters as decent Safety Nets. The strat has evolved many times since, develpoing new Sub-Routes when blocked in, Specific firing zones for certain weapons (its just prefference though), and a dope Claymore minefield zone for getting quick and Easy Bonfire Sales. The strategy has been tested up to 30+ solo and atleast 29 Co-Op (best if atleast 1 of your 4 people stay out of the basement.)

It seems like the Basement labs are very much overlooked on everything besides the power and Box, so I just wanted to share this, see if anyone else has tried it or perhaps wants to learn it. Its fun.

Heres a (Crude) Map I made explaining it as best I could.

BLAM

Purple Circle=usual starting area

Orange Circle=Good zone for Gunning

Green Circle=Teleporter

Pink Circle=Claymore Minefield (wasted on Zombies. good on Thief)

Red=Zombie Spawn

Blue=Jumping Window

Purple Line=Main Path

Lavender Line=Sub-Paths (All of them are not included)

Note: This map was made for showing the Solo version. The Co-Op version is much easier and a team of 3 split up through the basement will have a much easier time than a solo runner.

I am going to get a video for this soon. I dont think it will help any more than the map does. Through experience it seems like this strategy is hard for people to wrap their minds around. UNless you are used to playing Erratically and Randomly, The only way to get good at it is practice. I really didnt practice it at all though. The first time I tried it I got to 30, and it was the funnest thing I had ever done in Zombies. It just suits me. I wish all levels had strategies like this.

The strategy is not exactly a "Solid" strategy. It takes a lot of improvising, which eventually just comes naturally.

Other Tips:

1) For best results, you must be able to react FAST, move FAST, and not stop for more than a few seconds.

2) Creepy Crawlers make excellent weapons.

3) Use teleporters if you have to. No matter where they take you, there should be a good way to escape (Some rare occasions you will get trapped, but theres no real way to avoid that).

4) Works extremely well if you have partners who insist on Camping in the bottom elevator.

5) Mustang and Sally may not be a good safety net on this map, but if you just jumped through a window, you can fire at the horde you just escaped without injuring yourself.

[TheDunbarian]

Sometimes my friends and I will play in the labs for fun to see how long we can last (seeing as how we usually stay in the war room and run laps). After reading this though, I might have to look into using the labs as an actual strategy a bit more. It does sound interesting. I've always found constant running and improvising more fun than an actual solid strategy. That's why I love Der Reise so much. I'm gonna have to try this out :)

[TroubledTurkey]

It started as a somewhat solid running route, until I started getting really used to running around down there, so eventually it became more improvised. The route in the map is pretty safe and clear (Sometimes safer to use the "unused" hallway, rather than the Bowie KNife room). IN Co-Op Especially, running around at will, rather than in a formation, is very possible, as long as you can react quickly when you see zombies rushing down hallways.

A good thing to know is how to pull zombies to the sides of hallways before running head on into them. Its something I rarely see anyone do in closed in spaces. (Basicly if you see a zombie or 2 coming down the hallway, you slow down a bit and hug up against the side of the wall until the zombies get closer. This should open up a path that you can run through without getting stuck. As Important as it is to keep moving, you have to know how fast lol.)

[aegisknight]

I've developed my own basement strategy as well. I used to use one similar to your suggestion, but it got to hecktic in some of the hallways and firing points, so I abandoned it. The reliance on teleporters also hurt me, flashing to the wrong place at the wrong time has ended many games.

I start in the big room, I blow out both windows, and stay there as long as possible. Sheparding in here is easier than anywhere else, and it keeps everything close together. I run counter-clockwise around the two tables, until I can tell I will be cut off at the door by a long stream coming in.

I then jump through the window closest to the box spawn point, and run to the end of the hallway (M16). I fire at heads and crawlers, then run into the autopsy room, jump through the window looking at the power room, turn left into the power room, out the front door, and back through the other window of the pig room.

If I need ammo, I lengthen this by going around the autopsy room instead of through it, picking up 74u. Depending on the situation I'll go all the way to the bowie knife or just to the power like normal.

I love the FIVE basement. The only other more intense running spot that works consistently is the spawn floor of Shi no Numa, but it doesn't have good wall guns to pick up en route. Its so much more fun than the war room, and if you can get it down you'll be happy to let less skilled players take the easier spots.

