KF2 Revamped Guide to All 10 Perks: Skill Picks and Weapons

This is a long opinion guide to all ten Killing Floor 2 perks, rewritten from a Steam guide by a veteran with nearly 900 hours, every perk prestiged at least once and all achievements. It assumes you know the basics. For each perk it explains the role, how the perk helps the team, what each skill tier is for and what each weapon does. It does not cover weapon upgrades or off-perk weapons in depth. For other views see the all-perks community guide and the perks A to Z guide.

Difficulty and perk level (partly opinion)

• Normal: the tutorial difficulty; you do not need to return once you know the game.
• Hard: what could really be called normal. Good for level 0-5 perks for fairly experienced players, or for teamwork-reliant perks such as Berserker and Demolitionist.
• Suicidal: a big jump from Hard. Beginner mistakes get you killed. Be considerate when playing a low-level perk here: trash clearers are usually fine, big ZED killers and aggro soakers are usually not.
• Hell on Earth: for a challenge and winning; not advised until about level 20 on just about any perk, since small mistakes, even by others, can kill you.

Terminology

• Trash: the weakest, most numerous ZEDs, Gorefiend and weaker.
• Mid-size ZEDs: Sirens, Bloats, Husks, Rioters and E.D.A.R.s. Quarter Pounds are closer to mid-size and the most dangerous of them. The E.D.A.R.'s central weak spot is very vulnerable to bullet perks but almost useless for others.
• Big ZEDs: Fleshpounds and Scrakes, and the boss can be thought of as one.
• Stun vs knockdown vs reaction: a knocked-down ZED ragdolls and falls; a stunned one stands still briefly; reaction is the stumble from a powerful attack, such as a Rioter ducking a grenade.
• Passive bonuses: percentage bonuses that grow with level plus unique mechanics, like the SWAT's magazine size or the Support's ammo backpack.
• High or low player count: 4 players is high, 3 and under is low. Player count changes ZED health and the total per wave, and 3-4 players is the rough threshold where specialized roles become important.
• Damage thresholds: you never see exact numbers, only how many shots a kill takes. A bonus matters when it turns two shots into one.
• Aggro, kiting and penetration: aggro is who a ZED is targeting (soaking means pulling it onto yourself); kiting is running while damaging; penetration is how many ZEDs a bullet passes through (ZEDs only, never walls).

Berserker

Role: the team tank. Block choke points with your body and take aggro from big ZEDs so teammates can kill them. Attacks are directional, so you must aim where you intend to hit. Be careful on Suicidal and up: groups of Sirens and Husk flamethrower or suicide attacks hurt a lot.

• Dreadnought vs Skirmisher: take Dreadnought with a decent Medic; Skirmisher if you have no reliable healing.
• Vampire vs Butcher: Butcher almost always. Vampire's heal rate is capped.
• Resistance vs Parry: Parry. It is a cornerstone skill, and its damage resistance is bigger and applies to all damage types.
• Power vs Massacre: depends on the team. If others kill big ZEDs and you hold a choke point, light attacks (Massacre) are enough; if you do the damage to big ZEDs, especially with the Pulverizer, take Power.
• Berserker Rage vs Spartan: Spartan, the speed in ZED Time. "It is not even a choice."

Weapons:

• Crovel: starting weapon, slashing damage, a good trash clearer, only marginally worse than the Katana.
• Katana: small upgrade; swings a bit faster.
• Nail Gun: one of the few ranged options, but most skills apply to melee only. Niche early use against Sirens and Husks.
• Zweihander: a Chivalry: Medieval Warfare promotional item; anyone can buy it if you or someone on the server owns that game. An upgrade on the Katana, good for trash but not big ZEDs.
• Pulverizer: very good against big ZEDs if you must do most of the damage. Light hits crush (good against Scrakes), heavy hits explode (good against Fleshpounds), one-shots Sirens or Husks with Power. Needs reloading.
• Eviscerator: top-tier ranged and melee weapon. The primary fire launches a saw blade that does ridiculous damage; a couple of head hits kill Scrakes or Fleshpounds at any difficulty and melt bosses. Alt fire is a gas buzzsaw. Fired blades can be picked up and you can parry with it.
• Bone Crusher: for full face-tanking or holding a choke point; the shield protects, the club crushes. Good for tanking bosses.
• Static Strikers: heavy attacks shock and stun, preventing abilities. Pair with a Pulverizer or Bone Crusher.
• EMP Grenades: little damage but stun ZEDs in an area. Small ones wander aimlessly; large ones still attack but cannot use abilities, so Sirens will not scream, Bloats will not vomit and big ZEDs will not rage. Use right before you rush something dangerous.

