Plague Juggernaut

Plague Juggernauts are mutated strains of Juggernauts infected with Blood Plague. Found on Dread Zones, Nightmare Zones, and Trumbull Valley in Heartland, these were the first plague freak variants and can inflict blood plague disease into any survivor.

Description and Behavior[]

Plague Juggernauts are massive plague freaks, towering over all other zeds. Their skin turns bloody red, but their belly remains green. They have glowing red eyes, a decomposing head and hands, likely from their hammering attacks. While their roar sounds different, their size and ground-shaking effects remain the same. Any attack from a Plague Juggernaut infects survivors with Blood Plague. Their ground smash creates a plague-infected area, which spreads infection to anyone who walks through it.

Plague Juggernauts are often seen on roads and narrow alleyways, usually just standing or circling an area. These freaks will roar and often charge to tackle its prey after being provoked. Having a horde in its vicinity or other freaks may turn into a disaster, and avoiding these situations is the best way forward. They will chase a survivor for a small to medium distance before losing interest, but will remain aggressive if a survivor enters a building whilst it is still pursuing them, often hammering on the structure and roaring to attract more zombies.

These freaks are invulnerable to incendiary weapons, but explosives and high calibre weapons are very effective countermeasures. They can be easily distracted from any possible noises on normal difficulty or below, be it gunfire, firecrackers, etc. Survivors will never be able to kill a Plague Juggernaut in one shot; It should take 5 shots of .50 calibre rifle to stagger, at which point survivors will have an opening for a melee execution. Shotguns and bolt action rifles are also good choices for mid-range combat, but make sure to time evasive actions correctly to avoid being stunned. Its carcass, often seen without a head, will always contain 3 Plague Samples.

In State of Decay 2: Heartland, Plague Juggernauts seem to be lured to the noise of CLEO drops, but they're often seen killing Plague Bloaters. They can also be summoned by Plague Walls for protection.

Forms of Attack[]

Charged Tackle – The Plague Juggernaut's initial attack. It roars, then charges at its target to knock them down.
Ground Smash – A unique attack where it slams the ground, releasing plague gas that lingers for over 10 seconds. Survivors hit by the impact or stepping into the gas area take heavy plague infection.
Grab and Slam – The Juggernaut grabs a survivor, slaps away their hands, then slams them into the ground before crushing their ribs with its arms.
Grab and Tear – If a survivor is weakened, the Juggernaut will grab them, bite their neck, and tear them in half, killing them instantly.
Swipe – A quick attack that knocks back survivors in front of it, causing minor plague infection.

Nightmare Zone[]

Plague Juggernauts will spawn a bit earlier. They can be members of a wandering horde of blood plague carriers. These type of horde contains 5 or more normal plague zeds and two Plague Juggernauts.

Strategy[]

It's best to avoid confronting a Plague Juggernaut early in a community, especially if a survivor is poorly equipped. Engaging one is risky unless it's part of a bounty or isolated—otherwise, nearby hordes will join the fight.

A Sniper Tower is useful if snipers have a .50 cal rifle, as these heavy rounds can interrupt its attacks and weaken it after five shots. Enclave benefits and radio support, like sniper and artillery strikes, can also help, though artillery is riskier due to its noise.

Melee Combat[]

Avoid fighting Plague Juggernauts alone in close quarters, as it's extremely dangerous. It's best to fight with a partner and use Sniper Support from the Radio Command for backup.

Dodge its Charged Tackle and Ground Smash to avoid heavy plague infection. When possible, take advantage of melee execution opportunities, as eliminating the Juggernaut quickly should always be the priority.

Beware of the ground affected by smashes, as the blood plague clouds will interrupt your melee attacks.

Firearms[]

The best firearms against Plague Juggernauts are automatic rifles (5.56 & 7.62), shotguns, and .50 caliber rifles.

Automatic rifles are effective for damaging both the Juggernaut and nearby zeds, though they consume more ammo. Shotguns work well in mid-range and close combat, dealing heavy stagger damage. .50 caliber rifles are the most powerful option, killing the Juggernaut in six consecutive shots. Since head and body shots deal the same damage, aiming for the body makes landing hits easier. Crossbows are too slow to fire and reload, making them ineffective in combat against these freaks.

Explosives and Decoy[]

Plague Juggernauts are like any other zeds: they are attracted to sound. Using any kinds of decoy will distract it, but not when it has detected survivors. Never use incendiary explosives because it will never hurt the freak. Grenades, C4, and other types of explosives that are not incendiary will certainly hurt it. Also, using the Radio Command Airstrike will deal great damage and it'll certainly down or heavily damage these freaks.

Vehicles[]

Trying to ram into a Plague Juggernaut is a terrible idea. Ramming a vehicle into a Plague Juggernaut, especially head on, will cause massive damage and may even pop tires and cause doors to fall off. Vehicular attacks will slightly stagger a plague juggernaut, but not for long enough to allow an execution. Therefore it is recommended that vehicles are kept away from combat with a plague juggernaut entirely. If a plague juggernaut rams a vehicle with its charge attack it will usually result in the vehicle catching fire and forcing you to abandon it.