Killing Floor For Dummies - Perks and Specimens Primer

This is a quick-start primer for the original Killing Floor (KF1), based on a 2013 Steam community guide written for absolute newcomers. It answers three questions: what the game actually is, what each of the seven perks does, and what every specimen on the field will try to do to you. If you want deeper strategy afterwards, continue with the beginner's guide and the full bestiary.

What Killing Floor actually is

Killing Floor is a co-op shooter for up to six players, set in an outbreak-ridden United Kingdom. Almost everyone is dead, and your small team of survivors has to hold out together against waves of specimens (ZEDs). Between waves you visit the Trader to spend money on weapons and armor; the match ends with a boss fight.

People often compare it to Left 4 Dead 2, and the comparison only half works. There is no campaign to walk through: you defend, survive and upgrade. The original guide's best advice still holds: the quickest way to understand the game is to jump in and play a few waves.

Perks

Perks are the game's classes. There are seven of them, each with its own bonuses and preferred weapons, and each levels up as you play with it.

Perk	Main weapons	Beginner-friendly?
Field Medic	Syringe, medic SMGs	Yes, if you like support play
Support Specialist	Shotguns	Yes, a top pick to start
Sharpshooter	Pistols, rifles	No, needs good aim
Commando	Assault rifles	Yes
Berserker	Melee weapons	Medium
Firebug	Flamethrower, MAC-10	Yes
Demolitions	Grenade launchers	Medium, risky

Field Medic

The Field Medic perk bar at level 3.

As the name says, this perk is about healing. A Medic heals teammates far faster and more effectively than anyone else. Higher levels also add strong armor bonuses, so a leveled Medic is hard to kill. The main tool is the syringe, backed by a few submachine guns whose alternate fire shoots healing darts. Full details: Field Medic guide.

Support Specialist

The Support Specialist perk bar at level 4.

Support lives on shotguns. It hits hard, works both solo and in a team and does not demand much skill, which makes it one of the best perks to learn the game with. More: Support Specialist guide.

Sharpshooter

The Sharpshooter perk bar at level 4.

The Sharpshooter is built around headshots. A clean hit to the head deals massive damage and often kills in one shot. Its arsenal runs from pistols to rifles. Because everything depends on aim, the original guide advises newcomers to leave it for later. More: Sharpshooter guide.

Commando

The Commando perk bar at level 4.

Commando uses assault rifles. It is easy to play and a good way to get used to the game. It can also see enemy health bars, and at higher levels it spots cloaked Stalkers from further away. More: Commando guide.

Berserker

The Berserker perk bar at level 3.

The Berserker fights up close with knives, machetes, katanas, swords and axes. It moves faster than the other perks and cannot be held in place by Clots, which is exactly what a melee fighter needs. More: Berserker guide.

Firebug

The Firebug perk bar at level 3.

The Firebug sets specimens on fire, mainly with the Flamethrower and the MAC-10. It is not hard to use and is a fine choice for new players.

Demolitions

The Demolitions perk bar at level 3.

Demolitions relies on grenade launchers and explosives and deals huge damage. The catch: your own blasts can hurt you, so firing at a ZED in your face is a fast way to die. More: Demolitions guide.

Specimens

The classic KF1 lineup, with a Crawler leaping overhead.

Here is the cast you will meet, in the order the guide introduces them:

• Clot - a small grabber. It latches onto you and does not let go until it dies, while others chew on you. Keep your distance and kill Clots before they reach you.
• Crawler - a spider-like creature that scuttles along the floor and leaps at your face. Startling at first, manageable once you learn its timing.
• Gorefast - a fast specimen with a blade fused to its arm. Not hard to kill, but not harmless either.
• Stalker - invisible at range and visible only up close. She tries to ambush you. Easy to kill once spotted; Commandos level partly by killing Stalkers.
• Bloat - a bloated hulk that vomits bile. The bile burns and briefly blurs your vision. Kill it at a distance.
• Husk - a cyborg-like specimen with a cannon for an arm that fires fireballs from range. Up close it is less frightening, apart from the damage of that cannon.
• Siren - her scream damages anyone nearby and even destroys grenades and rockets in mid-air. Do not try to blow her up from close range.
• Scrake - a chainsaw-wielding giant that rages once it takes serious damage. Bring heavy burst damage, such as an automatic shotgun, or as a Berserker hit its head with a katana to stagger it. See Scrake and Fleshpound takedowns.
• Fleshpound - the deadliest regular specimen. It deals massive damage and periodically flies into a rage. Kill it fast, as a team.
• Patriarch - the final boss. He attacks with rockets and a chaingun, can turn invisible and heals himself while cloaked. Guide: Patriarch boss guide.

A note on naming: the first one is the Clot, not "Cloth", a slip that readers of the original guide pointed out.

To sum it up

Killing Floor began life as an Unreal Engine 2 mod and grew into a polished, much-loved co-op game. It is still fun, worth playing, and its DLC adds more to it. For the next step, read about how to buy and play and the overview of classes and perks.