Facing Clickers in The Last of Us without a shiv presents a unique set of challenges, primarily due to their unique attributes of being blind, incredibly strong, and lethal in close combat. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the key challenges players face and potential strategies to navigate them:

Key Challenges

1. Clickers’ Strength and Lethality:
– Clickers are formidable opponents capable of delivering a one-hit kill if they close in on the player. Engaging them directly without the safety of a shiv increases the risk of death significantly. Players must adopt more cautious and indirect methods of handling these enemies.

2. Noisy Gunfire Attracts More Enemies:
– Utilizing firearms to engage Clickers, while effective, poses a significant risk as the gunfire can attract nearby infected or even other Clickers. This can quickly escalate encounters beyond manageable limits, leading to overwhelming odds.

3. Limited Resources:
– Crafting explosives such as Molotov cocktails or bombs can be highly effective for crowd control. However, these items require scarce materials that must be carefully rationed. Players are often forced to decide between using what few resources they have on hand or saving them for potentially more dangerous situations.

4. Stealth Maneuvering is Complicated:
– Without a shiv, executing silent takedowns becomes a challenge. Players can no longer rely on the stealth kill method that is both quick and quiet. They must either opt to avoid Clickers altogether or attempt to lure them away using distractions, such as throwing bottles or bricks to create noise in different areas.

5. Increased Difficulty on Higher Levels:
– On higher difficulty settings like Grounded, resources become even scarcer. Players face heightened scarcity of shivs and crafting materials, demanding more strategic thinking. Each encounter requires players to assess whether they will attempt stealth, go in with explosives, or risk engaging in open combat, knowing that the risk of attracting more enemies lurks with each decision.

Strategies for Engaging Clickers Without a Shiv

1. Utilize Stealth Tactics:
– Move slowly and stay crouched to minimize noise. Use the environment to navigate around Clickers, strategically avoiding their detection. Throwing objects away from your path can successfully divert their attention.

2. Environmental Awareness:
– Utilize the surroundings to your advantage. This can include using high ground to survey the area and plan your route or taking advantage of cover to bypass Clickers without engaging them directly.

3. Explosives and Distractions:
– Save crafting materials for explosive devices that can take out multiple Clickers or draw their attention. Setting traps can also be effective, especially when you can lure a group into a confined space.

4. Ranged Combat Caution:
– While using firearms is a last resort, it can be effective if done cautiously. Use weapons with quieter report or utilize silenced weapons when possible. Always have an escape route planned in case things escalate.

5. Engage with Caution:
– If fighting is unavoidable, consider doing so in open spaces where you can maneuver away should more enemies arrive. Avoid close quarter confrontations and focus on hitting-and-running tactics to stay alive while taking down Clickers.

Conclusion
Facing Clickers without a shiv transforms encounters from manageable stealth tactics into risky, resource-dependent battles that require a great deal of strategy and careful planning. Players must leverage stealth, distraction, and careful resource management to survive, continuously weighing the risks of open combat against the perils of running into fatal close encounters. Ultimately, success in these situations relies heavily on strategic thinking and environmental manipulation.