The Charger

"He's bashing me into shit!"

- Ellis

"Don't stand there! Kill this thing!"

- Coach

The Charger is a Special Infected introducted in Left 4 Dead 2.

The Charger's main purpose is to separate a group of Survivors who are tightly joined by grabbing one and crashing into the rest of the group, sending them flying through the air. While he matches the Survivors' pace, he speeds up considerably when charging them. However, this increase in speed leads to a slow stop and impossible in turning left and right.

Appearance
The Charger is a large Infected, close to the Tank in height and about half as wide. Unlike the Tank, the Charger's legs are capable of supporting all of its weight, and thus stands mostly upright. His hairless skin is a deep greenish-gray in color, and he wears bloodstained denim overalls with one broken strap and a green sneaker on his right foot. The charger is one of the only Infected seen wearing any kind of foot wear.

Extent of Mutations
The Charger's mutations appear similar to the Tank's mutations in terms of increased muscle mass, though more asymmetrical. Most notably, the Charger's right arm and shoulder have grown to a massive size and had increased in thickness, resulting in his right hand becoming a swollen lump with stubby fingers. His left arm, inversely, has atrophied to the point of being useless (possibly from his body breaking it down to add bulk to his right arm), hanging limply to the Charger's side and flapping around with every movement. His legs are less visibly affected by mutation, with only his left leg gaining any sort of extra bulk (to the point of ripping his overalls) while the right leg's proportions remain normal. The leg mutations are possibly to balance the Charger, equalizing the weight distribution throughout the body. Due to the Charger's preferred method of attack, it has sustained multiple injuries, especially on his right arm―prolonged times of bashing and slamming into walls has made the flesh of the Charger's right arm thick with calluses, scabs, and scars. The right half of his face is also visibly damaged, his cranium possessing a massive dent, and half his face torn off, revealing his skull and jawbone. His nose is completely removed, and his dangling left arm shows signs of necrosis. Most likely a result of his constant charging, the Charger also lacks teeth.

He is not as powerful as the Tank, but can still take a beating and inflict massive damage, either by punching or charging. When charging, the Charger will attempt to grab one Survivor and carry them away, knocking over any other Survivors in its way. He does 15 damage per hit, regardless of difficulty, when picking up and grabbing Survivors in a "pinned-style," much like the Hunter and Smoker, until reaching a wall or other viable hard surface (since the update). He then begins pummeling them repeatedly into the ground until either he is killed by the other Survivors, the Survivor in his grasp dies, or is stunned by a nearby explosion (explosive ammo works). When pinned by a Charger, Common Infected can still do damage to the Survivor. The Charger may punch multiple Survivors if they are bunched up together, as the Charger's punch can do 10 damage.

The Charger can be most dangerous when the Survivors are standing in front of an area they can be thrown or pummeled into. The Charger will scatter them, launching anyone unfortunate enough to be hit after the Charger picks up his first victim either backwards into a possible Horde or into a deadly zone (such as into deep water or off the Hotel's ledge), killing them instantly. The Charger will then proceed to pummel its victim into a mangled pulp. The Charger has been known to knock Survivors onto the top of vehicles such as vans. Any Survivor who is hurt by the charge will get a random amount of damage (ranging from 10-20 depending on how close they were to the intended target), and a various stun time. The stun time will vary depending if you "stumble" or if it knocked you onto the top of a car or van.

Like most other Special Infected, the Charger has a distinctive sound. He is loud, making noises vaguely similar to human speech and barking at enemies in a high-pitched tone. He will also screech upon spotting Survivors and release a roar like a charging bull when starting a charge.

Abilities
Note: The following damage is calculated on normal difficulty.

While charging, the Charger will run quickly forward with his right arm raised in front of him, using it to grab a Survivor. He will run faster than a Survivor with full health, and will grab the first Survivor he charges into, holding the Survivor out in front of himself while continuing to run through anything (including other Survivors) until he slams the Survivor into a solid object, doing 10 damage upon impact. After that, he slams the Survivor in a pinned style in 1.5-second intervals until either the Survivor or the Charger himself is killed. This attack does 15 damage per slam regardless of difficulty (possibly an oversight, as Smokers and Hunters do considerably more damage on higher difficulties, but Chargers retain 15 damage on Expert). The Charger himself also appears to receive damage when he hits a solid object, although he will not receive any damage if he has a Survivor, and 2 damage if he misses and hits a wall.

