Equipment

Equipment

Bile Bomb

This acts much like the Pipe Bomb, except is more potent and allows your team to do all the killing. It attracts the Common Infected using the boomer bile like a moth to a lamp, drawing their attention away from your team at crucial moments, such as at the end of a level. If thrown at a Common Infected, a horde will arrive to attack the target. If thrown at an empty space, a horde will arrive and swipe at the location of impact, allowing the Survivors to finish them off. You can use it on Special Infected and even Tanks.

TIP: The effectiveness of the Bile Bomb on a Witch is minimal, as it will frequently attack you before the horde can get there.

TIP: Some CEDA agents (those in hazmat suits) drop Bile Bomb when killed, though this is hardly common.

Pipe Bomb

Resurrected from the original Left 4 Dead, the Pipe Bomb emits a loud beeping sound, attracting Common Infected, before exploding in a satisfying mist of blood. The beeping lasts for about six seconds.

TIP: Use Pipe Bombs to clear a path to extraction, distract the horde so you can revive a team mate, or simply to take out as many Common Infected as possible.

TIP: Pipe Bombs will attract a horde more than a Boomer bile-covered Survivor. By contrast, a canister of Bile Bomb will not (presumably being just about as attractive as fresh Boomer bile!).

Molotov Cocktail

Requiring accuracy, unlike both the Pipe Bomb and Bile Bomb, the Molotov Cocktail is often the most useful of the equipment in Left 4 Dead 2. Its key functions are in slowing down a Witch, and dealing constant damage to both these enemies and Tanks. By contrast it makes a Tank run faster, but will kill it relatively quickly. It is also good to block off a horde coming through a narrow space – as all the Common Infected will catch fire and likely die before the reach the Survivors (except for CEDA UCIs).

TIP: While good against the Tank, primarily for the consistent damage it deals while the Survivors can run away, against the Witch it is important to use the Molotov before startling it. It is easier to aim at while sitting down or moving slowly for one thing, but if someone sets a Witch on fire once it's startled they will be attacked in addition to the person who originally startled it – an unnecessary risk.

Incendiary Ammo Upgrade

This ammo upgrade takes the place of a medkit (remember to pick it up again if you swap them out temporarily) and is great against Special Infected. It can also top up ammo, and is the only way of doing so to a Grenade Launcher. It should not be used against a Witch unless the players are confident of their ability to take it down quickly, as it will consider each one who sets it on fire a direct threat.

TIP: When used with shotguns with a wide spread the effectiveness of this upgrade is huge, as each pellet will set an enemy on fire.

Explosive Ammo Upgrade

Explosive ammo causes high damage and can cause high-risk enemies such as the Tank and Witch to stumble – it is therefore invaluable – the only downside coming as a result of its spot in the medkit slot.

Laser Sight

One of the rarest items in the game, the Laser Sight improves the accuracy of the gun it is attached to. It has no effect on shotguns or the Grenade Launcher. There is only one place you are guaranteed to find a Laser Sight and that is in Whitaker's store in the Dead Center campaign. They are non-transferable, so if you die or change weapon you will lose the laser-sight, but they have a noticeable affect to a gun's accuracy (and look awesome!) so are worth hanging on to.

Medkit

Unlike Pain Pills and the Adrenaline Shot, Medkits permanently increase a Survivors health. You can heal yourself or another Survivor with them, removing any injuries (which may cause Survivors to limp slowly otherwise). They don't increase it back to 100 percent from zero, but to 80. There are many tactics surrounding the correct use of medkits, but you should remember that both the Ammunition Upgrades and the Defibrillator can take its place – so its not as simple as holding onto a medkit until your health is as low as possible.

TIP: As the medkits only give you 80 health back, there is no point in saving it after you get to 20 health. If you die, it's lost to the team.

Adrenaline Shot

The key function of adrenaline is not necessarily to restore health like the Pain Pills (although it does restore health by 25), but more to increase reflexes and speed. It is most useful in the extraction sections, particularly on The Parish and Dead Center, where speed is key. Common Infected also do not slow you down when running through them, whereas otherwise Survivors can get caught up in their swiping. Similarly, when escaping to the rescue vehicle in the other campaigns it can be invaluable in giving a Survivor the pace to outrun a Tank.

Pain Pills

Returning from the original Left 4 Dead, Pain Pills temporarily increase a Survivor's health. They will boost your health by forty, but the downside is that it decreases by 1 point every five seconds. This can be just long enough to find a med-kit or get to safe-house.

Defibrillator

Taking up the med-kit slot, Defibrillators have the ability to revive a Survivor from the dead. Simply equip this item and the bodies of allied players will glow, allowing the player to revive them with 50 permanent health to boot. You can also do this when a Survivor is in a closet waiting to be rescued and they will reappear with your main party.

TIP: Defibrillators become vital on Realism mode and on Expert difficulty, where one swipe from the Witch will otherwise kill a player and Survivors are only brought back at safe-rooms.