Start of the round :

After loading the map, you will be placed in the Human (Survivor) spawn, and the Worth Menu will open. This is important that you don't rush your choices, because this will be your gear for the whole match (Note : You will maybe find weapons dropped from your dead allies, or buy them in an Arsenal Crate, but this should not be counted on). Note that you have 2 minutes to make your choices, but this counts the time needed to download/join, and later the time needed to get in safety

There is 7 tabs in this menu, to reach the tabs that are off-screen, click on the directionnal arrows on the right-most part of the menu (on the tabs)

Favourites : This will always be the first tab that will open when you join, it's where you save all the carts (A cart is everything that you bought in the Worth Menu) and where you can ''Checkout'' to get your loadout. This is very important to save some carts, mainly playstyles (Gunner, Barricader, Assist, more on that later) to have easy access to the cart that fit the most the situation

The ''Save the current cart'' allows you to save this cart to the favourites list, which is below. To explain the favourites cart options :

Red Cross : Delete this cart from your favourites list
Heart : Change the current cart to use this favourite slot (usefull with the function below)
File : Load this cart to your Worth menu, note that any change will not be saved
O.K sign : Use this cart

If you want to use a cart without saving it, just click ''Checkout'' and your loadout will be given. You can also choose the ''Random'' option, which will give you a random Pistol and a Random Melee weapon, this option is always chosen if you don't have a loadout (still haven't checked out when the First Wave starts, joigning during the First Wave or reedeming)

Guns : This is the single most important tab you will need to use, it contains Pistols, a SMG, an Assault Rifle, a Sniper Rifle, and a Shotgun. Note that these weapons are very expensive, and without returns, you will not be able to buy 2 primary weapons. Remember that headshots are extremely important, a Zombie that is shot in the body can get back up 2 more times. Aim for the head !

''Peashooter Handgun'' : This is the regular Half-Life Pistol, it holds 18 rounds, fires very fast (As fast as you can pull the trigger), and deal minimal damage to the zombies. This Pistol costs 40 points. One important note is to control your shots, and avoid going trigger-happy. Headshots work the best, and should always be used against Zombies with this gun

''Battleaxe Handgun'' : This weapon is the most powerfull starting pistol (The other pistols that are unlocked at an Arsenal Crate are more powerfull). It holds 12 rounds, and deal a lot of damage to the Zombies, however, this weapon is still very weak compared to the other Primary Weapons, and headshots should be relied on

''Owens Handgun'' : This weapon is the trade-off of the 2 others, it contains 12 rounds, cost 40 points, and fire faster than the ''Battleaxe Handgun'', while keeping a good damage output, higher than the ''Peashooter Handgun''

''Blaster Shotgun'' : The default starting Shotgun, it's a good weapon to hold barricades, and a meatshot can easily kill most Zombies, it holds 6 rounds, and cost 55 points. While 2 meatshots will get rid of almost any zombie, aiming around the head area can lead to insta-kills. Note that his power drops suddently at medium range, as such, Zombies should be left alone until they are close enough for most of the pellets to hit. Using a Handgun as a back-up weapon can lead to better results, even if very costly (You will need a lot of ammo with this playstyle)

''Tosser SMG'' : The default starting SMG. This weapon is very powerfull at close to medium ranges, and headshots are deadly against most foes. It holds 25 rounds and cost 55 points. Note that spraying with this weapon is a bad idea, and a certain discipline will be needed to avoid being out of ammo in the middle of a round. This weapon should not be coupled with another one, as it can do great as any other weapon rôle, except the ''Stubber Rifle''. Aiming down the sights (Right click and hold) will allow a better aim

''Stubber Rifle'' : The default Sniper Rifle, this is the most powerfull starting weapon, and a headshot will almost always prove lethal at any distance, the scope should always be used, and is a neat advantage against Zombies coming from afar. It can also be actively used for spawncamping, however any sniping action should be stopped when Fast Zombies are unlocked, as they can take you by surprise with their pounce attack. It contains 5 rounds and cost 55 points

''Crackler Assault Rifle'' : The starting Assault Rifle, it is pretty precise and powerfull, but is inferior to equal with the SMG in terms of damage, ammo, cost and walking speed, and as such should be used at medium ranges and onward. It holds 20 rounds, and cost 55 points. Note that while this weapon is precise, this precision will drop as you are firing, as such, bursts should always be used

Protip : It can be wise to avoid spending any points in the Worth Menu (or very little, like buying a Plank), and then go to the nearest Arsenal Crate to buy your weapon, note however that you will not be able to buy most tools, other bonus or change your returns, even in the Setup time

Ammunition : This tab can be important, especially if you are buying a single weapon, you can buy a maximum of 5 Ammo Crates (Reserve ammo) by stacking 2 + 3 Ammo Crates. There is, in fact, a pack of 2 and 3 ammo crates for each starting weapon, and this ammunition is shared between guns of the same family. 2 ammo crates will cost 15 points, and 3 ammo crates 25 points

