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[[File:IconZombieCharger.png|left]]
[[File:Zombie-charger-zoom1.jpg|thumb|350px|Zombies charge in a [[zoom]]ed in [[Beta]] view.]]'''Zombie Charger''' is a Physical Realm Decay [[Witch Doctor skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|level]] 514. It summons a zombie that charges forward, disintegrating rapidly into a poison cloud; it deals considerable poison damage, but the range is quite short.
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==Background==
The base version of this [[skill]] essentially functions as a poison cloud that spreads disease to everything in a short path in front of the Witch Doctor.
==Skillrune Skill Rune Effects==The following is a very quick listsummary. See the [[Zombie Charger rune effects]] page for a more thorough summary description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
<skill class="WitchDoctor">Zombie Charger</skill>
==Skill Design==
The zombie is humanoid, but it disintegrates so quickly into a green acid that it's hard to get a good look at it.
==Synergies==
==Development==
[[File:ZombieCharger.gif|thumb|200px|right|Zombie Charger in action.]]
'''Zombie Charger''' first appeared at [[BlizzCon 2009]] at Tier II in the [[Zombie Skill Tree]], but wasn't implemented yet. At [[BlizzCon 2010]], it was one of the Witch Doctor's starting skills, but was nearly useless unruned. [[Flux]] explained:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvm-report-witch-doctor]
<blockquote>''It’s hard to use, since it has so little range; it’s hardly more than melee distance, and doesn’t work at the usual range a player assumes, a few paces behind the front line where the Mongrels are tanking. You have to learn to stand closer, almost at melee range to get any real effect from the skill. It’s not like a poison bolt, where as long as it gets to the enemy the full damage is done. The zombie doesn’t actually hit anything; it’s not a projectile. It’s just passes through them, trailing poison. So enemies it passes over and through take a lot of damage. Enemies it just barely gets to only receive a little splash of damage that hardly registers.</blockquote>
===Beta===Skill tiers were removed for shortly before the [[July 2011 Press Eventbeta]]started in September 2011, and Zombie Charger became a level 5 skill.[[Flux]] tried it out again, and found it essentially unchanged:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/witch-doctor-beta-skills-mega-report]
<blockquote>''Zombie Charger is mildly useful in the beta, but only when aimed carefully and in certain situations. The skill creates a zombie that walks forward in a straight line, disintegrating into a cloud of green, poisonous smoke as it moves. The damage isn’t huge, but it can pass through multiple enemies if they’re very tightly bunched, and will deal the full damage to all of them.</blockquote>
The skill system was once again overhauled for the [[Beta Patch 13]] in February 2012, and Zombie Charger was classified as a Decay skill and moved to level 14, out of the reach of beta players. Despite being [[nerf]]ed in [[Beta Patch 14]], it does the same damage in [[Beta Patch 15]] as it did in Patch 13, albeit at a higher mana cost.
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==Trivia==
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==Media==
Zombie Charger can be seen in action on video here:
<gallery>
Image:Diablo_III_LogoZombie-charger-zoom1.jpg|Skill use 1Zoomed-in view from the beta.
</gallery>
==References==
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/full-witch-doctor-skills/ BlizzCon 2009 Full Witch Doctor Skill Trees and Stats]
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvm-report-witch-doctor BlizzCon 2010 Witch Doctor Hands-on Report]
* [http://interviews.slashdot.org/story/10/10/25/1711255/Julian-Love-Lead-Technical-Artist-for-Diablo-3 Julian Love @ Blizzcon 2010 Interview] — Slashdot 25th Oct 2010* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/witch-doctor-beta-skills-mega- report Witch Doctor Beta Skills Mega-report: Part One] — IncGamers 1st Aug 30th Sep 2011* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/witch-doctor/active/ Witch Doctor Active Skills] -- — Blizzard's Official Diablo III 13th Sep 2011Site