KF2 Berserker Easy Win: Skills, Katana, Eviscerator and Endless Tips

This guide (last updated July 2022) presents a Berserker build for Hell on Earth and for solo or short-wave objectives such as Daily, Weekly and Seasonal tasks and map achievements. The author argues that a level 25 Berserker can handle most situations alone, and that solo on Hell on Earth is easier than with random teammates. See also the Berserker perk and the Berserker build.

Skills

The author's skill picks for a level 25 Berserker.

• Skirmisher: faster movement and regeneration, great for independent survival. Combined with the Hemoclobber it makes self healing easier and lets you outrun most ZEDs, Scrakes included (Fleshpounds you cannot outrun). Of the bosses only Hans Volter is a real threat; do not let him kill your team, especially the Medic.
• Dreadnought: a tank option for taking on Scrakes and Fleshpounds, but it needs a lot of Medic healing and lacks run speed and regeneration.
• Butcher: faster attacks and more damage, applying to all perk weapons including ranged ones like the VLAD and Eviscerator. Helpful in boss fights.
• Vampire: self-healing (3 points per kill) but weak in boss fights unless you kill minions.
• Resistance: 20% less damage from everything plus 20% resistance to poison and sonic damage. Good against Bloats, Sirens, and Abomination and Matriarch sonic attacks.
• Parry: damage reduction after a well-timed block (a green force field means a parry), more attack speed and a damage bonus for 5 seconds. A risk and reward skill, but beware attacks that pierce parries, shown by glowing weapons such as the Scrake chainsaw or Hans claws.
• Massacre: light melee attacks do more damage and are slightly faster, great with Katana or Ion Thruster against weaker ZEDs.
• Smash: strong attacks aimed at the head make Scrakes and Fleshpounds flinch almost every time. Not recommended with the Hemoclobber, because its heavy attacks use ammo.
• Zed Time Spartan: lets you move and attack normally while everyone else slows. Used for damage, retreating, or catching a fleeing Patriarch. The author calls it the best skill.
• Zed Time Berserker Rage: 50% healing and immobilized enemies, which suits Dreadnought, but less useful for those who dislike Zed Time.

Setup details

With regeneration and speed you can outrun Scrakes but not Fleshpounds, though blocking them takes much less damage and calms them, giving you time to flee while regenerating. A perfectly timed block is a parry.

Weapons for the easy win are the Katana and the Eviscerator.

• Katana: excellent against trash and Husks, but Husks can use fireballs, flamethrower or suicide. Attacking from behind is safer, hitting the weakness blows them up (the explosion does not hurt you), and a strong attack can interrupt their suicide. If they start running, keep your distance.
• Scrakes are more dangerous than Fleshpounds because they keep running and attacking. Use strong attacks and block, run when injured, regenerate and use the syringe after their missed attack. For Fleshpounds use strong attacks and blocking; if there are too many, run, block as they come, absorb the hits, and pick them off once calm.
• Smash makes Scrakes and Fleshpounds flinch, helping you interrupt their attacks.
• Eviscerator: shoots and melees. Headshots kill Fleshpounds and Scrakes easily, you can block with it, and it is the most useful boss weapon: melee when the boss is not looking at you, shoot to keep distance, and always block when it is after you.

Common ways to die: Husk suicides (guaranteed death on Hell on Earth when using the Katana; the Eviscerator avoids this), and your team dying early in the wave. In that case take any ammo box, use EMP grenades against Husks and Scrakes (not raging Fleshpounds), and avoid narrow areas where you can be trapped.

Upgrading weapons

After the update the author found a Katana and Eviscerator win possible without upgrades if you know when to kill and when to run, but upgrades make defending easier. Katana upgrades help with unlimited ammo and weaker ZEDs; Eviscerator upgrades help with bigger ZEDs, bosses and ammo use. The author prefers upgrading the Eviscerator as an emergency weapon, but it is expensive, so you may not have spare dosh for the team.

TL;DR and tips

• Pick the skills in the picture and aim for the Katana and Eviscerator; you will have spare dosh by waves 5-6. If you die, get the Katana first and save for the Eviscerator.
• Headshots matter with the Eviscerator on all ZEDs and bosses.
• Keep clicking primary attack with the Katana to hold trash at bay (except Husks at higher difficulty).
• A Medic pistol is optional but lets you heal teammates.
• Keep running; you are faster than almost all ZEDs. Block, and parry when timing is good. Jumping and blocking also sends you flying farther.
• Main build (Skirmisher): do not be aggressive, retreat when needed, pick off ZEDs one by one and avoid large ZEDs unless necessary. Always block raging Fleshpounds. Do not melee bosses; take a shooting weapon.
• Alternate build (Dreadnought): free to play aggressively, but back out below 100 health, using Berserker Rage for instant healing. Still avoid melee on bosses.
• Share dosh with the team; they will need it more than you.

Objective

As Berserker you hold the line so teammates can focus elsewhere, with a Medic watching you and teammates covering your flanks. You also distract large ZEDs. Fight and block.

Alternate weapon choices

• Hemoclobber: the best Katana alternative. It swings slower but heals: hitting a teammate heals them with no ammo cost, and strong swings release a healing explosion that poisons enemies and heals allies and you (costing ammo, so reload). It weighs the same as the Katana. Costs 1200 dosh versus 850. Eviscerator plus Hemoclobber is called an easy win, and it lets you steal the Medic's job.
• HMTech-101 Pistol: optional filler for the spare weight, to heal teammates at range. You also earn trader credit for healing.
• Loadout suggestion: Eviscerator, Hemoclobber or Katana, HMTech-101.

Prices

Weapon	Dosh
Crovel Survival Tool (shovel, starting weapon)	200
Eviscerator	1500
VLAD-1000 Nailgun (alternative for Endless)	750
Frost Fang (DLC, alternative for Endless)	1300
Katana	850
Hemoclobber	1200

Endless mode

Bosses arrive every 5 waves in Endless and dosh is scarcer than in 4-wave games. Prioritize a shooter first: Eviscerator, and if you cannot afford it yet use the VLAD-1000 or Frost Fang temporarily. Do not spend on anything else until you have the Eviscerator. After beating the first boss buy the Hemoclobber or Katana, and optionally the HMTech-101 before any Medic pistol. Keep your shovel until you can afford a replacement melee; do not sell it for the Eviscerator.