Ways To Kill The Witch

Updated for THE LAST STAND! 7,500 Viewers! You will read, watch, and study the many ways to kill the Witch. This guide will present you with tons of options for when you're stuck.

In This Guide..

Your guide to defeating the dead. You will review tactics that provide you with an advantage in combat with the Dreaded Witch! Almost every section has a YouTube tutorial. Stay safe!
This Guide has been updated for the Last Stand Community Update with TWO NEW relevant achievements

Crowning (2 Vids + Achievement)

Crowning requirements.

• Campaign and Realism
  
• Sitting and Wandering Witches
  
• Shotguns
  
  Because of the Witches high health, a single quick shotgun blow can instantly kill her. You must be extremely close for all of the shotgun pellets to hit her. If this is done incorrectly or to far away from her, the witch may end your life, although that depends on the difficulty. It is recommend that you shoot her quickly in the back, as it is the biggest part of her body meaning it will absorb more damage with every shot.
  
  
  
  Crowning is the easiest way to kill the Witch if done correctly. I recommend using the Auto-Shotguns as it they shoot faster than standard shotguns. The Witch has just over 1,000 hit points, be careful.
  
  
  
  
  Recomended Shotgun
  1.Auto-Shotguns
  2.Pump-Shotguns
  
  The shotgun is the only weapon that will instantly kill her, providing that every bullet hits. Missing could result in disaster or death, depending on the difficulty you have chosen.
  
  
  The Last Stand Community Update added a new achievement regarding Crowning. The the Campaign The Passing on the first chapter The Riverbank, you will come across the Bride Witch. If the difficult is on expert, you may achieve this by Crowning the Bride Witch! Good luck!
  
  

Throwables (1 Vid)

Works with:

• All Gamemodes
  
• All Witch Positions
  
• Active Witches
  
  Molotov
  WARNING! The Witch will run FASTER than the survivors on fire in the day!
  
  The Molotov is undeniably the best option because of their guaranteed effectiveness. A burning Witch will run slower toward you when hit with one, although sometimes the fire will not finish her off. The Witch also stumbles around when on fire, making it even easier to kill. Most of the time, she will perish on her own, keep your distance.
  
  
  If a teammate is being chased, throw one at her, it will redirect her to you.
  As always, watch for the rest of the infected as they can slow you down and give the witch time to catch up on you.
  
  
  
  
  
  Bile Bombs
  Bile Bombs are the worst way to kill a Witch. They attract hordes and fail to kill the Witch in time before you or a team mate is dead or down. They are not intended for this infected.
  
  Pipe Bombs
  Useless, they are not used for any specially infected. You can stun the witch with it for brief moment, it is not recommended.
  
  Gas cans and Propane Tanks
  Gas cans are the same as the Molotov, a very good way of killing the Witch. It may be difficult to line her up with one, but if it can happen you are set. The propane tanks can do damage and stun the witch. Combining both results in a quick death for her.

Stunning Witches (1 Vid)

Works with:

• Campaign and Realism
  
• Sitting Witches
  
• Weapons or Items that Stun
  
  This isn't the easiest way to kill her, but it works. Properly stunning the Witch, gives you and your team time to shoot her. If the stunner keeps shoving her, she will remain stunned.
  
  
  .
  Practice is heavily recommended, this can fail. It is suggested that you do this with a team. Having cooperation with a teammate or the entire team is encouraged.
  
  Best Weapons to Use:
  
  1. Explosive Ammo
  2. Propane Tank
  3. Sniper Rifles (HEADSHOT)
  4.Any other Rifles (HEADSHOT)
  
  When Stunned:
  You must continue to push her. Let the team kill the Witch.
  
  1. Melee weapons
  2. Auto-Shotgun
  3. Shotgun.

The Team Attacks! (1 Vid)

An obvious, but often overlooked way of killing the Witch. If a team has communication, it is suggested that they coordinate an attack. Four players pumping bullets into the Witch ends her fast.

Works With:

• All Gamemodes
  
• All Witch positions
  
• Bots!
  
  Make sure the entire team is listening to one another, then attack at the same time. It is advised that when using bots, you should lure them away from her so no one gets hurt.Bots shoot whatever is coming at them, so using bots is no problem! It can also be better than real players as they will not stop shooting until she dies.
  
  
  
  
  
• Weapons:
  
• 1. Shotguns Short Range
  
• 2. Rifles Long Range
  
  
  
  

Ladders

Works With:

• 1 Real Teammate
  
• All Witch positions
  
• All Gamemodes
  
  To eliminate the Witch fast, you could climb up a nearby ladder and shoot her. The witch cannot climb it, but will stand still. Use this time to shoot her.
  
