The Spitter

"Oh great, now they're spitting shit at us!"

- Ellis

"So that's a Spitter, huh? Do you think she's single?"

- Nick

The Spitter is a Special Infected that made her debut in Left 4 Dead 2.

The Spitter's mutations enable her to spit out a ball of mutated stomach acid which, upon hitting the ground, spreads out into a large pool. Any Survivors standing within the pool of acid take increasing amounts of damage based on how long the acid has been down; this can be up to 76 health with a single spit. Overall the Spitter's acid does the most total damage of any playable Infected, but is also the least reliable, as it only lasts for a short time, and once it pools out, it is stationary and relatively easy to escape. When killed, the Spitter leaves a small pool of acid around her corpse. She can sometimes be a bit difficult to hear, making faint squealing noises as opposed to the more distinct noises other Special Infected make, but the hacking noises she makes when she actually spits are relatively easy to hear.

Appearance
She is clothed in a yellowish-beige bra with dark stains, dark indigo caprices, and, perhaps humorously as well as disturbingly, a pink thong. She also wears a number of rings on her fingers, including a wedding ring, hinting that she was possibly married before becoming infected. Her hair is chestnut brown and kept in low pigtails.

It can also be noted that the Spitter's skin glows a luminous green when alive, yet when killed, her skin becomes a normal pink color. This could be due to all the acid being spontaneously released from her body upon death.

Extent of Mutations


Through mutation of the Infection, the Spitter has developed the ability to project an extremely corrosive ball of acid from her mouth in a mortar-like fashion. This projectile will collide with a ceiling or wall and drop down to the nearest solid walkable surface, and upon contact will spread into a large puddle of acid that increases in damage over time. It's possible, from the way the acid is spat, that the Spitter encases it in a thin sort of membrane or bolus (likely in her body or throat/mouth) which is either dissolved by the acid or breaks on impact.

From how heavily the Spitter secretes the acid, it seems that she cannot stop producing at will, and must excrete it from her body in such fashion (as salivating it) to prevent herself filling up and rupturing with acid, similar to the Boomer.

The Spitter's lower jaw, cheeks, nose and lips seem to have become noticeably eroded, suggesting she may not be entirely resistant to the acid she is coughing up. It appears that all around her mouth, the skin has dissapeared. Also, just above her breast and on the top of her stomach are two red sores, most likely eroded spots from where the acid drips down from her mouth. Her proportions are awkward and stretched, including the sagging breasts, elongated neck and bloated stomach, which are most likely used to accommodate and produce the fluids. Her baggy skin and stumbling gait could be caused by the virus or even the acid itself eating away at her connective tissues. The big toe on her right foot has shifted to the side of the foot like the thumb of a hand. While running, a trail of acid can be seen dripping from the Spitter's mouth. This can be used to track the Spitter, although it disappears shortly after she walks away from it. The Spitter's fingernails are very long but not particularly sharp, doing about 4 damage per hit.

Survivors

 * If players kill a Spitter with a close combat weapon, they should immediately leave the area before the acid damages them.
 * When the Spitter spits, she'll be slow for a few seconds, then return to normal. Try to use this time to kill her.
 * The Spitter's acid projectile takes a moment to travel to its target, giving alert Survivors some time to get out of the way. You can also listen for the hacking noise the Spitter makes.
 * If someone is incapacitated whilst in acid, it is a better idea to simply wait out for the pool to dissipate. It is a frequent mistake to think that you can revive the person before the acid knocks you down, but this is hardly ever the case.


