KF2 Support Perk Guide: Strengths, Skills and Shotgun Notes

A French-language Support guide aimed at Hard and Suicidal difficulties (the author says Hell on Earth regulars do not need it), mostly compiled from the Tripwire wiki and the game's subreddit. ZED names are kept in English. Values come from the 2017 game and may have changed. See also Support perk and Support perk levels.

What the Support is

A class with abilities that make combat easier for the team. With a shotgun-based arsenal it can damage any ZED heavily in a short time, give teammates free ammo mid-combat (vital on higher difficulties where ammo evaporates), and is the fastest door welder, even able to repair doors destroyed by ZEDs. The author calls it a must-have class on Hell on Earth and Suicidal. Its weakness is magazine management. Shotguns are especially strong against Gorefasts and Gorefiends, which makes them priority targets; Gorefiends are a common cause of death.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

• No special weakness against any ZED.
• Shotguns are very effective against Gorefasts and Gorefiends.
• Carries up to 20 kg of weapons at level 25.
• Bonuses increase available ammo.
• Welds doors quickly and can repair destroyed ones.
• Shotgun penetration can hit several enemies.
• Gives teammates ammo, and armor with the Resupply Pack skill from level 20.
• Can use the Nailgun, the HMTech-301 medic shotgun and the Dragon's Breath while keeping class advantages.
• A very powerful frag grenade.

Weaknesses:

• Dangerous for the Support if its grenade explodes too close.
• Shotgun ammunition is expensive.
• Stalkers and Crawlers can be hard to hit.
• The SG 500, Dragon's Breath and M4 reload shell by shell, which hurts in a tight moment.
• Efficient at short and medium range but poor at long range, notably against Husks.

Class bonuses

• Welding speed +8% per level, up to 75% at level 25.
• Shotgun damage +1% per level, up to 25% at level 25.
• Shotgun penetration +20% per level, up to 500% at level 25.
• Available ammo for a weapon +1% per level, up to +25% at level 25.
• Maximum weight +5 kg, up to 20 kg of carried arsenal.
• Can give teammates ammo, and repair doors.

Choosing skills

The Support skill tree.

• Branch 1 (ammo management): Tactical Reload is most useful in early waves when you fight with shell-by-shell shotguns like the SG 500, Dragon's Breath or M4. High Capacity Magazines suits magazine-fed weapons such as the AA12 and is the one to take with the Nailgun, which empties quickly.
• Branch 2 (training): the 35% extra damage of Salvo lets you face any enemy, and is usually better than 50 extra HP (Tough Guy), unless you struggle to survive. Both can work in the boss fight.
• Branch 3 (firepower): about penetration and spread. You already have a big base penetration bonus; Choke limits spread, helping you aim at the head of a Scrake or Fleshpound, but demands accuracy against Stalkers and Crawlers.
• Branch 4 (logistics): Resupply Pack is so useful for a team that the author recommends it whenever you play with others, giving 20 armor points and more ammo. Concussion Rounds is good against big ZEDs and hordes; pick it if another Support is on the team or you struggle with Scrakes and Fleshpounds.
• Branch 5 (Zed Time): Barrage lets you literally shoot in real time, while Penetrator only adds more penetration. Barrage is preferred.

Starting arsenal

Starting arsenal: SG 500, 9mm, frag grenade.

SG 500 Pump Action: 200 dosh (sells for 150), weight 5, magazine 30 dosh, starts with an 8-shell magazine and 30 spare (38 shells per wave), 56 maximum. Good early but weak against Sirens, Husks and Bloats, so do not stay with it. Like all shotguns it is great against Gorefasts and Gorefiends. Reload time is long, so avoid being surrounded.

9mm pistol: free, weight 0, 15-round magazine, 225 maximum. It is not covered by High Capacity Magazines and Resupply Pack, and the Support's knife gets the class damage bonuses. Use it on weak ZEDs to save shells.

Frag grenade: 200 damage, 40 dosh, up to 5. Never throw several at once without a safe distance; the radius is huge. As with the Commando, it wrecks Fleshpounds.

Magazine capacity with and without High Capacity Magazines.

Total ammo with and without Resupply Pack.

Merchant arsenal

Support weapons from the trader.

• Double Barrel (Boomstick): 750 dosh (sells for 487), weight 4, magazine 11 dosh, 2-shell magazine plus 22, 46 maximum. Huge firepower for the price; alt fire plus a jump propels you backward, useful to escape a Fleshpound or boss, and two or three well-placed alt-fire head shots can kill a Scrake. Large spread, so wait for hordes to come close. Not affected by High Capacity Magazines.
• HZ12 Multi-action: 750 dosh (sells for 562), weight 5, magazine 64, 16-shell magazine plus 16, 80 maximum. The first shotgun with a removable magazine, so it reloads faster than the Mossberg or M4; the pump must be cycled after every two shells, taking about a second, so make sure you have two shells ready. Ammo is fairly expensive for a tier 2; if you earn nothing, go back to the Double Barrel.
• M4 Combat Shotgun: 1100 dosh (sells for 825), weight 7, magazine 38, 8-shell magazine plus 30, 64 maximum. Good firepower but its reload makes players prefer to save for the AA12. Tactical Reload helps; fast fire rate needs recoil control, so crouch.
• AA12: 1500 dosh (sells for 1125), weight 10, magazine 82, 20 shells plus 25, 120 maximum, semi-auto or auto. Devastating at short and medium range but empties fast: keep it for big ZEDs and another weapon for vermin; pair it with a medic shotgun or Double Barrel.

Multi-perk weapons

Multi-perk weapons usable by the Support.

• VLAD-1000 Nailgun: 600 dosh (sells for 450), weight 6, 42-nail magazine, 336 maximum, single or multiple nails. The author calls it a gimmick for the Support; High Capacity Magazines is highly recommended, head shots with single nails, and Salvo can help in later waves.
• Dragon's Breath trench shotgun: 650 dosh (sells for 487), weight 5, 6-shell magazine, 45 maximum, with burning damage over time. Superior to the Mossberg in every respect and the best multi-perk weapon for Support; without High Capacity Magazines it holds only 6 shells, so prefer fast reloading if it is your only weapon.
• HMTech-301 Shotgun: 1100 dosh (sells for 825), weight 6, magazine 40, 10 rounds, 80 maximum, healing 200 (two syringes). Automatic, can heal with the middle mouse button. The author finds it more useful than the M4: nearly the same rate of fire but able to heal and reloads faster; the M4 only exceeds it in damage. Crouch to control recoil and aim at the head, as the spread is very tight.