HomeGuidesBack 4 Blood
Back 4 Blood tips and tricks: how to beat the campaign on Nightmare difficultyIt’s brutal out here on Nightmare mode
It’s brutal out here on Nightmare mode
Back 4 Bloodis finally here, and the campaign is a doozy. Veteran and Nightmare modes pack some punishing difficulty, and many players will struggle to complete the campaign on the higher difficulties (even theLeft 4 Deadpros will struggle here). That makes the game extremely rewarding though, so whether you’re just getting started or looking to finish the grind, we’re here to help with someBack 4 Blood tips and tricks for Nightmare difficulty. Before you get stuck in though, you should learnhow to unlock cleanersin Back 4 Blood, so that you can choose the character that’s right for you.
Back 4 Blood Gameplay and Impressions | Better Than Left 4 DeadWatch on YouTube
Back 4 Blood Gameplay and Impressions | Better Than Left 4 Dead
Take advantage of the roguelite design
The biggest key to avoiding frustration with Back 4 Blood’s difficulty is understanding how its design differs from Left 4 Dead. You aren’t meant to beat this campaign on Veteran or higher difficulty on your first try, even if you’re the most grizzled of Left 4 Dead veterans. Back 4 Blood uses a deck building system, similar to what you’d see in many roguelite games. The first time you face the campaign, and particularly the much more difficult second half, you’re likely to run into trouble. The default, prebuilt deck will only get you so far. You’ll need thebest cardsif you want to survive until the end.
Thankfully, you can useSupply Linesto unlock more cards and build better decks. After that, you can restart the campaign from the last level you reached with a fresh set of continues and an improved deck. Push as far as you can, upgrade your deck, and go again. Eventually, you’ll make it to the end of the campaign, unless you get dealt a particularly brutalCorruption Card.
The game doesn’t fully explain this system, at least in the open beta, so check out ourguide to Supply Lines and deck building in Back 4 Bloodto get a feel for the concept.
Pick the right team
Another key difference from Left 4 Dead is the character system. Back 4 Blood’s cast has more than just witty quips up their sleeves.Each character brings unique abilities to the table to help themselves and their team.For example,Walkerincreases everyone’s health, whilstEvangeloandHollyincrease team speed and stamina respectively. Every character is solid, and you can play to their strengths through deck building. However, on Nightmare difficulty, you’re going to need the best team you can get. We’ve got a guide to thebest characters in Back 4 Bloodto help you and your team stay alive.
Understanding weapon attachments
More Left 4 Dead differences! Back 4 Blood has more complicated weapons, which include attachment slots you can modify over the course of a campaign. Attachments can be purchased at the buy station in each safe house or found over the course of a campaign. Most of these are straightforward and include descriptions of the stats they provide. There are over 30 weapons to choose from, so check out thebest weaponsin Back 4 Blood if you need help narrowing down the selection.
Some weapons found on the ground will also have broken attachments that have stat penalties instead of bonuses. Keep an eye out for red attachments; these are the broken ones. Unfortunately, you can’t just pop them off either. If you find an attachment for the same slot though, you can replace the damaged part.I’ve seen a lot of players wondering how to remove weapon attachments in Back 4 Blood, and this is the only way right now.
Learn about the special infected in Back 4 Blood
We’ve mentioned how different Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead are, right? Well, here’s one aspect in which they are actually very alike. Just like Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood is filled with special infected that want to smash, spit at, and generally slap around your team.
Watch the walls
If a teammate is close, a quick melee attack should be enough to save you. However, if you’re alone, which somehow ends up being the case more often than not, then expect a swift death. Zombies will quickly pile around you and add to the damage, leaving you without many options. So, to avoid all of that misery and heartache, please watch the walls. If you see one of these horrors, shoot it before it shoots out at you.
Save some Copper for Medical Cabinets
Scattered throughout Back 4 Blood’s levels (and occasionally even in safehouses) you will find redMedical Cabinetson walls. These are sort of likeHalf-Lifemedstations, and are an absolute godsend on higher difficulties. Medical Cabinets heal you for a good chunk of your health, and, even more importantly,reduce your Trauma significantly.Trauma reduces a player’s maximum health, so getting some of your health bar back is massive.
However, Medical Cabinets have only one free use. After that, each player will have to pay 400 copper per use. If you are low on Copper, your team should give the free use to the player with the highest Trauma and lowest maximum health. After the first level though, you should really try to save 400 Copper at the start of each level in case you happen upon a Cabinet.
Pay attention to Corruption Cards
At the start of every level, Back 4 Blood’s AI director draws Corruption Cards that modify the difficulty of the campaign. This is especially impactful in the second half of the campaign, where the Director draws five cards instead of two. It’s a big component of the difficulty, and it’s easy to get caught off-guard if you aren’t paying attention. If you missed an Armored Bruisers draw at the start of a level, you may find yourself dumping ammo into a protected weak spot to little effect. That’s a great way to get crushed and die. Read the Corruption Cards carefully so you know what to expect.
That wraps up our Back 4 Blood tips and tricks, so you should now be ready to take on Nightmare mode and push for completion. It’s a big challenge, but we believe in you. If you’re finding it too difficult, try mixing our support builds forDocandMominto your team. A bit of healing will go a long way to keeping your crew on their feet. Visit ourBack 4 Blood hubfor more B4B content!
