To survive the opening of Chapter 20 (Blue Ridge Quarry) in The Walking Dead: Aftermath, halt your squad immediately at the entrance and eliminate the forward gunner tower before addressing the right flank. Rushing into the open draws simultaneous ballistic fire from both fortified towers, creating an overlapping kill zone that quickly wipes out your squad.

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Step-by-Step Strategy to Break the Opening Crossfire

The entrance to Blue Ridge Quarry features two fortified watchtowers within firing range of your spawn: one directly ahead along the central path and a second elevated tower watching from the right flank. Follow these steps to dismantle the crossfire safely:

  1. Halt at the Entrance Barricades

Do not push into the center clearing upon loading into the map. Keep your squad stationary behind the spawn-point cover to prevent the right-side watchtower from obtaining a clear line of sight.

  1. Burst Down the Forward Tower

Target all ranged attacks and single-target active abilities onto the central gunner tower directly ahead. Keep your heroes angled slightly toward the left side of the path to maintain environmental cover against the right-flank tower.

  1. Reposition Toward the Right Boundary

Once the central tower is destroyed, the crossfire collapses. Advance across the clearing toward the right boundary to bring your squad into range of the remaining watchtower without taking fire from behind.

  1. Destroy the Secondary Watchtower

Focus single-target damage on the right-flank tower from its maximum engagement range to dismantle the structure before the platform gunner deals substantial chip damage.

  1. Mop Up Incoming Reinforcements

Collapsing the towers alerts nearby quarry raiders and roaming walkers. Hold your position in the cleared entrance zone and eliminate incoming melee hostiles before pushing deeper into the quarry basin.

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Threat Breakdown at Quarry Entry

Threat EntityThreat LevelCombat ProfileTactical Priority
Forward Gunner TowerHighFixed direct line of sight; continuous heavy ballistic fireTarget first from entrance cover using ranged burst damage
Right-Flank Gunner TowerCriticalOverlapping firing angle; punishes wide movementIsolate and dismantle second after the center lane is safe
Quarry Patrol RaidersModerateFast melee hostiles drawn by weapon noiseIntercept with defensive frontline units after towers fall
Roaming WalkersLowSlow melee targets scattered across the basinClean up with basic attacks to conserve active cooldowns

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Squad Formation and Positioning

  • Lead with High Defense: Position defensive guardians or barrier survivors at the front of your formation to soak incidental ranged shots at the boundary line.
  • Prioritize Ranged Damage: Melee survivors take heavy suppression damage while running toward elevated platforms. Use ranged heroes who can match the towers' attack range from behind stationary cover.
  • Coordinate Damage Spikes: Sync high-damage active skills so that the forward tower is destroyed in a single sustained volley.
  • Avoid Splitting Damage: Directing attacks at both towers simultaneously prolongs the crossfire and guarantees maximum incoming damage to your squad. Focus entirely on one structure at a time.
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James Brown

James Brown

James focuses on Android gaming on PC, emulator setup, controls, performance tuning, and practical troubleshooting for longer play sessions.