KF2 Universal Defensive Tactics: Bash Cancel, Stomp, Knife Parry

This page covers the defensive half of Tamari's KF2 Survival Handbook. All of the tactics are universal: they need no specific perk, skill setup or loadout, though some perks will do them more easily than others. Most of them give you control over Large ZEDs, so they are worth learning if Fleshpounds and Scrakes keep killing you. For the offensive half see Universal Offensive Tactics, and for the series overview the handbook index.

Primer on afflictions

Afflictions are short states that alter a ZED's behaviour, from incapacitation and stuns to subtle slowdowns; think of them as debuffs. They have cooldowns. See the afflictions reference for details.

Tactic 1: Bash cancelling

Hit a ZED with the melee bash (default V) just as it is about to attack and its attack is stopped completely. This works with any perk and nearly every weapon, and lets you get past ZEDs you cannot fight or get away from a chasing Boss or Large ZED. It also stops dangerous attacks: on Suicidal and above, bashing interrupts a Siren's scream or a Husk's flamethrower, two of the most dangerous attacks in the game. It can stop a Bloat's vomit or an E.D.A.R.'s missiles and lasers too.

Advantages

• Creates breathing room, especially against Large ZEDs.
• Acts as efficient crowd control and a reliable way to get past a ZED.
• Simple and repeatable.
• Gives windows to fight back or land critical shots.

How it works. Bash attacks have a lot of Melee Hit Power. Melee Hit is an affliction that makes a ZED flinch backward, and a bash usually overpowers the ZED's resistance and interrupts its attack. It can only be done with a non-melee weapon: the Knife and most melee weapons whose bash is a stab do Slashing damage rather than Bludgeon and will not work. One-handed weapons are best: pistols (single and akimbo), the Welder and the Syringe. They have a shorter delay between swings and the animation takes fewer frames. Two-handed weapons have a wind-up, so with an assault rifle or shotgun it still works but is slower. In the author's comparison clip the Desert Eagle swung fastest, the 9mm slightly slower, and both much faster than the HZ-12.

Video cover: Melee Bash Speed Comparison. Watch on YouTube: OwXJWASGp8Q.

Exceptions. It works on almost everything except enraged Fleshpounds and Quarter Pounds (75 percent reduced vulnerability to all afflictions) and Bosses (extremely high resistance to Melee Hit). Only certain weapons and abilities stagger a raging Fleshpound, like the Pulverizer's alternate fire or an RPG rocket. Shoot them instead.

Examples. Against an enraged Scrake the best moment to bash is just as its attack animation ends, and this works equally on a non-enraged Fleshpound or Quarter Pound. On Hell on Earth the author bashed a Husk to stop its flamethrower and then healed.

Video cover: Bash Cancelling #1 (getting past a Scrake). Watch on YouTube: kN8JoWoSSbo.

Disadvantages. Timing differs by weapon, it is hard against fast ZEDs, it needs you to stay close to dangerous targets, and slow perks like Demolitionist or Support find it harder.

Tactic 2: Goomba stomping and crowdsurfing

Landing on a ZED's head inflicts an enormous amount of Knockdown, enough to incapacitate any ZED or Boss. It needs no ammo or grenades and can be done solo, which makes it great in last man standing scenarios. Its best property is immunity to Affliction Cooldown: a Fleshpound normally has a 10 second Knockdown cooldown, but a stomp ignores it, so a ZED can be kept in near permanent knockdown by jumping on it every time it gets up.

Getting height. You need a raised surface: stairs, ledges or props. The exception is the Crawler, which is small enough to stomp from ground level, useful when they come in a pack, and handy against Elite Crawlers since the incap allows an easy follow-up headshot. If you carry the Double-barreled Boomstick or Doomstick, its alternate fire can boost you above a ZED's head, which also helps with tall Bosses like the Abomination or Krampus and King Fleshpound.

Crowdsurfing is stomping a cluster of ZEDs in succession, bouncing off the first and surfing over the rest, knocking them over. It is risky because the ZEDs must be very close together; a gap means you fall between them. It can save you when sandwiched between Large ZEDs.

Video cover: Goomba Stomping #1 (a Fleshpound on a staircase). Watch on YouTube: 3lN1VNF4qhc.

Disadvantages. It depends heavily on positioning and timing, is harder against fast ZEDs like enraged Fleshpounds or Bosses, and does not always work on enraged Bosses such as King Fleshpound.

Tactic 3: Knife parrying

Parrying is deflecting an attack with a melee weapon to cut damage. It is not the same as blocking: blocking is holding the guard button (default MOUSE3), which reduces damage from the front, while a parry is blocking at the right moment, just before an attack connects. You hear a "shing" and see a green particle effect.

Every perk carries a Knife, so every perk can parry. A Berserker's parry is always stronger, but the knife parry is a big help against Large ZEDs and Bosses. With the Knife, a parry knocks 20 percent off any physical damage and only stumbles smaller ZEDs. Armor makes it better: High integrity (76-100) gives 75 percent reduction, Medium (51-75) 65 percent, Low (1-50) 55 percent. Only physical damage can be parried.

Parry cancelling. A melee bash or the reload key (R) during the parry resets the animation so you can parry again right away.

Video cover: Parry Cancelling. Watch on YouTube: yeONqps3MV8.

Applications

• Rage cancelling. Enraged Fleshpounds and Quarter Pounds sprint until they hit a player. Letting yourself be hit, with a parry to reduce the damage, forces them to calm down. Useful when kiting several of them.
• Damage force boosting. The knockback of a hit can push you away from a ZED. Mind stairs, slopes and ledges, because it can cause fall damage.

Video cover: Knife Parrying #1 (reduced damage on Hell on Earth). Watch on YouTube: FwFq-w7hEP0.

Disadvantages. Extremely timing-dependent (worse with high ping), requires a decent health buffer, and you must pull out the Knife beforehand. Be ready to draw it when kiting or turning a blind corner. Commando and Gunslinger skills that speed weapon swapping help.

Tactics 4 and 5: Corner kiting and looping

Corner kiting forces an attacking ZED to miss, and looping traps a ZED in a movement cycle so it never reaches you. They are covered in the AI pathing guide of the same series and are among the most important survival skills.

Takeaways

• Bash cancel with a pistol, Welder or Syringe equipped for the fastest reaction.
• Use stomps on stairs and ledges, and on Crawlers from the ground.
• Keep the Knife ready when kiting and parry physical hits, never sonic or fire.