Melee : This section is very straightforward, it contains every weapon that is used in Melee battles, note however that using a Melee weapon against a Zombie can get pretty dangerous, especially if just spamming the attack button and rushing into him. Some weapons have a delay between the time where the attack button is pressed, and the time where the weapon strikes, learning this delay is important, so you can start your attack, and rush the zombie at the very moment the attack will hit

Protip : Melee weapons (mostly Keyboards or Cooking Pots) can be found in the level, if you know there's a place with a melee weapon in the map, don't buy one

Protip : The best course of action to hit a Zombie is to back away, press the attack button, and approach the Zombie just before the weapon strikes, striking in the head is a plus and will result in death with such melee weapons

Protip : Don't hit Ghouls with Melee weapons (they look like burned citizens corpses, and are available at the first wave), this will spew poison on you and any teammate near you, and cause some unnecesary damage

Protip : A plank is 5 points, if you have that of leftover, buy one as a back-up weapon if you happen to run totally out of ammo

Protip : You should always use your melee weapon against Chemical Zombies (Chems, they look like a Poison Zombie with green gas around them). Using a firearm will blow them up, causing a huge amount of damage and maybe killing anyone repairing or defending the barricade if they are near it

Tools : Tools are almost as important as guns, and a total lack of tools in a team loadout will almost always cause a loss. They have a lot of uses, from creating barricades to healing teammates, and while you may need to deny yourself a gun to suceed at assisting your teammates, they will be thankfull as they will be behind a good barricade, and constantly healed by 2 concentrated Medics

Carpenter's Hammer : The single most important tool a team will ever need in this mod. Without it everyone will get swarmed by the zombies, and even with the overwhelming firepower of the Survivors, the war of attrition will make the Zombies win. This tool costs 45 points, and carry 6 Nails by default

To use, look for a prop, you may need to carry it to the best place by using E (pressing it will take the prop in your hands), once placed correctly, you need to aim for a spot where the prop or the world collides (or 2 props, thought it's not recommended), Right clicking will place a Nail at the spot where you are looking, and Reload will retrieve any nail and give it back to the person who placed it (Warning, retrieving nails randomly, especially when Zombies are attacking, is griefing and will result in a Kick/Ban, there's a votekick function too so don't get too greedy when no admins are on)

Left clicking will perform a normal melee attack, and will repair any nail when aimed at, once you hit a nail, three sparkles can appear, accompagned by a short sound clip

- Green orbs : The nail was damaged and has been repaired a little
- Red orbs : The nail can't be repaired anymore (and will be broken in any minute now)
- Metallic sparkles : The nail was missed and/or is not damaged

This is important to notice that your nails can't be repaired forever, as such, replacing nails as they are broken, or between waves (Always with the support of your team !) is a good idea if you can do it before the prop is sent flying

More on barricading will be told later

Protip : The Hammer is still a melee weapon, and can easily kill with an headshot, use it against pesky headcrabs or Zombies that can be hit from the other side

Protip : Get someone else to hold the prop if you want to nail it in the air, it's very effective to block gaps that could be exploited by headcrabs

Protip : The bigger the prop is, the more damage it and all nails on it will sustain, a vending machine or a metal shelf can easily hold against some damage, while chairs and planks will be sent flying after some hits

Box of 6 Nails : 6 supplementary Nails for your hammer, this tool has, of course, absolutely no use without a Hammer, and his utility is discutable, as in general only 3 Nails can be used on a single prop before Zombies can break it, can have an use if you need to barricade windows. They cost 25 points

Board Pack : This toll has 3 uses, when used it will create a plank, and launch it, this tool costs 20 points, and is only really usefull when windows need to be barricaded, or if there's absolutely no props that can be used in a barricade. This Board Pack needs the Hammer to be used effectively, thought dropping some for someone who has it is a valid solution. Note that even with 2 Nails, the Zombies will make a quick work of this barricade if they can attack it, and has such, should be considered more of a temporary barrier than a serious barricade

Protip : Place your planks facing downward relative to a window (enough that Zombies will slide off) to make an elevated window impossible to pounce into . However you will need it to be inside a little, find the best position

Arsenal Crate : This tool is extremely important for a team to be successfull, without it, you will not be able to buy ammo, and this will cause a loss once all ammo is depleted (which generally happens before wave 4). It costs 50 points

Once selected, you will see a red or green outline on the ground, looking like a crate, if the crate is red, something is obstructing it (a teammate, a prop, or map geometry), once it's green, you can place it using your Left click. It will create a ''ghost'' version of the crate, that will only complete once no props or teammates are in the hitbox

