The Infected

The Infected are twisted remnants of the soldiers and mercenaries of Combat Arms.

After a deadly mistreatment of an experimental Stamina Kit, several test subjects underwent horrifying mutations and went berserk. Unable to contain them, NEMEXIS personnel quickly fell prey to the inhuman abberrations. More and more employees began to die as the outbreak reached an epidemic level. Anyone who came in direct contact with "Infected" personnel would eventually succumb to the virus themselves.

To prevent any civilian casualties, LAB 3 initiated a lockdown protocol which prevented anyone from leaving the complex. In a last-ditch attempt to notify the UAF. the remaining staff managed to get a distress signal out before all contact was lost.

Upon arrival, UAF reconnaissance found themselves surrounded by hundreds of Infected personnel. Attempts to contain the outbreak failed, and the Infection quickly spread within LAB 3 and beyond.

More detailed information can be found on Quarantine.

Overview
The virus is a highly unstable pathogen; the extent of its capabilities is unknown. There is currently no limit to how rampant the virus can become; nor is there any information on how to stop or prevent it. For anyone who has become Infected, their is seemingly no cure. Their mutations have become extensive to the point where:

All Infected:
 * Are disfigured in some way.
 * Have more endurance and stamina than a normal Human.
 * Have much more strength than any normal Human.
 * Suffer a major loss of cognitive skills; though their reasoning is gone, they still retain some of their intelligence..
 * Suffer a major loss of vocal skills.
 * Suffer a major lack of balance. Most Infected are hunched, and some can easily be knocked-back.
 * Have an increase in hearing.
 * Have an increase in predatory skills.
 * Can directly Infect other people. They also use their Claws to attack and Infect.
 * are immune to toxic chemicals
 * are immune to drowning.
 * are immune to falling damage.
 * are immune to flashbangs.
 * are immune to nutshots.
 * can move very quickly.
 * are rather resistant to headshots. (They'll still do extra damage, but without the proper equipment, it will never be a 1-hit Kill.)
 * are rather resistant to bullet damage. (Bullet resistance once ranged from near-immunity (0-4 max), to the current maximum (6-15) after a series of patches).


 * 1) are moderately vulnerable to melee damage (Though using melee is extremely discouraged, as the human can easily become Infected)
 * 2) are moderately vulnerable to explosives and fire damage (The best methods of killing the Infected).

Pre-Mutation (Tier 1)
In dealing with the Infected, there are two mainstream species.

Host Infected
The Host Infected are a unique type of Infected. These people may have had an indirect contact with the virus, which caused them to become Infected in the first place. Several known methods of contracting the Host Infection is through very direct contact (such as with needle injection) or diffusion through the air (involuntarily). In fact, practically ALL of the original test subjects were Host Infected because they were directly influenced by the virus, instead of contracting it from someone else. Because of their unique genetic make-up, Host Infected can be much more dangerous than the Viral Infected.

Viral Infected
The Viral Infected consist of anyone who contracted the virus through someone else. Notable methods of contracting the Viral Infection is through any direct contact (bites, scratches, wounds) or even prolonged exposure to the virus (such as in Cabin Fever). There are many more Viral Infected than there are Host Infected, namely because most people have unwillingly became Infected by another person. Highly violent, numerous, though weaker than the Host Infected, Viral Infected should not be taken lightly.

Differences
Despite their similarities, there are still differences between a Host and a Viral.

The Host Infected:
 * Are notable for their grayish-pale skin, instead of a bloody-red like most Infected.
 * Have much more power, health, and sprint stamina than a Viral Infected.
 * Have more "authority" over the other Infected.
 * Have clearer vision than the the Viral Infected, since they haven't sustained any major wounds.
 * Retain their normal camouflage, since they haven't sustained any major wounds.

The Viral Infected: 
 * Usually have a bloody, ashen-red skin after Infection.
 * Have a clouded, "bloody" vision because of their wounds.
 * Have a "bloody" camouflage, because of their wounds.
 * Often bleed profusely, which is evident through their skin, vision, clothes, and even footprints.
 * Have a higher probability of mutating.

Post-Mutatation (Tier 2)
(TBE)

After the initial outbreak of LAB 3, the Infection has continued to spread exponentially. Exposed to radiation, new victims (more DNA), and the natural elements, the Infection continues to mutate and further "enhance" all of its victims. There are currently 4 different types of "Special" Infected:

The Mauler (Main article: the Mauler) 

These Infected appear in every single round.

Maulers represent the standard Infected; they are simply "normal" Infected personnel. As such, Maulers are the weakest, slowest, yet the most numerable of the Infected. They have no special abilities, and their appearance is that of a male Viral Infection, wearing clothes similar to the terrorists from Desert Thunder. Maulers tend to limp slowly towards their enemies, though they may break into a slow jog if they are enraged. They occasionally drop items. There is a variation that appears in Black Lung which uses a firearm for melee (see below).

Maulers inflict approximately 5 damage per hit, and they attack with 2 swipes. (disregarding headshots)



The Charger

(Main article: the Charger)

These Infected appear alongside the Maulers in every round.

