Left 4 Dead Infected Gameplay Tips

How to beat the survivors over Xbox Live

Mar 13, 2009 Andrew Hemphill

Misery loves company, and with these tips the infected can claim the lives of the last few survivors of the zombie apocalypse with a minimum of effort.

One of the most popular aspects of Left 4 Dead is its trend-setting versus mode, which pits the four survivors against the horde of general zombies and up to four 'special infected'.

These specials- the Boomer, Tank, Hunter and Smoker- have their own special abilities and are tasked with eliminating the survivors as quickly as possible. While powerful, the specials are physically weak and take a long time to respawn; so learning to use their individual skills correctly can make feasting on the survivor's flesh much easier.

Playing as a Boomer in Left 4 Dead over Xbox Live

The Boomer class is designed for one purpose only- to vomit all over the survivors - thereby drawing the zombie horde to attack in greater numbers. However, the Boomer himself is very weak, so gamers who randomly spawn as one should take every opportunity to set up an ambush.

Timing – Boomer attacks are perfect when used at the right time. If the survivors are already under attack from the horde, attacking at that point would be a pointless endeavour. Instead, try to vomit on survivors when they are clustered in a corridor or under attack from a Tank.

Positioning – Boomers are loud creatures and survivors will be hear the distinctive groan of a Boomer very easily, so finding an unexpected position to attack from is essential.

Players should to get above survivors and drop down from a roof or an air vent into their midst- this offers a double opportunity to vomit on survivors or be killed by a trigger-happy gamer, thereby covering the environment in zombie-calling Boomer bile.

Double up – If a gamer is playing as a Smoker, Boomers should wait until a survivor has been constricted and is helpless and then vomit on that survivor- this will call the horde to the isolated survivor and improve the chances of a kill.

Playing as a Hunter in |Left 4 Dead over Xbox Live

Hunters are as deadly as their namesake. Capable of jumping immense distances and clawing a survivor to death in a matter of moments, they are the ideal weapon for picking off isolated survivors.

Speed – Hunters are the fastest of the four playable infected, capable of jumping huge distances in one bound. Gamers who spawn as a Hunter should move around often, jumping from rooftop to rooftop in order to position for the perfect angle of attack.

A jumping Hunter also emits a spine-chilling scream, which makes human players a little 'jumpy' and can be ideal for fragmenting the survivor's formation as they split up to hunt for the Hunter.

Stragglers – A Hunter's natural prey is a straggling survivor. If a survivor has fallen behind or has been separated from the pack, a Hunter should immediately pounce this survivor as the others will have to fight their way back to save the straggler- this then leaves survivors open to attack from other infected- divide and conquer.

Standing – A standing Hunter is silent. If a Hunter enters the crouched position then he emits a growling noise easily identified by the survivors, but if a Hunter is standing in a side room as survivors pass by then the gamer will be completely silent. Crouch at the last minute for a surprise attack.

Playing as a Smoker in Left 4 Dead over Xbox Live

Smokers are the snipers of the special infected. Capable of dragging survivors away from the group and over a long distance, S is the ideal weapon for disrupting the enemy team's advance.

Height - A smoker attacking from ground level is an easy target for survivors. For the best attacking position, a Smoker should always try to be above the survivors, such as on top of a building.

This gives the Smoker two considerable advantages - a survivor is left dangling from the Smoker's tongue, leaving him or her open to attack from a Boomer or a horde of standard zombies, and the Smoker is much more difficult to kill if only the Smoker's head (and tongue) is visible.

Disruption – A well-timed tongue-snare can easily open the survivors to attack. Gamers who spawn as a Smoker should attempt to ensnare the last survivor in line and drag them away from the group.

This forces the remaining survivors to backtrack and rescue the snared survivor, opening them to attack from other directions. Try to grab survivors as they are moving out of a large, exposed area - dragging a survivor back into an open area will divide the enemy team and allow other infected to attack in the chaos.

Playing as a Tank in Left 4 Dead over Xbox Live

The Tank is the most deadly infected facing the survivors and if used correctly it can devastate a team in moments.

Choose wisely – When playing as a tank, always target survivors who appear red in 'infected-vision’ as that survivor will be very easy to incapacitate.

Once the target has been knocked down, however, do not waste time pounding that survivor to death, instead circle away after other survivors. This will fool the enemy team into attempting to revive the downed survivor- presenting a chance to take two survivors out in one go.

Keep moving - The Tank's 'momentum' meter drains very quickly, so keep attacking at all times. Although the Tank's considerable health can take a long time to be chipped away, the meter will drain in seconds unless the Tank is kept constantly on the attack.

Stunning – The tank's secondary ability to drag a piece of the ground up and throw it is ideal for stunning survivors- especially as a reasonably-healthy survivor is slightly quicker than a Tank.

Try to aim at groups of survivors when throwing a chunk of scenery, as being hit with the handful of dirt stuns the survivors for a number of seconds, allowing a Tank to close the distance for an easy kill.

Read tips for playing as a survivor in Left 4 Dead.

The copyright of the article Left 4 Dead Infected Gameplay Tips in Video & Online Games is owned by Andrew Hemphill. Permission to republish Left 4 Dead Infected Gameplay Tips in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.