  This is effective but it is very situational, I recommend that at least one real player is on your team they shoot the Witch as fast as possible.

Losing The Witch (1 Vid)

No bullets, no problem. Run.

Works With:

• Startled Witches
  
• All Gamemodes
  
  Safe Rooms:
  Running into Safe rooms will confuse the Witch, forcing her to run to her death. Only the provoker of the attack must do this to survive, the team can keep playing.
  
  
  
  Glitches:
  In some cases in Left 4 Dead 2, there are places in maps that can cause the game to glitch. When a player reaches one, the Witch will run away from you. I do not suggest cheating in this game at all, it ruins the fun.
  
  
  
  
  Cliffs:
  Have you ever fallen off a ledge and needed a teammate to help you up? Of course you have, now intentionally do it to survive. Inching off a ledge and needing help up can send the Witch running away.
  
  

Doors

Works in:

• Realism Only
  
• All Witch positions (Even angry)
  
• Do not perform near bots!
  
  The Witch cannot be crowned in Realism. She cannot break doors either.
  You can use her inability to break doors to your advantage.
  
  Make sure your teammates do not shoot down the door!
  
  Scenario:
  You've startled a Witch. You run behind a door and close it, giving your team time to shoot the Witch down. This is an effective way of killing the Witch and I recommend you using it.
  
  Suggested Weapons:
  1. Melee Weapons can eliminate her quickly.
  2. Shotguns
  3. Any Rifles

Melee (1 Vid + Achievement)

Works with:

• Sitting or Walking Witches.
  
• Melee only.
  
• Teammate Attack
  
  It is a tricky and challenging way of getting rid of the Witch. It is recommend not using this is Realism as a Witches attack results in immediate death. Keep in mind, the Witch can only take four hits before she dies! An entire team could also approach the Witch and strike at the same time, coordination is key.
  
  
  
  
  This should be performed only once you've mastered it. Once you have, you may want to consider doing it for an achievement. The Last Stand Community Update added this achievement, rewarding you for killing the Witch with a melee weapon.
  
  

[Mantis987]

Melee strat I use:
Get directly behind the witch (if you aren't directly behind, you'll die immediately), melee attack and jump at the same time, and then keep holding down melee and spamming jump. Works 100% consistently with most weapons (and still pretty consistently with the slowest) if the situation is correct, but you'll have to worry about things like fully stopping before jumping (if you accidentally have some momentum when you jump, you'll end up on the side of the witch instead of behind her and you'll die), terrain slopes, and ceilings that could mess up your jump. I haven't practiced this much but I've already been able to kill about half the witches I've run into, and when it fails, I almost always know it was my fault rather than the technique's.

[ManBearPig]

enjoy the award whatever that does.

[ManBearPig]

I mostly just run towards the witch, ignore special inf, look down and shoot as soon as I run over her. I tried pure melee in versus many times but failed miserably, could only make it a few times, not consistent enough. Draw crowning is probably the most effective still. I didn't know backstepping helps, but it makes sense. Too often she was pulling sidesteps on me.
This is a great guide. Should be the go-to material for witch questions and I'll link it in my guide, saves me a lot of work.

[EddieMihai]

nice guide

[ion]

There are even more creative ways to kill the witch. ;) For example, using 2 gas cans, where you light the first one which ignites the second one, which finally ignites the witch. She dies without being startled (environmental kill).

Another example is stumbling a sitting witch being near the water (sometimes on the 2nd level of The Sacrifice). Just stumble shoot her towards the water and she'll die miserably.

Also an interesting way to kill the witch is using tank's rocks. It's not easy though, because having a witch and a tank near each other is rare, plus you'll have to position yourself properly behind the witch. If done correctly, tank's flying rock will instantly kill her.

My last "unusual" way of killing a witch is throwing a bile at her and going idle before it hits her. She'll not get startled, horde will attack her and rape her to death. :D Cheers!

[pbj]

Good guide

[Palumtra]

Here's a quick 3 step guide:
1.Throw a molotov at a not startled witch
2.Go idle before the molotov lands(using binds is the easiest way)
3.Laugh you a55 off as the witch burns to death without being startled.(FYI she can still be startled by shooting/getting too close to her, so you have to wait 15 secs, but you have to wait due to the fire anyways)

[MaxYu]

useful

[Simon Henriksson]

Back away from the witch!

[Noobwoken]

Yeah, I can confirm that this has been done in Vs