The Charger

"He's bashing me into shit!"

- Ellis

"Don't bash, shoot!"

- Rochelle

The Charger is a charging Special Infected that knocks down everything in his way. The Charger's main purpose is to separate a group of Survivors who are tightly joined by grabbing one and sending the other ones flying through the air (in the same way as getting punched by a Tank). While he matches the Survivors' speed, he can charge toward the Survivors, making him faster. However, this leads to a slow stop and difficulty with turning.

Appearance
In terms of appearance, the Charger is a large Infected, roughly the height of the Tank, and about half as wide. Unlike the Tank however, only one of his arms have been mutated while the other is small and presumably useless (it flails uncontrollably while the Charger is slamming a target). The Charger does not use its arms for movement, as its legs are still capable of supporting it. The Charger seems to prefer using the arm as a shield. He also sports blue-overalls, and a muddy work boot on his right foot with a bare left foot.

Extent of Mutations
The Charger has been heavily mutated by a strain of the Infection. While not quite possessing the hulking frame of a Tank, the Charger does sport a substantially enlarged torso, right arm and legs, which attests to his abilities. He wears a pair of blue overalls that have slightly burst due to his malformations. While pounding on a Survivor, the Charger's useless arm flops around comically. Possibly due to its choice of attack, the Charger appears severely damaged; the creature's scalp and face appear smashed or caved in. Along with this, half of his face is missing, revealing the skull, and the nose has been torn off clean. These damages are most likely from charging and slamming his head into walls. As well as this, his large arm seems badly burnt and scarred, possibly due to damage inflicted from Survivor attacks.

Even though it seems like the Charger is half way into a Tank, at the same time he also seems to be turning into a type of Infected of his own. The intro scene of Left 4 Dead 2 shows that his left leg is much larger in size than the other, meaning it enlarged so it could make the Charger stable and have balance. The arm also appears, unlike the Tank's arm's, to have scale-like skin that protects the arm while pounding as well as protecting the Charger when its not using it. The right arm also appears to be developed in a different way, much more like weight lifting muscles rather than strength muscles, overdeveloped but not as powerful as the Tank's. Its left arm is also very weak, to the point of being useless, which could have been drained of most of its nutrients and transferred them to its opposite arm to strengthen the right arm.

He's not as powerful as the Tank, but can still take a beating and do half of his damage by charging. He is also less maneuverable, making it easier to dodge as he charges around. The Charger knocks the Survivors off their feet if they are too close when he charges past them making it harder for the Survivors to free the charged victim. He does 15 damage per hit when its picking and grabbing Survivors up in a "pinned- style" much like the Hunter and Smoker after reaching a wall or other viable hard surface (since the update), and then smashing or "pummeling" them repeatedly into the ground until either he gets killed by one of the other Survivors, or until the Survivor in its grasp gets killed, but he does much more damage than the other Special Infected such as the Hunter and Smoker, possibly doing around 10-15 damage per hit on Easy mode. This delivers 20 damage per hit on normal difficulty. Although the Hunter does damage faster while the Charger only deals damage when charging and each pummel (2 second intervals). When pinned by the Charger, Common Infected can still do damage to the Survivor like the Smoker. The Charger may also punch multiple Survivors, if they are bunched up together.

The Charger can be most dangerous when the Survivors are standing in front of a deadly area that they can be thrown into. The Charger will scatter them, launching any of them unfortunate enough to be hit after the Charger picks up his first victim either backwards into the horde, where the Survivor faces a swift and unpleasant death, or into the deadly zone, killing them instantly. The Charger will then proceed to stomp the victim into oblivion. A good example of this is the dock section of The Parish. From far away, the Charger can often be confused with the Tank--with the exception of the fact that the Charger does not trigger special music.

A Charger may spawn directly in front of the dock's exit, and when the Survivors come to it, the Charger can send any Survivors not grabbed flying into the river, killing them. In area's like the upper-floors of Dead Center's hotel, he can also carry a Survivor over a fatal drop. If coordinated correctly with other Special Infected, this can make for a devastating strike, and may possibly even result in the Survivors losing if teamwork is used.

Like most other Special Infected, the Charger has a distinctive sound. He is loud, growling and moaning at enemies distinctively. His sounds often sound like the Charger is mumbling gibberish to himself. He will also screech upon spotting Survivors or starting a charge.

Abilities
Note: The following damage is calculated on normal difficulty.

