The Tank



The Tank is a muscular Infected of gigantic proportions. This monster is capable of throwing large items such as cars or blocks of concrete it rips out of the ground, and bashing through otherwise impenetrable walls. The Tank keeps a high profile, able to be heard by the Survivors from a great distance due to its loud growls and the thrashing it makes when running. The immense strength and sheer toughness of the Tank make it a terrible foe in combat, especially to inexperienced Survivors.

Occasionally, players are able to take on the role of the Tank in versus mode. When The Director has given them control of it, the Tank has a patience meter that slowly drains when the Survivors are not in sight. This was employed to prevent players from camping away from the Survivors for long periods of times and using out-of-character strategies. Once the meter is depleted, control of the Tank is given to another player if available. This cycle will continue until there are no players left who haven't had a chance to play as it, in which case control is given back to the AI. Also, when players are controlling the Tank, they can break down walls highlighted by yellow cracks. Though multitudes of Common Infected can break down the walls, as can other Special Infected, only Tanks can break through steel. There was also an update for both the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game where certain objects that can be smashed are highlighted in red.

There is generally one Tank per chapter, assuming the AI Director thinks the players can handle them, and one per round in versus. However, if the players are doing very well, another may be spawned. In finales, two Tanks are spawned during the initial rescue, though not at the same time, with the rescue vehicle arriving after the second Tank is killed. When the survivors are making their way to the rescue vehicle, many Tanks can be spawned at once. There is a small chance of the Director spawning two Tanks at once outside the finale, but it is extremely rare for it to happen. The Tank is heralded by a brief ceasefire in finales, where the hordes will stop rushing (unless a Survivor has been covered in Boomer bile), allowing players to catch their breath. In other chapters, however, there are generally less Common Infected around, almost making things eerily quiet, a calm before the storm. It's possible that this is because the other Infected have fled, as the Tank seems to eviscerate anything standing between it and its target without hesitation, although the Tank does not attack the infected intentionally.

Extent of Mutations
The Tank has been heavily mutated by this strain of the infection. It has developed immense, thick muscles that not only indicate its incredible strength and endurance, but make it nearly bulletproof, resulting in extreme firepower being needed to take one down. However, this increase in muscular tissue makes it a large target, and, like other infected, is highly flammable. Its mind has also been heavily affected, making it extremely bloodthirsty, even for an infected, but is not affected by minor distractions such as the flashing lights on pipe bombs, and does not appear to be attracted by things such as car alarms going off. The Tanks lower jaw seems to be missing, possibly because of the immense chest it has. An interesting thing to note, the tanks head is small compared to its massive body-indicating that the infection hasn't (yet) affected its brain much.

