NOTE: Combat strategy is based on the Medium difficulty setting, so your experience may vary slightly. In addition to the walkthroughs for each level, there are separate pages for Controls & Gameplay Tips, Skill & Weapon Upgrades, and Collectible Items.
SAVING AND CHECKPOINTS: Like the last several games, TOMB RAIDER uses autosave checkpoints. Whenever you pass a checkpoint, the game is saved automatically. Then, if Lara dies or you quit the game and restart, the game reloads at the last checkpoint. If you only rely on one autosave, you may run into trouble if you get stuck in the game, encounter a bug, or if your autosave file becomes corrupted. To avoid problems, I highly recommend changing your save slot at least once each level. You may also want to periodically back up your autosaves on a memory card (consoles) or into a separate folder (PC). See the controls page for details.
AREA 6: Base Approach
Updated: 7/16/13(†)
Camps: Broken Tunnel (Fast Travel)*
Gear: none Weapons/Weapon Parts: none
Documents: none Relics: 2 GPS caches: 2 Treasure Maps: none
Challenge Tombs: none Challenges: none
Area Map: Base Approach**
*See the section about base camps on the Controls page.
**Map includes all major collectibles. Refer to the in-game map by pressing Tab/Back if you'd prefer no spoilers. The in-game map does not include a compass rose showing which way is north. So when I refer to map directions in my walkthrough, assume North is up, east right, south down, and west left.
OBJECTIVE: Find the Bunker
AMBUSH IN THE STARTING AREA: When you slide down the zip line from the area at the top of the waterfall in the Mountain Village, you are immediately ambushed by 3 Solarii soldiers. As far as I can tell, there's no way to fight them stealthily. You can use the rock with the arrows leaning against it for cover but only briefly, since the men see Lara coming and immediately start throwing fire and closing in on her position.
I recommend trying to take out the guy with the gas can first, preferably using a headshot using the bow or pistol. He's the one with the reddish glow who tends to hide behind the low wall on the far left. If he does throw a Molotov cocktail at you, dodge out of the way as quickly as possible to avoid being burned. If you can get him out of the fight quickly, it will be easier. The one with the axe and machete will usually come to you. Switch to the pistol if you haven't already and take care of him. If he gets too close, you'll see a Melee prompt on screen. Press that button to shove him away. Then shoot him before he can charge you again. The third guy shoots flaming arrows and tends to hang back. You can take cover behind the wall again and pick him off with either of your weapons. When Lara stands up, you'll know the coast is clear. (screenshots)
Loot the bodies for salvage and a few bullets and/or arrows. Then go around the corrugated metal wall, light your torch on the burning barrel, and use it to burn the salvage net to get at the crate of nuts and bolts inside. (screenshot)
NOTES: If Lara dies during the fight, she'll respawn a few steps behind the rock with the arrows leaning against it. As long as you don't move forward, the bad guys won't notice her. Take a moment to shoot the lantern hanging near the salvage net. This will dump flaming oil on the baddies, most likely killing one of them and possibly injuring the others. Run up to the rock and pick off the stragglers as they approach. (screenshots)
Alternatively, if you want to avoid this combat, you can run straight past the 3 guys and squeeze through the crevice in the rock wall beyond the salvage net. The baddies won't follow. Once you hit the checkpoint, you can return through the crevice and they'll be gone, allowing you to get the salvage. Naturally you won't be able to loot their bodies.
TUNNEL TO THE SECOND AREA: Follow the shallow stream into the cave and squeeze through a gap in the rocks. You emerge near a new Base Camp: Broken Tunnel.
As you move up the corrugated metal ramp and approach the camp fire, a cut scene kicks in. Lara sits and looks at more of Sam's video and we learn a bit more about the Endurance crew and their mission.
Afterwards, pick up the pistol ammo on one side of the clearing with the camp fire and a relic (1/2), a Bronze Chinese Coin, in a box on the other side of the clearing. (screenshot)
There are delicious rats in this area that you can shoot and loot for small amounts of XP and salvage. There are also some small birds, but these are not much use since they tend to perch on high ledges making them hard to reach once you've shot them.
There's also an extremely annoying arrow pickup wedged under the back of the old, Japanese army truck opposite the campsite. (screenshot) In order to get it, you'll probably have to wiggle Lara into position close to the truck until you see the Interact icon flash briefly, showing you can grab the object. With luck, you can press the button quickly enough. The number of arrows you get appears to be random. Once I got only one arrow. Nice.
Just beyond the truck, on the left side of the path leading away from the campfire, there is a GPS cache (1/2) lying on the ground and a fruit plant a bit farther along. (screenshot)
BUNKER EXTERIOR: Continue along the path to the north until you come to another ancient truck. Lara ducks as you approach it, indicating there are enemies ahead. Move forward slowly to eavesdrop on the Solarii soldiers' conversation. When the men are done talking, get ready to take them out stealthily one at a time. Avoid the spotlight at all costs. If the soldier manning the light notices Lara, he'll alert everyone, and start shooting the machine gun on the upper level. Then you'll find yourself in the middle of a nasty firefight. Stealth is definitely the way to go. Here's a strategy that worked well for me:
Start with the archer nearest you. Wait until the spotlight is pointing away from him and use your bow to take him out with a headshot. Or, sneak up on him for a stealth kill. Carefully move up to hide behind the barrels and sandbags ahead near the right wall. If you make it this far without being detected, you get a nice 100 XP bonus and a new goal.