While charging, the Charger will run quickly forward with his arm raised in front of him, using it to grab a Survivor. He will run faster than a Survivor with full health, and will grab the first Survivor he charges into, holding the Survivor out in front of itself while continuing to run through anything (including other Survivors, doing about 8 damage.) until he slams the Survivor into a wall, doing about 10 damage upon impact. The Charger himself also appears to receive damage when he hits a solid object, although he will receive less if he has a Survivor, and more if he misses and hits a wall. After that, he slams the Survivor in a pinned like style until either the Survivor is dead or the Charger is killed. This attack does 15 damage per slam regardless of difficulty (possibly an oversight, as Smokers and Hunters do considerably more damage on higher difficulties, but Chargers retain 15 damage on Expert).

Infected

 * Once a Charger grabs his victim, almost nothing will force him to let go. Melee shoves will do nothing, and other Infected can't grab the Survivor from you. The only way a Survivor can escape the charger is to kill him, hit him with an explosion (propane tanks, pipe bombs, or grenade launchers), or shoot him with explosive ammo.
 * The good thing about being a Charger is that he is immune to shoving at all times, he has a powerful punch that does 10 damage per hit, and he has the largest amount of health of all non-boss Special Infected - 600 HP. Use these factors to your advantage.
 * Try to catch the Survivors in either an extremely narrow or extremely open space. A narrow space - such as a hallway - will allow you to knock over all the Survivors at once. An open area - such as the park - lets you snatch a Survivor and drag them far away from the group. This can be combined with the Jockey, Hunter, and Smoker. If done right you can take out the entire Survivor team if bunched in a small place. Chargers can be good for surprise attacks. For instance, if a horde is coming and the Survivors attempt to run, the Charger can slow them down, giving the horde a chance to catch up.
 * In the first level of The Parish, a Charger can instantly kill a Survivor by running into them on the gangplank, sending them flying off and killing them.
 * Similarly, in the finale of The Parish, it is also possible to do a kamikaze style charge into a Survivor taking them off the bridge with you, and, if you are lucky, you may also knock Survivors off the bridge in the process, although this trick is easier said than done.
 * The same tactic is possible on the first level of Dead Center, a Charger can run off and kill Survivors by running into them on the ledges outside of windows and on Swamp Fever by running them into the river.
 * On Hard Rain, there are 2 spots where you can get an instant kill. At the building where the elevator is, and the beginning/final building (the burger tank restaurant). At the elevator, you have to charge a survivor off the ledge which is the CLOSEST to the lift. You'll get an instant kill and you won't die. At the restaurant, you just have to charge them in the water at the spot where the ship comes.
 * Chargers work well in ambush situations, as they can instantly take one Survivor far from the group and delay their saviors.
 * The Charger will survive more than one hit from a melee weapon, as most melee weapons do 500 damage a hit.
 * Be careful while charging a Survivor in a narrow space, any static objects will stop you. Trash piles, piles of wood, walls, etc.
 * As a Charger, push for the Survivor with the most health and try to reach a high distance with your charge as it will take longer for the weaker Survivors to help him/her due to lack of speed.
 * Try to spawn up ahead, sidestep suddenly in front of the Survivors and charge at them so they have less chances to dodge you.
 * However, try not to spawn too early on, as the Charger is among the noisiest Special Infected. While he's not as easily dispatched as the Boomer, experienced Survivors will most likely avoid your charge if they know you're lurking somewhere nearby.
 * Use shadows and dense vegetation to hide and startle Survivors who pass by. Corners are an equally good opportunity, though if they lead to a narrow alleyway, the Survivors will be expecting you and will need to be distracted.
 * Avoid charging from a long distance. The Survivors will react quickly enough to dodge you (unless they are distracted) or worse, stop you dead in your tracks. Also, you might not be able to carry them far enough to do substantial damage.
 * Chargers can begin their attack from a high place without stopping. Use this to deliver surprising ambushes.
 * The rooftops in the fourth chapter of Dark Carnival - The Barns - are a great place to charge Survivors. A good ambush will result in them flying everywhere.
 * The Charger can knock down doors instantly by charging into them. Use this to surprise Survivors on the other side.
 * As the Charger, try to snatch lone and/or healing Survivors. Charging a Survivor who is busy reviving an incapacitated teammate is also a viable tactic, especially since these Survivors won't be able to stop what they're doing and dodge you in time.
 * The Charger does damage to whoever it grabs plus all the Survivors who get knocked aside. Knocked Survivors are unable to fire for several seconds, which means your main victim will take more damage before they can be rescued. Try to bowl over as many people as possible.
 * A Boomer is a Charger's best friend. Attacking when Boomer bile has JUST covered the Survivors is a great tactic. Aim for the Survivors that aren't covered, and by the time the slime drips from the eyes of their friends, you can deal serious damage or death to the Survivor you abducted.
 * Chargers are useful on roof tops and are very rare on higher buildings. Try to charge at Survivors in-line with another Survivor. If you have a charged Survivor then hit another, chances are that they would fly off to the sides of open areas.
 * The Charger has the second most powerful melee attack, delivering a whopping 10 damage per strike. Therefore, it would only take ten hits to incapacitate a Survivor with full health. If you get the chance to melee, it's highly recommended you do it.
 * Try to charge when the Survivors are close, giving them less time to react and to carry them further. It also helps prevent you from getting killed mid-charge.
 * If one of your teammates is a Tank, don't simply stand there, cover them! If a survivor comes up to hit the Tank from behind, charge them. This will not only add confusion, but will also distract Survivors away from the Tank to save their teammate.

