Escape from Dakoff complete guide: How to reliably defeat the mysterious merchant in Area Zero using only the initial gun TT23 and rust bullets

Escape from Duckhoff is a PVE top-down escape shooter released on Steam. In a harsh world full of ducks, players must collect supplies from scratch, strengthen their hideout, and upgrade their equipment while defeating enemies and escaping. The appeal of this game lies in its realistic balance of risk and reward. The tension of losing all your belongings when you die makes it addictive. Especially in the early stages, it is easy to have a difficult time with poor equipment, but there is a tactic that allows you to defeat a special NPC called the “Mysterious Merchant” with only the initial equipment.

In this strategy guide, we will explain in detail the complete procedure for defeating the mysterious merchant lurking in Area Zero using just the gun “TT23'' and “Rust Bullet'' immediately after the start of the game, at a level that even beginners can reproduce. No special skills or expensive items are required. Anyone can try it right away.

Background of the strategy to defeat the mysterious merchant with only initial equipment

In the early stages of Escape from Duckhoff, players set out from their base and collect resources while defeating enemy ducks and scabs. However, unlike normal enemies, the mysterious merchant is a special entity with powerful equipment and the ability to trade. While many players prepared their equipment before taking on the challenge, a route that could be defeated using only the initial gun was discovered, and it became a hot topic. The biggest advantage of this method is high reproducibility and low risk. This is because the mysterious merchant will respawn even after being defeated, and the inventory will be reset, so it can be used for money-making loops. Just imagine. After a few sorties from the start of the game, you can get rare weapons and blueprints, and get the pleasure of breaking through the early walls all at once. Mastering this strategy will dramatically accelerate your warehouse expansion and skill development.

The key to this strategy lies in exploiting the enemy AI's blind spots and the terrain. Inside a specific building in Area Zero, you will continue to inflict unilateral damage from a “safe zone” where merchant attacks cannot reach. If you minimize the risk of failure and manage your ammunition thoroughly, the success rate will be extremely high. Detailed tips on how to avoid mistakes that beginners often make, such as careless approach and ignoring bleeding, will be explained later. First, let's understand the overall picture of the game. Escape from Dackhoff is single-player only, there is no multiplayer. The difficulty level can be changed, but this strategy is optimized for Normal. Upgrade your base's facilities and complete quests in parallel.

Details and features of Mysterious Merchant (Area Zero)

The Mysterious Merchant is a mysterious NPC scattered throughout the world of Escape from Dackhoff. Appears in Area Zero, Farm Town, and Warehouse Area (Street Vendor). The target of this strategy is the Area Zero version. The location is Area Zero in the northwest of the map, on top of a small hill in the center. It is easily accessible on foot from the bunker and is a recommended spot for the early stages. It looks like a duck-like merchant with a stall, and is usually not hostile and you can trade with it. There is a wide variety of items for sale, including weapons such as PPSh and Mosin-Nagant, pistol suppressors, extended magazines, first aid kits, food items (apples, honey), and materials (wood, tape). As price examples, PPSh is 2214D, 2x scope is 1320D, and first aid kit (large) is 1983D. By purchasing these, you can streamline your development and quests, but you can also obtain them as drops if you defeat them.

Characteristically, they have high HP and are equipped with powerful firearms, but their AI is simple and they tend to get caught in the terrain. Attacks are based on shooting, and there is no melee. When defeated, they will randomly drop weapons, cash, ammunition, and the important “Black Market Contact Note.” This notebook is essential for building Black Market Facilities and is an early game changer. The resurrection time is reset every time you sortie, so you can earn infinite money by repeatedly defeating and purchasing. Compared to the Farm Town version, the Area Zero version is easier to access and has a smaller entourage, making it suitable for beginners. The advantage of defeat is zero disadvantage, and there will be no price increase next time. In the image, it is a merchant who has set up a tent on a hill, with desks and chairs scattered around. Take advantage of this.

As a precaution, it is important not to confuse him with other bosses (such as Little Duck). There are some small ducks in Area Zero, but the only mysterious merchant is the hill merchant. Check your map and approach safely on foot without using transport bubbles.

Confirmation of necessary preparations and initial equipment

All you need for this strategy is the default equipment immediately after starting the game. The gun is “TT23” (pistol, uses S rust bullets), and the ammunition is “rust bullets” (initial bullets). The number of bullets you have is about 8-12 when sortieing, but you can increase it using the technique described below. There are also “milk'' (food, available right after the start) and “blood killing agent'' (to stop bleeding). That's enough. No skill is required, but if you raise your bag expert a little, you can increase your take-home capacity.

