44444 4444 4444 44444444444 44444444444 44444 4444 4444 444444444444 4444444444444 44444 4444 4444 4444444444444 44 4444 44444 4444 4444 4444 4444 44444 44444 444444444444 4444 444 44444 44444 444444444444 4444 444 44444 44444 4444 4444 4444 44444 444444444444 4444 4444444444444 444444 444444444444 4444 444444444444 4444444444444 444444444444 4444 4444444444 44444444444444 ======================================================================= ------------------Left 4 Dead 2 Weapons / Item FAQ--------------------- ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 2009 Eric VanErt (Raistlyn on www.gamefaqs.com) [email protected] ======================================================================= ======================================================================= Table of Contents (Use Ctrl + F and search for the code on the right) ======================================================================= Update History......................................[L4D2UPDATE] About the FAQ.......................................[L4D2FAQ] About the Author....................................[L4D2AUTHOR] Why Arm Yourself?...................................[L4D2ARM] Weapon Tiers?.......................................[L4D2TIER] Standard Melee Attack...............................[L4D2SHOVE] Foot Lockers........................................[L4D2STASH] Pistols.............................................[L4D2PISTOL] Normal Pistol.......................................[L4D29MM] Magnum..............................................[L4D2MAGNUM] Automatics..........................................[L4D2AUTO] Uzi.................................................[L4D2UZI] Silenced SMG........................................[L4D2SSMG] Assault Rifle.......................................[L4D2ASSAULT] Desert Rifle........................................[L4D2DESERT] AK-47...............................................[L4D2AK47] Heavy Machine Gun...................................[L4D2HEAVY] M60.................................................[L4D2BFG] Shotguns............................................[L4D2BOOMSTICK] Pump Shotgun........................................[L4D2PUMP] Chrome Shotgun......................................[L4D2CHROME] Tactical Shotgun....................................[L4D2TACTICAL] Combat Shotgun......................................[L4D2COMBAT] Sniper Rifles.......................................[L4D2SCOPE] Hunting Rifle.......................................[L4D2HUNT] Military Sniper Rifle...............................[L4D2SNIPER] Grenade Launcher....................................[L4D2GRENADE] Melee Weapons.......................................[L4D2MELEE] Baseball Bat........................................[L4D2HOMERUN] Cricket Bat.........................................[L4D2PADDLE] Crowbar.............................................[L4D2FREEMAN] Electric Guitar.....................................[L4D2GUITAR] Fire Axe............................................[L4D2CHOP] Frying Pan..........................................[L4D2BONK] Katana..............................................[L4D2KATANA] Machete.............................................[L4D2MACHETE] Tonfa...............................................[L4D2CLUB] Golf Club...........................................[L4D2FORE] Chainsaw............................................[L4D2SAW] Throwing Weaponry...................................[L4D2THROWING] Pipe Bomb...........................................[L4D2PIPE] Molotov Cocktail....................................[L4D2MOLLY] Bile Jar............................................[L4D2PUKE] Weapon Upgrades.....................................[L4D2UPGRADE] Incendiary Ammo.....................................[L4D2BURN] Explosive Rounds....................................[L4D2FRAG] Laser Sights........................................[L4D2LASER] Other Items.........................................[L4D2OTHER] Gas Can.............................................[L4D2GAS] Oxygen Tank.........................................[L4D2OXYGEN] Propane Tank........................................[L4D2PROPANE] Fireworks...........................................[L4D2PYRO] Cola................................................[L4D2SODA] Gnome Chompski......................................[L4D2GNOME] Adrenaline Shot.....................................[L4D2HYPER] First Aid Kit.......................................[L4D2FAK] Defibrillator.......................................[L4D2DEFIB] Pain Pills..........................................[L4D2PEELZ] Item-Specific Achievements..........................[L4D2ACHIEVE] Cl0wned.............................................[L4D2HONK] Fried Piper.........................................[L4D2PIPER] Level a Charge......................................[L4D2LEVEL] Confederacy of Crunches.............................[L4D2COC] Head Honcho.........................................[L4D2DECAP] Robbed Zombie.......................................[L4D2ROB] Dismemberment Plan..................................[L4D2BLAST] Burning Sensation...................................[L4D2SENSE] Armory of One.......................................[L4D2AOO] The Quick and the Dead..............................[L4D2TQATD] Chain of Command....................................[L4D2CHAIN] Septic Tank.........................................[L4D2TANK] Club Dead...........................................[L4D2CD] Tank Burger.........................................[L4D2BURGER] Guardin' Gnome......................................[L4D2GUARD] Beat the Rush.......................................[L4D2RUSH] Gong Show...........................................[L4D2GONG] Stache Whacker......................................[L4D2STACHE] Heartwarmer.........................................[L4D2WARMER] Shock Jock..........................................[L4D2JOCK] Gas Guzzler.........................................[L4D2GUZZLE] Fore!...............................................[L4D2PAR] Til It Goes Click...................................[L4D2CLICK] Cache Grab..........................................[L4D2LOCKER] Which Weapons to Use and Where......................[L4D2WWTUAW] Legal Stuff.........................................[L4D2MYFAQ] Credits.............................................[L4D2ENDFAQ] ======================================================================= Update History [L4D2UPDATE] ======================================================================= 1.0) FAQ's Initial Posting. 1.1) 1/11/10 Fixed some grammatical and spelling errors, as well as added several new tidbits of information regarding several weapons and items in the guide. 1.11) 1/29/10 Added a strategy sent to me via e-mail regarding an achievement. Thank you for your input! Fixed a couple of the search codes that did not have a "2" in them. L4D2UPDATE was one of them ironically... 1.12) 2/5/10 Added info on melee weapon damage against VS mode Tanks because of a patch update. Several spelling and grammatical corrections throughout the FAQ. 1.22) 4/23/10 The Download Content titled "The Passing" was released, and with it came the introduction of Foot Lockers, the Golf Club, the M60, and of course, achievements. Oh yeah, I talk about them all with this update. 1.23) 9/14/10 Minor update with tweaks for several weapons. Added pros and cons to the M60, updated the removal of explosive ammo in VS mode. Adjusted accuracy ratings for the sniper rifles. Minor spelling corrections. ======================================================================= About the FAQ [L4D2FAQ] ======================================================================= Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to my Left 4 Dead 2 Weapons Guide. Your one-stop-source for all the information you will ever need on the diddly-hoppers, doo-hickeys, and thing-a-ma-jigs that make the zombies stop moving. This FAQ is intended to give those interested in Left 4 Dead 2's weaponry a good understanding of each and every single usable weapon in the game. Each weapon will be described in detail, and the pros and cons of each weapon will be given. Hopefully, this guide will help you to decide which weapons to carry with you through the five campaigns of Left 4 Dead 2 based on their strengths and weaknesses, explain when to switch weapons, why you should switch weapons, and how to better conserve ammunition for those weapons. We don't want you getting killed out there! ======================================================================= About the Author [L4D2AUTHOR] ======================================================================= I'm Eric. I've been a member of GameFAQs since April 30th, 2002. I have written one other FAQ. A Vs. mode guide for Left 4 Dead (the first one). Check it out, but be warned, it's pretty lengthy. http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/937406/57020 I have that kind of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that irks me to find out anything and everything there is to know about something, so you can be assured that this FAQ will go into extreme detail when covering Left 4 Dead 2's weapons and items. I think something being the greatest thing since sliced bread is overrated. I like cake. I don't care if it's a lie. I can drive a golf ball 700+ yards. Happy Gilmore can't touch me. At least twice a month, I get angry, turn green, and get HUGE. I'm a Green Bay Packers fan and I still love Brett Favre. I am left handed. I invented Binoculars. I'm happily married. I am more awesome than your dog. I am more awesome than your friends. I am more awesome than you. But all facts aside, this is my 2nd guide. So I'm still fairly new at this. That being said, if you find anything inaccurate about this guide, please let me know. My e-mail address is listed at the beginning of this FAQ. I'll be sure to give credit where credit is due. I ain't a punk like that. I'm writing this FAQ up to date. If anything gets changed, I will work dilligently to alter this FAQ to keep things current. There will be nothing in this guide telling you about how it "used to be." That's the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder kicking in. You can thank me later. ====================================================================== Why Arm Yourself? [L4D2ARM] ====================================================================== In case you haven't noticed, Left 4 Dead 2 contains lots and lots of rabid, aggressive zombies that want nothing more than to give you a dirt nap. These aren't your slow, lumbering, moaning, arms outstretched brain eaters. Nope... They run. I take that back... They SPRINT towards you. They climb over walls. They duck under low archways. They jump across gaps. They stop at nothing. They want you dead. And you think that you're going to be able to defend yourself with your bare hands and an angry face? Good luck. The only good zombie is a dead zombie, I say. And thankfully, Left 4 Dead 2 presents a plethora of weapons from which you can choose to deal death to the hordes of the infected. From the comical Frying Pan to the razor sharp Katana. From a 9mm pistol to a Grenade Launcher... Who says beggars can't be choosers? ======================================================================= Weapons Tiers? [L4D2TIER] ======================================================================= The weapons of Left 4 Dead 2 are broken up into smaller sub-categories based on their overall effectiveness. These are called tiers. In short, there are two tiers of primary weapons in Left 4 Dead 2 when not including the pistol type weapons, melee weapons, or the Grenade Launcher weapon (which really deserves it's own tier because it works unlike any other weapon in the game). ************** Tier 1 Weapons ************** Uzi Silenced SMG Pump Shotgun Chrome Shotgun Hunting Rifle ************** Tier 2 Weapons ************** Tactical Shotgun Combat Shotgun AK-47 Assault Rifle Desert Rifle Military Sniper Rifle Generally speaking, Tier 2 weapons are better than Tier 1 weapons. However, there may be some situations where you may want to stick with a Tier 1 weapon even though Tier 2 weapons are available to you. Throughout the game, there are certain upgrades that can be taken advantage of such as Laser Sights, or incendiary ammunition. If you are closing in on a safe room, but have a clip of incendiary ammo for your Silenced SMG (Tier 1), it may be a wiser choice to forego the Assault Rifle (Tier 2) because of that upgrade. The incendiary ammo is a one shot kill on infected because it sets them on fire, but the Assault Rifle may require several more shots to dispatch zombies. Also, the Silenced SMG has a larger ammo reserve than that of the Assault Rifle. Is the switch worth it? That's for you to decide. ======================================================================= Standard Melee Attack [L4D2SHOVE] ======================================================================= Right Click. (By default) This simple action will save you more times than you can count over your tenure of Left 4 Dead 2. It staggers zombies back, and if done enough in rapid succession, it can kill. In fact, for the first Left 4 Dead game, the standard melee attack was abused so much in Vs. mode games that Valve patched it! Survivor players would camp out in a corner and "melee spam" during crescendo events until the chaos died down. To combat this, they added a "fatigue" meter that showed up after the 5th consecuitive melee attack. This meter appeared as a circle around your crosshair and when it fills up, you can use