There are plenty of enemies in Days Gone, but none comes close to being as difficult to kill than a horde. That’s technically because a horde isn’t one enemy; it’s a massive group of over 100 freakers, huddled together. They’re fast, strong, and can overwhelm players in a second.

Though most of these hordes can be driven right past without a second glance, there are a couple times in which Days Gone’s story will require players to destroy the hordes. Before you head into the missions, you’ll want to be prepared with ammo, health, and a positive attitude.

Of course, it’s not all about attitude. If you really want to defeat all 20+ of these enemies located around the map, you might need some more help. Here are a few other tips from Screen Rant to help you beat the hordes in Days Gone.

  • Avoid hordes early on - Though you may drive past a horde before Days Gone introduces them to you, don’t get tempted. Hordes should be avoided at all costs until you are ready to tackle them. Deacon is armed with only a junk-condition pistol and rifle in the beginning, which maybe enough to kill 20 or so freakers before the swarm kills him. A horde is out of the question. Get the Napalm Molotov recipe - Okay, you’ve leveled up at NERO Checkpoints and using XP. Your health and stamina are higher, and you finally have some better guns. Great. You should be able to tackle a horde now, if you play it smart. Make sure your inventory is full of molotovs and materials to craft more of them. But if you really want to be sure you’ll win, wait until Days Gone “tells you” to attack a horde. Days Gone’s first required horde comes with a napalm molotov, made by James Weaver at the Witch Island encampment. Build or acquire bombs and mines - Molotovs aren’t the only way to take out hordes. There are also pipe bombs (discovered relatively early in Days Gone), but they’re low level as a result. Later on you’ll uncover four types of bombs: attractor bombs, remote bombs, proximity bombs, and proximity mines. Each functions in a slightly different way, but they all achieve the same result. They’re perfect for the set-up to a fight and can wipe hordes fast and efficiently. Use attractors to divide and conquer - Like the aforementioned attractor bomb, attractors are great at dividing the massive group of freakers. Though this variant doesn’t explode, it can be used in conjuction with explosive containers, gas cans, or your own mines to work to the same effect. Simply take cover, place an attractor, and watch a group of freakers begin to form. Buy a heavy machine gun - Deacon contains a primary, secondary, and special weapon slot. There are essentially three types of special weapons: your crossbow, sniper rifles, and heavy machine guns. The latter is definitely the best choice when going up against a horde. Heavy Machine Guns can be found on enemies, but they generally won’t have much ammo left. Your best bet is to buy one from one of the various camps that sell these. Aim for the head - Freakers, like most variants of the undead, go down a lot faster if  you shoot them in the head. Though it may be a lot easier to go for body shots, remember that Deacon has a Focus ability. It functions like a sort of Dead Eye, slowing down time and giving you some breathing room to line up the perfect shot. Kite around explosives in the environment - Each area where hordes spawn is close enough to a marker of civilization; this is where you’ll want to fight them. The forests are beautiful, but there aren’t gas containers, trucks, and buildings to hide in for protection. Let the horde move towards their final location (if you catch them as they arrive), and draw them into your territory.

In addition to the aforementioned tips, there are certain upgrades and skills worth unlocking to defeat hordes. The first would be the saddlebag. This bike upgrade allows Deacon to store full stocks of ammo for his weapons on his bike. It’s vital for the machine gun, and helpful in general, so we’d recommend getting this one as soon as possible. Additionally, using the NERO Checkpoints, players should level up Deacon’s stamina, focus, and health. Depending on your playstyle, you might favor one over the other two, but stamina is the most important for the hordes.

A few skills to unlock involve increasing bullet penetration, gaining a small amount of health back per headshot, and increasing potency of different health, stamina, and focus cocktails. If you are nervous about your aim, decreasing recoil and increasing ammo capacity for all guns are also great additions. In the end, though, as long as players haven’t skimped on upgrades and items throughout their Days Gone playthrough, then taking out hordes shouldn’t be too difficult.

Next: Days Gone Ending Explained