Uncommon Infected

See also: Common Infected "Jumping Jehosaphat! What are these things?!"

- Coach "Party time!"

- Rochelle

The Uncommon Common Infected, Uncommon Infected, or simply the Uncommon are new forms of the Common Infected introduced in Left 4 Dead 2. They have the same general weaknesses and slightly higher health than most Common Infected, but there are a few differences that can affect how they're dealt with. Every campaign has its own unique Uncommon Infected.

The Survivors often comment on the Uncommon Infected, with the exception of the Worker Infected, noting their unusual attire and abilities.

Reflective Appearance
Each Uncommon Infected have reflective clothing, helping differentiate them from the regular Common Infected: These reflective areas can be easily seen by turning your flashlight on.
 * The CEDA Worker Infected have reflective areas on their suits.
 * The Clown Infected wear pants with reflective stripes and reflective makeup, the latter of which is arguably the least noticeable.
 * The Mudmen's mud is reflective.
 * The Worker Infected have reflective vests, which are most noticeable during the storms.
 * The bands on the Riot Infected's arm, along with the word "Security" on his chest are reflective.
 * Some Fallen Survivors have reflective bright red medkits on their backs.

Tactics

 * See Common Infected's Tactics and Tips

Much of the same tactics for Common Infected will apply to most of the Uncommon Infected, as the Director will control them in the same way as normal Common Infected, and they have slightly higher health than that of normal Common Infected (1 shot from the AK-47 can kill a normal Common Infected but not for Uncommon Infected on normal difficulty). However, some of them may require new strategy to take down, which is listed in each Uncommon Infected's section.

Types of Uncommon Infected
There are several different types of Uncommon Infected, which are generally restricted to certain chapters of campaigns.

CEDA Worker Infected
"Guess those suits don't stop bites."

- Nick "Fireproof zombies. Hooray!"

- Rochelle

The CEDA Worker Infected was the first Uncommon Infected to be announced and appear in the Left 4 Dead 2 campaign, Dead Center. Players will occasionally come across Common Infected wearing a hazmat suit (which appears to be of Level A (U.S.)/Type 1 (EU) rating), which was worn prior to the person being Infected. When killed, there is a chance of them dropping a Bile Bomb (in which case it will be seen strapped to their side). When shot in the face, blood will splatter across the visor, and the sound of air hissing out of their now-punctured hazmat suit can sometimes be heard. Their limbs are detachable but players can not cut them in half, even with a chainsaw. This fact means the hazmat suit was intact after its occupant had become infected. The most logical explanation is that hazmat suit wearers were infected prior to donning their suits, thus rendering this ostensibly protective gear redundant. An alternative theory based on the "escaping air" sound heard when these enemies are shot assumes that different parts of the suit have independent air supplies. Through development of Left 4 Dead 2, the campaign the CEDA Worker Infected appeared in changed from The Parish, to extend to Dead Center, to being removed from The Parish completely, having been replaced by the Riot Infected.

Due to their hazmat suits, they are resistant to fire, as in they do not burst into flames when in the middle of a Molotov, and incendiary ammunition just ricochets off them. If idle within fire for extended periods of time, they will die due to the heat. They come in two different varieties: yellow suits and green suits. There were also white suits, but these were only seen in the "Survival" trailer or spotted as ragdolls scattered about certain areas of the campaign, "The Parish".

Tactics and Notes

 * Collecting ten jars of Bile bombs from CEDA Worker Infected will earn the Achievement ROBBED ZOMBIE.
 * As they are immune to fire, do not bother using Molotovs on them. Either use firearms or a melee weapon.
 * If your primary weapon is loaded with incendiary ammo, it will not light them on fire, but still affect them as normal and will kill them in a few shots.
 * The CEDA Worker Infected makes its second canon campaign appearance in the Left 4 Dead 2 DLC, The Sacrifice along with the Left 4 Dead 2 port of No Mercy, along with the Worker Infected.
 * If one looks closely at the CEDA Worker Infected, one will notice that the gloves are on the inside of the suit and the boots aren't part of the suit. Therefore, the suit is not sealed, proved by the fact that they are able to smell Bile bombs. This is against standard hazmat protocol as this allows unwanted agents into the suit, although that might be the reason they were infected.