another melee attack. Using melee attacks immediately after the meter fills up results in the meter filling up more slowly, all the way up to a two second delay! This fatigue system returns in Left 4 Dead 2. So try to use it when it will be the most effective. Shoving a zombie will force them back allowing you to either run away or get a better shot. Because your character slows down considerably when a zombie hits you, using this standard melee attack can be a godsend if you're trying to get through an area very quickly. Using this standard melee attack on a zombie who isn't aware of your presence will kill it instantly. In the first Left 4 Dead game, there was an achievement for this called "Spinal Tap." Although while using the shove with a weapon equipped looks like you're hitting your target with a forceful attack, it does not do any friendly fire damage. This attack does not have any special benefits with different types of weapons or items equipped. So a melee attack with a first aid kit has the same effect as smashing the butt end of a shotgun into a zombie's face. Sorry! Using this attack with Pain Pills, Adrenaline Shots, or throwing weapons equipped results in your character throwing a punch. As stated earlier, there is no benefit or penalty for this. This standard melee attack is useless against Chargers, Witches, and Tanks. Don't try it! It does no damage to them, and it will startle a Witch instantly. This attack will knock Hunters off of their pounced victims. This attack can free a survivor being held by a Smoker's tongue by either hitting the Smoker itself, or by simply using the melee attack on the ensnared survivor. This attack will knock a Jockey off his victim. ======================================================================= Foot Lockers [L4D2STASH] ======================================================================= Throughout "The Passing" DLC, Foot Lockers can be found. These may contain Pain Pills, Pipe Bombs, Molotovs, or other goodies - and they hold an infinite supply. They do not appear in Versus Mode for balancing reasons. If you see one of these chests, make sure you take advantage of it! There's even an achievement for opening 5 of them! If your team is low on health, a Foot Locker filled with Pain Pills can be helpful to get everyone up to 99 health and still have another bottle just in case. Sometimes they are filled with Bile Jars, which can be helpful if a Tank is coming. If you see them in Campaign Mode, make sure you stock up! ======================================================================= Pistols [L4D2PISTOL] ======================================================================= Your standard sidearm is actually now an optional weapon in Left 4 Dead 2. Picking up a melee weapon such as a machete or frying pan will replace your pistol, so for the situation coming up, it's best to weigh the pros and cons against each other. Pros of having pistols: + Infinite Ammunition. + MUCH longer range than melee weapons. + Can be used as a last-ditch effort to kill a nearby Smoker dragging you with his tongue attack. + Won't cover your screen with much blood, which can make it easier to spot threats flanking you. + Can be used to take out Boomers at a distance without fear of them coving you with bile. Cons of having pistols: - Reload down-time. - Not nearly as effective as melee weapons against hordes surrounding you. - Not usually a one hit kill like melee weapons. - Using melee attacks with pistols *will* bring up the "fatigue" meter. And there you have it! What I personally prefer to do is choose melee weapons if I know I'm going to be entering areas with smaller, more cramped areas such as the first chapter in the "Dead Center" campaign, or pretty much the entire time during "The Parish." Wider open areas make it more unlikely you'll be quickly surrounded by large hordes of the infected, and choosing pistols is probably a better option. The "Swamp Fever" campaign comes to mind immediately as the chapters in that campaign are very expansive and will allow you to use pistols to pick off common infected at a distance before venturing forth. Pistols are great ammo savers. If your primary weapon is starting to run exhausted on it's ammo reserve, pistols may be all you will have left to help hold the infected at bay until you can replenish your ammo reserves. If your character gets incapacitated, regardless of whether or not you had a melee weapon, he/she will pull out a pistol and you'll be able to use that while you're down. Accuracy while incapped is absolutely terrible with the normal pistols, but it's better than nothing. The Magnum pistol has surprisingly good accuracy while incapped. There are two different types of pistols in Left 4 Dead 2. The normal pistol, and a Magnum pistol. ======================================================================= Normal Pistol [L4D29MM] ======================================================================= Clip Size: 15 (30 dual wielded) Shot Power: Fairly Weak Ammo Reserve: Infinite Accuracy (Crouch): Great Accuracy (Standing): Good Accuracy (Running): Poor Accuracy (Incapped): Very Poor Your basic, standard, run-of-the-mill sidearm is what looks to be a 9mm P220 pistol. Against the infected, it's individual shots are fairly weak (though strangely, it seems to do more damage per shot than an Assault Rifle) but has the benefit of infinite ammunition, and if you crouch, it boasts surprisingly good accuracy. A 2nd pistol may be picked up to be used with your character's left hand. The in-game graphic for it appears to be modeled after a Glock, but there is no difference between it and the P220 model. Having two "normal" pistols equipped can deal decent damage and make short work of Boomers, Spitters, or a Smoker's tongue ensnaring another survivor. Pros: + Infinite Ammo. + Usually always available. + Decent accuracy while crouching. Cons: - Lacks stopping power against large numbers of the infected. - Dual pistols reload rather slowly. - Not very effective against Tanks and Witches. ======================================================================= Magnum [L4D2MAGNUM] ======================================================================= Clip Size: 8 Shot Power: Strong Ammo Reserve: Infinite Accuracy (Crouch): Excellent Accuracy (Standing): Great Accuracy (Running): Mediocre Accuracy (Incapped): Great The "upgraded" pistol in Left 4 Dead 2 is a Magnum. It looks to be modeled after a Desert Eagle. The Magnum pistol in Left 4 Dead 2 boasts very good shot power and accuracy at the expense of clip size and firing speed. It's shots can blow off limbs of common infected and can pierce through multiple targets making it effective against multiple zombies in a line. The Magnum's accuracy while incapped is a non-issue as it's pretty much the same as standing still. This can make it very effective at covering a teammate trying to help you up. Pros: + Great individual shot power. + Can hit multiple targets in a line. + Very good accuracy. + Infinite Ammo. Cons: - Small clip size. - Not very effective against Tanks and Witches. - Somewhat slow firing rate. - Cannot be dual wielded. ======================================================================= Automatics [L4D2AUTO] ======================================================================= Some people prefer a weaker individual shot, but making up for it in sheer number of bullets being put forth. Automatic weapons in Left 4 Dead 2 are numerous and the amount of brass they spew out is unmatched. Automatic weapons have large clip sizes and boast (for the most part) decent accuracy, but now remember, every Automatic weapon is a "primary" weapon. And primary weapons don't have an unlimited ammo reserve. You'll have to find the sweet spot between dishing out damage and conserving ammo. Otherwise you could find yourself needing to resort to a melee weapon or pistols until you can replenish your ammo reserves. Pros of Automatic Weapons: + Much better Accuracy than Shotgun-type weapons. + Large clip sizes make it possible to take out large numbers of infected before reloading. + Very effective against Tanks. Cons of Automatic Weapons: - Ammo conservation can become an issue. - Less effective against Witches. - Potential for high friendly fire damage. ======================================================================= Uzi [L4D2UZI] ======================================================================= (TIER 1 WEAPON) Clip Size: 50 Shot Power: Weak Ammo Reserve: 650 Accuracy (Crouch): Great Accuracy (Standing): Good Accuracy (Running): Mediocre The Uzi has the highest rate of fire of all weapons in Left 4 Dead 2. It spits out bullets at an amazing rate and can mow through hordes of the infected with ease, even at a distance. The Uzi sports pretty good accuracy, and spraying bullets in a "cone" shape down a narrow hallway can be very effective at thinning the herds. However, because the Uzi uses such a high amount of ammo, you may want to try burst-firing it. Fire 4-5 rounds, then stop. Fire 4-5 more rounds, then stop. It will help your accuracy and also works towards making sure your ammo reserves don't run dry. Pros: + High rate of fire slices through legions of the infected. + Good accuracy. + Big ammo reserve. Cons: - High firing rate means ammo conservation becomes an issue. - Less effective against Witches. - Potential for high friendly fire damage. ======================================================================= Silenced SMG [L4D2SSMG] ======================================================================= (TIER 1 WEAPON) Clip Size: 50 Shot Power: Weak Ammo Reserve: 650 Accuracy (Crouch): Great Accuracy (Standing): Mediocre Accuracy (Running): Poor The Silenced SMG truly has the looks of a criminal underground weapon. It appears to be modelded after a MAC 10 with a silencer attached. The flashlight on the weapon is being held on with zip ties, but this is only a cosmetic issue and will not affect gameplay. It's individual shot power is weak, though perhaps marginally stronger than that of the Uzi. It also has a slightly lower rate of fire than the Uzi, so it seems to be a trade-off. The silencer seems to only be a cosmetic issue as well, as I haven't noticed less infected drawn to me using this weapon Vs. the Uzi or other weapons. This weapon is also a little less accurate than the Uzi. Even though it has a slightly lower rate of fire than the Uzi, it still uses ammo extremely fast. To better conserve ammo (and increase your accracy) you may want to try burst firing this weapon. 4-5 shots, then stop. 4-5 more shots, then stop. You'd be surprised at how effective this little hiccup in the firing rate can be. Pros: + High rate of fire mows through hordes of zombies. + Decent accuracy. + Big ammo reserve. Cons: - High firing rate means ammo conservation becomes an issue. - Less effective against Witches. - Potential for high friendly fire damage. ======================================================================= Assault Rifle [L4D2ASSAULT] ======================================================================= (TIER 2 WEAPON) Clip Size: 50 Shot Power: Fairly Weak Ammo Reserve: 360 Accuracy (Crouch): Excellent Accuracy (Standing): Excellent Accuracy (Running): Mediocre Now THIS is a weapon. The Assault Rifle is modeled after the M-16 Assault Rifle and boasts amazing accuracy and good damage output when combined with it's decent rate of fire. It's individual shot power is actually slightly less than that of a normal pistol, but it more than makes up for it with a 50 round clip and a firing rate that the pistol wishes it could achieve. The rounds the Assault Rifle fires can also pierce a target, making it good at taking out several zombies in a line and thinning hordes of the infected in narrow corridors. While the Assault Rifle can't match the firing speed of the Uzi or Silenced SMG, it compensates with much better long-range accuracy, second only to that of the Desert Rifle in the Automatics department. The high accuracy the weapon boasts is also very nice for fighting Tanks on the run. Pros: + Slices through zombies in narrow areas like a hot knife through butter. + Very effective against Tanks. + Wonderful accuracy. Cons: - Small ammo reserve means conservation is the name of the game. - Potential for high friendly fire damage. - Fairly weak individual shot power. ======================================================================= Desert Rifle [L4D2DESERT] ======================================================================= (TIER 2 WEAPON) Clip Size: 60 Shot Power: Fairly Weak Ammo Reserve: 360 Accuracy (Crouch): Excellent Accuracy (Standing): Excellent Accuracy (Running): Good Another very nice weapon. The Desert Rifle is modeled after the FN SCAR-L. This assault rifle fires in three round bursts, essentialy turning the large 60 round clip into a 20 shot clip. Either way, it's an extremely accurate weapon, second only to that of the Hunting Rifle or Military Sniper Rifle. In almost all situations, firing a three round burst will have at least 2 of the bullets make contact with your target at medium to long range. It should be noted that the reload animation for this weapon is rather long, and there is a slight delay between the ending of the reload animation and the restoration of your ammo clip, so if you want to reload the weapon and switch to a different one quickly, make sure you see the "60" appear on your HUD before switching weapons, otherwise you'll have to go through the lengthy reload animation again. This weapon is great for firing on the run as it's accuracy doesn't drop all that much. This means that it can be very