The rot consumes.

This guide assumes you have a basic understanding of the game and it's mechanics: what scavenging is, where to find certain materials, how to craft, use lockers, change fates, earn the various currencies etc. If you aren't familiar with these mechanics, I'd recommend playing a little more before diving into the scum fates, as they can be a challenging playstyle.

This guide will cover the different scum fates, what their purpose is, and how best to achieve their goals. It will also cover the underground - the base of operations for scum fates - as well as some tips for getting the most out of your time as an anarchist.

As a side note, scum fates might also be referred to as cult or cultist fates. I prefer scum, but the choice is yours.

Grab your lighter and find yourself a pipe, it's time to cause some chaos...

Come on, join us...

The darker waters call to you.

IMPORTANT!
ALL scum fates are automatically marked for "limitation" upon spawning/converting. This means you will be killed on sight by Cortex fates, Surveillors (cameras) will alert Cortex fates to your location if spotted, and Prole/neutral fates will suffer no consequences for killing you. You're scum. You'd better act like it.

A Scumbag's starting loadout and appearance, plus a Pipe.

• Cost: 5 anamnecytes
  
• Equipment: Switchblade, Lighter
  
• HP ("Blood"): 125
  
• Earn anamnecytes by: Smashing Cortex machinery, killing Cortex fates

The primary scum fate is the Scumbag, little more than a prole with bad fashion sense. It costs 5 anamnecytes to spawn as a Scumbag, and three spirits can be found underground for possession when you spawn as a ghost. You can also convert from a Prole to a Scumbag in the Underground, much like a Dealer can upgrade to a Banker, or a Controller to a Limitator. It will still cost 5 anamnecytes to convert.

Scumbags spawn with only two items: the Switchblade, and the Lighter. The switchblade is a very basic melee weapon with comparable damage to a pipe (though with the ability to cause bleeding), and the lighter functions simply as a light source to find your way in the darkness; it has no other functions at the time of writing.

There are two important things to know about the switchblade: it cannot smash machines, and it can be used to harvest Suspicious Meat from corpses - including those of your fellow scum.

A Zealot's starting loadout.

• Cost: 15 anamnecytes to convert yourself from Scumbag (20 total), or free if consecrated by another Zealot
  
• Equipment: Ritual Axe, Lighter
  
• HP ("Blood"): 225
  
• Earn anamnecytes by: Smashing Cortex machinery, killing Cortex fates, consecrating new members into the cult, sacrificing corpses in the Ritual Pit

Zealots are the other "common" scum fate. There is no Zealot spirit to possess when you are dead; you must already be a Scumbag to upgrade to a Zealot. The upgrade is found in the large domed area underground, at the end of a long tunnel, and costs 15 anamnecytes to upgrade - meaning that to play as a Zealot, you'll need 20 anamnecytes total.

Zealots have their switchblade replaced with the Ritual Axe, a far superior melee weapon; the strongest one in the game, in fact. It does heavy damage and inflicts bleeding on a target, and also makes an excellent tool for skinning corpses.

Besides having more health (called "Blood" in-game), Zealots have two unique abilities compared to Scumbags: bodies they dump into a Ritual Pit will contribute towards triggering the Darkness event, and they can consecrate other non-scum fates into the cult at a ritual pit. To perform a consecration, the Zealot must have consumed 5 suspicious meat beforehand, and must consume 5 meat per consecration. Think of it as needing 5 "charges" to convert someone.

A Rogue's typical starting loadout - you retain whatever was in your inventory before conversion.

• Cost: Must be a Controller beforehand, so 15 anamnecytes
  
• Equipment: Varies
  
• HP ("Blood"): 150
  
• Earn anamnecytes by: Smashing Cortex machinery, killing Cortex fates

Rogues are the least common scum fate in the game (currently). The only way to play as the Rogue fate is to be converted from a Controller by a Zealot at a Ritual Pit. Understandably, this can be difficult, as scum fates will tend to shoot you on sight - the best way to get converted is to stand next to an Underground vault entrance, unarmed, and talk to any scum that happen to wander by (provided they don't kill you first).

After your conversion, you get to keep your entire inventory. This DOES include any Cortex weapons you may be carrying, such as the default pistol or the promotional SMG/shotgun. More ammunition can be acquired from the abandoned Cortex armoury underground.