Once an Arsenal Crate is deployed, you can use F2 to open the store, it contains new weapons, some being costly and other relatively cheaper than the starting weapons. You should also note that the shop is 20 % off and that you win 10 % of every purchase on your crate that is not made by you (Thought you will win only 1 point for ammo, and between 3 to 5 points for most weapons that people will buy, so this shouldn't be counted on)

Protip : As a Zombie, you can break Arsenal Crates, this is especially important for a case, if nobody bought and deployed (if they became Zombies) an Arsenal Crate, one will spawn at Human spawn, going here and breaking it before anyone can get the hold on it, or killing anyone who try to escape with it, will ensure a victory. However, you can't break Arsenal Crates in barricades, and if you can, the barricade is broken and your goal should now be to kill all humans that are still inside

Protip : As said above, an Arsenal Crate will spawn at Human spawn if nobody bought one, if none is deployed when the timer is running out, rush at Human spawn with friends, and get a hold on it before Zombies break it

Medical Kit : If your teammates are not very clever, and get themselves hit, this tool will be a lifesaver, at later waves, this tool goes from nearly useless to nessecary to win (unless your teammates dodge all attacks, which is extremely hard and almost never happen). This tool costs 50 points and comes with 150 healing power

There are 2 ways to use it, Left click will use it on a damaged teammate, it will heal him for 5 HP, and has a cooldown of 16 seconds, Right clicking will heal yourself, and will regenerate 10 HP per second

While this tool can be used to get yourself from limping to full health in seconds, this is not the best use of the tool, even if extremely efficient at it, the most important thing you can do with a Medical Kit is to heal your buddies. If close enough of a damaged teammate that doesnt have the ''Hemophilia'' return (There's no way to tell, except failing at healing him, or seeing him at 70 HP, which may hint at a regular use of most returns, healing being rarefull), it will heal him 5 HP, note that you should focus on getting critical teammates in a correct state, as a full healing without buffs will take 304 seconds (estimating you can't have 0 HP), which is obiviously terribly inneficient

Protip : At the start of the round, tell damaged teammates to retreat to the back of the cade, to have an easier time focusing on critical cases, and avoid giving health to the wrong teammates, and budies to the Zombies at the same time...

150 Medical Kit Power : Pretty much as said, this tool costs 30 points, and add 150 Medical Power to your Medical Kit, obiviously, it's only usefull with a Medical Kit, and the cumuled cost of the 2 tools (50 + 30 = 80) will force you to be weaponless, and focus on healing, until you can get decent points to get a gun (and then, if you don't want to be Medic all the round, as you will need to buy more Medical Power)

Infrared Gun Turret : This tool is extremely special, it costs 75 points, and come with 250 loaded ammo + 1000 reserve ammo. To use it, select it, now find a correct spot (works much like the Arsenal Crate, a spot without any prop or teammate, though the Turret seems to be obstructed easily). Once green, you can place it down, it will begin scanning the area doing a weird circling sway, and once the laser comes near a zombie, it will begin shooting him with a deadly accurary and for a huge amount of damage. Note however that Zombies can damage it, and his cone of fire is really random and focused, so it should always be protected, generally behind a correct barricade

This turret can do the job of multiple humans when it comes to defending, however it should always be supported, as it takes some time to focus, especially if the area to shoot in is shallow and Zombies can evade it. You can also give it your SMG Ammo by pressing E on it (Use). Note however that unless you are not using a SMG, you shouldn't do it

Protip : If you can get it right, turrets can be planted on ceillings and walls, and become suddently more effective, as the scanning zone will be focused on the direction Zombies come from

Protip : For Zombies, there is 2 ways to destroy it, killing the owner will desactivate it, giving it a blue sight and making it idle, or simply bashing at it until it explodes, smoke noticing that the turret is in a critical state. Crawlers and Headcrabs are naturally out of the scanning area, and will not be shooted at, Zombies can also crouch under the killing area if close enough while the scan is at the upper zone of the circle

Message Beacon : This tool costs 15 points, and looks like a trip mine once placed, if you are close to it, it will display the chosen message (You can choose it at the placement of the Beacon)

Here are all the messages that can be used :

''Need defense here
Need turrets here
Need arsenal crates here
Need medics here
Zombies come from here
Do not enter !!
Don't go out
Defend this area !
Defend this spot !
Medics here !
Buy from my crate
Barricade here !
Don't barricade here
Don't let zombies in here
This will break
This place is dangerous !
Beware of projectiles !
Zombies are breaking trought here
Plan B here
Zombies are coming. Build a cade''

Protip : Everyone is wandering around searching a spot ? Go to the best spot and place a beacon, 100 % guaranted people that are looking for a cade will follow you here !

