L4D2 : Versus Strategy

Versus is a multiplayer game mode in Left 4 Dead 2 that allows four players to be the standard survivors and another four players to act as the infected.
This adds a broader range to the gameplay as players get a chance to be their most hated enemy and take the role of trying to killing the survivors.
This mode is played on standard campaign maps where the two teams take turns in each of the roles, and are awarded points on how well they complete rounds.

THE INFECTED TIPS:

Hunter:
The hunter is one of the infected from the first title, and remains the staple of the infected versus spawns. The hunter is a small and agile infected that moves extremely quickly and is weak to direct attack. The Hunters main ability is the pounce, which can incapacitate and eventually kill a player if done correctly. This is best used when a player wanders off on thier own, as you can be shot off if you try to attack the survivors in a group. The hunter is also a great infected to use with another infected player, as you can pounce on a player caught in a smokers tongue or you can attack a player who is blinded by Boomer bile.

Boomer:
The Boomer is a fat mutated infected with the ability to spray bile over survivors which temporarily blinds them and attracts a large mob of normal infected. The Boomer is extremely slow and weak, and a massive target, and staying alive long enough to hit players with the bile attack is often a challenge. The best way to play this infected is by hiding in areas the survivors must travel through, or waiting in an area that you can hit the survivors before they have time to react and kill you. This is also an infected that works great in a team, as the blinding bile and leave the survivors open to attack from another player on your team.

Smoker:
The Smoker is an infected with the ability to shoot out a long tongue and pull a survivor towards them and then cause damage. This attack give the smoker an advantage as you can attack players from a much longer range than the other infected, and is relatively safer to play than infected that need to get close. There is a number of ways to use the smoker effectively, one of which is to pull away a survivor for another teammate to damage, which can easily kill a player if done correctly. Another way to use the smoker, and the best in my opinion, is use the tongue to pull a player into a witch or off a ledge. This is a bit “cheap”, but I mean hey, life isn’t fair.

Tank:
The Tank is probably the best experience in versus, as it lets you spawn with the strongest infected in the game, who can single handedly kill entire groups of survivors in the hands of a skilled infected player. The tank has a massive amount of hitpoints and can deal huge amounts of damage with melee attacks, plus you have the ability to knock down or stun a player by throwing chunks of concrete or cars at players from a distance. The tank is best used with other infected, as it can draw alot of fire and let the weaker infected get close to do special attacks. The tank is however, a “rare” spawning infected, and is generally only given to the infected team once or twice a round.

Jockey:
The Jockey is one of the new infected in Left 4 Dead 2 and is one of the more strange infected in terms of special attack. The jockey is a small hunched creature that looks like the what would happen if Gollum got infected with the T-Virus. The jockey has the ability to “ride” a survivor, and control the survivor for a period of time, allowing you to steer the helpless player off a ledge or into a pack of infected. The jockey can be quite strong if used correctly, but must be close to a player to jump on and control, which leaves it open to attack.

Charger:
The charger is an infected that looks like a smaller version of a tank with a single giant arm. The charger has the ability to charge a player and deal massive damage to any players hit by the initial charge attack. After the charge, you can pick up a player and slam them into the ground to deal additional damage, and often kill weakened players. The charger is one of the stronger of the normal infected, and can take a few bullets before being killed, giving it some time to attack a group of players directly. The best way to use a charger is to attack a group of players that are backed in a corner or room, as the charge attack can be sidestepped in the open by a skilled survivor.

Spitter:
The Spitter is another one of the new infected, and comes in the form a disturbing scantily clad “woman” with the ability to spit corrosive acid at survivors. This special attack can be done from long range, and can do significant damage to a group of players if done correctly, it is also a great way to make survivors go a specific direction by blocking a doorway or area with acid. If used strategically the spitter can be a great way to herd players into areas where teammates wait for them, or do good splash damage to an entire group. The downfall of the spitter is the long cooldown on the main attack, which is often frustrating when in a situation that requires you to wait.

SURVIVOR TIPS:

1. The infected controlled by players are alot different than the infected in the campaign, and obviously a person is going to play alot different than the game AI. This is a good thing to keep in mind, as infected players can often do things that will surprise you into panicking and dieing, and are often aggressive to the point of suicidal.
2. A good strategy is to either move very slowly through a level, or move fast to the point of sprinting to the safe room, as you can throw the infected players off guard this way.
3. Keep in mind how you would play as infected, and watch for areas that are good ambush points. Often where you would normally hide as an infected player is where they would hide as well.
4. Any good infected team will work together, if you have not been attacked for a while it often means they are “plotting” a combo attack, such as a smoker drag and hunter pounce at the same time. Infected players that do this are the ones that can easily kill survivors who are not careful.
5. Remember that although you need to watch out for enemy players, you can’t let the normal infected get out of control. Its best to assign one player the role of “crowd control” and have them gun down the normal infected while you keep an eye out for the player controlled infected.
6. Players can do alot of things the AI would not, like drag you off a ledge or into a witch, so be careful when in situations that leave you open to cheap attacks.
7. Keep in mind that infected controlled by players gives you an advantage, as you can be extremely aggressive and not get destroyed by the AI, which punished you for running ahead. An aggressive and quick moving survivor team can easily navigate areas before infected players have a time to set up ambush points.
8. When in areas that require you to stay in a defensive position while waiting for an event to happen, keep in mind that the best position may not be the same while fighting players. A place that gave you a massive advantage over the AI may leave you vulnerable to a smoker or boomer who can actually think for itself.
9. Healing must be done very carefully, as the infected players can tell when you are healing and open to attack, whereas the AI could not.
10. NEVER, go off on your own, as an infected player will almost always kill you if you are without help.