Besides this, your goals and abilities are the same as the common Scumbag, with the exception that you might be mistaken for an actual Controller by non-Cortex fates. You also have 25hp more than the Scumbag.

I like your body, do you like my scars?

The role of each fate can be determined both by the actions that earn them anamnecytes, and from a wider RP perspective: what do you want to do? What plans do the other scum fates have? This section will provide you some basic guidance, but ultimately your actions are your own choice! Anarchy is in a scum's blood, and following a strict ruleset wouldn't be very anarchistic, would it?


Lacking any special abilities, Scumbags and Rogues will be lumped together here.

There are only two ways to earn anamnecytes as a Scumbag: breaking Cortex machinery, and killing Cortex fates. Note that you will NOT be punished for killing neutral fates, it just won't earn you any anamnecytes either.

Breaking Cortex machinery is the simplest and easiest way to earn anamnecytes as a Scumbag, and contribute to the growing Rot of the city. Using firearms, explosives, or your trusty pipe (notably NOT THE SWITCHBLADE) destroying Cortex machinery will earn you anamnecytes. This isn't particularly consistent - similar to other activities such as folding laundry you aren't guaranteed to earn anamnecytes from every broken machine, but smash enough stuff and you'll earn them back.

Below is a list of smashable machines:

• Surveillors/Security Cameras
  
• Neuroconsoles
  
• Neurostabilizers
  
• Ration Dispensers
  
• Vending machines
  
• Civil terminals
  
• Telescreens
  
• Pharmastributors

As indicated by the bold font, the first three are FAR more important targets than the latter; destroying cameras will allow you to traverse the city more safely, without Cortex fates being alerted to your presence; destroying Neuroconsoles will degrade Cortex fates' ability to earn credits and anamnecytes, making them less effective and less likely to be able to respawn as a Cortex fate when killed; and destroying Neurostabilizers will allow the Rot to spread faster, potentially pushing neutral fates to support the cult's cause!

Destroying vending machines, civil terminals, and ration dispensers will SEVERELY limit the common Prole's ability to simply survive in the city. Without credits to buy extra food and items, and without access to safe drinks, smashed terminals and vending machines can very quickly lead to a sharp increase in dead Proles - and therefore more Rot.

Finally, killing Cortex fates is pretty self-explanatory: if you see a cop, shoot them. Note that Liquidators, whilst not technically part of the Cortex faction, act on their behalf by burning Rot nodules and repairing smashed machinery. They can also be deputised into Sanitars by Cortex fates during the Wartime event, and therefore Liquidators should be shot on sight. However, you will usually be both out-gunned and out-numbered by Cortex fates. Scumbags spawn only with the weak switchblade, whilst even the most basic Cortex fate, the Sanitar, spawns with a high-powered rifle (and a flamethrower!).

For now, if you must fight the Cortex directly, emphasise hit-and-run tactics in groups on weaker enemies like Sanitars and Liquidators to maximise your chances of survival. Equipment and tactics for combat will be covered in a later section.

These actions won't earn you any anamnecytes, but they are a lot of fun and are an important part of the Scumbag's role in Aneurism's ecosystem.

Causing general anarchy is the name of the game, and is always a fun way to inject life into a server. Go above ground and shoot up the laundromat! Give out guns to the Prole population! Encourage violence! Sell drugs! Recruit new scum! None of these actions will earn you anamnecytes, but they will cause headaches for the Cortex fates - which is arguably more important.

Secondly, working with your fellow scum towards common goals will greatly reduce the power imbalance between the scum and the Cortex. Drop crafting materials near work benches for your fellow scum to use, share resources from your locker, and try not to hoard pieces like Advanced Gun Parts - they're more effective on the street than stuck in your locker!

Your other goal should be assisting the Zealots in the collection of corpses and Suspicious Meat. Corpses are required for triggering the Darkness event, and Suspicious Meat is needed to consecrate other fates into the cult.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
Only corpses dropped into the Ritual Pit by Zealots contribute to the Darkness. DO NOT DROP CORPSES IN THE PIT AS A SCUMBAG! Simply leave them at the edge for your masters a Zealot to drop in at their leisure.


