Perk: Demolitions Guide - Explosive Specialist
The Demolitions perk is Killing Floor's explosive specialist—the class that brings the boom. If you love watching Zeds fly through the air in pieces, this is the perk for you. Demolitions excels at crowd control, area denial, and dealing massive damage to groups of enemies.
Demolitions, the explosives perk.
Why Play Demolitions?
Demolitions is perfect for:
- Players who love explosive weapons
- Crowd control and area denial
- Dealing massive damage to groups
- Supporting teammates by clearing trash Zeds
- Creating chaos on the battlefield
What makes Demolitions unique:
- Access to powerful explosive weapons (grenade launchers, pipe bombs)
- Excellent crowd control capabilities
- Can damage multiple enemies at once
- High damage output against groups
- Area denial with explosives
Demolitions Perk Bonuses
As you level up your Demolitions perk, you gain:
- Increased explosive damage — More damage with grenades and explosive weapons
- Reduced self-damage — Take less damage from your own explosions
- Faster reload speed — Reload explosive weapons faster
- More ammo capacity — Carry more explosive ammunition
- Better explosive radius — Explosions affect a larger area
Best Weapons for Demolitions
Demolitions weapons: grenade launchers, rocket launchers and pipe bombs.
Early Game (Waves 1-3)
- 9mm Pistol — Starting weapon, decent for trash Zeds
- M79 Grenade Launcher — Your bread and butter. Great for clearing groups
- Pipe Bombs — Throwable explosives, perfect for area denial
Mid Game (Waves 4-7)
- M79 Grenade Launcher — Still your main weapon
- M32 Grenade Launcher — Upgraded version with more ammo
- Pipe Bombs — Keep these handy for emergencies
Late Game (Waves 8+)
- M32 Grenade Launcher — Best explosive weapon in the game
- M79 Grenade Launcher — Backup if you can't afford M32
- Pipe Bombs — Always useful for crowd control
- Secondary weapon — Consider a shotgun or assault rifle for close-range emergencies
Weapon Loadout Recommendation:
- Primary: M32 Grenade Launcher (if you can afford it) or M79
- Secondary: Shotgun or assault rifle for close-range defense
- Grenades: Pipe Bombs for area denial
Playstyle Tips
General Strategy
- Control the crowd — Your job is to clear groups of trash Zeds quickly
- Area denial — Use pipe bombs to block paths and control enemy movement
- Support teammates — Clear trash so teammates can focus on large Zeds
- Watch your positioning — Don't get caught in close quarters without a backup weapon
- Manage your ammo — Explosive ammo is expensive, use it wisely
Against Trash Zeds
- Use grenade launchers — One shot can clear multiple Clots, Stalkers, and Crawlers
- Aim at the ground — Explosions have splash damage, aim at the ground near groups
- Don't waste ammo — Save explosives for groups, not single enemies
Against Large Zeds
Scrakes:
- Explosives can rage Scrakes easily—be careful
- Use explosives only if you can kill them quickly
- Coordinate with teammates for takedowns
Fleshpounds:
- Explosives are effective but can rage them
- Use from a distance
- Coordinate with team to avoid accidental rages
Patriarch:
- Explosives are great for dealing damage
- Use during his vulnerable phases
- Watch out for his rocket launcher—he can one-shot you
Advanced Techniques
Grenade Launcher Techniques
- Bounce shots — Use walls and ceilings to hit enemies around corners
- Airburst — Time your shots to explode in the air above groups
- Ground shots — Aim at the ground for maximum splash damage
Pipe Bomb Placement
- Chokepoints — Place at doorways and narrow passages
- Retreat paths — Cover your escape routes
- Boss fights — Place around the area before the boss spawns
Ammo Management
- Buy strategically — Don't waste money on ammo you won't use
- Share with team — If you have extra money, help teammates
- Save for waves — Don't waste ammo on early waves
L.A.W. vs grenade launchers
Source: killingfloor.ru forum.
From the "Подрывник и закон." ("Demolitions and the LAW") thread:
- M79/M32 damage is 350, or 560 for a maxed Demolitions. L.A.W. damage is 950, or 1520 maxed.
- Full ammo on a maxed Demolitions: M32 is 36 × 560 = 20160, L.A.W. is 22 × 1520 = 33440. The M32 can deal more damage thanks to its fire rate, but the L.A.W. is more consistent.
- In the thread author's experience on Normal, an L.A.W. rocket kills almost any specimen on a hit except the Scrake, Fleshpound and Patriarch, and its damage against crowds pays for the rockets. Downsides: a miss may deal no damage at all, firing at close range is dangerous to yourself, you must aim, and with friendly fire on it is easy to kill a teammate.
- A bit of history from a thread member: the L.A.W. was originally prepared for Support, before Demolitions existed; later the grenades and the L.A.W. were moved into a perk of their own.
Pipe bombs on the Patriarch
In the "Подрывник и все что с ним связано" ("Demolitions and everything about it") thread on the killingfloor.ru forum, players pointed out that Demolitions used to stack all their pipe bombs in one pile to kill the Patriarch, but a patch removed this trick (the thread asked whether it was patch 1025), and pipes stacked in one spot no longer work the way they used to.
Old Demolitions weapon stats
From the "Описания оружия" ("Weapon descriptions") thread on the killingfloor.ru forum: the base value and, in brackets, the values for perk levels 0-6 at the time of the thread.
| Weapon | Cost | Damage | Magazine | Max ammo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M79 | 1200 (1080/960/840/720/600/480/360) | 350 (367/385/420/455/490/525/560) | 1 | 24 |
| M32 | 2500 (2250/2000/1750/1500/1250/1000/750) | 350 (367/385/420/455/490/525/560) | 6 | 36 |
| LAW | 3000 (2700/2400/2100/1800/1500/1200/900) | 950 (997/1045/1140/1235/1330/1425/1520) | 1 | 10 (10/12/14/16/18/20/22) |
| Pipe bomb | 1500 (750/690/630/570/510/450/390) | 1500 (1575/1650/1800/1950/2100/2250/2400) | - | 2 (2/3/4/5/6/7/8) |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Raging large Zeds — Be careful with explosives around Scrakes and Fleshpounds
- Friendly fire — Watch where you're shooting, explosives hurt teammates
- Wasting ammo — Don't use explosives on single trash Zeds
- Poor positioning — Don't get caught without a backup weapon
- Ignoring trash — Your job is crowd control, not just big Zed damage
Team Composition
Demolitions works best with:
- Sharpshooter — Can handle large Zeds while you clear trash
- Support — Can weld doors and provide close-range defense
- Medic — Keeps you alive while you deal damage
- Commando — Can spot Stalkers and help with trash
Leveling Tips
- Play on Normal or Hard — Easier to get kills and level up
- Focus on trash Zeds — Kill as many as possible for XP
- Use explosives efficiently — More kills = more XP
- Play with friends — Coordinate for better results
Build Variations
Pure Explosive Build
- Focus on grenade launchers only
- Maximum explosive damage
- Best for crowd control
Hybrid Build
- Mix explosives with shotguns or assault rifles
- More versatile but less specialized
- Good for solo play
Support Build
- Focus on area denial with pipe bombs
- Support teammates with crowd control
- Less damage, more utility
Conclusion
Demolitions is a powerful and fun perk that rewards aggressive play and good positioning. Master the grenade launcher, learn to control crowds, and you'll be an invaluable asset to any team. Remember—you're not just about damage, you're about control. Clear the trash, deny areas, and support your teammates.