Tips: lead the way if a hold fails; melee is the best way to stumble ZEDs off a swarmed teammate; with your stun and aggro you are best placed to start a big ZED fight, so check the situation and call for help; armor matters less for you, so skip it in early waves to save money.

Commando

Role: trash killer with flexibility. Use assault rifles with precision, help on big ZEDs when you can and stay a bit back. You passively highlight Stalkers (and the Patriarch) from afar at higher levels, extend ZED Time (stronger with more level 25s on the team) and see enemy health.

• Tactical Reload vs High Capacity Mags: not very consequential. Tactical Reload is better at low levels; High Capacity helps the AR-15 and SCAR-H (20 up to 30).
• Fallback vs Impact Rounds: Fallback for swap speed; Impact Rounds for stumble in later waves with many mid-size ZEDs (redundant with a SWAT on the team).
• Tenacious vs Prepared: health and armor for small squads and solo; ammo for long, large late waves.
• Hollow Point Rounds vs Eat Lead: Hollow Point, the damage can cut a bullet from each kill. Doubling the magazine is overkill.
• Tactician vs Machine Gunner: lean Machine Gunner (very good against Scrakes); Tactician has niche uses, such as tossing M16 grenades in real time.

Weapons:

• AR-15: starting weapon. Use alt fire to leave burst mode; basically a stronger 9mm and great for maintaining ZED Time. Ammo is cheap.
• SA80 L85A2: the same damage per shot as the AR-15 but with a holographic sight, full auto and 30 rounds. A stepping stone on higher difficulties and larger games.
• AK-12: a good all-rounder, with a red dot and 30 rounds. Kills Crawlers in one hit and Gorefasts with one headshot.
• SCAR-H: really a DMR, 20 rounds, a headshot machine that kills almost any medium or smaller ZED with 1-2 headshots. Best in single fire. Great for helping with Scrakes, but do not overdo it.
• Stoner 63A LMG: 75 rounds and a huge fire rate, fun and usable but eats ammo. Pair it with an M16 or SCAR-H.
• HMTech-401: the Medic rifle, a very good gun with 40 rounds; use it if you play Commando with no medic, but you are still not a medic.
• M16 M203: not the strongest rifle, but the grenades are useful. It deletes Sirens or Rioters with a headshot and clears 5-10 close ZEDs; a grenade does 10-40% of a Fleshpound's health depending on difficulty. If you interrupt the grenade reload you must alt fire to reload manually.
• HE Grenade: explodes in an area; good for a small patch of trash, a Fleshpound in an emergency or a door about to break.

Tip: clearing trash is your primary job, and in harder multiplayer games your Medic rifle or M16 will not cut it.

Support

Role: shotguns throwing huge damage down choke points, welding doors faster than others and handing out ammo mid-wave. Shotgun pellets have travel time, so lead far targets. You can fight big ZEDs head-on with the AA-12 or Doomstick, but the margin for error on higher difficulties is tiny, and welding doors is dangerous there.

• High Capacity Magazines vs Tactical Reload: tube-fed shotguns want Tactical Reload; magazine-fed ones want big magazines. The AA-12 gets a 30-round drum, enough to obliterate several Scrakes with your team. The double-barrel Boomstick does not get an increase.
• Fortitude vs Salvo: the damage bonus (Salvo) in nearly all cases.
• Armor Piercing Shot vs Tight Choke: penetration is redundant by level 15; Tight Choke turns shotguns nearly into rifles, more useful for the AA-12 and M4 and slightly uncomfortable for the SG500. The Boomstick and Doomstick do not change.
• Resupply Pack vs Concussion Rounds: Resupply Pack almost always: 30% of teammates' ammo per wave plus free armor and more carried ammo for you.
• Penetrator vs Barrage: Barrage. A full AA-12 drum to the head kills any big ZED, and you can put three quarters of a mag into a target in ZED Time. Penetration is already huge at 25.

