Since Patch 1.7.0 landed, I've been treating the cold like a roaming squad that never misses. You've got a tiny window to move before that blue meter starts creeping up, and if you're planning a long rotate, you'd better plan heat the same way you plan ammo. I've even seen people burn through resources early just to stay alive, then get wiped with full loot and zero warmth. If you're stocking up anyway, grabbing ARC Raiders Coins ahead of time can take some pressure off those constant re-gears, especially when you're still learning the new timings.

Read The Roof, Not The Shape

The rookie trap is thinking "overhead = safe." It doesn't. Some roofs and awnings look perfect, then you notice the bar still climbing and you're already behind. You've gotta step in, watch the meter, and commit only if it actually stalls. When it doesn't, don't stand there arguing with your eyes—move. If you're caught in open snow and the tick damage is about to start, there's a nasty little option: drop a Molotov or pop a grenade at your feet. It's not elegant. It does buy you warmth back fast, and sometimes that's the difference between limping into cover and face-planting in a field.

Loot Like You're Hunting Heat

Most players still loot like it's last patch—bandages first, everything else later. That mindset gets you killed now. You want Candleberries. Those glowing red bushes near the Dam riversides or around the Spaceport vents are basically "keep playing" buttons: heal plus a cold reset. One berry can matter more than a medkit when the weather's chewing your HP in bites. In our runs, we'll have one person scoop them nonstop and stack them (you can carry loads), then hand them off mid-raid so nobody's stranded during a bad rotate.

Fights Are Closer, Quieter, Meaner

Visibility is rough in storms. Long-range optics feel like a joke when the whiteout hits, so I've been living on SMGs and shotguns, taking messy close fights on purpose. Also, watch the ground. Footprints hang around for a couple minutes, and they tell you more truth than sound sometimes. If you're crouch-walking and you spot fresh tracks, someone's nearby—full stop. And don't get cute on frozen lakes. You slide. Your strafe gets weird. You'll over-peek and get deleted before you can correct it.

Keeping Up Without Burning Out

The grind's harsher with cold resets, berry runs, and pricey respecs, and not everyone wants to spend their whole night farming just to be "allowed" to fight. If you're trying to stay competitive in Trials, it helps to streamline the boring parts so you can queue more and tilt less. That's why some people look at routes, others run dedicated berry duty, and some just top up resources so they're not stuck gearless after two bad blizzards. If you go that route, weaving in cheap ARC Raiders Coins can help you stay stocked for the runs that actually matter, while you keep your focus on positioning, tracking prints, and surviving the weather swing.