Cloned SOS Beacons¶
The smoke brings a military response. A patrol helicopter leads it; drones work the air around you, shells start ranging the ground, and supporting aircraft can make the next patch of cover a temporary arrangement. The Apprentice charges 15 Gems for the invitation.
Plan for two to four well-equipped endgame players or more. I count ammunition and medical supplies with the group before anyone touches the signal. Put the team together before throwing it.
Prepare the group¶
Bring sustained ammunition, treatment, food, replacements and room to carry the eventual haul. Spread useful supplies between fighting positions rather than relying on one box beside the beacon. Phones or pagers carry intercepted traffic as the operation develops.
Powered, stocked SAMs and suitable turrets owned by the original team can help against eligible aircraft and drones. They need real ammunition, clear arcs and line of sight. Cupboard access or joining the team afterward does not enroll another person's defenses. There is room here for a prepared defensive position, mobile shooting and companions who keep the others supplied.
Avoid fighting from a home you cannot afford to damage. Event fire can affect participating players' and their snapshotted teammates' structures. A high roof is an observed fighting position; mortars and jets can reach it.
Activate the signal¶
Throw or drop the Cloned SOS Beacon. It keeps a supply signal's smoke, but calls this encounter instead of an ordinary supply drop.
Stand more than 250 m from non-graveyard safe-zone boundaries. The landed signal must also clear protected placement margins. A GPS-jammed attempt leaves the original item in your inventory and replies “GPS jammed, unable to lock. Try somewhere else.” Other refusals return an equivalent beacon.
| Calling rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Three concurrent encounters | The server may refuse a fourth call. Reward collection and cleanup still occupy a slot. |
| No player or team cooldown | Another call can be made when a slot is actually available. |
| Team fixed at activation | Later joins do not change the original encounter roster. |
| Protected areas still apply | Graveyards are exempt only from the long GPS-jamming check, not ordinary safe-zone protection. |
Choose a site with clear ground and room for the battle to develop.
Read the battle¶
Search and reconnaissance¶
The signal is followed by searching aircraft and a brief reconnaissance period. Drones can make low passes while the opening attack gathers. Use that time to check the group's positions and the ground around the beacon. The main helicopter approaches from a distance; the smoke is not the only place to watch.
The main fight¶
The primary patrol helicopter has doubled starting body and rotor health. Its native guns and rockets remain central to the fight. Supporting CH47s can fire side-mounted miniguns, while mortar missions and fast-air passes work around the same group. Keep a view of the air as well as the helicopter you are shooting.
Drone payloads¶
Drones can deliver smoke, F1 grenades or a kamikaze charge. Watch the approaching aircraft and the space above your cover. A released payload continues after the drone turns away. Your group's suitable turrets can help with eligible drones, but keep a firing lane and ammunition available for threats they cannot see.
Fighting after dark¶
Darkness makes it easier to lose track of a second threat. Fast-air missions can involve two or three jets, with illumination flights arriving separately. Flares, gunfire and smoke can all overlap. Availability varies between operations, so use the aircraft and intercepted reports in front of you rather than waiting for a memorized sequence.
Supporting fire becomes more accurate as the primary helicopter weakens. Change useful positions before the old one becomes too easy to range. A high roof can still be an observed mortar or jet target, and a damaged primary helicopter is not a ceasefire.
Lulls and movement¶
Pressure rises and falls. Use a genuine lull to reload, treat and reposition; a weapon already committed can still arrive during it. The last part of the fight deserves some of the ammunition you saved.
The combat center follows the largest eligible cluster of the original team. Leaving the smoke behind does not simply end the battle. Outside attackers can earn retaliation. There is no fixed short completion timer; twenty minutes without accepted damage to enemies causes retirement without victory.
Finish the fight¶
Down the primary helicopter and resolve any admitted recovery troops. A crash alone does not declare the operation over. New attacks stop on victory, while already committed threats are allowed to drain before rewards settle. Wait for the operation's result before collecting in the open.
Shared wrecks and your reward copy¶
Contribution is weighted across encounter targets; standing nearby or joining a team later does not supply damage credit.
The final reward clock lasts 20 minutes from publication of the reward crate, including its short automatic hack. Collect before the warning countdown ends; the reward site can explode at expiry.
| Player | Required contribution |
|---|---|
| Initial activation roster | More than 2% of the weighted contribution |
| Later participant | At least 15% of the weighted contribution |
| Reward | Who can collect it |
|---|---|
| Final personal reward | Each qualified survivor collects their own allocation through the shared physical crate. |
| Helicopter wreck crates | Qualified contributors; this is separate from the personal finale reward. |
| Possible special key | One qualified initial-roster survivor can claim it if the encounter produces one. |
The final cache is a visible hackable hub marked by fireworks. It auto-hacks for ten seconds and stays for twenty real minutes from the cache becoming available. The nearby SELF-DESTRUCT countdown is a separate clock. Reconnecting does not extend it.
Collect your copy and move clear before expiry. The cache actually explodes. Its outer blast reaches thirty metres, with ordinary line-of-sight and falloff. Unclaimed private supplies disappear. The helicopter wreck crates have their own lifetime and do not share the finale cache's countdown.
Contribution and claims¶
Original-team members need strictly more than 2% of weighted contribution; outsiders need at least 15%. Actual accepted health loss counts, with the primary, destructible support and admitted ground force weighted separately. Merely being present does not qualify.
Each qualifier receives the same finale loot selection in their own inventory at the hub. Taking yours does not consume a teammate's copy. The possible key is different: one physical item, first eligible successful claimant. Its use remains something to learn in the world.
Private finale supplies are temporary; collect them before a restart or maintenance resets the encounter. Shared native wrecks have a separate lifecycle. Collect while the cache is available.