KF2 Stalker Guide: Stats, Cloaking, Commando Tactics
Part five of a German-language ZED index series (translated here, based on the official Tripwire wiki): the Stalker, the cloaked ambusher among the lesser ZEDs.
The Stalker.
Base stats
| Normal | Hard | Suicidal | Hell on Earth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dosh per kill | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| XP per kill | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Body HP | 56 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
| Head HP | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Attacks and XP notes
- Melee base damage: 9; reach: 180.
- Door damage multiplier: 1 / 3; player damage multiplier: 0.5 / 0.75 / 1.
- XP rules: off-perk kills pay the weapon's perk; mixed kills split XP evenly; assists give full XP.
Speed
Stalkers walk when calm and sprint when angry, and once enraged they never stop. Speed is rolled in a 10 percent band and multiplied by a difficulty factor (0.87 on Normal, 1.05 on Hell on Earth).
| Normal | Hard | Suicidal | Hell on Earth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walk | 313-383 | 360-440 | 468-572 | 504-616 |
| Sprint | 392-479 | 450-550 | 585-715 | 630-770 |
| Sprint on sight | 0% | 0% | 60% | 75% |
| Sprint when hurt | 0% | 5% | 100% | 100% |
A healthy, lightly loaded player walks at 383 and sprints at 460 units per second.
Weak spots
Stalker resistances and hit zones (the head is the weak spot).
Behavior
The Stalker is an ambusher that uses only melee. After spawning it runs or sprints to the nearest player.
- Like Crawlers, Stalkers tend to emerge from drains, high ceilings and vents, attacking from odd angles and bypassing defensive lines.
- They use invisibility to sneak past a player and then strike from behind.
- They can dodge shots with a quick backflip left, right or backward, then re-engage from another angle. On Suicidal and Hell on Earth they always dodge under fire.
- On Suicidal and Hell on Earth they gain new rage attacks and a big speed boost, making them some of the fastest ZEDs; only the boss outruns them. They use acrobatic drop kicks and axe kicks that make headshots harder once they are in range.
- Behavior otherwise does not change drastically between difficulties.
Killing tactics
- Stalkers are not durable and any weapon kills them. In early waves use the knife to save ammo, though their acrobatics make that harder and they hit hard.
- Everyone except a Commando sees them as invisible. A Commando spots a distant Stalker as a red glowing silhouette; the range depends on perk level, from 2 to 50 meters.
- A Stalker only drops its cloak when it attacks or is hit. Without a Commando, look for a faint shimmering outline.
- Stalkers often appear alongside Crawler packs, so scanning Crawler groups for them can help, but it is unreliable.
- A non-lethal headshot strips a Stalker of its cloaking.
- Because of their extreme weakness to assault rifles, Commando is the best perk for dealing with large groups quickly.
- Be careful with grenades and explosives when no Commando is on the team: a Stalker can appear right in front of you so grenades land too early, or explosive projectiles such as grenade launcher rounds or rockets may not detonate as intended.
Related: Cyst, Slasher, Crawler, Stalker specimen file.
FAQ
- Can you see Stalkers in KF2?
- They are cloaked. Only a Commando sees a distant Stalker as a red glowing silhouette (detection range from 2 to 50 meters depending on level). Others can spot a faint shimmer.
- How do I stop a Stalker from cloaking?
- A non-lethal headshot removes its ability to turn invisible. They also drop their cloak when attacking or when hit.
- Why are grenades unreliable near Stalkers?
- A Stalker can pop up right in front of you and make grenades land early or explosive projectiles detonate wrongly, especially without a Commando on the team.
