Greetings, venerable members of the Infected Zombie Union! I trust you're having a pungent day, and that the bouts of regurgitation are less spontaneous?

Allow me to introduce myself; I am "The Smoker", one of the lucky few strains that seem to have evolved some handy human catching abilities. It's come to my attention that many of you more recent Infected are struggling to adapt to the radical changes that have occurred to your bodies. I've decided to create a little "How to" guide, to help the fledging horde member blossom (or more appropriately: fester and explode) into a full blown Super Zombie!

In this invaluable manual, you will find information on yourself, human hunting tactics, knowing your prey, and how to work with your fellow Infected. I hope you will find it useful.

First up, a little info on what we are:

                                           

We Smokers have had it tough. We've had to endure all sorts of nasty, anti-social afflictions: horrible skin conditions, a fetid aroma that seems to leak from every pore, a hacking cough that never goes away, and various cancerous lumps covering our entire body.

Then the Virus came along, and our tongues grew huge! Hah, but jokes aside, we do struggle. I've heard many of the other Infected snickering behind our backs, claiming that we are useless. Even survivors brush us off as a mild threat!

Well no more. The Smoker strain is a lot stronger then they think, and we're going to prove it. We may only have our outrageously long tongue and some blunt finger nails to work with, but dammit, we're going to do our best. So train that eye and practise lassoing tree trunks. I'm about to teach you "The Smokers Motto".


That, ladies and germs, is it. Be Patient: The Smokers Code. Our mantra. I want you to chant that every time another bunch of rescue-seeking humans trundles your way. Because as advanced as we are, us Smokers lack many things the other Infected take for granted.

Speed: We are not fast. We can not chase, nor run away from a human that has spotted us out in the open.
Health: Even a pistol can take us out pretty quickly. Our endurance is limited and vital.
Power: We don't do anywhere near the damage our Hunter brethren do through mere claw scratching, and we must keep survivors constricted for quite awhile to do some serious hurt.
Silence: Our particular affliction means we have no control over when a coughing fit will arise. It gives us away every time, and seems to happen at the most in opportune moments.

The solution? A strict adherence to the Code. It's the only way to successfully ensure we take advantage of our few abilities. Patience in everything, be it sitting prepared at an ambush point, or waiting for some fellow Infected to make the first move. Remember: we are the long range artillery, there to provide support, but not necessarily finish the job.

Patience is our virtue.