The Cemetery

"I hope those hash marks mean zombies."

- Coach

"What the hell was going on here?"

- Nick


 * For the actual in-game cemetery, see Saint Roches Cemetery.

"The Cemetery" is the third chapter of "The Parish" campaign in Left 4 Dead 2.

After exiting the safe room located in a maintenance room underneath the freeway, the Survivors make their way through residential New Orleans towards an open manhole, take a foul but brief trip through the sewers, and then quietly navigate an abandoned impound lot before reaching the next safe house at the far end of the dangerous and ever-changing Saint Roches Cemetery.

This chapter is a classic "game of two halves" in the sense that initially all the action takes place in relatively open ground followed by a lot of close-quarter fighting subsequent to entering the sewer. The impound lot and Saint Roches Cemetery are two innovative and particularly well-crafted scenarios that provide players with challenging opportunities to showcase their situational awareness and skill-at-arms.

In Versus Mode, "The Cemetery" chapter is a great place for a losing team to make up lost ground; the last three-quarters of the chapter are narrow, limiting the Survivors chances of evading harm. Here, a well-coordinated team of player-controlled Special Infected can spell death for the Survivors.

Being incapacitated with a melee weapon and having poor accuracy can spell death for the Survivors; the compound contains about five to seven alarmed cars that summons a Horde, causing huge panic on higher difficulties.

Campaign
Grab all the supplies at the safe room before leaving and head out onto the freeway. Fight your way through the Infected that loiter around. The Director is usually fond of spawning hordes above on the freeway at this time, so if one comes be prepared to anticipate where they come from. The static fire in the area can be used to lure the Infected and light them up, as they do not tend to avoid it. This works especially well against a Witch if she spawns around the area, but it is relatively large and she can be avoided. Smokers at this point will spawn from the deli shop rooftops so be wary when going on top of the bus as they may drag you back down.

Enter the first floor shop to search for weapons and other items. Then go out and climb up, turning right to a futile attempt by other Survivors to wait out the Infection. Clean up the area and search for more weapons and a Molotov in the bathroom. Go out and drop down from the bus blocking the way and keep moving until you reach a shed. An ammo upgrade may spawn here so if one does, deploy it for you and your allies. Go into the trailer to the left to search for more weapons. It's also another spawn point for an ammo pack/laser sight upgrade, then move to the house across for more supplies.

After the trailer and house across it are cleared, go up to the stairs and search for more supplies. A Witch might spawn here, so if she does in the building it is advised to ignite her with a Molotov since you will not have enough time to make it back to the safe room even while under the effects of adrenaline. Search the building for more ammo packs if any are present, then jump out the broken wall into a small trailer. Despite appearing like a one-way path, you can jump on the trailer back into the building if anyone is attacked by a Special Infected in the building when the whole team has jumped down. Clear the ruined area quickly and go into the building that has lost much of its front walls; that is the building you need to enter. Go upstairs and search the bedroom for more supplies.

Leave through a broken wall on the first floor. You may climb up the ladder to the right to find a melee weapon along with some throwables or an ammo pack. Then go down the ladder and proceed towards another segment of the building through another broken wall. Search the bathroom for weapons, then search the bedroom (which also serves as a Rescue Closet) for other items. The kitchen at the end does not contain much apart from a frying pan, but the Director may spawn an ammo pile or laser sights there. Leave the building and clear the Infected around the area and go to the manhole.

'''The manhole is a one-way path, so all players should jump down at once. Be wary of any Special Infected that spawn as they spawn in the sewers and not in the building.''' Jump down into the sewer (make sure you find the tier 2 shotgun spawn first, so you do not get caught by surprise by a Special Infected) and proceed. Lights do not help much as it gives a short range, but it's still better then nothing. Hear the water movements from the Commons in the area to anticipate where they are coming from, although bots usually tend to get rid of them easily. Go up the ladder to reach the Impound Lot.

The impound lot is a very dangerous area and serves as this chapter's "Crescendo Event", so be extremely careful. Get the whole team near the truck south of the ladder and make sure you are using a scoped rifle.

