KF2 Matriarch Guide: Break the Cannon Armor and Dodge Plasma

The Matriarch is arguably the toughest boss in Killing Floor 2, but she becomes easy once her Cannon Armor is destroyed. This guide (written for version 1108) focuses on that. Practice on a test map before trying it in a real match. For another approach see KF2 Matriarch bullying guide.

Her attacks

Think of her ranged attacks as a cycle of two:

• Tesla Blast (blue): her weakest ranged attack. One shot, no target focus.
• Plasma Cannon (purple): the dangerous one that can kill you or a teammate instantly.

Keep track of which she used last. If a player is in melee range she inserts other attacks: a melee strike and Lightning Storm (an EMP-like wave). In her last phase Lightning Storm is replaced by Warning Siren, which looks like a Siren scream. If she performs two attacks in a row that are neither Tesla Blast nor Plasma Cannon, her next ranged attack tends to be the Tesla Blast.

Her defenses

Two matter:

• Shield: do not waste ammo on it. It is always up while she is not attacking.
• Cannon Armor: the target. Its health is the bottom-right bar under her main bar, only about 7350 HP in a 6 player Hell on Earth match. Without it she cannot use Plasma Cannon or Tesla Blast and relies on Tentacle Grab or melee attacks.

Battle phases

• Phase 2 (75% HP): the shield is destroyed automatically and EDARs are called in.
• Phase 3 (50% HP): the head armor is destroyed, EDARs come, and she moves faster. The head then takes 1.3x damage.
• Phase 4 (25% HP): she turns invisible when not attacking, EDARs come, Lightning Storm becomes Warning Siren, and she is faster again.

By 75% you are nearly home free: just keep out of the long reach of the tentacle grab. The left arm and claw also have a damage multiplier (1x to 1.3x), so shoot them when you can.

Strategy

The problem: the shield is up whenever she is not attacking, and her Plasma Cannon and Tesla Blast hurt. So you must take a calculated risk to make her drop the shield and then hit the Cannon Armor.

Her Plasma Cannon tracks badly when a player is both too close to her and moving toward her side. She keeps firing at empty space. Moving to your left is safest; moving right means at least one hit. Fast, tanky perks like Berserker and Medic are best, but with a speed-healing Medic any perk will do.

Recipe: wait for a Tesla Blast, step in front of her outside melee range but not too far, wait for the Plasma Cannon and move left. When she is stuck, it is open season on the Cannon Armor.

EDARs

EDARs are annoying and tanky and can eat your ammo, leaving nothing for the Matriarch (a problem on Elysium). Back off the boss and clear the closest EDARs first, then return to the Matriarch.

Perk notes

• Berserker: the HRG Teslalauncher is good against any boss and kills EDARs in a few shots. The tentacle grab can be parried, so carry something like the Hemoclobber to bait it while teammates empty magazines into her arm. This is especially useful before phase 2 when her shield is up.
• Demolitionist: mostly useless until phase 3, since explosive damage is spread over shield, health and armor. After the shield and armor break at 50%, Demolitionist reaches full potential. A Seeker Six with auto-lock can clear up to 6 EDARs at once.
• Sharpshooter: great vs EDARs; a T1 Winchester kills one with two chest shots (armor then core). The Railgun's auto-lock handles immediate threats, but do not spend too much ammo. From phase 3, a Railgun headshot (or a hit on the area the head armor covered) interrupts the tentacle grab.
• SWAT: the Cripple skill adds Snare to perk weapons, slowing zeds by 30%. The Matriarch, especially her head, is vulnerable for 3 seconds, with a 10.5 second cooldown before it can be applied again.