Survivors

 * Listen carefully for the Tank, make sure you can distinguish him from a Hunter/Smoker/Boomer. By the time the Tank is in your line of sight, it is often too late to plan an effective defense. In fact, upon hearing the Tank, some players may want to simply try to hide until the meter builds and then while the computer is thrashing, run from the noises.
 * Throw a Molotov cocktail in its path to set it on fire and slowly eat away at its life. This method ensures a Tank death if you are unsure of your ability to down the beast with firepower.
 * The Tank can find you even in the dark. So don't think that you are safely hidden inside a closet with your flashlight off.
 * Setting the Tank on fire will increase his running speed. (This applies only in campaign mode; a flaming tank in versus mode moves at normal speed.) Shooting will slow him down significantly. All in all, shooting a burning Tank will make him slower than leaving him untouched. Always make sure that every survivor not being chased by the Tank is shooting at him.
 * If the Tank is very close, focus entirely on running away. If there are no obstacles, run backwards so that you can shoot on the run. A Survivor with sufficient health can outrun the Tank. Otherwise, go ahead and open up on it. Be aware that the nearest survivor that shoots the tank is the target.
 * If you are lucky enough to be near a thick tree, you can lead the Tank a merry dance by keeping the trunk in between yourself and him. He can't go over a tree and he can't rip it up either. In fact, any static physics object can allow you to avoid the tank.
 * The Tank can knock down the beginning safe room door, unless you run into the door constantly. In this situation, he cannot get through, unless you are really unlucky.
 * The Tank climbs obstacles much more slowly than he can run; exploiting this fact will provide you with more uninterrupted firing time.
 * If you are incapacitated, do not shy from using pistols on the tank since every bit counts.
 * If you're in an area where falling is possible, such as the Rooftop Finale, make absolutely sure that you are between something solid and the Tank, so that its attack won't launch you on an incredible 30 story journey to your death.
 * Generally, you need 51% health (green health bar) to defeat the Tank, according to the Left 4 Dead manual, though less is required on maps with obstacles to block the Tank.
 * On expert in single player, it can be a good idea to set a tank on fire and run back to the safe room while the flames and AI eat away at its health.
 * On most difficulties, if done properly, using your melee attack on the Tank (in multiplayer and single-player) from behind will almost always cause it to chase whoever hit it; this is extremely useful when a Survivor is incapacitated and is being pounded on, enabling a healthy Survivor to lead the Tank in circles while someone else gets the Survivor back up and into the fight
 * Note that it seems to work better if you are moving towards the Tank's back as you melee (hold down W or your forward key) and that it is not recommended to do this if you are a new player and don't know the area well enough to avoid it
 * It is possible to kill the Tank with a well-timed lucky melee attack, but this is an unreliable way to kill it.
 * It is very hard to aim for the Tank's head as it is being obscured by its massive zombie muscle mutation, but if you do get a clean shot, take it.
 * Avoid bunching up together such as in a closet or corner and trying to unload onto the tank while he assaults you. Not only does it make you an easy target if there is a prop around such as a log or forklift to instantly incap everyone, but the Tank's punch now hits multiple survivors at once, and hiding in a closet can entomb you inside of it.  Stay apart but within range of your teammates if any special infected try to pick them off.
 * If there is a minigun near by, you can use it to force the Tank to switch targets. The Tank always goes for the person mounted on the minigun.
 * Unless they are distracted, AI tanks will usually attack incapacitated players. This makes them a good target for weapon fire, especially Molotovs if you don't mind losing a teammate.

Notes About the Rock Throw

 * The Tank can't move and throw.
 * You'll know when he's doing a throw by the absence of the ground pounding noise.
 * Anyone can shoot the concrete out of the air, rendering it harmless.
 * If The Tank is controlled by the AI, it can't predict where a survivor will run. Zigzagging will cause The Tank to throw the rock far from your current location.
 * Non-static geometry, such as crates, will not block his shots.
 * You may be unable to dodge a rock if you are limping too badly (i.e.: when your health bar is red or yellow).
 * The Tank has the uncanny ability to locate a chunk of stone beneath its feet regardless of its current location, so don't be lured into a false sense of security in which you think that it can't hurl a block at you from inside the upper floor of a building, or anywhere else for that matter (such as the middle of a rope bridge).