Zealots earn anamnecytes in all the same ways as Scumbags, with the addition of dropping bodies into and consecrating new members at the Ritual Pit. This requires a LIVE (though not necessarily willing) participant, and for the Zealot to have consumed at least five Suspicious Meat beforehand. Note that another five Suspicious Meat will have to be consumed for every additional fate you consecrate; think of eating the meat as giving you "charges", and consecrating a fate costs you five "charges".

Consecrating Scumbags into Zealots should be your primary goal. Zealots are significantly stronger than Scumbags, and once you get the ball rolling with a large group of Zealots it can be very difficult for the Cortex to recover. Remember that a Cortex fate costs - at minimum - 15 anamnecytes, whereas a Zealot can be consecrated for free!

In terms of smashing machinery and killing Cortex fates, Zealots can be far more effective at this due to their superior melee weapon and higher health pool. Again, I will cover this in more detail in a later section.

Zealots are ad-hoc "leaders" of the other scum fates, and the Scumbags will (usually) listen to your instructions and look to you for guidance. As a Zealot, you should be organising excursions to the surface, helping new scum adapt to their fate, and generally helping the Underground run smoothly. However, you also have some other, important, duties.

The Darkness descends!

Dropping corpses into either of the two Ritual Pits underground will contribute towards the Darkness event. After 10 corpses have been deposited, the cult's symbol will appear at the bottom of the screen, the world will be bathed in the Rot's glorious red glow, and anarchy will descend upon the city! During the Darkness event, no fate will suffer punishment for killing any other fate - basically, it's the purge. This is a perfect time to hit the streets en-masse, smashing and killing your way through the city before disappearing underground. The Darkness event lasts ten minutes, after which another ten bodies need to be added to the pit.

I never thought the end of the world would look so beautiful.

Okay, so you know how to earn anamnecytes, but how do you actually contribute to the scum faction's victory, and what does that victory look like?

The ultimate goal of the scum faction is for Aneurism IV to be consumed by the Rot, leading to the collapse of the city. The actual effect of this is completely wiping the server: all property, credit and anamnecyte balances, locker contents, and 4-digit identifiers will be reset, effectively giving everyone the chance to start again on a level playing field. The Cult of the Rot is all about equality!

To do this, the Rot level must be sustained at 100% for long enough to trigger the "Rotting" city event. If the Rot level is not brought under control before the 10 minutes are up, Aneurism IV is considered lost, and the server will automatically restart, kicking everyone from the game.


The Rot level indicator as seen on the Zealot's HUD.

The mechanics of Rot are (probably intentionally) quite obscure. We know what actions effect Rot spread, but not by how much or for how long. Therefore, not everything I say here is necessarily correct.

The following will all increase Rot levels:

• Destroying machinery (particularly Neurostabilisers)
  
• The presence of corpses
  
• The Darkness event (multiplier to Rot level increase)

Rot nodules themselves don't appear to spread the Rot; rather, they are a symptom of it. Burning Rot nodules will reduce Rot levels by a small amount, however - another reason why Liquidators should be a key target.

The primary aim of the scum faction is the destruction of Cortex infrastructure. This has the largest impact on spreading the Rot. To achieve this, there are certain secondary aims. These are:

• Killing Cortex fates
  
• Acquiring materials and crafting weapons/equipment
  
• Seeking collaboration with neutral fates
  
• Increasing the number of Zealots

When pursuing these aims, it's important to remember that they are not an end unto themselves - you should ALWAYS be striving to increase the Rot level and bring about the destruction of Aneurism IV!

The creation of IEDs is an essential part of achieving the city's destruction. Neurostabilisers can only be destroyed via IED or Rot Bomb, and therefore stockpiling the materials to make these is of great importance. It is impossible to destroy Aneurism IV without taking out at least two Neurostabilisers.

The IED crafting recipe. Remember this!

One scum's trash is another scum's treasure...

As a scum fate, you don't have (easy) access to the "niceties" that fates on the surface enjoy, such as Infirmaries, Pharmacies, Shops, Ration Stations, or even sinks. You're also severely limited in the scavenging that you can do, as surface loot doesn't spawn in the Underground loot pools (with one very important exception).

Technically, it's not impossible for you to access these things. On the surface a scum fate can shop, drink from sinks, use medical facilities, and even work in factories, but you'll probably find this quite difficult to do with the Cortex fates blowing your head off on sight. Instead, scum fates have alternative methods to satisfy their needs, and most of these can be found underground.

