- Axe-It kills all Common Infected in one hit, along with all Special Infected (excluding the Charger and Tank.) The axe should not be used against Boomers for obvious reasons. The axe is a slashing weapon, and has the ability to sever limbs. As with all Close Combat weapons, it can cause friendly fire damage to The Survivors. When using the melee attack the player will grab both ends of the axe and shove the wooden handle at infected making them stumble back. This has a "cooldown time" like regular melee attacks. Every time it is used on a common infected, a large splatter of blood will appear on-screen. It is possible this may end up blinding the player.
- Baseball Bat-The Baseball Bat will only be available for players who pre-order the game. However, players who take part in a game with someone who pre-ordered it, will also have access to the weapon.
- The Chainsaw-As seen in the beta version footage, using this weapon against the Infected can bring them the worst injuries, sometimes cutting them in half. It is stored in the same slot as the pistol, making yet another tactical choice in the game. It has limited uses, meaning that the player must use it wisely, as they will eventually run out of fuel and will leave the player with only their primary weapon. The chainsaw seems to stick out from the other melee weapons, giving it a unique gameplay experience. When the player first obtains the chainsaw, they must first rev it up. The icon showing the melee weapon will have a fuel meter, that depletes over time. The chainsaw, however, won't spin unless you hold down the mouse or trigger. When you hold the attack button, the chainsaw is pushed forward diagonally, and when near a zombie the chainsaw will turn in an arc of 60 degrees, slicing the target in two. When the meter depletes to nothing, the chainsaw is dropped, leaving your sidearm in place.
- Cricket Bat-Similar to the Baseball bat, the Cricket bat can deal heavy damage but has the shortcomings of any melee weapon.
- Crowbar-The crowbar is likely a reference to another of Valve's popular game series, Half-Life, where the player character's first weapon is a crowbar. This melee weapon appears to have a shorter range than the other weapons, but a decent accuracy.
- Electric Guitar-This melee weapon is fun to use as it will make one of several strumming sounds when hitting an Infected, and, like the other close-combat weapons, will get bloodier with every kill. It appears to be a combination of a Gibson SG with a Fender Stratocaster.
- Frying Pan-This melee weapon comes with a joyous SPANG and has a more noticeable tendency to knock-back Infected than other weapons, though it feels difficult to use at times.
- Golf Club- A new addition through the Passing DLC, this weapon is sturdy and particularly handy for decapitations. It is essential for the "Fore" achievement. Appears to only be located in the Passing campaign.
- Katana-This melee weapon appears to have a knack for decapitation, but other than that seems to remain much like the other melee weapons. It does, according to Game Informer magazine, also have the ability to instantly kill witches.
- Machete-This melee weapon can easily cut swaths through oncoming hoard. It also bloodies up the player's vision making it difficult to see.
- Tonfa Baton-The Tonfa or Nightstick is a typical melee weapon, but what makes this weapon so unique is that it is occasionally dropped by the Uncommon Riot Infected.
TIER ONE
- Pump Shotgun-The pump shotgun deals high damage at close range but the spread causes it to be ineffective at medium to long range. It holds 8 shots and reloads/fires slower than its bigger brother. It has a decent sized spread but its fire rate makes it more useful indoors when your fellow survivors can cover you in between shots and reloads. It is a combination between the Remington 870 shotgun, Mossberg 500 and Ithaca 37.
- Chrome Shotgun-This Pump Shotgun is a variant in of the typical Pump Shotgun found throughout the game. The spread of the 10 pellets in a shell can take down multiple Infected at a time. This often makes it better at handling hordes than the Sub-machine gun or Pistols. It reloads about 2 shells per second and fires 1 shell per second. Although the range on the shotgun is much better than most First Person Shooter games and truer to reality, the spread of the shotgun makes pistols better for ranged encounters. On both shotguns, the reloading is both a curse and a blessing; it allows topping off the magazine on the fly, and the reloading process can be stopped to handle sudden threats. However, if you are reloading when empty, you will manually pump the shotgun at the end of the reload, regardless or whether it finished or was interrupted. A good trick is to interrupt an empty reload after the first shot by clicking the fire button and then reloading again, as you have gotten the racking animation out of the way and can immediately fire if a threat appears. Another tip is just to simply never have less than 2 shots in your shotgun at any one time; reload constantly. It is modeled after the Remington 870 Marine Magnum.
