KF2 All Perks Guide: Weapons, Skills and Big Zed Tactics

This page is a translated, condensed summary of a very long Chinese community guide that goes through every perk of Killing Floor 2 as it was played around 2017: the Zeds are classified as small, medium and big (Scrake and Fleshpound are written SC and FP), and numbers and balance details belong to that game version, so check the current values in the game. The author also recommends playing in English, as he finds the official Chinese localization error-prone. For the tactical reload trick mentioned below see KF2 perk skills build guide for a modern comparison.

Useful general tips from the introduction:

• Tactical empty reload: since an update, a melee/butt strike can be cancelled by firing, so you can hold fire while reloading and press the melee key (V by default) when the new magazine is in, or press melee and then fire. This speeds up reloading a lot and makes reload skills less necessary.
• A team should have a balanced mix: roughly two big-Zed specialists, two small-Zed killers and two generalists out of six.
• Many players rebind melee/push from V to F.

Commando

A strong killer of small and medium Zeds with excellent self defense and team buffs; weak against big Zeds. Main tasks: kill trash, give stealth detection to the team, call out the health of big Zeds and extend Zed Time. Recommended as the first perk for newcomers.

Passives: +25% weapon damage, stealth detection and enemy health bars within 60 m, Zed Time extended by 6 seconds (killing in Zed Time extends it fully, so it can last half a minute), +10% reload speed, night vision.

Weapons: the tier-1 9mm rifle is cheap, accurate and one-shots small Zeds with skills; use single fire, and with a Support it can give lots of ammo (taking the right level 20 skill raises ammo pick-ups). The SA80 raises fire rate but has little reserve. The AK-12 is a good stopgap with a large magazine. The M16-M203 is considered weak for its price. The SCAR has a small magazine but excellent damage, accuracy and reload (the tactical reload helps a lot). The Stoner has a high fire rate and is heavy, but the Medic 401 rifle outperforms it. The Medic 401 on a Commando gets stability, magazine and damage bonuses and strong knockback; recommended.

Loadouts: SCAR plus 401 (with a spare 101 pistol or Desert Eagle); AK plus SCAR with a Katana to block Fleshpounds (do not block Scrakes); or a single SCAR plus double-barrel shotgun for boss waves (the shotgun recoil jump dodges boss attacks). Always keep a spare SCAR on the ground in the boss wave.

Skills: level 5 magazine size; level 10 pistol/knife damage early, then switch speed or impact (impact lets a Commando take on a Scrake alone); level 15 health; level 20 the recoil reduction or bigger magazine option (the author prefers the recoil reduction); level 25 either option, the author likes the Zed Time fire rate.

Boss wave: Commando has limited burst, so bring only one: handle stealth detection and small Zeds, shoot the boss from range with the 401 plus SCAR.

Berserker

A flexible tank: good against all sizes, with strong healing and mobility, but you must close in, can be pinned in melee, and can block teammates' shots.

Passives: +15% resistance, +25% damage, Clots cannot grab you, night vision.

Style: three builds exist: the big weapons (Zweihander), the Eviscerator build and the shield-hammer build.

• Katana and Crovel (Lawn mower shovel): Excellent against small Zeds; the Crovel falls off against medium Zeds and cannot block big ones.
• Nailgun: stronger than it looks, especially with the tactical reload; good for stragglers in single mode and for clearing groups in spray mode, and very efficient with Vampire.
• Zweihander: very strong against all but Fleshpounds; higher damage and reach than the hammer, best with accurate headshots.
• Pulverizer (hammer): defensive and the best vs Fleshpounds: fast, knockdown on a hit, explosive heavy attack breaks out of crowds; with good skills about five hits kill a Fleshpound.
• Eviscerator (saw blade crossbow): best parry mitigation, strong against Scrakes; thrown blades can save a teammate, a full-damage build kills a Scrake with 4 blades to the chest; Fleshpounds are harder (headshots only).
• Bone Crusher (shield and mace): parry reduction is not high but holding block reduces a lot of damage, knocks down Scrakes in two hits and blocks projectile damage; at 1500 it feels expensive.

Melee tips: horizontal swings while standing or strafing have the widest reach; forward or backward swings do slightly more damage; bash (V, F recommended) pushes or stabs; a stab after a forward swing gets a damage bonus; spamming reload lets you re-parry without waiting for the recovery.

