Common Infected

See also: Uncommon Infected

"I ain't gonna let these god damn vampires beat me."

- Francis

"Dude, those zombies are REAL. I knew them books were nonfiction."

- Ellis

Common Infected (referred to in The Parish and The Sacrifice comic as Whiskey Delta, meaning Walking Dead, by the Military) are the most frequently faced members of the Infected, and the easiest to defeat. Their strength lies in the fact that they attack in groups, more commonly referred to as a Horde, sometimes as large as several dozen.

While they can be killed in the same ways as any human, they possess immense endurance, capable of ignoring missing limbs, high falls, and even a few gunshots if not hit in the head. They are capable of climbing ladders and scaling objects once they find a target, and will not stop until it is dead. The default number of Infected that the Director spawns in a Horde is around 30. These Infected are fast, sensitive to loud noises and movement, and able to attack in ravenous waves, as determined by the Director. They might not notice the Survivors right away, but when they do they will attack relentlessly until they are killed or manage to kill the Survivors.

The Horde
The "Horde" is a term used as a reference to a medium or large group of Common Infected. A Horde of Infected can be powerful, but they are not invincible by any means. These Hordes can be distracted or dispatched in many ways.

Hordes appear on several circumstances if they have been met:
 * Crescendo Events and Finales: The Survivors usually need to perform an action which generates loud noise to get through in order to reach safety, which usually attracts Hordes of Common Infected.
 * Car Alarms: In some chapters, there are several alarmed cars that if shot, will attract a Horde. Always use a melee weapon and avoid getting near an alarmed car or you may accidentally set it off by misfiring or hit by a Special Infected.
 * Boomer Bile: If a Survivor(s) is covered in Boomer bile, it will attract nearby Common Infected and summon a Horde which will then attack biled players. The same also goes to Infected hit by a thrown Bile Bomb.
 * Pipe Bombs attract nearby Infected to investigate the sounds which accumulates into a small Horde.
 * If the soundtrack Re: Your Brains is being played on a jukebox, upon reaching the "screaming" segment of the track, a Horde will be summoned to attack the Survivors. This is a one-time event and further replays of the soundtrack will not attract a Horde.
 * There are occasional small Hordes that occur during quiet periods of the game, known unofficially as "Hurry" Hordes. These hordes spawning will occur at random, though typically occur when no Infected are being killed outside a Tank battle, Witch zone, or Crescendo Event/ Finale zone. There is an audio cue when these "Hurry" Hordes are summoned, though a Hurry Horde is usually insignificant and can be dispatched within seconds.

Appearances and Action
Common Infected come in a variety of appearances of both sexes, such as patients, nurses, construction workers, military personnel, and airport staff, the differences being solely cosmetic as long as the Infected are not Uncommon Infected. It seems that the Common Infected in Left 4 Dead 2 almost have the same base model, but with changes in hairstyle, clothes, and blood marks. This is to save memory in the second game, so the Pipe Bomb can create ragdolls and the Minigun/50cal can gib Infected.

Common Infected do not differ in appearance from a sick human as much as Special Infected do. According to the game commentary, the developers designed multiple types of faces and bodies, and would have the computer pair them when spawning Infected, ensuring a variety of characters. This allows for "something around 1500 possibilities". Some Infected models can be seen in any scenario of the game, while others, such as the Infected patients in Mercy Hospital or airport custom officers in Dead Air, are only encountered at certain areas.

When not attacking, they are usually sitting down, leaning on walls, or simply standing. They may also vomit or fight each other, and, when fighting long enough, possibly killing each other. They are easily provoked by light, sound, or touch. The heads, arms and legs can all be shot or cut off. Common Infected are at least somewhat stronger than uninfected humans, capable of smashing through doors and breaking through walls, and it is very difficult for those caught in their grasp to break free.

The Infected react to gunfire in their vicinity, turning towards the sound to attack the shooter. Usually, if an idle Common Infected receives a non-fatal gunshot wound from a distance, they will writhe in pain and clutch the wound with their hands; if they are running towards the player, they will just continue their pursuit and ignore the pain.

