Swamp Fever - 4/4: Plantation

"I'm standing by a big gate. In front of a big house."

- Nick

The Plantation is the fourth and final chapter in Swamp Fever.

In this chapter's finale the Survivors must hold out through the usual alternate Horde-Tank sequences until Virgil arrives in his fishing boat to rescue them.

The action takes place during a journey to and at a rundown plantation house with an overgrown formal garden fronting a gated wall that leads on down to a half-flooded river jetty. This Chapter's finale is unique in that two Tanks spawn simultaneously right before the rescue boat arrives.

A Heavy Machine Gun is mounted on the plantation house's upper veranda, but it is of limited practical use on account of its lack of traverse.

During the finale, players are confined to an area comprising the plantation house and its garden until such time as the gate in a riverfront wall is blown apart, thus allowing them to sprint to Virgil's boat. Various strategies to complete this chapter are outlined below.

Strategy
Also see: Tactics

All campaign walkthroughs are done on Normal difficulty in single player, and are meant to give tips on what to do and generally point out things that might otherwise be missed.

There are, of course, a few key things to always remember:
 * Stop, look, and listen.
 * Stopping to observe your surroundings might allow you to prepare for something nasty, like a Witch or Special Infected in a really bad place for them to be. Maybe even a Tank at possible times.
 * Teamwork.
 * This cannot be stressed enough. Left 4 Dead 2 is supposed to be a cooperative game. Communicate with your teammates, if you're playing with others, or if you're by yourself with the AI, point out things they might otherwise miss. In all cases, watch out for each other and take care of each other. You are not going to survive the zombie apocalypse by yourself.
 * Be ready for anything.
 * Don't panic.

Campaign
At the beginning, the AI Survivors will grab:
 * Nick will grab an Assault Rifle.
 * Coach will grab an Auto Shotgun.
 * Rochelle will grab an Assault Rifle.
 * Ellis will grab a Sniper Rifle.

Once all the players have stocked up on ammo, selected their firearm of choice, healed if need be and grabbed any other items they exit the safe room.

The area outside the safe room is a marshy paddock on a slight hillside sprinkled with trees and undergrowth amidst which a moderate number of individual Common Infected are loitering. Players should press on straight up the paddock towards the buildings visible on the opposite side mopping up as they go. They must be alert as Special Infected (e.g. Charger, Jockey and Spitter) are certain to appear at this time whilst a mini-horde often storms out down the hillside from the buildings once players get just past a nearby patch of water.

On reaching the buildings, players should inspect the barn on the left which usually houses Pipe bombs and Molotovs. Moving on, to save time, a good idea is to toss a Pipe Bomb or a Bile bomb into a dirt road lined with shotgun shacks, and so safely and conveniently clean out the area of the many Common Infected milling around. Note that one or two Special Infected will also put in an appearance in this area.

Bearing in mind that the route is down the dirt road to the right towards a double-storied house at the end, the two lines of one-room shacks can be quickly inspected for supplies such as individual Pipe bombs, Molotovs, Adrenaline shots, Pills, various melee weapons and firearms. If the team is pretty well stocked up, they can safely ignore the shacks apart from making a fast visual scan as they go past. The second barn in the area on the left behind the high rail fence is worth a look as its top floor often gives up a Chainsaw. Note that a Smoker is very likely to spawn in the doorway if the entire team goes up the stairs.

If a team is lingering in the village, a mini-horde is certain to appear by the time players get to the area in front of the second barn at the T-junction.

Facing down the dirt road at the base of the T-junction is the two-storied house referred to earlier. This is always worth exploring since the roof over the front door usually gives up a Tier 2 weapon and ammo. To get to the roof, it is simply a case of going up the stairs to the second floor and jumping out the open window onto the roof.

At this point, players will most likely have to face a horde. Defending from the roof is easy, but watch must be kept for such things as a Smoker in second barn or Spitter in the dirt road off to the right.

Once all is quiet, players head on down the dirt road to the right, thus putting the hard sunlight into their eyes.

After a short distance, players pass a stalled tractor on the left-hand verge and swing left into the driveway leading up to the plantation house. Most commonly, the area will be thickly populated with Common Infected. A good idea is to toss a Bile bomb or Pipe Bomb as either of these will quickly and safely delouse the area. Beware that a Spitter is almost certain to appear at this point.

Players proceed up the long driveway to the plantation house and enter it by climbing a ladder to the upper floor attached to construction scaffolding just to the right of the line of approach. Have one person go up the ladder while the other three keep guard and once he or she is at the top take up an over watch position and protect the next player up.

