The Last of Us Part 1 features a wide variety of enemies that Joel and Ellie must overcome on their journey across the country in search of the Fireflies. Militaristic soldiers, Hunters, and Cannibals all threaten the lives of the protagonists, but no human enemy comes close to the danger posed by the infected – the bloodthirsty, ravenous remains of those infected with The Last of Us’ Cordyceps Brain Infection.
Omnipresent throughout the game, The Last of Us Part 1's cunning infected come in a variety of shapes and sizes with every stage of infection, each more aggressive and dangerous than the last. This guide will show players how best to deal with Runners; the most recently infected of the fungal undead and the most commonly encountered among them.
How To Deal With Runners In Combat
The most common variety of infected, and are the first of their kind that the player will meet; Runners are almost always found around other infected in The Last of Us Part 1. Fortunately, they are the most easily dealt with as they act like the classic zombie – running head-on at the player and taking a few swings.
In open combat, Runners will likely try to swarm the player in hordes, attempting to close distance to reach melee range. In this situation, without access to more powerful weaponry, keep running to make distance and try to funnel them together where they can be taken out all at once with a carefully timed Molotov or Nail Bomb.
As always, the best Last of Us weapons for Runner encounters are the short-range Shotgun, Shorty, and Flamethrower. For players more confident in landing shots, the 9mm pistol can make quick work of Runners with a well-placed headshot. Using the Hunting Rifle, Revolver, or El Diablo isn’t particularly recommended, as those weapons are better saved for dispatching The Last of Us Part 1’s more powerful enemies. If all else fails, players can rely upon their limited durability melee weapons to interrupt their attacks.
How To Deal With Runners In Stealth
Runners are one of the few infected that still retain their eyesight, therefore, it’s important to prioritize taking them out first when approaching a group stealthily in The Last of Us. Like human enemies, they will stick to set patrol paths that can easily be tracked with Listen Mode, where they can be sneaked up on and strangled, or taken out with an arrow.
Occasionally, players will come across hibernating Runners that will hunch over, not paying attention to their surroundings. These can be directly approached in stealth and strangled without having to worry about lines of sight.
The Last of Us Part 1 is currently available for PS5, and is in development for PC.