- Sub-Machine Gun-This sub-machine gun is a small weapon that deals medium damage at long range. It is very accurate and can be effective at short range if sprayed in a horizontal arc. Effective when funneling Infected because the bullets travel through them. It is modeled after the Israeli UZI sub-machine gun.
- Silenced Sub-Machine Gun-This is a variant of the normal Sub-Machine gun.It holds 50 rounds with 650 in reserve, and has enough accuracy to shoot at medium range. Although it is replaced by the Assault Rifle or Combat Rifle in Tier 2, it still has the highest rate of fire. It also has noticeable stopping power. The main drawback to the submachine gun is the high rate of ammo expenditure; most Survivors using a submachine gun will run out of ammo partially through a level if they aren't conservative with their shooting. However, it is great for medium-ranged closed-quarters such as large warehouses and apartments. Its high rate of fire and penetration make it a ranged alternative to the short-ranged Shotgun As with most of the new weapons in Left 4 Dead 2, the character must cock the weapon if reloading on an empty chamber. This weapon is modeled after the MAC-10.
TIER TWO
- Assault Rifle-The assault rifle is a fully automatic weapon that deals high damage at long range. It is more effective than the submachine gun in all respects, doing more damage with higher accuracy. This is effective at killing special infected at a distance and dealing constant damage at a closer range. It is modeled after the M16A2 assault rifle.
- Combat Rifle-This Assault Rifle variant that has a capacity of 60 rounds per magazine. Unlike the other assault rifles, it fires three-round bursts. Unlike burst rifles in most games, holding down the trigger button will continually fire three round bursts, where in most games, you have to continually press the trigger button. Like the other weapons in Left 4 Dead 2, reloading after emptying the magazine requires the Survivor to chamber a round, extending the reload animation. It is modeled after the Fabrique Nationale SCAR-L assault rifle.
- AK-47-This gun behaves similar to the other assault rifles, but appears to have a lesser degree of accuracy.
- Automatic Shotgun-The auto shotgun doesn't require a pump after every shot so it can be fired much faster, but if reloaded from empty magazine, the bolt must be pulled, which takes a second,so its best to reload before the weapon is empty. The rate of fire is an advantage for wiping out crowds of Infected and cr0wning Witches. The range and power of the shots is also improved. It is modeled after the Benelli M1014 semi-automatic shotgun.
- Combat Shotgun-An Auto Shotgun variant, it fires shotgun shells and has a capacity of 10 shells each reload. This smaller shotgun is modeled after the SPAS-12 and seems only slightly different from its counterparts from a technical stand-point.
- Hunting Rifle-The hunting rifle has an attached scope that can be used to pick off Infected from long distances away. However, it is extremely ineffective at close range as each shot must be aimed at individual Infected. It's the best weapon to use if Infected pack into small tunnels or hallways because of the power and ability to blow through Infected and hit others. It may also be used to penetrate walls. This is an effective weapon to kill Smokers who are on top of buildings or hills. It is modeled after the Ruger Mini-14 rifle.
- Sniper Rifle-This Hunting Rifle variant will do more damage against special infected while still killing the normal infected in one hit. It will also be more accurate when moving. Unlike the Hunting Rifle, the Sniper Rifle is black in color instead of the wood brown of its predecessor. It has a capacity of 30 rounds each magazine; increased from the 15 from before. It is modeled after the Heckler & Koch G3SG/1 rifle, a scoped G3 variant.
