Loud Approach: The Diamond

Loud Approach: The Diamond

Going loud on The Diamond heist transforms a delicate infiltration into a brutal, multi-stage firefight within the opulent confines of the museum. This guide will equip you with the strategies, builds, and tactical knowledge to not only survive but dominate the chaos and secure the legendary diamond.

Overview of the Loud Heist

The Diamond loud approach is characterized by its sustained combat, the need for area control, and the challenging heavy carry of the Diamond itself. Expect waves of law enforcement, including specialized units, to relentlessly assault your crew. The museum's open layout, while aesthetically pleasing, often provides limited natural cover, demanding precise movement and effective use of deployables.

Recommended Builds and Perk Decks

For a successful loud run on The Diamond, survivability, crowd control, and damage output are paramount. Here are some highly recommended perk decks and key skills:

• Stoic: Unparalleled survivability through damage absorption and health regeneration. Excellent for tanking heavy fire and pushing objectives.
• Anarchist: High armor regeneration and aggressive playstyle. Ideal for players who can maintain constant pressure and secure kills.
• Kingpin: Provides bursts of invincibility and health regeneration, making it fantastic for objective pushes or reviving downed teammates under heavy fire.
• Muscle: Boosts health and provides a panic effect on enemies, offering both survivability and some crowd control.
• Grinder: While less tanky than Stoic or Anarchist, Grinder offers excellent sustained health regeneration through damage, making it viable for aggressive players who can consistently hit shots.

Essential Skills:

• Mastermind:
  • Inspire Aced: Absolutely critical for quickly reviving teammates from a distance, minimizing downtime and maintaining momentum.
  • Hostage Taker Aced: Provides crucial health regeneration, especially useful for sustained engagements.
• Enforcer:
  • Iron Man Aced: Allows the use of ICTV (Improved Combined Tactical Vest), significantly boosting armor.
  • Shotgun Impact Aced / Overkill Aced: For shotgun builds, these skills dramatically increase damage output.
  • Fully Loaded Aced: Increases total ammo capacity, reducing trips to ammo bags.
  • Transporter Aced: CRITICAL for this heist. Increases throw distance for bags by 50%, making the heavy Diamond carry significantly less painful and faster.
• Technician:
  • Body Expertise Aced: Converts body shot damage into headshot damage for automatic weapons, greatly increasing DPS against regular enemies.
  • Jack of All Trades Aced: Allows carrying two deployables, offering flexibility (e.g., Ammo Bag + Doctor Bag or Turret + Doctor Bag).
  • Drill Skills (Kickstarter Aced, More Firepower Aced): Speeds up the main drill, reducing exposure time.
• Fugitive:
  • Nine Lives Aced: Grants an extra down, increasing survivability.
  • Swan Song Aced: Allows you to continue fighting for a short period after being downed, often enough to clear a path or secure a revive.
• Ghost:
  • Parkour Aced: Increases movement speed and allows reloading while sprinting, invaluable for repositioning and dodging fire.
  • Shockproof Aced: Prevents tasers from disabling you, a common threat.

Recommended Loadouts

Prioritize high damage output, good ammo economy, and versatility.

• Primary Weapons:
  • Light Machine Guns (LMGs): High ammo capacity and sustained fire are excellent for crowd control (e.g., KSP 58, Buzzsaw 42).
  • Assault Rifles: Versatile and reliable for mid-range engagements (e.g., CAR-4, AK Rifle, Lion's Roar).
  • Shotguns: Powerful for close-quarters combat and dealing with Shields (e.g., Raven, IZHMAS 12G, Reinfeld 880).
• Secondary Weapons:
  • Compact 40mm Grenade Launcher: Invaluable for clearing groups of enemies, stunning specials, and dealing with Shields.
  • Akimbo SMGs/Pistols: High damage output for aggressive playstyles (e.g., Akimbo Krinkovs, Akimbo Stryks).
  • AP Pistol / 5/7 AP Pistol: Excellent for piercing armor and shields, especially useful against heavily armored units.
• Melee: Anything with high knockdown or utility (e.g., Electrical Brass Knuckles for stunning, Ice Pick for movement speed).
• Throwable:
  • Frag Grenades/Dynamite: For clearing chokepoints or groups.
  • Molotov Cocktails: Area denial and damage over time.
  • Concussion Grenades: Stun specials and provide breathing room.
• Deployables:
  • Doctor Bags: Essential for managing downs and health. At least two per crew.
  • Ammo Bags: Crucial for sustained firefights, especially with LMGs.
  • Sentry Guns: Can provide excellent cover fire and draw aggro, especially useful in the more open areas of the museum.

