Killing Floor Firebug Guide - Weapons, Levels 0-6, Tips
The Firebug is the fire perk of the original Killing Floor. Its job is to set ZEDs alight and keep the small and medium ones from ever reaching the team. Its role is damage dealing and crowd control, and every perk weapon uses incendiary ammo or flame. For Killing Floor 2's version of the class, see the KF2 pages; this guide covers KF1 only.
Firebug perk art from Killing Floor.
Role at a glance
The Firebug perk icon.
- Role: Damage Dealer, Crowd Control.
- Weapon class: Incendiary weapons.
- How it levels: By dealing fire damage. The game counts the damage even if Firebug is not your current perk, so burning ZEDs on another perk still adds progress.
- Signature bonuses: Fire resistance from the first level, a longer and bigger Flame Thrower, incendiary grenades from level 3 and full fire immunity from level 5.
- MAC-10 bonus: In a Firebug's hands, the MAC-10 fires incendiary rounds that set ZEDs on fire.
Perk weapons
Firebug weapons: Husk Fireball Launcher, Flame Thrower, Trench Gun and Flare Revolver.
| Weapon | Notes |
|---|---|
| MAC-10 | Compact SMG. Gets bigger magazines with each level and incendiary rounds when used by a Firebug. |
| Flare Revolver | DLC weapon. A revolver that fires flares. |
| Flame Thrower | The core Firebug weapon. Fuel capacity, reload speed and range all scale with perk level. Free spawn weapon from level 5. |
| Trench Gun | A pump shotgun loaded with incendiary shells. |
| Husk Fireball Launcher | The arm cannon taken from the Husk. Fires fireballs that explode on impact. |
Level requirements and bonuses (0-6)
Every level from 1 to 6 is unlocked by dealing a set amount of damage with Firebug weapons.
| Level | Requirement (perk weapon damage) | Perk damage | Perk reload | Discount | Fire resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Default | +5% | - | 10% | 50% |
| 1 | 25,000 | +10% | +5% | 20% | 60% |
| 2 | 100,000 | +20% | +10% | 30% | 70% |
| 3 | 500,000 | +30% | +15% | 40% | 80% |
| 4 | 1,500,000 | +40% | +20% | 50% | 90% |
| 5 | 3,500,000 | +50% | +25% | 60% | 100% |
| 6 | 5,500,000 | +60% | +30% | 70% | 100% |
Flame Thrower, MAC-10 and extras
| Level | Flame Thrower fuel | Flame Thrower reload | Flame Thrower range | MAC-10 magazine | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | +10% | +10% | - | +12% | - |
| 2 | +20% | +20% | - | +24% | - |
| 3 | +30% | +30% | +50% | +36% | Incendiary Grenades |
| 4 | +40% | +40% | +50% | +48% | Incendiary Grenades |
| 5 | +50% | +50% | +100% | +60% | Incendiary Grenades, spawn with Flame Thrower |
| 6 | +60% | +60% | +100% | +60% | Incendiary Grenades, spawn with Flame Thrower and Armor |
Key breakpoints:
- Level 3: grenades turn incendiary and the Flame Thrower gets +50% range.
- Level 5: 100% fire resistance (Husks can no longer hurt you with fire), double Flame Thrower range and a free Flame Thrower at spawn.
- Level 6: the biggest damage, reload and discount numbers, plus free Armor at the start of the match.
Playing the Firebug
What you are good at
The Firebug's strength is volume. A Flame Thrower sweeping a corridor or doorway sets every small ZED in it on fire at once, so Clots, Gorefasts, Crawlers and Stalkers stop being a problem for the rest of the team. Burning targets keep taking damage after you look away, which lets you spread fire across a group and move on.
What you are weak against
Fire is a slow killer. The large specimens, Scrakes and Fleshpounds, are better handled by a Sharpshooter, Demolitions or a Berserker. Your job when they appear is to keep the trash off the players who are dealing with them, not to try to burn the big target down on your own.
Practical tips
- Use the Flame Thrower range bonuses. At levels 3 and 5 its range grows by 50% and then 100%, so a high-level Firebug can work from further back than a new one.
- Throw incendiary grenades at choke points. From level 3 your grenades leave fire behind, which is useful for blocking a doorway while you reload.
- Do not fear the Husk after level 5. With 100% fire resistance its fireballs do nothing to you, so you can take on Husks that would be dangerous for teammates.
- Watch friendly fire. On servers with friendly fire enabled, a flame stream through your own team hurts them. Keep the line of fire clear.
- Carry a backup. The Trench Gun or the Husk Fireball Launcher gives you burst damage when the Flame Thrower is empty or the target is out of range.
- Level it off-perk. Because any fire damage counts, you can make progress while playing another perk if you carry a fire weapon.
Additions
Source: killingfloor.ru forum, thread "Огнеметчик" / "Firebug", 2011.
Pros, cons and tactics from players of the time:
- Cheap gear. Firebug weapons and ammo cost little; even after buying everything you have money left to share with teammates.
- Weak spots. The thread's author named Fleshpounds, Scrakes and Husks as the perk's problem targets. Against a Husk, one player clears the area around it and finishes it with the knife.
- Open and elevated maps. The MAC-10 sets zeds on fire at range, so Clots, Stalkers and Crawlers die before they reach you; keep the Flame Thrower for emergencies.
- Support for the team. One player noted that a burning Scrake is slowed down, which helps the rest of the team.
- Fuel. One player said the fuel was not enough for him on Hell on Earth from around wave 5 onwards.
- Visibility. Flames block the view both for you and for teammates: others complained they could not aim at big zeds through the fire of a Firebug shooting into the crowd.
- Weapon switching. Switching from the Flame Thrower to the MAC-10 takes a while, which can be fatal in some situations. The Flame Thrower is handy against Crawlers right under your feet.
FAQ
- How do you level the Firebug in Killing Floor?
- By dealing fire damage. You do not have to play as Firebug while doing it: any fire damage you deal counts toward the perk's damage requirements.
- When does the Firebug become immune to fire?
- At level 5. Fire resistance climbs from 50% at level 0 by 10% per level and reaches 100% at level 5, which makes Husk fireballs harmless.
- What does the Firebug spawn with?
- A Flame Thrower from level 5. At level 6 the Firebug also spawns with Armor.
- When do Firebug grenades become incendiary?
- From level 3, the standard frag grenade is replaced with an Incendiary Grenade.