They are often seen engaging in abnormal activities (e.g. vomiting, attacking inanimate objects, fighting each other, leaning on a wall as if they were tired, etc.) when unaware of the Survivors, showing that the sickness may still be affecting them, even in this state, perhaps slowly killing them rather than keeping them alive as Infected. Very rarely, an Infected can be seen facing a wall and making mumbling noises, as if talking to itself.

The methods of attack by Common Infected vary. With normal humans, they bite and claw them apart, sometimes consuming their flesh and other times leaving completely intact bodies behind. These bites are a major method of transmitting the Infection. With the Survivors, they punch, kick, and claw them, though they never bite them. It has been theorized that the Common Infected only bite non-infected persons, which would explain why they also never bite each other, and therefore they will not bite the Infection-carrying Survivors. A simpler theory is that biting was not implemented in the game, possibly due to technical constraints.

The Infected appear to lack a strong sense of self preservation, as they will actively charge into flames, explosions, jump off from high buildings, and against superior forces of the Survivors and their weapons, even if they have encountered these things before (this can be best observed by throwing a Bile bomb into a fire in The Hotel). A possibility is that the Infection has affected their brains to such a degree that they only think of spreading it, or may simply think of attacking anything that disturbs them from their vicinity. This could mean that the Infected ignore their injury, only to attack the Survivors.

When approached by a melee-wielding Survivor, however, the Infected frequently dodge or duck from the attacks. The Infected also rigorously make flanking attempts, trying to hit Survivors from the sides or backs as to avoid danger. In addition, they also appear to be capable of many acrobatic actions from contracting the Infection, as they are capable of running great distances and climbing up fences and buildings that humans would not be capable of doing without safety measures in place. They also attempt to trap the player by running up to them from the back and attacking them, slowing the player down, then suddenly going up front to attack compared to behind to prevent the target from escaping easily.

The Infected are not known to eat or drink. However, they still survive despite the lack of sustenance. It is possible that the Infection has removed the mental ability to perform these necessary life functions. There is evidence to suggest they occasionally consume their human victims, or even cannibalize each other, though this is rare. This may indicate that the Infected may eventually die of starvation or dehydration, and possibly even exposure to the elements as the Infected do not seem to seek shelter in conditions that non-Infected would (the theme of the Infected dying out and repopulation commencing is similar to what happened following the events of the film 28 Days Later).

Common Infected hair and skin pigmentation is usually very low, resulting in a pale gray skin. Lesser Infected may also have pale hair, though some female Common Infected have dark, blond, or red hair. Some Infected, such as Boomers and Smokers, may have black or dark hair.

Location of Unique Common Infected
In both Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, there are special Common Infected that are only found on specific areas or chapters in different campaigns. Unlike the Uncommon Infected, these Infected individuals only look different and do not have any special abilities.

No Mercy
In the final two chapters of this campaign, the Survivors come across Infected doctors and nurses as well as patients at Mercy Hospital. The hospital staff were trying to treat the Infected individuals; however, they too were Infected.

Dead Air
In the final two chapters of this campaign, the Survivors pass through Metro International Airport, encountering several Infected airport staff, such as TSA agents, baggage handlers, and airplane pilots.

The Passing
In Rayford Park near The Riverbank, there was a wedding ceremony at the time of the Infection. When the Survivors pass by, the wedding guests are seen wearing their dresses and tuxedos. An Infected Bride Witch can also be seen crying at the altar. Later in the campaign, the Survivors will also encounter Infected bikers and Midnight Riders fans.

Dark Carnival
At Whispering Oaks Amusement Park there are still members of the park staff seen by the Survivors. When CEDA converted the park into an evacuation center, they were assisting in the evacuation by directing civilians and trying to maintain a level of calmness with the public.

Hard Rain
There are hillbilly Infected in the town of Ducatel which can be mistaken for Chargers due to the fact that both of them wear the same type of overalls.

Swamp Fever
At Village En Marais, instead of the Common Infected covered in blood, they are covered in mud. They are not to be mistaken as Mud Men since the mud fully covers this Uncommon Infected and they walk on all fours.

