Ashes Of The Damned Early Game Strategy

Full setup before round 13, no GobbleGums.

Plan In Order

1. Start: Rampage Inducer on, fumigate green plants.
2. Rounds 1 To 7: melee headshots, Quick Revive, Speed Cola, Melee Macchiato, tomahawk challenge.
3. Rounds 7 To 10: Ashwood, Vulture Aid, Pack-a-Punch build, Juggernog.
4. Rounds 10 To 12: Vandorn Farm, Stamin-Up, Pack-a-Punch your gun.
5. Round 13 and up: Wisp Tea, gun headshots, side objectives.

Spawn Setup

• Turn on the Rampage Inducer in the spawn area.
• Zombies spawn faster: more kills, more points.
• Switch it off on dangerous rounds, such as a Ravager round.

Green Plants

1. Pick up the Fumigator (spray can near spawn).
2. Spray the glowing green plants. Two at spawn, more around the map.
3. Zombies run at the plant. Defend it until it finishes growing.
4. Collect rewards: points, Salvage, sometimes a Pack-a-Punch crystal.
5. Fumigate the finished plant again for another reward.

• Low risk early: zombies go for the plant, not you.

Melee Headshots

• Melee headshots pay more than normal kills in the early rounds (values change by patch).
• Line the center marker up with the head, then melee.
• Best targets: stragglers. Aim a little above the head.
• Charge your melee: hold aim, then melee. Matters from round 5 or 6.
• Melee through rounds 4 to 7.
• Use your gun on groups and in later rounds.
• No melee on Ravager rounds.
• Pick up every drop and all Salvage.

Small Bonuses

• Spore growths: one melee hit, no ammo.
• Green spore pods on roads: drive Ol' Tessie over them to heal her. Can give Salvage, points or a Bolt.

Rounds 4 To 7

Buy while you melee:

• Quick Revive: spawn, Server Room.
• Speed Cola and Melee Macchiato: Blackwater Lake, in the cabin.

Melee Macchiato:

• Stronger punch.
• Raises the round where melee stops being a one-hit kill.
• Its augments make melee faster and keep it one-hit longer.

Tomahawk Target Challenge

1. Blackwater Lake toolshed: interact with the small trophy.
2. Go outside and pick up the tomahawk.
3. Throw it at the glowing targets near the cabin. Later targets move.
4. Tomahawks come back after throwing.
5. Land at least one of the first two throws. Missing later ones is fine.
6. Hit enough targets and Mr. Peeks spawns, dances and drops random loot.

• Video loot: 500 points, Pack-a-Punch crystal, second weapon.
• Crystal went on a bullet weapon. Melee weapon stayed unpacked.
• By round 7 in the video: three perks, about 5,000 points left.

Rounds 7 To 10: Ashwood

1. Open the door toward Ashwood.
2. Open the next door, get the power on, flip the switch.
3. Skip Double Tap. Buy Vulture Aid (with melee, more Salvage and points).
4. Drive Ol' Tessie into the Ashwood garage and build Pack-a-Punch on her.
5. Keep meleeing, upstairs or downstairs.
6. Buy Juggernog, the last perk here.

• Video by round 10: about 9,000 points, four perks, Juggernog fifth.

Tips

• Pick up the nuke at the end of a round.
• Hold crouch while falling for a combat roll: no fall damage.
• Ravager round: fumigate a plant if needed, use your gun, no melee.
• Grab Tier 2 armor. Replate while meleeing.
• Weapon becomes a two-hit kill: raise its rarity to green at the Arsenal.
• Stim Shot at full health gives Overheal (about 50 extra HP in the video).
• Take Double Points when it drops.

Rounds 10 To 12: Vandorn Farm

1. Go to Vandorn Farm for the final generator. Melee the spore growths to open the farm.
2. Flip the power switch. Death Perception machine is in a barn corner.
3. Buy Stamin-Up. Double jump to reach it.
4. Pack-a-Punch your weapon. About 7,000 points to spare in the video. Upgraded to blue for the wonder weapon fight.

• Result in the video: six perks and Pack-a-Punch by round 12, about 17 minutes in.
• Full setup about 20 minutes.
• Gun-only is a bit quicker, but you hit round 13 with no points.
• Keep driving Ol' Tessie over green spore pods.

Side Objectives

• Uber Klaus: from round 8, near the crate at spawn. Defeat him, destroy his core. Main Easter egg, not needed for points.
• Chompy: in bins around the map. Melee him open, throw a tomahawk, grenade or other equipment into his black hole. Free Salvage or points.
• Waking Klaus: install the stabilizer chip first, then throw stun grenades into his cell.
• Wisp Tea: Zarya Cosmodrome. Seventh perk in the video, bought on round 13.

Rounds 13 And Up

• Armored zombies appear. Kill them with your gun, still aim for the head.
• Charge your melee. With the Melee Macchiato augments, a charged headshot still one-hits.
• Back away from zombies. They hit hard.
• Around rounds 14 and 15 the melee advantage fades. Pack-a-Punch the melee weapon, raise its rarity, or switch to your gun.
• Easter egg steps: no melee kills. Gun headshots only.

T.E.D.D. Tasks

1. Find the T.E.D.D. head on the map (after round 9).
2. Interact with it.
3. Kill the zombies that spawn.
4. Finish for a chest of rewards.

• Optional bonus.

For the full quest after you are set up, see the Ashes of the Damned main Easter egg guide.