KF2 Hans Volter: Phases, Pursuit Mode and Damage Math

Hans Volter gives many players trouble, so this guide (a Russian translation of an English original by TangoThree) breaks down how he works and how much damage the team actually has to deal. It describes the Early Access version of the boss.

Two modes, four phases

Hans has two modes, called calm and pursuit here, and four phases. He starts at 100% health in the first phase and in calm mode.

• Calm mode: Hans follows the group and uses his whole arsenal.
• Pursuit mode: Hans runs after one team member and tries to drain life to heal himself.

The phase decides which attacks he can use. Each phase adds more dangerous actions and upgrades the existing ones, and also raises his speed and damage.

• Phase 1: moves relatively slowly, uses simple melee hits, fires two StG44 rifles and throws pairs of gas grenades.
• Phase 2: adds fragmentation grenades and more grenades in his gas screen.
• Phase 3: throws many more grenades and gains a jetpack for jumping and chasing players.
• Phase 4: charges straight at players, mostly in melee, still throwing grenades now and then.

Pursuit mode rules

• When he drops below 35% health outside phase four, he switches to pursuit mode and moves up one phase. In phase four he cannot use pursuit mode any more.
• In pursuit mode he has 85% resistance to all damage. He keeps chasing the team until he catches someone, and this is when most players waste their ammo on the reduced damage.
• When he catches someone, he incapacitates the victim for a few seconds, drains health and throws smoke grenades. The whole team should heal the victim.
• When he lets go, his health is restored to 100%, he loses the resistance and returns to calm mode. A short animation holds him in place so the victim does not die right after the grab.

Two ways to kill him

A. Never let him catch anyone. Avoid every grab and burn down the last 35% through 85% resistance.

B. Let him catch someone and heal each time, repeating until he reaches phase four, where he can no longer heal.

Both need about the same damage. In either case you must deal 65% to bring him down to the pursuit threshold, and then:

• A: push through the remaining 35% at 85% resistance, which is roughly 233% effective health, for a total of about 298% of his base health.
• B: deal 65% twice more and the last 100% in phase four, for a total of about 295% of his base health.

Plan A requires excellent dodging. If he catches anyone, he heals and you fall back to plan B, but a successful run avoids the nastier grenade upgrades because he never leaves phase one. Plan B is easier to coordinate but requires you to stop shooting and deliberately let him catch a target, since all damage after pursuit starts is wasted before he heals. You also face more grenades in later phases and his final charge in phase four. Berserkers can and should block his melee to give the team time to shoot.

Short version for public games

Let Hans grab a target as soon as he tries, and heal the victim. After he has grabbed three times, unload everything you have. Running away and denying his healing is possible, but if he catches you anyway your effort is wasted. Remember he only takes 15% damage while trying to catch someone.

For a Support-focused plan see KF2 Support in Early Access: weapons by wave and Hans.