Coordinated Combat Guide -- Left 4 Dead

COORDINATED COMBAT GUIDE – LEFT 4 DEAD WRITTEN BY EYE OF THE YETI, AKA YETI YETI

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ONISQUARED

CONTENTS OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................... 3 CHARACTERS .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 FRANCIS (VANGUARD) ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 BILL (COMMANDER) .................................................................................................................................................................... 4 LOUIS (MEDIC).............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 ZOEY (REARGUARD)..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 COMMANDS.............................................................................................................................................................. 7 NON-EMERGENCY (SEE FIGURE 1) ............................................................................................................................................ 7 CORNER COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 2) ............................................................................................................................................. 7 WALL COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 3) ................................................................................................................................................. 7 OPEN COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 4).................................................................................................................................................. 7 CLOSET COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 5) .............................................................................................................................................. 8 DOUBLE-WIDTH COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 6) ............................................................................................................................. 8 DOUBLE-ENTRANCE COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 7) ....................................................................................................................... 8 GENERAL TACTICS ................................................................................................................................................. 9 SPECIAL INFECTED ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9 COORDINATED MOVEMENT....................................................................................................................................................... 10 MELEE VS BULLETS .................................................................................................................................................................... 10 LEFT 4 DEAD 2 – TACTICAL CHANGES.......................................................................................................... 11 CHARACTER CHANGES................................................................................................................................................................ 11 INTRODUCTION OF THE “SPITTER” .......................................................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION OF “UNCOMMON COMMON”.......................................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION OF THE “CHARGER” ........................................................................................................................................ 11 INTRODUCTION OF THE “JOCKEY” ............................................................................................................................................ 12 INTRODUCTION OF MELEE FATIGUE IN THE CAMPAIGN MODE .......................................................................................... 12 APPENDIX.............................................................................................................................................................. 13

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OVERVIEW I’ve written this tactical guide for players who are familiar with the mechanics of the game. While new players may glean some spare knowledge from this guide, I expect that only the expert players will be able to take the full guide in stride. This guide is a system based on job classes, where every player is equal but instead of splitting the work down the middle, with everybody doing a quarter of every task, it separates them into categories and allows them to be accomplished smoothly. Consider it analogous to a situation in which the windows on four floors of a building need to be covered with zombie brains. If all four workers are designated a quarter of all four floors, the work gets done less quickly than if each worker is designated a floor to him (or her) self. Since it’s sort of long (around 2500 words, at last count) it may be advantageous to read through the roles of only one character to start. That way you don’t get bogged down in information which, once you pick your ideal role, becomes little more than useless. I designed the Vanguard role for those players who are bold, daring, and willing to follow orders. Similarly, the Commander is designed for those who can think critically and find solutions when solutions are required. The Medic is a player whose greatest strength stems from his/her ability to stay alive. Finally, the Rearguard gives its player the freedom to explore for items while keeping an eye out for threats from behind. Read on for more info.

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CHARACTERS 1 FRANCIS (VANGUARD) o Main Functions ƒ Clears a path ƒ Declares dangers ahead ƒ Lights tank o Placement ƒ Non-emergency: front, facing forward, crouching ƒ Corner combat: front left, crouching ƒ Wall combat: extreme left 2 ƒ Open combat: 90 degrees to the right of Commander ƒ Closet combat: front left, crouching ƒ Double-width combat: front left, crouching o Weaponry/Items ƒ 1: Pump-action Shotgun ƒ 2: Automatic Shotgun ƒ First priority on Molotovs BILL (COMMANDER) o Main Functions ƒ Issues orders ƒ Dictates speed of play ƒ Indicates movement during open combat and wall combats ƒ Settles disputes ƒ Ensures progress is made ƒ Ensures Medic takes minimal damage o Placement ƒ Non-emergency: second from the front, facing forward, standing ƒ Corner combat: back left, standing ƒ Wall combat: mid-left 3

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The roles may be switched; I’ve provided a possible solution for remembering who is who, but as long as everybody understands who’s playing what role, it doesn’t really matter what characters you use. Some people find that assigning roles to characters is a particularly misinformed decision. There’s some leeway here, in that the characters’ stats are the same. Their logic is sound, I just disagree. 2 A screen’s width is approximately 90 degrees. Keep the left wall on the left side of your screen and shoot anything on the left half of your screen.

