Armed survivors are great to have around when you’re on their side. That’s less the case if you’re the person in between them and their goals (or survival). Not all of the people in the city are going to work together to survive, so you must be prepared to fight against both Infected and the living.
The biggest difference between these two groups is that survivors are often fast, have ranged weaponry, and can Dodge quite well. You can’t aim for their heads, take a single swing, and expect much good to come from it. Survivors duck and weave to avoid your attacks. To hit them reliably, swing multiple times. In this way, they Dodge initially, but then start to take heavy damage afterward as your onslaught eventually overwhelms them. Ranged weapons are great for damaging and distracting these targets, but be ready to use cover or Dodge their return fire!
Rais’ Men
Rais’ men are the most common type of armed survivor. They’re found at his main compound, but are also seen any area of the city where supply drops fall. They get to these drops quickly and confiscate the medicine and goods inside of them. If you want to secure the drops for the Tower, you’re going to end up fighting.
Rais’ men often keep their faces covered and wear yellow to show their affiliation with Rais. Firearms and thrown weapons soften or kill members of these groups, and melee attacks work well once their numbers are reduced. The Takedown ability is great for getting an edge on these fights because you can often sneak up and kill the first member of Rais’ group before the others realize what’s going on.
If possible, use surrounding Infected against Rais’ men. Throw Firecrackers at them if undead are nearby. This draws the Infected into the fight, wounding, distracting, or killing the thugs. Don’t feel bad about doing this; these are the worst people in the world. Anything you do to them is probably a good deed.
Enemy Health
| Tier of Infected | Health |
|---|---|
| Weak Thug | 250 |
| Normal Thug | 600 |
| Late Game Thug | 1,000 |
| End Game Thug | 1,000 |
New Game+ Health
| Tier of Infected | Health |
|---|---|
| Weak Thug | 1,000 |
| Normal Thug | 1,500 |
| Late Game Thug | 2,000 |
Hostile Survivors
Random survivors aren’t usually a problem; most of them are just trying to make it through the day. But there are quite a few side quests that let you track down people who need to be stopped. Usually they won’t have as much backup as Rais’ people, but they are still savage about trying to kill you. Some will try to get the Infected after you, turning the tables on your usual tactics. Others may mix ranged attacks and melee with skilled Dodging. It’s like fighting Volatiles (but worse).