age of map for reference
After a brutal ending to my last loot trip as I escaped the cluster that is Cherno, I was more determined than ever to get things right and find friends. Together, we can accomplish anything. Separate, we will be picked off one by one.
Mael and I had devised a solid plan,
1. Loot up
2. Avoid everyone but crew
3. Setup campsite
4. ????
5. Profit
I spawned in Elektro and it took a few lifes to get into the hospital near figure 2 in the reference map. Scavenging through a couple of homes, I found a 1911 pistol and 3 clips. I picked up a hatchet and made my way through the city to the hospital.
Arriving at the hospital, I knew I was in clean, the server was at a low population and the area had been cleared of zombies. On my way I run through an industrial area and find a Winchester 1866, 30 slugs in hand.
Over the radio I contacted Mael and gathered medical supplies for both of us. Blood bags, morphine, epi-pens, and bandages. Inevitably, I spook some zeds and before I leave I check my kill count, 19 zeds with 10 headshots. Also, they were able to scrape me up a little as well, I am just over 60% blood level, 7.6k out of 12k. Another hit and I could easily break a bone or pass out. Escaping into the woods clean has become a necessity.
Mael has a hunting knife and some shit for me. On my way out of town, I decided to be greedy and swing through a hotel, these Hotels are great for picking up back packs, painkillers, flairs [eg], pistols.. they are just as likely to be buster. I have seen this same spot with just a few hatchets and flares before. The second floor is usually packed with quality shit, per the DayZ Employee training video.
While the buzzing of flies fills my ears, I cannot locate the dead survivor associated with them, if I did I am sure I'd only find the starting bullshit; Flashlight, Painkillers and a bandage. I forego the search for the corpse but tension is high, who knows how this guy died, this is a great spot for an ambush.
I find a big ass backpack (A L I C E) and dump the contents of my starter coyote backpack. after what seemed like 20 minutes of dumping the surplus medical supplies out of my old bag and arranging it in my new one, I am set. I find another 1911 pistol, and stash it in my pack for Mael, who needs a new sidearm with some more oomph. The 1911 is a one hit one kill weapon on a Zed.
Crouch walking and belly crawling, I make it out of the city limits, I steer wide to the west of the power plant that is near the convergence of the blue and red lines in the image. Too many times friendlies have died in that powerplant. Its a death trap.
After some discussion on Mael's current locale and my own, I agree to make my way to Mogi, which is near where the yellow line is on the map. My path will take me just west of Pusta and I will stick to the trees as much as possible, I cannot afford the time investment to make this loot run again.
Running through the woods, the burn I felt while bleeding out in the fields north of Cherno yesterday comes back to me. Galvanized by the memory, I swear not to make those mistakes again.
Along the way I make a few low risk stops and go through some more 1866 ammo.
Sooner than I thought, maybe just a 30 minute run north and west, I meet up with Mael. We spend about 15 minute orientating ourselves and swapping gear near Pop Ivan.
Then make our way to lay down some sandbags and mark a spot where we will setup our tent in a small clearing in the middle of a forest northeast of Pop Ivan.
Together, we raid a small industrial section and a farm. North of us there are two sizeable cities, I cannot recall their names. We pass the water bottle back and forth, have a bite to eat and refill the bottle, then head north to find weapons.
DownEast logs in and I can barely contain my excitement to describe to him everything that has gone on in the last ~2h30m. He starts to head noth to meet up with us.
We split the cities and hit up some deerstands, usually a good spot to find a weapon. By this time I am out of ammo in the 1866 winchester and I need a primary weapon bad. Mael gives me back 4 rounds of 1911 ammo for my sidearm.
No luck in the stands. Around this time we have another strategy discussion, I argue that we need DownEast and we need to meet up with him before trying to breach either of these cities. after some talk, we decide to try and raid a small military checkpoint. As we come to the edge of the treeline to the north we see ~50 body bags and tons of military tents. We start picking our way through the military tents, get a small zed rush and put them down. By this time I am really eager to get the fuck out of here, but I need a main weapon first.
Through the tents we find an AKM and an MP5. I opt for the MP5 and let Mael figure out grabbing the AKM or his AK47. He opts for the AKM. DownEast is quickly approaching from our south east, and he aggros a zed on his way to meet us.
I tell him to run the zombie to us, and take a knee out in the field to our east, Mael is a little slow to gather his primary weapon and ammo so he is slowly following me...
Downeast: 'I got a zombie on me, shit, I can't shake him'
Jabes: 'DownEast, run the zombie through the field to me, we're just north of your position.'
.. DE Runs the zombie through the field about 50m in front of me. I plink a few single rounds at the Zed without any luck.
Mael: 'Hey Jabes, are you laying prone-'
[... - shots fired traded behind me- shit there is going to be a horde rush coming from behind us... we need to dip.. ]
[... - I unload half a clip from my MP5 at the zombie but with the erratic run from DownEast can't clean the zombie off his tail. My heartbeat spikes, adrenaline starts flowing, the tension is palpable.]
Jabes: 'Wah-no, I am in the field on a knee...-DownEast, run him straight at me'
[DownEast circles around and makes a great pass to wash the zombie off his tail]
Mael: 'Found a guy in a guille suit, I put him down for us, but I got a horde on me and I'm trapped in a tent. FUCK I am out of ammo'
[Mael kills like 20-40 zombies defending his position in the tent, he had to switch to an axe he pulled off his toolbelt]
DownEast: 'Some guy named Tomson is here, is he a friendly??'
Jabes (tomson): 'Thats me thats me, friendly, shit!'
Jabes: 'Ok ok, no way that guy in the guille suit was alone, [I walk up to the tent and empty the remainder of my clip on two zombies rushing Mael] we got the zombies cleared from the tent for you, get the fuck out of there fast'
[I crouch run fast north to where we came into this cluster fuck and take a knee on the edge of the treeline, just outside of the fence. Trying to establish a perimeter and cover Mael as he makes his way out of the tent]
DownEast: 'I am trying to get another Zed off of me, shit' [runs off north or some shit, I have no idea where he went, just know that something is chasing him and he is firing trying to put it down]
Mael: 'Out of ammo, need a weapon bad, going to search the guy in the guille suit.'
Jabes: 'just grab your ak47 and get the fu-'
[At this point the Guy in the Guille Suit's friends show up, they empty 3-4 shots in me or around me, I spin in confusion, is that DownEast shooting me by accident? what the fuck is going on? Panic and fear take root and I spin wildly going full auto.]
[Taking more fire, they start to reload nearby, I have to reload as well but they reload faster. The enemy puts me down and I slowly pass out, blood pouring out faster than I can shake it off. Never even identified where the shots were coming from.]
Tomson has Died
Jabes: 'I am down, dead ... fuck.'
Mael: 'Crawling to a weapon, I see them near your corpse, they are looting you'
DownEast: 'what just happened?'
Maelstrom has died
From there its just a blur, I wasn't there, I couldn't ghost around afterwards or even see the name of the person that killed me. All I know is, is that we got a little comfortable bounding together, lost a little discipline, and while Maelstrom was able to take the first one down, the other group had better discipline, elevation, better outfitting and were prepared to defend the position against us.
Furthermore, we never expected that to happen and thats when DayZ kicks you in the balls and drags you down into a black abyss of fail.
Later that night DownEast and I regrouped and we started putting the pieces back together. Determined not to die like that again, but knowing it would and will.