SECTOR-07 punishes a fair fight you did not have to take. The goal of a first fight is to leave with your bank intact.
Before the shot
- Deposit at an ATM. The menu also gives about 60 seconds of damage immunity.
- A dealer menu gives about 80 seconds of protection if you are not already in combat. Do not open it to escape a fight you already started.
- Combat zones tag you. Tower, Illegal Pizza, Vibe Check, the Cafe locker, and both hideouts are tagged areas. Leaving the game while tagged is combat logging.
- The rest of the Motel is not a combat zone even though the upstairs Hideout is.
What to spend the first gun on
A Beretta ($250 armory) or G-17 ($305 armory) changes a register run more than a $3,000 rifle does. Keep a Crowbar. If a geared player pushes you, break line of sight toward a dealer, an ATM, or a door you can close. Main streets collect the most players. Alleys and the sewer entrances are how tutorials tell new players to cross the map.
Melee
Free Nunchucks and Knuckledusters open registers. A 2025 beginner tutorial separates blades, which can behead, from blunt weapons, which can concuss or break the neck, and tells you to aim at the head. V2.0.0 re-added a finish on downed bodies. Use melee when the other player is close and your gun is empty, not as a sprint into a rifle.
High-stamina weapons such as the shovel, chainsaw, and sledgehammer empty the stamina bar. A player comment on a melee session suggests carrying a snack or soda for that. That is practical advice, not a printed stamina table.
When you are losing
If you are downed in Standard, you need another player. Casual's legacy downed state is more forgiving. Do not chase a bounty into Tower or Vibe Check with a pistol and no armor. Those rooms are where crates and big safes pull geared groups.
Thermal sights matter only when the lights go out. That route is the blackout guide.