Entering the open window brings players into a child's room with a large hole in the floor. After culling the Common Infected down below, players jump down together bearing in mind that this is a point of no return so there is no way of saving a team member who gets incapacitated in the child's room if everyone else is in the room below.

Players now need to explore the plantation house, both inside and out. There is no need to hurry since Hordes and Special Inflected do no spawn at this time. Individual rooms will contain random Common Inflected and they are easily dealt with.

Important: A successful finale defense hinges on where the Director has spawned ammo and health kits. During the exploration phase, players must note where these critical supplies have been pre-positioned. (More on this later.)

Inside the plantation house, one of the most important supply points is a ground floor hallway that always carries throwables. It is essential that the team stock up here. A Bile bomb is recommended to be put into inventory and preserved for the final escape.

Going upstairs by the main stairway will bring players to the first floor and opposite the head of the stairs is one of The Director's three popular weapon and ammo spawn points. By going out onto the first floor veranda, players will encounter the Heavy Machine Gun and perhaps an Oxygen tank and Gas cans. A moment's diversion can be enjoyed by using the Heavy Machine Gun to take out Common Infected in the garden below (noting this weapon's appallingly bad angles of traverse) and tossing the Oxygen tank and cans down for use later. Inexperienced players should take a good, long time to scan the garden area and get thoroughly orientated since this is the arena for the finale. Note that the bushes in the garden cover stone walls that are insurmountable by human and AI Bots―which is not the case with the opposition.

Next, players should go downstairs and out into the overgrown formal garden. Note that jumping from the first floor veranda will cause injury.

There will always be a few individual Common Infected on the left and right sides of the plantation house waiting for players to practice their combat skills on.

This is where the finale fight will be staged. If not spawned inside the plantation house on the first floor (refer above), the Director will usually place ammo and Tier 2 weapons either to the right on a wooden crate or halfway down the garden path. Health kits will either be placed on tables on the opposite side or on the wooden crate if the weapons are on the garden path.

It is usually a waste of time exploring the rest of the garden for supplies since, apart from the odd Common Infected, it contains nothing of interest.

At this point, it is time for an team order group to work out how the finale is to be tackled. The basic idea is as follows:


 * At the bottom of the garden path is a large gate with a radio next to it.
 * Calling up on the radio brings up Virgil, a fishing boat owner, who will effect the rescue once the gate is automatically blown open at the finale's climax.
 * The program follows the classic format: Horde ― Tank ― Horde ― Two Tanks ― Bug Out.
 * A Spitter may make an appearance. Other Special Infected may also spawn and a carefully planned defense can fall apart in an instant if their timing is well coordinated.
 * Hordes swarm over the wall to the left and right of the gate (more from the left when facing the plantation house) and from the plantation house itself (chiefly from its roof).
 * Tanks spawn randomly from the left and right of the garden and house (most commonly from the left when facing the plantation house) and from either the left or right of the gated wall.
 * Hordes can be channeled into choke points and dealt with relatively easily provided the team sticks together and coordinates their fire.
 * The individual Tank is also easy meat for even a moderately skilled team.
 * The Tank twins are a problem and a good defense must address this threat.
 * Once the second Tank dies, this is the signal for the Bug Out. Delay in getting to the gate is fatal.
 * Disengagement for the Bug Out is essential. At least one Bile Jar must be kept to provide a distraction so that the team can sprint out of the gate, down the half-sunk jetty to Virgil's waiting boat.

The following sections outline various ways of putting the above principles into effect:

Gate method
Players hold down by the gate almost literally with their backs to it. This method works well most of the time since it puts the team right next to the escape route and channels the Hordes into choke points to the left, front and right.

If gas cans are placed down the central pathway (one at the top and one about halfway down), the results can be spectacularly successful. Firing the furthest gas can opportunistically and the nearest one during the Bug Out is a good idea. An oxygen bottle (if available) can be located next to the wall on the left of the gate (the view is clearer for the shot) about halfway along to maximize a Horde's alarm and despondency.

Have one person hold the left side and another person hold the right side of the gates with two holding the central pathway.

When Tanks arrive, move up the pathway for a short distance until it is clear where they are coming from. Note that it is a bad idea to hold next to the gate when a Tank arrives since he can appear very close by and box the team in; the ability to open formation and thus cone him with interlocking fire is the secret. Once he is down, quickly restock on ammo and health (this point cannot be emphasized enough).

If the Director spawns ammo halfway down the central path, ammo resupply is simplicity itself; however, if the ammo is up near the house or (worse yet) inside the house at the top of the stairs, an ammo run can be done, but the team must really hustle.

Once the first Tank has been dispatched and the team resupplied with health and ammo (if required), it reforms back down at the gate ready for the next Horde and the Tank Twins.