effective on the Bridge Finale event during "The Parish" campaign as you won't be wasting many bullets. Just be warned that the 420 bullets you get when picking up this weapon, when divided by 3 to account for the burst firing, you only get 140 shots, so try not to waste ammo. Pros: + Exceptional accuracy, even while running. + Very effective at fighting Tanks on the run. + Can take out multiple zombies with one burst. + Less risk of high accidental friendly fire damage due to burst firing. Cons: - Less effective against Witches. - Ammo conservation can be a problem. - Long reload animation, and small delay between end of animation and clip refilling. ======================================================================= AK-47 [L4D2AK47] ======================================================================= (TIER 2 WEAPON) Clip Size: 40 Shot Power: Fairly Strong Ammo Reserve: 360 Accuracy (Crouch): Great Accuracy (Standing): Good Accuracy (Running): Poor A wonderful weapon that many people swear by. It trades clip size and accuracy for shot power and ammo conservation. The AK-47 is modeled after the real life weapon of the same name. The AK-47 has the slowest rate of fire and smallest clip size out of all the automatic weapons, but also has the highest shot power. In fact, on normal difficulty (and Vs mode) it will kill all common infected with a single shot. Upgraded with a Laser Sight, many people consider this to be the best weapon in the game as it significantly improves it's accuracy. A headshot from an AK-47 on a Witch will stun her, but be advised that this weapon canNOT cr0wn her. And Witches really don't like being shot, so get ready for her to run after you and have your team take her down accordingly. Also, because the AK-47 has worse accuracy than the other automatics, if you were planning on stunning the Witch and then trying to take her down before she can recover, you have to get a bit too close to her - making this tactic with an AK-47 less viable. Because the AK-47 has a slower rate of fire, it makes burst firing easier and therefore, conserving ammo much less of a hassle. Pros: + Fairly high shot power. + Effective against Tanks. + Easier to conserve ammo when compared to the other automatic weapons. Cons: - Smaller clip size. - Bad accuracy when compared to the other Tier 2 automatic weapons. ======================================================================= Heavy Machine Gun [L4D2HEAVY] ======================================================================= Clip Size: Infinite Shot Power: Strong Ammo Reserve: Infinite Accuracy: Poor The Heavy Machine Gun isn't actually a weapon you can take with you in Left 4 Dead 2, but it deserves a spot here in the Automatics section of the guide nonetheless. It appears to closely resemble the M1919 Browning Machine Gun. From what I've noticed, there are only two of these in the game. The first one is on the balcony of the Plantation house in Swamp Fever's finale map, and the other is past the bridge in The Parish's finale map. Both of these locations are rather ineffective from my experiences. The Plantation House Heavy Machine Gun doesn't have a wide enough swivel range to take out common infected jumping over the hedges on the left or right sides, and it cannot aim downward enough to cover a fellow survivor heading outside to grab supplies. You are also left wide open from behind as the doorway leading to the balcony is directly behind you. The Bridge Heavy Machine Gun is located on the back of a Flatbed Truck just before reaching the rescue helicopter. The "finale to the finale" event will start, and a Tank will spawn BEHIND this gun, making it ineffective. The only use I can think of for this gun is to try and cover teammates just coming off the bridge, but even that purpose is mediocre at best as there are a lot of obstacles in the way that limit the guns' usefulness. Plus take into consideration that the rescue helicopter is literally only 15 seconds away, and you have yourself a pretty useless weapon. Using a Heavy Machine Gun for an extended length of time will first cause the barrel of the gun to glow orange and smoke for a while, and if pushed even more, the gun will stop firing and overheat. For roughly one full minute (an eternity in Left 4 Dead 2) the gun will be unusable. To use the Heavy Machine Gun, walk up to it and press your "use" key. (E by default) However, pressing the "use" key again will not disengage you from the weapon. You will need to use your standard melee attack to stop using the weapon. Perhaps Valve will fix this in a future patch. Pros: + Strong shot power. + Infinite Ammo Cons: - Ineffective locations. - Can overheat and become useless for almost a full minute. - Poor accuracy. - Not a very wide range of motion both horizontally or vertically. ======================================================================= M60 [L4D2BFG] ======================================================================= Clip Size: 150 Shot Power: Strong Ammo Reserve: N/A Accuracy (Crouch): Great Accuracy (Standing): Good Accuracy (Running): Poor Introduced in "The Passing" DLC, the M60 is noticeably less common gun to wield. It's bullets penetrate zombies and create large, gaping wounds in the infected with ease. The M60's ammo reserve cannot be replenished, much like the Grenade Launcher, and since it is an automatic weapon, ammo conservation can become a real issue. Make sure that unless you're going for the "Until It Goes Click" achievement, you fire off a few shots, then stop. Fire off a few more, then stop. This will help your accuracy and will make the weapon last longer. Pros: + Incredible stopping power. + Great accuracy to shot power ratio. + Works wonders when used with explosive ammo. Cons: - Limited Ammo that cannot be replenished. - Only (normally) available in one campaign. (The Passing) ======================================================================= Shotguns [L4D2BOOMSTICK] ======================================================================= Some people prefer trading shot power for rapid fire. Then there are some people who share the philosophy of "MORE POWER!!!" Shotguns are the strongest weapons in the game when used at close range, and have the unique ability to "cr0wn" Witches. (Kill with a single headshot) The best way to "cr0wn" a Witch from my experiences is from behind her. Against a stationary Witch, I find it easiest to get up close to her from behind, and allow her to stand up. Her arms will be flailing around slightly, but you'll have a clear headshot. Against a Wandering Witch, again, I find it easier to approach her from behind - take aim at her head, and fire. A shotgun's blast sends a number of pellets out which both pierce and can hit multiple closer adjacent targets. Shotguns typically have poor long-range accuracy and aren't effective at taking out special infected at a medium distance or beyond. That being said, Shotguns at close range deal catastrophic damage and are fully capable of dismembering limbs of common infected with ease. As stated earlier, every shotgun type weapon pierces targets, making them great for tackling an oncoming horde in a narrow passageway, but because they lack long-range capabilities, going with pistols instead of a melee weapon is almost a necessity, especially in wider open areas like those found in the "Swamp Fever" campaign. Shotguns have very lengthy reload times, although you can interrupt the reload and begin shooting again if you need to. Pros of Shotguns: + Extremely powerful at close range. + Capable of "cr0wning" a Witch. + Interruptable reload animation. + Effective against Tanks. + Extremely effective in narrow hallways. + Shells pierce zombies and walls. + Ammo conservation is less of an issue, especially with Tier 1. Cons of Shotguns: - Tier 2 Shotguns can cause massive friendly fire damage if you're not careful. - Small clip sizes. - Very poor medium and long range accuracy. - Very long reload times to get back to full ammo capacity. - Tier 2 shotguns may chew through ammo a bit too fast. ======================================================================= Pump Shotgun [L4D2PUMP] ======================================================================= (TIER 1 WEAPON) Clip Size: 8 Shot Power: Very Strong Ammo Reserve: 56 Accuracy (Crouch): Poor Accuracy (Standing): Poor Accuracy (Running): Poor Capable of completely leveling anything but a Tank with one or -at the most- two shots, the Pump Shotgun in Left 4 Dead 2 is significaly more powerful per shot than any other Tier 1 non-shotgun weapon. The Pump Shotgun appears to be modeled after the Remington 870. The Pump Shotgun in Left 4 Dead 2 spreads out a total of 10 pellets, and like all shotgun weapons, it is capable of "cr0wning" a Witch. This shotgun must be pumped between shots, which drastically reduces it's rate of fire, but also works towards saving ammo. The ammo reserve for this shotgun was reduced from 128 (Left 4 Dead) to 56 (Left 4 Dead 2), so saving ammo for this weapon becomes even more of an issue. Thankfully, the sheer power from each shot should be enough to take out multiple zombies and you'll not likely run out of ammo with this weapon. Pros: + Very high damage output at close range. + Ammo conservation is almost a non-issue. + Can interrupt the reload animation. Cons: - Terrible medium/long range damage output. - Lengthy reload time. ======================================================================= Chrome Shotgun [L4D2CHROME] ======================================================================= (TIER 1 WEAPON) Clip Size: 8 Shot Power: Very Strong Ammo Reserve: 56 Accuracy (Crouch): Mediocre Accuracy (Standing): Poor Accuracy (Running): Poor The Chrome Shotgun in Left 4 Dead 2 is almost identical to the Pump Shotgun, except that it has a tighter spread of pellets, and shoots a smaller amount of pellets that deal more damage, though the total damage output per shot is slightly less than that of the Pump Shotgun. The Chrome Shotgun loosely resembles a Browning BPS Upland Special. Like all shotgun-type weapons, the Chrome Shotgun is capable of "cr0wning" Witches. And it may even be a little easier to "cr0wn" with this weapon as it's tighter pellet spread will help ensure no pellet accidentally misses! The Chrome Shotgun also fires slightly faster than the Pump Shotgun. Pros: + Tighter spread makes for slightly better mid-range accuracy. + Tighter spread makes "cr0wning" Witches easier. + Very High damage output at close range. + Ammo conservation is almost a non-issue. + Can interrupt the reload animation. Cons: - Lengthy reload time. - Less effective at medium range. - Pathetic accuracy at long range. ======================================================================= Tactical Shotgun [L4D2TACTICAL] ======================================================================= (TIER 2 WEAPON) Clip Size: 10 Shot Power: Very Strong Ammo Reserve: 90 Accuracy (Crouch): Poor Accuracy (Standing): Poor Accuracy (Running): Poor The Tactical Shotgun in Left 4 Dead 2 is an extremely devastating weapon when used at close range. It has all the stopping power of the Pump Shotgun, but is able to fire roughly 3 times faster. The Tactical Shotgun appears to be modeled after the Banelli M4 Tactical Shotgun. Like the other shotgun weapons, it is capable of "cr0wning" Witches, meaning it can kill them with a single headshot. In close quarters, the Tactical Shotgun can level entire rooms of infected with a single clip in short order, but be warned that the ammo reserve has been reduced from 128 (Left 4 Dead) to 90 (Left 4 Dead 2). Combine that with this guns' high rate of fire, and you may find yourself running thin on ammo. The pellet spread from each shot seems to be identical to that of the Pump Shotgun, so any kind of medium/long-range use is worthless. Even though this shotgun can fire rounds very quickly, it only has a 10 ammo clip size, so you may find yourself needing to reload if you're being surrounded by a mob of zombies, though a single shot from this weapon is more than capable of taking out 5+ infected. Against Tanks, the wide spread is slightly offset by the large target, and, especially against AI Tanks, you can actually run up to a Tank, then start backpedaling and pumping shell after shell into it while staying just out of range of it's punch attack. This can deal catastrophic damage and make short work of it. Pros: + All the stopping power of a Pump Shotgun only 3 times faster. + Excellent shot strength at close range. + EXTREMELY effective against Tanks. + Can interrupt the reload animation. Cons: - Worthless at long range. - Longest reload animation in the game. - Ammo conservation can become an issue. - Potential for extremely high friendly fire damage. ======================================================================= Combat Shotgun [L4D2COMBAT] ======================================================================= (TIER 2 WEAPON) Clip Size: 10 Shot Power: Very Strong Ammo Reserve: 90 Accuracy (Crouch): Mediocre Accuracy (Standing): Poor Accuracy (Running): Poor My personal favorite weapon in the game. The Combat Shotgun is basically a Chrome Shotgun on steroids. It has a tighter spread than the Tactical Shotgun and fires a fewer number of more damaging pellets. This makes it slightly more effective at a moderate distance, but the Combat Shotgun is still largely ineffective at long range. The Combat Shotgun very closely resembles the Franchi SPAS 12. Like all shotgun weapons, the Combat Shotgun can "cr0wn" a Witch, meaning it can kill her with a single headshot. Because the Combat Shotgun has a tighter pellet spread than the Tactical Shotgun, it