☢ I N F O R M A T I O N ☢
Known Zombies:
Common Infected:
Numerous.
Body: Various, unremarkable. Sometimes missing limbs.
Notes: These are regarded as the 'normal' undead, and are relatively easily dispatched. Aim for the head for a faster kill. Like all zombies, they exhibit a mild immunity to magic. Their biggest strength lies in their almost unending numbers, and they sometimes swarm lost survivors if drawn by loud sounds or boomer bile.
Recommendation: Shoot on sight.
Witches:
Easily Startled.
Body: Thin, feminine, waif-like. Unlike other special infected, witches are sometimes easily mistaken for uninfected.
Notes: They spend their time making a loud, crying sound resembling sobbing or wailing. This draws unsuspecting, well-meaning survivors near, although studies are inconclusive as to whether this is a deliberate ploy from the witch herself. Gifted with claws resembling garden shears, and just as deadly. CAUTION: Witches will not attack a survivor unless they are startled. Sounds startle them, lights startle them, and getting too close is known to startle them. Avoid in wide arc if possible. IF startled, they can knock down a full-grown man with a single swipe of their claws, and will focus their attack on whoever was responsible for rousing them from their sobbing. They will climb to their feet and track the survivor with unstoppable determination, and they are lithe, fast, and are hard to hit when they run.
Recommendation: Avoid. Approach only if no other venue is available, and use extreme caution.
Spitters:
Acidic.
Body: Degraded skin, abnormally long neck, unhinged jaw. Usually female.
Notes: Spitters are specially mutated to launch gobs of burning acid at groups of survivors. The gobs spread out and cover the ground, burning anyone nearby. (Edit: Acid has no affect on other undead.) Normal plan of attack is to hide far away on rooftops or behind bushes, and then launch large wads of acidic 'goo' at groups of survivors, or directly between team members in order to separate them. Not only that, but upon death, spitters release all the acid from their bodies. If one is killed quite near to a survivor, he/she will find him/herself covered in painful acid.
Recommendation: Shoot on sight; use long-range weaponry only.
Boomers:
Potent Smell.
Body: Large, round, covered in bulbous pustules.
Notes: Avoid their bile. Boomers deliberately sneak up behind groups of survivors and vomit on them-- or shower survivors with bile from above. Their round bodies are capable of storing gallons of foul-smelling green vomit. The smell attracts massive hordes of common infected, even if they were previously well beyond hearing range of the survivors. Also, whenever they are killed, they explode, much like the effect of popping a water balloon. Any survivors nearby will be covered in bile and guts. Alternate effects of being 'boomer'd' on is temporary blindness-- the bile is known to be so thick and gooey it will temporarily obstruct a survivor's vision.
Recommendation: Shoot only if the boomer is more than fifty feet away from any member of the group. Shove away if the boomer gets too close. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MELEE-KILL.
Jockeys:
Detouring.
Body: Small, short legs. Long arms. Muscles centered in upper body.
NotesThey signal their impending attack with a high-pitched, unnatural sound resembling a laugh. Jockeys are creepy little pink zombies that have gained intense upper back and arm muscles. These muscles are just the thing to help Jockeys live up to their name sake, except they don't ride horses-- they ride you. They like to launch themselves onto your back and shoulders, cover your face, and steer you around. Usually right into trouble. Their toes and fingers are nicely mutated into claws so they can get a better grip as they bring you towards a tank or a witch or a fire or a patch of spitter goo. You'll know they're around when their maniac laughter fills the air.
Recommendation: Shoot on sight. Do not allow them to get close enough to grab a survivor.
Chargers:
Wrecking ball.
Body: Not symmetrical. One arm and leg are significantly weaker compared to the other of the pair. They are tall, large and bulky, heavily muscled on one side, with one side of their skull crushed in.
Notes: Chargers can be mistaken for tanks at a distance, but they are not quite as deadly. Their name comes from their chosen attack preference: they will charge at survivors from afar like a running back, and their powerful velocity can slam through entire teams and send innocent victims flying. They will grab onto a single survivor in their one giant hand, and carry the survivor great distances until another obstacle stops their charge. One stopped, the Charger will pummel it's victim repeatedly into the ground, crushing the victim's ribcage and leading very quickly to death if the survivor's teammates don't catch up fast enough. If the Charger should run at a group and miss in hitting any of the survivors, it will keep running until it hits a wall, immediately disorienting it. Use this chance to shoot it down.
Recommendation: Shoot on sight. Immediately duck and roll to avoid their charge, should you see one coming. Pick yourself up after it has passed and target it's vulnerable back.
Hunters:
Sneaky.
Body: Small, quick, quiet. Crawls on all fours before a pounce. They look the most human, with a hood obscuring their face.
Notes: Hunters are fast. They're nimble and agile, and often silent as they stalk their prey. They can climb up and down walls, leap over thirty feet in the air, and sneak through shadows like quiet death. Only when they're ready to pounce on an unsuspecting victim do they let out a high-pitched shriek. They'll leap onto a victim, pinning them to the ground as they tear apart the character's chest. You can bat them away in mid-leap, if you're quick enough.
Recommendation: Shoot on sight. Aim for the head for a quicker death. It is possible to head-shot one in the middle of a jump.
Smokers:
Constricting.