Infected

 * Once a Charger grabs his victim, almost nothing will force him to let it go. Shoves will do nothing, and other Infected can't grab the Survivor from him. The only way a Survivor can escape the Charger is to kill him, hit him with an explosion (propane tanks, pipe bombs, or grenade launchers), or shoot him with explosive ammo.
 * A Charger is immune to shoving at all times, he has a powerful punch that does 10 damage per hit, and he has the largest amount of health of all Special Infected (excluding the Tank and the Witch) with 600 HP.
 * A Charger player should always try to be the initiator (Special Infected that attacks first before others) of the Infected team since his charge can knock over other Survivors and leave them open for other Special Infected to attack.
 * Try to catch the Survivors in either an extremely narrow or extremely open space. A narrow space―such as a hallway―will allow you to knock over all the Survivors at once. An open area―such as The Park―lets you carry a Survivor far away from the group. This can be combined with the Jockey, Hunter, and Smoker. If done right, you can take out the entire Survivor team bunched in a small place. Chargers can be good for surprise attacks. For instance, if a Horde is coming and the Survivors attempt to run, the Charger can slow them down, giving the Horde a chance to catch up.
 * If a long drop or lethal area is available, try to run a Survivor in there for an instant kill, even if it results in your own death.
 * Chargers work well in ambush situations, as they can instantly take one Survivor far from the group and delay their saviors.
 * Be careful while charging a Survivor in a narrow space; any solid object will stop you (trash piles, piles of wood, walls, etc.).
 * Push for the Survivor with the most health and try to reach a high distance with your charge, as it will take longer for the weaker Survivors to help him/her due to lack of walking speed, unless they are extremely accurate or have a sniper rifle.
 * Divide to conquer: charge against the the Survivors in a way that if you fail to grab one, you separate them making them weaker.
 * Try to spawn up ahead, sidestep suddenly in front of the Survivors, and charge at them so they have less chances to dodge you. However, try not to spawn too early on, as the Charger is among the noisiest Special Infected. While he's not as easily dispatched as the Boomer, experienced Survivors will most likely avoid your charge if they know you're lurking somewhere nearby.
 * Use shadows and dense vegetation to hide and startle Survivors who pass by. Corners are an equally good opportunity, though if they lead to a narrow alleyway, the Survivors will be expecting you and will need to be distracted.
 * Avoid charges from a long distance. The Survivors will react quickly enough to dodge you (unless they are distracted) or worse, stop you dead in your tracks. You may also not be able to carry them far enough to do substantial damage.
 * Chargers can begin their attack from a high place without stopping. Use this to deliver surprising ambushes.
 * The Charger can knock down doors instantly by charging into them. Use this to surprise Survivors on the other side.
 * Try to snatch lone and/or healing Survivors. Charging a Survivor who is busy reviving an incapacitated teammate is also a viable tactic, especially since these Survivors won't be able to stop what they're doing and dodge you in time.
 * The Charger does damage to whoever it grabs plus all the Survivors who are knocked aside. Knocked Survivors are unable to fire for several seconds, which means your main victim will take more damage before they can be rescued. Try to bowl over as many people as possible.
 * A Boomer is a Charger's best friend. Attacking when Boomer bile has just covered the Survivors is a useful tactic. Aim for the Survivors who aren't covered, and by the time the slime drips from the eyes of their friends, you can deal serious damage or death to the Survivor you've abducted.