Jimmy Gibbs Junior
"If the laws of nature allowed it, I would bear that man's children."

- Ellis "Dibs on Gibbs"

- Rochelle

Jimmy Gibbs Junior was a "famous" race car driver from the Southern United States, writer of at least one autobiography called "SPEED", and considered an idol in the eyes of Ellis and Coach. The Survivors steal his race car to escape the mall. He is dressed in his racing suit and only spawns in the Atrium, with a 5% chance of spawning at all. He is mentioned by the Survivors briefly, saying things such as "If we see him, someone else is going to have to kill him". Nick makes a point of cursing his name regularly though, normally when something goes wrong with his car. This may be another play on the remake of the movie Dawn of the Dead, where the Survivors could see Infected versions of famous people that they knew from the mall. He has 1000 HP, no detachable limbs, and is fireproof (thanks to his racing suit). He can also blind players with motor oil (similar to the Mudmen's splatter effect) and is not drawn to Pipe bombs or Bile bombs. Like any other Infected, he can be spawned using a console command. On his shoulder, he has the word "GOODBYE," a parody to the tire company Goodyear, a well known supplier and participant in many forms of motorsport.

Tactics and Notes

 * Despite the fact that Jimmy Gibbs Junior has 1000 HP, he can instantly be killed by a headshot or a melee attack. Valve may have deliberately set this up due to his high health and the fact that he is fireproof.
 * As Jimmy Gibbs Junior is immune to fire, do not bother using Molotovs on him. Either use firearms or a melee weapon.
 * If your primary weapon is loaded with incendiary ammo, he will not be lit on fire.
 * The suit that Jimmy wears appears to be fireproof; this explains why he is unaffected by any blazes.
 * A possible explanation for his oil-blinding effect is that he was doing repairs on his cars when he got infected, possibly due to either that he was repairing his car for a show, or that he insisted that only himself should do repairs on his car.
 * According to the giant poster in The Atrium, he won the Supercup in 1977, 1981, 1984 and 1986.
 * If you go to the far right side of The Streets map in Dead Center near the first safe room (may need to use special infected), there is a billboard featuring none other than Jimmy Gibbs Jr. — at least in his uninfected form.
 * His autobiography, Speed, is never mentioned in-game, but can be found in a commercial on the Midnight Riders website, where it claims that it is the fastest written autobiography of all time.
 * His race car is loosely based on the 1970 Dodge Charger Daytona, but without the nose cone.
 * Jimmy Gibbs Junior is the rarest of all Uncommon Infected to encounter and the only one that is exclusive to a campaign's finale, appearing in the Atrium Finale with only a 5% percent chance to spawn.

Fallen Survivor
"That zombie's got something!"

- Coach "Is that Keith? Oh wait, no it's not. Never mind."

- Ellis

The Fallen Survivor was evidently a fairly well-equipped Survivor from the initial outbreak, but unfortunately became Infected later on. He appears in the DLC campaign The Passing wearing militia attire including a boonie cover and three ammo belts with a strap carrying visible Molotov, Pipe bomb, Pills and a First aid kit. He will run from Survivors upon being shot, much like the cut Special Infected, The Screamer, thus making him the least threatening Infected. However, he will attack if you are covered in Boomer bile or have not shot at him yet.

Unlike the average Common Infected, he has an extremely high amount of health, to the point of being able to withstand multiple point-blank shotgun blasts. The only ways to kill him in one hit are explosive ammunition, melee weapons, the M60 or head shots. Head shots are very difficult to strike because you must actually hit his head or his helmet will deflect the bullet and startle him, causing no damage and making him run, making head shots near impossible. He is not immune to the lure of Bile bombs or Pipe bombs though; if a Survivor uses one, the Fallen Survivor will run to the location it is used. The Fallen Survivor has been seen wearing a blue, red, and green shirt.

