The full mutative qualities of the infection are in full effect in this muscle-bound variant commonly referred to as the Tank. Instead of promoting tissue decay, the infection has triggered a massive growth spurt, resulting in the rapid development of muscles.
The muscles not only give the Tank incredible strength but also serve as a type of organic body armor, preventing bullets from penetrating and damaging vital organs. At least that’s a theory as to why the Tank seems nearly invincible to small-arms fire.
Although Tanks are rare, a few survivors have had run-ins with these terrifying behemoths.
They tell tales of Tanks possessing superhuman strength, capable of picking up and heaving large objects, including boulders, massive chunks of concrete, and even forklifts.
While all infected have melee attacks, the Tank’s are by far the most deadly. By some reports, Tanks have sent victims flying over a hundred yards with one swipe.
Anti-Tank Tactics
The Tank is by far the most deadly of the infected and must capture the attention of the entire team if you have any hopes of killing one. Although incredibly strong, the Tank isn’t very fast.
It’s entirely possible to backpedal while firing at the Tank without getting touched. But that’s assuming you don’t run out of room or back into a corner—in which case you’re pretty much screwed.
You can hear a Tank long before you can see him. His thundering footsteps echo throughout a level once he’s spawned, providing your team with plenty of time to prepare for an attack.
Use this time wisely to relocate to an open area that will allow you to evade his attacks. The sound of his footsteps is accompanied by foreboding music, so there’s no mistaking his arrival.
Assault rifles and auto shotguns are the most effective weapons for killing a Tank. Their high damage output and rapid rates of fire can quickly deplete a Tank’s health.
If a Tank stops and picks up an object, he’s preparing to heave it in your direction. Instead of backpedaling, move laterally (strafe) to avoid getting smashed by the incoming projectile.
When first encountering a Tank, try to smack him head on with a molotov cocktail. Setting a Tank on fire (with a molotov or ignited fuel can) initiates an internal death timer, giving the Tank only 30 seconds to live, regardless of what his health bar reads.
But fire also slowly eats away at the Tank’s health. So if you keep shooting a Tank that’s on fire, you can easily kill it, even before the 30-second death timer counts down.
Tanks have more health than any of the infected. At the hardest difficulty their health tops out at an enormous 8,000 hit points. This is when fire becomes an essential Tank-killing tool.
Simply light one on fire and evade for the remaining 30 seconds. Shooting it just wastes ammo.
Anti-Survivor Tactics
In versus mode, the Tank spawns usually no more than twice in a map. Who spawns as the Tank is chosen randomly among your teammates.
But everyone is notified when a Tank is about to spawn, warned by a message that appears in the center of the screen—included in the message is the name of the player who will spawn as the Tank.
The Tank has two attacks: a standard (yet powerful) melee attack and his throw attack. The melee attack is the most effective and can be delivered at more frequent intervals.
When initiating the throw attack you must first stop, pick up an object (usually a chunk of concrete), and throw it.
While remaining still you present an easy target for the survivors, so stay on the move and chase down the survivors while taking swipes at them.
While playing as the Tank, there’s a white progress bar on the right side of the screen. This is the control bar.
Every second you’re not attacking a survivor, the white bar decreases, indicating how long you have until you lose control of the Tank—if this bar is depleted entirely, another player is given control.
To prevent this you must hit a survivor to reset the control bar. So you must play aggressively as the Tank and stay on the attack at all times. There’s no time to hide and set up ambushes.
Since the survivors can outrun the Tank, look for opportunities to corner your prey. If you can get a survivor up against a wall, you can dish out some serious damage with melee attacks. But once a survivor is incapacitated, don’t keep pummeling.
Instead, move onto another target. The main goal is to incapacitate the other team. It isn’t necessary to kill them. If they’re all incapacitated, there’s no one left to revive them, ending the match.
Tank attacks generate all sorts of panic among the survivors, creating the perfect opportunity for your teammates to attack. If your teammates spawn as a Smoker and two Hunters at the time of the Tank attack, you can really pour on the hurt.
While the Tank engages one survivor, the Hunters and Smoker can pin and ensnare the other three, practically neutralizing the opposing team within a matter of seconds.
If you spawn as a Tank on a rooftop or other area with long drops, try to knock survivors off these high areas—the hospital rooftop at the end of No Mercy is the perfect location for such attacks.
One hit in the proper direction can send a survivor flying off a rooftop in a fatal plunge. This is by far the quickest way to kill a survivor.