The Fairgrounds

"I find a Burger Tank in this place? I'm a be a one-man cheeseburger apocalypse!"

- Coach

"Holy shit guys! Kiddie Land!"

- Ellis


 * For the actual in-game Fairgrounds, see Whispering Oaks Amusement Park.

The Fairgrounds is the second chapter in Left 4 Dead 2 ' s Dark Carnival campaign.

First revealed at the Penny Arcade Expo and again in Tokyo Game Show '09, it contains a small-scale Gauntlet Crescendo Event whereby opening a gate also turns on a loud carousel that attracts a horde of Infected. The Survivors must run through this fast spawning threat in order to reach the control lever that switches it off. Unfortunately the horde continues to spawn for quite some time thereafter and the subsequent fight is thus invariably fast, furious and tense.

This is one of the longest chapters in the two Left 4 Dead games and takes players through the fiendishly complex game play environment offered by an overrun amusement park. The safe room at the end of the level is in the Tunnel of Love.

Campaign
When starting from this chapter, the AI Survivors will usually grab their preferred weapon:


 * Nick will grab a Submachine Gun.
 * Ellis will grab a Submachine Gun.
 * Rochelle will grab a Submachine Gun.
 * Coach will grab a Pump Shotgun or a Chrome Shotgun, depending on what is available in the beginning safe room.
 * Nick and Rochelle will grab a Magnum as well.
 * If the Survivors survived in The Highway and have a Hunting Rifle, they will not switch weapons.

Players exit the safe room and head towards the park entrance. At this point players with Hunting Rifles from the previous level can mop up the many Common Infected milling around. The guard house to the right is a regular spawn point for pistols, pills, melee weapons and sometimes ammo upgrades. In the ticket offices, there's usually a throwable item, and on occasions, an Ammo Upgrade in them.

This is the first chapter that spawns the Clown Infected.

Check the bathrooms, the kitchen area and the wooden tables in this spot; usually supplies such as various weapons, propane tanks, gas cans, chainsaws, grenade launchers, and throwable items spawn there.

Here the player can (if so desired) acquire Gnome Chompski to get the Achievement GUARDIN' GNOME. On the counter there are throwable items such as Pipe Bombs and Molotovs. There are also Pain Pills and Adrenaline Shots. When having AI teammates, you will need to give it to them, as they will not grab them. Both will be helpful in the upcoming game. Pressing the button starts the gallery and have a weapon with a large ammo clip and use burst firing for accuracy and ammo conservation in case the Director spawns a Horde or some Special Infected while you are shooting. After the players accumulate 750 points the prize box will open. Gnome Chompski is a static object that only does minor knock-back damage and blocks about a third of the carrier's field of vision. Fortunately he cannot be destroyed, although he can be irretrievably dropped or launched away when Special Infected attack. He must be set down in a safe place when music cues signal Hordes and Tanks and other players warned when he is left unattended.
 * Shoot burglars with bags of peanuts for points.
 * Shoot two burglars of the same color for a bonus.
 * Shoot Moustachio for even more points. (+100)
 * Don't shoot Lil' Peanut. (-100)

Once finished with the shooting gallery (and the Horde that spawns on winning) remember to pick up the various items on the shooting gallery. Then go to a few tables. There's various weapons, including Tier 1 and 2 weaponry. Clear off any Infected around and search carefully for any potential items that may help you. Go inside the warehouse. Hordes and most Special Infected will spawn from behind. Clear the area up and find any suitable items. There's a rescue closet nearby for anyone that had died. Once you clean up the area, go outside to find an opening.

This area spawns both Witches and Tanks so teams need to stay alert. Back outside beneath a canopy is a table with additional guns and combustible items such as Gas Cans. These are useful to throw down the incline giving onto Kiddy Land to deal to a Horde or the gaggle of Common Infected loitering nearby. A pipe bomb can often be found in the bushes to the right of the incline.

Kiddie Land is thickly populated with Common Infected and is a favorite hangout for a Witch that usually spawns where the safe house sign is found. If not spawned near the sign, the Witch will spawn just right outside Kiddie Land, which will cause problems for Survivors if they have to retreat up the ramp. Most of the Infected will be on the right; throwing a Bile Bomb or Pipe Bomb will be effective at cutting down the number of Infected. Players thread their way through the rides towards the far left corner of the park, raiding the snack shack for items before using the alley near the payphone to get around back. Please note that if players use the left side, they can get the attention of a Tank, which can be quite easy due to that the Tank must climb several obstacles and the distance he is from them. If players go to the right, they must mop of clumps of Infected. However, on the picnic tables, there is usually a Pistol and a random melee weapon, but on occasions, there can be some Laser Sights or even a Chainsaw.

The panel truck parked at the end of the alley and nearby buildings provide several opportunities for valuable items such as Tier 2 weapons so players are well advised glean the area thoroughly. At the end of the way is a room with an ammo stack, weapons and first aid box. Up the stairs is a ladder to the roof where more Tier 2 weapons and pills can be found in a nearby storage area.

Players then traverse the roof until they arrive at the top of the big slide. From this vantage point snipers can ply their trade on the Common Infected in the area below.

(Note that although it is possible to ride down the slide, this is not advised for players holding Gnome Chompski because glitches can result in Chompski falling out of reach or, more rarely, the player dying.) The better plan is thus to descend using the stairs. Teams must be on high alert since this is another common Tank and Witch spawning area. He comes from the building on the right and if the team is camped at the top of the stairs he comes up them — making him an attractive target right from the off. Do not even think about jumping from the stair rails to the hot dog stand; doing so will prevent bots from saving you and causes you to get incapped. Jumping from the stair rails to the ground (or if you get punched or is sent flying away by a Charger) and hitting the ground will instantly kill you.

Once down off the slide, players proceed up the stairs near the restrooms and should check out the room on the left for a first aid station that usually contains Pain Pills, ammo and weapons. The restroom balcony is ideal for sniping the many Common Infected loitering near the carousel below (returning to the previous room to restock on ammo if required) after which they jump down and locate the carousel's power switch.

Note: The way down to the carousel is one-way, so similar to the cliff near the motel, players should take note of any Smokers or Chargers that spawn before descending down.

Starting the ride initiates this chapter's Crescendo Event, so the team must crowd at the gate and wait for it to open wide enough to slip through. The actual sprint to the off switch on the far side of the ride is very easy and relatively free of Infected on Normal setting. In fact it is only once players arrive at the alcove housing this switch that the Horde pitch up in large numbers. Combat around the alcove and picnic tables is furious close quarter stuff and players with melee weapons (like the Katana) will not go short of healthy exercise.

Once all is quiet, the picnic tables can be checked for anything useful and the team can head towards the safe room in the Tunnel of Love which is entered by jumping over the queue lines outside.

Be forewarned, it is fairly common for a Witch to spawn right in front of the safe house door. When playing co-op this is a routine problem (e.g. a shotgunner can Cr0wn her or everyone can simultaneously light her up from a convenient distance). But when playing solo (and on low health) it may be worthwhile to let a Bot "take one for the team" rather than the human player opening fire or attempting to sneak past her. A human player merely needs get within the vicinity of the Tunnel entrance whereupon a Bot will attempt to enter the safe room heedless of the Witch's warning growls until she has been startled and attacks the hapless Bot, though the Witch might target you, so if that happens, just close the saferoom on her if you are at a good distance from her. If not, you might want to throw a Molotov to slow her down a little. It's best to be safe then risk losing a large chunk of health for then next leg of your journey...

Gallery
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