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ƒ Open combat: facing forward (reference point) ƒ Closet combat: back left, standing ƒ Double-width combat: back left, standing o Weaponry/Items ƒ 1: Pump-action Shotgun ƒ 2: Assault Rifle ƒ First priority on Pipe Bombs LOUIS (MEDIC) o Main Functions ƒ Takes no damage ƒ Keeps health pack and pills for those who need it ƒ Survives until dead players respawn ƒ Breaks formation to save other players o Placement ƒ Non-emergency: second from back, observing everything, reporting problems to Commander, standing ƒ Corner combat: back right, standing ƒ Wall combat: mid-right 4 ƒ Open combat: 180 degrees from commander (back to back) ƒ Closet combat: back right, standing ƒ Double-width combat: back right, standing o Weaponry/Items ƒ 1: Pump-action Shotgun ƒ 2: Assault Rifle ƒ First priority on Med Pack and Pills ZOEY (REARGUARD) o Main Functions ƒ Defends against threats from behind ƒ Seeks out items o Placement ƒ Non-emergency: back, facing backward, standing or crouching

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A screen’s width is approximately 90 degrees. Keep the perpendicular on the right of your screen and shoot anything on the right half of your screen. 4 A screen’s width is about 90 degrees. Keep the perpendicular on the left of your screen and shoot anything on the left half of your screen.

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ƒ Corner combat: front right, crouching ƒ Wall combat: extreme right 5 ƒ Open combat: 90 degrees to the left of Commander ƒ Closet Combat: front right, crouching ƒ Double-width combat: front right, crouching o Weaponry/Items ƒ 1: Pump-action Shotgun ƒ 2: Automatic Shotgun ƒ Second Priority on all items

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A screen’s width is about 90 degrees. Keep the right wall on the right of your screen and shoot anything on the right half of your screen.

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COMMANDS NON-EMERGENCY (SEE FIGURE 1) o o o o

Move: move in the direction of the next safe house, in formation. Run: move quickly in the direction of the next safe house, in formation. Stop for items: break formation to search for items Stop for combat: stop moving, form up. See open combat movement commands. It is also possible to skip open formation, if the party is close enough to a wall or corner. CORNER COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 2)

o Corner Formation: prepare for corner combat using the positions described in “Characters” o All Clear: break corner formation and form up in non-emergency formation. WALL COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 3) o Wall Formation: prepare for wall combat using the positions described in “Characters” o Move Left: move along the wall, holding shift, to the left if the wall is to your back. o Move Right: move along the wall, holding shift, to the right if the wall is to your back. o Left/Right Corner Formation: prepare for corner combat using the positions described in “Characters.” The terms Left and Right indicate the corner to be used. o All Clear: break wall formation and form up in non-emergency formation. OPEN COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 4) o Open Formation: prepare for open combat using the positions described in “Characters.” After this order is issued, the Commander will not move, and all other players will use his position as a reference. o Move… ƒ …Forward: move in the direction the Commander faces. ƒ …Right: move in the direction the Vanguard faces. ƒ …Left: move in the direction the Rearguard faces. ƒ …Backwards: move in the direction the Medic faces. o Rotate… ƒ …Left: replace the player to your left

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ƒ …Right: replace the player to your right o Front/Back/Left/Right Wall Formation: prepare for wall combat using the positions described in “Characters.” The terms Front, Back, Left and Right indicate the wall to be used. o Front/Back/Left/Right Corner Formation: prepare for corner combat using the positions described in “Characters.” The terms Front, Back, Left and Right indicate the corner to be used. o All Clear: break open formation and form up in non-emergency formation. CLOSET COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 5) o Closet Formation: prepare for closet combat using the positions described in “Characters.” o All Clear: break closet formation and form up in non-emergency formation. DOUBLE-WIDTH COMBAT (SEE FIGURE 6) o Double-Width Formation: prepare for double-width combat using the positions described in “Characters.” In cases where the direction the party should face is unclear, specify “Forward” or “Backward” before giving the command. o All Clear: break Double-Width Formation and form up in non-emergency formation. DOUBLE-ENTRANCE COMBAT 6 (SEE FIGURE 7) o Double-Entrance Formation: prepare for double-entrance combat. In this formation, the Commander stands behind the Vanguard and the Medic stands behind the Rearguard, as is usually the case. The commander will need to specify which entrance is being covered by which pair, by any means necessary. For example, the command “Double-Entrance Formation, Medic team on the back window” should be clear. o All Clear?: this is not a command. Since the team is split into two groups, the Medic is expected to respond to this question. Once the fight is over on both sides, the Commander may give the “Form Up” or “Move” commands.

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The same formation may be used in a hallway, with one pair of survivors facing each direction, Commander and Medic back to back.

