Rust: Guide To The Bradley APC

The M3 Bradley Armored Personnel Carrier, or Bradley for short, is one of numerous NPC-controlled vehicles that spawn within Facepunch’s survival game Rust. Just like some of the title’s other in-game events, players can take on the challenge of defeating this tank as another means to quickly gain valuable loot.

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While some of the other events can spawn in random locations, the Bradley APC will only spawn at the Launch Site monument. The Launch Site is a highly radioactive monument, so players will need to equip gear to protect against the radiation. Also, the Launch Site is a popular monument due to the amount of loot it offers, so in addition to the radiation and aggressive Bradley tank, you should be prepared for encounters with other heavily-armed players as well. Here’s how to find and take on this formidable APC.

Dealing With The Radioactive Environment

Before entering the Launch Site in search of the Bradley APC, players need to account for its radioactive environment. This monument is one of two places that emits the highest tier of radiation. Plan to bring anti-radiation pills, water, and medical syringes to help lower the radiation debuff if need be. Wearing radiation-resistant gear is a big plus as well. However, even with a hazmat suit, Rust players could still experience radiation poisoning, as the radiation levels get higher in and around the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Battling The Bradley APC

The Bradley APC spawns at, and aggressively patrols, the Launch Site, attacking any player it encounters. Its main cannon is capable of long range attacks that will do approximately 25-30 damage per hit. It is also armed with a machine gun for shorter range attacks, and while each hit only does around 7 damage to your HP, its extremely high rate of fire can make the damage add up quickly in this classic survival title. Lastly, the Bradley has 1000 HP.

The Bradley is a tough opponent, but everything has weaknesses. When it’s aiming its weapons, stay out of its line of sight and take advantage of its blind spots to attack. Also, like most tanks, it does not have the best maneuverability: Use the time it needs to reposition itself to pop out of cover and do your damage. A great way to exploit this with a teammate is to have one person act as bait to draw its fire and take cover to avoid damage, while their ally attacks with relative impunity. Since it can only target one player at a time, one of you will always be free to attack it.

Additionally, regular ammunition will not work on it, so you will need to use weapons that do explosive damage. You can lob F1 Grenades at it, shoot it with explosive rifle ammo, or even run up and place satchel charges on it if you are quick and brave enough. However, the two most efficient and cost-effective methods are to damage it with three Timed Explosive Charges or direct hits from seven High Velocity Rockets.

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The Best Locations To Attack From

• Ticket booth: The glass windows in the Ticket Booth cannot be shot out, so it is very good defensively. Pop in and out of cover to keep the Bradley from being able to shoot you. Attack it with high velocity rockets from its blind spots whenever it goes by. You are in an enclosed space, however, so make sure to not get hit by the main cannon as you will not be able to dodge.
• Recycler Building: Climb all the way to the roof and bait the Bradley over to you by attacking it or letting it see you. Once the APC is in range, quickly peek over the edge and hit it with high velocity rockets. Make sure not to peek out at the wrong time and take a direct hit from it. Also, make sure you do not accidentally hit the edge with your rockets and cause damage to yourself.
• Airfield Tower: Position yourself on the roof of the larger building and not the actual tower itself. When attacking from this location, employ the same strategy you would at the Recycler Building.

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Rewards For Destroying The Bradley APC

The Bradley APC is identical to the Attack Helicopter in that, once defeated, it will drop three flaming APC Crates and you will need to wait before you are able to loot them. Also like the Attack Helicopter, its defeat will put a debris marker on the map for any player to see, so you will need to protect the crates until the flames are out.

Once the fire is out and the coast is clear, you can loot the crates. They contain very high-tier loot, including weapons, attachments, and rare building supplies. This is also the only other place you could possibly get the M249 besides looting the Attack Helicopter. Lastly, you can also loot the remains of the Bradley with any pickaxe to pick up charcoal, metal fragments, and high quality metal. As with every other PVP game, everyone always wants the best loot, and in Rust, the Bradley APC is one of the greatest sources of it.

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