 * Chargers are useful on rooftops and are very rare on higher buildings. Try to charge at Survivors in line with another Survivor. If you have a charged Survivor, hit another. Chances are that they will fly off to the sides of open areas.
 * The Charger has the second most powerful melee attack, delivering a critical 10 damage per strike, and capable of punching once per second . Therefore, it would only take ten hits to incapacitate a Survivor with full health. If you get the chance to melee, it's highly recommended you do it.
 * If one of your teammates is a Tank, don't simply stand there; cover them! If a Survivor comes up to hit the Tank from behind, charge them. This will not only add confusion, but will also distract Survivors from the Tank to save their teammate.
 * Another useful tactic is camping near an incapacitated Survivor and waiting for the others to huddle around him/her and revive them. With good timing, you can not only bowl over a good portion if not all of the team, but you also delayed the Survivors by possibly incapacitating another Survivor and spreading them out, allowing your friends to either spawn or set up an ambush. This technique is easier in areas with lots of cover or are relatively narrow where the Survivor has been incapacitated.
 * After killing a Survivor, the Charger has no recharge time; due to this, immediately charge into another Survivor and separate the whole team.
 * A good tactic to use with inexperienced players is to simply run up and start punching them when fully charged, thereby taking them by surprise when you charge them from a very short distance, making it impossible to miss.
 * Whenever possible, attempt to bowl through the Survivors when they are coming up an incline such as a stairs or a ramp. If hit correctly, the Survivors will take fall damage and will either take severe damage or be incapacitated.
 * If you notice a Jockey player in trouble while riding a Survivor, simply charge the Survivor in a direction that will save the Jockey player. Upon impact, with the Survivor, the Jockey will be launched similar to a Survivor being punched by a Tank or hit by a Charger who has already grabbed a victim. This can potentially save the Jockey and deal even more damage as well as cause more confusion. Also, if the Jockey lands on another Survivor, he or she may automatically ride that one instead of waiting for their ability to recharge.
 * The Charger, when grouped with a Smoker and Spitter on the gauntlet crescendo of The Mall, can be absolutely deadly and not only cause two possible incapacitations but a guaranteed death pull. At the escalator, have the Charger run down the escalator and grab one Survivor as the Survivors are going up. The Smoker should be positioned at the corner left to the escalator and pulls for the first Survivor that gets bowled over after the Charger bowls through and it will pull that Survivor over the escalator railing without putting them in a hanging incapacitation or clipping to the escalator. The Survivor should either be resting against the pillar while being choked or the tongue will break causing the Survivor to fall to their death. If the Smoker pulls it off correctly, it will kill a Survivor regardless if the Smoker is killed or not as the resulting drop will kill the Survivor. A Spitter will add to the chaos of the charge and cause massive damage, which may result and more incapacitations or close enough to just scratch.
 * Go into any small room (outhouse, bathrooms, etc.) and wait for the Survivors to walk past. When this happens, charge through the door, get one person and try to bowl through the rest if possible. Not only will you get one and run, you will inflict a lot of damage due to the surprise attack. Use this many times to force them to go slower as they will check every room to see if you're in it.
 * When in a small area with many exits (The Park in The Parish), don't charge. Your melee attack does a lot of damage and you can run away after hitting a Survivor. Save your charge for lone Survivors when it will take teammates a long time to come save their friend or the rest of the team can't save them at all.