Protip : Putting warnings like ''This will break'' or ''Zombies come from/are breaking throught here'' will maybe save the life of some ignorant teammates, everyone will follow beacons unless they are incorrect so don't be shy of putting them if you can afford it

3 spare batteries : This pack of 3 batteries cost 5 points and can be bought 2 times for a total of 6 batteries, they are used to let your flashlight shine longer before being empty (which is extremely usefull when cading in a pretty dark place). Once bought, your flashlight meter will show how many batteries are spare, once your flashlight is depleted, instead of turning out to recharge, it will use the battery totally (and trash it) and switch immediatly onto the next battery

You should buy a pack if you can, as they can be usefull on most maps, but they won't last long if you keep your flashlight on the whole time, cut it off when you don't need it, and put it back on as long as you need if you navigate in a dark place or are facing a zombie rush coming from a dark place

Protip : As almost everyone buys them, people that turn into Zombies will very likely drop these, kill the threats and collect your free gift
« Last Edit: Aug 25, 2011 at 09:48 am by dylanstrategie »
#1 Aug 24, 2011 at 11:50 am

dylanstrategie

Others : The name of this section may make it sound useless, but the buffs in here can make the difference between a living person, running and owning some Zombies, and a dead corpse that will turn into a Zombie

Grenade : The only affordable explosive weapon for most people, this is the best way to clear a rushed barricade in seconds, or clean a room full of zombies without hurting your teammates, and while getting points

The Grenade costs 35 points, and pack a huge punch, especially if thrown right into a zombie. A good grenade can easily fill the killfeed with your name, so take your time, and then enjoy all the points you will get

Note however that grenades will damage yourself, to the point of killing you if the grenade bounces back to you, and it can damage props and set wooden props on fire, almost always breaking them. As such it's not a very barricade-friendly weapon, and should be thrown as far away from the cade as possible, thought a grenade landing at some meters will not insta-kill a nailed barricade

Protip : Buying a Grenade at an Arsenal Crate instead of the Worth Menu will make you economise 5 points, low but every point counts in the apocalypse

Fit : The first buff in the tab, Fit will give you a 10 HP bonus for 10 points, and makes you slighty harder to take down (thought it's not a reason to just run outside and kill eveything). It's a good trade-off, and will help you against things like headcrabs

Tought : This is the second buff, Tought will give you a 25 HP bonus for 25 points, and makes you way, way more resistant, even if not enough for serious damage, as always. People that count on defending should use it, if this don't block other purchases

Protip : The 2 buffs combined will give you 135 HP in total, and make you resist 5 zombie hits instead of 4 (however Tough has the same effect)

Quick : This buff costs 10 points, and in exchange will slighty buff your running speed, it can be extremely helpfull if you count on doing a Runner job for the 2 first waves, and lose some of it's helpfullness once you are in a cade (however if the cade is broken and you can get out, you can actually outrun the Zombies and become the last human

Surged : This buff costs 20 points and will buff your speed a great deal, you will appreciate it when you will be shooting Zombies from 20 meters away backpedaling without them catching up, it can also become your best friend on objective maps, just run !

Protip : Adding Surged and Quick will make you extremely fast, for only 30 points, buy a weapon, buy that, buy ammo if you can, and they will never catch you !

Handy : This perk will actually make it easier for you to repair a nail (you will repair more per hit), for 30 points, if you still have money after buying all your barricading tools, you should buy that, and laugh at the face of Zombies that can't outdamage the prop and get shooted in the head as a consolation price

Surgeon : This perk will make your Medical Kit recharge faster for 30 points (8 second cooldown), it will be extremely usefull when healing teammates (and nearly useless when focusing it on you), and can mean the difference between a nearly dead teammate getting killed by a headcrab, and a teammate in medium conditions fighting back like never before

Returns : Returns are the special tab of the Worth Menu, and is rarely used because you need to scroll to see it (and people only look for Others), some returns can hinder your teammate's work, and other can make you a sitting duck in some cases, so don't rush it for the points and instead look if everything is alright

Weakness : Using this return will give you 15 bonus points to spend in the Worth Menu (or in an Arsenal Crate if unspent), but in exchange, it will retrieve 30 HP from your total health (putting you at 70 HP). If you are going to stay behind a barricade and are not meant to be hit (In short : Not fighting the Zombies or repairing, so things like Medic or Turret Maintenance), this return is well worth it, and can allow a bonus tool for you

Slowness : Using this return will give you 5 bonus points, but will slow you down, this means unless you are in a barricade, in safety, you are a sitting duck for Zombies, and even Regular Zombies may catch to you. Don't, ever use it on Objective maps, and use it on Normal maps only if a barricade is going up. You should also note that the bonus is not worth it for crippling yourself that much, but 5 points can help if speed is not needed

Palsy : For 5 points that you can spend on something else, this return will make your screen shake a lot more when damaged. If you risk being damaged, and you need precision (Defenders except Shotgunners at some point, and Barricaders), this is not a good idea to use it. As such it goes pretty well with Weakness, and at some point Slowness

Hemophilia : This return gives you 15 points, and in exchange, block you from being healed by Medical Kits. As they are the only reliable way to get health, any hit is definitive with this return. Don't get hit, this is the only advice. If there's no Medics in your team, take it anyway, that's 15 points of won. However if there's one or multiples Medics helping, you will hinder their work, and let yourself die when you could have went back at full health, a very situationnal return at such

Banned for Life : As cruel as it may sounds, it's 20 points for you ! The downside is that you will not be able to use an Arsenal Crate for the whole match. If you have a weapon, it's a very bad idea, as you will need to buy ammo later or sooner. Otherwise, if you are focusing on tools and melee, this can be an interresing return to try a special loadout, experiment !

