When Smokers were first encountered, it was believed the common infected were using ropes or similar implements to lasso and drag survivors great distances.
The prospect of the infected using such tools and advanced tactics had a chilling impact on survivors. But the truth behind these attacks was even more unsettling.
In some infected, mutations have rapidly altered the length and function of the tongue, giving it the ability to snatch prey and either drag or constrict victims.
Severed tongues from neutralized specimens have measured up to 50 feet long.
The Smoker’s skin is covered with boils and growths. It’s been theorized that these skin abnormalities are the source of the green gas emitted by these special infected, but there’s no hard evidence to indicate how or where these noxious fumes are generated.
This green “smoke” gave rise to this variant’s popular but somewhat misleading name.
Military and law enforcement personnel have reported Smokers exploding when fired upon, emitting large clouds of this putrid but otherwise harmless gas.
Anti-Smoker Tactics
The Smoker is a huge threat to maintaining team cohesion. Their ability to pull a teammate away from your group is one of the most effective infected attacks because it allows them to isolate targets and attack them on their own, without support from other infected.
Listen closely for nearby Smokers. They make gasping and coughing sounds, undoubtedly caused by the gas they produce.
If a teammate is ensnared by a tongue attack, quickly locate the responsible Smoker and shoot him. If the Smoker isn’t within view, perform a melee attack on the tongue to release your teammate.
Avoid shooting the tongue to prevent inflicting friendly fire on your teammate. Once a Smoker has snared and released a target, he can’t attack for several seconds. Use this time to hunt him down before he can strike again.
If you’re grabbed by a Smoker’s tongue there are a few things you can do to escape. First, turn toward the Smoker and shoot him. If being dragged from long range, you will have a few seconds to fire your selected weapon.
As the Smoker draws you closer, you lose the ability to fire your weapon, and the camera switches to a third-person view.
At this point, try to wiggle your way out of the Smoker’s grip by quickly moving back and forth. You’ll eventually be trapped as the Smoker performs melee attacks or constricts you.
During this stage of the attack you must rely on a teammate to set you free, otherwise you’ll be incapacitated and possibly killed if nobody responds.
The green gas emitted by a Smoker during death is not harmful, but it causes survivors to cough and gasp for air while moving through these clouds.
Furthermore, the gas inhibits vision, preventing you from seeing clearly. So move through these noxious fumes as quickly as possible.
Like Hunters, Smokers can blend in easily with the common infected. They wear blue pants and a green shirt. What may look like a red necktie is actually the tongue.
They’re also easy to distinguish thanks to the small cloud of green smoke surrounding them. Traces of this smoke are left behind as the Smoker moves about—this can sometimes be used to track them.
Anti-Survivor Tactics
The Smoker is the infected equivalent of a sniper, the only variant that can stealthily attack at long range. The white reticle in the center of the screen is the aiming indicator for the Smoker’s tongue attack.
Pay close attention to the reticle before attacking. When placed over a survivor who’s within range, the reticle turns red—press the fire button to snare the survivor within your sights.
If a target is within the reticle but it’s still white, the survivor is out of range. Move closer and attack only when the reticle is red.
After a successful attack, the Smoker’s tongue attack must recharge, as indicated by the red circular meter in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
Once a victim is snared the Smoker can inflict two kinds of damage: melee and constriction. If there are no obstacles between you, your victim is pulled directly to you, allowing you to pummel the survivor with your fists—just hold down the fire button.
However, there are times when survivors get hung up on objects while being dragged toward you. In these circumstances, when a survivor can be dragged no farther the tongue takes over, automatically constricting the victim.
The damage output of melee-based and constriction-based attacks is identical, so there is no benefit to one over the other.
However, constricting a victim allows the Smoker to inflict damage at range, often while remaining concealed, so always look for constriction opportunities. For example, try targeting survivors through chain-link fences or other barriers.
They’ll be pulled up against the fence, allowing you to hang back, preferably behind a piece of cover. You cannot move while the tongue attack is active, so scout out your location carefully before attacking.
When possible, attack survivors from rooftops or other elevated positions. While your tongue can’t pull a survivor to the top of a roof, your victim gets pulled up along the side of the structure and then dangles helplessly while the tongue inflicts constriction damage.
Furthermore, the edge of the rooftop usually provides cover, preventing the other survivors from targeting you.
The Smoker’s long-range attack is a great benefit to teammates. Pull a survivor into an isolated area or room so your Hunter or Boomer teammates can attack without exposing themselves to the full group.
Like the Hunter, the Smoker can benefit greatly from exploiting areas with one-way elevation transitions. Wait for three of the survivors to drop to a lower level and then snare the lone straggler.
If you remain concealed, you can constrict or pummel your prey to death with no fear of retaliation.
With no way to get back up and rescue their teammate, the survivors will simply have to press on without their comrade.