Since launch, the lobbies have been pure chaos. Kettle Rifle spam, holiday cheaters, and people holding angles like it's a tournament. I was honestly just trying to stay alive long enough to finish Apollo's early chores, and I kept burning kits for nothing. Once the January balance changes started landing and bans got louder, I finally had breathing room to chase the story beats again. That's how I ended up obsessed with Celeste's Journals, and yeah, I even stocked up on cheap ARC Raiders Coins so I could keep re-gearing without turning every failure into a week-long farm.
Why This Mission Feels So Mean
If you've cleared "Back On Top," you already know the catch: both journals, one deployment. Not one now and one later. Not "I'll grab the second after I bank this." If you die, or you extract with only one, you're reset. That's what makes it stressful, but also kind of brilliant. You can't brute-force it through the center and hope for luck, because the dam lanes are basically a highlight reel for anyone with patience and a scope.
Start South, Not Center
Most routes people share online push straight through Dam Battlegrounds, and it's a trap. Go South Swamp Outpost first. Drop near the southern flood zones if you can, then cut in behind the main swamp building instead of strolling up the obvious approach. The first journal is on a bunk bed in the back room. It's usually got ARC patrols sniffing around, so don't bring something that announces you to the whole map. A suppressed SMG is the play. I still like the Stitcher even after the tweaks, because staying quiet buys you time, and time is what keeps you alive here.
The Tunnel That Saves Runs
After you pocket the first journal, don't take the main road north. You'll feel tempted. Don't. There's an underground maintenance tunnel near the south generator with a locked grate—shoot the lock, drop in, and you skip the worst of the central dam kill box. It spits you out much closer to North Ridge Outpost, which is exactly what you want. The second journal is in an office tent, sitting on a desk. That area's higher ground, so expect campers and quick peeks. Grab it, don't linger, then rotate wide toward West Evac instead of cutting the clean, straight line everyone watches.
Keeping It Sustainable
The payout is nice—Celeste rep and lore that actually feels like it's pointing somewhere—but the real reward is pulling it off clean in a lobby full of aggressive players. This mission eats resources if you're learning it, so there's no shame in making your runs easier to afford. When I'm low on materials or I just can't be bothered grinding another night, I'll use U4GM to pick up currency and items so I can stay focused on routing, timing, and not handing my journals to the first squad watching mid-dam.