Playing as a Survivor :

Playing as a Survivor is not as easy as pointing a gun at Zombies and pressing the trigger, in fact you will need a lot of strategies and teamwork to win. Let's get it straight, if everyone is doing his own barricade, they will be torn apart one by one until everyone is dead

Individual Setup :

Now that you are in the Worth Menu, and that you know absolutely everything in it (even if this was long), you need to find which kind of loadout you want. Here I will give you some posssibles loadouts, that work pretty well :

Defense :
Any primary weapon (55)/Any secondary weapon (45)
5 ammo boxes (40)
Pack of 3 batteries (5)/Plank (5)/Knife (10, with secondary)

Shoot Zombies, shoot more Zombies, keep shooting. This is the general pack most people take, and you will need a lot of people shooting if you don't want your barricade to be sent flying before a Zombie swarm destroy the room from the ceilling to the ground

Runner :
''Tosser SMG'' (55)/''Stubber Rifle'' (55)/Any secondary (40)
Quick (10)
Surged (20)
Tought (25)

What should I say ? Keep running, get a shot when you get the occasion to, and then run further. You need one of these 2 weapons because they are light yet effective, and all the buffs will help you to stand on your own, note that once Fast Zombies are unlocked, you should run back to the barricade. This is also the perfect loadout to beat an objective map, keep running, and let your comrades clean the mess once you need to stop

Barricader :
''Carpenter's Hammer'' (45)
Box of 6 Nails (25)
Board Pack (20)/Handy (30)
Message Beacon (15)
Hemophilia (-15)

This one is a bit special, you will only need 2 barricaders, and 1 barricade in most teams, so make sure to talk with your teammates, or you will end up with 5 barricaders setting their own barricades, sitting in the back of the room for the whole match or hitting the same nail
But anyway, if this is respected, find a prop, barricade with it, choose your buff and hold it 6 waves if you can !

Supplier :
Infrared Gun Turret (75)
Arsenal Crate (50)
3 SMG Ammo Boxes (25)
Knife (10)
Banned for Life (-20)
Slowness (-5)
Hemophilia (-15)
Weakness (-15)
Palsy (-5)

You will likely take a good laugh at this loadout when you will see I did put all the returns in here. But this will allow you to be more helpfull than ever. Deploy your Arsenal Crate, deploy your Turret in the best position, and sit in the back of the room, Knife in hands (for headcrabs), and some SMG Ammo for your turret. Ok this is not very exciting, but you will help your team a lot, and if you win, you get an award ! Just make sure people know you have an Arsenal Crate, so there's not 3 Crates on the ground, and they can go to something more helpfull

Medic :
Medical Kit (50)
150 Medical Kit Power (30)
Surgeon (30)
Plank (5)
Hemophilia (-15)

You are the one who heals here, so let's do the job at the maximum, get every buff, and put Hemophilia, if you go Medic it's for your team obiviously. 3 Medics is a good number, full health in less than 1 munute, way better than almost 4 minutes. Your Plank can be used to avoid your patients an humiliating death by those pesky Headcrabs, and your Surgeon buff will speed up the help

Team Setup :

Now that you're done, regroup ! Ideally, the Runners take advantageous positions, the Barricader set a place for the barricade, and put a Message Beacon to locate it to everyone, the Defenders, the Supplier and the Medics then enter, and the round goes on (ideally only Defenders should turn Zombie, but nobody want so do your best to avoid it, or sacrifice for a victory)

Ideally, a good barricade has :

As much Defenders as possible
10 (5 when there's not too much people) Runners
3 Medics
2 Barricaders
1 Supplier
Other people (Setting Turrets, Creating Back-Up Barricades)

On a full server, this is around 25 Defenders, and for example with 30 players, 15 or 10 Defenders (estimating 5 Zombies and 5 Survivors with other tools)

Barricading :

As said many times earlier, Barricading is the most important thing in this mod, but if done incorrectly, it will only be a waste of time for Zombies before they are able to break in

First, let's set some basic vocabulary on this section :

Cade : Short for ''Barricade''

Back-up Cade : A Barricade inside the first Barricade, used when the first Barricade falls, and generally adapted for later rounds, neccesary in most maps

Failcade : A barricade that will fall because it's not build properly (see later)

Wincade : Don't take it in the litteral way, it's almost always used to design a failcade that looks strange, funny, or completety stupid