Survivors

 * Try to spot the Charger before he charges.
 * Try not to get into situations where the Charger can knock you off a ledge or roof as this can cause an instant death.
 * Try to avoid using melee weapons to kill Charger even when he is stumbled since in Left 4 Dead 2 even stumbled Special Infected can still use their secondary attack, and losing 15 to 30 health points isn't worth it - lose some time for reloading and kill Charger with firearm.
 * If a firearm is unavailable, sidestep his charge and attack him with a melee weapon as he passes you, or when he hits an obstacle. Remember, he can still grab you even if you're not directly in his path. So a weapon with a longer reach may be necessary. Note that the sidestep tactic will only work if the Charger is at a reasonable distance.
 * Fan out if you hear a Charger (but don't separate too far, or else the Infected can easily pick your teammates off quickly). His ability to scatter close-knit Survivors will hinder their ability to quickly save the Charger's victim.
 * Chargers are immune to shove attacks, so don't bother shoving him if he is pummeling a Survivor; shoot or hit with a melee weapon.
 * Avoid the Charger's melee attack; even when it misses the charge, it can still cause a lot of damage.
 * Chargers are notorious for not charging when in Hordes and simply running up to the Survivors and punching them.
 * Make sure you and your teammates do not form a straight line at any time.
 * Try to stay on dry land if you hear a Charger nearby, as the water slows you down and makes you an easier target to hit. This also gives the Charger a larger window of opportunity to do heavy damage to you before your fellow Survivors can rescue you.
 * Treat a Charger as you would a Tank by keeping a healthy distance. Not only does the Charger have a large amount of health, but his charging ability and strong melee attacks make him a formidable foe in close quarters. It only takes a few swipes from him or a few seconds being charged to bring your health down to yellow.
 * The Charger is extremely vulnerable after missing a charge and this opportunity should be taken advantage of unless another Survivor has been pinned by other Special Infected. Shoot him to death while he is stumbling, or, if within a reasonable distance, use a melee weapon to take him out quickly.
 * When he is not charging, the Charger is vulnerable to headshots. Regardless to difficulty, it takes around 8 bullets from any submachine gun, 5 from M16/Sig552, 4 from M60 or Desert Rifle, 3 from AK-47 and 2 from any sniper or Magnum. Don't try to headshot him during a charge―it is almost impossible.
 * The Charger may be more vulnerable on the lower waist and legs because his giant arm only shields his torso. If you are in the possession of a submachine gun or any other assault rifle, aim for his legs. If armed with a melee weapon, go for his back.
 * You can use a melee weapon to kill the Charger in one blow with a headshot, which can be utilized to kill a Charger when he is charging at you if you have the right timing. This is easier with a fire axe as the hit rays of a fire axe are all horizontal during the first swing.
 * Only use a melee weapon when necessary, or when a viable opportunity presents itself, such as during a charge, as you may have to reload if you have a near-empty magazine. As such, guns may be unreliable at that time.
 * Keep in mind the Charger can only run so far before his charge wears off. This, however, does not mean he is incapable of carrying a Survivor a great distance.
 * Bot Survivors make almost no effort to evade the Charger, so try to keep them far away from Charger's charging line.
 * The Charger can also use the loose cars by charging at them, causing them to be thrown in the same direction where he aimed.
 * If someone is caught by a Charger, they will be pummeled. If you are caught and the other teammates are bots, be prepared to take 15-45 damage. The Bots will attack the Charger up close for maximum effectiveness, though this can be a danger on harder difficulties if Advanced or Expert is on.

Good Ambush Spots
As a general rule, always attack Survivors that are in a narrow area, in a straight line, or otherwise tight clump. Take advantage of the larger open areas; the further away you can take a Survivor, the harder it is for their team to rescue them. Your charge is deadly near ledges and cliffs.

Dead Center

 * On The Hotel, if a Survivor is by a window that doesn't have a railing on the ledge, charge at them, and you should bring the Survivor to their death. You'll die, but you respawn and they don't.
 * On the first floor, try to pin them in the fire. You will survive for a while, and do a good amount of damage to your victim. If you can incapacitate them in the fire, the other Survivors will have a hard time saving them, losing plenty of health themselves.
 * If you manage to get the Survivors on The Hotel's ledge, you can get several easy kills.
 * On The Streets, the best you can do is try to carry a Survivor far away from the group. There are plenty of good spots for this.
 * Before the gun store, there is a long straight path to charge the Survivors with little room of dodging.
 * Inside The Mall, try to carry the Survivors off the higher floors. Also try to split up the Survivors during the Crescendo Event; this could be fatal to the team.
 * In The Mall during the Crescendo Event, you can either try to death charge the Survivors through the glass railings at the beginning or charge down the escalator when there are multiple Survivors running up it, as you'll likely knock one of them towards the bottom floor.
 * Before the Survivors get to the stock car, try to grab them from the far side of the hallway they must go through.
 * While the team is collecting gas, one Survivor might go off by themselves on the upper floors. You can knock them off the upper areas and incapacitate them instantly.
 * Escalators are always great points to choke off Survivors' progress. Wait for all of them to start going up/down, and as soon as the first Survivor reaches the end of the escalator, charge straight through the escalator and all of them. The teammates who are sent flying might receive fall damage.

The Passing

 * At the beginning of the Riverbank, try to charge a Survivor who wandered too close to the water's edge. There are a few low fence areas where a well-aimed charge can rush the Survivor into the river for an instant kill.
 * When the Survivors come out of the building before the park, try to charge them over the broken fence and back into the streets. This will result in a long detour or one less survivor. Also, if you knock one into the streets from up there, it could result in an instant kill.
 * In The Underground, there are many long areas that are ideal for charging; try to ambush a Survivor and carry them as far away as possible.
 * In the building after the plank, try charging people who wander too close to a window. If you hit them from the top floor, you could kill them.
 * During The Port, try to charge from the top of the stairs at the beginning. It you hit more than one at the top, you could kill them.
 * Try to charge into Survivors bundled in groups while leaving Hunters or Jockeys to get daring Survivors who wander off. Although this might not hurt them much, with the help of a Smoker, you could easily incapacitate a group of two Survivors.