Extent of Mutations
Though the Common Infected have evidently been mutated the least physically by this strain of the Infection, the strain appears to have had a bigger effect on their minds. They seem to have lost many of their higher brain functions. However, their sense of smell and hearing have been greatly enhanced, possibly explaining things such as Crescendo Events and how the Infected are able to find Survivors when they are covered in Boomer bile. It's possible they've had very slight boosts in strength (as hinted by their capability to break walls and take a Survivor down in a few hits on Expert difficulty), speed, and endurance—though, again, it appears to be slight, as they don't withstand many bullets or injuries in general. Perhaps due to loss of higher brain functions, they seem to ignore pain, even when their limbs are blown off. Their eyesight may be extremely poor as an extent of these mutations, as Common Infected can be sometimes seen staring towards the Survivors yet chase after pipe bombs or Boomer bile.

An exception to this is the Fallen Survivor from The Passing, which will run from the Survivors once shot, as opposed to other Common Infected. There seems to be little explanation for this behavior, other than the individual's will to survive surpassed the Infection or that they have a strain of it that didn't affect their sense of self preservation. However, they still seem not to notice wounds that would be fatal if left untreated, such as a severed limb.

The Infected in general also tend to be incredibly hostile to anything not perceived as being Infected, although there are occasions when two Infected are seen fighting one another and even killing each other. Additionally, the bodies and bones of the Infected seem to have weakened, seeing how their bodies explode with blood when they are shot/chopped, compared with how a normal human being would react, and the fact that a Guitar can decapitate them. Overall, they seem quite animalistic in nature.

If nothing else, they seem to have some grasp of their current situation, or at least how they feel; generally, idle Infected act physically ill, holding their heads and vomiting as they shuffle around slowly. Occasionally, if you watch one long enough, one of the Infected who is holding their head may begin to writhe in pain, or they may simply lie down and sometimes die without being shot or punched, suggesting that the virus slowly kills its host after some time. It is also possible that after Infection, they have a limited life span, just like how people infected with rabies (the virus the game's virus was based on) have a limited lifespan if left untreated. It could also be through brain hemorrhaging, as Infected appear to bleed out of the eyes, the ears, and the mouth. This would also explain why they hold their heads in pain. Another possibility is that these deaths may be the result of an injury that the Infected person received earlier, such as from a gunshot from other Survivors or from a fall that they endured.

They are shown to have a primitive but working communication system with others, generally through grunts and screams. In The Sacrifice comic they are also shown to see the Survivors as something inhuman, which may explain why they attack them. It may even be that symptoms of the Infection include immense hallucinations followed by adverse paranoia which leads them to attack nearly anything they see moving, including their own kind on various occasions.

The mutation might have also caused a severe breakdown to the human anatomy, as it is observed while killing the Infected. They have their limbs cut off more easily than the normal state, and they burn to death in only a few moments. Furthermore, their bodies become more fragile, making them vulnerable to damage, whether it is an outside force, or an internal damage. Melee attacks and simple gunshots do considerable damage to them, even killing them instantly. Also, the anatomical breakdown is also shown in the case that if a Survivor steps on the head of a Common Infected, they will die.

Tactics and Tips
Common Infected are only strong in numbers. Sticking together is key to keeping them off your and your teammates' backs. If you are concerned about conserving ammunition, consider using your secondary weapon, which can be used indefinitely (disregarding the Chainsaw).

It is possible to kill Common Infected simply by jumping on their heads. To do so, simply walk off an edge which is at least a little taller than the Common Infected, and onto their head. Hitting a Common Infected from behind can instantly kill them, and earn the player the achievement "SPINAL TAP".

Players should ALWAYS be careful of any Infected lying on the ground. If they have been killed already, they should be ignored. However, some Commons tend to lie down, making it look as if they are dead. Shoot them, even if they look dead, because they can make several quick attacks if the player has not noticed them.

Closet mode
When a Horde is about to attack, an effective strategy is to back into a corner (preferably) or a wall. Assign the front two Survivors to crouch and melee continuously (not viable in Versus or Survival mode in Left 4 Dead) while the two Survivors behind them stand and fire their weapons at the Infected.

Finding the nearest door, closing it, and using a shotgun to blow out a significant chunk of it provides you with a shield that you can see and shoot through, as well as keeping the Infected from touching you—very useful for higher difficulties. The most important thing is limiting the area the Common Infected have to attack from. You may also want to throw a pipe bomb to divert the Infected.