Shitpile : Multiple little props stacked in a doorway and nailed randomly. This kind of barricade will fall against only 2 or 3 Zombies because each prop will take serious damage at each swipe

''Cade down'' : All the nails on the main prop have been destroyed, and in general the prop is already out of the way

Guideline for a proper Barricade :

You will need some guidelines to avoid failcades. I will make a list and explain each step :

- Take a big prop, the bigger a prop is, the more damage it will sustain before it or his nails break
- Make sure there's space to shoot into ! If Zombies can just bash at it unharmed, your barricade will be down pretty fast
- Don't take a room with hundreds of way in. If there's only one way into the room, this is the best you will ever need
- Try to get a room that leads to another, totally closed room. Back-up Barricades can be the difference between being torn up on Wave 4, and surviving all the waves
- Avoid windows, if this is the only solution, use a Board Pack to block them off (Use the slide strategy on the Tools tips above)
- Long hallways are a huge plus to a barricade, if you see the Zombies coming from far away, they won't have the time to harm, this is especialy true with Poison Zombies and Chems
- Try to put the barricade in the inside of a doorway, so Zombies can't bash at it from the outside and need to get in and get killed
- Don't, ever unnail randomly, if Runners want to get back in, they will have to survive until the Wave end, and that only up to Wave 3 (After Wave 3, don't open the main barricade anymore)
- Keep your barricade open until the first wave starts, people may get lost or may join late
- The worst thing that could happen to a hallway barricade, is that a Zombie can succesfully slip into a room near the barricade, and get all the other Zombies to spawn on him, to avoid the hallway, blocking side rooms with Board Packs can be usefull
- Don't stack multiple little props, the nail will break in less than 10 hits (which can be placed in like 3 seconds with a decent horde) and there's no way to repair that kind of barricade once parts of it get unnailed
- If you can block the access to headcrabs, most of your allies will thank you
- The 3 best props in a map for barricading are the Vending Machine, the Metal Shelf, and the Bookshelf, bedframes and tables can work too if placed correctly

Now, we are done with the Survivors, not really complicated, now let's see what you are fighting exactly, Zombies, but a lot of Zombies, the next section will focus on how to play them, counter them, and the gameplay


The Zombies

Playing as a Zombie :

Before you ask, no, there's no team selection, you are a Survivor, and you can turn in a Zombie at any moment, then you are Zombie for the whole match, unless you redeem

Playing as a Zombie is more complicated than playing as a Survivor, even if they are brainless creatures that can only use their claws and some special attacks, because, let's be straight, if you rush at the barricade, you're gonna get shot down instantly, and all your damage will be healed and repaired, so you need to be more intelligent than that

The round for a Zombie :

At the start of the round, 10 % of the players will be chosen to be Zombies, which makes a number of 1 to 5 Zombies at start. How do the game chooses ? Not randomly, first, Survivors that died of an environnemental hazard (There's no way to suicide during Setup other than doing a bad fall, drown or hit a trigger_hurt) will be chosen over everyone to be Zombies, and if there's more Zombies than needed, they will still go Zombie (If 10 Survivors suicide, there will be 10 Zombies). If the game still lack Zombies, the people that are the closest to the Zombie spawn will be chosen (However, if 10 Survivors are on the Zombie spawn, only 5 will be chosen, even if the others will be weakened and likely killed by the Zombies)

Once they spawn, Zombies should understand that the Survivors got most of the time they needed to barricade correctly, and setup. However, there will be stragglers, unless in the case of a perfect coordination, which is really rare. There will also be Runners on some maps, Zombies should not try to catch up to them, unless they find a way to box them up, instead, Zombies should go to the barricade

Evaluating the barricade, the position, the defenders, can be important in a strategy. You need to communicate with your team. This mod gives you the right to use team chat, so use it

You will likely notice a counter on the low center of your screen, it's the Resistance meter, the more Zombies are near you, the less damage you take. A horde of 10 Zombies will always be better than 10 Zombies rushing one by one, so tell everyone to stop, and go all at once !

Notice that there will be a lot of Survivors compared to the number of Zombies, you will likely start at 3 Zombies against 27 Survivors (30 being the general number of players). At this point, you will need to get some kills. Generally, you will be able to get around 5 kills before bashing the main barricade, giving you an easier time

To kill Runners, the best strategy is to wait on their predicted path (Runners are very predictable) and hit them, once hit, they will limp and a Zombie will be able to get them

Now, the goal is to break that barricade, there is 2 systems to damage props :

- Damaging an unnailed prop will make it turn red, once the prop is totally red, it will only need a few more hits to destroy it
- Damaging a nailed prop will automatically damage the nail, once the nail is down you will see a sparkle, a metallic sound, and the prop will start moving again

One goal, keep rushing at it, in groups if you can. Survivors will never be able to hold the same prop even 4 waves if you can get like 2 hits on the prop at each life. They have a finite number of nails, you have infinite respawns !