may be a little easier to perform that task. Against Tanks, the Combat Shotgun has no equal. The tighter spread allows for you to fight them at a (relatively) safer distance and backpedal while pumping shell after shell into the large target while avoiding the Tanks' punch attack. Because the Combat Shotgun is a little more effective at moderate distances, a Tank's rock throw can be countered by shooting the concrete coming your way. It takes several shots, but the Combat Shotgun puts out enough ammo to break it up before it can make contact. Like the Tactical Shotgun, the Combat Shotgun only has a 10 shell clip size, so it may be a little ineffective against surrounding hordes because you may find yourself needing to reload at an inopportune time. Pros: + All the stopping power of the Chrome Shotgun only 3 times faster. + Moderately effective at medium range. + Extremely powerful at close range. + Narrower spread makes it easier to "cr0wn" a Witch. + Mows through Tanks. + Can interrupt reload animation. Cons: - Less effective at long range. - Very long reload animation. - Ammo conservation needs to be kept in mind. - Potential for very high friendly fire damage. ======================================================================= Sniper Rifles [L4D2SCOPE] ======================================================================= "More bullets!" Scream the Automatic weapon fans. "More power!" Scream the Shotgun weapon fans. But you can put out tons of bullets that pack a ton of power all day long and it won't do you a bit of good unless those bullets make contact with their target. Accuracy is the name of the game, and the two Sniper Rifle weapons in Left 4 Dead 2 got you covered. Able to take out targets from remarkable distances away maintaining their pinpoint accuracy, Sniper Rifles are definitely the "open area" weapons of choice for some players. Standing or crouching makes no difference in accuracy for these weapons, but be warned that their effectiveness drastically gets diminished while on the move. This was a topic in the first Left 4 Dead game, and I thought it had been resolved, but apparently, some people still ask it in Left 4 Dead 2. "Can the Hunting Rifle "cr0wn" a Witch?" No. "But I heard..." No. "But on easy mode..." No. A headshot from a Hunting Rifle or Military Sniper Rifle will *NOT* kill a Witch with a single round. It will *stun* her, and this can be effective if nobody on your team has a Shotgun type weapon to "cr0wn" her, as you can get a headshot from a relatively safe distance while your teammates move in and try to take her down before she can reach you. Pros of Sniper Rifles: + Incredible accuracy when stationary. + High shot power. + Extremely effective in expansive areas. + Piercing rounds. Cons of Sniper Rifles: - Almost useless when surrounded by a horde. - Less effective in tighter areas. - Very noticable accuracy reduction while running. ======================================================================= Hunting Rifle [L4D2HUNT] ======================================================================= (TIER 1 WEAPON) Clip Size: 15 Shot Power: Strong Ammo Reserve: 150 Accuracy (Crouch): Perfect Accuracy (Standing): Perfect Accuracy (Running): Mediocre The Tier 1 Sniper Rifle in Left 4 Dead 2 was actually a Tier 2 weapon in the first Left 4 Dead game. It appears to be modeled after the Ruger Mini 14. In Left 4 Dead 2, the Hunting Rifle's accuracy isn't quite as bad as it was in the first Left 4 Dead game while running, but it's still abysmal. You'll want to be standing still or crouching when you fire your rounds. It's shots are pretty darn powerful and will take out common infected with a single shot on easy and normal mode. (Vs mode too) Personally, I would only try to use this weapon in areas of the game with large expanses such as the Swamp Fever campaign, and certain sections of the Dark Carnival, Hard Rain, and Dead Center campaigns. It's effectiveness when used in close quarters drops considerably, and you may be better off with pistols or a melee weapon. The Hunting Rifle fires piercing rounds that penetrate bodies and walls, so you can use it to try and kill a special infected that may be waiting in ambush around a corner, or kill multiple zombies rushing at you in a line. Pros: + High shot power picks off common infected with a single shot. + Piercing rounds. + Pinpoint accuracy while stationary. + Ammo conservation is almost a non-issue. Cons: - Practically useless when surrounded by a horde. - Less effective in smaller areas. - Running severely decreases accuracy. ======================================================================= Military Sniper Rifle [L4D2SNIPER] ======================================================================= (TIER 2 WEAPON) Clip Size: 30 Shot Power: Strong Ammo Reserve: 180 Accuracy (Crouch): Perfect Accuracy (Standing): Nearly Perfect Accuracy (Running): Poor While technically the Military Sniper Rifle may be a little less accurate than the Hunting Rifle, it's such a small difference that you won't really take notice. The Military Sniper Rifle appears to be modeled after the Heckler & Koch 91A2. Like the Hunting Rifle, the Military Sniper Rifle packs a punch, and will kill common infected with a single shot on the easy and normal (plus Vs.) difficulties. It's larger clip size is nice but the only time you'll ever find yourself using shots in rapid succession with a sniper rifle weapon is against a Tank or a Witch. It's a good benefit to have more shots at your disposal before needing to reload, but if you're like me, you want to keep your weapon fully loaded in case of emergency (i.e. Tank or Witch). The Military Sniper rifle still loses quite a bit of accuracy while running, but not as much as the Hunting Rifle, making it a little better for firing on the move. Still, being a Sniper Rifle, you'll likely want to save your shots for when you know you will put them to good use. It would be better to remain stationary when you take your shots. Pros: + Big clip size. + Powerful. + Highly accurate while crouching or standing. + Piercing rounds. Cons: - Useless against a surrounding horde. - Less effective in smaller areas. - Running greatly reduces accuracy. ======================================================================= Grenade Launcher [L4D2GRENADE] ======================================================================= Clip Size: 1 Shot Power: Very Strong Ammo Reserve: 30 (Cannot be replenished) Accuracy (Crouch): N/A Accuracy (Standing): N/A Accuracy (Running): N/A The Grenade Launcher in Left 4 Dead 2 deserves a Tier category all it's own. It behaves like no other weapon in the game, and is the only weapon to deliver "splash" damage - or damage over an area of effect. It's modeled after the M79. It's an extremely powerful weapon, more than capable of sending tiny chunks of zombies flying every which way - much like a Pipe Bomb's explosion. Though oddly, this extremely powerful shot does not even come close to killing a Witch with a single shot. Also, unlike the explosions of a Pipe Bomb, Oxygen Tank, or Propane Tank, the explosions do NOT stagger a Tank even if used with a Frag Rounds upgrade. The explosion will deal significantly more damage, but still, won't stagger the Tank back. Also, it will not kill a Jockey riding a survivor in one hit. It *will* however, push the Jockey off the survivor. The Grenade Launcher is notorious for friendly fire damage, and should only be used at a safe distance. Self inflicted friendly fire damage can be devastating, dealing 15+ damage to yourself if you're not careful. The grenades explode on contact and will travel in a slight arc instead of a straight line to it's target, so if you're near a fence rail, make sure to aim slightly upwards if you're going after a long-range target. Otherwise, just save your shot. Because the grenades travel in an arc, accuracy becomes an issue. Longer rage targets require you to aim slightly upwards and those said target(s) may even move out of the blast radius by the time the grenade gets there. Also, because a single shot from the Grenade Launcher is capable of killing 15 or more zombies in a single shot (as dictated by the "Dismemberment Plan" achievement) it's impossible to truly calculate how accurate the weapon is. For example, at the time I'm writing this, my STEAM account shows that I have 158% Accuracy with the Grenade Launcher. This, obviously, is erroneous. Because the Grenade Launcher has a one shot clip size and a rather lengthy reload animation, your teammates will need to adjust their strategy accordingly. The Grenade Launcher, being a weapon mainly used for long distance (as it's splash damage will hurt you and teammates) you will definitely want to go with pistols or a Magnum instead of a melee weapon when using it. Pistols allow you to still pick off zombies without having to completely rely on your teammates or requiring you to get up close and personal with the hordes. The Bile Jar is the Grenade Launcher's best friend. It draws out all the zombies in the area, and creates quite the "fish in a barrel" experience. The Grenade Launcher is always a treat to find, but is it really worth it? Pros: + Powerful explosions capable of killing multiple zombies. + Kills all special infected except for the Tank, Witch, Charger, and Jockey riding a survivor with a single shot. + Very useful when combied with a Bile Jar. + Staggers back common zombies not caught in the immediate blast. Cons: - Cannot replenish ammo. - Single shot. - Long reload animation. - Friendly fire can be a big issue. ======================================================================= Melee Weapons [L4D2MELEE] ======================================================================= Instead of going with pistols or a magnum, you feel like getting up close and personal with the horde of Left 4 Dead 2. Well, that's alright. The game is more than happy to supply you with weapons that chop, slice, dice, bludgeon, or strike a chord. There are essentially ten melee weapons in Left 4 Dead 2, although only nine are available to those who did not pre-order the game, unless they play in a game with someone who did pre-order it. Melee weapons are one hit kill tools on pretty much everything except Tanks, Witches, and Chargers. They are extremely handy against a surrounding horde, and are capable of taking out multiple zombies with a single swing. The downside to this though, is that you sacrifice range and are more likely to take damage, especially if your primary weapon runs out of ammo - requiring you to get up close and personal with the infected...specials included. Picking up a melee weapon will replace your pistol(s) or Magnum. However, getting incapacitated will cause your character to pull out a normal pistol. Also note that if you picked up a Magnum and then pick up a melee weapon, getting incapped will pull out a normal pistol. All melee weapons in the game are used the same way and all pretty much serve the same purpose, though there are some subtle differences between them. All melee weapons can cause friendly fire damage, so don't go gung-ho when swinging away if your teammates are nearby. Using an Adrenaline Shot will up the damage you deal with a melee weapon by 30% by my little experiment. A normal melee weapon attack does 300 damage. Using adrenaline and attacking a Charger (600 health) under the effects of adrenaline brought his health down to 210. (90 more damage than usual, or 30% more) Against a Witch, four hits are required to bring her down. Against a tank, ten hits are required to take him down. As of the February 5th, 2010 patch, VS mode Tanks now receive 5% damage instead of 10% damage from melee weapon attacks. This effectively increases the number of hits required to kill a Tank from 10 to 20. Pros of Melee Weapons: + Extremely helpful against surrounding hordes. + One hit kills on most targets. + Not affected by the "fatigue" meter when using a normal attack. + Effective against distracted Tanks. Cons of Melee Weapons: - Very short range. - Using bladed melee weapons can obscure your screen with blood, making it harder to see a threat flanking you. - All but one melee weapon (chainsaw) cannot be used when a Smoker has begun to ensnare you. - Risky going up against special infected that can render you helpless. - Bad choice of weapon against Boomers and Spitters. ======================================================================= Baseball Bat [L4D2HOMERUN] ======================================================================= The Baseball Bat in Left 4 Dead 2 was only available to those who pre- ordered the game, although those who did not pre-order can still use this weapon if they play in a game with someone who did. Since "The Passing" was released, the Baseball bat became unlocked for everybody. Because this weapon was only available to those who pre-ordered the game, it is NOT a weapon required to be used to get the "Club Dead" achievement. The good ol' Louisville Slugger is great for thinning herds of infected and because it's not a bladed melee weapon, it won't put much blood on your screen to obscure your vision. Striking a zombie in the head with the Baseball Bat can cause the head to literally fly off. Home Run! ======================================================================= Cricket Bat [L4D2PADDLE] ======================================================================= I never knew that Cricket was such a popular sport, especially in the southern United States where Left 4 Dead 2 takes place. Cricket is an English invented game, and hasn't really caught the attention of many Americans - much like Soccer, which