Left 4 Dead 2 Zombie Tier List: Infected to Avoid

(Estimated Read Time: 8 minutes)

Rumored to have first been scribbled on a bathroom wall by a survivor, this Left 4 Dead 2 zombie tier list details infected from weakest to strongest with a few key strategies should contact not be avoided. So, grab your chainsaw and load up that gun because we are about to unbar the door and begin the run!

Common Infected

Common infected are fast, found in large numbers, and attracted by sound. However, without any special infected around, survivors can quickly mow them down.

Uncommon Infected

• Dead Center/No Mercy/The Sacrifice - CEDA Worker Infected: Immune to Flames, Increased Health Pool, Occasionally Drops Bile Bombs
• The Passing - Fallen Survivor: Helmets Prevent Headshots, Flee When Damaged, Increased Health Pool, Occasionally Drop First Aid Kits, Molotovs, Pipe Bombs, and Pain Pills
• Dark Carnival - Clown Infected: Squeaky Shoes Attract Common Infected
• Swamp Fever/Cold Stream - Mud Men: Crawl on All Fours, Blinding Attacks, Camouflage
• Hard Rain/No Mercy/The Sacrifice - Worker Infected: Ignore Pipe Bombs Due to Earmuffs, Ignore Bile Bombs if Not on Infected
• The Parish/Cold Stream - Riot Infected: Front of Body Immune to Damage Due to Armor (Excluding Chainsaw, Explosions, and Flames)

Uncommon infected are typically map-specific, each with their own unique gimmick. They add a fun variance to runs, but once their unique traits are learned, they are not much harder than common infected.

Spitter

The Spitter can be devastating in small corridors or if spit lands on a downed survivor, but otherwise, their acid puddles are easily avoided, and their small health pool leaves them dead quickly after spawning.

Jockey

The Jockey gives away its position with an abundance of laughter before jumping on a survivor. Assuming it was successful, it will then slowly lead the captured survivor away. As long as the player backsteps the jump or the other survivors are paying attention, the Jockey rarely succeeds in dealing significant damage or getting a survivor far away. However, do not underestimate Jockeys when near Witches or if you are the last survivor standing. In those situations, it is typically best to prioritize them.

Smoker

Similar to the Jockey, the Smoker gives away its position with an abundance of coughing that can be heard from afar. However, where the Smoker becomes much more dangerous is its ranged attack, which can latch onto a survivor and begin pulling them away, leaving them completely helpless unless another survivor destroys the tongue or kills the Smoker.

Boomer

The Boomer vomits on survivors, blinding them and attracting a horde. If killed, they also explode, causing boomer bile to burst outward, covering survivors within range. Otherwise, they are easily dealt with from afar, make a distinctive gurgling to let you know they are near, and can be meleed away before quickly being dispatched. So, why is it high on this tier list? Not strictly because of its ability but because one good Boomer can lead to a sudden breakdown of a survivor group. Every special infected becomes much more dangerous when the survivors are blinded and swarmed, even if they were not all that troublesome before.

Charger

Nearing the strongest special infected, we have the Charger. This hulking monstrosity will make itself known through growling before letting out a blaring roar that marks its charge. The first survivor hit by the charge will be grabbed and brought a great distance before being slammed into the ground repeatedly, taking immense damage while stunned. Only other survivors can free someone from this state, but if they were hit by the charge as well, they would be knocked through the air before falling prone. All of this makes for a nearly unmatched special infected, especially on maps with tight corridors and open ledges.

Hunter

Strongest of the special infected is none other than the Hunter. They blend into the crowd, leap on survivors from vast distances, and are capable of the highest single damage attack outside of the Witch and Tank. Once the initial damage from a leap is taken, it will rapidly claw away at its captured survivor’s health until their death. Skilled players can attempt to melee a pouncing hunter out of the air, but this comes with risks of its own. Not only is it difficult to time, but the stopped Hunter can also perform claw attacks that are just as hard-hitting. Listen for its growls and the scream that marks its jump, and gun it down before it deals too much damage.

Witch

The Witch is perhaps the most terrifying of the two boss infected and can even one-shot survivors depending on the difficulty. However, this is balanced by her being a non-issue if the survivors do not startle her. Until they do, the Witch cries in place or wanders aimlessly, rarely spawning in a location survivors will directly have to interfere with. Give her space, and passage will be easy. Just watch out for special infected who can drag you towards her, like the Smoker, Charger, or Jockey.

Tank

The Tank is a boss infected that can not be avoided easily and almost always requires a direct fight. It can punch survivors, throw concrete, and even hit objects such as cars to send them flying. If hit by any of these attacks, the damage can kill players within a few hits, if not instantly, and send them tumbling vast distances through the air, which is only made more deadly on maps with open ledges. If the survivors do not work together, the Tank will very likely end the run then and there. Do not spare resources as this is the best time to use them, especially molotovs and bile bombs. For these reasons, the Tank is number one on our Left 4 Dead 2 zombie tier list.

Left 4 Dead 2 Zombie Tier List: Infected to Avoid

Our tier list has reached its end. Hopefully, it helps survive an encounter that would have otherwise left everyone dead! After all, we’re all that’s left. Until Next Time, BisectHosting =)

Image Credit: Left 4 Dead Wiki