Suspicious stashes are the primary method of scavenging for scum fates. Suspicious stashes have their own loot pool, separate from surface loot found in the garbage, containing exciting contraband goods like Old Ammo, Gunsmithing tools, and even handguns (the dependable Frommer!). They also include some important crafting materials such as Scrap Metal, Axles, and Sheet Metal, plus miscellaneous loot such as "Organs" and the ever-trustworthy Pipe.

Suspicious stashes come in a few flavours, such as: the standing pipe, the small box, the large box, and the small backpack.

I won't detail the exact locations of every stash, as that would take far too much time. Instead, I would suggest keeping your eyes peeled and your lighter on, and exploring every dark nook and cranny in the Underground. You never know what you might find!

However, stashes will only provide half of what you need; every important crafting recipe for scum also requires "surface loot" - that is, items such as Plastic or Machine Trinkets that only spawn in garbage on the surface. Therefore, acquiring these resources is a top priority to ensure a thriving scum community. We'll cover some methods to get around this roadblock later in the guide.

Finally, there are three Lockers/Scum Stashes to be found Underground, one each in the Sewers and Construction areas, and one in the Cult Hideout. Scum Stashes share the same inventory as the Lockers found on the surface - meaning you can scavenge for useful materials as a Prole, stash them in your locker, and use them as scum - with the important distinction that Contraband items can be stored and withdrawn here.

Assuming you know the basics of hunger and thirst, how do you stay topped up as scum? The easiest food sources to acquire are "Organs" and Suspicious Meat. Both of these will refill your hunger, whilst "Organs" will also slightly quench your thirst, as well as heal you for a small amount. "Organs" can be found in Suspicious Stashes, whilst Suspicious Meat can be found... well, you know where to get it.

Scum also have access to some unique crafting recipes, namely Pemmican, Rotter's Goulash, and the Stuffed Rat Skewer. Rotter's Goulash is the best, satisfying your hunger a good deal and restoring some thirst, as well as giving you a (temporary) speed boost. Pemmican gives you a decent amount of hunger satisfaction, but increases your thirst by a small amount; as an advantage, it temporarily reduces the damage you take. The Stuffed Rat Skewer will fill your hunger and thirst a small amount, but has no other effect. None of these foods will lower your sanity, providing you're playing as a scum-aligned fate. Of course, you can also eat all the same foods as the other fates, but acquiring things like rations or the ingredients for crafted meals might prove difficult.

For managing thirst, the Blood Fountain found in the Cult Hideout provides unlimited drinking water. Despite what the tooltip says, the "water" is completely safe to drink - you will never get parasites from it, so drink up!

Managing your sanity as scum can be difficult. The usual sanity-restoring items - namely food and drink - are also difficult to come by, and since a large part of being scum involves wanton violence and mass slaughter, you might find your sanity level dropping rather quickly.

Luckily, there is a solution: the ever-popular Rot Shroom. This little fella can be grown in a Pot, by first filling it with Soil (drop the soil, then drag it on to the pot), and then planting a Cancer Pod in the soil (using the same method). The resulting plant takes around 10 minutes to fully grow, and must be periodically fed with a fresh supply of your own blood. Once grown, the Rot Shroom can be harvested; consuming it will temporarily halt sanity loss. Note that this only applies to passive sanity loss over time. Actions such as killing and witnessing death will still drain sanity as usual.

One Rot Shroom can also be combined with one Leech at a work bench with the Pharma Tools upgrade to create Benadrizole, a drug that grants a small amount of damage reduction as well as the Rot Shroom's effects.

Alternatively, hanging around in the Club (found above ground in the city proper) will slowly recover your sanity, just like any other fate. Getting to it can be difficult; the shortest route is via the Wartime Square exit, and then taking the tunnels past the Greenhouse. An alternative route is to take the exit near Proud Worker's Square, then work your way back to Myellin Plaza.

Credits aren't usually a high priority for scum, but they are still a useful resource. For obvious reasons, the usual methods of earning credits are somewhat off-limits to us. There is an alternative, however.

