KF2: How to Make ZEDs Attack Each Other (Friendly Fire)

ZEDs can deal friendly fire to each other. You have probably seen a Bloat vomit on a ZED, a Husk set another on fire, or a Clot turn on its neighbors after catching a few acid burns. This guide explains the logic behind it and how to provoke fights with each ZED type. Fleshpounds and Scrakes can fight each other like in the first game, but it is much harder this time.

How it works

Call the ZED that caused the first friendly fire Zed A, and the ZED that retaliates Zed B.

• ZEDs track a hatred value that decides whom to attack. Players have a natural hatred value: the closer the player, the higher it is, and any damage the player deals raises it temporarily.
• ZEDs can also gain hatred toward other ZEDs, but only if that ZED damages them, and that hatred is temporary too.
• If Zed A hits Zed B while no players are close and no player has hurt Zed B recently, Zed B's hatred for Zed A can exceed its hatred for the player, and it starts attacking Zed A.
• Once aggroed, Zed B keeps building hatred for Zed A and fights until Zed A dies, unless a player damages Zed B or gets into its melee range, or until the two are separated long enough for the hatred to drop to zero. Even a charging Fleshpound can be chased down this way.
• Zed A, in contrast, gains hatred for Zed B very slowly, so the two do not ignore players. For Zed A to fight back, no players can be in its range, which is roughly the distance at which ZEDs fade out in foggy maps - quite far.
• The bigger the ZED, the less likely it is to attack a smaller one, and the smaller the ZED, the more likely it attacks a bigger one. This stops a Clot that scratched a Fleshpound from distracting it.
• A melee hit between ZEDs shows as a red blood burst, like a knife hit.
• Apparently, a parry drastically lowers a ZED's hatred for the player who parried, probably so ZEDs do not fixate on Berserkers.

General methods: get ZEDs to melee each other. Berserkers are great at this because they must be in melee range anyway. Melee is hard unless the ZED has a sweeping or spinning attack. Bloats and Husks are very good starters thanks to vomit, flamethrower and damage over time.

Clot: not a team player

Clots will attack any ZED that attacks them.

Clots rarely start fights because their attacks lack range, but they gladly attack whoever hits them. They have the highest chance of all ZEDs to hit back at a friendly-fire source, though their low damage means the offender rarely retaliates unless a player breaks line of sight. The Slasher and Alpha variants are best, thanks to a triple-swing claw attack. If a Clot hits you, it will not aggro another ZED.

Crawler

Crawlers need to be attacked two or three times before they respond.

Crawlers rarely start fights, and need to be hit by the same ZED two or three times. Bloats and Husks are good for this thanks to damage over time. Hope their cartwheel or jump attack hits another ZED.

Stalker

Stalkers really dislike Bloats.

Stalker melee is an overhead swing, so starting a fight is very hard, and they are so fragile they die in one hit anyway. But if a Bloat vomits on a Stalker, it will almost always attack that Bloat. Hope its claw attack hits something else.

Bloat

The Bloat starts fights through its area vomit.

The Bloat has one of the few area attacks, its vomit, and its residual poison also draws aggro. Clots often attack Bloats since they spawn together, but any ZED hit by enough vomit may attack the Bloat. To start a fight, drag a ZED next to a Bloat, circle around it until it vomits on both of you, then run away. The Bloat may not attack the other ZED unless you are far off.

Gorefast

Gorefast blades hit nearby ZEDs.

Gorefasts are less reliable than Bloats and Husks, but many of their attacks can start fights. His heavy melee swing (walking toward you while swinging) and his spin are the best, as long as they do not hit a player. After a couple of attacks it goes back to the player. The spin also mows down Clots.

Husk

A Husk will cleanse an attacker with fire.

A fireball starts a fight only if it hits a ZED within the Husk's melee range (though it deals massive friendly fire). The flamethrower is the real trigger: get other ZEDs hit by it while within melee range of the Husk. If they survive they attack it with great hatred, and the Husk turns to retaliate, even self-destructing.

Siren

Sirens are nearly pacifists.

Her scream deals no friendly fire, and her bite has extremely short range and is rarely used. She can get angry at a Bloat but is too slow to catch it. Luck is needed, such as her biting a Cyst instead of you.

Scrake

Scrakes deal huge friendly fire but rarely retaliate.

A Scrake needs to be attacked two or three times in quick succession before it fights back; two or three Bloat vomits usually do it. Enraged Scrakes can still be provoked. They are vindictive, however, and chase a target to the ends of the earth unless shot. To start a fight, juke his melee attacks: any attack other than the uppercut can hit a neighbor, though nothing wants to anger a Scrake unless it is as big as he is.

Fleshpound

Fleshpound attacks aggro other ZEDs, especially when enraged.

Many Fleshpound attacks cause friendly fire. While not enraged he behaves like a Scrake and needs several hits before responding. Enraged, he chases players unless they are so far away that all they see is his chest light. Fleshpounds also enrage from ZED damage and unleash it on that ZED. His spin, jump and swipe easily hit other ZEDs, and the ground pound that knocks nearby ZEDs out cause many (Husks, Clots) to hunt him down. Scrakes are easy targets for his attacks.

Bosses

Bosses cannot start fights, except rarely with a Clot that hits the boss once. They do not fight other ZEDs and simply kill them with area attacks.

Related reading: weekly outbreak modes.