The Swamp

"Now I know why you would jump out of an airplane."

- Coach "Nick, you didn't shoot down this pilot too right?"

- Coach

The Swamp is the second chapter of the campaign Swamp Fever in Left 4 Dead 2.

It begins in a drainage culvert beneath a rail track causeway that has been fashioned into a safe room. The Survivors must navigate a series of knee-deep swamps or bayous intersected with patches of dryer ground and indicative pathways made up of planks resting over the water.

By following the planks, players encounter the ruins of a long-abandoned boathouse and a jetty which yield various supplies. A nearby plume of smoke above the trees brings them to an expanse of bayou in the center of which is a crashed civilian jet airliner. On the way to the plane, a dead military paratrooper will be found draped in a tree and will often give up a Tier 2 weapon, often as well as a throwable item.

It is necessary for players to enter the aircraft's fuselage. Supplies will also be found here including Tier 2 weaponry.

The starboard side emergency door must be opened and this will trigger a Crescendo Event. Infected will horde from both sides of the fuselage. The starboard doorway forms a choke point and a single player can hold this position with relative ease. Defending the port side is more difficult, and in a co-op game, at least two (even three) players should be allocated this duty.

Once they have weathered the hordes of the Infected at the aircraft, players make their way through some ravaged old shacks and into the next safe-house.

Strategy
Also see: Tactics

All campaign walkthroughs are done on Normal Difficulty in single player, and are meant to give tips on what to do and generally point out things that might otherwise be missed.

There are, of course, a few key things to always remember: The swamp is a dangerous place. Can the Survivors handle it especially in a zombie apocalypse?
 * Stop, look, and listen.
 * Stopping to observe your surroundings might allow you to prepare for something nasty, like a Witch or Special Infected in a really bad place for them to be. Maybe even a Tank at possible times.
 * Teamwork.
 * This cannot be stressed enough. Left 4 Dead 2 is supposed to be a cooperative game. Communicate with your teammates, if you're playing with others, or if you're by yourself with Bots, point out things they might otherwise miss. In all cases, watch out for each other and take care of each other. You are not going to survive the zombie apocalypse by yourself.
 * Be ready for anything.
 * Don't panic.

Campaign


You start off in the drainage ditch of a railroad. If you started from the last chapter, it will greatly help as there will be extra firepower from the scoped rifle obtained on the walkway. Regardless, gear up and move to find a boat on the water. It usually contains various items (there is always an axe near it) which will help the Survivors. Go to the small opening next to the boat and fight your way through. You should look for a dead paratrooper in this area, as he has a random tier 2 weapon or hunting rifle, along with grenades and temporary healing items. A Tank can spawn in this area, so avoid luring it into the water as it will slow you down for the Tank to catch up and if a Molotov has been used on it, will clear its effects.

Proceed until you find a small dock and a ruined house nearby. More weapons and items can be found there. Move forward to find a small outhouse which serves as a Rescue Closet and usually has a Grenade Launcher and other items. You'll find a downed airliner and a door which must be breached in order to get further. Breaching the door will start a Crescendo Event.

On lower difficulties, players can either stand their ground or dash through, as the Infected deal less damage and their attacks are delayed. On Advanced and Expert, however, it is better to fall back to the dock area. This is because the Infected will deal more damage and have a faster reaction time. This is also recommended because of the potential Tank/Witch spawn at the house area up ahead which when combined with the horde can result in an easy reset. By holding the dock area on Advanced/Expert, the player can take advantage of the weapon spawns and a funnel effect, as the Infected simply spawn around the airplane while the Crescendo is active.

Regardless of your decision, go past the breached door and proceed further into the swamp. Another dock and a boat with a weapon and various items can be found here. You'll see a small house and a campfire up ahead; search them as this is usually the "checkpoint" of this chapter, refreshing you with more weapons and items should the team be doing poorly. Keep moving up ahead to find a house partially collapsed in the water. Searching the house is optional, but if you do, it is always guaranteed to have several Molotovs (which is useless at this area due to the water level). Go past the house to find dry land. A pickup is next to a barricade and contains more weapons to choose from. Continue moving up ahead to find a second barricade; go right to find the safehouse.

The Survivors
Now that humans are controlling the Special Infected, things can only get harder. However, they can't spawn until you leave the safe room. That doesn't mean that you should let them have a good chance to find just the right spot, though! Hurry up and get your supplies, and get running!