Preparation steps

1. Complete 1-2 quests at your base and earn experience points.
2. Check the quest item in the vending machine.
3. Before sortieing, empty your inventory and secure TT23 and rust bullets.

Picking up extra bullets from scabs is also effective. There is no need to upgrade your equipment, and you can proceed without armor. Bleeding control is your lifeline, so bring two or more blood killing agents with you. Recovers HP with milk. Total preparation time is less than 5 minutes. For beginners, we recommend customizing the operation settings, adjusting sensitivity and setting shortcuts for organizing the warehouse. As a combat trick, crouching fire improves accuracy. The image shows the TT23 as a compact pistol, and the rust bullets are brown and poor-quality bullets, but they can be fired repeatedly even though the damage is low.

Use multiple save slots to prevent unexpected losses.

Root revival technique to increase ammunition infinitely

The biggest gimmick is “root revival”. By repeating the same route without returning to the base, the gun and bullets at the starting point will respawn.

procedure

1. Depart from your base to Area Zero.
2. Kill the scabs in the area immediately after the start and pick up the bullets (2-4 additional rust bullets).
3. Return to your base and set out again.

This will accumulate bullets. +8 shots are possible in 1 loop. If you repeat 3-4 times, you can secure more than 50 shots. Scab drops are also added. This is a mechanism that allows you to obtain nearly infinite ammo. As a precaution, stop after 2-3 loops to avoid wasting time due to excessive repetition. The image is a scene where you pick up a glowing rust bullet from the box at the starting point.

This eliminates the worry of running out of ammo. Money-seekers can stock up on more bullets by purchasing them after defeating them.

Safe defeat route and optimal positioning

The route to reach Area Zero is to go through the forest from the northwest exit of the base and head towards the central hill. The enemy density is low and can be avoided by crouching. After arriving at the hill, move to the building in front of the merchant. The core of the gimmick is “between the desk and the chair” inside the building. Hide here and shoot from the gap. The merchant's AI will not respond, and the attack will not reach you, making it a one-way street.

Positioning procedure

1. Climb the hill and check out the merchant (next to the tent).
2. Enter through the back door of the building.
3. Crouch down between the left side of the desk and the right side of the chair.
4. Aim for the head with a sneak shot.

The topographic image is a wooden hut with two desks, three chairs, and a gap height of 1m. The merchant will be out of sight. No cronies. The total route distance is 500m, and it takes 5 minutes.

An alternative is to shoot from a distance from the bottom of the hill, but it is unstable.

Number of bullets required for defeat and damage calculation

TT23's rust bullet damage is about 50 to the head and 30 to the body. Merchant HP is approximately 1500. 120-150 shots are required for stable defeat. In verification, the head hit rate is 70%, which is about 130 shots. I will prepare 200 shots when the route is revived. The calculation formula is HP / (Head damage x Accuracy rate + Body damage x (1 – Accuracy rate)). Bleeding can be ignored. In actual combat, half of it will be destroyed after 100 shots, and the rest will be concentrated.

Detailed attack procedure and precautions

1. Complete positioning.
2. Check the gap with crouching ADS (aim).
3. Fires fully automatically when the merchant's head is exposed (5-10 seconds burst).
4. Reload (be careful not to run out of spare magazine).
5. When the merchant approaches, retreat and use the chair block.
6. Check the collapse with zero HP.

Points to note

• If bleeding occurs, use an instant killing agent.
• The sound will attract enemies, but you will be safe inside the building.
• If you fail, you will run out of bullets or lose your position. Retry is possible immediately.

It takes 10-15 minutes. The video image shows a scene where the gun muzzle comes out from the gap and a barrage of bullets is fired.

How to use defeat rewards and advice for beginners

Rewards are a large amount of experience points and drops (weapons such as PPSh, first aid kit, notebook, cash). The black market will be lifted with notes, and money-making efforts will accelerate. Utilization is immediate sale or development.

advice

• As practice, hone your aim on regular enemies.
• Prepare 200 bullets and 3 milk for stability.
• The next step is farm town merchant, boss lap.

With this method, you can get through the early stages and reach LV20. Repeat to advance to the strongest equipment. Please give it a try. I sincerely hope that this strategy will greatly help your playing.