Infection

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Description
Infection is a multiplayer gametype in Halo 3. It is the official Zombie mode, modeled after zombie mode's popularity as a custom game in Halo 2.

Objectives
The object of the game is for the Humans and/or Sangheili to stay "uninfected" as long as possible while the zombies try to kill every living player. The number of players starting out as Zombies, "Alpha Zombies", can be changed in the options and are selected at random from the start. When a Zombie kills a "living" player, they are "infected" and they become a zombie. When there is just one living Human or Sangheili left, he/she is declared "Last Man Standing". One way Infection is commonly played is that players will make custom maps with Forge where the living have a strong point equipped with camping locations to defend against the zombies. The zombies may also be killed with a headshot from a precision weapon but are extremely fast. A popular way to play Infection on Snowbound is where the humans try to defend the rock that they are at while fending off zombies.

Medals

 * Zombie Killing Spree - Kill five zombies without dying.
 * Hell's Janitor - Kill ten zombies without dying.
 * Infection Spree - Kill five humans without dying.
 * Mmmm Brains - Kill ten humans without dying.
 * Last Man Standing - Be the last human left alive in the round.
 * Is Quisnam Protero Damno - Kill fifteen humans without dying. (Removed)

Probably the hardest medal to obtain here is the Mmmm Brains medal, seeing as once a human is killed, they become a zombie, thus you have limited chances in even infecting some humans, let alone ten. After ten kills, any killing sprees will receive the usual label such as Running Riot for a fifteen kill streak.

Is Quisnam Protero Damno was supposed to be the hardest medal to obtain. It was removed in the retail build because Bungie has deemed it impossible to obtain legitimately.

Halloween
On October 31, 2007, a specialized Halloween matchmaking playlist was available, which played this game mode with up to 13 players (it being an "unlucky" number). This game type's popularity allowed it to become a "regular" among Double EXP Weekend games. It was repeated again on October 31 2008, but unlike other occasions, the October 31 2007, 2008, and 2009 ones were Ranked. The others were mainly Social.

Double EXP Weekend
On April 10th, 2008, the playlist came back for a Double EXP Weekend as Living Dead, also starting with exactly 13 players. Living Dead also appeared on the weekend of May 22 and on the 28th August. Living Dead is a Double EXP Weekend game with many games. Infection games have also appeared in other Double EXP playlists such as Turkey Day, the 2008 Thanksgiving weekend playlist.

