Border Crystals

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v·d·e Border Crystals
FBI Files Loading Screen
Heist Info
Contractor	Locke
Contract Days	1
Loud / Stealth	✔ / ✘
Loot	Meth
Base experience (XP)	1,000 (completion) +6,000 (per secured bag)
Extra Statistics JC Level 30 Minimum Experience 19000 Maximum Experience (Normal) 301000 Contract Cost 120,000 (Normal) 240,000 (Hard) 600,000 (Very Hard) 1,200,000 (Overkill) 1,500,000 (Mayhem) 1,500,000 (Death Wish) 1,500,000 (Death Sentence) Contract Payout 265,000 (Normal) 530,000 (Hard) 1,325,000 (Very Hard) 2,650,000 (Overkill) 2,915,000 (Mayhem) 3,445,000 (Death Wish) 3,710,000 (Death Sentence) Maximum loot payout 17,225,000 (Normal) 34,450,000 (Hard) 44,785,000 (Very Hard) 72,345,000 (Overkill) 124,020,000 (Mayhem) 141,245,000 (Death Wish) 158,470,000 (Death Sentence) Bag Limit 100
Other
Internal name	mex_cooking
Achievement(s)
v·d·e

Border Crystals is a PAYDAY 2 heist released on November 7, 2019 alongside Border Crossing. It is one of the first new heists to be released since the storyline ended with The White House.

Overview

This loud-only heist plays out similarly to Cook Off, where the objective is to make as much meth as possible. With Bain being broken out of Hell's Island at around the same time, Locke will have to step in to provide the cooking instructions. The location of the heist is the same building as the one in the Mexican side of Border Crossing.

Objectives

1. Locate the meth lab
2. Defend and cook meth
3. Defend and cook meth or escape

Assets

Purchasable

Ammo Bag
Price:	$4,000 (Normal) $6,000 (Hard) $8,000 (Very Hard) $12,000 (Overkill) $20,000 (Mayhem) $28,000 (Death Wish) $36,000 (Death Sentence)

Doctor Bag
Price:	$6,000 (Normal) $9,000 (Hard) $12,000 (Very Hard) $18,000 (Overkill) $30,000 (Mayhem) $42,000 (Death Wish) $54,000 (Death Sentence)

Grenade Case
Price:	$3,000 (Normal) $4,500 (Hard) $6,000 (Very Hard) $9,000 (Overkill) $15,000 (Mayhem) $21,000 (Death Wish) $27,000 (Death Sentence)
Requires Gage Weapon Pack #01 DLC to unlock

Intel

Risk Level

Gage Courier Packages

Walkthrough

The crew starts off at the tunnel entrance and are prompted by Locke to locate the meth lab. Outside in the courtyard, there will be six trucks, similar to the ones found in Firestarter day 1, they can be sawed open, blown open with C4 (only one required) or drilled. Each truck will house one of the three ingredients required to cook meth or contain nothing. With the meth lab located and with the assault wave begun, you can start cooking meth.

In the trucks containing muriatic acid and caustic soda, there are a handful of crates which can be pried open with a crowbar, which can be found in several locations in the map. The crates will contain even more muriatic acid and caustic soda.

As with Bain in Rats day 1 and Cook Off, Locke is unprepared and uncertain with the cooking process. After he suggests to pour in an ingredient, it is very wise to wait a bit for him to say a second sentence, either confirming his chosen ingredient or saying he was wrong and pour in another one. If you pour in the incorrect ingredient, there will be a 30 second point of no return.

After bagging 3 bags of meth, players can toss the bags into the vehicle in the tunnel entrance and can optionally cook more meth or escape.

Strategy

1. The assault wave will start soon after the heist starts NOT after the meth lab is located. It is a good idea to look for the meth lab and ingredient batches to get a head start on the cooking process.
2. Crowbar locations are always the same everytime.
3. There will always be 3 batches of ingredients in the map, and since the heist only requires a minimum 3 bags, makes opening the trucks completely optional, or are trying to go for the Heister Cocinero achievement.
   1. You can use these ingredients in the meantime while you wait for any drills to finish on the trucks.
   2. The batch locations are:
      1. In between the two trucks parked in front of the Culebras (north) warehouse.
      2. In the little room in the Santanico (south) warehouse close to the hangars.
      3. Behind the possible meth lab in the Santanico warehouse.
4. Enable subtitles just in case you didn't hear Locke's instruction amidst the firefight.
5. Locke will announce the entries of snipers. Take this information to heart when you need to drop a meth bag to the escape vehicle.

Variations

1. The tunnel entrance will be in one of three locations (same locations as with Border Crossing), south to the hangars, north to the hangars or between both warehouses on the other side of the hangars.
2. The meth lab will be in the south warehouse (Santanico) or the north warehouse (Culebras).
3. Truck contents will vary each time, either holding caustic soda, muriatic acid, hydrogen chloride or nothing.

Differences to Cook Off

1. Maps are completely different.
2. Locke will provide all the cooking instructions instead of Bain. However, Locke also says the wrong ingredient more frequently than Bain.
3. Meth ingredients are locked behind trucks, whereas extra ingredients are flown in by Bile after lighting a flare in Cook Off.
4. You do not have the wait for the escape vehicle after cooking at least 3 bags and can leave whenever you want after securing 3 bags.
5. The assault wave will begin shortly after the heist begins, whereas the assault will begin in Cook Off shortly after the meth lab is located.
6. There will be no power switch for the Murkies to pull, meaning the day will always be illuminated.
7. The meth cooks faster.

The FBI Files

Border Crystals does not have an entry.

Achievements

• Permanent Achievements
• Trivia

Cooking in the Sun Complete the Border Crystals job on the Normal difficulty or above.

Free Shipping and Handling Complete the Border Crystals job on the Hard difficulty or above.

A Dish Best Served Hot Complete the Border Crystals job on the Very Hard difficulty or above.

Kings and Queens of Crystal Complete the Border Crystals job on the OVERKILL difficulty or above.

If You Can't Stand The Heat, Get Out Of The Meth Lab Complete the Border Crystals job on the Mayhem difficulty or above.

There is Sand in My Meth! Complete the Border Crystals job on the Death Wish difficulty or above.

With a Bite of Habanero Complete the Border Crystals job on the Death Sentence difficulty.

No Coming Back for Seconds Complete the Border Crystals job on the Death Sentence difficulty with the One Down mechanic activated.

Heister Cocinero In the Border Crystals job, escape the heist with 25 bags of meth on the OVERKILL difficulty or above.

• If You Can't Stand The Heat, Get Out Of The Meth Lab is a reference to the quote "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen", widely reported to be coined by U.S. President Harry S. Truman.

Trivia

• Border Crystals is the seventh "infinite loot" heist in the game, after White Xmas, Cook Off, Lab Rats, Santa's Workshop, Counterfeit and Prison Nightmare.
• Occasionally, American SWAT cops will spawn in addition to Murkywater mercenaries, most often armed with shotguns. This may be due to a lack of Murkywater Shotgunner units within the faction.
• Alongside Border Crossing, this is the second heist to be set entirely outside the United States, with Boiling Point being the first.
  • San Martín Bank, Breakfast in Tijuana, and Buluc's Mansion follows Border Crystals and they are all similarly set entirely in Mexico.

Gallery

Official promotional media by OVERKILL

Official promotional media by OVERKILL

Official promotional media by OVERKILL

Official promotional media by OVERKILL

• Heists
• Escapes
• Other