Weapons:

• SG 500: starting pump shotgun, 8 rounds, poor; swap soon.
• HZ-12 Multi-action: flexible magazine-fed double-barrel pump, 16 rounds extendable to 24. Kills most mid-size ZEDs in two shots.
• Double Barrel Boomstick: two shells, large spread. Fun, but the HZ-12 is more reliable. Alt fire shoots both barrels with high stumble chance.
• M4 Combat Shotgun: semi-auto, red dot, precise but loads one by one.
• AA-12: full auto with a 20-round drum, extendable to 30; the main choice for sustained damage to big ZEDs, especially Scrakes. Expensive ammo, so carry another shotgun for trash.
• Doomstick: a bigger boomstick with more damage, stumble, weight and price; get close to the head and use alt fire for all four barrels. Viable, but you need a more reliable trash clearer.
• VLAD-1000 Nailgun: cross-perk with a shotgun mode; low pellet count and poor damage.
• HMTech-301 Shotgun: the Medic's semi-auto, magazine-fed shotgun, usable but not a main.
• Incendiary Trench Gun: not good; tiny pellet damage and no benefit from Support skills.
• Frag grenade: smaller blast than the HE but shrapnel everywhere gives a slightly larger effective range; good against large groups of trash.

Tip: stand a little farther back from the trader between waves.

Medic

Role: heal teammates with the alt fire. All Medic weapons except the grenade rifle fire darts from a recharging energy system (100 charge, lower tiers use more per dart and recharge slower). All weapons except the Hemogoblin heal the same per dart. Aiming at an injured teammate locks on after about half a second.

• Symbiotic Health vs Resilience: Symbiotic Health every time. It heals you when you heal others and your buffs apply to you and stack.
• Adrenaline Shot vs Combatant Doctor: the buff skill (Adrenaline Shot) in multiplayer; you can also boost full-health players.
• Focus Injection vs Acidic Rounds: Focus Injection. Acidic's poison has about a half-second delay and is only useful on the weakest trash.
• Coagulant Booster vs Battle Surgeon: the non-buff skill is slightly more useful, but not by much. Coagulant gives resistance to people who face-tank; Battle Surgeon's 20% damage helps solo play.
• Airborne Agent vs Zedative: Airborne Agent almost exclusively; you become a healing grenade in ZED Time for free.

Weapons:

• HMTech-101 pistol: weaker than the 9mm; 50 charge per dart, almost useless as a weapon.
• HMTech-201 SMG: perhaps the lowest per-shot damage in the game; 40 charge per dart.
• HMTech-301 Shotgun: 10 rounds, a good secondary; 35 charge per dart and noticeably faster recharge.
• HMTech-401 Assault Rifle: the staple, 40 rounds, 30 charge per dart and quick recharge. At high levels you heal almost infinitely and it kills up to medium ZEDs.
• Hemogoblin: shoots syringes that debuff ZEDs (slower, less damage dealt, more damage taken). Only worth it on big ZEDs, 2-3 shots for full effect. Pair with an assault rifle.
• HMTech-501 Grenade Rifle: 30 rounds, shoots healing grenades that use ammo; useful if the squad stays still in a confined space.
• Healing grenade: a gas that heals about 5 health per half second inside and poisons ZEDs; it goes through welded doors.

Tips: heal people in immediate danger first and think of saving lives, not healing damage; you can use grenades to buff yourself at full health; your own life is the most valuable.

Demolitionist

Role: explosives to clear big groups of trash and destroy big ZEDs, especially Fleshpounds. Huge damage per shot, offset by minimum arming distances and self damage. Very team-oriented. Your reactive armor, once per wave, turns a killing hit into a big explosion leaving you with 5 health.

• Bombardier vs Shock Trooper: Shock Trooper in larger or harder games, since you will not one-shot; Bombardier at lower counts.
• High Impact Rounds vs Extra Rounds: Extra Rounds early with the M79; High Impact once you have an RPG.
• Sonic Resistant Rounds vs Fragmentation Rounds: neither is spectacular. The author prefers deleting Sirens without waiting; Fragmentation is better in open maps.
• Armor Piercing vs Concussive: Armor Piercing for small squads (M79 on Rioters, RPG on Scrakes); Concussive for large, chaotic games.
• Destroyer of Worlds vs Mad Bomber: Destroyer of Worlds. The nuke cloud does a lot of poison and crowd-controls ZEDs; Mad Bomber is more useful for the M32 specifically.