Special Tier and Turrets
- Grenade Launcher-The grenade launcher is another new addition the L4D2 arsenal. Coming with a total of 31 grenades, this weapon is a powerhouse for Horde clusters and more robust special infected. It's downside is reload time. This M-79 modeled weapon is loaded with a single grenade per shot. This means that if one is going to shoot at something that won't be killed in one shot (like, say, a Witch. It takes two.), one might want give themselves some space in which to effectively dispatch enemies and avoid hitting teammates. Ammo for this weapon cannot be picked up normally and can only be replenished by finding another Grenade Launcher or an Ammo Upgrade. The Grenade Launcher has some interesting quarks as well. Killing most Special Infected in one hit, the Grenade Launcher only dismounts a Jockey from Survivors as opposed to killing it. Also, if a Special Infected is hit with a grenade but doesn't die, its ears will ring. It's also reported that this gun can blow through walls that only Tanks could otherwise destroy.
- Heavy Machine Gun-This mounted weapon is also a new addition to L4D2. The Heavy Machine Gun is much more powerful and accurate than its L4D counter-part. On the down-side, it has a slower rate of fire and a much longer cool-down time if overheated. This weapon has unlimited ammo and uses whatever cross-hairs to aim as the weapon equipped when mounting the gun. The Heavy Machine Gun appears to be modeled after the Browning M2HB .50cal heavy machine gun.
- M60-The M60 General Purpose Machine Gun is a special tier weapon that is only available in the Left 4 Dead 2 DLC, The Passing. It carries only 150 rounds and after that is depleted, it is dropped. The Survivor will then revert back to their secondary weapon, much like with the Grenade Launcher. Players can combine this gun with ammo upgrades as well. This weapon is essential for obtaining the "Till it goes click" achievement. This weapon deals significant damage killing all Common/Uncommon Infected in one hit. Has impressive dismemberment qualities as well. At times, during the Passing finale, original L4D survivors will drop this weapon to playable Survivors already fitted with a laser sight.
- Explosive Ammo-This instantly kills all Common Infected and knocks down anything close enough to the explosion. The ammo causes massive damage to the infected, destroying a large amount of torso and midsection depending on shot placement. It can also stumble Special Infected and can release a pummeled Survivor from a Charger's grip. If you shoot an Infected too close to yourself you will stumble and take a little bit of damage. On Versus, the impact of explosive ammo will cause the Infected's ears to ring. After picking up this type of ammo, the player will reload, and all bullets for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 weapons for the duration of a magazine will explode on hitting any surface, including Infected. Shotguns fire out a slug instead of pellets for every shell of explosive ammunition fired.
- Incendiary Ammo-This ammo sets all Common and Special Infected on fire. When the Tank is shot with incendiary ammunition it is only ignited for 5 seconds. Hazmat Infected are immune to all sources of fire, and will not be ignited by incendiary ammunition. After picking up this type of ammo, the player will reload, and all bullets for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 weapons for the duration of a magazine will ignite any Infected hit. Picking up incendiary ammo for a grenade launcher will give it an incendiary grenade that causes the explosion to almost double in size and also ignites the body parts flying away, but since only one grenade will be incendiary, a player has to plan carefully when to use it.
- Laser Sight- This tool is used to greatly enhance the targeting on all weapons. The laser is the concept of the LLM01 laser sight. The laser can be attached to any Primary Weapon. The laser sight cannot be transferred to other weapons or the exact same weapon once the player changes their gun.
Grenades
- Molotov-The Molotov cocktail is a thrown weapon that engulfs an area with flames for approximately 15-17 seconds. The area of effect is quite large and spreads over time before self-extinguishing. The fire will burn all Infected that come into contact with it. While Common Infected cannot attack after being ignited and die in seconds, Special Infected can withstand the fire until their health is burned away. The Molotov cocktail is dangerous in close combat because the splash damage and flames may cause you and nearby teammates to lose health. While it is burning, it can ignite other combustibles such as the gas can, the propane tank, and the oxygen tank.