Note: This is not recommended for Left 4 Dead 2. This is because the Director will eventually spawn a Spitter or Charger that will force you away from your position. Ultimately, this will bring you out into the open, possibly resulting in the players being surrounded with even more Infected. Also, a patch for Left for Dead ' s Versus and Survival modes (consequently passed on to Left 4 Dead 2 in all modes) implemented Melee Fatigue, which will force a short pause after five rapidly consecutive melee hits, and then after every hit until the player waits a few seconds without shoving after the shove has recharged. The cooldown usually lasts anywhere from one to three seconds. However, Melee Fatigue can be removed for a short period of time by the use of adrenaline.

Remove Loners
Pick off wandering Infected that have strayed away from fellow Infected whenever you can. When entering a new area, swap to pistols or snipe with a Hunting Rifle or a Sniper Rifle to take out as many lone Infected as you can from the entryway. The Director has a tendency to spawn Hordes once you reach the mid-point of areas, and this "event" will cause any idle Infected in the area to attack as well. In Versus, however, it is unlikely the Special Infected will allow you to sit in one place long enough to clear a room in this manner, so keep moving.

Removing loners also helps greatly in the event of a Tank or Witch encounter, so they do not slow down the player while they try to flee, avoid or kill the Tank/Witch.

In a safe room, it is often a good idea to stay by the door and pick off any Infected that you can see. They can't hurt you if you're inside, and you can refill your ammo immediately after dealing with them. This can make for an easier exit from the safe room.

Weapon of choice
Any shotgun can be very useful against the Horde, as their shells deal large amounts of damage and can pass through multiple Infected. The Auto Shotgun and Combat Shotgun are superior to other shotguns, as they chamber a new round automatically every time you fire, removing the delay required to pump the shotgun. A good tactic to use if they are coming through one area, such as a doorway, is to keep your fire directed at the entryway, as the Infected will be clustering together to get through, making them easier to kill. Remember to push the Infected back while reloading, taking into account that the shotgun will take much longer to reload than any other weapon. It is also a good idea to aim low when using a shotgun against smaller Hordes, since gibbing the legs is an instant kill towards Common Infected.

As far as automatic weapons go, rifles can do major damage at any range. The Combat Rifle excels at accurate long-range shooting, but when a Horde is in a player's personal space, it lacks the bullet spread necessary to quickly dispatch a spread-out group of Infected. The AK-47 is the opposite; while it is ineffective at taking out distant enemies, its high power and higher spread can clear out Infected in mid-to-close range with ease. The Assault Rifle has a large clip capacity and the fastest reload speed of any weapon, as well as decent stopping power and good accuracy, making it a balanced and viable choice against large populations of Infected.

The Hunting Rifle and the Sniper Rifle should both be used predominantly to kill distant Infected. If need be, they can be used to kill attacking Infected with their high rate of fire. Keep in mind these high accuracy rifles' notable bullet penetration. If multiple Infected are being funneled through a tight area or are otherwise "stacked" (like when climbing an obstacle), the rifle family can shoot through several Infected with a single bullet. The scoped rifles can, however, instantly kill any Commons the bullet touches, making it useful on harder difficulties (although, on high difficulties in Realism mode, it will take multiple bullets to kill the Infected unless one aims for the head).

However, if the player is swarmed by the Infected, using a melee weapon with good horizontal range such as a Katana should be used as it will kill many Common Infected in one swing. Guns should only be used if there is a fair amount of distance between the Horde and the team, since the attacks of the Common Infected are capable of disrupting accuracy.

Power of the Horde
The Common Infected are especially dangerous on the Expert difficulty. It can only take a couple of hits to down a Survivor, depending on the Survivor's current health. On this mode, the Common Infected deal much more damage: 20 for each hit on the front, and 10 for each hit on the back. This means that a Horde can easily cripple an entire team if they are not paying attention.

