KF2 Leveling All Perks Together: Drones, SWAT Trick, Tips

This community guide describes one way to bring all Killing Floor 2 perks up together instead of grinding them one by one. The author reached level 20-21 on every perk, with Medic, Demolitionist and Survivalist at 25 and Commando at 23. The advice is practical rather than theoretical, so treat it as a starting plan and adapt it to your difficulty. For general leveling theory see Fast leveling strategies.

The basic idea

Level the perks in tandem, pairing them so one supports the other. Use perk-specific weapons whenever you have a bonus for them. This matters most on higher difficulties, because even with perfect headshots and high damage we remain vulnerable.

Medic is the only perk that mostly depends on a team for leveling. It is still a good solo perk, but it advances faster when teammates are there to heal.

Medic and the drones (Sentinel, Bombardier)

The two drone weapons are among the friendliest perks to level, because the drones cost only 500 dosh. At low levels pair Sentinel and Bombardier with:

• HRG Healthrower: purely team-oriented. Its healing darts pass through enemies, damaging and staggering them with poison, and auto-aim at teammates (not at enemies), so aiming at your team from any distance should connect. At high levels in a large team, drop the drone and pair it with the Healing SMG.
• HMTech-501 Grenade Launcher: needs no upgrade and works best on Hard or below. It shines with drones unless you have many ammo sources for grenade rounds.

Warning for team play: drones can hog kills and points from teammates. More teammates means more Zeds, so do not park the drone where it steals dosh from others. In a team, play Medic, Support or Berserker next to it. Placing the drone away from the action gives reliable backup if the team's defense falls.

Demolitionist and Commando

• Demolitionist: huge damage but needs protection and healing. Most weapons in the category work well, but the aim has to be good with the shots you have. Bring out the Bombardier when a Scrake or Fleshpound begins to charge.
• Commando: ideal for sweeping heads of Zeds. Revealing Sirens for teammates is valuable. One or two Commandos in a full team is fine, covering two different fronts.

Sharpshooter and Gunslinger: aim

A headshot is always the best outcome for every bullet, and tougher enemies against a full team raise how many you need.

• Sharpshooter: snipers belong on open maps or hallways. With a single-shot weapon such as the M99 AMR, aim at the heads of Scrakes and Fleshpounds. The M14 EBR is a favorite: with upgrades it shreds Zeds and bosses solo, and a drone helps close quarters.
• Gunslinger: also rewards headshots. Dual AF2011-A1 pistols fire two rounds per shot, giving two headshots for large damage.

The SWAT to Gunslinger strategy

A level 10 SWAT skill grants akimbo starter pistols. When the second wave begins, sell the used MP7 SWAT weapon, switch to Gunslinger and use the fully loaded dual pistols. Before or after wave 2 you can sell the extra starter pistol for a small boost in funds. The same trick gives extra dosh at the start of a match, even on higher difficulties, and the money can buy either drone.

SWAT itself is the damage-dealing tank: use armor and shield weaker perks. The GC63 Assault Rifle and Kriss SMG duo tears through hordes, and any weapon with penetration is good for headshots. The HRG Nailgun is an honorable mention with unusual aim but large ammo capacity.

Note: in a 4-wave match you gain more money between waves, and stronger Zeds appear sooner to balance it. The author recommends this plan for 7-10 wave games.

Firebug and Berserker

• Firebug: often on the front line. The Helios Rifle is the standout, with extra fire damage and burn buffs, and it can headshot and nearly decimate everything. The Flamethrower should not be ignored either: spray and everything you touch ignites.
• Berserker: works well with a drone or a Medic teammate. With buffs it can still solo waves on higher difficulties through dodging and parrying. Early picks are the VLAD-1000 Nailgun (single-shot mode, shotgun mode as an emergency), the Hemoclobber (hit teammates to heal them, even with normal swings), the Bone Crusher for dangerous enemies and the Iron Thruster. Do not reflexively reload and fire the special move at nothing.

Survivalist

Survivalist levels very easily with any weapon, so you will level it no matter what perk you main.

Putting it together

When leveling all perks at once, use the drone tactic and the SWAT/Gunslinger tactic for the best progress. After SWAT 10, take the extra pistol and switch to Gunslinger, sell the old SWAT weapon and use the money for a drone. On wave 3 you may sell the second pistol and move toward the perk you want to level. You can switch every wave, but do not do it so often that your upgrades fall behind.

Map tip: Moonbase is the best map for long survival. Low gravity lets you jump out of danger easily.

Achievements

Every 5 perk levels grants an achievement. For maximum unlocks, play every map on every difficulty in turn, ideally on Normal while leveling. The number of waves does not matter as long as you face the boss and win. Bosses can generally be beaten with repeated headshots and by running around blockades or terrain. Always keep something between you and a boss ranged attack, such as a wall, car or fence post.