Smuggler's Vents can be found Underground; there is one near each of the exit tunnels. These function identically to the ones above-ground - Skull Sterling can be bought and sold here, but more importantly for us any Contraband Item can be sold too. This includes pretty much anything you might find in Suspicious Stashes, so if you find you have an over-abundance of a certain item (typically Old Ammo), or if you get your hands on something functionally useless like Gunsmithing Tools, feel free to sell them at the vents for a quick profit. Just remember that crafting components are always more useful when used in crafting, rather than sold.

Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, moulded by it.

The Underground is the "second city" of Aneurism IV, a sprawling labyrinth of sewers, maintenance tunnels, and disused metro stations. The Underground is big, and it's easy to get lost or overwhelmed as fresh scum. For your first life as a scum, I would strongly recommend taking the time to thoroughly explore the Underground, as it's where you'll be spending most of your time.

Broadly, the Underground is split into two halves, which I'll refer to as "Construction" and "Sewers". Note that I'm only using these names as references for the guide itself - other players, and the devs, will use different names.

Construction and Sewers are connected by a third area, the "Dome", and there are other, smaller, but no less important areas within these main three, such as the Sanctuary and Femoral Station.

Below is a map of the Underground. I'm not much of an artist, but hopefully this VERY rough and DEFINITELY NOT TO SCALE map will help make sense of what I'm describing to you!



The Sewers is the half of the Underground that most players will be familiar with, as it's the location with the most-used Scumbag spawn (at the bottom of the vault stairs from the entrance on Industry Street, down from the laundromat and locker). Here, you will find several Suspicious Stashes, a Cult Bench, a Workbench (in the Sanctuary), a Kitchen (also in the Sanctuary) an Autostitcher, a Biofuel Refinery (again in the Sanctuary), and a Locker/Scum Stash (once again, in the Sanctuary). The screenshots below will show you the main points of interest; hopefully, combined with the map, you should get an idea of how to move around the place.

A view of the main Sewers area; the red light on the right edge of the image leads to the Dome, whilst the walkway leading to the dark area on the left edge leads to the surface.

Stood in the middle of the Sewer walkway, the Cult Bench is to the right in the yellow light, whilst the door with the red light leads to the Ritual Pit, Autostitcher, and Sanctuary.

Stood in the same spot, only this time looking to the right; the exit to the surface is visible. This is where a Scumbag fate can be found.

The entrance to the Ritual Pit in the Sewers.

Continuing down the corridor to the right of the Ritual Pit, the pathway on the left side of the flaming barrel will take you to the Autostitcher mounted on a wall in the small room over the walkway, whilst going to the right of the barrel will take you to the Sanctuary.

A view of the Sanctuary. The corridor on the left leads back to the Ritual Pit. The regular Workbench and Biofuel Refinery are out of sight, on the floor below, hidden by the low concrete barrier. The Kitchen and Locker/Scum Stash are in the small room near the red light and "Sanctuary" sign on the right side of the image.

The Dome houses two very important cult locations: the Coal Pit and the Cult Hideout. The Coal Pit provides cultists with fuel for the Foundry, essential for making weapon crafting components, and the Hideout contains the Blood Pool, a safe, free, and infinite drinking source.

Standing with our back to the Sewers, the red light on the right side of the image leads to Construction, whilst the faint white light in the centre-left of the image leads to the Hideout. Coal nodes spawn in the pit in front of us.


The Cult Hideout.

The "other half" of the Underground, Construction has some very important locations - most crucially, Femoral Station and the Foundry. Femoral Station is unique in that it is the (currently) the only Underground location where surface loot spawns, found in several bins (garbage cans) scattered about the place. This makes it critically important for scavenging essential resources like wood, plastic, or machine trinkets.

Similarly, the Foundry allows scum fates to manufacture their own Metal Ingots, as well as process them into Metal Plates and Axles, both crucial items needed when manufacturing weapons.

You can also find a regular Workbench (in the Foundry area), a Locker/Scum Stash, and an abandoned Cortex Outpost where Rogues can refill their Cortex ammo packs (but NOT normal scum fates!).

The only exit on this side of the Underground leads through the Underground Bazaar, coming out underneath the Laundromat near the War Factory, giving scum fates easy access to a vending machine.

The Underground Bazaar is important as it represents a (questionably) legal setting where scum and non-scum fates can mingle; coming here as non-scum will not mark you for limitation, as you don't need to cross the threshold of a vault door. Therefore, it is an important location to trade useful goods to and from other fates on the surface.