 * However, it is possible to pick someone without taking damage, but only if they're near the edge of the pool, and it's only useful when the incapacitated player is near his/her death as the acid will keep knocking down the survivor until it runs out.
 * If you and your teammates are separated by a pool of acid, wait for the pool to dissipate before you rejoin.
 * Try to keep yourself somewhere your teammates can see so they can use their guns to help you when you are under attack.
 * Do not attempt to jump over a Spitter's acid pool, because it can still hurt you even if you do so.
 * Do not try to get through a Spitter's entire acid pool. You can go through thin patches only taking minimal damage - try to spend less than one second in the acid. Only do so if necessary (i.e. a Special Infected pinned a teammate while an acid pool is in your way and you cannot shoot the attacker).
 * Try to find some sort of furniture over the acid. Usually tables are free of acid when the ground under them is not.
 * When playing Scavenge or the Dead Center finale on Versus, remember that Spitter goo will destroy gas cans bathed in it. Try to spread gas cans far apart so they cannot be hit by a single puddle, or place cans inside a puddle of water if there is one around. (Spitter goo will appear above the water, while the gas can will sink below and not be harmed.)
 * You can avoid the acid quickly if there is an object higher than where the Spitter spat at (tables, boxes, stair rails, etc.) by simply jumping onto said item. This can, however, leave you vulnerable to other Infected. However, this does NOT work if you were on the object before and got targeted by the Spitter (since then the spit will hit the object you're standing on and the ground around it).
 * Spitters have a tendency to close up to Survivors as much as possible after spitting in order to make a final attempt to burn the Survivors. Player-controlled Survivors have a habit of shooting Spitters, ignoring the fact that they leave their acidic residue after death and are within range of them. Remember that Spitters can be meleed/shoved back (like most Infected). Try to play safe by shoving Spitters before shooting them.
 * Sometimes, the Spitter's acid falls through the roof they're standing on and appears at the Survivor's feet. If you see a Spitter trail with no Spitter around, shoot wildly at the ceiling, or keep tracking her so she can't ambush you.
 * Survivor Bots will only try to get out of acid pool after they start to take damage, try to run further away from acid pool so Bots will automatically follow you and get out of the goo before taking damage.