He was going to be in Left 4 Dead 2 from the start, but was cut from the final version due to people having trouble in the beta version with him. He can be seen here, with mods. However, it is extremely glitchy and you will collide with his body, or rather, where his items are. If you pick up the items, which become invisible upon his death, it would make you lose your primary weapon, and get the HUD icon it would give you if you got a real Pipe bomb/Molotov/Pills/First aid kit, but you can't use the item. Picking your weapon back up, or another weapon, would cause you to lose his item. His character model is nearly identical to that of Whitaker. He can also be seen briefly in the "Zombie Survival Guide", running towards the Survivors in The Plantation.

A Fallen Survivor can carry any/all of the following items, which may be randomly dropped upon his death:
 * Molotov
 * Pipe bomb
 * Pain pills
 * First aid kit

Tactics and Notes

 * As The Fallen Survivor will run away when shot, use a melee weapon to kill him in a single hit.
 * Alternatively, if one of the team is carrying a Magnum or a M60, let them attack the Fallen Survivor first, as both weapons can kill the Fallen Survivor in one or two hits.
 * A Sniper Rifle or Hunting Rifle is also able to kill the Fallen Survivor in one hit in any mode other than Realism Mode.
 * Using explosive ammo with a firearm can kill the Fallen Survivor much faster.
 * A Bile bomb or Pipe bomb will lure him towards the location it was thrown in, even if he is running away.
 * Melee shoving the Fallen Survivor will temporarily stop his attempts at running away.
 * Taking ten of the Fallen Survivor's equipment will earn you the GRAVE ROBBER Achievement.
 * Whitaker's appearance is extremely similar to the Fallen Survivor, only uninfected and no blood stains. This model is likely only an in-game placeholder used merely because there was no design for the character. Artwork used for promotions when Valve debuted the ability to purchase hats in Team Fortress 2 featured a completely different version of Whitaker.
 * The Fallen Survivor can be seen briefly in the plantation part of the Left 4 Dead 2 intro.
 * He is currently the only Uncommon Infected to have a behavioral modification, behaving like a Survivor Bot with Infected abilities and the command to stay away from Survivors. However, his higher health is likely due to all the items strapped to his person, as well as possible armor underneath his clothes.
 * When the Fallen Survivor attacks, it makes a clawing sound, much like a Special Infected, unlike the pounding sound other Common Infected makes.
 * You can run up to him and shove him, shooting him as he attempts to get up. Once he looks like he is up, shove him again! Do NOT attempt to kill him by only using shove attacks, as shove fatigue will eventually force you to wait five to ten seconds before being able to shove again, giving him an opportunity to escape.
 * The Fallen Survivor has a pistol holster strapped to his leg, but does not have a gun in it. This may be due to the infection overwhelming him as he used his gun, causing him to drop it since infected don't carry objects, or his infection overtaking him while he was unarmed.
 * While the fallen survivor may run and get away, he does not disappear. He may inadvertedly traverse to inaccessible areas of the map, attempt to hide, but will more likely just be further ahead when he stops running. With luck he may eventually be found at the end of the map or a choke point.

Clown Infected
"That clown's bringing friends! Take him down!"

- Ellis "Kill every Clown you see!"

- Nick

Once lovable (or slightly disturbing) fun park entertainers, the Clown Infected are now Infection victims. They wander around the Dark Carnival campaign and when they spot Survivors, they will charge, calling in other Infected with their noisy, squeaky shoes for a mass attack.

No new Common Infected are spawned during these events, but an agitated Clown in attack mode attracts Common Infected and other Clown Infected loitering nearby. If a Clown is killed at a distance, all Infected following him will stop, mill around swatting at the air around his dead body and then attack the Survivors.