Coming from the Dome, the Cult Bench is under the green light on the left, with the stairs just right of centre.

On the second storey; the Ritual Pit is behind us, Femoral Station and the Foundry are to our left (off-screen), the Cortex Outpost is also off-screen, to our right. Just left of centre we can see the Locker/Scum Stash, with a fellow Scumbag accessing it.

Stood in the same spot but facing 90 degrees to the left. The dark area on the left side leads to Femoral Station (between the shipping containers), and the unlit path on the right will take you to the Foundry.


The Foundry area. It's very, VERY dark here, so bring a flashlight! To the left of centre is the regular Workbench, then to the right of centre is the Lathe for turning axles, and right of that is the Generator. The Crucible for smelting and Rolling Mill for manufacturing plates are obscured in the darkness to the left of the image.


Femoral Station. Continuing straight ahead towards the green light will take you to the station proper, where you can find several bins with surface loot, and a few Suspicious Stashes.


A view of the Underground Bazaar. Directly behind us is the exit to the War Factory district, and ahead through the doorway behind the figures is the entrance to the Underground.

Only my weapon understands me.

The section on weapons that I originally wrote for this grew way out of control, so I uploaded it as a separate guide, which you can find here:
https://steamproxy-script.pipiskins.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3447318223
The above guide goes into detail about each weapon's pros and cons, as well as how to craft them. For convenience, here is the list of craftable weapons and ammo in-game:



I STRONGLY recommend you read through the separate weapon guide if you want a good look at the weapons of Aneurism IV. If you just want to know what's worth using, here is my personal ranked list:

• For long range:
  
  1. AG42B (6.5x55mm)
     
  2. RDZ (.357)
     
  3. Brain Scorcher (9x39mm)
• For medium range:
  
  1. Brain Scorcher (9x39mm)
     
  2. Tantaliser (7.62x39mm)
     
  3. Pity (9mm)
• For close range:
  
  1. Tantaliser (7.62x39mm)
     
  2. Lung Puncher (12g)
     
  3. Pity (9mm)
     
  4. Director's Death (12g)

Generally speaking, the best weapon is the one you have access to. ALWAYS choose a sub-par weapon over being unarmed.

Once you've armed yourself, make sure you pick fights at ranges where your weapon has the advantage. You will almost always be out-numbered and out-gunned by Cortex fates, so using every advantage you have is critically important. Speaking of advantages...

There are many illicit substances that can give you an edge in combat. All of them are useful, some moreso than others, depending both on their effects and their ease of acquisition. Here is a quick look at the common effects of drugs.


Below is a quick list of useful drugs, ranked in order of usefulness. Negative effects are in italics.

Effects

• Major Damage Resistance (HUGE duration)

Kevlar grants Major Damage Resistance for a stupidly long duration - I've not been able to time it but it's easily 20+ minutes. It also has literally 0 downsides, inflicting no debuffs or penalties to food/hunger. The only drawback to Kevlar is the difficulty in acquiring it as scum, as it can only be purchased from DealerNet for the high price of 80(!) credits. Whilst it is possible to make this many credits as scum, the items you sell to the vents are probably better used making weapons and ammo. The only reasonable way to acquire Kevlar as scum is to purchase it as a neutral fate beforehand and then convert to scum, or stash it in an apartment to retrieve later.

Effects

• Major Damage Resistance (4.5 minutes)
  
• Speed (4.5 minutes)
  
• Insanity

Methadone can be crafted at a workbench with the Pharma Tools upgrade, using two A4 Premium. The main problem with this drug is therefore acquiring it: A4 Premium can only be bought from vending machines above ground, with a cost between 30 and 60 credits depending on the current Rot level. Methadone is a very powerful drug, however, and unlike Kevlar can be acquired totally solo as a scum fate.

Effects

• Minor Damage Resistance (1.5 minutes)
  
• Stamina (1.5 minutes)
  
• Speed (1.5 minutes)
  
• Insanity
  
• Addiction

Methadone's little brother, the appeal of Jenkem is primarily its low cost, requiring only a jar (2x Plastic, crafted at a Workbench) and access to a toilet (there are public toilets above ground in Wartime Square and the Club). Moving the jar onto the toilet and allowing the... "mixture" to ferment for 7.5 minutes will give you a rather potent (but short-lived) combat drug, with the addiction being the strongest downside. You also get the jar back upon use, letting the cycle of depravity continue indefinitely!

