Keep the pistol for cleanup, then swap to the rifle once the first sprinters show up around midnight.
Repairing before 2 AM gives survivors time to rest, so they always return with shotguns or ammo cases the next day.
I stack traps on the left lane and focus headshots on the right—it keeps the barricade from splitting in two.
Shotgun plus survivor support melts night 7, but always reload before you start a search run.
Headshots matter—one bullet per zombie lets you save precious rifle magazines for the final hours.
Flares buy eight seconds of breathing room, which is enough to rotate survivors onto repairs without losing the wall.
I always send one survivor on short searches for chainsaws—two heavy hitters at the barricade can clear night 12.
Rotate survivors with the highest aim stat onto the turret; it shreds hulks before they touch the boards.