- Pipe Bomb-It's a powerful homemade explosive that doubles as a diversionary device. The design is based off a stereotypical pipe bomb, but with the gutted remains of a smoke detector taped to it. When it is thrown, it will emit a loud beeping sound and flashing red light for 5-7 seconds, drawing towards it any Common Infected not already in melee range of a Survivor. When the fuse is depleted, it will detonate and kill all nearby Infected. The pipe bomb may also damage Survivors caught in the explosion radius. The pipe bomb can be an extremely useful weapon in many situations. You can use it to defend victims of the Boomer's bile, since the Common Infected summoned by the bile will chase the pipe bomb in preference. It can be used for clearing out an area of Common Infected, for conserving ammunition, and for crippling the hoarde, particularly when being attacked from multiple directions or during a finale.
- Bile Bomb-The Bile Bomb is a glass canister containing the unmistakable viscous green boomer bile. When thrown it summons the infected horde to attack whatever it hits. In many respects it can be considered a tier two pipe bomb, having far superior horde attracting effects, but lacking an explosive payload. If you kill one of the Hazmat Infected, they may drop one of these containers. The bile bomb will use the same inventory slot as the Pipe Bomb and Molotov, so you can still only carry one of the three at a time. The HUD symbol for the Bile bomb is a bio hazard symbol. If the Bile bomb is used on an empty space, it will summon a horde and all of the local infected to the place where the bomb landed. Sometimes the Director will even spawn a horde if there are not a lot of Infected, and the infected will ignore the Survivors so long as the bile is still in effect, making them easy targets. The Common Infected hit by the bomb will begin attacking each other, as well. The bomb can also be used to confuse Special Infected as it will make any two SI which have been hit to fight one another as well as the oncoming Infected. When a bile bomb hits an Infected, Survivors will be able to see the affected Infected's aura. Throwing the Bile bomb on a Survivor will not draw a horde to attack; however, the horde will be drawn to the location where the bomb impacted.
- Gas Can-These can release flames when shot. A player can not shoot while holding a gas can, but can still melee. There is no inventory space for this weapon, so the only method of transporting it is to pick it up and carry it. These cans are usually found around Crescendo Events and finales. They are used to set up traps and provide a strong defense during large Horde attacks. A useful tactic with gas cans is to spread them in an arc in front of you, as flames from a gas can ignite unlit ones, causing a large chain reaction that helps with horde attacks and finales. Scavenge Mode uses gas cans as a non-offensive purpose. Certain Infected like the Spitter can ignite these gas cans, not only to prevent them from being poured, but to damage Survivors. It should be noted that the fire/flame physics appear to have improved since L4D, making accidental explosion more dangerous as the fire spreads easily.
- Propane Tank-These blow up with an explosion similar to the Pipe Bomb when shot. The effective radius of the propane tank seems to have been increased in the Crash Course DLC. Survivors must carry these like Gas Cans and they may use them to beat infected in the same manner. The explosion can also result in stumbling Infected. This is useful for the more powerful foes, such as Tanks and Witches.
- Oxygen Tank-This item behaves similarly to the Propane Tank, but instead of exploding instantly like the propane tank, they will vent gas for a period of time before exploding. Like the other thrown items this weapon is usually found during Crescendo Events and the Finale. The oxygen tank does not have as much power as a Propane Tank, but players should take caution, since it can be ignited while a player is holding it. When shot, it spurts flame from the hole made before exploding.
- Fireworks-These are items that are found solely in the Dark Carnival campaign. Able to be moved much like the other combustibles, these fireworks create a rather pretty arc of shimmering sparks that will easily ignite any Infected, or damage any Survivor, that walks through it.
- Foot Lockers-These ammo caches can be found scattered throughout the Passing campaign. They contain infinite amounts of various items, such as grenades, pills, or adrenaline.