Infected

 * Avoid crouching through ventilation shafts and windows after survivors. You will move incredibly slow whilst taking damaging and crouching. Although this problem has been addressed by Valve, it is never a good idea to move though an area where the tank is forced to crouch.
 * Your rock throw is usually very underestimated. With practice it can be devastating. As a rule of thumb, aim your reticule above the target while throwing.
 * Even within melee range you should use your rock throw to hit a survivor, because this allows you to use your melee attack immediately after.
 * Use concrete projectiles to knock down pesky marathon survivors.
 * Even though the Tank was made to charge through seas of lead, a strong survivor team can take him out without taking damage themselves. In addition, managing to do this gives the team an achievement.
 * Avoid attacking in the open if at all possible, as it can be tough to get to survivors for a melee attack and it is easy for them to avoid rock throws.
 * It is possible to assist Hunters who have already pinned someone, but the effort required to aim isn't worth it. The reason is that the Tank's attack will kill the Hunter (or any other Special Infected, for that matter) instantly.
 * On the same note, if someone else on your team is playing as a Tank, work with them, but give them a wide berth, as they'll likely kill you by mistake.
 * Use alternative routes where possible to "sneak up" on the Survivors.
 * If you incapacitate a Survivor, immediately re-target another. If someone has managed to get around you to help their incapacitated friend, show the good Samaritan their mistake by knocking them out, too.
 * If playing on a level where it's possible to knock Survivors off of a high place to kill them, such as chapters 4 and 5 of the No Mercy campaign, do everything you can to knock them over—once they fall, there's no helping them.
 * Tanks can punch cars, forklifts, tree logs and dumpsters large distances.
 * Punchable objects are highlighted in red
 * Being hit by a car or dumpster instantly incapacitates a survivor.
 * Hitting cars is faster than throwing concrete.
 * Hitting a car with an alarm will cause the alarm to break permanently.
 * Punched cars will disappear after a while.
 * Using punchable objects effectively can save you health and time, and can also cause panic amongst survivors as they try to stay clear of flying cars and forklifts.
 * Punch Survivors in different directions to separate them.
 * If the Survivors are indoors, keep attacking one Survivor (choose the one with the lowest health first) until they are incapacitated
 * Be careful using the swing attack on Survivors in wide open, flat areas, as this merely gives them a chance to get away. Charge a Survivor you've whacked as soon as you whack him, going for another whack.
 * Always aim to divide and conquer if you're in a building or in an area with many obstacles. Try to spread the survivors out by hitting them behind large objects or knocking them out of windows. Separated survivors allow for other special infected to attack and kill them.
 * If the Survivors can't see you, they can't shoot at you, meaning that you will take less damage during your rampage.
 * This helps Hunters to pounce on survivors, or Smokers to grab survivors, so they can't come to the group's aid or the group coming to kill the infected that has them pinned or tied up, leaving you with one less survivor to kill.
 * Do not attack an incapacitated survivor if a hunter or a smoker already has them locked in a bind. Doing so, while doing some damage to the Survivor, will more than likely kill your teammate.
 * Avoid being set on fire as best you can.
 * Take notice at who has a Molotov before you become the Tank, and avoid these players until the fire they throw burns out.
 * If you hit a survivor you see has a Molotov, be sure to incapacitate them if you can.
 * If you see somebody about to throw fire, change direction immediately! If worst comes to worst, use the rock throw to hit Survivors.
 * Fire kills a Tank after 30 seconds, and it shows the damage in your health.
 * If you are set on fire, charge the Survivors. You won't have much time to do your damage, every second counts with the tank.
 * Go after any survivors that get separated from the group unless the others are extremely low on health. One gun on you is much better than three.
 * Be wary of Survivors that opt to bunch up in a corner, on March 11th, an update occurred that allowed Tank punches to hit multiple survivors with one punch. Survivors bunching up in a corner is no longer a valid defense, rush at them and take them all out at once if they are foolish enough to trap them inside the closet or corner tombs.
 * In the scenario that the Survivors do use the auto shotgun strategy (when all survivors use an auto shotgun at close range and bunched up), attempt to put as much room between them and you as possible, keep them in your line of sight and attempt to bludgeon them to death with a volley of concrete blocks.

Tank Parking
Tank Parking is a strategy who's effectiveness is very debatable. It is when a team is given a Tank, but instead of attacking the survivors as usual, they stand idle in an ambush position until the control meter runs out. This is repeated until the Tank is given to AI control. At this point, the AI Tank will not attack or move until the survivors come into its line of sight. Once the Tank is parked (set up in ambush position and controlled by AI) there is no Tank music, but you can still hear its grunts and growls.