Important: Once the last of the Tank Twins goes down, Operation Bug Out begins. The team sprints down to the gate, it will blow in a second, whereupon distracting Bile Jars and Pipe Bombs are tossed and any gas cans ignited (if present and opportune). There is no time to be lost on healing or ammo restocking. Players get a bottle of pills down their necks or an adrenaline shot into themselves and go! Remember that fresh Tanks will spawn, and if a player is caught too far from the gate, they will most likely get incapped or tangled up in the garden and it is probably going to be curtains for them.

Overall, the Gate Method is the one worthy of strong recommendation since it has good choke points, covers players' backs and locates them as close as it is possible to be to the escape route. In this regard, the explosion that destroys the gate is harmless, so players can simply stand with their backs to the gate, get out the diversionary thowables, light the gas cans and go.

The only downsides are the distances from ammo (if not on the central pathway) and health kits.

Front Left Room method
There is also a room in the front left of the first floor that allows only two ways in for the horde to come at you. This makes it easy to control Infected with concentrated fire. Specials are pretty easy to take care of if the Survivors are working together to keep the doorways clear. Once the Tank music starts, go out the door into the garden to avoid and kill him. Make sure to ammo up during this time, head back into the room and repeat. As an added bonus, pipe bombs, fire, and bile are usually close by in the hallway.

If you want to go solo, go up the stairs, turn right, head down the hallway and turn left where there is a huge gaping hole on the floor. Camping there could be useful especially if the ammo and guns are located at the railing of the stairs. The Infected can't climb through the hole in the floor, so they can only get to you from the front. After dealing with the Tanks, go back to the same place.

Immediately after the two Tanks are dead all the Survivors should run to the gate, and throw a Bile Bomb once the "Skin on our Teeth" music plays; so long as the last Tank doesn't spawn on the other side of the gate, no zombies will be there, the CI will be distracted and the Tank shouldn't reach you if you keep moving.

Balcony Method
Another choice is to hold out of the balcony, near the Heavy Machine Gun. Although few zombies come from the maze itself, a bile bomb will turn all Common Infected into easy targets. Have one person watch each entry point with the fourth person acting as a backup. If your team decides to use this strategy, watch out for Spitters; they can cause massive amounts of damage as well as seperating you group. Jockeys, Chargers, and Hunters shouldn't be much of a problem as long as you watch each others' backs. Boomers are rare threats, as the only point the Director spawns them is on the roof, forcing them to kamikaze. Smokers can pull you off the balcony at some points, so be careful. Your team should deal with the Tank on the ground, as the house doesn't hold much room to manuver and attack. However, you can also use this to your advantage during the duo of Tanks you must fight after the second wave of Infected. The close spaces inside the house will cause the Tanks to damage each other, weakening them or even killing one of them.


 * This is a strategic spot if the ammo is at the top of the stairs.
 * One person should grab a shotgun, and the rest carry rifles.
 * Common Infected will come at you from all sides, so have at least one person watching an entry point at all times. It is advised you bring gas cans and use it to provide cover if the team needs a brief break.
 * When the Tank(s) spawns, take some ammo and go down to the garden where you can avoid him in the maze.
 * At the time Virgil comes, throw a bile or pipe bomb and run to the boat. Adrenaline is useful here for hurting players, as the effects will allow them to not only run at normal speed on land but in water as well.

Stairway Method

 * Inside the mansion, there is a stairway near the heavy machine gun.
 * Very useful spot since most Infected will come funneling from downstairs.
 * If you run out of bullets, grab the ammo pile near you while one person takes your place.
 * Be careful if some Infected fall from the roof. So watch your back at all times.
 * Go out to the garden when the Tank spawns, since indoors are not as effective.


 * 1) However, skillful players can lure the Tank into a doorway. If he's stuck there, have fun killing him.
 * 2) Always separate in groups of two, so that the Tank can't pick anyone off.
 * If one of the Survivors have a pipe/bile bomb, use it when Virgil comes to distract the Infected.
 * 1) Use adrenaline if one isn't available.
 * 2) To cover your bases, use adrenaline even if one is available.