OBJECTIVE: Find a Way Into the Bunker
Slowly sneak up behind the bad guy. When you see the Melee icon on screen, press it once to get him in a choke hold with your bow. Then follow the on-screen prompt and repeatedly tap Interact to finish him off. (screenshots)
Loot the body and move up again and crouch behind the wall of sandbags with the arrows leaning against it. From here you can see 4 more men: 2 ahead on the left, one on the right, and one manning the spotlight. Take out the nearer of the two guys on the left using the bow for a silent headshot. Repeat this with the guy near the flaming barrel on the right. Then take out the guy with explosives who seems to be welding something near the wall below the spotlight. (screenshots)
NOTE: You can shoot the spotlight itself, and the men will think it malfunctioned, but I found that sometimes when I did this, the guy with the explosives would start poking around and discover Lara. He would then start throwing Molotov cocktails and yell for the men inside the building. Go ahead and try it if you like, but it didn't work very well for me.
For some reason, the guy working the spotlight doesn't seem to notice that you've taken out his buddies. He'll be joining them soon enough, though. Move to the left side of the sandbag wall and aim your bow just to the lower left of the spotlight, about where 7:00 would be on a clock. Your reticle will turn red showing you've got the man targeted. You may lose and regain the target as the spotlight moves, but be patient. When the spotlight is about to move away, hold the Fire button to charge up a power shot. Then as soon as you have a clear shot, release the button to fire. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you have trouble shooting the spotlight operator from below, don't worry. You can leave him for now and sneak up on him inside the building later; however, you'll need to carefully avoid the spotlight as you move to front of the building. Pick up the walkthrough below where you enter the building. Then later, when all the enemies are dead, backtrack later for the pickups you missed.
Even after you shoot the soldier at the spotlight, there are still some men inside the building, so don't get too confident. Loot the bodies outside. Then climb onto the cement ledge below the building on the right to find some pistol ammo. Hop down off the opposite edge and follow the path leading off to the right between the two buildings. At the end of the path, turn right. You'll find more pistol ammo and an edible plant in a little cul-de-sac. (screenshots)
ENTERING THE BUILDING: Now return to the large building. Move under the opening in the front, to the left of the flaming barrel where you shot the guy with the explosives. From here you can target another welder working inside on the right. Again, a silent headshot with the bow is the way to go. (screenshots)
Climb into the opening and pick up 2 bunches of arrows, one on each side. Then go through the doorway into the stairwell. Loot the welder's body and climb the stairs to the upper floor. Shadows on the wall reveal the presence of at least two more solders up here, so go carefully. (screenshots)
If you did not shoot the man operating the spotlight from down below, he'll still be here now. So move carefully to the top of the stairs and take him out with a headshot through one of the holes in the wall. (screenshots)
Step through the doorway and immediately turn left. Stay close to the wall, since there's another enemy just ahead. Hide behind the desk and take him out with another silent headshot. (screenshots)
Now just 2 enemies remain. Move to the right of the sandbag wall near the spotlight and look across to the building on the left to spot them. Wait for the one with explosives to walk away. Then nail the other with a silent headshot. The explosives guy will notice and come to investigate, but if you act quickly you can take him out before he starts hurling fire at Lara. If you're too slow and he sees you, move to the opening at the other end of this hallway and try to shoot him from there. If he sees you again, move back to the sandbags and try again. (screenshots)
You can shoot out the second spotlight over in the other building, as well as the lightbulbs, but this isn't really necessary if you use the strategy I describe. Rather than providing the cover of darkness, it can attract unwanted attention.
Before moving on, go back into the stairwell and collect the relic (2/2), a Bronze Japanese Coin, sitting in the far corner. (screenshot) Replenish your supplies with 2 bunches of arrows—one leaning in the doorway at the top of the stairs, the other just to the left of the spotlight.
CLIMBING TO THE EXIT: Loot the bodies in the hallway. Then jump over to the ledge on the outside of the other building. Loot the dead enemies here and pick up more arrows if you need them. Turn left and go all the way around to the other side of the building to find a food cache and a GPS cache (2/2). Then go back around to the corner where you jumped over from the larger building. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you're close to having enough salvage for another weapon upgrade but haven't quite got enough, you can drop down, head back toward the base camp, and hunt a few rats. Each one yields 15 XP and a few salvage points. Use the camp to make your desired upgrade. Then return to the building, climb the stairs to the upper level and jump across to the second building again.
Scramble up the wooden wall and follow the walkway around to the top. Pick up the pistol ammo and use the zip line to slide into the next area. (screenshots)
†UPDATE HISTORY: 3/30/13 - First draft of walkthrough posted online.
4/11/13 - Added annotations for collectibles to the level map. Also updated the formatting of the header.
7/16/13 - Added alternate strategies for the ambush at the start of the level, thanks to a great suggestions from Roxay/Puchu (reload) and Lisa (avoid).
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