You should also learn the map, any breakable wall, drop hole, secret passage can just avoid you 4 waves of bashing one prop, take the passage in a group and tell them to buy glasses once the score screen appears

Some quick notes : All Zombies can use a special flashlight, that uses the same button than the regular one, it will create an aura of light around the Zombie and allow them to see in total darkness, however, everything beyond this range will get really dark, and the view gets slighty weird. Staying in the green gas will heal Zombies, which can be usefull if you don't want to respawn, especially if the wave just ended. You also can't respawn between waves

We're now gonna study each Zombie class, note that most of the job will be done by Regular Zombies (Zombies in short), a team full of Headcrabs or full of Chems will have serious problem fighting the Survivors

Zombie

Unlocks at : Wave 1 (First Wave)
Health : 200
Attacks : Left click : Claw swipe / Right click : Moan (Taunt) / Shift : Fake Death

A poor citizen that was unlucky enough to get pounced on by a Headcrab. It's the default Zombie, but he definitively packs a nice punch. His claws deal 30 damage per hit, which means Survivors will be killed on 4 hits (and if they survive 3 hits, they will be in a terrible condition). He also deals an average damage against props. This means that Zombies should almost always rush the barricade, and any foolish Survivor that went by himself or with a friend

Right clicking will make your Zombie moan, while this is totally useless as an attack, it can have a tactical advantage. If you get it right, you can moan from the outside of a house, or in an adjacent room (that can't be accessed from the barricade), this way Survivors will hesitate a lot before leaving the barricade. You can also stress them by attacking the barricade from an angle, retreat when they shoot and start moaning, most people will likely try to have a shot on you, making it the best time for a Wraith to attack any Survivor that gets too close to the barricade

Finally, your sprint jey (Shift) will make you sit down, and you will look like a ragdoll on the floor, note that the animation is extremely obivious and don't like at all like a death, so the best use for this is at the end of waves, when people get out of the barricade to collect supplies, let them look left, right, move forward, and get you right in the face when they turn back

Technically, the claw attack has a delay before it hits, similar to the Survivor's melee weapons, first meaning is that if someone is trying to melee you, you need to trick him in hitting early, and hit while he resets, as the Survivor can do the same to you. Then, if you just rush in a Survivor and then click, you will need a little more of 1 second to hit, which is enough for a meatshot or a good spam of bullets in the head, go ahead and click before you get in melee range

There's a last problem, let's take a technical example, in sandbox, a Zombie scream and start clawing, what do you do ? You jump away, it works 90 % of the time... Well, Survivors can also do that to you, try to hug them correctly so you hit them even if they jump away

You should also dodge, most people forget it, but you can jump and strafe around as much as you want as a Zombie. A Zombie that is jumping everywhere is nearly impossible to headshot, will get less bullets in the face, and will avoid half, if not all the pellets of a buckshot, so go ahead, be a little Infected Bunny, and jump !

Ghoul

Unlocks at : Wave 1 (First Wave)
Health : 125
Attacks : Left click : Claw swipe / Passive : Spew acid when hurt / Passive : Poison Survivors that touch him

This is the newcomer, and he is rarely used. However, he has a special ability, when wounded, acid splashes in the direction he was wounded from (hugging an opening in a barricade will get some damage), and if he his touching an human, he will poison him. His claw swipe also induce poison damage, thought it's not as powerfull as the Zombie one

Not much else is to say about him, he was mostly made to counter melee attacks throught a barricade

Headcrab

Unlocks at : Wave 1 (First Wave)
Health : 50
Attacks : Left click : Pounce / Jump : Pounce

The Headcrab is here to exploit shallow passages, like most windows and some holes in the barricades, he can also get throught a Metal Shelf or pounce over all the props (allowing him to skip a barricade totally)

His job is to kill damaged Survivors that toke shelter in the back of the barricade. A red aura is a sign to attack that Survivor, and concentrate on him until he falls. If nobody is damaged seriously, he can bite anyone who is repairing, sometimes making them focus on you, which may allow a quick rush

His bite attack does 4 damage when connecting, and it's clear most weapons will kill him instantly, especially melee weapons, a headcrab should stay on the move, and only pounce when in the back of someone to avoid gunfire and melee bashes

It is important to have some Headcrabs in the later round, 2 headcrabs attacking one critically damaged person can kill him before anyone can help him, and even if the new Zombie will only be able to do 1 claw attack, if none at all, this will be less Survivors shooting at you, and more Zombies breaking the barricade

Wraith

Unlocks at : Wave 2
Health : 80
Attacks : Left click : Claw swipe / Right click : Scream