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GENERAL TACTICS SPECIAL INFECTED o Hunter ƒ During corner combat, when any player hears a hunter, they let the entire team know, and the back players (Commander and Medic) switch to melee. In this way, when the hunter lands on one of the front players (Vanguard and Rearguard), it will be punted before any damage may be taken. ƒ During wall combat, players will continue to fight on their designated 45 degrees, but keep an eye out for the hunter. The area in which the hunter lies should be apparent as long as everybody’s speakers are on stereo. When you can hear the hunter in front of you, switch to melee regardless of whether you see it or not, as it may be preparing for a pounce. ƒ During open combat, use the tactics described in the previous point. ƒ During a non-emergency, keep an eye out. It’s the Medic’s responsibility to ensure nobody is harmed by the special infected, and it’s the Rearguard’s responsibility to take care of any special infected from behind. o Smoker ƒ The tactics are exactly the same as the hunter tactics, with one exception: if a player gets dragged out of the corner or away from the wall. If formation is broken by a smoker, all players form up using the dragged player as a reference, in open formation. From this point, the commander indicates movement to safely regain the wall or corner. o Boomer ƒ Shoot it from a distance. If any players are vomited on, players will form up in open formation using the vomited player as a reference. o Tank ƒ This is one of the situations in which the team splits up. The attack team consists of the Vanguard and the Commander, while the defense team consists of the Medic and the Rearguard. The Vanguard will light the tank, and the attack team will occupy the tank, leading it in circles or through windows whenever possible. The defense tank will get out of range. The main point behind these tactics is to keep the Medic alive. If it happens that the attack team dies, the defense team will be far enough away that by the time the tank reaches them, flames will have scorched its liver, making an easy kill. The defense team will then protect each other until the attack team spawns.

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COORDINATED MOVEMENT o Commanders should make orders as clear as possible, and as logical as possible. For example, if the team is steps away from one wall, the commander should recognize that fact and give the “[direction] Wall Formation” command in order to defend more effectively. In open formation, one player will be facing the wall, making them almost completely useless. o Vanguard, Medic, and Rearguard should follow orders with haste, since if three players move while one stays, the one player will be left vulnerable to attack. MELEE VS BULLETS o In corner combat, closet combat, and double-width combat (any combat in which players are paired up with one crouching) the front players should use melee when the horde is thick. The reasoning behind this is fairly basic; if the zombies can’t get to you, they can’t hit you. This can prevent most of them from reaching the group, particularly if both front players are using melee and both back players are shooting.

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LEFT 4 DEAD 2 – TACTICAL CHANGES CHARACTER CHANGES o In all practicality, the most likely switches will keep the characters as similar as possible. Francis (Vanguard) becomes Nick, Bill (Commander) becomes Ellis by elimination, Louis (Medic) becomes Coach, and Zoey (Rearguard) becomes Rochelle. As mentioned in footnote 1 on page 4, some people find that assigning roles to characters is a mistake. So be it. The footnote applies here as well. INTRODUCTION OF THE “SPITTER” o There are no commands listed to move from a corner. This may need to happen, if a spitter takes aim at a corner from which the survivors are fighting. A possible solution is to issue the command “Right Wall Formation, Move Right” or “Left Wall Formation, Move Left” in order to slide along the wall in wall formation. This transition should be smooth. We’ll take “Left Wall Formation, Move Left” for example. In this case, the Vanguard is front left already, and is furthest left in the wall formation. All he has to do is walk forward away from the affected area. The Commander stands behind him in the corner, and beside him on the wall. The Medic is required to turn in order to be facing the appropriate 45 degrees, and the Rearguard will catch any stragglers until the distance between the party and the opposite wall is sufficient to make the right 45 degrees practical. INTRODUCTION OF “UNCOMMON COMMON” o The integration of a new order, namely “Party Split,” is a simple solution to this dilemma. Once this order is given, the Medic and Rearguard can go right (either along the wall in Wall Combat or along the right wall in corner combat) and the Commander and Vanguard can go left. The party shouldn’t need more than a few yards between the two groups, as long as the uncommon is between them. That is the problem area. If the Commander gives the “Party Split” order too early, the uncommon has the chance to be on the right of the right party or on the left of the left party, making them invulnerable to both parties’ bullets. INTRODUCTION OF THE “CHARGER” o The reason I left this section so late is because by this point we’ve already discussed “Party Split.” This order could prove useful here. If, for example, the order was modified to be more urgent, such as “Party Split NOW!!” the group could

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get the charger to run directly into the corner, where both pairs of players are able to fire at will, easily taking it down. Timing is of the essence, as always in these emergency orders. INTRODUCTION OF THE “JOCKEY” o This doesn’t present too much of a challenge, since melee is the best remedy to a targeted survivor. The jockey has more in common with the Smoker than with the Hunter, since the main goal is to pull the target away from the pack. As long as the Medic’s paying attention to any threats, everybody will be fine. INTRODUCTION OF MELEE FATIGUE IN THE CAMPAIGN MODE o Believe it or not, this feature was the inspiration behind my writing this guide. In Left 4 Dead (the original), these formations are unnecessary at best, since a single person can hide in a corner and fend off a horde for hours if they know how. In Left 4 Dead 2, however, things are different. These formations will ensure that only at the worst of times will you be required to cover 90 degrees, and at the best of times will have two people covering each set of 45 degrees in a corner. Even bullets can cover that angle, so melee will only be necessary in the direst of situations.

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APPENDIX The following images are the formations described in the “Characters” section, made accessible. A black outline around the circle means that character is crouching. Green represents Vanguard, blue represents Rearguard, red represents the Medic and orange represents the Commander.

F IGURE 1

FIGURE 2

F IGURE 3

FIGURE 4

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F IGURE 5

FIGURE 6

FIGURE 7