Ranged Combat

Guns are a vital part of your offensive capabilities and the most flexible weapons in your repertoire.

You have Primary Weapons, Secondary Weapons, and thrown projectiles, all of which are revealed in greater detail in Chapter 3. For now, here’s a basic plan of attack when using firearms.

Target Acquired

Check your crosshair; it shows how wide your shot is. The wider the shot, the less distance it usually travels.

The reticle is a vital part of your HUD, as it changes dramatically based on the weapon you have.

Aim at a foe inside the reticle as close to the center of the target as possible for the best results.

Note that some weapons have a wider reticle (picture 1), but these are generally for hitting multiple foes at close range.

Augment long-range reticles (picture 2) with a scope, providing your weapon is equipped with one.

Gain accuracy by walking or crouching; try this and your crosshair usually constricts, allowing better takedown potential.

Head Removal

This is what happens when you fire a Shotgun into an Uncommon Infected’s groin: It is still standing!

The Infected were once humans, and dispatching the head of a victim fortunately yields the same results as you would expect if you aimed at a human: complete neural shutdown and the demise of the entity.

This is one of the most valuable points to learn. You should aim for the heads of every enemy you can, even Special Infected that sometimes have mutated or half-hidden craniums (such as the Tank).

Blowing off arms of Common Infected can slow them down, but may not kill them. And it takes a couple of shots to take out their legs.

A Little Restraint

The “Weapons and Equipment” chapter gives a wealth of statistics for each ranged weapon. One stat you should keep an eye on is the weapon’s firing mode.

If this is “automatic,” which means you hold down the fire button (trigger) and keep blasting until you reload or your bullets run out.

Overzealous use of this fire functionality can lead to your easily running out of ammunition. Instead, fire in 3 to 4 bullet bursts, which is enough to down a Common foe if you aim correctly. Save the overkill for the Special Infected targets that need it.

Pistol-Packing

You have a choice of Secondary Weapons, too, which includes one (or two) Pistols, and the option to swap them for a Magnum or a Melee Weapon (see below).

Pistols are excellent for tagging heads when you’re low on Primary Weapon ammunition (particularly a problem with SMGs), and pistols are also automatically drawn (whether you’re carrying a Melee Weapon or not) when you’re incapacitated and fighting for your life.

If you think you need the extra (and infinite) firepower, choose a ranged Secondary Weapon over a Melee one. Usually, the flexibility of Melee Weapons gives them the advantage.