Infected

 * If you are for some reason unable to spit on the Survivors directly in a tight hallway on Versus, spit in their path. They will have two choices: Go through the acid and take damage, or wait until it disappears. If they choose to wait, this will allow your teammates time to respawn.
 * Remember that your acid does more damage to Survivors who are still standing, and less to incapacitated Survivors. Usually the only advantage to a spit-covered incapacitated Survivor is the fact that no one can revive them without taking massive damage.
 * Spit when you know the Survivors won't move from the area for a while, preferably bunched together in a room.
 * The Spitter is one of the most valuable Infected in Scavenge mode for two reasons: the Survivors cannot pour gasoline when there is an acid pool around the generator, and the Spitter's acid can light gas cans the Survivors have picked up and dropped (outlined in yellow) on fire. If you are a Spitter in Scavenge, get to a good spot and spit away!
 * The above also applies to gas cans in the finales of Dead Center and The Passing that have a yellow outline, at least in Versus. Spitter players should take advantage of this, as the gas cans are what increase the opposing team's score during this finale.
 * Try to spit as far away as possible from the Survivors, making it less likely for them to kill you (unless you are right in front of them). Remember that after you spit, you'll move slower than usual for a few seconds.
 * When playing as a Spitter and you're assured to die, try to die in front of the Survivor's path. The acid pool created by your death will delay them and give your teammates time to respawn and group.
 * Try attacking from unusual positions; above the Survivors, for example. By spitting down, you can get several attacks in without being killed. If you don't reveal your position, it's possible to incapacitate everyone. This works best if the Survivors are in a cramped area.
 * If one of the Survivors is incapacitated and there is another Survivor nearby to revive him/her, try saving your spit until the other Survivor is reviving the fallen. This will cause their rescuer extra damage and force them to stop reviving the fallen Survivor. Unless it seems likely that you can kill the incapacitated Survivor, focus on doing damage to the ones that are up. You might just incapacitate them too! Spit does greatly reduced damage against incapacitated Survivors, and is unlikely to kill them unless they are already near death (it WILL take multiple applications to kill a freshly incapacitated player).
 * Even if you spit just as the incapacitated Survivor is helped up, their 30 temporary health will not last long standing in spit, especially if they try to heal as soon as they get up. Most likely, they're going right back down.
 * If a Survivor is surrounded by Infected, or even covered in Boomer bile, make their day worse by spitting on them. If they are covered in bile they may be so worried about killing all the Infected around them that they will panic and possibly be either too distracted by the spit to kill the Infected, or too distracted by the Horde to get out of the spit.
 * Help out your friends! Spit on Survivors who are being choked by a Smoker, pounced by a Hunter, or pounded by a Charger.
 * When the spit-projectile hits a vertical surface, it drops straight down. This is extremely helpful when you are far away or behind a wall when the Survivors are in a small space. Spitting onto the wall above them or into a window where they are will cause the spit to drop on top of them, doing major damage, and the Survivors will have an extremely difficult time locating where the spit came from.
 * Aim carefully when spitting from a high vantage point. If the goo glob hits any horizontally flat surface that is above the Survivors, the puddle will float above them and do no damage.
 * On the fourth level of Dead Center, Atrium, you can easily climb all the way to the top level of the area. From there, you can spit slobber to your heart's content on those below. Aim for Jimmy's car when the Survivors are refueling. Also, it would be advised to take cover once you spit, You are an easy sight to a survivor that isn't in a panic trying to get out of the spit.
 * Remember, even though the Spitter is designed for long range, don't forget she can scratch. If you are caught up close with the Survivors and have no way to escape, try clawing away at a Survivor in a corner or surrounded by Common Infected. If you're lucky, you will get some melee damage in and then die in a steaming puddle of corruption right under the Survivor's feet.
 * Ladders are a great spot to trip up a team. Spitting at the top will force them to run through the goo or drop back down. The spit will often fall onto the lower level as well, trapping them. If your spit lands at the bottom of a ladder, any Survivor on the ladder will be damaged as if standing directly in the spit.
 * Even though the Spitter's claw attack does 4 damage per hit, you can still use this on Survivors' low on health. You could damage a Survivor into the red zone (causing them to move slower) and then have a Boomer vomit on them. Hunters and Jockeys should be used on would-be rescuers.
 * The Spitter will deal immense damage to any Survivor with her acid. The acid pool will damage survivors every 0.2-0.4 seconds and last for roughly 5 seconds, dealing about 9 damage within second 1, 16 damage within second 2, 23 damage within second 3, 20 damage within second 4, and 14 damage within second 5.
 * Keep in mind that the acid will set off gas cans, oxygen tanks, and gas tanks. You can take advantage of these to create an even more hazardous area then what you normally can. If you notice a particular player carrying these items, wait until they toss it and set it off early and delay them, or crush a strategy to set the tank on fire without Molotovs, or just simply damage them.
 * In places where fire is present, particularly Dead Center, some teams will run or jump through the fire. Spitting into the fire will increase the damage they take dramatically, and may even slow them down enough or force them to use their health kits earlier then usual.
 * Despite the spit-projectile being halted by vertical surfaces, you can still spit through metal fences, such as the ones during the Crescendo Event of the second chapter of The Parish. Doing this is a good tactic, since Survivors may become confused as to your whereabouts, and you can hide behind the wooden parts of the fence, meaning you can repeatedly stop them in their tracks.
 * If you manage to spit on the Survivors in the elevator in Hard Rain or in The Passing, this will cause massive damage, as the elevator is very small. (A patch has been issued for this where if the Spitter spits in a moving elevator, the puddle will fizzle out quicker.)
 * Although it is not visible in first person mode, spit still drips from the Spitter's mouth in Versus. While this dripping spit does no damage, it can be used to track down Spitters because the bright green spit shows very easily in dark places.
 * If a Spitter is standing on the edge of a ledge, spit will drip from its mouth and onto the first horizontal surface it comes into contact with. This means Survivors with a sharp eye may see the dripping spit and and spot the Spitter.
 * Spitting on the ferry in Plank Country will cause massive amounts of damage to any Survivors trying to escape as the ferry is small and Survivors will struggle avoiding the acid.
 * Spit does not arc. Instead of being pulled downward by gravity, it will go perfectly straight, and after a short distance, make a sudden ninety-degree turn towards the ground. Using this technique, you can hit Survivors on the other side of a building, and it will appear to them they are simply getting hit from above with no apparent sender, leaving you scott-free to spit again!
 * Just because your crosshair isn't red it doesn't mean you can't spit at the Survivor's location. A skilled player that knows how far the spit travels before dropping can use this to their advantage and not make themselves as vulnerable.
 * Hit and run attacks can be easily used to continually bring down the health of the survivors and to slow them down. The spit attack recharges rapidly and often survivors will simply be too busy running from the burning acid to notice where you are.
 * Spitters work well with chargers, the acid will force the survivors to split up, leaving an opening for a charger.

Behind the Scenes
As seen in concept art, the Spitter's pigtails originally were not tucked behind her head, but stuck out like antenna. The Spitter also had a large, rounded stomach to give her a logical place to brew her acidic goo. However, during playtesting, it became apparent that many playtesters thought she was pregnant or called her pregnancy-themed names. Valve decided that this was rocky territory and made her stomach flatter to avoid any confusion. She also had a comical pigeon-toed bird walk, changed for being more humorous than frightening.

Gallery
See image archive for more images...