The Wraith is the first Zombie to be unlocked, and he's some kind of a Zombie, his attack deals more damage than a Zombie (around 45 damage), and can down anyone in 3 hits (thought most people will be damaged enough to sustain only 2). He is also totally invisible when standing still, and only sligthy visible when moving (thought it's enough for someone to shoot you if they keep their eyes open). Ideally, if anyone is running in a predictable path, you can get in his way, and claw at the right moment (The claw takes just a little longer to connect than the Zombies, and you are perfectly still during it). With almost half of his health wiped off, he will run slower and will get killed before he can get in safety

At a lesser extent, you can use the Wraith to attack anyone in the barricade, thought it's more difficult than it sounds, because any good Survivor will stay away

Fast Zombie

Unlocks at : Wave 3 / 50 % of Zombies
Health : 125
Attacks : Left click : Claw swipe / Right click : Pounce / Jump : Pounce

This is the first serious Zombie class unlocked, and the first counter against loners. It's also the first Zombie class that can pounce high enough to get on roofs, allowing them to get the drop on anyone camping a high location

This Zombie should never be sent against a barricade, this is pure waste and will give Survivors points. Instead, this class should be used against loners, or to attack from somewhere else, the best spots are any window big enough for them to fit it (don't forget to crouch while you are pouncing), or any hole in a wall

Once attacking, they will move at a terribly reduced speed, and start bashing Survivors up, repeatedly hitting them at a fast rate until killed or blocked, their pounce can also deal damage, and is as such a valable way of attacking

Fast Headcrab

Unlocks at : Wave 3
Health : 30
Attacks : Left click : Pounce / Jump : Pounce

The Fast Headcrab is a cousin of the Headcrab, however, as the Fast Zombie is faster but weaker than a Zombie, the Fast Headcrab is faster but weaker than the Headcrab. His pounce also recharges slighty faster, allowing him to harass a Survivor to death. A Fast Headcrab is a better choice to approach a barricade, but the Headcrab is better at damaging, so this is a trade-off when the barricade has only one way in, and no windows

As the Fast Headcrab has less health, he should keep moving around everyone, to avoid recieving a shot, which will be fatal in most cases. Pouncing on top of people can also confuse them a lot, as long as none of his teammates are watching

Poison Zombie

Unlocks at : Wave 4
Health : 400
Attacks : Left click : Claw swipe / Right click : Body flesh

Once Wave 4 starts, a new, powerfull Zombie will appear, the Poison Zombie. He is two times stronger than his buddy the Zombie, just is still as powerfull, if not more. He can also throw his own body flesh, causing hit ennemies to be poisoned, and lose some life (with a lot of health to recover). A swarm of Poison Zombies is also extremely effective at taking down barricades. A group can just bash the prop while another throws Poison at the Defenders to block them from answering. As such the only way to prevent that is to kill them while they are approaching, and if they can get close enough, sustain the body flesh attack (Medics can help greatly at this)

As a Poison Zombie, just rush the barricade, and apply the tactics of a buffed Zombie, if Zombies are already attacking, use your secondary attack to avoid Defenders from shooting them. This will cost you 40 HP only, and can be spammed long enough for the Zombies to destroy the barricade

Poison Headcrab

Unlocks at : Wave 4
Health : 75
Attacks : Left click : Pounce / Right click : Poison ball / Jump : Pounce

Along with the Poison Zombies, the Poison Headcrabs appear, they have more health, which allow them to sustain some SMG or Pistol shots, but the most important feature is that they are very powerfull. Pouncing is greatly delayed, once the attack button is pressed, the Headcrab will scream loudly, and after 1 second, will jump and bite the Survivor. If successfull, the Survivor will lose 40 HP, which is perfect to finish off critically wounded Survivors

He also has a secondary attack, using it will make the Poison Headcrab spit a ball of acid, it will deal 15 HP on hit, and in the case of a headshot will disorient the Survivor that is hit to the point where the Survivor won't have any idea of what he is doing, getting him out of battle harmlessly. Multiple Poison Headcrabs spamming Poison Balls throught a window or throught the barricade can damage the Survivors easily

Overall, this Headcrab is less efficient to finish off wounded Survivors, unless they are unaware, but is extremely efficient at wounding healthy ones

Chemical Zombie (Chem)

Unlocks at : Wave 6 (Final Wave)
Health : 50
Attacks : Passive : Explode on death

This is the last Zombie that unlocks, and he is the most powerfull Zombie if used correctly, he is pretty fast, but his biggest advantage is that on death, he explodes as hard as a Grenade, killing whole groups of Survivors if lucky

Except that, there's no preset strategy for the Chem, just rush in a group of Survivor and hope one will shot you, notice however than killing you with a melee weapon will not make you explode. This is important for Survivors to always melee chems, even if this makes them melee other zombies, if one chem explode on the barricade it can kill everyone repairing it. Note that the poison cloud does damage you, so a melee dispatch will be neccesary (However, keep in note that it's not needed to kill a Chem that is just sitting near the barricade if you can't melee him)