Worst Guns & Weapons In Left 4 Dead 2

Highlights

• The Submachine Gun in Left 4 Dead 2 is mediocre and not worth keeping for long. Other weapons are more powerful and effective against zombies.
• The Scout sniper rifle is a terrible weapon due to its slow rate of fire. It’s better to find a different gun than relying on the Scout.
• Pistols may have unlimited ammo, but they’re weak and have low damage output. Other weapons outshine them, making them not-so-brilliant choices.

The undead are not just numerous in Left 4 Dead 2; they are absolutely relentless. Common Infected are quick, agile, and highly perceptive to noise, while the Special Infected deliver grueling attacks to the scrambling survivors who are desperate to get out of danger. Fighting them off while rushing to safe rooms and filling up generators is an invigorating experience with each and every attempt.

Being a sequel, the game offered even more weapons to put to good use against the zombies of the game. Even more were added to the community-developed Last Stand Update in late 2020, including carry-overs from the censored versions of the title. Not all of them are worth keeping around for long, however, and some of them are downright pathetic and must be kept away from at all costs to ensure one’s Left 4 Dead 2 survival.

5 Submachine Gun

Its Low Damage Output Isn’t Entirely Balanced Out By Its Rapid Rate Of Fire

It would be a bit of an exaggeration to call the Submachine Gun an outright bad weapon, but it is fairly mediocre. To its credit, it spews bullets very quickly and is pretty accurate (even more so with a laser right attached to it), so it’s half-decent at the beginning of a campaign. Plus, it has a considerable amount of spare ammunition on hand.

There’s not much reason to keep a hold of it, though. Most other weapons have more punch than this. Even pump-action shotguns are viable alternatives that can help a person get along if no Tier 2 weapons are around since they can still eviscerate packs of Common Infected. In fact, they can take on their tougher brethren with far less hassle, too. The Uzi here, however, still struggles in this regard. It’s a filler weapon that is there to be replaced with something bigger and better. Its Silenced Variation may be less accurate and more damaging, yet it struggles to maintain its usefulness for long.

4 Scout

This Bolt-Action Rifle Has A Slow Rate Of Fire

There’s just no glossing over the fact that the Scout is a terrible weapon. Originally, one could only use it in the German version of the title, which had to utilize assets from Valve’s other big multiplayer game, Counter-Strike: Source. Here, though, it’s a Tier 1 sniper rifle that may appear alongside the other more common weaponry.

Its bolt-action design drags its rate of fire to a sickeningly slow pace. Sure, it’s accurate to fire from the hip, its bullets can penetrate enemies, and there’s ammo galore for it. But it’s so painfully sluggish that it’s terrible against hordes of zombies attacking from all directions. Almost every other weapon can deal more damage at a much faster rate than this can. Worse still, it’s programmed to reload significantly slower if one empties the clip first. The pros are significantly outweighed by the cons here, so it’d be much better to just scout for a different gun entirely than to rely on this one.

3 Pistols

These Trusty Sidearms May Have Unlimited Ammo, But They’re Weak And Require Regular Reloads

Every survivor starts off with a handgun, and two are always better than one, as the saying goes. Alas, sticking it out with a pair of these is not all that great. The semi-automatic firing rate does allow players to discharge bullets as fast as they can click the mouse, and unlimited ammo is a godsend for a sidearm like this. And, there’s no glossing over the fact that they are accurate, even more so when crouching.

Still, the damage output is pitiful, their clips are emptied far too quickly, and the weapon spread is considerably wider when a player wielding them ends up getting downed. If a survivor is incapacitated with a melee weapon, they’re stuck with a single pistol, which fires at a pitiful rate, too. This means that giving cover fire and saving allies from any potential Zombie danger is much more difficult. Almost every other weapon available outshines these weapons, especially the Magnum, so having an unlimited pool of bullets doesn’t make them all that brilliant.

2 Pitchfork

Cutting Hordes Of Enemies Down Is Much More Challenging Than With Other Melee Weapons

The Pitchfork was a unique and original addition to the game as part of The Last Stand update. Chopping and bashing armies of Infected with any other melee weapon works a treat, yet this right here is the sole exception to that rule, and the answer as to why has to do with its hitbox.

Every other melee weapon performs a horizontal or angular swing, which makes them perfect for killing a few zombies at a time. Out of the Pitchfork’s three attack animations, only one of them is horizontal, and the rest are vertical. Even though it has the ability to cut Smoker tongues when ensnared, it’s much more difficult to massacre hordes of enemies surrounding oneself if the weapon is swinging upward and not across the screen. Considering how rare the weapon is, it’s bound to leave players completely forked when swamped with enemies, particularly when covered in Boomer bile.

1 AWP

Being A Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle, Its High Recoil And Slow Firing Rate Are Major Downsides

The AWP was a beast in its Counter-Strike iterations and was often deemed far too overpowered by fans aplenty. The same can’t be said about this version here in Left 4 Dead 2, as it is surprisingly lackluster. Admittedly, its damage output is slightly higher than the Scout, and it also has a large pool of spare bullets to go alongside.

Unfortunately, this rifle may as well be cursed. The kickback per shot is dizzying, and it slows its firing rate significantly. Again, much like the Scout, it’s a poor choice against hordes of enemies. It has an even slower reload animation when the clip is emptied completely and takes far too long to defeat the mighty Tank. Someone armed with an Auto Shotgun or an Assault Rifle could deal significantly more damage in comparison. Choosing this over practically any other primary weapon (barring the Scout) would be ill-advised.