KF2 Polish Guide: Difficulty Levels, Perk Builds, ZEDs and Bosses

This is a translated and condensed Polish-language guide with tips, per-perk builds (buying order, boss tactics and the author's skill picks) and ZED and boss weaknesses. It reflects the early 2017 game, so some skills and values have since changed. For related reading see beginner perk overview and ZED resistances and weak points.

Difficulty and your level

The difficulty you can play depends on your level. Being a gaming veteran or having one perk maxed does not mean you can play Hard with a level-zero perk: higher difficulty needs better passives, which come with perk levels.

Difficulty	Suggested perk level	Reason
Tutorial	0	Completing the tutorial gives your first level.
Normal	1+	No surprise; open to all.
Hard	5+	First passive skill; Normal becomes too easy.
Suicidal	15+	By then you can have mastered the mechanics, and three skills help; many Suicidal servers require 15+.
Hell on Earth	20+	Four skills should be enough, but the fifth sometimes helps; unsure players should wait for 25, others can start learning from 20-23.

The higher the difficulty, the more HP ZEDs have, the more aggressive they are and the more often Scrakes and Fleshpounds appear. The higher your perk level, the more upgrades you have. So match level to difficulty.

Basic tips

1. Switch the game language to English (Steam: right-click, Properties, Language). The author finds the Polish translation poor, and in KF the language barrier barely matters.
2. V key performs a butt strike that pushes ZEDs back.
3. When you have bought everything, drop money on the ground so others can use it.
4. Ammo, armor and tier-1 weapons lie around the map, so explore it in your free time.
5. The Medic's syringe heals you (Q) and others: draw it and left-click a teammate.
6. Aim for the head, as in any FPS. A decapitated ZED loses its abilities (useful against gas Crawlers).
7. Glossary: parrying (blocking with a melee weapon at the right moment; tap parries, hold blocks), kiting (running around the map), tanking (drawing ZED aggro), FP (Fleshpound), SC (Scrake), zerk (Berserker), dosh (currency), trash cleaning (killing small ZEDs), ammo.
8. When joining a server, check others' perks. The game is for 6 players and there are 10 perks, so choose one your team lacks. Roles: Medic heals everyone; Berserker gathers aggro; Demolitionist is great against Fleshpounds and Scrakes and mass kills, and gives a grenade every round; Sharpshooter is great against big ZEDs and has freeze grenades; Commando kills small ZEDs fast, extends Zed Time and shows cloaked ZEDs; SWAT kills small ZEDs fast and has stun grenades; Firebug runs around setting everything on fire; Gunslinger is good against every ZED type; Support is good against every ZED type and gives ammo every round.
9. F turns on the flashlight.
10. In the key bindings there is an option to switch to the previously used weapon, unbound by default. The author recommends binding it to C (like in Payday 2) and moving crouch to Ctrl.
11. Gorefast, Scrake, Fleshpound, Bloat and bosses can block their heads. Slasher, Stalker, Crawler and Hans can dodge projectiles, which favors bursts over spraying.
12. Jumping on a Crawler stuns it for a few seconds.
13. When fleeing melee attacks, try to jump: being hit in the air sends you far.

Berserker

• Aggro, aggro and more aggro. A money-making machine: keep sharing the dosh.
• EMP grenades disable ZED special attacks for a few seconds.
• Priority: Scrake/Fleshpound > trash cleaning.
• Buy order: Katana (sell the shovel), then one of: Variant 1, very mobile: Claymore (sell Katana), Pulverizer; Variant 2, big knockdown: Bone Crusher; Variant 3, very high damage: Eviscerator.
• Boss: Katana and Eviscerator; aggro gathering >= boss >= trash cleaning.