Weapons:

• HX25: arguably the worst starting weapon, fires a few explosive pellets, cannot headshot, needs reload after every shot. No self damage. Sell it.
• M79: single-shot launcher, one-shots Bloats and Rioters to the head past the first levels, kills groups of trash. It has a minimum arming distance; shoot at the ZED's face or jump and shoot the ground nearby. Do not use it on Fleshpounds.
• C4: a playstyle few use; door traps make it seem unnecessary, but it has higher base damage and multiple charges. Try it with a real weapon too.
• RPG-7: one of the highest damage per shot, a top Fleshpound killer limited by ammo. Takes 2-4 rockets per Fleshpound depending on player count and difficulty. Make the first hit a headshot.
• M16 M203: meant as a lifeline when you have no protection. Your skills only apply to the grenades, which are about the M79's damage with a smaller area. A good secondary.
• Pulverizer: cross-perk, but Demolitionists do not want to be in ZEDs' faces; not recommended.
• Seeker Six: guided or unguided rockets, 6 capacity, a little more damage than a 40mm grenade with a much smaller area; underwhelming and not a big ZED killer.
• M32: six of the M79's grenades with a holo sight. Fun, but the RPG is better.
• Dynamite: high damage, long fuse, explodes on contact; mind the self damage.

Firebug

Role: trash clearing and area denial with flamethrower-type weapons plus incendiary ballistic weapons. You deal lots of damage over short periods and cover choke points in ground fire. Be mindful of what you ignite: panicking big ZEDs are hard for the squad to hit, and leftover ground fire can enrage big ZEDs the squad is not ready for.

• Bring the Heat vs High Capacity Fuel Tank: depends on weapons. Fuel Tank helps the Caulk 'n' Burn; Bring the Heat helps others. Most flamethrower damage comes from ground fire, which Bring the Heat does not affect.
• Barbecue vs Ground Fire: Ground Fire, 100%. It slows and damages ZEDs passing through and works from any weapon.
• Napalm vs ZED Shrapnel: ZED Shrapnel most of the time. Panicking ZEDs are harder for the squad to hit, while stunned ones stand still.
• Heat Wave vs Firestorm: Heat Wave. Any ZED, including enraged big ZEDs and bosses, will stumble if sprayed point blank. You can buy the team time by stumbling a big ZED, though without a Berserker's resistance and parry, do not overdo it.
• Pyromaniac vs Inferno: Pyromaniac, always.

Weapons:

• Caulk 'n' Burn: starting flamethrower, smallest capacity but its fire never hurts you and it is dirt cheap (cheaper to sell and rebuy than to buy ammo). Ground fire is the same as any weapon. Fine for the first waves and a good trash clearer all game.
• Spitfire(s): flare pistols, can be dual wielded; a solid ballistic weapon, a favorite for fast shooting in ZED Time; very light.
• Dragonsbreath: incendiary pump shotgun. Pretty but nearly useless.
• Mac 10: incendiary SMG; low damage per bullet but good trash clearing; best alongside a flamethrower.
• Flamethrower: double the fuel and more direct damage than the Caulk 'n' Burn, but heavier, pricier, and it hurts you at point blank unless you are level 25.
• Microwave Gun: top-tier flamethrower style weapon; capacity 100, makes ZEDs inflate and explode, the highest direct damage, ground fire capable. Never a bad pick.
• Husk Cannon: little experience; charges up an explosive shot with burning damage.
• Helios Rifle: top-tier ballistic weapon, full auto and burst, fast energy projectiles. A great big ZED killer in low player count games.
• Molotov: small direct damage, mostly burn on tightly grouped ZEDs; not very useful.

Tips: tap fire the flamethrowers to get extra flame without using ammo; ground fire sometimes goes through welded doors; the Firebug creates a lot of visual clutter, so avoid firing in front of precise perks.

Gunslinger

Role: highly mobile with huge damage output; the master of kiting and precise damage while moving. Best alone or using mobility, decent at trash and great at big ZEDs, especially Scrakes.