Some details about the impound lot are here:


 * Bots will not attack near alarmed cars, apart from saving players that are pinned by a Special Infected. Lure them to the truck so they can start firing at the Infected.
 * The car alarms only go off if the player does something that is within car alarm distance. If they are far enough, whatever they do will not set off car alarms, so going back to the truck at the impound lot will prevent AI Boomers from prematurely setting off car alarms when killed.
 * If a car alarm goes off, go to the back of the lot to funnel the incoming Infected, and with bots, will start opening fire on them. This will prevent Infected from getting free hits from AI Survivors as their priorities will conflict and will result in a helpless bot.
 * Incendiary ammo does not set off car alarms. However this is relatively useless with bots as they will not shoot near an alarmed car.
 * The Tank can spawn in the impound lot; however this can be a blessing in disguise as even though on harder difficulties he will become stronger, when he punches an alarmed car the alarm will be destroyed and will not alert the horde. If you feel there isn't enough space in the impound lot, lure the Tank into the sewer below; despite being slowed by the water it is much more better then accidentally shooting an alarmed car and having to fight both the Horde and the Tank at the same time.
 * The Witch can also spawn in the impound lot, although she occasionally glitches and gets stuck, making her relatively easy to avoid.
 * In the impound lot, players should only fire if they have a scoped rifle. Using automatic rifles and shotguns can result in stray bullets setting off alarms and result in heavy punishment. Players carrying either weapon should use a melee weapon instead. If they do not have a melee weapon, lure Infected away from alarmed cars and shoot at the legs.

Use your scoped rifle carefully to kill the Commons and fire one bullet at a time so you do not accidentally overshoot and hit an alarmed car. Smokers are the largest threat at the impound lot apart from Boomers as they can drag you onto an alarmed car and set it off, although they tend to spawn above the lot and not in it. Boomers should be taken care of if near an alarmed car as if the player shoots them within alarm distance, it will set off the alarm.

Once you leave the impound lot, if the team is not going for the "Violence in Silence" achievement, go onto the ambulance and restock on supplies if needed. One player should go back down and set off the last car alarm while the rest of the team advances after a few seconds have passed. The Director will send a horde at the team, which will allow the cemetery area to be fairly clear. A Bile Bomb can help prolong the team's venture into the cemetery without facing much opposition.

On the freeway, the ambulance nearby contains weapons and some health kits. Go down onto the bombed freeway and into the cemetery. Be wary of any Smokers as they can drag players down into the arms of the Common Infected and drop their health rapidly. The shed near the cemetery serves as another weapon spawn point and a Rescue Closet, so any players that died at the sewer/impound lot will respawn there.

The Director picks a random path at the cemetery based on four paths and the team's progress. The paths are loitered with Molotovs and other supplies and you'll always pass through the middle of the cemetery regardless of path. Be wary of Tank or Witch spawns if they have not appeared as they are often spawned in this area. When you leave the cemetery, search the crashed truck for supplies before going down the street and into the last building there.

The last building is a last-ditch spot for any Tank or Witch spawns so be very careful. Search the area before entering the safe room as the Director tends to spawn a health kit on the side that the team may accidentally miss. Close the safe door and this chapter is completed.

The Survivors
The first place that the Infected may ambush you is right in the beginning. The Infected will often be hiding on top of the freeway, waiting to attack the last Survivor who passes by. Be careful when atop the bus: an Infected may take you off the opposite side, forcing you to backtrack. That one Survivor is then open to an ambush by himself/herself, so someone should stick with that Survivor.

The house you must pass through with the broken wall leading onto the trailer is a great ambush spot. The last Survivor to jump off may be grabbed by a Jockey, Smoker, or Charger, and it may take someone with full health a couple tries to jump back into the house to save them.

The sewer is one of the worst places to get ambushed. If the last Survivor to jump down is pinned by a Special Infected or incapacitated, there is almost no way the other Survivors in the sewer can help them. If one of your teammates is the last one down, and can't be helped, try to run through the sewer. That leaves one less Infected on your hands. The narrow sewer is also a great spot for a Charger, so beware.

The impound lot is filled with alarm cars. All you need is one alarm triggered, and prepare for a horde. Do not shoot a Boomer if you see it near an alarmed car. The blast may trigger a horde. Jockeys, Smokers, Chargers and Hunters can easily make you set off an alarm, so watch out for them.

The cemetery can also be dangerous, for the AI director changes the maze every time. As always, stick together. After you pass through the cemetery, the safe house is in a room across the street. Get in, close the door, and you're safe, for now.

