Our second guide on the Special Infected from Left 4 Dead 2, this time we focus on the Smoker. The Smoker is unique in the fact that it is the only Special Infected that can restrict from a distance. The other Special Infected rely on close quarter abilities and restriction mutations in order to trap you in an animation. Your main attack is a mutated, scarred, 20ft long tongue that grabs and restricts a Survivor before attempting to… pull them to your clutches so you can claw off their face. As a Smoker your main responsibility is usually assaulting the last survivor after a Special Infected attack. Once a Boomer Biles his victims, a Hunter has one pounced and a Charger is working his magic on Zoe’s pretty face, a Smoker is the one that mops up. Most random Versus games you won’t find the required communication in order to use a Smoker to its maximum potential. The Smoker is very area specific in Left 4 Dead 2, although it’s a very useful Special Infected, there are only certain areas where you can attack alone and cause damage. A number of maps force Survivors over high terrain, down a hole etc. A perfectly timed Smoker attack can pull that last survivor away from the hole or off the edge. The best example of this is No Mercy : Sewers. During the first Panic Event, as the Survivors travel over the metal roofing a Smokers attack here can lead to devastation.
You will find the majority of your attacks are useless until you learn the specific locations where a Smoker can really turn the tide of a match, it is one of the few infected that can be played “Solo” and still be quite effective.
Summary
- Try to spawn in an area Survivors cannot reach, take time to make your move.
- Attack while other Special Infected are distracting the Survivors
- Learn map specific locations where a Smoker attack can lead to instant incapacitation.
- Avoid attacking alone unless you have an instant in-cap chance or you’re attacking the last standing Survivor