Glory Hole Method

 * Use the stairs to go up to the second floor and head down the hallway to the right.
 * There is a large hole in the floor that can be jumped over if timed correctly. It may take a few tries, although it is not very hard.
 * Look around and you will notice to your right, there are some stairs leading down to the first floor, which can also be used.
 * Have two Survivors stand on the stairs and kill any Infected trying to come up them and have the other two guard the doorway that leads to the large hole in the floor.
 * This is a good defensive spot, although the Infected can jump the hole half the time but may have to climb up leaving lots of time to kill them and then ones trying for the stairs have to run in the open and are easily shot.
 * Smokers are the main Special Infected to worry about with this method because if you get dragged down the hole, it will take time to get back to the other Survivors.
 * When the Tank music cues up, wait to see if it is on the first or second floor. If it is on the first floor, run up stairs and jump across the hole and lead it on a chase; if it is on the second floor, run down the stairs and again lead it on a chase.
 * Once the Tanks are dead, quickly return to your defensive spot and continue to hold out.
 * The main drawback of this method is if two Tanks spawn―which happens sometimes with this level―they can come from both the first and second floor basically trapping the Survivors. The best way to get out of this if it does happen is to wait for the Tank on the first floor to start coming up the stairs and then drop down the hole on the second floor, and with a little luck, you should be behind the Tank and able to lead them out into the open.

Versus
Though they might be immune to the Infection, they aren't immune to death; no one is. Work together to make sure they're victims of this rampant virus, one way or another. Do not let the Survivor escape; use any means necessary!

This can be one of the easiest finales in both games if the Survivors know where to hold out and are experienced. It is highly recommended to try to kill at least one Survivor before the Plantation house is reached since once the Survivors are set up and entrenched it is hard to get at them.

Overall Tips The Plantation is suited well for all types of Special Infected because it involves both indoor and outdoor parts. There are a few key spots to attack during this level and the opportunity for Survivors to explore multiple houses can leave them spread out and open for attack; use this to your advantage.
 * Lone wolves. Mmm, mmm, mmm, tasty.
 * The Survivors all have outlines around them, showing their status and location. Green means they're healthy; yellow means they're hurt; red means they're low on health. Purple means they've been covered in Boomer bile. You can probably discern which to seek out first if possible.
 * Think like a Survivor. When you play as one, when are the worst times that something could come at you? Exploit that knowledge.
 * Teamwork, as aforementioned. Has a Boomer gotten their bile all over the Survivors? Jump one of them or a clean one. They can't see their teammates' aura until they're clean...and by then, it might be too late.
 * As much as teamwork is a strength for you and your enemies, a lack of it will be their downfall. If you can focus all of your energy on killing one of the Survivors, the rest will be that much easier to take down. Not only will they have one less gun, but they will have three Survivors to your three incapacitating Infected.

Chargers: This level has some wide-open areas at the beginning, so use that to your advantage. When the Survivors first leave the safe room, try hiding behind some of the bushes in the marsh and jump out in front of the Survivors, knocking them back and hopefully dealing a lot of damage early on. If this is not to your liking, you can wait out in the small grouping of houses and try to get a Survivor that has broken off from the group to explore. The open area up to the mansion can be useful; try charging a Survivor back down to the entrance causing the Survivors to have to slow down. Once inside the Mansion, your job is to separate tight Survivor formations. The darkness will help and try attacking when the horde is strongest. Another good tactic is to charge someone away when the Tanks are attacking. The Survivors will be separated and have their attention focused on killing the Tank so it should be easy to dispose of a pesky Survivor. If they hold out near the Heavy Machine Gun, this is actually an advantage for you as you can easily carry a Survivor off the balcony, dealing high fall damage, as well as seperating them from the group.

Jockey: This level has lots of areas suited for you. The marsh area in at the start is not ideal, but a quick Jockey attack against a Survivor that is taking their time leaving the safe room could be devastating. The grouping of houses is more ideal for this guy. Wait unseen just outside of the house, and when a Survivor goes in, quickly follow them and pounce. With any luck, the Survivors will be focused on exploring and spread out so they will have to cover a lot of ground to get to their friend. The open road and area up to the Mansion are not good because you can be spotted easily and disposed of quickly. Once in the mansion, your job is to make Survivors who try to stock up on ammo and supplies mid-finale pay the ultimate price, although any ride that takes a Survivor onto another floor or off the balcony is a good ride. Find the ammo pile (or another important item such as first aid) and hide out near it using the dark to your advantage or the hedges if the ammo is outside. When a Survivor goes to get ammo, pounce them and take them further away from their team members. In general, it is a good idea to also attack when the Tank is around, as this will draw the Survivors attention.