Clown pants come in a variety of colors, including pink and blue, red and yellow, blue and white, and white and red as seen in the accompanying illustration.

Tactics and Notes

 * A melee shove will honk the Clown Infected's nose. If done ten times, the player shall be awarded the CL0WND Achievement, a reference to Left 4 Dead ' s CR0WND Achievement. A single Clown Infected's nose can be honked up to four times in succession (due to four melee shoves killing it).
 * In the Mutation Headshot!, all Infected are immune to any attack except a shot to the head. This allows players to shove the Clown Infected endlessly and score the Achievement CL0WND off a single Clown Infected.
 * If the player ignites a Clown Infected who is leading ten or more Infected, they will be given the FRIED PIPER Achievement, a reference to the Pied Piper of Hamelin legend.
 * The Clown's role as an Infected agitator is acknowledged by Survivor characters who will often shout out an instruction to "Kill the Clown" when one is seen or heard nearby.
 * Clowns may sometimes actually help the Survivors; when they are leading a horde of Common Infected, the horde following them will be in a tight group, and heading straight to where the Clown is going. Shooting a tight group of Common Infected running from one direction, following a Clown, is in most cases much easier than sniping them out while they stand around or run at Survivors from different directions. In this sense, despite the fact that they are bringing Common Infected to attack the players, the Clown acts as a sort of a Pipe Bomb, and may be quite useful in clearing out large areas with lots of Common Infected around.

Mud Men
"They really are mud people."

- Rochelle "I tell ya, Mud People take all the fun outta Mud."

- Ellis

The Mud Men appear in the campaign Swamp Fever. They are similar to the Common Infected, except that they are covered in mud and use this as camouflage. Mud men sprint on all fours low to the ground, although they stumble back on two feet when shoved. Their sprinting crawl allows them to travel at a faster speed than the Common Infected can, and they are not slowed down by water. A hit from a Mud Man obscures the player's screen with mud, similar to Jimmy Gibbs Junior's motor oil effect. The mud on their screen increases with successive hits, blurring the screen in a way similar to Boomer Bile. The Mud Man's movement can actually be observed in Left 4 Dead. If a player enters an area that requires them to crouch, the Infected will follow them in, but instead of crouching, they will in fact crawl on all fours to get to them.

Tactics and Notes

 * Killing ten Mud Men who are in the swamp water will earn the Achievement DEAD IN THE WATER.
 * Shoving the Mud Man into the swamp then killing him also counts for the achievement.
 * Throwing a Pipe bomb into the swamp helps earning kills quick.
 * Throwing a Bile bomb into the swamp can help gather Mud Men in one spot to kill.
 * It is worth mentioning that the Infected running towards Coach in the GameStop Pre-Order trailer is a Mud Man, therefore, it should have sprinted on all fours rather than just running, besides the fact that there are no Mud Men in Dark Carnival.
 * In the censored version of the game, the Mud Men cannot blind you with their mud attack.
 * The Mud Men are scheduled to make their second official appearance in Cold Stream, although it is not following the canon storyline of the Left 4 Dead 2 series.

Worker Infected
When this unfortunate demolition crew received orders to tear down an old sugar mill, they were infected. Dubbed Worker Infected, these Infected populate the Hard Rain campaign. Workers are equipped with ear protection, hardhats, and reflective vests making them easier to spot in the downpour. Their ear protectors make them unable to hear Pipe bombs, and their blunt melee resistance is greater than usual. They also seem to be immune to bile bombs when Infected are not covered, since the bile alone on the ground uses the same attention-drawing programming as the Pipe bomb. They will be drawn to attack bile-coated Infected, still, but will re-target the Survivors once the affected Infected are dead. They are the only Uncommon Infected to not have specific lines when spotted by a Survivor. They are also the only Uncommon Infected to appear on every chapter of its campaign (Jimmy Gibbs Junior only spawns in Dead Center's finale, while the other Uncommon Infected are missing from their campaign's first or last chapter). Though they are reported to be a demolition crew, they are referred to as "Common_male_roadcrew" in the files.

