Left 4 Dead 2: Charger Guide

Our third guide on the Special Infected in Left 4 Dead 2 focuses on The Charger. Probably one of the most loved additions to the Special Infected team, The Charger has a unique mutation which allows him to “Charge” at Survivors in the hopes of grabbing one and proceeding to smash them against a wall or the floor. The Charger also has a very nice knock-back effect that sends all Survivors that come into contact with his Charge, flying off in every direction…

Once a Charger has grabbed his victim, the damage isn’t bad but the main product of the Charger‘s carnage is the knock-back effect, giving you the chance to send Survivors over cliff edges or out of windows. The majority of players struggle with The Charger because they attempt to initiate his Charge far to early giving the target plenty of time to adjust his movement pattern and dodge your Charge, leaving you stunned and vulnerable as your back gets filled with Shotgun shells. The trick to a successful Charge is to hold out until the last second before actually charging, either stay out of sight or hide behind objects to get close enough to a Survivor to almost instantly grab them after initiating the Charge. It requires quick thinking but a quick survey of the situation before you start to Charge will give you the opportunity to line up your initial target with other survivors, resulting in a perfect grab Charge with knock-back.

One of the main weaknesses of  The Charger is the cool-down on the Charge ability as well as the momentary stun you receive for missing a Charge. You have to expose yourself a certain extent when initiating your Charge as you cannot go through objects, which leaves a few seconds for the Survivors to notice you, readying their aim for when you attempt to Charge one. The rule of thumb is pretty much, you miss your Charge, you die. It happens far to often in regular games for such an important Special Infected so remember the following to help improve your Charger play.

Summary

• Don’t attempt to Charge from to great a distance, hold your attack until the opportune moment
• Attacking after/during a Boomer Bile attack is often the best cover a Charger can ask for
• Don’t attack alone, wait to see what opportunities your Special Infected team can offer you or check to see what opportunities you can create for them
• The biggest key to being a good Charger, don’t miss your Charge.