Smokers: The outdoor areas are more suited to the Smoker. That being said, there are really no great locations for a Smoker in this level. Like the Jockey, your best bet for an early attack is to wait near the houses for the Survivors to split up and explore. If you can manage to entangle a Survivor who is away from the group, you can deal a lot of damage. The open areas and lack of truly tall buildings will limit your effectiveness in the early stages of this level. Do not get discouraged, though; a crucial Smoker pull can make the Survivors slow down and could cause just enough chaos to allow your fellow Infected to deal massive damage to the Survivors. One great place for a Smoker attack is the ladder and scaffolding that is used to access the Mansion. Wait for the last Survivor to climb up the ladder and then pull him/her back down. The fall will hurt him or her, and although you will probably be killed quickly, you will make the Survivors slow down. If the team you are playing against is not very skilled or good at teamwork, you can wait to see if they go down the hole into the mansion one at a time; if they do, simple entangle the last Survivor and you should have an easy kill. During the finale, your job is to break up close formations of Survivors. You are also very important for disturbing Survivors who use the Glory Hole method as their position is defensible from most every other Special Infected. Pulling Survivors off the balcony is also a great way to deal massive damage and separate players. As with the Charger and Jockey, taking a Survivor off the balcony or higher floors of the house works very well for you.

Hunter: The open areas at the start of this level can be a little tricky to navigate as a Hunter. Remember that you are silent unless crouched so make sure stealth is a large part of your game. Like the other pinning specials (Jockey, Smoker, and Charger) the abandoned houses are a great place to launch a surprise attack and you will have the easiest job of hiding. Make anyone who is falling behind or rushing forward pay a dear price for leaving their companions. Once inside the Mansion, you will be less effective since players will tend to stick together. Like the Jockey, one good idea is to wait by important items (ammo pile, health packs, etc.) and pounce anyone foolish enough to leave their group. If that is not your game, you are better as a second attack. Wait for a Charger or Smoker to grab a Survivor and then when others are going to the rescue, pounce the last one in the group. You should have valuable seconds to cause chaos and deal massive damage. Remember to always attack relentlessly when a Tank is around.

Spitter: This level has very few choke points for you to do your thing. Your best bet for an early attack is to scope out the abandoned houses early and see what items the Survivors may want. Hide near the house and when they go in spit in the small confines and you should deal some damage although quick Survivors will be able to escape virtually unharmed. The large house by the T-intersection usually has an ammo pile on the roof so spitting that when Survivors are around can also be beneficial. One of the best places to spit is the hole that drops Survivors down inside the Mansion. The spit will cause a panic and some players will jump down while others stay up top and combined with a successful pinning attack can be spell disaster for a team. Once inside the Mansion, your job is to force the Survivors to break rank. Spit into their group and force them apart into hopefully different directions causing confusion. This is a great tactic combined with a horde attack because the Survivors will be so focused on getting out of the acid that a horde has a chance to get in and attack. Remember to attack when a Tank is around, although you are less effective than the other Specials at this time. The absolute best spot for the Spitter is the roof of the mansion. You will be virtually untouchable once the Survivors have jumped down, but you will have access to the main stairwell with the ammo pile through the hole in the roof, the garden, and even the mounted gun from the very edge of the roof. If you have a good aim, you might be the one doing the most damage to the Survivors during the finale.

Boomer: Your job is simple: Cause confusion and panic to the Survivors. The abandoned houses are a great place to lie in wait particularly the barn to the left of the hill. The disadvantage of puking on someone inside a house is that they can easily spam the door with gunfire and easily deal with the horde, or they may not check the shacks altogether. Don't let this get you down; hordes slow down Survivors and give other Specials opportunities to attack. Once past the houses, the open areas will not be kind to the Boomer. When inside the Mansion, puking can be devastating. There are many areas the Infected can come from and Survivors can easily be separated inside. Never attack a tightly formed group of Survivors head on unless you are close enough that being shot will dispense the bile. When a Tank is around, be sure to vomit at least one Survivor, as a horde plus a Tank often equals death for at least one Survivor.

Tank: In this level, a Tank spawn before the finale is very rare. If you do happen to spawn as a Tank, the open areas give the Survivors clear shots at you so be careful. There are a few cars around, so use them to your advantage if possible. Try to pin Survivors inside a building they cannot escape. During the finale, inside the Mansion can work for and against you. There are no pushable objects (cars, Dumpsters, etc.). The small close quarters will trap Survivors, but can also slow you down and give Survivors time to escape. Skilled teams can avoid you inside while rookie teams will panic and can be picked off. Try to keep players inside as the garden is open and allows you to be shot from a distance. However, use whatever tactic works best for you as the garden can also separate Survivors and they can get hung up on the numerous bushes and trees. If Survivors are on the balcony, try to hit them off dealing massive damage and a possible instant kill. Also, the plantation house has many breakable walls, so use that to your advantage (Survivors hole up in a small room, wall crashes down, tank emerges). If you are a Tank after rescue has arrived, try to hit a Survivor into the deep water surrounding the boat, causing an instant death.