KF2 Berserker Guide: Targets, Skill Picks, Weapons and Tricks

This is a friendly, opinionated Berserker guide written for newer players. It explains what the perk should focus on, which zeds to go after, a skill pick for each tier, all the weapons and a handful of tricks the author found over many hours. For a more technical reference see the complete Berserker guide.

1. Main goals

The Berserker.

The Berserker is the definition of a team player: the front defence, even more defensive than the Medic. Go for the big zeds and take the main damage for your team, but do not overdo it. If you die, your team suffers. Take cover to heal or go to a nearby Medic, and keep checking on your teammates.

2. Zed targeting and tactics

Your main targets, in no particular order, are Sirens, Stalkers, Quarter Pounds, Fleshpounds and Scrakes. Distract the big ones and soak their damage, or kill them quickly and move on.

Siren.

• Sirens: kill them first. They hurt health even when teammates have armor. If one stands with a Scrake or Fleshpound, remove the Siren first.

Stalker.

• Stalkers: easy to spot when you stand still and look hard. They are harder to see while you move, so check your blind spots.

Quarter Pound.

• Quarter Pounds: always in groups, so they can hit several teammates. Distract them; an EMP or two stuns them and gives teammates free shots.

Fleshpound.

• Fleshpounds: a serious threat that hits like a truck. Get close and kill quickly. All players tend to focus a Fleshpound, so your job is to deal damage and hold its attention so the others can take trash and recover.

Scrake.

• Scrakes: deadly once provoked. Leave them for last when things settle, and fight them together with your team, but when ready, draw its attention.

3. Skills

The Berserker has the most resistance around level 15 and peaks at 20 and 25. Meanwhile practise in solo or multiplayer.

Level 5: Survival.

• Dreadnaught: "horrible, do not use it".
• Skirmisher: one of the most broken skills because the Berserker is the only perk that regenerates health, giving lots of survivability while fighting.

Level 10: Combat.

• Vampire: lets you live longer, but you need kills, mostly trash. If Firebugs or SWAT are nearby they will steal the trash and leave you with little healing.
• Butcher: helps you be offensive, so that zeds often die before they hit you. Beware of becoming overconfident; stick to an area.

Level 15: Close Combat.

• Resistance: for players who cannot parry; use it while you learn.
• Parry: mostly better, with big resistance and a damage boost. Parry big zeds for defence and offence.

Level 20: Power.

Depends on your weapon. Mostly Smash; Massacre with weapons like the Katana or Static Strikers.

Level 25: Advanced Training.

• Berserker Rage: mostly defensive. Forcing zeds away for a few seconds helps in tight spots, and you also heal.
• Spartan: extra hits during slowed time for a good chunk of damage before time returns to normal.

4. Weapons

Starting weapons

Knife.

• Knife: faster than the Crovel, with slashes and a stab bash that does good damage to a trash zed's head. Only use it if you have no ammo and dropped your weapon.

EMP grenade.

• EMP grenade: disables cloaking and briefly stuns enemies. Throw on large groups or when in trouble. Excellent against the Patriarch because it removes his cloak, letting the team see him when he flees.

Crovel Survival Tool.

• Crovel Survival Tool: fast slashing primary and a hard blunt heavy attack. Use primaries on groups and the heavy attack to one-tap a single enemy.

Tier 2

Katana.

• Katana: the fastest hitting weapon in the game, with a good heavy slash to finish low-HP zeds and a stab bash for range.

Nailgun.

• Nailgun: not the best Berserker weapon since it is a gun, but a wide shotgun spread plus a single-fire mode for range. A backup for the final waves and bosses: good against Hans and the King Fleshpound's shield, and against the Patriarch and Abomination while they run.

Tier 3

Zweihander.

• Zweihander: only for owners of the Deluxe upgrade. Good group control with large sweeping slashes, a hard slash and a stab bash for range.

Pulverizer.

• Pulverizer: the best weapon for taking out large zeds, since its light attacks can stun and floor them; the explosive heavy attack wipes out trash groups and hits very hard on a head.

Tier 4

Eviscerator.

• Eviscerator: melee and ranged. A heavy shot fires a ricocheting buzzsaw that you can pick up again if you miss. Right click activates an under-barrel saw that shreds in front of you but burns gasoline, so use it sparingly. With no gas the secondary becomes a powerful bash that one-taps weak trash. You cannot aim down sights (hence the laser), so turn on crosshairs.

Bone Crusher.

• Bone Crusher: an excellent melee weapon with a strong light smash and extremely hard heavy smash; the heavy sometimes becomes a shield hit that stuns and staggers heavy zeds. The bash staggers big zeds and one-taps lighter ones.

Static Strikers.

• Static Strikers: extremely fast light attacks (the author jokes about the famous shout) and a hard electric heavy attack that stuns like an EMP. The bash is another punch, and you can kill trash with it if you aim at the head.

5. Tips and tricks

• Flying attack: if an enemy is too tall or not bending down, jump, do a heavy attack and then crouch in quick succession so you recover fast. Works well on Bloats (do it after they vomit). Good with the Pulverizer, Static Strikers and Zweihander.
• Tactical withdrawal: if you are low and waiting for a syringe, back off. With Skirmisher you regenerate meanwhile, and your movement speed helps you run.
• Delayed and immediate attacks: some zeds have delayed attacks that ruin your parry, others hit as soon as you are close. Scrakes charge their attacks, so wait for the hit and then parry. Crawlers, Slashers and Alpha Clots attack immediately, so parry right away when they come close.
• Use combos: do not spam. Mix a few light attacks, a bash and a heavy attack, especially on big zeds.
• Block doors and pathways: getting in the way of big zeds heading for teammates is the best thing you can do.
• Music: the author suggests heavy metal or electro for the full experience.

6. Wrapping up

Protect your team, look around so you are not sneaked up on and watch your teammates' blind spots. They are important for completing a game.