Understanding The Special Infected (LORE)

This guide is just a simple summary of the different types of special infected found in the L4D universe.

Introduction:

The Special Infected have higher intelligence than the Common Infected, as they are not attracted by car alarms or loud noise and are able to run away if required to set up an ambush. They are also more aggressive than the Common Infected, as they will actively attack Survivors.

Seven of the Special Infected are playable by human players in the following gameplay modes:

⭐ Versus
⭐ Realism Versus
⭐ Scavenge
⭐ Various Mutations

Types of Infected:

⭐ The Boomer:

The Boomer is a Special Infected that vomits a special bile at Survivors, which temporarily blinds them and draws a Horde of Common Infected to them. At a distance the Boomer isn't much of a threat; their large size and low health make them an easy target against any weapon at mid or long range.

When they die, they explode, covering any Survivors who are close enough with bile, blinding them and causing them to stumble backwards. The Boomer is notorious on the Expert difficulty for being able to snipe Survivors. Boomers can be anticipated because of the near-constant gurgling they make.

⭐ The Hunter:

The Hunter is a Special Infected that has the least visible mutations and can be mistaken for a Common Infected. The Hunter is very fast and agile, capable of quickly scaling walls. Additionally, he can pounce and pin down Survivors, clawing at their abdomen until either the victim is dead, or the Hunter has been knocked off or killed by another Survivor. Hunters are not the most physically robust Infected, having relatively low health, and doesn't take much to kill them.

When the Hunter crouches down in preparation to pounce, he growls, giving himself away to any nearby Survivors. However, whilst standing, he makes no noise. The Hunter is the only Special Infected that can remain absolutely silent.

⭐ The Smoker:

The Smoker is an ambush class that can strangle Survivors with their long tongue, similar to Half-Life's Barnacle. The help of another Survivor is required to escape from a Smoker's hold (There's a short delay before it starts to drag you, during which a shotgun blast may kill it in easy, and doing so successfully grants an achievement). As the name implies, Smokers emit smoke when killed to impair Survivors' vision.

A Smoker also will frequently cough, letting the Survivors know when he is in the area. The Smoker can drag players that he has captured with his tongue towards himself, though he remains stationary and cannot move.

⭐ The Tank:

​The Tank is the biggest and strongest of all the Infected and is reasonably fast, only slowing if hit with large amounts of automatic weapon fire or when lit on fire.

The Tank has incredible strength, and resistance - his punch can send Survivors flying, rendering them temporarily defenceless, and in Expert mode, instantly incapacitate them. The blow can send Survivors off high hazards to their deaths. He is also capable of throwing chunks of concrete that he rips out of the ground to momentarily stun Survivors.

​He can also punch large objects (e.g. a car) in the direction of Survivors with enough force to incapacitate them instantly. The fact that the Tank is absurdly tough and its massive amount of attack damage, combined with its extreme mobility, makes it hard to take out without teamwork or strategies.

⭐ The Charger:

The Charger's main attack is charging forward and plowing into the Survivors, hence the name. On a successful charge, he will grab and carry a single Survivor while knocking down the others. Once the Charger has hit a wall or other surface, or after he has run a certain distance, he will begin slamming his captive into the ground (and also into the wall and the ceiling if there is one) until an ally frees them. If he misses and hits a wall, he will stumble for a few seconds and becomes vulnerable.

Because of his hulking size, the Charger cannot be shoved off with melee, and must be killed in order to release his victim.

⭐ The Jockey:

​The Jockey is a small Infected that attacks Survivors by clinging to them from behind and literally riding the Survivor while attacking them. He can shift his weight around and cause the Survivor to stumble in his desired direction, giving this Special Infected a type of control over the Survivor. He will only let go if his victim becomes incapacitated, or if he gets knocked off/killed.

Survivors who are being ridden by the Jockey can attempt to "resist" the Jockey, causing the Jockey to slow and even pause for a second, which allows other players a chance to catch up and knock the Jockey off. Jockeys can ride Survivors into dangerous situations, such as into natural hazards, Witches, or other Infected; a Jockey can also pull a Survivor off a ledge, causing them to become incapacitated, or riding them to their death if they are not resisting. The Jockey seems to have a spinal disease, similar to kyphosis, giving him a hunched appearance. He also has a maniacal laugh (which gives away his location) and is constantly twitching, giving him a sort of hyperactive nature.

⭐ The Spitter:

​The Spitter possesses the ability to spit a green ball of acid from long distances, which, upon hitting the ground, will expand into a large puddle and damage any Survivors who make contact with it. After spitting, however, the Spitter is temporarily paralyzed for a second, giving the Survivors a chance to kill her. The Spitter makes these high-pitched noises that gives away her location.

The longer the Survivor stands in it, the more damage the Survivor takes from the goo. This ability allows the Spitter to aid other Special Infected; for instance, if a Hunter pounces a Survivor, a Spitter can spit upon that Survivor, causing even more damage. However, in spite of such a useful ability, the Spitter is very weak in terms of health, so taking out a Spitter is an easy task.

Upon death, the Spitter leaves a similar, smaller kind of puddle that has the same effect on the Survivors. She is one of the most powerful Infected if Survivors are caught standing in her spit and are too distracted to move quickly due to other Infected or a lack of awareness at damage being dealt.

⭐ The Witch & The Wandering Witch:

The Witch generally only appears a few times per campaign, and is passive unless provoked by flashlights, gunfire, or Survivors in close proximity.

The Witch cries loudly. When nearby, Survivors will mention they hear her and warn teammates to turn off their flashlight. While the Witch can be killed, her high health makes this difficult (at least 1/3 of the easy mode Tank). It is best to avoid her if possible. Witches can be startled if a Survivor stands too close to her, damages her, or shines their flashlight on her from a close to moderate distance. She will also start to growl if a Survivor looks at her through the Hunting Rifle/Sniper Rifle's scope for a long time.

​The Wandering Witch is seen only in the daylight hours, aimlessly wandering around and sobbing loudly with her head in her hands. Her constant movement makes The Wandering Witch harder to avoid, but she is also far more introverted and reacts only to direct attacks or physical contact. One can even damage her slightly without startling her. Unlike the sitting Witches, she does not seem to be alerted that readily by flashlights.

Final Thoughts:

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[Trisolk]

this was helpful but the achievement says there is only 6. Anyways this was helpful.