Level	Left	Right
5	Dreadnaught: +75 HP	Skirmisher: +20% move speed, +25% sprint, 1 HP/s regen with melee weapon
10	Vampire: 4 HP per kill, +20% attack speed	Butcher: +20% attack speed, +25% damage
15	Resistance: +20% resistance and 20% more against sonic (40% vs Sirens)	Parry: parry reduces damage taken 40%, then +5% attack speed and +35% damage for 10 s
20	Smash: +50% heavy attack damage, +25% headshot damage, +200% stumble power	Massacre: light attacks +30% damage, all melee 5% faster
25	Zed Time: Spartan: move and attack almost at normal speed	Zed Time: Berserker Rage: heal 25% and nearby ZEDs flee

Author's pick: Skirmisher, Butcher, Resistance or Parry, Smash, Spartan.

Commando

• Role: trash cleaning, revealing Stalkers and extending Zed Time. Aim for the head.
• Every Commando weapon has two fire modes (mouse wheel); use single shot to save ammo.
• Explosive grenades are great against bigger groups and for clearing around large ZEDs.
• Priority: trash cleaning > Scrake/Fleshpound.
• Buy order: bullpup (sell AR-15), AK-12, then Variant 1: LMG (sell bullpup) and SCAR-H (sell AK-12); Variant 2: SCAR-H (sell bullpup) and medic rifle (sell AK-12).
• Boss: trash cleaning > boss; SCAR-H and medic rifle.

Level	Left	Right
5	Tactical Reload	High Capacity Mags: +50% magazine
10	Fallback: +110% 9mm and knife damage, +50% weapon switch speed	Impact Rounds: +150% stumble power
15	Tenacious: +25% armor and HP	Prepared: +20% ammo
20	Hollow Point Rounds: +20% damage, -50% recoil	Eat Lead: +100% magazine
25	Zed Time: Tactician: reload at normal speed, switch weapons 2x faster	Zed Time: Machine Gunner: +3% damage and 3x fire rate

Author's pick: High Capacity Mags or Tactical Reload, Fallback, Prepared, Hollow Point Rounds, Machine Gunner.

Support

• Multi-purpose: it can clear anything. Repairs broken doors and gives ammo to others every round. Its explosive grenades suit groups, especially clearing around a Fleshpound, Scrake or boss.
• Priority: Scrake/Fleshpound = trash cleaning.
• Buy order: HZ12 (sell shotgun), AA12, double barrel (sell HZ12); optionally the medic shotgun.
• Boss: AA12, double barrel, medic shotgun; boss > trash cleaning.

Level	Left	Right
5	High Capacity Magazines: +50%	Tactical Reload
10	Fortitude: +50% HP	Salvo: +30% damage
15	Piercing Shot: more penetration	Tight Choke: -50% spread
20	Resupply Pack: 30% ammo and 20% armor per round for teammates, 20% more ammo capacity	Concussion Rounds: +150% stumble power
25	Zed Time: Penetrator: penetrate everything	Zed Time: Barrage: fire almost at normal speed

Author's pick: High Capacity Magazines, Salvo, Tight Choke, Resupply Pack, Barrage.

Field Medic

• Healing first, faster syringe charge, more armor and healing grenades. Each weapon has its own syringes, so swap weapons when healing. Grenades heal but also poison ZEDs.
• Priority: healing > trash cleaning > Scrake/Fleshpound.
• Buy order: medic SMG (sell the pistol), medic rifle (sell SMG), medic shotgun. Boss: medic rifle and shotgun; healing > trash cleaning > boss.

Level	Left	Right
5	Symbiotic Health: +25% HP; healing teammates gives you 10% of total health	Resilience: +1% resistance per missing health point, up to 50%
10	Adrenaline Shot: each syringe gives +10% speed for 5 s, stacking to 30%	Combatant Doctor: +50% magazine size and +10% move speed
15	Focus Injection: +5% damage per syringe for 5 s, up to 20%	Acidic Rounds: medic weapons poison ZEDs
20	Coagulant Booster: +5% resistance per syringe for 5 s, up to 20%	Battle Surgeon: +20% medic weapon damage
25	Zed Time: Airborne Agent: healing gas	Zed Time: Zedative: slows ZEDs 30% and poisons them

Author's pick: the left side online, the right side offline.