America will never fully embrace by my opinion! Nevertheless, the Cricket Bat in Left 4 Dead 2 still serves a great purpose. It's almost exactly the same as the Baseball Bat except it won't send heads flying off into the wild blue. Still though, it's excellent at taking out multiple zombies with a single swing and is perfect for close quarters combat. On top of that, since it isn't a bladed weapon, it won't put much blood on your screen to distort your vision. ======================================================================= Crowbar [L4D2FREEMAN] ======================================================================= Ah yes, the crowbar. Gordon Freeman's melee weapon of choice. Made popular as a weapon in the Half-Life series, the crowbar is available and ready to use in Left 4 Dead 2. While the crowbar *can* fully decapitate zombies, it can also take large chunks out of their heads as well, which will not count towards the "Head Honcho" achievement. While technically not a bladed weapon, it *does* fill the screen up with some blood which can cause a little tunnel vision resulting in you perhaps missing an attack coming from your side. While the characters in Left 4 Dead 2 cannot swing the crowbar quite as fast as Gordon Freeman, it's still highly effective at taking out large crowds of zombies in short order. Be warned though, that it seems to swing slightly slower than some other melee weapons, likely due to it's heavy weight. ======================================================================= Electric Guitar [L4D2GUITAR] ======================================================================= So uh...yeah. Who knew an electric guitar could: a) Take the heads off of zombies. b) Be durable enough to repeat (a) dozens and dozens of times? The Electric Guitar *is* modeled after the Ibanez GAX70. I know because I own one! I'm no good at playing it, but I own it. Well, technically, my model is the GAX70L (for Left Handed players). A bludgeoning weapon, it will not fill your screen up with thick red liquid nearly as much as a bladed weapon, and like all other melee weapons, it's excellent at taking out surrounding hordes. Like the crowbar, it seems to swing slightly slower than some of the other melee weapons...and for good reason, the thing has some weight to it! When you hit a zombie, it will strike a chord. Hey, they don't call guitars "axes" for nothing! ======================================================================= Fire Axe [L4D2CHOP] ======================================================================= A handy tool for some, a zombie killing device for others. The Fire Axe turns whole zombies into multiple, less violent, smaller pieces of zombies. Being a bladed weapon, making multiple kills in short order will really fill your screen up with blood spots which can make it difficult for you to see a threat that may be flanking you such as a Hunter waiting in ambush. Still, it gets the job done very efficiently. It swings about as fast as the Electric Guitar and Crowbar, and like all other melee weapons, it's exceptional at taking out surrounding hordes of zombies with relative ease. In spite of some earlier videos of Left 4 Dead 2's gameplay showing an overhead chop killing a Witch in one hit, it *CANNOT* do that in the released game. Don't try it, especially on Expert difficulty, or any difficulty of Realism mode, for that matter. It takes 4 hits to kill a Witch, just like every other melee weapon. ======================================================================= Frying Pan [L4D2BONK] ======================================================================= Comical? Yes. Effective? Yes. While Ellis may talk about making zombie grits, the frying pan in Left 4 Dead 2 is more effective when not on a stovetop. It's signature low pitched "BONK" is sure to brighten up your day. As a bludgeoning weapon, it won't fill your screen up with much blood that can cause tunnel vision. It swings about as fast as the other melee weapons, but unlike most other melee weapons, it cannot decapitate or dismember limbs, meaning it cannot be used to get the "Head Honcho" achievement. This weapon doesn't appear...ever...in the Dark Carnival campaign from what I've noticed. I'm not sure if it can appear in the Dead Center campaign either, I haven't seen one yet. I'm sure the zombie of Gordon Ramsay is proud. ======================================================================= Katana [L4D2KATANA] ======================================================================= A personal favorite of many people in Left 4 Dead 2's online population, the Katana is an effective weapon - like all other melee weapons at destroying legions of zombies in tightly packed areas. It swings a little noticeably faster than the crowbar, electric guitar, and frying pan, allowing it to slice through waves in shorter order than most other melee weapons. Being a bladed melee weapon, it will put lots of blood on your screen creating tunnel vision if used to kill several infected in short order. This can hinder your awareness of a threat flanking you, so be cautious. In spite of Left 4 Dead 2's characters calling it a "Ninja Sword", the Samurai used Katanas. Not Ninjas. Ninjas used similar weapons called Ninjatos. Just a piece of trivia I thought I'd throw out there. The Katana, like the Fire Axe CANNOT kill a Witch with a single overhead slice, contrary to some early gameplay footage. It takes 4 hits with a Katana to kill a Witch, just like every other melee weapon. ======================================================================= Machete [L4D2MACHETE] ======================================================================= Swinging noticeably faster than the crowbar, electric guitar, and frying pan, the Machete slices it's way through swarms of infected with ease. Because it's a bladed weapon, it will put a lot of blood on your screen if it's used to kill several zombies in short order. This can obscure your view and make it harder to see other threats flanking you. The Machete from what I've noticed is one of the less common melee weapons in the game. I see them most often in "The Parish" but hardly ever in any of the other campaigns, though they do appear sometimes. ======================================================================= Tonfa [L4D2CLUB] ======================================================================= More commonly called a "Nightstick" "Paddy Whacker" "Billy Club" "Blackjack" or "Truncheon", the Tonfa swings noticeably faster than the crowbar, electric guitar, and fire axe. It is a bludgeoning weapon, so it won't put too much blood on your screen to obscure your vision. The Riot Gear "uncommon common" zombies of "The Parish" will sometimes have these weapons on them. Killing them will allow you to pick up their Tonfa. I have only ever noticed the Tonfa appearing in "The Parish." I have never seen it in any of the other campaigns. I'm not entirely sure if the Tonfa is exclusive to "The Parish", but it sure seems that way. The Tonfa cannot cause decapitation or dismemberment of any kind when used against the infected, meaning it cannot be used to get the "Head Honcho" achievement. ======================================================================= Golf Club [L4D2FORE] ======================================================================= Introduced in "The Passing" DLC, the Golf Club swings at about the same rate the baseball and cricket bats swing at. It is a bludgeoning weapon, so it won't put too much blood on your screen after killing several zombies in rapid succession. It is modeled after a Driver or a Fairway Wood with a graphite shaft. Because those shafts allow more bend and torque in swings, and their lighter weight, it's surprising how the Golf Club doesn't break from repeated use, especially when swung with enough force to decapitate a zombie! I guess it must have something to do with it being in a VIDEO GAME... ======================================================================= Chainsaw [L4D2SAW] ======================================================================= Another weapon so unique it gets it's own section! Like the Grenade Launcher not belonging to any other group of weapon, the Chainsaw doesn't really perform like any other melee weapon. When pulling the Chainsaw out, it takes about a second for it to get revved up, but then you're good to go. It's loud, and I *have* noticed zombies being drawn towards a survivor using a Chainsaw. It takes up a decent amount of the screen when it's being used, so it can block your vision. However, because you have this kind of stopping power, it's almost a non-issue. The Chainsaw, unlike all other melee weapons has a limited usage. By the icon on your HUD, there is a vertical meter displaying the amount of fuel you have left in the chainsaw. Once it's depleted, your character will drop it and pull out a single normal pistol. You CANNOT. I repeat... You *CANNOT* refill the fuel for a Chainsaw. Once it's out, it's out and you will need to find another one if you want to use a Chainsaw again. When using the Chainsaw, the fuel meter drops fairly quickly. You get roughly only one full minute of out of it, so make it count. If you're surrounded by a horde, there is no weapon faster than a Chainsaw for dealing with it. Pull out the chainsaw, rev it up, and spin in a circle. It's that simple. The Chainsaw is also a great weapon to use in narrow hallways littered with zombies, and is the perfect weapon for the never-ending crescendo event in the 4th chapter of the "Dark Carnival" campaign. The Chainsaw is an extremely powerful weapon, capable of taking out a stationary Witch from behind before she even has the chance to stand up! The Chainsaw can also kill a Jockey or Hunter leaping your way before they land on you, and is the only melee weapon that can be used during the second or so a Smoker initially ensnares you with it's tongue. In fact, it can CUT the tongue, freeing you. This is the only weapon in the game that can do this. The Chainsaw is a bladed weapon, and it can put an obscene amount of blood on your screen when used to kill several infected in a short time span - which is generally what happens when you pull out the chainsaw. This kind of tunnel vision can make it very difficult to see additional threats that may be flanking you, so be careful. Against a Tank using his Rock Throw ability, the Chainsaw can really demolish it's health. Beware that the Chainsaw can cause significant friendly fire damage if you or a teammate is not careful. The Chainsaw is the only melee weapon in the game that can kill the Riot Gear "uncommon common" zombies in "The Parish" from the front. The Chainsaw can detonate Propane Tanks, Oxygen Tanks, and ignite gas cans. Pros: + Against a horde, it gets the job done. Quickly. + Can free yourself from a Smoker's tongue. + Can stop Hunters and Jockeys from leaping on you. + Can take care of a Witch before she can even react. + Against a distracted Tank, there is no better damage dealer. Cons: - Will run out of fuel. - Attracts more zombies. - Potential for massive friendly fire damage. - Takes a little while to rev up and use. - Somewhat rare to find. ======================================================================= Throwing Weaponry [L4D2THROWING] ======================================================================= When the going gets tough, and you need a little breathing room, the throwing weapons of Left 4 Dead 2 can be just what you're looking for. They can kill large amounts of zombies, they can deny access to areas for a short while, or they can draw out large mobs of infected and make them fight each other! And they're fun to use! There are three different types of throwing weapons in Left 4 Dead 2, and your character may only carry one throwing weapon at a time. Each throwing weapon is different from the others and all have their strengths and weaknesses. That being said, having one is always better than not, so even if you don't have your preferred throwing weapon available to you, never let one go to waste. Your character will announce that he/she is about to throw one of these weapons while you hold down your fire button, but it would still be wise to advise your teammates that you're going to do it so the team doesn't accidentally waste one. There's no point in throwing out a pipe bomb and a molotov at the same time, in the same area. ======================================================================= Pipe Bomb [L4D2PIPE] ======================================================================= The Pipe Bomb from the first Left 4 Dead game makes a return, and it's largely unchanged, except for the way things end. Instead of the crowding zombies around it turning into a fine red mist, you now will see dismembered body parts flying every which way. One time, I saw a zombie's torso flying about 10 feet overhead with it's spine dangling behind it like a party streamer. Anyway... The Pipe Bomb, as described in a commentary node in the first Left 4 Dead game, is a black powder bomb with the guts of a smoke detector strapped onto it. When thrown, the Pipe Bomb starts beeping, and this attracts nearby zombies who immediately run towards their impending doom. After three or four seconds, the bomb explodes, taking anything caught in the blast along with it. The Worker "uncommon common" zombies of the "Hard Rain" campaign wear ear protection and will not hear the beeping from a Pipe Bomb, meaning this weapon is essentially useless against them. The explosion from a Pipe Bomb will stagger a Tank, though this is rare as a Tank (especially on VS mode) will keep moving and is very unlikely