Effects

• Minor Damage Resistance (15 minutes)
  
• Euphoria (15 minutes)

The main draw of Benadrizole is its insanely long duration, giving you great longevity in fights. The downside is it's a pain in the arse to craft - Rot Shrooms are a chore to grow, and Leeches can be hard to come by even when the Cortex aren't trying to kill you. Still, if you can get hold of it, Benadrizole makes for an excellent combat drug. Just note that the "no sanity drain" effect does not apply to sanity losses from killing/witnessing death - only passive sanity drain over time.

Effects

• Immunity to bleeding (long ass time)

A handy drug - if you can get hold of it. Hemoblocker is sold exclusively via Pharmastributor machines for a fairly high price - usually 20-40 credits - and is therefore out of reach of scum fates under most circumstances. You may be able to convince a neutral fate to purchase some for you, or purchase it yourself as a neutral fate and stash it away for later. Notably, Hemoblocker is not contraband, meaning you can store it in your Locker above-ground and then take it from your Scum Stash later. The main downside to Hemoblocker is how easy bandages are to acquire. It's very rare that you'll die from bleeding whilst mid-fight, making the advantage of Hemoblocker (not having to fumble for bandages in your inventory) largely irrelevant. A nice luxury if you can afford it, but not essential.

Effects

• Stamina (3 minutes)
  
• Addiction

Having functionally unlimited stamina is very handy. It allows you to reposition quickly in gunfights, get away from cameras quickly when spotted, and outrun Cortex fates if a fight isn't going your way. Crimson King is easy to stockpile as a neutral fate with a little time investment at the Greenhouse/Distillery, and whilst it's not essential to success it's a pretty good force multiplier. Beware the addiction, however.

Ultimately, every drug has its uses as a scum fate, but the several listed above are what I would consider the best bang for your buck when in combat. As always, it's worth experimenting with all the different consumables yourself to figure out what works best for you!

WARRIORS! COME OUT TO PLAYYYY-AAAYYY!

Attacking the Cortex fates head-on is dangerous, but it is possible. To succeed, it's helpful to know the scum fate's strengths and weaknesses.


Usually, you will always be out-numbered and out-gunned by Cortex fates. Many players like to play as Cortex to farm easy credits and anamnecytes (and to stroke their fragile little egos), and since they spawn with their weapons and have access to unlimited ammunition via the Cortex armouries, as well as (usually) easy healing via Corpsmen, deliberately picking a fight with the Cortex might seem like a poor idea. There are some key points to know, however, and from there we can develop some tactics.

I see a lot of players assume that because the Controller wears body armour and a helmet, they must correspondingly be tough to kill. But this isn't really true - Controllers only have 150hp, compared to a Prole's 100 and the Scumbag's 125. Yes, they are stronger than an average Scumbag, but that difference is only one or two shots from most weapons, and their health pool pales in comparison to the Zealot's 225. Sanitars are even weaker, having the same health as a Scumbag at 125. It's only the Limitator, with their whopping 300hp, that poses a truly dangerous threat to an organised group of scum.

The three most common Cortex weapons - the Ahti, Concilliator, and the Surma LMG - all deal 20 damage. This is definitely dangerous, but it's not as bad as it first appears - for example, it takes 6 shots to kill a Scumbag from full HP (more realistically 5 when you take into account bleeding), and 12 to take down a Zealot. Factor in the poor accuracy of Cortex weapons and add in a numbers advantage for the scum, and suddenly gunfights seem a lot more equal.

Cortex players tend to roam around largely on their own, mindlessly following their patrol routes from console to console. This means their distribution around the map is largely random, with the exception of events like wartime or the ration cycle, where they tend to cluster around the relevant locations. By contrast, scum players can mass in one or two locations for an attack, overwhelming the Cortex in the area and disappearing underground before more can show up.

Considering all of the above, the safest and most effective way to defeat the Cortex in a fight is to show up on mass, kill individuals/small groups in a short space of time, and then disappear underground. Cortex are strongest in large, prolonged engagements where their superior numbers and resources allow them to continually grind down the scum. The solution, therefore, is to deny them these fights, and only engage on your terms.

