Perks & Classes

Killing Floor Sharpshooter Guide - Headshot Mastery

The Sharpshooter is the designated "Big Game Hunter". Your job isn't to kill 100 Clots; it's to kill the 3 Scrakes that would otherwise wipe the team.

Sharpshooter perk art Sharpshooter, the precision and headshot perk.

Role Overview

  • Primary: Kill Scrakes and Fleshpounds immediately.
  • Secondary: Pick off Husks and Sirens from distance.
  • Weakness: Can be overwhelmed by swarms of Crawlers/Stalkers if reloading.

Perk Bonuses

  • Headshot Damage: Massive multiplier (up to +140% or more depending on server settings).
  • Recoil Reduction: Laser accuracy.
  • Reload Speed: Critical for weapons like the Crossbow and 9mm.

Weapon Choices

Sharpshooter weapons Sharpshooter weapons: rifles, crossbows and the M99.

1. The Crossbow (Xbow)

  • Role: Stun & Execute.
  • Why use it: A headshot on a Scrake (even on high difficulty) usually stuns him. While he is stunned, you can finish him off.
  • Economy: Bolts are reusable. Shoot, kill, pick up bolt. Infinite ammo potential.
    • You can pick up a bolt that is stuck in a wall after a miss or after passing through a zed; the game shows "You picked up a bolt". According to the killingfloor.ru forum (thread "Sharpshooter perk: an interesting fact", 2011), bolts only stay for a short time, about 10 seconds, and running for a bolt mid-wave can get you killed.

2. M14 EBR

  • Role: Trash clearing & DPS.
  • Why use it: Laser sight allows hip-fire accuracy. Good for clearing medium Zeds quickly without reloading after every shot.
  • Cons: Does not stun Scrakes as reliably as the Xbow.

3. M99 AMR (The Big Gun)

  • Role: Delete button.
  • Pros: Highest damage in the game.
  • Cons: Extremely heavy (can't carry much else), ammo costs a fortune ($250 per bullet usually).
  • Usage: Only for late waves or Boss wave.

4. 9mm / Handcannons / MK23

  • Role: Backup.
  • Note: Sharpshooters get huge bonuses with pistols. A dual 9mm or MK23 can decapitate trash Zeds effectively, saving your big ammo.

Tactics: Dealing with Giants

Scrake The Scrake, the chainsaw-wielding heavy that rages when hurt.

The Scrake Takedown (Xbow)

  1. Wait for a clear shot.
  2. Aim for the head.
  3. Fire. The Scrake should flinch/stun.
  4. Reload and fire again while he is stunned.
  5. Result: Dead Scrake, zero damage taken.

The Fleshpound Takedown

Fleshpounds are harder because they rage.

  • M99: Just shoot the head.
  • Crossbow: Requires multiple headshots. DO NOT shoot if he is calm unless you can burst him down. Coordinate with a Demolitions expert.

Sharpshooter vs. Fleshpound in a Suicidal team

Source: killingfloor.ru forum, "Снайп против fp" thread.

The thread starter complained that on Suicidal it is hard to land three crossbow shots in a row: the distance is short, everyone is shooting, and the Fleshpound thrashes around. Replies in the thread:

  • In a real team game the Sharpshooter's main job is Husks and the secondary job is Sirens. Sometimes you will have to pick off small fry, stun or kill a Scrake, or enrage a Fleshpound with a headshot while he is on a pipe bomb or under grenades.
  • On "classic" (10 waves, HoE) one player puts 2 bolts into the Fleshpound and the Supports finish him; if the Fleshpound walked onto pipe bombs, 1 bolt, and the Supports or a second Sharpshooter finish him.
  • The same player uses the Desert Eagle for Husks and Sirens and the MK23 (written "M23" in the thread) for small fry; if there are many Husks or they shoot from far away, the crossbow.

Tips

  • Crouch: Crouching reduces recoil and prevents you from blocking teammates' shots behind you.
  • Don't Panic: If a Scrake gets close, switching to a Knife/Pistol to run is better than missing a point-blank sniper shot.
  • Prioritize Sirens: Your team's Demolitions expert is useless if a Siren is screaming (she destroys explosives). Kill her first.