to be caught in a Pipe Bomb's blast. Throwing a Pipe Bomb will not cause zombies attacking you to stop going after you. The Pipe Bomb is a great weapon to use if you or one of your teammates has been vomited on by a Boomer as you can use the Pipe Bomb as a distraction causing the zombies to go after it, rather than the survivor(s) who were puked on. Throwing a Pipe Bomb in a wide open area will cause all of the common infected to be drawn out. The ensuing blast will likely kill most, if not all of them. This can be helpful if there is a nearby Witch and you are looking for less distractions as you attempt to pass her by or kill her. Pros: + Can kill LOTS of zombies. + Draws out common infected when used in wide open areas. + Very helpful against a Boomer's puke attack. Cons: - Practically useless against Special Infected. - Doesn't affect the Worker Zombies in the "Hard Rain" campaign. ======================================================================= Molotov Cocktail [L4D2MOLLY] ======================================================================= A crude weapon consisting of a gasoline filled beer bottle and a rag tucked inside the bottle with one end of it lit up. When thrown, the bottle breaks and the fire from the end of the rag ignites the gasoline, creating a wide swath of flames that last until the source of fuel is exhausted. Molotov Cocktails are best used as "denial of area" weapons. Because the flames last for roughly 15 seconds, you can use it as an escape tactic. Throw the molotov at a doorway and move on. In VS mode, there are many areas where the infected players may spawn behind you, and tossing a Molotov to block their paths, lest they burn up can allow you some breathing room. Fire burns! And so you should be careful to not toss this around teammates as it will cause damage to them. Molotovs are great weapons to use against Tanks and Witches, especially in VS. mode as a Tank on fire will run slower (VS mode only), and it can deny the infected team an ambush around the Witch. Molotov Cocktails will not work against the CEDA Hazmat "uncommon common" zombies in the "Dead Center" campaign. Zombies, common or special will catch fire and burn until they die. Common infected will instantly perish, but the special infected will burn their health away. This burning prevents Hunters from pouncing from wall to wall and it makes short work of Boomers or Spitters, though it essentially turns them into ticking time bombs. If you use a molotov to cover your tracks, just be wary of a Smoker who may try to drag you into the fire for extra damage. If you're being mobbed by a horde of zombies, tossing a molotov straight down at the ground and immediately running out of the fire can be extremely effective. Just be sure you have enough health to run out of the fire! Pros: + Wall of flame can deny access to an area making it easier to defend. + Instantly kills common infected. + Lights up special infected, so in VS mode it forces them to try attacking prematurely. + Especially in VS mode, effective against Tanks and Witches. Cons: - Doesn't affect CEDA Hazmat zombies. - Fire can burn you and teammates if you're not careful. - Smokers can try pulling you into the flames and using your weapon against you. ======================================================================= Bile Jar [L4D2PUKE] ======================================================================= The Bile Jar is what you think it is. It's bottled Boomer Puke. And it can serve two purposes in Left 4 Dead 2. 1) It works like a Pipe Bomb, drawing out zombies in wide open areas...except without the Ka-BOOM! 2) It can mark infected, including special infected and cause hordes to go after the affected zombie(s). Using a Bile Jar against a Tank will obscure it's vision and cause hordes of zombies to attack it. This can greatly help in taking it down safely. The CEDA Hazmat "uncommon common" zombies of the "Dead Center" campaign sometimes carry Bile Jars. You can use them once you kill the zombie. Unlike the Pipe Bomb, the Bile Jar *will* work against the Worker zombies in the "Hard Rain" campaign. However, the Worker zombies will only be drawn to other zombies who were marked by the Bile Jar. If a Bile Jar is thrown in the open and doesn't mark any target, Worker zombies will NOT be lured away because it uses the same programming in the game as a Pipe Bomb's beeping. This may get changed in a future patch. Hitting a special infected with a Bile Jar will result in the hordes going after them! Boomers, Spitters, Jockeys, Hunters, and Smokers are all made quick work of if they can't escape. If you're in an expansive area, tossing a Bile Jar will cause the zombies to swarm in - then you can kill them at your leisure. It's a true "fish in a barrel" situation. Avoid hitting a Witch with a Bile Jar. By the time the horde swarms in to attack her, she may have already incapped or killed the thrower, and may be running away. Not to mention, if the effect wears off, you will have to deal with both a Witch AND a horde. Pros: + Better horde drawing abilities than the Pipe Bomb. + Can mark targets for the horde to attack. + Extremely useful against Tanks. + Attracts every type of zombie. + Distracts zombies longer than a Pipe Bomb. Cons: - No Ka-BOOM! - More rare than Pipe Bombs and Molotov Cocktails. - Not effective against Witches. ======================================================================= Weapon Upgrades [L4D2UPGRADE] ======================================================================= In Left 4 Dead 2, there are three items you can use to upgrade the weapon you are using. Two of these upgrades are temporary and portable ammo upgrades, the other one is permanent, though much rarer to find. Every upgrade will drastically improve the weapon you're using in one way or another, and a weapon upgrade should never be passed up. Why would you not want to make your trip a little easier? There is only one guaranteed location for a weapon upgrade in the game to my knowledge, Whitaker's Gun Shop in the 2nd chapter of the "Dead Center" campaign. All other locations are completely random. ======================================================================= Incendiary Ammo [L4D2BURN] ======================================================================= Best used with Automatic weapons in small bursts, Incendiary Ammo ignites whatever is shot by it. It will kill common infected with one hit, but know that the CEDA Hazmat "uncommon common" zombies in the "Dead Center" campaign are immune to all fire, and this ammo is wasted on them. It will light up special infected as well, but a Tank will only be ignited for 3-5 seconds. This means that it will deal a little extra damage, but it cannot replace a Molotov Cocktail. The Incendiary Ammo upgrade is a portable upgrade, but know that it will take the spot of your first aid kit or defibrillator. Because it uses that valuable item spot, most people will find the ammo upgrade and deploy it immeidately, then pick up the item they dropped. If you exhaust the incendiary ammo in your clip, you cannot refill it, even if the ammo cache is still there because someone else on your team did not upgrade their weapon. It's a one-time use. Picking up the Incendiary Ammo upgrade for the Grenade Launcher will turn your normal grenade into a fireball that increases the blast radius, and instead of raining zombie parts all over the place, it will rain BURNING zombie parts all over the place! However, you only get one incendiary grenade, so make sure your shot counts. In narrow hallways, an incendiary ammo upgrade for Shotgun type weapons can be very helpful as the spread is able to ignite multiple zombies with a single shot and clear things out pretty efficiently. If you see an incendiary ammo upgrade, make sure you use it, there are no disadvantages to it. ======================================================================= Explosive Rounds [L4D2FRAG] ======================================================================= Explosive rounds serve a great purpose in Left 4 Dead 2. Not only do they rip through common infected with ease (creating violent, gaping wounds), but they can stumble special infected. It will cause a Smoker to release his vicim, it will push Hunters off pinned survivors, and will cause a Charger to release his grip on a helpless teammate. However, it will not stumble a Charger in mid-charge, and I don't believe it will cause a Jockey to dismount a survivor. If used at close range, beware that it will make your character stumble a little and will deal a modest amount of self-inflicted damage. It will also damage teammates who are close to your target. This friendly- fire is light (especially on normal or VS modes) and isn't too big of a deal. Explosive Ammo being used with a Grenade Launcher will significantly increase the blast radius. Just know that you only get one shot, so make sure it counts. Like Incendiary Ammo, Explosive Rounds are a portable upgrade that will replace your first aid kit or defibrillaor. Many people will pick up the Explosive Ammo upgrade and deploy it immediately, then pick up their dropped item. Shotgun weapons when used with this upgrade will fire a slug instead of a spray of pellets. In spite of the potential for a little friendly fire damage, explosive rounds are a great upgrade for your weapon that gives it some extra kick and makes you more formidable against special infected. Since a patch, explosive ammo no longer appears in VS mode. ======================================================================= Laser Sights [L4D2LASER] ======================================================================= Laser Sights are a stationary, permanent upgrade, and is much rarer to come across than the ammo upgrades. The only area you are guarnateed to find the Laser Sight upgrade is in Whitaker's Gun Shot in the 2nd chapter of the "Dead Center" campaign. Laser Sights serve two very important purposes. 1) They increase your gun's accuracy. 2) They help reduce friendly fire damage by showing you where teammates are aiming so you won't accidentally step into their line of fire. Laser Sights, however, will not work on pistols or magnums, only primary weapons. Many people consider an AK-47 upgraded with a Laser Sight to be the best weapon in the game as it significantly increases it's accuracy to offset the AK-47's mediocre stock accuracy, especially when stationary. Laser Sights are pretty much useless on the Hunting Rifle or Military Sniper Rifle, as their accuracy while crouching or standing is already unsurpassed. It will, however, slightly improve their accuracy while on the move. Laser Sights will not transfer from one weapon to another. If you have Laser Sights on your Silenced SMG, and you switch to a Desert Rifle, the Desert Rifle will NOT have the upgrade. So it may be a reason to stick with a Tier 1 weapon instead of going with a Tier 2 weapon, because of the advantages it gives. This upgrade is pretty useless when used on the Grenade Launcher as the laser sight will only point straight forward, but the grenade travels with a slight arc. Also, on Shotgun type weapons, the upgrade only really makes a noticable difference in accuracy while you're crouching. Still, the benefit of letting your teammates know where you're aiming is useful. ======================================================================= Other Items [L4D2OTHER] ======================================================================= Aside from weapon pick ups, upgrades, and throwing weapons, there are a number of items you can use to your advantage - or are necessary for getting an achievement or even passing through a certain area. Some of these can be useful for taking out infected, while others can be a hinderance. You can pick these items up and use them as weapons, though ineffective. Several of these have other uses for taking out zombies as well. Either way, they're here! Listed in this FAQ! ======================================================================= Gas Can [L4D2GAS] ======================================================================= The Gas Can, when used will act like a Molotov Cocktail, igniting a large area for 15 or so seconds. To light it up, just shoot it! It's that simple. In essence, it's used the same way as a Molotov is, but is a lot less convenient. Still, using one of these gas cans to block a doorway while your team tries to push forward can be valuable at temporarily thwarting a special infected from attacking you, and can be very helpful in VS. mode matches. There are two types of Gas Cans in Left 4 Dead 2. The normal gas cans are colored red, and their only purpose is to be ignited. In the finale of "Dead Center", "The Passing", or ANY Scavenge mode game, the gas cans are orange, and are used to fuel up Jimmy Gibbs' stock car, or a generator in the Scavenge level. These orange gas cans will have a white outline before they're picked up, and a bright orange/yellow outline if they've been picked up and dropped. A Spitter can ignite orange gas cans that have already been picked up and dropped. The Spitter's goo cannot ignite orange gas cans that still have their white outline, however, if an orange gas can with a yellow outline is ignited by a Spitter's goo, and is close to a gas can that still has it's white outline, the ignited gas can's flames may catch the others on fire as well. Orange Gas Cans will respawn with their white outlines in their original areas after a short while if they were ignited by a Spitter's goo or were shot. There is no inventory spot for a Gas Can, and it must be carried. This will not allow you to shoot a weapon. Pressing