The Bridge (Left 4 Dead 2)

"Encountered? Boy, I am covered in zombie blood and puke and eyeballs and twenty other parts I don't even recognize. We are immune as SHIT!"

- Coach

"You heard the man, let's get across the goddamn bridge."

- Nick


 * For the actual in-game bridge, see Veterans Memorial Bridge.

The Bridge is the fifth and final chapter of the final campaign, The Parish. After the Survivors escaped from the ruins of New Orleans, they learn that the military is abandoning the mainland and trying to hold out at sea on large cruise ships. The Survivors take this chance, and make a run for it.

Walkthrough
You start off in a safe room with two floors and eight First aid kits if you played the previous chapter, four if you started on this chapter. It may be a good idea to grab some Adrenaline Shots and a pipe bomb or two if available as, unlike most rescues, you have to move to where the rescue vehicle is, rather than wait for it at a spot. Walk outside the safe room and use the radio next to the dead body. The soldier on it will tell you to get to the other side of the bridge. Activating the console will cause the bridge to lower and start the finale. Be ready to get out your Adrenaline, because you are going to need it. There are many ways to get across the bridge, but if you want to know each, look at the Strategy section. Be careful of Chargers, especially in Versus, because they able to charge Survivors right off the bridge itself. The same may happen with Jockeys, but there is less danger unless the Survivors are split apart. The cars, however, are perfect for just that, so be careful.

Due to the nature of the finale, the main strategy of the Survivors is to keep moving. There is no point in finding a location to hold out for long durations, as the horde will repeatedly respawn (although there may be brief lulls inbetween hordes). The Survivors need to get from point A to point B, which means they have to move anyway. The two general strategies is to speed-run (move without stopping), and to gradually move.

If speed-running the bridge, the first thing that you will want to do is stay left when the bridge levels out because it is the clearest path to the end. At the point where you can see scaffolding on the side of the bridge, a Tank will spawn, and the music will start. This point is when you want to use your Adrenaline so that you can run past the Tank if not fighting it. It's best to stay on the scaffolding, as the Tank will have a lot of trouble hitting a car at you from there. After you kill or outrun the Tank, there is an oil tanker with a ladder on the back. Climb up it, and continue onto the slanting part of the bridge. After getting onto the level area of the bridge, throw your pipe bomb straight toward the fence, turn right, past the military vehicle, and keep going. By this time, you should have seen the "Rescue has arrived" message, and be able to see the helicopter. There should be a pipe bomb near the military vehicle as well, if you need it. This could help stall the other Infected while the other Survivors catch up, but will give the Tank the time to attack you. After you get through the cars, there is a Heavy Machine Gun; however, it is rather useless unless you want to fight the Tank, which spawns about the time you arrive there or to help out Survivors who are behind. This is not advised, however, as it is not needed to kill the Tank to finish the chapter, and the landing pad containing the helicopter is very close by. Jump down onto a bus and run around the barbwire fences to the helipad. Get on it and you will be awarded with the sight of the bridge blowing up. If you didn't run into too much trouble, you will also be awarded the achievement Bridge Over Trebled Slaughter.

Jeep Method

 * 445224_full.jpg you've crossed the CEDA tents, look for the jeep with the mounted Heavy Machine Gun.
 * Have one person mount the gun, one behind him, and two below the jeep.
 * The person behind the gunman with a M16 should look out for Spitters, because they could damage all Survivors in one pool.
 * When the Tank comes, one person should be the bait and the rest concentrating fire on the Tank.
 * Once the area is cleared, make a dash for the helicopter and escape.

Bus Method

 * Before reaching the helicopter, you will see a bus located at the downside.
 * Have at least two Survivors grab either a fast melee weapon or a shotgun, as they kill hordes quickly.
 * Two people should be in the front and back, and the rest in the middle.
 * Everyone should stay above the bus and kill any Infected in sight.
 * Keep a lookout for Smokers, as they can drag a teammate off of the bus.
 * Separate in groups of two to take down the Tank.
 * One should throw a Pipe bomb or a Bile bomb to distract the Infected while running to the rescue vehicle.

Pump and Run

 * Have everyone grab an Adrenaline Shot, a Tier 2 shotgun of some sort, a Pipe bomb, and a fast melee weapon, such as the Machete or the Nightstick.
 * Stick together like glue, and always have at least one person by your side to make help arrive faster.
 * If you haven't found any replacements, use your Adrenaline Shot when you get to the Tank. Run past him and over the gas tanker. When the vehicle horde spawns, throw your Pipe bomb to make getting to the vehicle easier.
 * This technique is very effective for completing the level in a fast time, which is required for the Bridge Over Trebled Slaughter achievement. All Survivors will get the achievement if they do not already have it when completing the level.