Popular Custom Gametypes

 * Braaaains- The basic Infection game type, where zombies jump a little higher and run a little faster than usual, but have no shields and have little health. Humans must survive as long as they can. Best on maps where humans can barricade themselves. This gametype is on Halo 3 matchmaking playlist DLC FFA(Retired for now), Rumble Pit and DoubleXPWeekend Living Dead (Ranked and Social) playlists.
 * Christmas- The person that is infected is red (for Santa) and the humans are in houses and Santa can get in through chimneys. However, Humans can get out as mongeese are outside by the wall. If a Human gets infected, he will be green, for an elf. Infected people jump very high. Humans jump as high as real life.
 * Cops & Robbers- The Zombies are "Cops" and the Humans are the "Robbers". Cops have to make sure the Robbers stay in jail and do not reach the "outside" area where weapons are available to them.
 * Fuzz & Robbers- Similar to cops and robbers, the cop is the zombie and the robbers are the humans, the cop has a Warthog (police car) and the robbers have Mongeese; the copper is either very strong or invincible other than assasinations. The cop has a shotgun and kills robbers attacking him or breaking any laws (depending on the cop) and the robbers work together to kill him.
 * Fat Kid- A rather popular infection gametype where the Alpha Zombie is close to invincible but walks very slowly, and the infected zombies are extremely fast but have extremely low health.
 * Bull Dome- The zombie gets in a Chopper and tries to splatter the Humans.
 * Rage- Based off of 28 Days Later, this gametype simulates the movies as close as possible. The zombies are red (to represent blood the Infected are covered in), sprint fast, and can jump slightly higher than a normal. Humans have limited ammo, have the ability to spring, and can only jump like a normal human would (gravity = 125%). Radar and friendly tags are disabled to give a sense of confusion, that you don't know where the enemy may spring out on you, and that you don't know whose allied or Infected, so be careful who you aim at (hint: look for the "blood" on the Infected). Zombie start ratio is 75%, but they only have two lives, for quick, concise rounds that give you the feeling that these aren't zombies like they are in the movie. Humans also become Infected than only need to be killed once. Since these technically aren't zombies, one headshot or a few body shots will put an infected down.
 * Ducks- A game type that has 1 Zombie in a closed off room with a Sniper Rifle. The humans are yellow, like ducks, and have to run up ramps to a teleporter, which leads to the zombie, and try to kill him. The humans have only one life. The zombie's objective is to kill all the "ducks".
 * Predator- A game type where the zombie has Active Camouflage, is fast, but has extremely low health. Usually, the zombie is armed with an Energy Sword.
 * Jenga- A game type that has 5 man cannons aimed at a floating tower over the edge of the map. This tower resembles the tower in the board game "Jenga." The objective of the Zombie(s) is to push objects into the man cannon in efforts to knock down this tower and send the humans to their death.
 * Sharks- This is where the players start atop towers above the water. The zombie must knock down the towers in order to get to his prey. You can jump from tower to tower but it requires skill.
 * AVP- Another popular gametype in which the Zombies have no shields and barely any health, and are outfitted with Energy Swords. The Last Man Standing has extra damage resistance, and if it is played on the special Ghost Town AVP variant, special FX effects orbs will be periodically released to make Ghost Town darker, simulating nightfall.
 * Jurassic Park (also known as Super Z)- A popular gametype played on the larger maps such as Sandtrap and Avalanche where there is either one or two "raptors" that begin. The Humans' best bet to survive is that they get into a vehicle and drive with one driving and one on turret. Passengers are advised not to go on since they usually get picked off first. Raptors have no shields with 300% speed and 50% gravity. Used with edited down versions of maps where only Gauss Warthogs and/or Mongooses are available.
 * Zombie Survival- A Halo 3 game that is almost exactly the same as Zombies from Halo 2, and similar to the "Braains" variant from Halo 3. Humans are Red, have Shotguns and Pistols and normal jump, speed, health and shields. Zombies are Green and have 200% health but no shields, as well as Energy Swords and slightly higher speed and jump. The game is fair and fun among people who have played it.
 * Zombie SWAT- A game variant in which the Zombies carry Energy Swords and have no shields and 10% health. However they do have 300% speed and 50% gravity. The Humans have a Battle Rifle and Magnum pistol. It is played on any map with no weapons. The only way to get ammo is to either betray your teammates or pick it up from their dead bodies. Betrayal does not make them a zombie. The game starts with only 2 zombies.
 * Ghostbusters- A variant where humans have no shields but are invisible, and the zombie is invincible. The humans have plasma pistols or swords, depending on the type you are playing, and the zombies have shotguns and pistols, Only the humans can see their allies. The ghosts (humans) must try to assassinate the ghostbuster (zombie) without dying, and the ghostbuster must kill the ghosts to make more ghostbusters. Best played on maps with hiding places, like Hide/Seek Town.
