How to Kill a Shambler in The Last of Us 2

With The Last of Us Part 2 bringing in some new infected as well as keeping the old ones, we wanted to remind you how to deal with the existing infected and show you how to kill the new ones, starting with how to kill the Shambler in The Last of Us Part 2.

Shamblers are a new enemy in The Last of Us Part 2 and are the rare fourth stage of the Cordyceps virus, and one of the more difficult enemies you will face in the game. As far as horror games go, The Last of Us Part 1 was pretty darn terrifying, yet with the introduction of Shamblers, The Last of Us 2 has taken the horror to new heights.

Although once you’ve dealt with them a couple of times, taking them out does become easier as you become more aware of their attacks, abilities, and weaknesses. That’s where we come in.

Avoid the AOE

Shambler’s biggest threat is its acidic gas cloud, which has a fairly large area of effect. Getting caught up in the AOE gas cloud can quickly become overwhelming, not only making it hard to escape the Shambler but also making it harder to kill.

The Shambler will release its gas cloud once the player reaches a certain proximity, so it’s vital to try and keep a good distance between you and it.

Gas clouds not only cause constant damage when you are in their range but also cause you to have reduced vision, too, making dealing with them and any other enemies in the fray even harder. With reduced vision, it’s easy to accidentally stumble into new areas, attracting even more infected, making the fight even harder, which is why it’s best to avoid triggering their gas cloud attack in the first place.

Clear the area

Each time I have faced off against a Shambler, I have seen them surrounded by tons of other infected, making them even tougher to deal with. If you’re trying to kill a Shambler in The Last of Us 2, the first thing you want to do is make sure it’s alone; otherwise, you’re going to have a much more complicated fight on your hands.

If you’re taking on a large group that includes a Shambler, make sure to kill the Clickers and all the Runners around the Shambler. The more enemies you can kill, the more room you will have to outrun the Shambler, letting you keep your distance and kill the Shambler, without having other enemies chasing you down and stopping you in your tracks.

If you can take them out silently before engaging in combat, even better, that will stop them from swarming you and giving the Shambler the chance to get close. There are plenty of times in The Last of Us 2 where stealth is the best option. If you can be sneaky and take out some infected around the Shambler without it noticing, you’re going to have a much easier time killing a Shambler in a one-on-one fight.

How to Kill the Shambler

Shamblers have massive amounts of armor, making them almost invulnerable to pistols, but by the time you see your fist Shambler, you should have picked up the shotgun, which will have a much easier time piercing a Shambler’s armor.

As with all types of infected in The Last of Us 2, fire is a great way to kill a Shambler. Make sure you have crafted some Molotovs, as the Shamblers are not only stunned by them but also take a significant amount of damage from them, making them an effective tool for taking on Shamblers.

Pipe bombs are another great option; not only do they deal large amounts of damage to a Shambler, but they also have a decent range, letting you cause damage without needing to risk getting up close and personal with a monstrosity that wants nothing more than to rip your face off.

Once they have been hit by the explosives, they will take damage and be stunned. This should give you time to take out either your shotgun or rifle and shoot them in the head, inflicting large amounts of damage.

If you have enough pipe bombs and shotgun ammo, repeating the process of using a pipe bomb and shooting a Shambler in the head while it’s stunned is one of the most effective ways to kill a Shambler in The Last of Us 2. However, if you don’t have enough of either, make sure to take your time, keep your distance, and use whatever tools you have at your disposal to stun the Shambler, giving you an opening to create some space between you and it.