KF2 Russian Beginner Guide: Perks, ZEDs, Bosses and Tips (2017)

A long Russian-language beginner guide for Killing Floor 2 (last updated in October 2017), translated and condensed here. It covers system requirements, first-time setup, all ten perks of the time, customization and the ZED-conomy, every common ZED and the bosses, PvP (Versus) basics and practical tips about armor, stuns and teamplay. Numbers come from the 2017 game version. For current references see the perk and weapon community guide and the ZED resistances page.

System requirements

Minimum: Windows 7/8/8.1 (64-bit only), Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 (2.66 GHz) or AMD Phenom II X2 545 (3.0 GHz), 3 GB RAM, GeForce GTS 250 or Radeon HD 4830, DirectX 10, 10 GB of disk space.

Recommended: Windows 7/8/8.1 (64-bit only), Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 (2.83 GHz) or AMD Phenom II X4 955 (3.2 GHz), 4 GB RAM, GeForce GTX 560 or Radeon HD 6950, DirectX 11, 10 GB of disk space.

The author notes the game is demanding for its graphics, but many guides explain how to run it on weak PCs, and post-release optimization improved.

First steps

Do not rush online. Set up graphics, sound and controls first. The game uses a lot of video memory and CPU power, so choose settings to match your hardware; on weaker PCs drop shadows and anti-aliasing to keep the frame rate smooth. The author also calls the music one of the game's best features.

Perks (ten at the time of writing)

Berserker perk.

Berserker. A melee fighter built around blunt, slashing and sawing weapons, effective against both normal and heavy ZEDs. Bonus XP for melee kills within two meters of an ally; can knock down heavy ZEDs with the right skills. Starts with a shovel and EMP grenades (ZEDs lose orientation for a few seconds; does not work on bosses). Can buy the Katana, the Pulverizer (with a stunning heavy attack), the Nailgun (mid range, single or spread), the Eviscerator and a shield and mace. Bonuses: +1 percent weapon damage per level (25 percent at level 25), melee attack speed +3 percent every 5 levels (15 percent), night vision instead of the flashlight and Clots cannot grab and hold you.

Commando perk.

Commando. An automatic rifle specialist, very effective against ordinary ZEDs and weak against heavy ones. Bonus XP for killing Stalkers. Starts with the AR-15 and HE grenades. Can buy the Bullpup, AK-12, SCAR, Stoner 63A, the medic's HMTech 401 and the Demolitionist's M16 M203. Bonuses: +1 percent damage per level, cloaked-enemy detection 10 m plus 2 m per level (60 m at level 25), Zed Time longer by 1 second plus 1 second per 5 levels (6 seconds), +2 percent reload speed per 5 levels, night vision and the ability to see ZED health.

Support perk.

Support. A shotgun specialist who deals huge damage to every ZED. Bonus XP for welding doors (works with other perks too). Starts with the SG 500 and frag grenades. Can buy the double-barrel, HZ12, M4, Nailgun (works as a shotgun), AA-12, the medic's HMTech 301 and the Firebug's incendiary shotgun. Bonuses: welding efficiency +3 percent per level (75 percent), shotgun damage +1 percent per level (25), penetration +20 percent per level (500), extra ammo +1 percent per level (25), repairs broken doors, and other players can take ammo from you (and with the right skill armor too).

Field Medic perk.

Field Medic. Heals the team, covers against weak ZEDs and uses futuristic weapons with extras; can slow big ZEDs in Zed Time with the right skill. Bonus XP for healing. Starts with the HMTech 101 pistol and 2 medic grenades (a cloud that heals allies and damages ZEDs). Can buy the HMTech 102 SMG, HMTech 401 assault rifle and HMTech 301 shotgun. Bonuses: syringe recharge +8 percent per level (200 percent), healing +2 percent per level (50), bloat bile resistance +2 percent per level (50), speed +0.4 percent per level (10), bonus armor +3 percent per level (75). With the left skill branch the Medic gives speed, damage and resistance buffs to allies hit by a dart and heals himself too. Earns bonus XP and money for healing.

Demolitionist perk.