Survivors

 * Try to spot the Charger before he charges.
 * Try not to get into situations where the Charger can knock you off a ledge or roof or any height if possible.
 * If you do, make sure he misses and he falls to the ground.
 * If a firearm is unavailable, sidestep his charge and melee him as he passes you, or when he hits an obstacle. Remember, he could still grab you if you're not directly in his path. So, a weapon with a longer reach may be necessary. Note that the sidestep tactic will only work if the Charger is at a reasonable distance.
 * Fan out if you hear a Charger. (But don't separate too far or else the Infected can easily pick your team-mates off fast) Its ability to scatter close-knit Survivors will hinder their ability to quickly save the Charger's victim that's being pummelled.
 * Chargers are immune to shove attacks, so don't bother shoving him if he is pounding a Survivor; shoot or melee with a melee weapon.
 * Avoid the Chargers melee attack, even when it misses the charge it can still cause a lot of damage.
 * Chargers are notorious for not charging when in hordes and simply running up to the Survivors and punching them.
 * Make sure you and your team-mates do not form a straight line at any time.
 * Circle strafing is an easy way to dodge a charging Chargers attack possibly causing the Charger to slam into a wall or falling to his death.
 * Try to stay on dry land if you hear a Charger nearby, as the water slows you down and makes you an easier target to hit. This also gives the Charger a larger window of opportunity to do heavy damage to you before your fellow Survivors can rescue you.

Good Ambush Spots
As a general rule, always attack Survivors that are in a narrow area, in a straight line, or otherwise tight clump. Take advantage of the larger open areas, the further away you can take a Survivor the harder it is for their team to rescue them. Your charge is deadly near ledges and cliffs. You are one of the most feared Special Infected. Make use of your talents and charge with caution.

Dead Center

 * On The Hotel, if a Survivor is by a window that doesn't have a railing on the ledge, charge at them, and you should bring the Survivor to their death. You'll die, but you respawn and they don't.
 * On the first floor, try to pin them in the fire. You will survive for a while, and do a good amount of damage to your victim. If you can incapacitate them in the fire, the other Survivors will have a hard time saving them, losing plenty of health themselves.
 * On The Streets, the best you could do as a Charger is try to carry a Survivor far away from the group. There are plenty of good spots for this.
 * Inside The Mall, try to carry the Survivors off of the higher floors. Try to split up the Survivors during the Crescendo Event. This could be fatal to the team.
 * In The Mall, during the crescendo event, you can either try to death charge the survivors through the glass railings at the beginning, or charge down the escalator when there's mutiple survivors running up it, as you'll likely knock one of them towards the bottom floor.
 * Before the Survivors get to the stock car, try to grab them from the far side of the hallway they must go through.
 * While the team is collecting gas, one Survivor might go off by themselves on the upper floors. You can knock them off the upper areas, and kill them instantly.
 * Escalators are always great points to choke off Survivors' progress. Wait for all of them to start going up/down and as soon as the first Survivor reaches the end of the escalator, charge straight through the escalator and right through all of them. Also, the teammates who are sent flying may recieve fall damage.