 * Hunter- Hunter is a different way of playing of playing Alpha Zombie and Save One Bullet. In this the Alpha Zombie, or the Hunter, is completely invisible can jump high and travels very fast. He has high health but when you kill him you earn 15 points. When setting up this game give the Hunter a Shotgun or Gravity Hammer for massive destruction. The people the Hunter infects are extremely slow, can't jump high, use only the Energy Sword, and have low health. Whatever you do stay away from the Hunter and kill his minions for fast and easy points. This setting is best for when you are camping out in a small bunker with at least two entrances. This is a great game because the Hunter provides a challenge while the other infected players are very weak giving out easy points. All Spartans/Elites use Shotguns and Magnums with limited ammo and with no weapons on the map. They also can only use two fragmentation grenades but they can't pick up any more or do anything to try and get more unless they kill themselves or are betrayed. It is recommended that you keep one grenade in case you need to suicide to escape the Hunter.
 * Bad News- In this setting all players wield a Shotgun and a Magnum and have normal health and shields. However the Alpha Zombie carries a Sniper Rifle and has to try and pick off the humans. Whenever a player is infected they are given a Battle Rifle so they can help the Alpha snipe off the remaining players. For all of you humans it would be a good idea to take cover and hide forcing the zombies to come and find you. Eventually they may get so close to you, you may bring them down with your Shotgun. Also, try to stay in small groups of two or four so not of all of you will get killed at a time. This is a great game mode for hiding in a bunker. Also there are no weapons on the map so all players have to be very careful with ammo, and they only get two Fragmentation Grenades and a Plasma Grenade. The Plasma Grenade is meant for suicides and betrayals if the zombies are going to kill you or a friend.
 * Apocalypse- Use Forge mode and build a wall with respawn points behind it set to only spawn humans and several more further away from the wall set to respawn zombies only. You can put any weapons by the wall but set them with tons of ammo but no respawn rates. Also build the wall out of movable objects that never respawn. Also set up two or three turrets that won’t respawn either. Now set the game to infection and have the zombies use Energy Swords or another close range weapons. Give them a bit more shields and health then the humans or it will be slaughter. Optional settings: In order to make it a bit easier for the zombie give them more speed and less gravity. Don’t make the zombies respawn within firing range. Place a spawn point outside the wall so a human respawns in zombie territory so they can have another minion to help them. Set up small guard towers with snipers in them to help defend against the zombies. Set up Fusion Coils to never respawn but place them in strategic points, when over-whelmed by zombies (This may be rare) shoot the fusion coils to cause massive zombie damage.
 * NOTLD-Stands for "Night of the Living Dead," based off the popular movie. This is probably the most lifelike zombie game created. The zombies have 50% speed and 150% gravity and 1000% health but no shields, making it necessary to shoot them in the head. Humans have 90% speed and 150% gravity and spawn with Magnums that have limited ammo. Humans can pick up other weapons, but they are not much use.
 * Grif Zombies- A gametype made by a player that was a fan of Grifball and made Grif Zombies. Zombies are very fast and can jump very high but have only 10% health, they carry energy swords and are, of course, orange. Ammo was infinite, but the player changed the rules so humans only have limited ammunition. This was to stop people camping in certain spots too long. Humans begin with an energy sword and a Magnum.
 * Close the Door-A Gametype and map on High Ground where the humans hide in the base which has customized movable doors which the Humans can close and the Zombies have to break through these doors to get to the Humans.
 * I Am Legend-A common gametype which has spawned many clones and revamps it is universally a remake of the climactic ending scene from I Am Legend where the Infected attack Robert Neville's house.
 * Hide/seek- a new gametype used on a map with many hiding places such as Hide/seek town. in this game the person who is "it" (the zombie)is invincible, save assassination, and must find the humans who are hiding. the humans either have poor or no active camo. they have 50% gravity and no shields. the humans are armed with a plasma pistol and cannot pick up weapons.they move at 150% speed. the zombie has normal gravity, speed, weapon pickup, and vehicle use.
 * Teacher-A game where there is one teacher and a bunch of students. The students have to do what the teacher says or otherwise, the student will be killed by the teacher. The student can risk escaping school, or stay and try to be a good student. The only way to kill a teacher is to assassinate them.
 * Halo-Similar to Ducks, Halo is a game about the hunter, sniping or rocketing the humans on mongooses driving on a giant Halo like ring. The goal for humans is to drive to the end of the ring, and teleport to the hunter to kill him, thus ending the round.