the fire button will throw the gas can in front of you, while simply selecting a weapon will drop the Gas Can at your feet. While holding a gas can, you can only use your shove (right click) attack. While it can kill with successive attacks, your melee "fatigue" meter will appear eventually. It's best to have someone guard you while you're holding a Gas Can. Thankfully, Gas Cans, while being held don't take up that much of the screen and won't block your view. There is a third type of Gas Can, though it can't be used by your character. In the Hard Rain campaign, where you must find Deisel fuel for your rescue vehicle, the survivors will have this special Gas Can strapped to their backs for the return trip. It cannot be ignited by friendly fire, and cannot be used. Also, this does not take up any kind of inventory space, so your character can still use weapons as well as carry every other type of item in the game. While carrying a Gas Can, it cannot be ignited by friendly fire. ======================================================================= Oxygen Tank [L4D2OXYGEN] ======================================================================= Oxygen Tanks are large, green, cylindrical canisters that, when shot become a time bomb - hissing for about a second or so before violently exploding. This explosion can stagger back special infected - including a Tank. Like the Gas Can, there is no inventory space for the Oxygen Tank, and it must be carried. You cannot use your weapons while holding an Oxygen Tank, so the only method of attack you have while holding it is your standard melee attack. It *can* kill with successive attacks, but the melee "fatigue" meter will appear and it would be best to have a teammate guard you if you plan on holding onto the Oxygen Tank for any length of time. The Oxygen Tank can be ignited while you're holding it by friendly fire. You will see the top of it spew flames. If you see this, immediately throw it - otherwise you could be caught in the blast! The Oxygen Tank doesn not take up a large portion of the screen, thankfully, so it won't block your view like some other items. ======================================================================= Propane Tank [L4D2PROPANE] ======================================================================= Propane Tanks are large, white canisters that, when shot, go KA-BOOM! In a bigger explosion than the Oxygen Tank, and instantly. There is no forewarning "hissing" noise. It just blows up immediately! This can make it more useful when setting traps for infected, especially around where the rescue vehicle will pick you up during finale events. Like the Gas Can and Oxygen Tank, there is no inventory slot for the Propane Tank, and therefore it must be carried. Carrying a Propane Tank will not allow you to use your weapons, but you can still use your standard melee attack. While it *can* kill, it takes a while, and the melee "fatigue" meter will appear, making it less useful. The Propane Tank, when carried, doesn't take up too much of your screen, and it shouldn't be that big of an issue while carrying it, though it will block some of your view. I have never noticed a Propane Tank exploding by friendly fire while holding it. The Propane Tank's explosion will stagger special infected, including the Tank and Witch and can buy valuable time to kill, or severely damage them while they're stumbling. You can throw the Propane Tank by pressing your fire button, otherwise you can drop it at your feet by simply equipping a weapon. ======================================================================= Fireworks [L4D2PYRO] ======================================================================= Fireworks only appear in one chapter of one campaign in Left 4 Dead 2. The finale map of Dark Carnival. Fireworks are used the same way as Gas Cans. When shot, they will ignite, and start crackling for about 15 seconds or so. This can create a domino effect if several fireworks boxes are evenly spread out. Fireworks seem to do more damage than fire does to special infected. Common infected, like fire, will be killed instantly. There are always 5 boxes of fireworks in a crate directly in front of the stage. There is no inventory space for this item, and your character will need to carry it. While holding Fireworks, you cannot use a weapon, though you can still use your standard melee attack. While it *does* kill infected if used enough, the melee "fatigue" meter will appear, making it less helpful. Fireworks take up almost no portion of the screen, so holding them will not block your view. You can throw the Fireworks in front of you by pressing the fire button, or drop them at your feet by simply equipping a weapon. ======================================================================= Cola [L4D2SODA] ======================================================================= Cola is only found in one map of one campaign. The 2nd chapter of the "Dead Center" campaign. It is used to complete a crescendo event. The gun store owner, who barricaded himself with "ample provisions" tells you that in his haste, he forgot soda! Oh no! So, in exchange for bringing him soda, he'll blow up a gas truck blocking the way to the mall, allowing you to proceed - as well as keep the weapons you stole from him. The Cola is found in the emptied "Save 4 Less" store near the back. Entering the store will sound it's alarm, and the crescendo event will start. Even though the Cola is in glass bottles, you can drop or throw the 6 pack without fear of them breaking. In fact, they can survive a pipe bomb blast! The Cola takes up a fair amount of the lower right side of the screen, but it shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience. The inconvenience is not being able to shoot your weapon while holding it to give it to the gun store owner. You can use your standard melee attack only while holding the soda, and it will be affected by the "fatigue" meter. You can throw the Cola by pressing the fire button, or drop it at your feet by simply pulling out a weapon. After the Cola is delivered, Whitaker, the shop owner launches a grenade at the gas truck, opening your path to the mall. ======================================================================= Gnome Chompski [L4D2GNOME] ======================================================================= Gnome Chompski is only found in the 2nd chapter of the Dark Carnival campaign, and must be won by getting a score of 750 or more points in the shooting gallery mini-game. At the beginning of Half Life 2: Episode 2, Gnome Chompski is found under a shelf and is incredibly, frustratingly, notoriously infamous for getting the "Little Rocket Man" achievement. Thankfully, in Left 4 Dead 2, the achivement involving this cute garden gnome is much less tedious, though it still has some tedious complications. There is no inventory slot for the Gnome, so he must be carried. Carrying the gnome will take up roughly 1/3 of your screen, so it can really obstruct your view considerable while holding him. Also, like other items you must carry, you cannot use your weapons, but you can still use your standard melee attack. The "fatigue" meter will still appear, making this shove attack with him less useful. You can throw Gnome Chompski by pressing the fire button, or drop him at your feet by pulling out a weapon. ======================================================================= Adrenaline Shot [L4D2HYPER] ======================================================================= The Adrenaline Shot in Left 4 Dead 2 has many uses. 1) It provides a temporary 25 health bonus. 2) It makes your attacks with a melee weapon slightly stronger. 3) It allows you to run through deep water at full speed. 4) It prevents you from slowing down when being hit by common infected. 5) It is required for several achievements. 6) It makes you run faster. 7) It makes you revive downed teammates faster. 8) It increases the speed at which you heal yourself. 9) It increases the speed at which you can switch items or weapons. 10) It temporarily disables the melee "fatigue" meter. So yeah, the Adrenaline Shot is an extremely helpful item. But it does have some downsides. 1) It lightly obscures the edges of your screen, creating a tunnel vision and can make it a little more difficult to see threats flanking you. 2) It alters how you hear things, and can make it difficult to tell which direction a sound came from. A Hunter's scream for example. 3) It has a slight delay from the time you use the item to when you actually get the effects of the shot. The survivor must open the shot, the flaps over the syringe must open up, THEN the survivor injects him/herself. This can be frustrating if you're trying to use it as a cheap healing item while you're being mobbed and at low health as the surrounding infected are still beating on you and may incap you before you get a chance to heal up. With the Adrenaline Shot equipped, you can only perform a standard melee attack in the form of a punch. This punch is affected by the melee "fatigue" meter. While the Adrenaline Shot will make your character run faster for about 15 seconds or so, know that once the effects wear off, your character will start limping and move slower if his/her health is below 40. You don't have to be extremely close to another survivor if you wish to pass it to them. Your character will toss the shot to the survivor you aimed at. ======================================================================= First Aid Kit [L4D2FAK] ======================================================================= Without a doubt, one of the most important items in the game, the First Aid Kit allows you to heal yourself of 80% of your damage, temporary health not included. So if you were incapped, and revived, you have 1 health, and 29 temporary health. Using a First Aid Kit in this situation will bring you up to 80 health. Using a First Aid Kit with 37 health (have taken 63 damage) will bring you up to 87 health. (63 damage x .8 + 37) First Aid Kits will never bring you back up to a full 100 health, the highest you can get to being 99. However, this would require two, or even three First Aid Kits and since they are rare items, it would be a complete waste. First Aid Kits also replace any kind of temporary health bonus granted from the use of Adrenaline Shots or Pain Pills. While having the First Aid Kit equipped, your character holds it in front of him/her. Because of this, you cannot use a weapon and the only offense available to you is your standard melee attack. It takes 5 full seconds for a survivor to heal while not under the effects of an Adrenaline Shot, so make sure your teammates can cover you while you heal. ======================================================================= Defibrillator [L4D2DEFIB] ======================================================================= If a survivor does something contrary to his/her title of "survivor", you can revive him/her with the Defibrillator item. This item is mandatory in bringing a survivor back in VS. mode or any difficulty mode with Realism enabled, as survivors will not randomly spawn in rooms off to the side. Reviving a dead teammate will bring them back with 50 permanent health, and only a pistol at their disposal, however the revived teammate may quickly pick up their dropped weapon, and any items they were carrying. The Defibrillator will take the inventory space of a First Aid Kit, so it may only be worthwhile to pick up if you need to heal first, or do not have a First Aid Kit to begin with. It takes a full 5 seconds to revive someone with the Defib unit, so make sure your teammates can protect you while you use it. Equipping the Defibrillator prevents you from using your weapons, and the only attack you have available to you is your standard melee shove, which is affected by the "fatigue" meter. ======================================================================= Pain Pills [L4D2PEELZ] ======================================================================= The Pain Pills item makes a return in Left 4 Dead 2, and provides an instant, though temporary 50 health bonus. This can be extremely helpful if you're trying to get through an area quickly, and don't have a full 5 seconds to heal with a First Aid Kit. Because the Pills give 50 health, it will restore your full running speed (39 health is the breakpoint). While the Pain Pills are equipped, you cannot use a weapon, and the only attack you will have available to you is the standard melee shove. This will be affected by the "fatigue" meter, which can make it less useful. You don't have to be very close to another survivor if you wish to pass your Pain Pills to him/her, as your character will toss them to the survivor you're aiming at. ======================================================================= Item-Specific Achievements [L4D2ACHIEVE] ======================================================================= There are quite a number of achievements in Left 4 Dead 2 that are dependent on specific weapons or items. These can involve certain weapons, weapon categories, weapon upgrades, certain items, items being used in a certain way, etc. This section will tell you the easiest way to get these achievements. (to my knowledge) ***Cl0wned*** [L4D2HONK] Honk the noses of 10 clowns. You will get this achievement by using your standard melee attack on the Clown "uncommon common" zombies in the "Dark Carnival" campaign. ***Fried Piper*** [L4D2PIPER] Use a Molotov to burn a Clown leading at least 10 common infected. This can be tricky, as you never know how many common infected the Clown zombie may be leading, but as a general strategy... See a clown, light it up! You must use a Molotov though. Gas Cans or Incendiary Ammo will not work. [[[STRATEGY BY BEN (Samficher1) SYMES - CONFIRMED]]] The best way to get fried piper is in the 4th chapter of dark carnival at the very end when you rush for the safe room and zombies keep coming. The fire only has to hit a clown and 10 other zombies they don't necessarily need to be following it. ***Level A Charge*** [L4D2LEVEL] Kill a Charger with a melee weapon while they are charging someone. Another tricky achievement as you need two things. 