Also referred to as the "Exploding Infected' by highly-classified sources, these cumbersome monsters are true to their name. Chargers share the same clothing with the Maulers, though that is one of the only similarities between them. These Infected are slightly quicker than the Maulers, and they are capable of withstanding slightly more damage. Though Chargers seem to be slow and docile at first, they are easily enraged. Once a player ticks one off, they will begin to "charge" relentlessly towards their enemies. Upon death, Chargers will explode (thanks to the explosive charges), even if you didn't shoot the explosives to begin with. The blast will moderately damage anything within the radius. In addition, Chargers can still use melee attacks. Their appearance is that of a male Host Infection, with a set of what seems to be dynamite strapped to them. Chargers tend to limp or charge at their enemies. They rarely drop items.

Chargers inflict approximately 5 damage per hit, and they attack with two swipes. (disregarding headshots)



The Witch

(Main article: The Witch)

These Infected will begin to appear on Round 6 and up.

Also referred to as the "Female Infected" by highly-classified sources, Witches are quick and deadly, earning the title of the fastest (and only female) Special Infected. Witches are seemingly equipped with special NEMEXIS gear, presumably a pilot or medic. They also have special oxygen/gas masks (Which didn't seem help much against the Infection). They also have strange growths on their sides, with tentacles protruding from them (similar to the Flood from Halo).

Contrary to popular belief, Witches cannot be killed with a single ordinary headshot. No weapon, not even the L96A1 Black-Magnum, is currently powerful enough to kill a Witch in just one shot. However, Witches can be Cr0wned, though it is extremely hard to do. (Upon death, they drop 2-3 seemingly organic "grenades", resembling brains (it is speculated to be the growths on their sides) that cause major damage. They are also capable of causing fatal damage from their melee attacks, and they have a unique trait of being able to OHKO other players..

Witches have the appearance of a female Mercenary clothed in a bloodstained-white jacket/suit, with the hood and mask covering most of her face. A pair of googles are strapped to the top of her head, and her jacket is slightly open, revealing some cleavage. Because of their strange attire, it is uncertain what their profession really was before they became Infected. Though they seem wobbly at first, Witches prefer to rush at their enemies with quick, leaning strides. They almost never drop items.

Witches can inflict approximately 15 damage per hit, and they attack with two quick slashes. (disregarding headshots)



The Enforcer

(Main article: the Enforcer)

These Infected will begin to appear on Rounds 11+.

Also known as the "Tanker Infected" by several sources, these leviathans are truly some of the most powerful Special Infected. Capable of taking extreme amounts of damage, as well as wiping out multiple squads of Mercenaries, these monsters are a force to be reckoned with. Enforcers are slightly slower than most Infected, but what they lack in speed they make up for in endurance and power. With the most health, protection, and strength of any Infected, it may take several Mercenaries to take down even one. Currently, there is absolutely no way to OHKO an Enforcer. No single ordinary gun can take down one of these beasts with just one blow.

However, the CF-Golden Punisher is rumored to have the capability to One-Hit-Kill the Enforcer with extremely close range headshots. This is not recommended because you can expose yourself to both the Enforcer's melee attacks, and gas cloud when it dies.

It takes approximately 2-3 CF-L96A1 Black-Magnum headshots to take down a single Enforcer, by a standard of 20+ SR-25 shots. Upon death, they will release a cloud of extremely toxic acid; which if not properly avoided can kill players instantly. Depending on your health, this deadly effect lasts nearly 5 seconds, and it eats away at your health. until you are severely wounded. They can also cause major damage from their powerful swipes.

Enforcers have the appearance of a large, muscular officer. What's unique about them is that they are mostly blue and white, which distinguishes them from other Infected easily. Though they have no visible hair, they also continue to wear their company hats. Enforcers wear a special military uniform, as well as having blood splattered all over their torso. Their faces are constantly baring their teeth. Players are rewarded with a mask of its visage after beating Cabin Fever on Extreme.

Enforcers can inflict approximately 15-20 damage per hit (disregarding headshots), about on par with Witches. They also have the most range, but unlike the Witch, they attack much slower, with at least a second before each swipe. They will attack the player twice.

Advanced Mutation (Tier 3)
Though no new forms has been introduced, it seems the infected are getting smarter. Instead of using their bare hands, these infected now learned how to attack with weapons.

Assault Maulers (M3 Super 90)

A special infected exclusive to Operation: Black Lung. This infected appears to look like the standard common infected (mauler) except it wields a gun by the tip. This infected will attack by using the gun as a melee item and does more damage than the standard common infected. Its HP is just slightly above a standard mauler. Nevertheless, it is still a dangerous infected to fight wit

They deal about 15-25 damage per hit making them by far the most dangerous in fatality.

Assault Maulers (MP5)

Another special infected appears to be holding an MP5 and is rarely seen ingame. Like other infected, they attack with the tip of their guns. Due to its extreme rarity, it is unknown how much damage it will do.

Other unknown types are yet to be seen.