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Overview

Zed Hunts are a type of randomly-generated missions in State of Decay. In this type of mission the player is required to kill a special zombie (Freak). This mission is common and can be a quick source of influence and morale improvement.

Walkthrough

Following notification from Lilly Ritter about a survivor (that comes from the player's community or an Enclave) who needs help taking down a zombie, a green "person" icon will appear on the map marking the survivor's location.

Upon reaching the survivor and agreeing to help, he or she will join up with the player. Several nearby spots on the map will be marked with blue question marks, indicating the freak's potential location. After the zombie is killed, the survivor will thank the player and depart.

Letting the mission expire will result in another survivor coming to aid the first survivor and they will spend 2 Ammo Crates to take down the freak. As Ammo is one of the rarer resources, at least early in the game, this outcome is usually undesirable.

Strategy

The strategy to employ depends largely on fighting style, materials at hand, and target in question. The targets called for a Zed Hunt are as follows:

Armored (S.W.A.T Zombie or Army Zombie)

The easiest of the Zed Hunt zombies, these zombies require no special preparation. Their only strength is the body armor and helmet which severely reduce the effectiveness of small arms fire, so melee combat is highly recommended. A knockdown-then-execute combo is enough to take one out.

Rotter (Bloater)

Given due care, Rotter Zed Hunts are not particularly dangerous. They usually hide in buildings, making it difficult to maintain a safe distance; thus, the safest approach is to try and lure them out in the open (with car horn or other means). When the Rotter is spotted, shoot it in the body to make it explode. Do not try to run it down with a vehicle. Rotters have to explode to count as destroyed in this mission, and hitting a Rotter with a car will contaminate the vehicle and can cause severe vitality and health damage to the survivors, even getting them sick.

Feral

While undoubtedly one of most dangerous freak zombies, a Feral is not a substantial threat provided a player keeps an ally close at all times. When the Feral attacks, a quick dodge/roll will result in it falling to the ground, allowing for a execution move if the survivor is quick enough. Otherwise, two survivors attacking continuously can quickly bring down a Feral, even without using execution moves, since the feral may focus on one survivor, allowing the other to attack, and vice versa.

If taking down a Feral with a vehicle is preferred, one can simply cruise around the target locations in a car, repeatedly blasting the horn or siren. While this will bring out a significant number of non-target zombies, the Feral will ultimately emerge from the building. Run it down before it has a chance to attack the vehicle or escape.

There are multiple ways you can eliminate a Feral before it gets within striking distance with the proper weapons and skills. For instance, grenade launchers and .50 caliber sniper rifles (which will kill ferals instantly, even with body shots) are useful for eliminating Ferals from a distance. If the player is a skilled shot with a high-powered rifle or handgun, they may be able to score a headshot from beyond the detection range of a Feral, though this method can be risky. Placing a mine, and then luring the Feral into setting it off is another option, but is a risky proposition if the Feral manages to avoid the mine. If a Feral spawns in a backyard storage shed, if the player can sneak around the the window on one side of the shed without alerting the Feral and throw in a grenade or molotov.

Big 'Un (Juggernaut)

Unable to effectively hide, Juggernauts are usually found in the open. Taking it down with a partner on foot is doable, but it is general safer with firearms (though the gunshots will draw nearby zombies if not suppressed). Compared to other types of Zed Hunts, Juggernaut hunts tend to draw out longer and draw a lot more zombies. Thus, when engaging the freak on foot, care must also be taken to eliminate gathering zombies to avoid being overwhelmed. Another option is to use a vehicle and batter the beast down, which is safer but likely to cost a vehicle. See the Juggernaut article for details. Molotovs, grenade launchers, and mines deal to these freaks well.

Notes

  • Screamers are never the objective of Zed Hunt missions.
  • The mission can be declined with no visible negative consequences
  • Occasionally, if the target Freak spawns near a Survey Point, it is possible to use the survey point to locate it without being attacked and snipe it from a safe distance.
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