• Steady vs Quick Draw: preference. Steady if you aim down sights with dual weapons; Quick Draw if you hip-fire well.
• Rack 'Em Up vs Bone Breaker: Rack 'Em Up if you land headshots: 10% per headshot, up to 50%, after which hit location does not matter.
• Line 'Em Up vs Speedloader: Speedloader is always useful; Line 'Em Up only helps the Desert Eagles and .500 Magnums, and lining up several heads is rare.
• Skullcracker vs Knock 'Em Down: Skullcracker's stacking slow helps against big ZEDs if you land headshots; Knock 'Em Down if you cannot.
• Whirlwind of Lead vs Fan Fire: neither is great. Infinite ammo in ZED Time is more useful for low-capacity weapons; the real-time reload of Fan Fire is slower than your passive bonus.

Weapons:

• 1858 Revolver: starting pair, high recoil, combined magazine 12; get rid of it.
• M1911: dual 1911s are great and reliable, 16 total. With the stacking headshot bonus you kill any non-big ZED with four headshots or fewer. Low recoil. Lacks stopping power against Rioters and big ZEDs.
• Desert Eagle: the all-round gunslinger weapon. Affordable for trash and mid-size ZEDs, strong enough for big ZEDs. One early can break a Rioter's helmet and decapitate it at higher levels.
• .500 Magnum: highest damage per shot, 5 rounds per revolver, very high recoil. Two destroy big ZEDs and bosses; one is a great backup with over 100 in reserve.
• AF-2011A1: double-barrel 1911, fun, theoretically higher DPS but inconsistent; a good boss choice if you do not like the .500s.
• HX25: worst starter weapon; just do not.
• Medic pistol, Spitfire, Winchester 1894, SPX 464 Centerfire: cross-perk options, about as good as the 9mm or no better than your own weapons.
• Nailbomb: small explosion sending nails with a high stun chance; not reliably effective against big ZEDs.

Tips: the passive speed bonus works with any weapon out; aiming without the ironsight teaches you where your screen center is; always try to reload in ZED Time, since the reload bonus applies if you start the reload then and can be a fraction of a second at the top levels.

Sharpshooter

Role: a dedicated big ZED killer with high-damage, low fire rate weapons. Weak against trash apart from picking off targets like Sirens. There are two archetypes: higher-capacity, lower-damage weapons (Mk. 14, Winchester) for mid-size ZEDs, and powerful single shots (Railgun, M99) for big ZEDs. You need protection from the team at higher difficulties.

• Sniper vs Marksman: sniper maximizes damage per shot; marksman trades damage for mobility and self-sufficiency, and is usually better in a chaotic game. If you run sniper, crouch when you stop to shoot.
• Stability vs Ballistic Shock: Stability gives 30% damage and more while crouched; Ballistic Shock helps higher fire rate weapons, particularly the Mk. 14.
• Rack 'Em Up vs Tactical Reload: Rack 'Em Up if it works (the author saw it malfunction once); Tactical Reload only for the lever-action rifles.
• Dead Eye vs Always Prepared: use your sights most of the time; Dead Eye helps cross damage thresholds, Always Prepared helps on the boss wave and in large games.
• Assassin vs Ranger: the author is not certain either works reliably. Snipers pick Assassin; marksmen pick Ranger.

Weapons:

• Winchester 1894: starting lever-action rifle, usable all game; by level 15 with sniper skills it one-shots Sirens and weaker with headshots. Cheap to run.
• SPX 464 Centerfire: the quality-of-life upgrade with a red dot scope and higher damage, 10 rounds.
• Crossbow: the cheapest single-shot weapon, bolts can be reclaimed and penetrate; good for Sirens and Rioters early, no big ZED killer.
• Mk. 14 EBR: the definitive marksman DMR, 20 rounds, proper scope and laser. Best as a main weapon.
• Railgun: the author's choice for big ZEDs; it usually takes two headshots to kill a Scrake and three for a Fleshpound on Suicidal and up in multiplayer, one and two with the right skills at around level 20. Lock-on has a damage penalty (about 30-50%), so use alt fire to turn it off.
• M99 AMR: the definitive one-shot weapon, heaviest and most expensive; big ZEDs die in one to two headshots. Weight limits your secondary to revolvers.
• 1858 and .500 Magnum: single revolvers only for Sharpshooter. The .500 is a handheld rifle and the strongest weapon to run beside an M99.
• Spitfire: not recommended.
• FN FAL ACOG: a slight upgrade on the Mk. 14 with full auto but no laser.
• Freeze grenade: freezes ZEDs for a few seconds; big ZEDs may need more than one.

