u/Doc_Noxious

Been trying since last night to finish this. Honestly it feels like it's just 100% RNG based for rank 5 so for anyone who's struggling, don't worry! If you're skilled enough to complete rank 4 then you can do rank 5, you literally just have to have a good run. Here's my tips:

1. The aurora spinner time spiders have a bit of a pattern to them. Don't try to shoot the green when you see it, you'd need the reflexes of a fruit fly to hit it in time. Instead, do a run and watch the one that spawns in the bus stop on the first level and you'll see they have a bit of a pattern. They'll stick on bronze for a while before rapidly swapping colours about 4 times. My advice would be get a feel for the timing for when it switches and shoot after it's gone bronze -> silver -> bronze, green usually follows so if you get a feel for the few seconds it takes to switch, you'll shoot just as it changes. It's not always green, but it often is.

2. My personal recommendation for stage order is first area -> Care Center -> Raccoon City Streets and then your choice of boss. If you're short on time, the Super Tyrant can spawn up to 2 time spiders (one in the fighting arena, and the other behind the glowing door when he's dead). The advantages of doing him are lots of ammo around the arena, a hatchet repair, a weapon box after the fight behind the glowing door, up to 2 time spiders and some heals. If you're fine on time and supplies, the Blister Borne is faster to do but has fewer supplies and no time spiders, plus you'll often have to contend with blue blister heads during the fight and they're a real pain.

3. If you're not leaving the first area with at least 5 minutes on the clock, restart your run. Best time spider spawns are the one in the bus stop (ideally a colour changing one), the one that wanders out into the street when people panic and the one on the big bright sign on the left side of the main street. The 2 that wander out when the cars crash can be a pain to hit with zombies in the way, even harder to get good time on them.

4. If you don't have a good perk after a few rerolls from the beginning, restart early. The best ones are:

• +100%/+150% firepower (if you upgraded it at the points shop)

• +80% firepower for 10% self damage

• Better loot for 20% more enemy damage taken

• Melee attacks set zombies on fire

• Killing enemies restores 10% life (paired with the firepower for self damage one, it's particularly good)

Other ones are good but you need a good source of damage or powerful loot, otherwise the enemies are too spongy and the bosses are as well.

5. There are axes littered around the Care Center that you can use against red enemies. There's one on the balcony in front of where you spawn, one in the east wing reception, one in the blood lab that an enemy is holding, and one on the second floor of the west wing in the room next to the archives.

6. Make sure you have about 3 or 4 heals before fighting Victor if you don't have an RPG. Phase 2 is easy, phase 1 is a damage sponge.

7. The chainsaw in the gas station isn't worth using against normal enemies, but usually one or two them will come rushing past you to try and pick it up. Be careful of getting hit by it, and try and fight the gas station enemies inside the gas station after picking up the gas can and spawning them all. Usually you can kill the tanky chainsaw mini-boss with a rifle by stunlocking him from the door, and you won't have to worry about getting burned when the gas station goes up in flames.

8. Enemy firearms deal stupid damage, even the BSAA zombies when they swing their guns around and mindlessly fire. Try and avoid going the Commander's route or up through the big building with the crank on Raccoon City Streets, unless you've got the perk to reduce firearms damage taken. I usually clear the gas station and then run towards the Super Tyrant glowing door to check for time spiders or open the weapon box by the shipping crates, if I need them.

9. Make sure you have the RPG unlocked as it trivializes the fight with first stage Victor if you get it, and keep as many weapons as you can as you can't get duplicates and it'll narrow the loot pool down to good weapons.