The advantages of tank parking:
 * Surprise attack on survivors.
 * Allows for up to four human infected and tank active at the same time, and increasing damage potential.
 * An AI Tank can sometimes be more effective than a human player.

The disadvantages of tank parking:
 * The AI Tank plays exactly like in the campaign mode - it will attack an incapacitated target until it is dead. This means the Tank will remain stationary and not attack other the remaining survivors until it is finished.
 * An experienced player is usually more effective than an AI Tank.
 * It is not always possible if all your team is not cooperating, and one player decides to attack as a tank, and not park it.
 * An update on March 11th made the AI tank rush in and attack the survivors, making parking much harder.

Tank Parking is a last resort strategy, or just a fun-to-watch thing you can do with your friends. This should not be used with a well coordinated and experienced team as they can do a much better job and will find the results of an AI Tank to be disappointing. Although on the other hand it allows for four experienced special infected with an AI Tank distraction, so an infected team can effectively outnumber survivors.

Tank Tips And Tricks Gameplay
Here is a video with a lot of helpful information and tactics for the Tank. Special thanks to Criken2 for the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akf-v_7FFQ0&feature=channel_page

Trivia

 * The Tank's ability to hurl chunks of concrete was included when the game developers discovered that because the Tank was so slow, it could be quite underpowered when faced at range.
 * In addition, the Tank's rock throw ability is very similar to a power in the MMORPG City of Heroes, Hurl, which allows a player to do the exact same thing as the tank: tear up a chunk of concrete and throw it at their foes. One of the animations the tank uses for its rock throw attack is very similar to the attack animation in City of Heroes, and the shape of the thrown rock is also very similar to the shape of the projectile in City of Heroes, prior to the move receiving its aesthetic and functional upgrade.
 * Occasionally, the Tank can hit Survivors while behind a wall. The March 11th update changed this ability, the Tank can no longer hit through walls.
 * The Tank's corpse floats if you kill it in water, as seen in the Boathouse Finale.
 * Music Cue: Tank
 * Occasionally, the music won't play, and all the player will be able to hear is the sound of the Tank's grunts. Needless to say, not listening to your surroundings can land you in a bad spot—like face-to-face with a Tank. An example of this might be in No Mercy's 3rd Chapter, just as you have dropped down from the hole after the lift. You might be able to hear a Tank's roars and grunts, he might be stuck in the closet just as you walk around the corner(Note that this is not the closet survivors are rescued from, but the one next to it).
 * In the game's folder for the tank's music (\sound\music\tank), there are two files, one named "Tank.wav" and one named "Taank.wav". Taank.wav sounds slightly different than Tank.wav, and it is 27 seconds longer. It is apparently played when the Tank appears during a Finale.
 * The Tank looks like it has the same animation as DOG in Half-Life 2.

Survivors
Towering Inferno


 * Light a Tank with a Molotov.

Man vs. Tank

- To get this achievement more easily, and without friends, start up the Boathouse Finale level on Expert. Get into the garage area, kill all the zombies, and open the door to the street. Fend off the horde and special infected, and when it looks clear, kill your team mates. After they're incapacitated or dead, you can change the difficulty to Normal if you like. I say Normal, and not Easy, because you'll have a better chance of a Tank spawn. Go through the house, and be sure to grab the pain pills before heading into the back yard. Once out there, a Tank should spawn. You can change the difficulty to Easy if you want, but it won't make much difference. Kill the Tank, and the achievement is yours.
 * Single-handedly kill a Tank.

Tankbusters

- This is most easily done in an open area on easy or normal.
 * Kill a Tank without it dealing any damage to a survivor.

Infected
All 4 Dead

- To get this, you only have to have all 4 survivors incapacitated at once. This counts as death for them since they can't revive themselves. A fast way of doing this is to hit a car at all four of them. If not just take them out one at a time and stay out of the line of fire of the incapacitated ones.
 * Kill all four Survivors in one life while playing as a Tank.

Related Links
GC 2008: Tank Trailer