Dark Carnival

 * In the motel, try to grab a Survivor that is on the upper walkway. Pull them off to delay and damage them. There's a very good point in the motel which is when the Survivors are forced to enter the motel rooms on the second floor. This is when the Survivors go through the broken walls in the second floor of the motel. If one of them exits through the window and your aiming is right you can take them over the fence blocking access to the hill from the lower levels. As such making them all go back in a big circle back into the parking lot. Also, charging the last one to jump down into the swamp will cause your victim to be stranded, and eventually perish.
 * At the start of the Tunnel of Love, when the Survivors open the safe room door and go up the stairs, charge from the opposite side of the stairs, thus hitting all of them into the wall and plummeting the first Survivor you hit back into the safe room, delaying the Survivors.
 * On The Coaster, look for anyone who breaks away from the pack during the Crescendo and carry them even farther from the others. There are also various areas along the actual roller coaster that you can charge Survivors. Survivors are always closely packed while traveling the tracks and one can easily charge, grabbing one of Survivors, and knocking the others to their deaths.
 * During The Concert, try to separate the Survivors, as always. This is especially useful during the Tank attack, when everyone would be focused on him, instead of you.

Swamp Fever

 * In the Plank Country, when the Survivors are on the dock right before the Crescendo event, try to grab, or better yet, knock one, into the deep water. This will kill the Survivor you grabbed and the ones you hit instantly. Also, while the Survivors are on the walkways, try to get them to fall down into the swamp. This will slow them down considerably.
 * In the Swamp, taking the Survivors into the water is useful, because their team will be slowed down by the water.
 * On The Plantation, attack the Survivor that goes to answer the rescue vehicle. Also, if they hold out by the Heavy Machine Gun, grab a Survivor and carry them off the upper areas. And you can also Charge the Survivors off the Bridge to the Rescue Vehicle causing them to die.

Hard Rain
(These attack spots apply to both the first and second trip.)
 * After the Survivors enter The Milltown, there are multiple places you can carry a Survivor very far away from the pack.
 * In this same level, you can also deathcharge off of the beginning dock with the assistance of a jockey.
 * When the Survivors are on the upper floors of The Sugar Mill, try to knock them off of them. If they are on the highest floor, you'll kill them instantly.
 * Charge past or into Witches in the Sugar Mill. Survivors will, by instinct, shoot at you when they see you charge, and a few stray shots is all it takes to piss a Witch off.
 * Survivors tend to travel in straight lines when going through the cane field, use this for a quick separation or scatter an entire team.
 * Once the rain starts, take advantage of (and note of) the reduced movement speed of Survivors in water. Paying attention to this will make it easier to lead your attacks. If you can carry your victim out of the way and into a large area of water it will significantly slow down the Survivor team as their teammate has to catch up (or even better, as they have to rescue their incapacitated teammate).
 * Your primary goal in the return-to maps is not, actually, carrying the Survivors away, but knocking the others off the roofs. Survivors are fairly easy targets in the water and it would be pretty hard to release the carried one from you. It is especially effective when the rain starts as of the Survivors being not really likely to survive something like that.
 * In the Finale, try catching the ones who went down for ammo. This won't hurt anyone a large amount, but will cause some attention, thus giving a chance for the Tank to come in.
 * Also in the finale, charge Survivors off of the dock where the boat will eventually appear. If they go into the water, they're dead.

The Parish

 * Right at the beginning of The Waterfront, charge at the first two Survivors that go up the gangway. If you can knock a Survivor upward into the water, your team shouldn't have much more trouble to finish the enemy team off.
 * When the Survivors are in The Park, there are multiple places you can attack the enemies and split them up by carrying them away from the group. Such as the hedge maze.
 * When the Survivors are about to enter the sewers before The Cemetery, hide in them, and grab the first that you see. The sewer is a very large, open area, and the Survivors are slowed down by the deep water, making the trip to save your victim take a bit longer. You may also ambush the one who was about to be the last one to enter the sewer, making an ideal attack position as of someone going up the ladder to help you. Best be having a Jockey and/or Smoker buddy up there.
 * On The Bridge, hide behind vehicles and wait. If you can grab a Survivor and carry them off of the bridge in any way, they'll be dead in the water.

Behind the Scenes
Before the Charger's design was finalized, it used a reskinned Hunter model so that the team could test out how the Charger would play while the art team was designing it. When the Charger design was finished, as like any other Infected, they recorded temporary sounds. The Chargers temp Warning call was, AY!AY!AY!!!!, as stated in the Developers Commentary

Originally, the Charger used to use its mutated arm during its charge. At this point in the game, the Charger would stop after grabbing a Survivor; however, when the Charger could carry the first Survivor they tackled, this animation was cut.