Raising the Resistance
Hope County Montana is a bewildering place, brimming with cultists (AKA “Peggies”), bears, mad old coots living in cabins, and an underground resistance you need to meet at the earliest possible opportunity. Having spent over four months over-staying my welcome in Holland Valley, Whitetail Mountains, and Henbane River, I’ve come up with ten methods to really enjoy your stay, instead of driving around in a sense of confused fear:
Ten Top Tips for Resistance Domination!
#1: Profiting from Peggies: Acquiring Cash
Your number one goal is to acquire cash. Sure, raising the resistance to fight off Joseph Seed’s three crazy siblings is a noble plan; but it’s cash that’s going to help you accomplish this; by purchasing better weapons, attachments, and specialized ammo (at vendors). The best way to acquire money is to complete Prepper Stash missions (there are 32), by selling animal skins or fish you’ve caught, and most importantly; by liberating cult outposts with an “undetected” rating: This is achieved without you being detected or raising alarms; which is why the guide’s recommended stealth tactics for all 20 cult outposts is so valuable to you!
#2: The Challenges of Acquiring Perks
It’s important to learn that Perks are the key to a successful continuation of your survival in these parts. This is achieved by completing Challenges, so check that menu and you’ll see four types of Challenges: Assault (killing stuff); World (stuff to do like co-op play or civilian rescuing); Guns for Hire (when your Specialists gain kills); or Hunting (skinning animals and fishing). The trick is to look for Challenges you can easily complete as early as possible, to maximize mass Perk accumulation as quickly as you can. So (for example), pick the weapons you find and finish the Assault challenge for these weapons, then read the Challenge list and choose the ones that are easiest to finish.
#3: The Perks of Light Reading
There’s an even easier method of acquiring Perks; grabbing Perk Magazines. These come in groups of three at every “Prepper Stash” Mission reward location, and single Perk magazines are dotted throughout the landscape. Does the guide show where all the perk magazines are? Even the one in that really remote bear cave in the northern part of Henbane River? Yes, I believe it does!
#4: Perk Prepping for the End Times
You’ve just acquired some sweet, sweet perk points. Early in the game, you’ll want to spend them wisely, so pick Parachute, Wingsuit, Grapple, Locksmith, and Additional Holster to begin with. These enables you to access all locations, and the extra weapon adds to your combat options. Then start thinking about specializing into a play style:
Stealth Assassin: Get in close for silent takedowns, break into locked rooms and safes without keys, and move without being detected: Choose the following Perks: Nimble Fingers, Sneaky Sprint, Takedown Mastery, Locksmith, Ghost, and Saboteur.
Sniper: You tackle cultists from extreme range with little danger to yourself. You focus on special ammo to bring down those hard-to-kill targets. You prefer long-range kills from high vantage points, and aren’t afraid to retreat. Choose the following perks: Rifle Mastery, Black Market, Primal Mastery (for bows), Rifle Ammo Bag, and Special Ammo Bag
Recon: Being forewarned is being forearmed, and knowing every enemy’s location is critical to your wellbeing. Aside from the tactical advantage, you have alternate fast-travel methods at your disposal, and the ability to silently insert yourself into most locations. Pick the following perks: Human Fish, Parachute, Wingsuit, Rifle Mastery, Rifle Ammo Bag, Sneaky Sprint, Locksmith, and Ghost.
Tank: If you’re a fan of wandering right into the middle of a fight and killing everything until you’re the last one standing, look for big weapons and preferred perks that allow you to absorb damage. Consider the following perks: Health Boost 1, Health Boost 2, Weapons Pro, Heavy Weapons Mastery, Repair Torch, Auto-Repair, Throwback, Additional Holster, and Weapons Collector.
#5: Some Sweet Rides
Get yourself an impressive vehicle that you (and hopefully a buddy) can utilize to wreak havoc: That’s an exceptional idea. Holland Valley has two such trucks; the Death Wish (a heavily modified SUV with a machine gun turret) which is acquired after meeting Merle Briggs at the Silver Lake Trailer Park and completing his mission; and the Widowmaker (a big-rig cabin with dual machineguns) that’s available once you liberate Fall’s End and complete Mary May Fairgrave’s mission. Perhaps you want to fly the skies in a bad-ass flying machine? Then free “Chopper Queen” Adelaide Drubman from cult outpost Drubman Marina in Henbane River, then finish her mission; you get her “Tulip”; an enhanced helicopter allowing air attacks that are both wildly violent and entertaining.
#6: Takedown Mastery
Combating enemies with a melee execution (ideally a neck-crack from behind so you can kill silently, or a swift punch combo from the front while an enemy is reacting or reloading) is the best way to waylay Peggies; you don’t lose any ammo, and can even employ a bat or other weapon. Choose the Close Combat Mastery Perk so you’re not ineffectual. And learn to watch on-screen for chain-takedown opportunities; a fun and efficient way to take out enemies grouped closely together. The Takedown Mastery Perk enables multiple melee takedowns, pistol takedowns, and melee-throw takedowns. Need more information? Check the Perks chapter of the guide.
#7: Tagging and Bagging
If you’re venturing into a cult outpost, or other heavily-guarded location, it’s wise to know exactly who’s patrolling the grounds. Wading in with an M60 blazing usually gets you killed. Instead, try a modicum of stealth; crouch and stay out of an enemy’s line-of-sight, finding higher ground to view the location from, and “tagging” foes using Binoculars or Boomer the dog’s specialist ability. Then silently creep up and melee-kill each foe, removing their corpse and carrying it to an unseen area so others don’t see it. Keep this up until you’re compromised, or you clear the area.
#8: Up Your Arsenal
The Arsenal section of the guide showcases stats of every single weapon in Hope County, but there are some basic recommendations and knowledge about the firearms you can acquire too: Before spending perk points on a particular weapon, be sure you’re using the weapons you enjoy the most. Me? I prefer stealth so I go for a bow, along with a silenced rifle, and a sniper rifle as my three main ranged weapons. You can fire from either the hip or by aiming; the latter is slower but more precise. Acquire better weapons through mission completion and purchases at General Shops.
#9: Fishing for Complements
There’s a vast wilderness of forest, mountains, and rivers out there, and hunting animals allows you to sell the skins and meat to shops for profit. The same can be done at any fishing spot. Does the insanely-large guide map (and poster) show you every single hunting and fishing spot? Yes, I believe it does! But to get you started, look for signs along trails that pinpoint such locations, and if you’re hunting; use a bow, LMG, or sniper rifle to kill your prey, as heavier bullets and blunt instruments (like a truck) damage the meat. As for fishing? Improve your rods and bait, and pick the Fisher King perk to catch better fish!
#10: Friends in Need
Unless you’re focusing on stealth gameplay, assaulting locations across Hope County gets easier if you’ve got a friend to help, and the best specialists are those with additional abilities. Each of the three main regions has three Guns (or Fangs) for Hire. They are:
Holland Valley: Boomer (cultist-tagger) at Rae-Rae’s Pumpkin Farm; Grace Armstrong (sniper) and Lamb of God Church; and Nick Rye (pilot) at Rye & Sons Aviation.
Whitetail Mountains: Hurk Drubman Jr. (a maniac with an RPG) at Fort Drubman; Jess Black (hunter) at Baron Lumber Mill; and Cheeseburger (grizzly) at Linero Building Supply, once you liberate the F.A.N.G. Center and start the mission there.
Henbane River: Adelaide Drubman (pilot) at Drubman Marina; Sharky Boshaw (a soldier with a flamethrower) at the Moonflower Trailer Park; and Peaches, a cougar close to Miss Mable’s Taxidermy location.