Demolitionist

• Pros: one shot can kill dozens of ZEDs; fast Fleshpound takedowns. Con: must always attack from a distance, so without a good trash cleaner or Berserker nearby it is hard.
• It can give others a grenade each round, weld doors with explosive substance and explode on death leaving you 5 HP.
• Against a Scrake, aim for the head from close range (so the missile does not explode); against a Fleshpound, the chest. With the HX25, shoot the legs for more range and damage.
• C4: each detonation reduces damage 50% from the previous (50%, 25%, 12.5%); the effect resets after 3 seconds.
• Grenades explode on contact with ZEDs instantly and have a 100% chance to stun larger ZEDs.
• Priority: Fleshpound/Scrake >= trash cleaning. Buy order: M79, RPG-7 (sell HX25). Boss: M79 and RPG-7; boss >> trash cleaning.

Level	Left	Right
5	Bombardier: +25% explosive damage	Shock Trooper: +20% reload speed, +25% knockdown and stumble
10	High Impact Rounds: +20% direct hit damage	Extra Rounds: +5 ammo
15	Sonic Resistant Rounds	Fragmentation Rounds: +50% area, -30% damage
20	Armor Piercing Rounds: +50% critical damage	Concussive Rounds: +50% knockdown, stumble and stun
25	Zed Time: Destroyer of Worlds	Zed Time: Mad Bomber

Author's pick: everything on the left.

Firebug

• Crowd control: set everything on fire and be careful around Scrakes and Fleshpounds.
• The microwave gun's alt fire costs 10 ammo and pushes back. Do not hold the fire button for flames or beams: spaced single presses deal more damage than a continuous stream; aim at the legs.
• Molotovs ignite the ground and leave a flare that shines long after the flames die.
• Priority: trash cleaning. Buy order: flamethrower (sell Caulk n Burn), then Dragon's Breath. Boss: microwave gun and Dragon's Breath; trash cleaning > boss.

Level	Left	Right
5	Bring the Heat: +35% damage	High Capacity Fuel Tank: +100% tank and magazines
10	Barbecue: burning lasts 150% longer	Ground Fire: ground fire does more damage and slows ZEDs 20%
15	Napalm: burning ZEDs ignite others; burn lasts 150% longer	Zed Shrapnel: killed ZEDs have 20% chance to explode
20	Heat Wave: ZEDs in flamethrower range are pushed back	Firestorm: more range
25	Zed Time: Pyromaniac: near normal speed fire without reloading	Zed Time: Inferno: hit ZEDs slowed 30% and take 50% more fire damage

Author's pick: Bring the Heat, Ground Fire, Napalm, Heat Wave, Inferno.

Gunslinger

• High mobility, fire rate, easy decapitation, three weapons, less damage than the Sharpshooter. Good for medium ZEDs and larger ones.
• While aiming, the mouse wheel switches between normal zoom and the "quake mode" from older games.
• Splash grenades are for clearing groups. Priority: Scrake/Fleshpound > trash cleaning.
• Buy order: Dual .50 Desert Eagles (medium ZEDs), Dual .500 Magnums (large ZEDs), Dual M1911 (sell Dual 1858; trash ZEDs). Boss: all three pairs; boss > trash cleaning.

Level	Left	Right
5	Steady: ignore the aim movement penalty and sharply reduce weapon sway	Quick Draw: less hip-fire recoil, +5% move speed, 50% faster weapon switch
10	Rack 'em Up: successive headshots +10% damage up to 50%	Bone Breaker: +20% damage, +30% more to arms and legs
15	Line 'em Up: no damage reduction when shooting through ZEDs	Speedloader: faster reload
20	Skullcracker: headshots slow ZEDs 30%	Knock 'em Down: shooting running ZEDs strongly raises knockdown chance; chest shots raise stumble power
25	Zed Time: Whirlwind of Lead: cannot run out of ammo	Zed Time: Fan Fire: fire faster and reload in real time

Author's pick: Quick Draw, Rack 'em Up, Speedloader, Skullcracker, Fan Fire.