Skills: have at least one healing source. Level 5: 175 health (better with a Medic) or speed and regeneration (better in pub games); level 10: Butcher for damage or Vampire when health is tight; level 15: Resistance, or Parry once you can parry reliably; level 20: heavy attack and headshot bonus with knockback for big Zeds; level 25: roar and heal (good with Eviscerator, Pulverizer) or real-time Zed Time (good with Zweihander or Bone Crusher).

Loadouts: Scrake killer (Eviscerator, Katana, 101 or Desert Eagle); the classical (Zweihander, Pulverizer, 101); shield-hammer (Bone Crusher, Pulverizer).

Boss wave: a strong counter: perfect parries with the Eviscerator or holding block with the Bone Crusher (which also blunts missiles and bullets) keep the boss busy. Watch the boss grenades and the standing multi-thrust, both deadly. Spare weight can carry C4 to stick on the boss for stealth detection and last hits.

Medic

The healer: damage output is the lowest of all perks (the author places the 401 below the Commando SA80), but heals let melee perks (Berserker, Firebug) push forward and let gun perks hold their position, and protect fragile perks (Demolitionist, Sharpshooter). A syringe heals about 50 HP solo but only about 20 in multiplayer, so players are expected to heal each other. More players means a Medic matters more: one in six players, two at most, and none in groups of three or fewer.

Passives: +200% syringe recharge (weapons and pocket syringe), +50% healing, 50% poison resistance, +10% move speed, +75% armor. There is no damage bonus.

Skills: level 5 left heals yourself as well when healing teammates and applies the left-tree buffs to yourself; level 10 either move speed on dart or +50% magazine; level 15 left (dart gives teammates +30% attack), the poison on the right is considered a trap; level 20 left (defense for teammates); level 25 left: a healing cloud in Zed Time that also poisons small Zeds.

Weapons: the 101 pistol is very light and every perk should carry it; the 9mm does more to Bloats so use it on Bloats instead. The SMG 201 is a decent self-defense but heals little more. The Medic 301 shotgun has the best damage output of the Medic weapons but weak heals and is worse against large Zeds; the 401 rifle is the final form and the first purchase priority. The blood gun is not recommended.

Loadout: 401 plus 101 usually works until wave 8; spend spare dosh on teammates who are short for key weapons. Rebind the syringe key from the middle mouse button to a side button.

Boss wave: very few teams survive the boss wave without a Medic; bring one or two. Carry 401, 101 and either Katana, double-barrel or dual Deagles, plus C4 if you like. Keep a distance so you see everyone, do not waste darts on teammates being drained by Hans, and decide between healing and clearing trash.

Support

A strong generalist with high direct damage and high penetration, but short range and slow fire rate, so it is harassed by Stalkers and Crawlers. It repairs doors faster and gives teammates ammo each wave.

Passives: +75% welding efficiency, repairs broken doors, ammo resupply for the team, +25% damage, +500% penetration, +5 carry weight, +25% ammo.

Skills: level 5 faster reload before you own the AA12, magazine size after; level 10 +30% damage (recommended early) or +50% health; level 15 tighter spread (clearly better); level 20 either extra ammo with armor for teammates, or more impact (a butt strike alone knocks back a Scrake); level 25 fire rate.

Weapons: the SG500 is a keepsake (one of few tier-1 weapons that one-shots medium Zeds); the double-barrel has more pellets and damage, creates thrust to climb onto ledges and dodge attacks, and after changes is excellent; the black double-barrel is a good bridge; dragon's breath burns small Zeds from a glancing hit but panics big ones (a drawback for the big-Zed team); the Nailgun is oddly good in tight rooms; the M4 shotgun is outclassed; the Medic 301 benefits from Support bonuses. The AA12 is the key T4 weapon: stable burst, huge reserve and a 30-round magazine; it handles Scrakes alone and cleans up weak Fleshpounds. Standard setup: AA12 plus double-barrel plus 101 (301 or dragon's breath when ammo is needed).

Killing big Zeds: two double-barrel headshot volleys kill a Scrake at close range; three volleys kill a Fleshpound (four quick volleys with reload skills and tactical reload can kill it on the spot); with the AA12 hold fire on a Scrake's head, and a Fleshpound dies in about 15 rounds to the head.

Role: works well with both the AOE group (Demolitionist, Firebug, Berserker) and the precision group. Weakness: poor range and accuracy against medium Zeds, no crowd control. In the boss wave bring the double-barrel and the AA12 with a spare AA12 on the ground; clear small Zeds first.