Throughout the level, remember that you are playing against human players. They will not wait for you to come to them, and if they do, it's because they have an ambush location that could be deadly to you and your team. With this in mind, you need to keep moving. However, moving blindly could be your downfall―move quickly, but with caution. Also, under all circumstances, stick close to your team.

Remember that in Versus, your melee shoving is limited so you cannot properly use corner melee-spamming tactics. However, having the entire team in one corner will be helpful as you can generally see the Special Infected and be able to kill most of them before they reach you.

Remain vigilant for the Witch's cries. If you spot a Boomer not moving in the distance and staring you down while the Witch can be heard―don't shoot! If he moves away or towards you, then you can safely assume he's not concealing a Witch. Witches, although avoidable, can be the fatal blow to the team especially if there are competent Special Infected lying in wait.

As with all levels, when you know you're near the safe room, make sure you are with your teammates before you make a dash for it. If you make a break for it alone, it is not unlikely that a Special Infected will be waiting for your arrival and possibly kill you before the others can reach you. No one can survive the infection alone. Teamwork is essential.

The Infected
Boomers: This level was made for you. You are the sneaky one, hiding around trees and in bushes. There are many ambush locations that the Survivors must pass through to complete their journey. Concealed behind trees, bushes, shacks, and even outhouses, The Swamp should be a perfect environment for you. Beware of Bots, due to the fact they can see you through foliage. If a Tank shows up, do your best to cover as many Survivors as you can. A horde and a Tank at one time is often enough to overwhelm the Survivors. If you can cover the Survivors while other Infected are in position, you can use the opportunity you created to put the hurt on the Survivors. There's a Witch? Conceal her! Odds are that one genius Survivor is going to shoot you and the Witch in one go.

Hunters: This level can be a little challenging for you, for there are not many high buildings you can climb for high pounces. One of the only ways you can get a high pounce is to to wall jump off a tree and land directly on a Survivor. As usual, go for the lone wolves that wander off. Hear a Witch? Set up near her, and wait for one foolish Survivor to shoot you, and hopefully the Witch. If you can't get there in time, and a Survivor tries to cr0wn the Witch, pounce on them! Work with your teammates, as usual. Attack in groups, because it is harder to kill three Infected at once instead of one. The swamp water can conceal you well enough, as the Hunter's clothing is same to the swamp water.

Chargers: Separate the Survivors! Are the Survivors in a line? Get aligned with the Survivors, move in, and charge! If you miss, hide behind any obstacle you can find. If any Survivors are low on health, sneak up behind them and hit 'em good. Don't be afraid to charge, any charge that separates the Survivors is a good charge. Try doing it on the crashed airliner, as the Survivors will be forced to save that victim, and it will be hard if they do not have scoped weapons.

Smokers: The time to duel with the Survivors has returned. But unlike your Hunter, Boomer, Charger, Jockey, or Tank brethren, you do not charge in and attack. You do not fight in close quarters. No, you are certainly unique. You are the long-range attacker. Stick to the foliage-filled sections and split the group in times of chaos. Pull the one who is the farthest from his friends. Working with the Boomer, pull one of the four slimed Survivors or alternatively, pull a clean one and separate the group. Pulling the last Survivor to jump off the wing of the plane can cause some time, and even cause them to retrace their steps. Hide behind trees, protect your teammates, and work together! There are some spots where you can hide, such as the bushes to prevent them (execpt bots) from finding you.

Jockeys: The Swamp is a great level for you. Wait for one Survivor to journey slightly ahead, then jump! Bring them around trees and shacks to prevent getting shot off. Work with your teammates! If one of your teammates has a Survivor in their wrath, protect them! The swamp water will slow the Survivors down, so use it to your advantage. Crouch to cover yourself more and having a less chance of getting shot at.

Spitters: Always work with your teammates! You'll get more damage by spitting on a helpless Survivor than on a Survivor that can easily get out of your spit. If a Survivor is vomited on, wait for them to get caught up in the horde, and spit! If a Hunter, Smoker, Charger, or Jockey has a Survivor in their wrath, spit on them to deal some extra damage! The water is perfect to spit acid, though it will be seen easily unless they are in a Horde attack or stuck in one place.

Tanks: Tanks are extremely useful during all parts (except the last one) of Swamp Fever. Their high damage output against the Survivors work extremely well. Always try to get them stuck in the water, as it makes them, regardless of their health (rather than the occasional Adrenaline user) slower then you, and the water is useful to block off Molotov throwers. While on land, it is best to stalk them where you are able to see them (but they can't see you) to prevent your gauge from falling and once they reach water, slaughter them by punching them even deeper into the water to slow them down and let your allies pick them off quickly.