One classic tactic is to have someone trigger a camera alert, drawing the nearest Cortex fates to investigate. They are then jumped by a group of scum, who drag the bodies below ground before any more reinforcements show up. This tactic is most effective using the camera near the Ration Factory, as it's close to an underground entrance/exit, Cortex fates can only come into the area one way (down the alleyway stairs), and it provides plenty of places for scum to hide before the ambush.

Also of importance is the weapon disparity between Cortex and scum. Although all Cortex fates are armed to a decent standard, scum weapons are generally more effective, particularly at range. The Cortex just don't really have an answer for weapons like the AG42B and RDZ, which can kill Controllers in just 3 shots at ranges where Cortex weapons struggle to land hits. Cortex weapons are generally more effective at close range, but that's not to say scum weapons are inferior here: the Lung Puncher and Tantaliser will out-DPS any Controller in the hands of a Zealot, though Limitators still pose a significant threat and should always be engaged at range.

An army marches on it's stomach.

That was a brief look at how to fight Cortex units in combat. So what should you be doing the rest of the time?

Since you spend most of your time underground, you should use that time to continually harvest resources for the use of yourself and the faction. Doing loops around the underground to loot Suspicious Stashes, and then depositing those materials on the ground near Cult Benches, will ensure that all scum fates (particularly new members) will be able to get armed and ready to contribute to the fight. Use the radio to ask other scum fates what materials they need, and don't be afraid to share resources you might have in your locker - a gun is more useful on the front line than stashed away for later!

Any Scrap Metal you find should be brought to the Foundry and turned into Metal Ingots for processing into Plates or Axles, depending on what's needed at any given time. If you need coal, find a Pipe and mine the nodes that spawn in the centre of the Dome.

Interacting with neutral fates is risky, as they may rat you out to the Cortex, but without the support of neutral fates the cult will always struggle. The one fate you should ALWAYS try and get on your side is the Corpsman. Healing as a scum is incredibly limited, with "Organs" being the only healing consumable and providing only a measly 10hp, and the Autostitcher both costing credits and being a finite resource. Having a Corpsman to heal up scum fates provides you with unlimited healing, as well as someone who can fetch goods from above ground without risk of death.

Dealers/Bankers can also be useful friends; DealerNet gives them access to a wide range of items, such as food and crafting materials, which they'll be happy to part with... for a fee. Consumables like Kevlar and components like Wood and Machine Trinkets can be well worth the price, however.

Finally, the humble Prole can prove surprisingly beneficial - you'd be surprised what people are willing to donate to help the cause. Also remember that Proles (and any other neutral fate) can be consecrated into Zealots, giving an easy way to boost your numbers at no anamnecyte cost.

Also worth noting - although it is rather obvious - you can still contribute to the cult without being a scum fate yourself. Delivering materials and especially playing as a Corpsman is a great way to help the cultists out!

As mentioned earlier in the guide, consecrating new Zealots should be the primary goal of any existing Zealots in the cult, and to do this a steady supply of Suspicious Meat is required. Setting off in groups of two or three to ambush unsuspecting Proles can provide the meat needed to grow the flock, setting you up for the ultimate destruction of the city. Don't forget to take the bodies to a Ritual Pit so a Zealot can throw them in!

Playing as scum is hard, deliberately. The devs don't want us resetting the servers every day, as it would cause players to lose interest if their progress was constantly being wiped. But as with many things in life, it's more about the journey than the destination. Playing as an anarchist is as fun as it is challenging, and you'll find more cooperation amongst your fellow scum that you do with Proles or Cortex on the surface.

Don't be dissuaded if you die a lot - that's by design. Scumbags (and to a degree, Zealots) are way more expendable than their Cortex counterparts and you shouldn't anticipate living very long as a scum fate. Instead, focus on wreaking as much havoc as you can, especially when it comes to smashing machinery - that's the key to destroying the city. When you do inevitably die, it's usually worth playing as neutral fate for a while, building up resources in your locker so that you're more prepared the next time you play scum.

Well, that's far more words about playing as scum than I ever should have wrote. I guess I'll show this to my doctor for my autism diagnosis. Regardless, I hope you find this useful or at the very least interesting, I spent way too much time writing this!

If you have any suggestions or corrections, please leave them in the comments below!

- amyl