The infection has reacted abnormally in this bloated variant. while most infected seem immune or show resistance to tissue decay, that is not the case with the Boomer. Along with exhibiting certain mutations, the Boomer is in an advanced state of decomposition.
Internal tissue decay has led to the buildup of of gases within the Boomer's body, explaining the round, distended shape of the torso and bubble-like growths beneath the skin. This condition is further exacerbated by the rapid production of bile within the gallbladder.
This essentially makes the Boomer a goo-filled balloon just waiting to pop. And that's exactly what occurs; when the Boomer is shot, he explodes and splashes anyone nearby with bile.
But that's not the worse of it. The Boomer's bile contains some chemical property that attracts common infected, prompting them to wildly attack anyone coated with the viscous muck.
As a result, the Boomer often uses the bile as a wepaon, vomiting on survivors to trigger a massive swarm attack.
Anti-Boomer Tactics
The Boomer is a highly volatile target and should be dealt with delicately. When you encounter a Boomer at close range, don't shoot at it.
Doing so only coats you and your teammates in bile, triggering a swarm attack. Instead, melee the Boomer, pushing him away from you. Backpedal to a safe distance and shoot him.
When a Boomer is lurking nearby, you can hear grunting and belching sounds. So listen carefully and be ready to respond with a melee attack.
Boomers have very low health and can take only a few shots before exploding. A single shotgun blast or a sniper rifle round has the same explosive effect.
When you are coated with a Boomer's bile, your vision is obscured for several seconds by the thick yellowish goo. Instead of shooting wildly at the incoming horde, resort to melee attacks until your vision is restored.
This prevents you from accidentally shooting teammates. Tossing a pipe bomb can also come in handy, helping distract the infected until you can see again.
If teammates are covered in bile they are highlighted with an orange silhouette. Upon closer inspection, you can see that they're dripping with bile. Help them fight off the attcking infected until their vision in restored.
Because of the low health and limmited mobility, Boomers rarely expose themselves in open areas. Instead, they usually hide behind corners, waiting to vomit on survivors.
Anti-Survivor
The white reticle in the centre of the screem is the Boomer'saiming indicator. But the vomit attack has a very short range, so pay close attention to the reticle beofre losing your lunch-the reticle turns red whena survivor is within range.
Only attack when the reticle is red; otherwise, your bile will fall short of the target. After vomiting, more bile must be built up before you can attack again, as indicated by the circular red meter in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
Boomers have a very short life span, so embrace their volatility. Immediately following a vomit attack, charge directly toward a group of survivors. There's a good chance one of them will shoot and kill you.
But don't feel bad; your bile will likely coat some or all of the survivors, triggering a swarm attack.
Such suicide attacks are often preferable to hiding out and waiting for your bile levels to build up for another vomit attack. Chances are you'll be shot before you can attack again.
In addition to the vomit attack, the Boomer can perform a standar melee attack. SO try to swipe at a survivor during melee fights. It's tough to get more than one hit in before being blasted, but it's better than nothing.
A Boomer-initiated swarm attack is a great way to launch a coordinated ambush. Once the Boomer has vomited or exploded on at leats one survivor, the team's Hunters and Smoker should attack.
Spawn as close to the survivors as possible, preferably right before you attack. This cuts down ontravel time and gives the survivors less warning.
As soon as you spawn, they'll hear your burps and grunts, giving them a chance to prepare from a Boomer attack. The less warning you give them, the more effective your attack will be.
Embrace your role as a bile bomb! Infected can access rooftops and other high points inaccessible to survivors. So lookk for opportunities to drop onto survivors from high elevations.
The fall damage incurred from long droips usually proves fatal, but if you land close enough to the suvivors they'll all get covered in bile.