Demolitionist. Blows up everything, extremely effective against Fleshpounds, does less damage to Scrakes; an RPG to the head can decapitate or stun. Good against crowds of weak ZEDs. Bonus XP for killing Fleshpounds; with the right skills a grenade hit stuns Scrakes and Fleshpounds. Starts with a grenade pistol and dynamite. Can buy C4, the M79, RPG and the M16 M203. Bonuses: +1 percent damage per level, explosion resistance 10 percent plus 2 percent per level (60), +1 explosive ammo per level (5), doors are trapped with explosives when welded, and teammates can take grenades from you.

Firebug perk.

Firebug. Ignites crowds and removes the bulk of the enemy; with skills can push ZEDs back with a stream of fire. Bonus XP for killing Crawlers. Starts with a homemade flamethrower and Molotov cocktails. Can buy the Spitfire (or dual), the incendiary shotgun, an upgraded flamethrower and the Microwave Gun. Bonuses: +0.8 percent damage per level (20), +0.8 percent reload speed per level (20), enemy fire resistance 30 percent plus 2 percent per level (80), own fire resistance 25 percent plus 3 percent per level (100), starting ammo +10 percent per 5 levels (50).

Gunslinger perk.

Gunslinger. Specialist in dual-wielded pistols of different calibers; with skills can knock back large ZEDs on head or body hits. Starts with two 1858 revolvers and a nail grenade. Can buy the M1911, Desert Eagle, Magnum, the Demolitionist, Medic and Firebug pistols and a scopeless Winchester. Bonuses: +1 percent damage per level (25), bullet resistance 5 percent plus 1 percent per level (30).

Sharpshooter perk.

Sharpshooter. A sniper (anything with a scope). Bonus XP for headshots with perk weapons. Starts with the Winchester and freeze grenades. Can buy the crossbow, M14 EBR, Railgun, Magnum and 1858 revolvers and the Firebug pistol. Bonuses: headshot damage +1 percent per level (25), recoil -1 percent per level (-25), weapon switch speed +2 percent per level (50).

SWAT perk.

SWAT. Specialist in submachine guns; bonus XP for killing Clots. Starts with the MP7 and a stun grenade (blinds ZEDs in place for a few seconds; no effect on an enraged Fleshpound or bosses). Can buy the MP5, P90, Kriss and the medic SMG. Bonuses: +1 percent damage per level (25), bullet resistance 5 percent plus 1 percent per level (30), magazine +4 percent per level (100), faster weapon switch +1 percent per level (25).

Survivalist perk.

Survivalist. A mix of all perks that lets you combine roles using any class's weapons. Bonus XP for killing Clots with any weapon. Starts with a random starter weapon from any class and HE grenades; can buy any weapon. Bonuses: +0.6 percent damage per level (15), damage resistance +1 percent per level (25), extra armor +1 percent per level (25), reload speed in Zed Time +3 percent per level (75).

Customization

You can change the appearance of characters: outfits, hats, gas masks and accessories, plus hats and headphones. Much of it is available only with the Deluxe edition and the Tripwire pack, which the author says cost 1499 rubles at the time and about 200-250 during sales; this unlocks everything except unique accessories from challenges and events and items bought on the marketplace. With the ZED-conomy (like CS:GO skins) paid skins and accessories arrived, some randomly dropping at the end of a match, but usually cheap ones. Cosmetic items can also come from crates opened with separately bought keys, and spare items can be traded up for better quality. The summer and Halloween updates added new skins, gold items and the Commando Chicken costume.

ZEDs

Every ZED has its head as the weakest spot, and shooting off the head of any ZED removes its special abilities and soon kills it.

Clot.

• Clot: a thin humanoid that hugs you if it gets close and turns you around. Harmless in itself, but can stop you at the worst moment; shoot it at range. Three variants exist.

Crawler.

• Crawler: a small spider-like ZED that runs fast, jumps well and appears from holes; low health, often dies from one shot, afraid of fire and explosions. A frequent problem for Berserkers. It does not climb walls or ceilings.

Bloat.

• Bloat: a huge, slow ZED that blocks corridors and other ZEDs (on high difficulties it runs). Often covers Sirens. Only the head is a good target; the body absorbs nearly everything. Its bile covers your screen and takes armor or health.

Gorefast.

• Gorefast: a muscled humanoid with blades for hands that sprints at you and attacks quickly. Dangerous in groups on high difficulties. Weak at the head and body.

Stalker.

• Stalker: an invisible woman visible only when attacking; the Commando can detect her at a distance, and she slightly distorts the background as she moves. Medium damage.

Husk.