Demolitionist

Very high damage vs single and groups, but the worst self-defense and anti-harassment, because grenades reload slowly. One grenade kills a group of small Zeds, medium Zeds die in one or two, and the RPG kills a Fleshpound in about three hits and a Scrake in two or three (the RPG warhead does four times damage to Scrakes).

Passives: +25% damage, 60% explosion resistance (also vs Husk suicide explosions), +5 ammo, supplies a grenade to teammates each wave. Explosive doors: welds glow orange and explode when broken, but they enrage Fleshpounds and cannot be repaired. Reactive armor: an otherwise fatal hit leaves you at 5 HP and creates an explosion.

Skills: level 5 +25% damage (preferred) or +20% reload; level 10 right (+5 ammo, effectively a free 5 rockets with an RPG; the impact bonus on the left is nearly irrelevant); level 15 left: explosives ignore Sirens' scream (essential, as two Sirens can neutralize all your weapons); level 20 right (knockdown power for Scrakes and Fleshpounds) but left in the boss wave; level 25 left (nuke: Zed Time grenades +50% damage and leave a toxic cloud) early on, right (barrage: normal reload in Zed Time, no self-damage) later when ammo is plentiful.

Weapons: the grenade pistol has an odd 4 weight; the M79 is the best T2 trash killer (650, biggest radius at 850, large reserve) and can carry the game until wave 10; do not use it on big Zeds. C4 has a tiny 400 radius, high damage, low ammo and no safe distance; detonating in quick succession reduces damage to 75%. The M16-M203 is poor value. The RPG is expensive with a small radius: do not use it on small Zeds, aim carefully at Scrakes (headshot with two RPG rockets or three body hits), and use the bash-reload cancel for Fleshpounds. The rapid missile launcher is not recommended.

Loadout: M79 first, then RPG, sometimes M79 plus RPG plus 101. Against the boss prefer RPG with Katana or 301 or double-barrel, and C4 for last hits and stealth detection. Hans is small and dodges, so aim at the floor; Kevin Clamely (Patriarch) is slightly explosion resistant, so hit him directly.

Tip: do not play next to Sharpshooter and Gunslinger, whose precision shots are disturbed by your explosions.

Firebug

The best at holding a position: large AOE plus strong crowd control, easy to play. Weaknesses: short range, flames obstruct other players' view and panic Zeds, and damage to big Zeds and the boss is very low. Do not play Firebug in the boss wave.

Passives: +20% damage, +20% reload, 80% fire resistance (ignores Husk fire), complete immunity to your own flames, +50% starting ammo.

Skills: level 5 damage; level 10 splash damage (aim at the floor; with the Microwave gun take flame duration instead); level 15 spreading fire (essential with the Microwave gun) or exploding Zeds; level 20 push (flames push Zeds, which saves you) or range; level 25 normal fire rate and no ammo use in Zed Time.

Weapons: the tier-1 flamethrower (Flamethrower, pocket version) is the best T1 weapon; sweep the floor and use slow bursts. The dragon's breath shotgun is limited by reload. The dual Flare revolvers have fast fire rate and good damage and are recommended. The big flamethrower is a stronger version. The Microwave gun has low direct damage; use direct fire plus floor fire to ignite and the shockwave to push whole crowds back.

Tactics: your damage rises with enemy density, so stand where Zeds crowd. When big Zeds arrive, stop firing and let the specialists work, because panic erratic movement hurts their aim. Stuns, freezes, knockdowns and panic have cooldowns, so chain them rather than rely on one. Firebug pairs well with Demolitionist and Berserker as an AOE trio.

Gunslinger

A hybrid that is good against both small and big Zeds, with a small magazine and high damage per shot, fast movement and long range, and little survivability in melee. Needs accuracy; recoil is high at low level and gets small with levels and skills.

Passives: +25% damage, 30% bullet resistance, +20% speed, -25% recoil, +75% Zed Time reload speed.

Weapons: the dual 1858 revolvers are only for leveling; dual 1911 are a good transitional weapon for small and medium Zeds; the dual Flare revolvers are an easy spray weapon; the black lever action rifle is the Gunslinger's artifact (it stacks with reload and headshot bonuses) and can take Scrakes and Fleshpounds; dual Deagles with stacking headshot bonus one-shot small Zeds' chests and kill a Clot-type in one, a Gorefast in two; dual M500 hit extremely hard and take down Scrakes and even Fleshpounds, but overkill on trash. The 101 Medic pistol pushes damage thresholds and heals for 1 weight.