Step-by-Step Loud Walkthrough

1. Initiation:
   • The heist goes loud immediately upon breaking stealth or interacting with an objective in a loud manner. The initial assault will come from the main entrance and side corridors.
   • Objective: Secure the main exhibition hall. This involves clearing out the initial wave of police and establishing a defensive perimeter.
2. Securing the First Floor:
   • Push through the main hall, eliminating all immediate threats. Pay attention to the balconies above, as snipers and regular units will spawn there.
   • Tactical Advice: Designate one or two players to focus on clearing the balconies. Use the large display cases and pillars for cover, but be aware they can be destroyed.
   • Key Location: The large central display area where the Diamond is located.
3. Activating the Drill/Saw:
   • Once the area is relatively clear, locate the security panel near the Diamond display. Interact with it to begin the process of opening the display case.
   • Option 1 (Drill): A drill will be deployed. This is the slower but generally safer option. Defend the drill from enemies attempting to disable it.
     • Common Pitfall: Enemies will often rush the drill. Assign a dedicated player to protect it, especially from Cloakers.
     • Skill Synergy: Technician's drill skills (Kickstarter Aced, More Firepower Aced) significantly reduce drill time.
   • Option 2 (Saw): If a player brings a saw, they can saw open the display case much faster. This is riskier due to the saw's limited ammo and the player's vulnerability.
     • Tactical Advice: If using a saw, ensure the area is heavily suppressed and the saw user is protected by teammates.
4. Defending the Objective:
   • During the drill/saw phase, expect heavy assaults from all directions. Law enforcement will pour in from the main entrance, side corridors, and even drop in from skylights.
   • Specific Threats:
     • Snipers: Will position themselves on the balconies and across the main hall. Prioritize eliminating them to reduce incoming damage.
     • Shields: Will push aggressively. Use explosives (grenade launcher, grenades), armor-piercing rounds (5/7 AP Pistol), or flank them.
     • Tasered: Can be a major threat, especially if you're isolated. Shockproof Aced is highly recommended.
     • Cloakers: Will attempt to sneak up and down you. Listen for their distinctive audio cues and be prepared to counter.
     • Dozers: High health and damage. Focus fire with high-DPS weapons, target their visor, or use explosives.
   • Tactical Advice:
     • Hold Chokepoints: The corridors leading into the main hall are excellent chokepoints to funnel enemies.
     • Sentry Guns: Deploy sentry guns in strategic locations to cover flanks or choke points, drawing aggro and providing suppressing fire.
     • Communication: Call out special units and their locations. Coordinate pushes and revives.
5. The Diamond Carry:
   • Once the display case is open, the Diamond can be picked up. It is a heavy bag, significantly slowing down the carrier.
   • Skill Synergy: Transporter Aced is absolutely essential here. It dramatically increases the throw distance, allowing the Diamond to be moved much faster.
   • Route: The escape route will typically be through the main entrance, leading to the street.
   • Tactical Advice:
     • Designate a Carrier: One player, ideally with Transporter Aced, should focus solely on moving the Diamond.
     • Escort the Carrier: The rest of the team must provide heavy escort, clearing the path ahead and protecting the carrier from all angles.
     • Throwing Strategy: The carrier should continuously throw the Diamond forward, then sprint to catch up, pick it up, and throw again. This is much faster than walking.
     • Clear the Path: Before the carrier moves, ensure the immediate path is clear of enemies, especially specials like Tasers or Cloakers that could down the carrier.
6. Escape:
   • Continue escorting the Diamond carrier to the escape zone. Expect continued heavy resistance, including snipers on rooftops and more special units.
   • Final Push: The last stretch to the escape often involves intense fighting. Use all remaining deployables and abilities to secure the escape.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Lack of Cover: The museum's open spaces can be deadly. Always be moving to new cover or creating your own with deployables. Don't stand in the open.
• Ignoring Snipers: Snipers can quickly chip away at armor and health. Prioritize their elimination, especially on higher difficulties.
• Uncoordinated Diamond Carry: A slow, unprotected Diamond carrier is a dead carrier. Ensure the team understands the importance of escorting and utilizing Transporter Aced.
• Running Out of Ammo/Medkits: Proper deployable management is key. Don't waste ammo or health on minor threats. Use them strategically during waves or when pushing objectives.
• Getting Overwhelmed by Specials: Focus fire on special units. Call them out immediately. A single Taser or Cloaker can quickly turn the tide of a fight.

By understanding the flow of the heist, optimizing your build for loud combat, and coordinating with your team, The Diamond can be a rewarding and action-packed experience, even when the alarms are blaring.