Tactics and Notes

 * Their hard hats offer no protection against bullets or melee weapons. They are immune to the lure of Pipe bomb beeps, however, due to their ear protection. They are also immune to the lure of Bile bombs, if the item in question is hurled on the ground without hitting any Infected.
 * Since the bile uses the same attention-drawing programming as the Pipe bomb, it may be considered an oversight, as they do not appear to have any physical protection against it.
 * Worker Infected are never commented on by any of the Survivors.
 * Worker Infected also appear canonically in the Left 4 Dead 2 DLC, The Sacrifice and the Left 4 Dead 2 ports of No Mercy and Dead Air, along with the CEDA Worker Infected.

Riot Infected
"Ah hell! Now they're bulletproof?"

- Ellis "That zombie's got armor, I want armor!"

- Coach

The Riot Infected appears in The Parish campaign. While human, they were members of a private security firm hired by CEDA to protect civilians. They turned into the Infected while still wearing their armor. This gives them immunity to bullets and to melee attacks from the front by blunt or sharp weapons like the Frying Pan and Machete, but not from behind. They are also vulnerable to Chainsaws regardless of area, and they are still harmed by fire and explosions. Riot Infected may drop a Nightstick upon death.

They don't have any Achievements linked to them, including "CRASS MENAGERIE", as they were formerly unavailable in the German and Australian version of Left 4 Dead 2. They briefly appear in the Zombie Survival Guide Trailer, in the censored versions despite this. Riot Infected were first featured in the demo and were part of the censorship controversy in Germany due to rules regarding violence against authority figures. As Valve just used the same German version for the Australian release, they unfortunately suffered the unneeded cut; however, they have been recently patched back into both versions, with some minor differences, having the word "SECURITY" removed from the front of their armor.

Tactics and Notes

 * Upon sighting the Riot Infected, the Survivors will sometimes comment on shooting it in the back. This is precisely how to kill them; they must be attacked in the back. Use a melee shove to stun them before moving around them. Sometimes, the melee shove will spin them around, in which case movement isn't required.
 * The spin shove for exposing a Riot Infected's weak side may be done by not directly shoving them from the center, but from the off-center. It is worth remembering that L4D uses a sophisticated physics engine and that most laws of physics apply.
 * Chainsaws retain their ability to kill the Riot Infected from any position, be it the front of the Riot Infected or from behind, as the chainsaw literally tears right through their armor.
 * Molotovs and Pipe bombs will work as the Riot Infected's armor does not give it any immunity to fire or explosions.
 * Incendiary ammo upgrades will burn the Riot Infected just like how a Molotov would. Explosive ammo will kill the Riot Infected in a few shots even from the front. M60s or Magnums, however, will not penetrate the armor and, like all guns, will require a shot to the back to kill them.
 * The Riot Infected is significantly harder to defeat in the Mutation Headshot!, as the only vulnerable point of the Riot Infected is at the back of the head.
 * In real life, riot Police armor is not normally capable of protecting against rifle-caliber rounds unless the armor was upgraded with ceramic plates.
 * In real life, riot police armor, similar to the one that Riot Infected use, are fire retardant due to the very reason that Molotovs are rioters' weapons. This was omitted likely for gameplay reasons; CEDA Workers and Jimmy Gibbs Jr. are already the "fireproof Infected," and resistance to fire would only make the Riot Infected even harder to kill.
 * A Riot Infected appears in the intro trailer of Left 4 Dead 2, when Ellis shoved him in the finale of Dead Center. However, Riot Infected can be found only in The Parish, The Passing and in the Left 4 Dead 2 port of No Mercy at the end of the second chapter.
 * The Riot Infected appears even in the Australian and German Versions of the Zombie Survival Guide, despite being originally removed from the Censored Game Versions.

Achievements

 * See Main Article: Achievements