The Bad Seeds: Know Your Enemy

There are a variety of enemies that you encounter while trying to take down the Seed family and their army of cultists. You can use any weapon to kill a cultist, though some are better than others. Every enemy in the game is defeated the easiest by using a high-powered sniper rifle from a distance. However, this is not always an option. This section gives you a brief description of the enemy and the best ways to defeat them if they engage you.

Cultist

This enemy has a lot of variety in the equipment they wield. You will see cultists with melee weapons, pistols, SMGs, shotguns, rifles, and sniper rifles. However, each of these weapon types are of the lowest quality. A cultist has no armor and is vulnerable to any weapon, especially if you score a headshot. This enemy type typically shows up in large numbers and is the most frequent enemy you engage.

Armored Cultist

These are the same as cultists in every way except these guys wear some armor underneath those sweet trench coats. Small-arms fire has little effect on this enemy if you are aiming for the body. The good news is they don’t wear helmets, so go for a headshot to avoid wasting a lot of bullets.

VIP Cultist

Each region has its own VIP cultist, and they are all extremely tough. They rarely engage in melee and prefer to blast anyone opposing them, and their accuracy is better than your average cultist. If you get too close, this enemy knocks you down, so avoid that unless you are going for a takedown. Aim for headshots or use shotguns if they are in close range to you. If you defeat a VIP, you are awarded a small amount of Resistance Points for the region you are in.

Cultist Heavy

These cultists come prepared for battle. Not only do they wear exceptionally strong armor, but they also wear a helmet, making headshots difficult. If you have a powerful enough rifle, several headshots will knock off their helmet, allowing you to perform a final headshot, finishing them off. They also come equipped with a machine gun, which will kill you quickly unless you are behind cover. The easiest way to defeat these guys is with a takedown, but that requires stealth or surprise. Otherwise you need to either use explosives or a machine gun, such as the M60 or M249.

Cultist Flamer

This enemy packs a flamethrower and is just as tough as the heavy in health and armor. They also come equipped with a helmet, so you can forget about easy headshots. If you don’t get in close range, their weapon is not a threat to you. However, once they start burning up the area, the flames consuming the environment can trap you, so be aware of your surroundings. Silent takedowns are the best way to defeat this enemy. If that is not an option, you should either use explosives or concentrate fire on their fuel tanks, which are strapped to their back. Be careful, because once that tank goes, the explosion can damage and even kill you, not to mention the fire that will spread from such an explosion.

Hunter & Sniper

The cultist sniper and hunter prefer to use high ground or cover to shoot unsuspecting targets with deadly aim. Unlike the sniper, who attempts to shoot you using the easily identifiable laser sight from the AR-CL, the hunter uses stealth and a composite bow to inflict massive damage from a safe distance. Your first priority is to find these enemies—scan the area using your binoculars or employ Boomer’s special ability. This allows you to tag enemies easily, even more so if you use Boomer. Hunters and snipers have very little armor so, once you locate them, it is relatively easy to dispatch them using your preferred weapon. While hunters are slow to reload, snipers are not, so you must use caution when fighting these deadly foes.

Launcher

These cultists are typically found at cult outposts and on high ground. They should be your priority target when you start dispatching enemy groups. If you are assaulting an area with any type of vehicle, but especially aircraft, these enemies can be quite lethal, as it is much harder to identify them when you are high above them. The good news is that they don’t wear any armor and can be killed with any type of weapon—just don’t let them catch you off guard.

Chosen

These are the elite members of the cult. They come equipped with a variety of weapons and are exceptionally tough. Typically, these enemies are pilots of cultist planes and usually do not begin hunting you until you’ve increased the Resistance level in an area to at least Level 2. Since this enemy is typically in aircraft, the best way to defeat them is with launcher-type weapons, mounted weapons, or explosives.

Angel

People who don’t willingly join the cult are indoctrinated with the Bliss. The drug has caused them to ignore pretty much all pain, making them extremely hard to put down unless you use headshots or shotguns. Angels only use melee weapons and will swarm you in large numbers. There is a quest in Henbane River that allows you to upgrade your bait to also attract Angels. This is a great way to distract and move them all to a single area, making them a prime target for explosives.

Judges

Even the Hope County wildlife isn’t safe from the machinations of the cult or the effects of Bliss. Cult leaders have been experimenting on the local wildlife; through Bliss use and cruel training, they have created the ultimate killing machines, which answer to their every command. These animals are now called “Judges.” They are easy to distinguish from regular wildlife, as their coats have turned white. The most typical Judge you encounter are wolves. However, you will sometimes come across their failed attempts to create Judge bears, cougars, and moose. These failed experiments can only be encountered through missions, are extremely deadly, and have a unique appearance setting them apart from normal Judges. The best way to defeat these abominations is with heavy-weapons fire from either machine guns or shotguns, preferably from a safe distance.