1) A Charger at less than half health. 2) Excellent timing. A melee weapon's attack does 300 damage to a Charger, meaning it won't be killed with a single swing. Also, because the Charger moves so fast while using his Charge attack, the window of opportunity you have is very small. Getting this achievement in wide open areas is the easiest way to get this, as you will have room to sidestep the Charger and take a swipe with your melee weapon. ***Confederacy of Crunches*** [L4D2COC] Finish a campaign using only melee weapons. Simple enough. Start up a game on easy difficulty and don't fire a single shot. Not even if you're incapped. If there isn't a melee weapon available at the start of the map, right click is going to be your friend until you find one. ***Head Honcho*** [L4D2DECAP] Decapitate 200 infected with a melee weapon. Very simple. Grab a melee weapon and aim high! However, the Frying Pan and Tonfa cannot be used for this achievement as they do not cause noticable body damage to the infected. Keep at it, you'll get it eventually. ***Robbed Zombie*** [L4D2ROB] Collect 10 vials of Boomer vomit from infected CEDA agents you have killed. Simple enough. You can see which CEDA Hazmat zombies are carrying Bile Jars in the "Dead Center" campaign. Just make sure YOU make the kill, otherwise collecting the Bile Jar will not add to your progress in this achievement. ***Dismemberment Plan*** [L4D2BLAST] Kill 15 infected with a single Grenade Launcher blast. Very fun! The easiest way to get this achievement is to first throw a Bile Jar to draw out all the common infected in an area, then...take aim and watch it rain body parts. ***Burning Sensation*** [L4D2SENSE] Ignite 50 common infected with Incendiary Ammo. Find incendiary ammo, upgrade your weapon with it, and start lighting zombies up! You'll get it eventually. ***Armory of One*** [L4D2AOO] Deploy an ammo upgrade and have your team use it. Very simple. Find Incendiary or Explosive ammo, deploy it yourself, and have all 4 people on your team upgrade their weapon. It's that easy. ***The Quick and the Dead*** [L4D2TQATD] Revive 10 incapacitated Survivors while under the speed boosting effects of adrenaline. If someone is incapped, take an Adrenaline Shot first, THEN revive them. Keep at it, you'll get it eventually. ***Chain of Command*** [L4D2CHAIN] Kill 100 common infected with the Chainsaw. If you need any more of an explanation to get this achievement, I can't help you. ***Septic Tank*** [L4D2TANK] Use a Bile grenade on a Tank. Step 1) Get Bile Jar. Step 2) Throw at Tank. Step 3) Jump for joy because you got the achievement. ***Club Dead*** [L4D2CD] Use every melee weapon to kill common infected. The description for this achievement is kind of misleading. The weapons you must use are the Tonfa, Cricket Bat, Katana, Machete, Electric Guitar, Fire Axe, Crowbar, and Frying Pan. The Chainsaw is not required, and since the baseball bat was available to only those who pre-ordered the game, it is also not required to get this achievement. ***Tank Burger*** [L4D2BURGER] Kill a Tank with melee weapons. You're going to want a game on easy difficulty and a team of 4 human players, because shooting the Tank even once negates this achievement. Basically, have everyone grab a melee weapon and hack&slash your way to this achievement. ***Guardin' Gnome*** [L4D2GUARD] Rescue Gnome Chompski from the Carnival. First, win the Gnome by scoring 750 or more points in the shooting gallery during the 2nd chapter of the "Dark Carnival" campaign. Then, make sure that somebody is carrying the gnome while the safe room door closes, and it will come with you to the next chapter of the campaign. You need to do this all the way through to the finale, and someone must be holding the gnome on the helicopter in order for the team to get this achievement. There are a couple of trouble spots - most notably the Roller Coaster crescendo event, and the never-ending gate doors crescendo event in the 3rd, and 4th chapters of the campaign respectively. I would definitely try going for this achievement on easy difficulty. ***Beat the Rush*** [L4D2RUSH] In a Survival match, get a medal only using melee weapons. Very simple. Grab a melee weapon and hope your team holds out for at least 4 minutes. (Bronze medal) ***Gong Show*** [L4D2GONG] Prove you are stronger than Moustachio. In the 4th chapter of the "Dark Carnival" campaign, there is a "Test Your Strength" game. Under the effects of an Adrenaline Shot, use a melee weapon on the red target and knock the bell off the top of the machine! Be warned though, that this will trigger a crescendo event. ***Stache Whacker*** [L4D2STACHE] Prove you are faster than Moustachio. During the 4th chapter of the "Dark Carnival" campaign, there is a "Whack-a-Mole" style game. Pressing the use key will start the game, and with a melee weapon, hit the Moustachios that appear. You need a score of 42, which is impossible in a single game, so once it ends, start it up again immediately, and you will keep your current score. You need at least 42 points in total to get this achievement, and as long as you hit at least one Moustachio, you'll get it. Just be warned that this will trigger a crescendo event. ***Heartwarmer*** [L4D2WARMER] In a Versus match, leave the safe room to defibrillate a dead teammate. Reach the safe room at the end of a level in VS mode, then, go out of the safe room and use a Defib unit on a dead teammate. This is kind of a glitchy achievement. First off, a survivor cannot kill the other survivor with friendly fire, and then revive him/her to get this achievement. Also, if a survivor is incapped and bleeding out, revivng that teammate will not get you this achievement. An infected, common or special needs to actually make the kill before you leave the safe room and revive him/her. ***Shock Jock*** [L4D2JOCK] Revive 10 dead Survivors with the Defibrillator. As with the Heartwarmer achievement, a zombie - common or special needs to make the kill, otherwise you will not get any progress on this achievement when you revive him/her. ***Gas Guzzler*** [L4D2GUZZLE] Collect 100 Gas Cans in Scavange. You get this achievement by pouring gas into the generator/car in Scavenge mode. Not by only picking up a Gas Can. ***Fore!*** [L4D2PAR] Knock off the heads of 18 infected with the Golf Club. Simple. Get a Golf Club and aim high. You'll get it eventually. ***Til It Goes Click*** [L4D2CLICK] Using the M60, kill 25 infected without letting go of the trigger. This is best accomplished when used in tandem with a Bile Jar and human teammates. AI teammates are just too trigger happy to allow you to get this achievement. Toss the Bile Jar and start shredding! ***Cache Grab*** [L4D2LOCKER] Open 5 Foot Lockers. Simple enough. Find a Foot Locker, and open it! Just know that Foot Lockers do NOT appear in Versus Mode for balancing reasons. Campaign or Single Player is your best bet. It may take you a couple play throughs of "The Passing" to get this achievement. ======================================================================= Which Weapons to Use and Where [L4D2WWTUAW] ======================================================================= So now that you've got a plethora of weapons in front of you, how do you know which weapons to grab? Should you go with melee weapons, or would pistols be a better choice? Shotguns or automatics? Sniper Rifle? This is here to help you decide. First and foremost, and especially on VS mode or Expert difficulty, make sure you ask your teammates what weapons they're going out with. Or just look and see what they grab. A team with 4 shotguns and melee weapons will be extremely effective at close range, but anything other than that will be tough to counter. Look for diversity! If you notice your teammates going with 2 shotguns and an assault rifle, maybe YOU should pick up an assault rifle as well to balance things out. But it also depends on the layout of the chapter you're in. ******************* When to use pistols ******************* - If you have a Shotgun type weapon, using pistols will help you with distant targets. A Magnum would be ideal to mix with a Shotgun weapon due to their strength and accuracy. - Wider open areas are ideal for pistols because it's less likely you'll get easily surrounded by hordes. ************************* When to use melee weapons ************************* - If you have a Sniper Rifle type weapon, using a melee weapon will drastically help you if you get surrounded by a large mob of zombies. - Narrow hallways are great areas to mow through zombies with melee weapons. ********************* When to use automaics ********************* - Automatics are great for narrow hallways when fired in a "cone" shape. - Automatics have generally good accuracy so they're good for wide open areas. ******************** When to use shotguns ******************** - Narrow hallways and tight areas are great for shotguns. - Shotguns work well with pistols to help offset their poor long-range accuracy. ************************* When to use sniper rifles ************************* - Sniper Rifles are great in wide open areas for picking off distant targets. - Sniper Rifles are less effective in narrow hallways, in spite of their piercing shots, and a melee weapon would make a good pairing in this situation. ******************************** When to use the grenade launcher ******************************** - Wide. Open. Areas. The Grenade Launcher is notorious for friendy fire damage. - Avoid using both the Grenade Launcher and Chainsaw at the same time. The Grenade Launcher only has a single shot and a long reload time, and the Chainsaw has a delay between equipping it and actually using it - and it only has limited ammo. - Grenade Launchers pair well with pistols to help offer some range without the big friendly fire potential. ************************ When to use the chainsaw ************************ - Use the Chainsaw sparingly as it will run out of fuel, but there is no better weapon at taking out a surrounding horde. - Narrow hallways are a Chainsaw user's dream. ======================================================================= Legal Stuff [L4D2MYFAQ] ======================================================================= This is the part of the FAQ where I must state that this guide was written by me, Eric VanErt (Raistlyn on www.gamefaqs.com) for the sole intent to help others who happen upon it at www.gamefaqs.com. All content contained within this guide was written by me, unless otherwise specified. You may print out this guide for your own personal use...matter of fact, I encourage it! This FAQ is copyright (c) 2009 Eric VanErt Other websites may use this guide, but only with my expressed written permission, and must give credit to me. The latest version will always be available on www.gamefaqs.com. Putting this guide on any other website without my permission is strictly prohibited and a violation of copyright. This FAQ may not be reproduced in any way that will result in financial gain. You may not edit this FAQ in any way, shape, or form. Websites that are authorized to post this FAQ: 1) www.gamefaqs.com 2) www.gamesradar.com 3) www.cheatplanet.com 4) www.supercheats.com 5) www.neoseeker.com If you find this FAQ on any site not listed above, please contact me immediately. If I catch you using this guide illegally, you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and the full extent of my foot up your ass. ======================================================================= Credits [L4D2ENDFAQ] ======================================================================= I'd like to thank: Valve, for making yet another high quality, highly addictive, game. Without the game, there would be no FAQ. GameFAQs.com for allowing me to post this terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad file on their site, even though it's full of wholesome zombie killing goodness. Myself for writing this FAQ. I mean...it wouldn't exist without me, after all. I mean...well, I suppose you could put a million monkeys in a room with a million typewriters and they'd eventually come up with this FAQ, but odds are you don't have a million monkeys and a million typewriters. But if by chance you do, the odds are still in my favor! So HA!!! If you found this guide to be helpful, I encourage you to click on the "Recommend" button at the top of this page. If you have any questions or comments, please, feel free to e-mail me. My e-mail address is listed at the beginning of the guide. Thanks for reading! Now go out there and shoot, slice, chop, bonk, dismember, saw, beat, burn, and blast as many zombies as you can in a responsible way to make me proud!
© Web Media Network Limited, 1999 - 2024 This site is not affiliated in any way with Microsoft, Sony, Sega, Nintendo or any video game publishers.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.
Super Cheats is an unofficial resource with submissions provided by members of the public. These are not usually tested by us (because there are so many), so please use them at your own risk.
