Bandits/Tactics

==General Tips==
* Display the Local Area Map (N) to quickly locate the bandit group.
* Bandits will not spawn for the first 2-3 minutes of a new cycle. Rapidly change instances or enter/exit buildings until they appear.
* Bandit cycles are designed for players to work together cooperatively in Multiplayer. Single-Player is highly impractical and inefficient.
* The faster you arrive, the more likely you will enter instances with experienced players with end-game equipment.
* While it can technically be used with some success, Melee/Chainsaws are very inefficient and impractical for the majority of the cycle.
* The game actively punishes not attacking bandits ("leeching") by denying rewards if you fail to damage each of them to at least yellow status; it is important to deal enough damage to get them to that status at the start of the fight.
** If the bandits are separated into 2 groups by a wall, concentrate on the weaker group first - if you deal enough damage, the group override will automatically paint the other group yellow before you have to engage them.
* Enter your inventory to eat, heal, or change armors at your own risk - if you are AFK when a bandit dies while not in the green status, you will lose the loot. If it is required, check the bandits' HP bar to make sure that you can exit AFK mode quickly enough, or damage them to green status.
* If you are severely injured and cannot survive another attack, focus on zombies or use Explosives to attack from behind cover.
==Equipment==
===Damage-Per-Second (DPS)===
DPS oriented players are essential for every bandit fight - bandit gangs can cause high amounts of damage over a short period of time so many players prefer to stay at long-range. As a result, Rifles and Pistols (and to a lesser extent, Sub Machine Guns provided that you have 120+ accuracy), with their long-range accuracy and high damage-dealing potential, will be the primary choice of dealing damage to bandits for any competent player. 
For this role, 2 archetypes are available:
====High-Power====
Slower-firing Rifles/Pistols tend to have more DPS or DPH than other weapons in their category to compensate for their slow zombie-killing speed, lack of knockback or crowd control capability against regular zombies, and difficulty in hitting moving targets. This makes them the ideal choice against bandits, who have a massive amount of Health Points (HP) and are unlikely to move that much. The relatively long duration between shots of end-game Rifles also makes them the best choice possible for rapid corner-peeking/edge-peeking tactics (see below).
====Range-Finders====
Faster-firing Rifles/Pistols, SMGs, and even Miniguns can be used in place of (or along with) slower-firing Rifles/Pistols as "range-finders". In this context, a "range-finder" is a weapon with a high rate of fire (RoF) that allows a player to effectively locate enemies off-screen and adjust their aim, accordingly, often so they can switch back to a weapon with higher DPS/DPH if possible. Compared to slower-firing Rifles/Pistols, range-finders are also much more suited for killing rogue zombies that can block attacks or distract the shooter, in exchange for lower DPS/DPH potential.
===Crowd Control===
While bandit instances contain only a limited amount of event aggro, zombies can still pose a limited amount of interference either by attacking the player when they are trying to shoot bandits, or blocking shots for the bandits themselves. Crowd control weapons are not as efficient at fighting bandits at long range, but important in shaking off whatever zombies who want to participate in the fight.
For obvious reasons, weapons like end-game Shotguns, Machine Guns and Chainsaws are preferred for this role. Depending on the weapon's DPS and player's choice of armor, crowd control weapons can also be used at close range against bandits using circling tactics.
===Explosives===
Sometimes, the best tactic to fight firearm-wielding threats is to not engage them directly, at all. 
Lazy people who are afraid to get into gunfights (or critically injured survivors) can always resort to grenade launchers - which can be safely fired from behind cover for an acceptable amount of damage with no repercussion (unless enemy Grenadiers are also involved). 
Keep in mind that even if you damage multiple targets, you are still likely causing less damage than a competent DPS/DPH player.
===Armors===
Regardless of your tactics, you are susceptible to taking damage. 
Especially if you are a DPS/DPH player, you will need durable and effective armors in order to survive.
These include:
*Critical (Non-Strength) Build: Nomad Mesh, Shinobu Mesh, or stronger Meshes.
*Strength Build: Bio Reactive, Tatakau Reactive, Dusk Reactive, or stronger Reactives.
NOTE: Mesh-users will require more medical supplies than Reactive-users, due to their lower damage absorption.
==Tactics==
===Corner-Peeking===
Corner-Peeking involves the strategic use of obstacles that can block bullets as cover, in order to avoid damage. This tactic can occur at any range but as indicated, it does require cover.
Instruction:
# Start by positioning yourself behind an obstacle that is capable of blocking bullets.
# When the bandit is distracted, move slightly out from behind cover to attack the bandit.
# When the bandit targets you, move back into cover so that you are protected from the bullets.
# Repeat from Step 2.
====Rapid Corner-Peeking====
Rapid Corner-Peeking works similarly, but you do not wait until the bandit is distracted and instead, you move out from behind cover to attack the bandit and (as quickly as possible) move back to avoid the incoming attack.
If performed successfully, your attack will have registered and the bandit's attack will have missed.
===Edge-Peeking===
Edge-Peeking involves abusing the ballistic mechanics, specifically that bullets have a limited range for both players and bandit non-player characters (NPCs). This long-range sniping tactic requires no cover.
Instruction:
# Start by staying just outside of the attack range of the bandit (represented by the yellow line in the animation to the right)
# When the bandit is distracted, move into range and attack the bandit. Maintain as much range as possible to reduce the chance of them noticing you.
# When the bandit targets you, quickly move out of range and wait until the bandit is distracted again.
# Repeat from Step 2.
====Rapid Edge-Peeking====
Rapid Edge-Peeking works similarly, but you do not wait until the bandit is distracted and instead, you only enter their attack range for a brief moment per shot. 
This works best against SMG/HMG bandits, as they naturally have a low chance of hitting you at long range and require a significant amount of time to deal considerable damage to you.
=== Circling ===
Circling involves rapidly moving around a single bandit or multiple bandits at medium-to-close range (in a circular manner), typically with one of the crowd-control weapons indicated above, in such a way that the player does not enter the attack range of the bandit(s) but can consistently cause damage to the bandit(s). Utilized properly, this tactic can help draw fire from bandit(s) and give a chance for DPS players to damage them safely.
Due to the inherent risk of this strategy, it should only be used by players with Reactive armors and sufficient skill with dodging attacks.
While largely inefficient and not viable for the majority of the cycle (and therefore, not recommended), this tactic would be the one time where Melee/Chainsaws would be moderately effective.
If another player is performing this tactic, it is imperative to stay as far away as possible from them in order to not disrupt bandit targeting.
===Prioritizing Grenadiers===
Grenadiers act as support units to their firearm-wielding comrades with their ability to fire over cover, reducing the ability for players to effectively use corner-peeking or circling tactics against the bandit team. 
However, their different tracking method and slow tracking speed makes them particularly vulnerable to edge-peeking tactics.
At the start of a bandit fight, it is recommended to identify the types of bandits that are present, in order to locate the grenadiers amongst the bandit group. It is typically possible to then locate a safe spot to attack the grenadier from - which is either beyond the range of the other bandits, or has sufficient cover to block gunfire from them.
For example, in the illustration to the right: With careful use of cover, you can kill the grenadier (in pink) without drawing gunfire from the other bandits (in orange).
===Body Shield===
AFK players are capable of absorbing bandit bullets, while allowing yours to pass through.
Some player may choose to enter AFK mode in the midst of the fight to heal/change armor, or just to wait it out after damaging all bandits to the green status. In such rare cases, it is possible to hide behind them and fire with impunity, without risking retaliation from bandits.