Common Infected can be extremely powerful in their own way, as their attacks are capable of slowing down Survivors and messing up their accuracy. Although it may not seem much, if you are attacked by Common Infected while fleeing from a Tank or Witch, their slowing attacks will allow them to catch up and severely wound/kill the player. Their attacks are usually the result for more then half of the total damage that is dealt to the Survivors during the duration of the Campaign and can easily stack up.

They also attack from any and every angle possible, so always watch your back if you are not up against a wall to prevent them from getting free hits on you. Whenever a Horde spawns, try to find a higher elevation or a choke point. This way, the Horde is funneled and can be easily dealt with so the team does not get swarmed by them and any accompanying Special Infected if they should appear. (Note: If playing Left 4 Dead 2, beware of the Director spawning a Charger or a Spitter to break up your team in a closed choke point.

Darkness is your Friend
The Common Infected are obviously known to be attracted by the noise of car alarms and other loud sounds caused by most Crescendo Events, however, most have not realized the flashlight can also enrage Infected. The bright light irritates them, drawing their attention to the player. Flickering the lights on and off will disturb them faster. Using this knowledge may help if two of the Survivors have their flashlights on while the others do not, causing the two with the active flashlights to be targeted by Infected while their partners are able to defend them unimpeded.

In addition, the glare of the flashlight can sometimes cause your vision to focus directly on where the flashlight is pointed. Shutting off the flashlight during a Horde is usually a good idea. Practice using the silhouettes to identify Infected if you use this tactic. In low-light situations this can drastically improve your ability to see oncoming Infected. Use natural light rather than your flashlight whenever possible to avoid Infected.

Note that having a flashlight on, whether it's day or night time and whether or not you shine it directly onto an Infected, doesn't matter. It seems to aggravate them from anywhere nearby if a flashlight is in sight. This kind of behaviour exemplifies the Common Infected's animalistic traits.

Playing smart
Although Common Infected are easily dispatched, it is still very important to eliminate them when possible and pay attention to one's surroundings. In the event of a Horde or Crescendo Event, communication between players is necessary to avoid Special Infected ambushes and separation. Having a predetermined path and assigned combat roles can all contribute to a successful campaign or versus match. Also, when Infected are near a wall, their shadows can sometimes be seen through the walls, giving you a chance to plan or dispatch them before they become troublesome in a Horde. When a Tank is near, Common Infected could be a significant threat. They will distract you and your teammates, and worse, block your escape route, making you an easy target for the Tank.

Targeting priority
The Common Infected's targeting priority is:

Note: If players throw Boomer Bile or a Pipe Bomb, and other players are blocking the Infected from getting there, the Infected will start attacking Survivors instead, similar to when a Witch is unable to reach her target because someone is blocking her.
 * 1) Thrown Pipe Bombs
 * 2) Survivors or Infected who are covered in Boomer bile
 * 3) Thrown Bile Bombs (that are not covering anyone)
 * 4) Survivors (Only during Hordes, Panic Events, Crescendo Events, Finales, or after they realize Survivors' existence).

Notice that Common Infected will not switch their target when they are already attacking a Survivor. Survivors have to shove them to make them switch targets.

Infected tips
When playing as the Infected in Versus, you can use the Common Infected to your advantage. While the Survivors are attempting to reach the safe room, there are many ways you can exploit the Horde. Once the Survivors are occupied by the Horde, a competent Tank can defeat even the most organized Survivor team.

Boomers can not only summon the Horde but also "extend" it by vomiting on the Survivors after they have dealt with the present Horde. Vomiting on downed Survivors is extremely effective and will very often result in death for the Survivor unless someone goes to help them deal with the Horde, as Common Infected will deal 5 times their normal damage against downed players.

Smokers are also effective during a Horde as they can snatch a Survivor and pull them away whilst the others are too busy fighting to help. Smokers can also be protected by the Common Infected. If you have snared a Survivor and you pull them in front of you where you can hit them, the Horde will attack along with you, killing them faster. This circle of Infected makes it harder for the Survivors to kill you.

You can even do a substantial amount of damage with a Hunter before the Survivors can deal with the Horde and kill you, as the other Infected will absorb some of the damage that would otherwise reach and potentially kill you. Other Infected will also surround the Hunter to claw at the Survivor.

Achievements

 * See Main Article: Achievements

Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead 2