Killing Hans Volter in KF2: Hunt Mode and Damage Types

This is a community breakdown of the Hans Volter boss fight from early 2015, later extended with a section on how the Incinerate & Detonate update changed him. The author warned that the older sections became outdated after later boss changes (notably the Sharpshooter update), so treat the numbers as a snapshot and check the pursuit-mode damage math page for a later look.

Incinerate & Detonate changes

• Hit zones. Hans now has material-based multipliers like other zeds. Shooting his arms, legs or exoskeleton deals only half damage with every weapon. The big glowing power core on his backpack, the smaller one over his heart, and his head take 10% extra damage.
• Damage types. He takes half damage from toxic, explosive, slashing and EMP, and 25% extra from the Microwave Gun. Ballistic, piercing and blunt damage (normal guns, the Zweihander stab and the Pulverizer) plus the Microwave Gun are the best options.
• Shield. A transparent red shield appears around him in hunt mode, which makes his mitigation visible and signals when to let him catch up with you.

How the fight works

Hans has two modes, relaxed and hunt, and four phases. He starts in phase 1 at full health in relaxed mode, pursuing the group with all his attacks. In hunt mode he sprints after one player to drain their health.

• Phase 1: slow walk, basic melee, dual StG44 fire and pairs of gas grenades.
• Phase 2: adds frag grenades and extra grenades in the gas barrage.
• Phase 3: both grenade attacks get many more bombs and he uses his rocket pack to jump toward players.
• Phase 4: he goes berserk and sprints after players, mostly in melee with occasional grenades.

Higher phases also raise his speed and damage. The rules of hunt mode:

1. When he drops below 35% health and is not in phase 4, he enters hunt mode and the phase counter goes up by one.
2. In hunt mode he gets 85% damage reduction against everything and sprints after the team until he grabs someone. This is where most teams burn all their ammo.
3. When he catches a player he incapacitates them for a few seconds, drains their health and drops smoke bombs. The whole team should heal the victim.
4. When he lets go, his health resets to 100% and he returns to relaxed mode, losing the reduction. He stays still for a few seconds in an animation: let the victim run and shoot him hard.

Two ways to win

• Path A: never let him catch his target and grind down the last 35% through the 85% reduction. That is about 233% effective health, roughly 298% of his base HP in total damage. It needs perfect kiting, and if he catches someone he heals fully and you fall back to path B. He never leaves phase 1, so you avoid the heavy grenade barrages.
• Path B: let him catch someone each time he enters hunt mode and repeat until phase 4, then deal a final 100%. About 295% of his base HP in total. It is easier to coordinate but you must stop shooting during hunt mode and survive the later barrages and the phase 4 charge.

Berserkers can and should block his melee attacks to give teammates time to shoot. The Eviscerator was improved to be able to block after the update, but is still a poor choice here.

TL;DR for public games: let him heal when he tries, keep the victim alive with healing, and once he has healed three times unload everything into his head or the glowing cores.

Weapon notes by perk

• All perks: perk knives and the Katana deal slashing damage, so avoid them. The 9mm is ballistic.
• Berserker: Crovel light attack is slashing (avoid); its alt is blunt but cannot parry him. The Pulverizer is all blunt, can parry Hans and its heavy attack is strong. The Zweihander's light and heavy swings are slashing (half damage), but its bash is piercing and can parry; poke him in the face. The Eviscerator deals only slashing damage over time and is not viable.
• Commando: every gun is ballistic. Shoot him in the head, or the backpack core when he is turned away. Grenades are 100% explosive and weak.
• Demolitionist: nearly all your damage is explosive, which he resists by half. Consider switching perks; keep C4 to tag him for XP and fight with another weapon.
• Field Medic: guns are ballistic but you lack a damage bonus, so carry something heavier such as a Pulverizer. Your grenade toxin is weak against him but the healing is invaluable.
• Firebug: an ideal matchup. The Microwave Gun gets the 25% bonus on top of your perk bonus. Empty one, pick up another, and remember damage falls off with range.
• Support: all ballistic. Aim the AA-12 at the face or backpack core; grenades also have a piercing component and are worth throwing.

Credits

The author thanked the Reddit thread contributors who corrected early mistakes and Tripwire for the game.