SWAT

Role: low-damage, high-volume firepower to clear trash with SMGs, with the ability to kill big things when necessary and become very tanky with armor. The limits: no huge burst damage when a Fleshpound or two is in your face, and chasing the wrong targets burns ammo.

• Heavy Armor Training vs Tactical Movement: both great. Heavy Armor gives 50 free armor and negates all damage but Siren screams; Tactical Movement lets you crouch-run while aiming, keeping accuracy. Armor is best for normal waves, movement for the boss.
• Close Combat Training vs Tactical Reload: Close Combat for the first waves (free dual 9mm) and low player counts, then Tactical Reload when you switch to main weapons.
• Suppression Rounds vs Ammo Vest: Suppression Rounds if the squad works together; Ammo Vest for the boss wave or when alone.
• Assault Armor vs Cripple: Assault Armor most of the time (extra 50 armor on spawn, stacking to 100, capacity 150). Cripple for the boss or when your big ZED killers need the slow.
• Battering Ram vs Rapid Assault: Rapid Assault. Free ammo and a ridiculous fire rate; you can fire even with an empty gun. Battering Ram is a laugh without practical use.

Weapons:

• MP7: starting SMG, very low damage; the 9mm with Close Combat Training may be stronger early.
• MP5RAS: slightly better but only an ironsight; skip unless it is a long game.
• FN P90: much better stopping power, red dot, base 50 magazine up to 100; low recoil and very reliable. Try burst firing.
• Kriss Vector: highest fire rate and slightly more stopping power than the P90; incredible DPS, drains ammo quickly.
• H&K UMP45: slower, higher damage; preference against the P90.
• Mac 10: cross-perk incendiary; a decent secondary with a high fire rate.
• Tommy Gun: high recoil and low fire rate; not recommended.
• HMTech-201 SMG: not recommended.
• Flashbangs: a small damage and an almost guaranteed stun, which does not work on enraged big ZEDs. Use them to initiate with backup, or to shred a Scrake alone if you must.

Tips: as your magazine size increases, so does what you get from ammo boxes. Changing skills between waves does not give you the free armor or pistols; it only applies when you join or respawn.

Survivalist

Role: the jack of all trades. It bridges gaps and partially fills several roles, borrowing the SWAT's heavy armor (no health damage while armored, bonus armor with level), a Berserker-style global damage resistance and the Gunslinger's faster reloads in ZED Time, plus a passive damage bonus to any weapon. Every perk fills its role better than you do. You can fill roles without committing, or ignore the team; the author does not encourage the latter.

• Tactical Reload vs Heavy Weapons Training: take the one that matches your main weapon; heavy weapons need more reloading. The 9mm gets either.
• Medic Training vs Melee Expert: Medic Training most of the time; the Berserker has unique survival skills like Parry.
• Ammo Vest vs Weapon Harness: Ammo Vest with lighter weapons or when you are the team medic; Weapon Harness for combining heavy weapons (20 kg capacity). The Molotovs are generally useless.
• Spontaneous Zed-plosion vs Make Things Go Boom: Zed-plosion most of the time; Make Things Go Boom only with explosive trash clearing.
• Madman vs Lockdown: Madman is generally better apart from single-shot weapons. Lockdown most likely raises stumble, stun and knockdown power.

Weapons:

• Freezethrower: limited crowd control, kills trash only, takes too long to freeze big ZEDs. Heavy Weapons Training speeds its reload.
• Killerwatt: energy rifle with automatic mode (1 ammo per shot from 50, mediocre damage with an EMP-like electric stun, useful to start and focus big ZEDs) and overcharge mode (up to 25 ammo into an energy beam with high recoil; good for trash and DPS in small games, ammo inefficient).

Tips: the more players, the less effective you are at filling a missing role; cross-perk weapons count for your reload skill (the Medic pistol counts as a Gunslinger weapon for Tactical Reload).