The Infected
Charger: Remember, a charge that separates the team is always a good charge. Before in the sewer, if you can, try to charge the last Survivor that jumps in the hole. Their fellow Survivors won't be able to help. While inside the sewer, try to charge at the Survivors, and drag one of them away from the group to break their formation. Also, a good strategy for a stealthy Charger is to hide until the Survivors descend into the sewer, wait until they finish dabbling about near the entrance, and then jump down and charge all of the Survivors at once in one go. Properly timed and aimed, this will scatter the entire team and carry your unfortunate victim a considerable distance into the sewer. The effect is doubly fatal for the captured Survivor because not only will the water slow their potential rescue, but you will usually carry them into a cluster of idle Infected. Charging a Survivor in the cemetery may also break the team's formation.

Hunter: As always, go for lone wolves. Pouncing on a Survivor off the freeway may help you deal some more damage if done correctly. Pounce Survivors climbing ladders; you may deal extra damage. Pouncing the last Survivor to jump down the hole into the sewers will make it nearly impossible for their teammates to help. Pounce on them from inside the dark sewer and it may be difficult for them to see you or move around to help your victim. Pounce the last Survivor to come out of the sewers. If you did it when he/she was still on the ladder, he will go back down, buying you and the other Infected time as they scramble down the ladder to get their teammate. If a Smoker can manage to pull a Survivor back down the ladder to the impound lot, pounce anyone in the sewer who dares to save their teammate.

Smoker: The freeway and rooftops are your best playgrounds; use them! Pulling a Survivor off the bus backwards will cause their teammates to backtrack. Pulling ladder-climbing Survivors will make them fall and will deal some extra damage. You can also hide in the broken tombs, and wait to catch the loner of the group. Lone wolves are the best to aim for, especially when they are behind the rest of the group. This is particularly fatal if you manage to ensnare a Survivor when the rest of the team has reach points of no return, such as the drop from the house into the construction area, the fall into the sewer, or the descent from the bridge into the cemetery.

Spitter: Inside the first house, where the Survivors enter is a great spot to cause some damage because it is a close area. Try to help out your teammates when they are attacking a Survivor. Also, spitting right at the ladder as the Survivors are coming up from the sewers can cause some serious damage. Blocking or spitting on the correct paths in the impound lot may startle the Survivors and have a higher chance of them bumping into an alarmed car, or shoot everywhere if they're being attacked by Common Infected. If a foolish Survivor stays in the ambulance, you can spit inside the ambulance and it will cause major damage because the Survivor is crouched, making them slower, so it is harder to escape the goo. If you should spawn simultaneously with a Tank, your ability to spit at the ends of narrow hallways and one-way escape routes can destroy the Survivors' ability to flee.

Jockey: Riding a Survivor away from the group is the best thing to do. This leaves that Survivor vulnerable to your teammates attacks. Riding the last Survivor off the bus will slow your enemies. If you can ride the last Survivor to jump out of the room and onto the trailer, it will cause a great delay for the other Survivors to try jumping and backtracking trying to get you. Riding a Survivor into or near an alarmed car may cause a fellow Survivor to try shooting you and accidentally hit the car. If possible, familiarize yourself with the cemetery before the Survivors arrive. After that, it is a simple matter to ride him him/her throughout the cemetery. One or two of the other Survivors may get lost attempting to follow.

Boomer: Work with your teammates! Whenever you see a teammate attacking a Survivor, don't be afraid to vomit on the helpless survivor and maybe even their rescuer. But be careful; if you are shot and explode, and are close to your teammate, you may stun them, and ruin their chance to damage a Survivor. Booming on a player where there is a great amount of Infected nearby will increase your chances of dealing damage. When boomed on in the sewers, it is nearly impossible for the Survivors to see, leaving them vulnerable for your teammates. With all the various nooks and crannies in this level, your ability to scare a Survivor into shooting without thinking is at its peak. Hide in the trailer and vomit on the first Survivor in, or wait in the deeper part of the trailer and make a kamikaze dash on the group when they huddle in. If you make a beeline for a Survivor while standing in front of an alarmed car, even a skilled Survivor might shoot a few too many bullets to get rid of you.

Tank: Whenever a Tank spawns, a lot of panic is created; but this is the one level where the sadistic powers of the AI director can spell death for an entire team. Tanks can spawn nearly anywhere in this chapter, but the most common area is the impound lot. Should a Tank spawn here, go nuts. Even though smashing an alarmed car breaks its horde summoning capabilities, there are plenty of alarms to go around, and your panic will more than likely make them touch or shoot another by mistake. Should you spawn in an open area, hurl rocks at the Survivors, forcing them into the developed houses or corners; get them in an enclosed space and then punch them till they are down. Don't be afraid to turn around and give chase to another Survivor who is unloading ammo into your backside.