Sharpshooter

• In theory deals the most damage to a single target and does. Great against medium and larger ZEDs. The 9mm is ideal for small ZEDs to save ammo.
• The Railgun has two firing modes (mouse wheel). The default is "aim bot", which finds weak spots but deals less damage; the other fires straight with more damage. Medium ZEDs can die from one aim-bot shot, but use the normal mode for bigger ones.
• Freeze grenades are ideal for big ZEDs and sometimes large groups. Priority: Scrake/Fleshpound >> trash cleaning.
• Buy order, Variant 1 (most effective and common): Centerfire (sell Winchester), then Railgun. Variant 2: Crossbow (sell Winchester), then M14 EBR. Boss: Railgun and Centerfire; boss >> trash cleaning.

Level	Left	Right
5	Sniper: +25% damage while standing	Marksman: +25% fire rate and +10% move speed
10	Stability: while crouching +30% damage, +50% move speed, +20% reload speed	Ballistic Shock: +100% stun power
15	Rack 'em Up: headshots +10% damage up to 50%	Tactical Reload
20	Dead Eye: -10% recoil and +10% headshot damage with sights	Always Prepared: +25% ammo for weapons and grenades
25	Zed Time: Assassin: headshots have a 5% chance to trigger Zed Time, +35% headshot damage in it	Zed Time: Ranger: same trigger, headshots stun every ZED

Author's picks: Variant 1: Sniper, Stability, Tactical Reload, Dead Eye, Assassin. Variant 2: Marksman, Ballistic Shock, Rack 'em Up, Always Prepared, Ranger.

Survivalist

"Do not play this class" (the author's joke at the time).

SWAT

• Biggest magazines, so P90 fans can spray freely. With the right skills you can start with two 9mm and 100 armor. Role: killing small ZEDs, though the fire rate allows fast decapitation of Scrakes and Fleshpounds. Stun grenades make bigger ZEDs far easier.
• Priority: trash cleaning >= Scrake/Fleshpound. Buy order: MP5RAS, P90, Kriss (sell MP7). Boss: Kriss, P90, MP5RAS; trash cleaning >= boss.

Level	Left	Right
5	Heavy Armor Training: with armor almost all damage hits armor only (Sirens hit health), Clots cannot grab you, start with 50 armor	Tactical Movement: normal speed while aiming or crouching
10	Close Combat Training: 9mm and knife +110% damage, start with two 9mm	Tactical Reload
15	Suppression Rounds: +100% stumble power	Ammo Vest: +30% ammo
20	Assault Armor: +50% max armor, start with 50 armor, stacks with Heavy Armor Training	Cripple: multiple hits slow ZEDs up to 30%, best on the legs
25	Zed Time: Battering Ram: move at normal speed and knock down whatever you run into	Zed Time: Rapid Assault: fire at normal speed with infinite ammo and +100% stumble power

Author's pick: Heavy Armor Training, Close Combat Training and Assault Armor for respawn; the right side for the whole game.

Resistance system

Resistances appear in the perk and ZED descriptions. A detailed table with numbers is in a community Google spreadsheet (see our resistances table), and the author recommends another guide with a more organized breakdown.

Small ZEDs

A common trait of small ZEDs is the ability to teleport.

Clot.

Clot (and variants). Cannon fodder but numerous; the higher the difficulty the faster they run, and they can grab you at any time, so keep them at a distance. On Suicidal and Hell on Earth the Albino Clot (white) boosts damage and speed of nearby ZEDs and reduces damage they take. Weak to everything except the microwave gun, very weak to assault rifles and SMGs. Weak point: head.

Crawler.

Crawler. Small and mobile, hard to hit, black so it blends into the surroundings. Jumping on it can knock it down (a "goomba stomp"). On the higher difficulties the Albino Crawler is more aggressive and explodes into toxic gas on death, which also poisons ZEDs. Weak to everything except the microwave gun, very weak to assault rifles and SMGs. Weak point: head.

