The Chemist boss guide: radiation, warehouse hunt and armory

Hunt the Chemist with radiation protection and a clear exit plan. His reported reactor encounter is only one part of the trip: defeating the Lieutenant, opening his Secure Armory and completing Fallen Ember require different checks.

Prepare the hunt before entering radiation

Bring Radiation Gear and a Gas Mask, ammunition, armor plates and wound treatment. Radiation Blockers provide temporary support; do not use them as a promise of protection for an entire fight. Leave room for a key or ingredients and keep enough supplies to return.

Use the Boss Board for a chosen target if his card allows it. A Hunt Tower identifies the nearest active Lieutenant, who may be someone else. Do not spend another intel purchase until you understand your current card and tracked hunt.

Find the target before committing to a building

A reported encounter places him in a blue-and-white warehouse by the reactor tanks, with forklifts and drums inside. The yellow hazmat suit distinguishes him from darker-clothed guards in that account. Treat these as identification clues after checking the live marker, not a guaranteed room or I4 door pin. A separate island encounter is also reported.

Clear an angle and preserve a retreat

1. Identify the marked approach and clear nearby guards before crossing an exposed doorway.
2. Use cover with a return path. Reload and plate there instead of standing in the entrance.
3. Keep a teammate able to cover the retreat; avoid sending everyone into the same firing lane.
4. Recheck mask condition and health during pauses. Leave before the return journey depends on finding a replacement mask.

These are positioning recommendations, not a tested bullet count or stun strategy. Solo, abandon the attempt if the guards already consume your return supplies. A radiation timer does not pause while you inspect loot.

Check the actual reward before another detour

Inspect the body and containers separately. Revenant, ingredients and the armory key are reported finds, not guaranteed rewards on every kill. A finished rifle is not its Weapon Manual. Carrying a Lieutenant tag creates an extraction decision because its carrier can be revealed to rivals; do not add an indefinite room search to that risk.

The Chemist’s Secure Armory key names a separate bunker near the reactor boat house. The maintained route describes the right-hand bunker door beside the northern reactor road. Match the actual named lock before using the key. Reactor 02 Control Room and the underwater DRC Locker take different keys.

Finish the objective you actually selected

For a normal hunt, preserve the required pickup and extract. For Fallen Ember, continue its rod, decontamination and escape objectives; the Lieutenant kill alone is not mission completion. For ingredients, use the Reactor 02 → Reactor 01 route only while protection and exit time still allow it.