Overview
The Riot Gear Walker is a variant of the Walker most often found in urban areas such as Beverly Hills and the Halperin Hotel. They are former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) riot police officers who were tasked with attempting to quell violence in the city resulting from the zombie outbreak, as well as assisting the US Army alongside other officers with maintaining order at evacuation sites.
Their defining characteristic is their armour, which makes them one of the most resilient common zombies in the game. Riot Gear Walkers are initially immune to melee and projectile attacks, their gear must be knocked off piece by piece with repeated blows before their bodies become exposed to damage. Their riot gear also protects them from fire, shock, and caustic damage until it is broken off. There is one notable tactical advantage the armour creates: Riot Gear Walkers wearing their helmets are unable to grapple or bite the player, keeping them effectively muzzled until the helmet is destroyed. Knocking the helmet off therefore trades a combat advantage for a safety one, worth bearing in mind when fighting them in crowds.
The most effective approach is to target exposed limbs and the head from the outset, stripping armour progressively while dealing damage. Riot Gear Walkers are a pain to handle in a crowd, as repeated blows are needed to knock the gear off before elemental weapons become effective. Explosives and blunt weapons are reliable for stripping armour quickly. They count toward the Riot Control zombie challenge.
Where to Find Them
The first encounter is outside the Halperin Hotel, where the game introduces the armoured zombie mechanic. For farming, a reliable spawn point is on The Pier itself, in the north-east corner of the wooden pier near the crashed military helicopter.
Notable Riot Gear Walker
Hotel Security – spawns in the parking garage of the Halperin Hotel after defeating Becky the Bride.
Jamal? – spawns in the crater outside the hotel. Always spawns at the final step of Missing: Jamal quest.
Officer Wilson – spawns in the militarized zone by the Burger 66 restaurant. If you do the Jimmy Montana mission you will run across him most assuredly though that quest is not required to spawn him. Spawns after returning from the Pier.
Zompedia
| Name | Criteria | Description |
|---|---|---|
| First Blood | Kill 1 Riot Gear Walker | Riot gear gives IMMUNITY to MELEE and PROJECTILE attacks, until your attacks knock the armor pieces off. |
| Under The Skin | Kill 10 Riot Gear Walkers | Riot gear protects zombies from FIRE, SHOCK, and CAUSTIC attacks. |
| Sliced To The Bone | Kill 25 Riot Gear Walkers | Attack unprotected parts of Riot Gear Walkers with enhanced weapons to have fun with fire, shock, and other HARMFUL STATUS EFFECTS! |
| Deep In The Guts | Kill 50 Riot Gear Walkers | Riot Gear Walkers wearing helmets can’t grapple and bite you, so avoid knocking those off if you want to keep them muzzled. |
Zombie Challenges
| Name | Tier | Description | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk On By | 1 | Kill 50 Walkers | CRITICAL DAMAGE+ (+1%) |
| 2 | Kill 100 Walkers | CRITICAL DAMAGE++ (+1,5%) | |
| 3 | Kill 1000 Walkers | CRITICAL DAMAGE+++ | |
| Turtle Soup | 1 | Kill 10 Riot Gear Walkers | TOUGHNESS+ (+2%) |
| 2 | Kill 50 Riot Gear Walkers | TOUGHNESS++ | |
| 3 | Kill 100 Riot Gear Walkers | TOUGHNESS+++ |