Gorefast.

Gorefast. Moves faster than most perks, so kill him before he arrives; on harder levels he can attack while running. On Suicidal and Hell on Earth a Gorefiend with a blade in each hand and a "Fidget Spinner" attack can appear. Weak to rifles and assault rifles, very weak to shotguns; resistant to melee weapons and the crossbow. Weak point: head; the blade arm is resistant.

Medium ZEDs

Bloat.

Bloat. Shoot the head. His body can swallow a whole magazine, and his vomit burns armor easily, so avoid it. Weak to fire weapons; resistant to everything else.

Stalker.

Stalker. Invisible pests that soak bullets meant for big ZEDs. They make characteristic sounds, and without a Commando you can spot a slight glow; dodging ability grows with difficulty. Weak to melee weapons and very weak to assault rifles; resistant to explosives. Weak point: head.

Husk.

Husk. The only ZED that attacks from range, and deadlier up close. Besides the head, his backpack is a weak point and explodes when destroyed. When low on health he may run up and blow himself up; on higher difficulties he gets a flamethrower. Weak to the microwave gun, handguns and shotguns (the backpack takes normal damage from everything); resistant to other weapons, slightly less to explosives and rifles. Metal parts, except the backpack, are resistant.

Siren.

Siren. The biggest AoE and an annoying scream, so kill her as fast as possible. Like the Bloat her body is resistant, so shooting anywhere but the head is clumsy. She destroys all explosive projectiles and hits health directly, leaving armor untouched. Weak to the microwave gun and shotguns; resistant to fire and melee. Metal parts are resistant.

Large ZEDs

Scrake.

Scrake. Do not attack without reason. If he runs at you, fight; otherwise clear other ZEDs and kill them one at a time, since several of these brutes can crush you. When badly hurt he enters a permanent rage, so solve it quickly. He targets whoever is closest, and any slow, stun or freeze is welcome. Weak to the microwave gun, rifles, handguns and shotguns, very weak to direct RPG hits; resistant to everything else, especially fire and explosives. Weak point: head; the chainsaw is resistant.

Fleshpound.

Fleshpound. Always target number one (with the "do not attack without reason" rule). His rage starts within some ten seconds and lasts until he hits something or someone. Besides the head, the torso is a weak point, but during rage he covers it with his arms, which are resistant. Stuns are welcome. Weak to the microwave gun and very weak to explosions; resistant to everything else, less so to shotguns. Weak points: head and glowing chest; the metal arms are resistant.

Bosses

Hans Volter.

Hans Volter. First, melee attacks and combos that deal enormous damage and a backpack that lets him fly up to you. Second, two MKB rifles, easily avoided behind cover. Third, grenades: green ones poison, red ones explode; sprint forward to avoid them. Fourth, up to four phases, each starting with a heal. Hans can heal when low on health, only with a player's help; before he grabs a player you can finish him so the next three phases never happen. While trying to heal he runs around trying to catch a player, using smoke grenades to summon smaller ZEDs, and has a shield that knocks him down when broken. Weak to the microwave gun, flamethrowers and explosives; very resistant to assault rifles. Weak points: head, the glowing crystal in the chest and especially the glowing battery on his back.

The Patriarch.

Patriarch. First, the minigun, which loses power with distance. Second, the rocket launcher, literally a rain of rockets; keep running. Third, his melee is not as strong as Hans', but his tentacle can grab the nearest player, so keep your distance. Fourth, when low on health he can turn invisible and hide to regenerate, releasing some ZEDs; chase him before he heals, since he has no shield or resistance then (a Commando helps track him; Berserker EMP and Firebug fire also help). Weak to the microwave gun; resistant to everything else except the weak spots. Weak points: head, the right (glowing, organic) arm and the tentacle from the chest when visible; all mechanical parts are resistant.

The Matriarch was not yet in the game when the guide was written.