• Husk: burnt ZED that does not melee but fires fireballs from a distance and is immune to fire. Extremely dangerous on high difficulties; at low health it may run in and self-destruct with a huge explosion. Head is the weak point.

Siren.

• Siren: a chained woman with a scream that destroys grenades, explosives, lights and rockets in range and disorients the player. Weak at the head; the body takes little damage though shotguns penetrate it. Very dangerous at close range when she screams.

Scrake.

• Scrake: a muscular ZED with a chainsaw instead of an arm. Strong, tough and fast and must be killed quickly by the team. It spins to hit everything around it, and at low health goes into a blood rage and chases a player relentlessly. Weak at head and body.

Fleshpound.

• Fleshpound: a huge ZED with pistons for arms, deals massive damage and periodically enters a blood rage, running while shielding body and head with its arms (shoot the legs, for example with a Commando or Medic, to make it stumble and open up). Takes increased damage from explosives and reduced damage everywhere except the chest light and head.

Special variants from the PvP mode were added to regular play and are slightly stronger. When a Fleshpound or Scrake spawns the game plays a distinct sound (a long guttural roar for the Fleshpound, a growl with a chainsaw sound for the Scrake). The Halloween update added the Quarter Pound, a Fleshpound with a quarter of the health and damage; it appears in waves and with the King Fleshpound.

Bosses

Hans Volter.

Hans Volter. A Nazi scientist, rumored to be over 100 years old, armed with two automatic guns, explosive, poison and smoke grenades. A chemist, engineer and biologist who worked on many of the devices on other ZEDs. His weak point is increased damage from the Microwave Gun, and he takes less damage from explosives. At low health he uses a force shield and drains energy from players to heal, during which he cannot move or attack, but the shield remains. After an update the shield can be broken by explosives or a precise sniper hit. Hans has four visible stages: green (never fed), yellow (first drain), orange (second heal, using specials more often) and red (final heal; uses everything, runs fast and speeds up near players).

Patriarch.

Patriarch. Kevin Clamely, the director and creator of Horzine, responsible for the London outbreak, hired to create super soldiers who feel neither fear nor pain. He calls his clones "children" and "family". The Patriarch has an updated cloaking system, Horzine healing systems, a minigun on his left arm and a rocket launcher firing 1 to 10 homing rockets; when enraged in the open he calls satellite targeting and fires volleys upward which then home in on targets.

King Fleshpound.

King Fleshpound. A bigger and stronger version of the Fleshpound with heavy hammer attacks, a spin attack and a laser from its chest lamp. At two thirds of lost health it activates a shield that absorbs all damage until broken, and it can summon Quarter Pounds. It was the main boss of the weekly Pandemic event.

PvP (Versus)

The Versus mode puts humans against ZEDs: the ZED team tries to kill the humans, who just try not to become canned food. Humans keep their perks, weapons and tactics, while every ZED has unique abilities. The author found the mode unbalanced at the time and recommends a video guide from the community.

Tips and nuances

• Armor: with full armor you absorb 75 percent of damage, with 40 to 70 percent armor 65 percent, with under 40 percent 55 percent. If the damage is more than the armor can take, health is lost too.
• Stuns and knockbacks: Medic can make ZEDs stumble by shooting legs and can "put to sleep" big ZEDs for 3 seconds in Zed Time with the right skill. Berserker can knock enemies down with a heavy attack (2 seconds without attacking). Commando and Support can push ZEDs on body hits (not Hans, Fleshpound or Scrake). Firebug pushes with the flamethrower and microwave gun. Demolitionist stuns any ZED except Hans with a direct grenade hit and small ZEDs around it for 3 seconds. Sharpshooter stuns on headshots, Gunslinger pushes on head or leg hits, SWAT blinds with its stun grenade.
• Butt strike: a melee bash can stun any ZED at any stage, even a boss, on any difficulty. The author's example: when Hans starts his grab animation, run up, bash, step back, fire a couple of shots and run on, alternating this with his smoke grenades until his first heal.
• Syringe: it heals teammates better than yourself: it restores more HP and recharges faster. Heal each other in teams. Every perk should carry a med pistol.
• Teamplay: cover your teammates, do not play solo hero, share dosh (for example giving the Medic money for a medic rifle can prevent a wipe), watch the chat (calls mean a Scrake or Fleshpound is near). Support can repair broken doors; Demolitionist traps doors; a Medic with the left skill tree buffs allies.