Skills: level 5 right (hip-fire recoil, +5% speed, faster weapon switch, and also faster syringe draw); level 10 left (stacking headshot damage; right is for boss damage); level 15 faster reload; level 20 left (headshots slow Zeds); level 25 either: free ammo in Zed Time (popular as ammo is scarce) or normal reload and fire rate.

Loadout: double M500 plus double Deagle are essential; the remaining 5 weight can be dual 1911 plus a 101. Early: duals 1911 or 9mm to earn money. A Gunslinger fights best alone on a defense point, because Zeds always target you and heads move predictably. With the M500 a Scrake staggers on about the fifth shot (stop or re-aim); a Fleshpound raging low is fine, the cross-hair can chase its head. Need to keep plenty of spare M500 on the floor in the boss wave; the perk is great vs the boss (fast, bullet resistant, high burst), but ammo is tight.

Sharpshooter

Professional big-Zed counter with strong headshot damage and two stuns (freeze and tranquilize). Headshots are essential: the +25% passive applies only to headshots and no longer to body shots. Also -25% recoil and +50% weapon switch speed.

Weapons: the lever-action rifle (T1) fits both tiers of small-Zed killing; the crossbow is a pure big-Zed stunner (can stun a Fleshpound or Scrake at any hit with the right skill) with limited reserve; the black lever action doubles damage and is the only T2 that can easily kill big Zeds; single M500 is a strong self-defense weapon; the M14 is the fastest firing and best at small Zeds while still safely killing big Zeds; the railgun has extreme damage and low fire rate, kills a Scrake in one headshot and a Fleshpound in two, but is heavy (10 weight) and needs standing still and crouching.

Skills: level 5 left (+25% standing damage, essential for a railgun) or right (+25% fire rate and +10% speed); level 10 left for railgun builds (+30% crouched damage), right for crossbow/M14 (+100% stun power); level 15 headshot stacking (or faster reload with the lever-action); level 20 whichever you like; level 25 left (more headshot damage in Zed Time), right (stun everything in Zed Time) in the boss wave.

Builds: railgun: all left skills. M14 plus crossbow: roughly left, right, left, right, left. Freeze grenades are strong with either.

Boss wave: take the railgun, keep spare railguns on the ground, shoot from a distance, watch out for small Zeds, and throw all freeze grenades when the boss flees. Do not use the M14 against the boss.

SWAT

A semi-support perk that handles small Zeds with fast SMGs and is good at controlling big Zeds with flash grenades; weak raw damage compared to the Commando SCAR or Support AA12, and its skills are mostly defense, mobility, ammo and control.

Passives: +25% damage, 30% bullet resistance, +100% SMG magazine, +25% weapon switch speed.

Skills: level 5 left (+50 armor and Zed attacks do no health damage while armor lasts, except screams, plus Clot grab immunity) or right (crouch walking without speed penalty); level 10 left early (pistol/knife damage), right later (reload); level 15 impact (needed to push a Scrake with the P90) or ammo; level 20 left (+50 armor max and start with 50) or right (bullets slow Zeds); level 25 either: left for survival (real-time movement and bowling over Zeds) or right for output (real-time fire rate, double impact, free ammo).

Weapons: the MP7 has awkward damage thresholds; the MP5 is better but has no red dot; the Medic SMG is not recommended; the P90 (T3) kills Scrakes with the impact skill; the UMP has lower fire rate but high damage per shot and the author thinks it beats the P90; the T4 Kriss-type (Vector) SMG has a small magazine, huge fire rate and can kill a Scrake with or without flash grenades, though a Fleshpound alone is still hard. Typical loadout: Vector plus P90 or UMP. SWAT has poor early income, so earning money first on Firebug or Berserker is recommended.

Role: a team's lubricant, strongest in groups of 2 to 4. A Scrake can block and then ignores stuns. In the boss wave SWAT is not recommended: if you bring one, carry several Vectors.

Survivalist

The author dislikes this perk and gives no guide: it has no knife of its own, copies skills from other perks, has a random starting weapon and poor bullet efficiency. He considers it a product of developer laziness that replaced the cancelled Martial Artist perk. Check the current game for the state of this perk.