Overview
The Hazmat Runner is a variant of the Runner commonly found around the Halperin Hotel and The Pier. Like Hazmat Walkers and Caustic-X Walkers, they are former CDC personnel who have since turned into zombies. Where they differ from their Walker counterparts is speed. Hazmat Runners behave in the same manner as normal Runners, being very fast and capable of dodging attacks and interrupting the player.
Their protective gear defines both their strength and their limits. The hazmat suit makes them immune to caustic damage, enabling them to run through puddles of Caustic-X with ease. This makes them a particular nuisance in environments where Caustic-X pools are present. Where most enemies would be slowed or damaged, Hazmat Runners charge straight through unaffected. Despite this immunity, they are still vulnerable to shock and fire damage, and their legs can be maimed easily.
Like other Runner variants, Hazmat Runners can be turned into Crawlers if their legs are maimed, and can be momentarily distracted with Meat Bait. Sharp and bleed damage are effective against them, as with all Runners. Fire and shock weapons bypass their immunity entirely and are the most efficient approach.
Where to Find Them
A large number of Hazmat Runners appear during the story mission Blood Drive at The Pier. For farming, reliable spawn points are in Hollywood Boulevard in the room where the final boss fight of the story took place, and in the military compound in the south-east corner of The Pier.
Notable Hazmat Runners
SSG Hernandez – spawns in the CDC/Quarantine house. It’s the white one in the smack dab of the middle of the map with the Slobber hotspot. He spawns immediately upon entering Beverly Hills the first time but you will be too low a level to handle him without cheesing him or getting your ass handed to you a few times. Best to come back after lvl 15 or so. Once killed, he will drop Biohazard Container Key.
Zompedia
| Name | Criteria | Description |
|---|---|---|
| First Blood | Kill 1 Hazmat Runner | Hazmat Runners are recently infected members of the medical teams who were studying the zombie virus. |
| Under The Skin | Kill 10 Hazmat Runners | Hazmat Runners are immune to CAUSTIC damage and can run through puddles of Caustic-X with ease. |
| Sliced To The Bone | Kill 25 Hazmat Runners | Hazmat Runners can be found in medical areas, CDC camps, and any locations used for corpse processing. |
| Deep In The Guts | Kill 50 Hazmat Runners | They are fast, and can quickly overwhelm victims. MAIM their legs as soon as possible! |
Zombie Challenges
| Name | Tier | Description | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| A New P.B. | 1 | Kill 50 Runners | AGILITY+ (+3%) |
| 2 | Kill 100 Runners | AGILITY++ | |
| 3 | Kill 1000 Runners | AGILITY+++ |
Dead Island 2 (2023)