Left Flank

 * Have your whole team pick up shotguns and a melee weapon, Pipe bombs, and if possible, have one of your teammates carry a Bile bomb. It is also recommended to have one person on your team use an Assault Rifle variant or a Hunting Rifle/Sniper Rifle.
 * Call the horde and take the left path, as it is the clearest way. Do not stop for anything.
 * Run in a line and have the melee user lead. Have your Sniper/Assault teammate clear out Special Infected; be sure to point the Special Infected out to them so they can dispatch them quickly.
 * Have the two shotgun users in the back, one armed with a Pipe bomb and one with the Bile bomb.
 * Run down the left side, mowing down zombies. When you see the Tank, have the shotgun user with the Bile bomb throw it at the Tank. If you didn't find a Bile bomb, just run past him.
 * If practiced several times, you'll get a feel for the layout of the bridge and know what path to choose for future plays.

The Survivors

 * Plan ahead. A good plan is better than just running and hoping for the best.
 * You need to keep moving as much as possible.
 * Newcomers should be on the lookout for gaps in the bridge. A few careless steps can send you off the edge.
 * It's good to stop for a few seconds every now and then to clear the path ahead; however, tell your teammates when you do this and resume movement as quickly as possible.
 * When the Tank comes, you can climb on the scaffolding on the left and right sides of the bridge to avoid being hit by cars. If the Tank follows, be sure to jump back onto the bridge carefully.

The Infected
Keep in mind that during this level, you should be moving just as much as the Survivors. There are various holes in the bridge and the sides are usually not protected by gates, so carrying Survivors off the edge will cause them to hang or fall to their death. Do note that even while you are spawning, should you fall, you will die and have to respawn. Press the use key the instant you start falling to spawn along side the closest Survivor to prevent such mishaps that could cost you and your team.

Hunters: Try to pounce the last Survivor during moments of confusion (Tanks, Boomer Bile, etc.), as most Survivors will keep moving before they realize their teammate is in trouble. It's a good idea to claw weak Survivors who usually trail the pack until you incapacitate them, and then hide and then pounce the rescuer to add more damage to their team. Practice makes perfect, so if you can practice, the bridge holds few very good wall-jump positions, which leave Survivors wondering where did you come from.

Jockeys: You can do wonders on this stage, especially if the Survivors are scattered. If you can successfully ride one, you can take them backwards and/or cause them to hang on the side of the bridge. Be aware that this will most likely end in your demise, so have a buddy close at hand to take care of any rescuer, or your sacrifice will be in vain. You can also ride a bot off the bridge as bots do not resist the Jockey's influence, allowing you to disable them quick.

Chargers: When the opportunity arises, try to charge a Survivor off the bridge from the sides or one of the many holes in the middle of the bridges. If this isn't possible at the time being, try to grab the Survivor at the back and carry them back. This way Survivors either need to go back and kill you, or leave their teammate to die. Chargers can take survivors from Jockeys, which can confuse Survivors as well as it can let the Jockey set a new ambush position.

Smokers: Try to grab the one that is behind. This can slow the whole Survivor team down. They will either run back to save him, buying your team more time, or run ahead, leaving him to die. Also remember that the many holes in the bridge can instantly incapacitate or kill a Survivor, so try to drag stragglers off whenever possible. Your tongue will break and you can hide. As with Jockeys, have a buddy close to grab any wannabe heroes.

Boomers: Try to vomit on Survivors when possible. This will summon a horde that can slow down Survivors, especially those that are in the front and away from the other Survivors. This will leave one person fighting off the horde. Remember that when you explode, you can push players back. Take care when near captured Survivors or Tanks, but attempt to explode near Survivors who are close to holes or the sides of the bridge. The blindness has an added effect, it might cause the survivor to mistakenly run into a hole, which is instant death.

Spitters: You might not do so well this level as the Survivors are constantly moving; your spit is stationary once fired and there are usually multiple paths through the bridge. There are also no "good" hiding spots to take cover in. Attempt to do as much damage to the Survivors as you can, trying to get in places where they have to go, such as the ladder on the fuel truck after the Tank. Also, since most players won't cross goo even here, try to spit to split up the Survivors so your team can pick them off, or put the Survivors in immediate (and deadly) danger. Another way to slow Survivors is spitting at where they need to call the pilot, though there is not a great hiding spot to do this from. If you plan to do this, expect to die shortly after you spit.

Tanks: If the enemy team is not climbing on the scaffolds, you can easily bash them with cars. It's a great way to slow down Survivors and then rush up to them. For The Bridge, cars will not instantly incapacitate Survivors, instead doing a set amount of damage, so follow up attacks. Do realize that even though you are a feared team member of the Infected, the large number of cars and the distance you will spawn from the Survivors will mean more time to get to them. It is usually faster to punch cars out of the way then bother jumping and hopping over them. Keep an eye on your frustration meter. Be aware that there are several propane tanks on the bridge, and if Survivors time it right, they can stumble you off into the water. It is also good to punch the Survivors off the bridge.

Behind the Scenes
This chapter was at first called "The Table Bridge" and then "The Lift Bridge" before being changed to simply "The Bridge". Also the bridge itself was going to be bombed by the military while you were crossing it.

Videos
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