[Superhands]

Yeah I've been doing this one for a while if I'm playing with randoms and they're all running round like headless chickens in the War Room it's pretty safe. Can't go far wrong if you also have a safe weapon in hand like the Winter's or Awful Lawton. Window-jumping takes about 5 minutes to completely master, just a case of getting the timing right for jumping and crouching almost at the same time.

[TroubledTurkey]

Oh, I have seen pleanty of people where the whole window jumping thing just does not sink in one bit. They just DO NOT get it.

as for me, I used the jump-Crouch combination a LOT in World at War, so I never had to practice the window jumping. I never stay in rooms very long. I prefer to stay in the hallways most of the time. The Rooms are more of just spaces I cut through to get from hallway to hallway. The hallway "Crossroad" by the M16 is a very good place to cutback and make a tight group, if you insist on hording..

Here are some maps showing 2 Important Cutbacks that can aid in this strategy, and 2 "Quick Loop" Strategies (That require practice) I overlooked these for a long time, but recently they have been becoming a huge part of the strategy, especially the M16 cutback.

Suggestion: The "Loops" are best used in Multiplayer, but are very possible in Solo. Sorry again for the crude maps. Hope they are still understandable

Cutback1(M16)

Cutback2(AK74u)

QuickLoop1

QuickLoop2

@AegisKnight: QuickLoop1 is (Close) to your strategy, yes? This looks similar to what you were describing (without going all the way to the M16)

Note: Cutback1 is really good for "leading into" Quickloop2.

I think I can legitly say I have mastered Basement survival. I made it to 47 down in there, and I have supported a full 4 person team down thereto round 25 on my own. (meaning all 4 people are down in the basement, they keep dying, and I keep surviving and reviving)

[moonbro]

The pig keeps me entertained when i circle him endlessly and hop out the winders when i feel the need!

[aegisknight]

I dunno if its close to mine, I go through endless tweaking and improv depending on where they are coming from and my ammo situation.

[TroubledTurkey]

Well close to what you described then. All these maps I have are just the "on paper" stuff ( Ireally need to get a video going...). Theres way too much improvising involved with this to have anything completely clear cut. I like to never stick to a solid route. My maps are more of the basic paths (The "beginner" stuff). I like to use the Central Teleporter a lot as well, once rounds start to get high. Makes it more likely that I will be able to use the trap. The central teleporter is by far the safest one.

[aegisknight]

I avoid them all. Uncertainty is something I don't need in higher rounds for sure.

My "new solid" is to stay in the pig room until my path is blocked, through the window to the M16, fire down the hallway as they come out of pig, up through autopsy room and through the window to the 74u, then back down the hallway, past the teleporter, back around the corner, and back into the pig room

[Superhands]

You can pretty much always stick to one route if only you are running down there. 2 people running it though is just too much of a pain in the ass, things are much easier in a 2 player game if one takes the War Room and the other takes the Labs.

[TroubledTurkey]

I never stick to the Pig room for more than the first few zombies of the initial round spawn. My friend (mentioned in original post) likes to do that, and when we both take the basement, he does that, while I roam around the hallways. When we do this, I'll usually just cut the pig room from my route altogether.

I've tried running the Pig room a grand total of ONE time in my entire Zombie career. I usually just kick it, back to the window, until zombies come up from the right. Once that happens, I just run and jump out the window and then its non-stop running and shooting. once I get back to the pig room, I just quickly do a single loop around the perimeter, then back out into the hallways.

Another thing: I personally love the uncertainty aspect of zombies, on any round. I just enjoy the "Holy shit" feeling after something throws me for a loop, or a teleporter takes me into a dangerous spot, especially if I manage to escape it.

The middle teleporter has a habit of jumping you between floors, rather than around the labs though, which is why its the safest. No matter what floor it takes you to, you are pretty much safe, unless it takes you to another teleporter in the basement thats cut off by zombies (Which shouldnt happen if they are all in a group.) The zombies tend to follow you through teleporters, rather than diverting from their paths after where you appear.

Heres the usual 4 person Layout in a PLANNED game of FIVE:

Me: Running around in the Hallways.

Friend1: Circles in Pig room

Friend2: Camp in Uppermost Elevator

Friend3: Circles in War Room.

(This got bumped. I was just seeing how the Bump Topic button worked. o-o)