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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Entity | Threat Level | Combat Profile | Tactical Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Gunner Tower | High | Fixed direct line of sight; continuous heavy ballistic fire | Target first from entrance cover using ranged burst damage |
| Right-Flank Gunner Tower | Critical | Overlapping firing angle; punishes wide movement | Isolate and dismantle second after the center lane is safe |
| Quarry Patrol Raiders | Moderate | Fast melee hostiles drawn by weapon noise | Intercept with defensive frontline units after towers fall |
| Roaming Walkers | Low | Slow melee targets scattered across the basin | Clean 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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Player Comments
62 players commented on this guide.
I tried this today and it worked better than my old setup.
Good guide for The Walking Dead: Aftermath players. The strategy part was useful.
This helped me understand strategy much better.
Can you add more details about strategy in a future update?