Dark Carnival

 * In the motel, try to grab a Survivor that is on the upper walkway. Pull them off to delay and damage them. There's a very good point in the motel which is when the Survivors are forced to enter the motel rooms on the second floor. This is when the Survivors go through the broken walls in the second floor of the motel. If one of them exits through the window and your aiming is right, you can take them over the fence blocking access to the hill from the lower levels. As such, making them all go in a big circle back into the parking lot. Charging the last Survivor before he/she can jump down the hill into the swamp will cause your victim to be stranded, and will eventually perish.
 * On The Motel, charge a Survivor all the way back down the hill near the end of the level. This will delay them considerably and do some damage if you can mow down the others.
 * During The Fairgrounds, when the Survivors climb to the top of the building after Kiddie Land, there is a ramp behind the ladder that makes it possible to charge them back into Kiddie Land; this either makes them lose a lot of time or a Survivor.
 * At the start of the Tunnel of Love when the Survivors open the safe room door and go up the stairs, charge from the opposite side of the stairs, slamming all of them into the wall and pummel the first Survivor you hit back into the safe room. A good variation on this is to spawn in the safe room, charge from the opposite direction towards the tunnel, because everyone is expecting a charge from the tunnel.
 * On The Coaster, look for anyone who breaks away from the pack during the Crescendo and carry them even farther away from the others. There are also various areas along the actual rollercoaster where you can charge Survivors. Survivors are always closely packed while traveling the tracks; and so, one can easily charge, grab a Survivor, and knock the others to their deaths (do not spawn too early as the the coaster will kill you on contact).
 * The rooftops in the fourth chapter of Dark Carnival, The Barns, are a great place to charge Survivors. A good charge will result in the Survivors flying everywhere.
 * During The Concert, try to separate the Survivors, as always. This is especially useful during the Tank attack, when everyone would be focused on him instead of you. Veteran players though will try to kill any other threat, as a Survivor getting caught would mean one less gun to fight the Tank. Get players who use melee weapons or have deadly weapons first to make the Tank get rid of the Survivors more easier.
 * Also try to punish Survivors who defend themselves on the scaffoldings. A well-aimed charge can incapacitate your victim. Once again, this is more advised during the Tank.

Swamp Fever

 * In the Plank Country, when the Survivors are on the dock right before the Crescendo Event, try to grab, or better yet, knock one into the deep water. This will kill the Survivor you grabbed and the ones you hit instantly. Also, while the Survivors are on the walkways, try to get them to fall down into the swamp. This will slow them down considerably.
 * In the Swamp, taking the Survivors into the water is useful because their team will be slowed down by the water. Also, at the airplane, wait for the Survivors to open the door and charge them down.
 * On The Plantation, just before the Survivors go up the ladder, try carry them back down the way they came this will force them to backtrack and really annoy them. Also attack the Survivor who goes to answer the rescue vehicle. Also, if they hold out by the Heavy Machine Gun, grab a Survivor and carry them off the upper areas. You can also charge Survivors off the bridge to the rescue vehicle, causing them to die.

