PART ONE: GETTING STARTED

Chapter Two: Know Your Zombies

Along with the regular, cannon-fodder type infected a survivor will meet, there are eight 'special' types as well, adding to the issue of reaching an evacuation point. This chapter will cover the basics of the eight abnormal zombie types a survivor can and will encounter outside the safe room.

First off, we'll take a look at the class most commonly known as Hunters. These sneaky infected will creep up on a survivor, pounce them, and proceed to claw, tear at, and otherwise maim the victim until the survivor either dies, or is rescued by a team member. However, despite the Hunter's speed and stealth, they all have a bad habit of screaming loudly when they pounce, giving a survivor warning before the oncoming attack, and thus a bit of time to move out of the way. My buddy Ellis mentioned that Hunters and other special infected seemed to target one specific guy in his group, and said it was probably his white, or formerly white, suit.

Next on the list of abnormal infected are the Spitters. These less-than-attractive zombies are capable, and will without fail, expectorate acidic bile at high velocity, and at great lengths. Notorious for covering a vast area with 'burning goo', Spitters often will pull a 'spit and run', ducking for cover while they 'reload' before promptly returning and spewing again when they have enough acid to do so. On a lighter note, they aren't overly sneaky, and will run out in plain view until they spit, leaving them to be relatively easy targets.

While on the topic of great expectorations, we'll cover the type of infected known commonly as Boomers. Earning their name from the fact that they explode when shot, showering anything and anyone in range with zombie-attracting bile. Not only do the Boomers explode, but they are notorious for spewing puke on any survivors that are unfortunate enough to get in range. Capable of upchucking enough liquid to thoroughly spatter an entire team of survivors, Boomers will 'spit and run' frequently, and on occasion jump off of buildings to dive bomb survivors and blow up on them. Boomer bile will always draw in a horde. My buddy Ellis said Boomers are easy to get warning for, as they make loud noises similar to belching or vomiting.

A danger to themselves as much as they are to survivors, the next type to look at would be the Jockeys. Fast and smaller than other infected, these hunched over zombies will jump on and 'ride' any survivor they can get their hands on. Capable of steering their victim around, a Jockey will ride a survivor into any nearby hazard, be it a fire, a witch, more on those later, Spitter goo, off cliffs, etc. My buddy Ellis told me Jockeys are easy to hear because of their maniacal laughter, but hard to shoot because of spontaneously moving side-to-side while advancing on a survivor.

Another type of infected that can have a serious impact on survivor success is the Charger. These deformed monstrosities, like their name implies, will charge at, and through, a crowd of survivors, carrying one with them as they run. Unable to change directions or stop once they've started, a Charger will only stop when they run into something more solid than they are, and will then proceed to pummel the daylights out of their catch, until either the Charger, or the Survivor, is killed. Not always easy to hear, these zombies are incredibly strong, and exceedingly fast. My buddy Ellis said he side-stepped out of the way of one and it died when it hit the wall. Apparently it only happened once.

The heaviest hitter in the infected nightmare is a type known as a Tank. True to their name, they are extremely hard to kill, massive and sturdily built, and can easily punt a survivor several meters back before the unfortunate victim even hits the ground. Tanks are notorious for pulling up heavy objects to use as throwing weapons, and are prone to tossing cars when they can reach them. These are by far the most dangerous type of special infected and require teamwork to bring down.

The type of infected that could be described as having the 'gift of grab' is called the Smoker. Easily heard because of their constant coughing and retching, these ghastly ghouls earned their name from the hazy cloud of 'mystery smoke' that hovers around them, and from the massive burst of it they produce when shot. Smokers can prove to be incredibly bothersome for a team of survivors, mostly because of their long ranged attack, which is heavily based on the zombie's excessively long 'tongue'. Capable of ensnaring a survivor from a long distance away, the Smoker reels in their unlucky victim, and proceeds to hack at them with its clawed fingers. Occasionally a Smoker cannot fully draw a victim, mainly because the infected is on a higher elevation, such as a roof. When this happens, gravity takes over, as the survivor most always suspended a foot or two off the ground. My buddy Ellis said he had to be rescued several times because he couldn't pull free on his own.

Last, but by far not the least, is the 'queen of mean' infected called the Witch. Generally rare and easily heard, this sobbing zombie will either wander around and bawl, or park herself somewhere and cry her diseased heart out. A Witch won't attack without provocation, caused by shining a flashlight on her, standing too close for two long, and the most obvious offence, shooting her or hitting her with something. When provoked or 'startled', this sob-story drama queen lives up to her name in full. Screaming like a banshee the whole time, a startled Witch will attack whoever startled her, and though she only targets that person, it only takes a single hit from her razor-sharp claws to incapacitate her unfortunate victim. My buddy Ellis said that, on the rare occasion, a Witch will turn and flee after downing her target, and that there was one time a Witch simply up and ran without attacking. He blamed his buddy, Nick.

Okay, so we've covered survivors and special infected. Now we'll take a look at the one thing saving a survivor from the infected horde. The next chapter of this guide will cover weaponry, both ranged and melee. Throwing weapons will also be looked at. So, let's investigate the most enjoyable part of the apocalypse; the survivor's arsenal.