Tactics

 * If you are making an Infection game, try to make it very balanced. For example, give the zombies 200% health but no shields and only slightly higher speed and jump. In turn, give humans Shotguns and Pistols with limited ammo. Also, when making Forge maps, if you make a hiding room for humans don't make it impossible for zombies to get in, i.e. a narrow choke point. Instead, give the room two entrances the humans must work together to guard. Also, another fun thing to do is put breakable or movable items such as barrels and palettes in front of doors to barricade them.
 * When Forging on a certain map, a good tactic is to put teleporters in the map. One in every corner will confuse the zombie, and sending him to different places where they don't want to go can throw them off, giving you enough time to kill the zombie when when it walks by below you. Usually while the zombie is wandering around you should hide, and when you can see it from your hiding place, shoot it.
 * Infection is based on the fan-made Halo 2 gametype "Zombies". This game relied on honor rules, as it was an altered version of Team Slayer (Players were not automatically added to the zombie team; Switching over had to be done manually).
 * In Halo 2, the most popular map for Zombies is Foundation. A good Zombie tactic on Foundation is to enter the game with an Elite player model, and walk backwards into a room so that the humans have a harder time shooting you. This works best if a large group of humans is hiding in one room, and a large group of zombies is trying to enter.
 * Regular zombies use Energy Swords, and cannot pick up weapons. With an Energy Sword a zombie cannot hit you without getting extremely close to you. So its a good idea to get high range weapons in your possession.
 * If you are playing as a zombie, it's a good idea to put on Active Camo, so you can sneak up unnoticed or stalk them from behind, making sure they don't see you.
 * Yet another tactic that the "living" use is called "baiting". The human players gather in a small, confined space; preferably one with only one opening. Whenever the zombies' attacks lull, the humans send out a freelancer, known simply as "bait". The "bait" will attempt to lure the zombies closer to the human stronghold, where an unhappy death awaits any undead. Not usually used because hiding in one spot for the entire game is not very fun for the humans, and getting constantly killed by the humans is not too entertaining for the zombies.
 * For games with regular damage and shielding, get a Shotgun, dual Maulers, Sniper rifle, or Beam rifle, then get in a room with one exit. Stand next to the door and shoot any undead that look in the room. Put the snipers at head level. It is suggestible to get some grenades and, if possible, a trip mine. The trip mine will keep zombies from entering the room, they cannot shoot it and only way to get in is to have one die again.
 * Try to not use Gravity Hammers or Energy Swords when possible, in most types the zombies have one or both of these weapons and such close range combat would result in you being killed often. A Shotgun or dual Maulers is a better choice in this game.
 * Sometimes it is a good idea to commit suicide if your group is under assault by a large zombie hoard. Especially if their are only 2 of you left. Try not using spike grenades to kill yourself so the explosion won't hurt your team mates. Any other grenade is preferable.
 * A team that regroups in a single area and holds their position in a well defensible location has a much higher chance of surviving.
 * Conserving ammunition is key in all infection game types, therefore weapons that either fire single shot or bursts such as a Battle Rifle or Carbine are vital if a team is to survive.
 * Accuracy and shot placement are equally important; most players tend to aim for the one spot where it will do the most damage, the head. However, from long range, targeting this part of the body can be tricky, even though the head is less shielded and armored when compared to the rest of the body, it is also a small target. Shooting at the center of mass, the torso or legs, guarantee's better chances of success. In addition, jumping or crouching makes shot placement on the head difficult; the main body isn't as easy to conceal or dodge with.

Trivia

 * There is an Infection medal called MMM... Brains!, this refers to the classic Zombie horror generality, in which Zombies feed on Human brains and other parts of their body.
 * In Matchmaking, Infection can be played in the Rumble Pit playlist, and it also appears as a Double EXP weekend now and then.
 * The Infection gametype is the most popular gametype in custom games as it can only normally be played in custom-made games.
 * It has been suggested that Bungie make the zombies a Flood Combat Form. The idea was rejected by Bungie, who said that it made the zombie less "creepy."
 * "Infection" is based on the popular custom gametype in Halo 2 known as "Zombies". Zombies was based on Team Slayer, with the Red team being Humans and the Green team being Zombies. The Humans could only use human weapons, and the Zombies could only use Energy Swords. The game began with just one or two Zombie players, who would attempt to hunt down and kill the Humans. When a Human was killed by a Zombie, they would have to change teams and become a Zombie. Since there were no facilities in Halo 2 custom games to limit what weapons each team could use or to force players to switch teams upon death, Zombie gametypes relied on Honor Rules.
 * Many people have made machinima using the Infection Gametype.
 * New, but simple to obtain achievements are made just for Infection on the Mythic Map Pack, they are Delicious Brains, and Zombie Repeller. Delicious Brains is awarded when the player infects 2 humans, and Zombie Repeller is awarded by getting 2 zombie kills as a human.
 * In the Halo 3 game manual, it is incorrectly stated that players play as the Flood when infected. It may be possible that Bungie had originally planned to include the Flood in Infection, or it could simply be a typo.

Related Pages

 * Infection Settings
 * Alpha Zombie
 * Hide and Seek
 * Save One Bullet