Body: Tall, gangly, and possessing several ropes of tongue. They also feature large cysts around the head and neck, filled with foul-smelling smoke.
Notes: A long cough or a wheeze usually precedes one's appearance. They are hard to spot right away, often taking refuge on rooftops or behind high windows; any high vantage point where they can sight a survivor and lasso them with a long-range tongue attack. Smokers possess very long tongues, which they use to wrap around survivors and slowly choke them to death. They can catch a survivor with their tongue from almost a hundred feet away, lassoing the poor soul and pulling the body back across that distance, until some obstacle stops them. Once you are ensnared, it's impossible for you to escape on your own. You must rely on teammates to free you. Upon their death, smokers release a cloud of green smoke. It's relatively harmless, though vision-obstructing. Unless you are bothered by temporary fog and coughing fits.
Recommendation: Shoot on sight. Avoid walking through the green smoke cloud emmitted after death; bad for you lungs. Also, it is possible to shoot merely the tongue wrapped around a teammate, if you cannot get a decent enough angle to shoot the Smoker himself.
TANKS:
Big.
Body: Huge.
Notes: The single most difficult, armored zombie known about so far. Should you see one, run. They are huge, heavily muscled, fast and stubborn once they have a target in sight. They run like gorillas, and are capable of creating mini earthquakes around the area just by charging at survivors. Also capable of picking up cars, dumpsters, and tearing up large pieces of concrete to throw at any survivor they see. Almost completely immune to magic, bullets, and normal physical attacks. Tanks tend to take a massive coordinated effort to bring one down, and a lot of luck.
Recommendation:Run. Pray. Wait for backup. Never attempt to take one on alone. Use grenades, molotovs, and bile bombs if handy. With enough concentrated firepower, it is possible to take one down. However if you see a saferoom up ahead, it is better to run for that and close the door. [Note: reports indicate Tanks may be capable of tearing down safe-room doors. More information pending.]
Throwables:
Home-made explosives and other defense items can be found in many homes and buildings along different routes.
Molotov Cocktails
Light and throw. A wall of fire will erupt when it lands. Just don't get caught standing in the middle of it, because zombies aren't the only things that will get burned.
Pipe Bombs
Homemade explosives that emit a loud beeping noise. Perfect for diverting zombie attention elsewhere while you seek shelter. Zombies are drawn to the noise and blinking red light. Upon detonation, it will blow any zombie nearby to pieces.
Bile Bombs
When broken against the ground or a zombie, a cloud of bile gas is released. This has the same effect as a boomer having just vomited on a survivor, drawing all the infected to one spot. Suggestion: Combine with a Molotov for immediate damage; zombies will run right into the fire.
Guns:
Safe-rooms are usually well-stocked with firepower. You might also find arms abandoned along different routes.
Primary Weapons:
Name: Pump Shotgun
Capacity: 8
Carry Capacity: 56
Notes: Extremely effective at short-range, less effective at long-range.
Name: Chrome Shotgun
Capacity: 8
Carry Capacity: 56
Notes: Extremely effective at short-range, less effective at long-range.
Name: Sub-machine Gun
Capacity: 50
Carry Capacity: 480
Notes: High rate of fire and accuracy; medium-range targets. Lighter hitting than a shotgun. Can sometimes be found with a silencer.
Name: Tactical Shotgun
Capacity: 10
Carry Capacity: 128
Notes: Does not require a pump after each shot.
Name: Combat Shotgun
Capacity: 10
Carry Capacity: 90
Notes: Slightly higher accuracy for a shotgun, but still not a ranged weapon. Quick fire ability.
Name: Hunting Rifle
Capacity: 15
Carry Capacity: 150
Notes: Ranged. Highest accuracy.
Name: Sniper Rifle
Capacity: 30
Carry Capacity: 180
Notes: Deals high damaged to special infected; high accuracy.
Name: M-16 Assault Rifle
Capacity: 50
Carry Capacity: 360
Notes: Good choice for a general-use firearm on account of on account of its accuracy, damage potential and adaptability.
Name: Combat Rifle ("Desert Rifle")
Capacity: 60
Carry Capacity: 360
Notes: Fires in three-round bursts. Sustained bursts make for a more accurate round of fire.
Name: AK-47
Capacity: 40
Carry Capacity: 360
Notes: Enhanced stopping power, but a slower firing rate and less accuracy than the Assault Rifle.
Sidearms:
Name: P220 Pistol.
Rounds: 15 in the chamber, can carry almost an infinite supply of ammo safely.
Notes: Weak against special infected, but higher accuracy rating.
Name: Glock
Rounds: 15 in chamber, can carry almost an infinite supply of ammo safely.
Notes: Recommended to dual-wield of the P220 for extra firepower.
Name: Magnum Pistol
Rounds: 8 in chamber, can carry almost an infinite supply of ammo safely.
Notes: Highly effective against common infected. One shot it usually enough to take one down. Downside: Often need to reload.
Melee:
You may also choose to forgo a sidearm and use a melee weapon instead. Known melee weapons to have been found and used effectively against the infected:
Axe.
Cricket bat.
Golf club.
Katana.
Machete.
Frying pan.
Baseball bat.
Crow bar.
Night stick.
Guitar.
Chainsaw [Note: Will run out of gas.]