Hard Rain
(These attack spots apply to both the first and second trip.)
 * After the Survivors enter The Milltown, there are multiple places you can carry a Survivor very far away from the pack.
 * When the Survivors are on the upper floors of The Sugar Mill, try to knock them off of them. If they are on the highest floor, you'll kill them instantly.
 * Try to charge a Survivor on the Mill Escape when they come out of the elevator. It is easier to charge them when they are coming out of the elevator than trying to charge them as they are going into the elevator on The Sugar Mill. On top of that confusion, a Smoker can pull one to hang, a Jockey/Hunter can pounce another, and the Spitter can cause massive chaos with this combination.
 * Charge past or into Witches in The Sugar Mill. Survivors will, by instinct, shoot at you when they see you charge, and a few stray shots is all it takes to startle a Witch.
 * Survivors tend to travel in straight lines when going through the cane field. Use this for a quick separation or scatter an entire team.
 * Once the rain starts, take advantage of (and note of) the reduced movement speed of Survivors in water. Paying attention to this will make it easier to lead your attacks. If you can carry your victim out of the way and into a large area of water, it will significantly slow down the Survivors, as their teammate will have to catch up.
 * Your primary goal in the return-to maps is not, actually, carrying the Survivors away, but knocking the others off the roofs. Survivors are fairly easy targets in the water, and it would be pretty hard to release the carried one from you. It is especially effective when the rain starts, as of the Survivors is unlikely to survive something like that.
 * In the finale, try catching the ones who went down into the Burger Tank for ammo. This won't hurt anyone a large amount, but will cause some attention, thus giving a chance for the Tank to come in and cause chaos.
 * Also in the finale, charge Survivors off of the dock where the boat will eventually appear. If they fall into the water, they're dead.
 * Many people are not aware that the Charger's attack will override a Smoker capture. With the permission of the human-controlled Smoker, of course, charge a Survivor while he/she is being constricted by a Smoker near the beginning/ending dock. Your charge will free the Survivor from the Smoker but also carry the Survivor into the deadly waters.

The Parish

 * Right at the beginning of The Waterfront, charge at the first two Survivors that go up the gangway. If you can knock a Survivor upward into the water, your team shouldn't have much more trouble to finish the enemy team off.
 * After the area with a jukebox is a place filled with several narrow spaces; make full use of the corners.
 * When the Survivors are in The Park, there are multiple places you can attack the enemies and split them up by carrying them away from the group, such as the hedge maze.
 * When the Survivors are doing The Park's Crescendo Event, charge one all the way back down one of the fenced-in alleys, giving the Horde time to attack.
 * When the Survivors are about to enter the sewers before The Cemetery, hide in them and charge the first that you see. The sewer is a very large, open area, and the Survivors are slowed down by the deep water, making the trip to save your victim take a bit longer. You may also ambush the one who was about to be the last to enter the sewer, making an ideal attack position. It is best to have a Jockey and/or Smoker up above.
 * Another great strategy on the Sewers is to have a Charger and a Spitter wait at the end of the tunnel for the Survivors. When all four are down in the Sewer have the Charger knock down all four and have the Spitter attack right as the Charger does. The spit will do a good amount of damage while the other Survivors are getting back up.
 * In The Quarter, during the Float crescendo event, get atop of the building the Survivors need to enter, line up with the moving platform and charge; they won't expect it; you'll knock them, slow them down, and do major damage including falling and charging damage.
 * On The Bridge, hide behind vehicles and wait. If you can grab a Survivor and carry them off of the bridge in any way, they'll be dead in the water.
 * Even if you don't bring the Survivor off, if any of their friends are close to the edge, the impact can send them off the bridge.
 * On The Helipad at the end the survivors are always trying to get into the chopper use this to your advantage and charge at least one off killing them or sending them to their death in the water.

Achievements

 * See Main Article: Achievements

Behind the Scenes
Concept art shows that the developers had planned for the Charger to be either a large zombie with an armored upper skull yet tiny T. rex arms or a "tripod" doglike animal. Traits of both can be seen in the final version: the Charger has three functional limbs and one floppy tiny arm, as well as an exposed skull.

Before the Charger's design was finalized, it used a re-skinned Hunter model so that the team could test out how the Charger would play while the art team was designing it. When the Charger design was finished, as like any other Infected, they recorded temporary sounds. The Charger's temporary warning call was "AY! AY! AY!", as said in the Developer's Commentary.

Originally, the Charger had many different series of attacks and has gone through multiple versions with different twists on his charge attack. In one version of his build, his charge attack caused him to trample over Survivors rather than grab them, and his melee attack was replaced with an overhead strike that smashed the Survivor to the floor before the Charger started pounding them. This behavior can be seen here. In another build, the Charger used to use his mutated arm during his charge. At this point in the game, the Charger would stop after grabbing a Survivor; however, when the Charger could carry the first Survivor they tackled, this animation was cut.

When most of the Charger's model was finalized, he had a much more bloody and gaunt face that exposed his skull.

Gallery
See image archive for more images...