Hello and welcome to this guide for good etiquette in Killing Floor 2.

THIS IS A TEXT-HEAVY GUIDE.

It's a freakin long guide, so expect a SH*T TON of text. Warning you, right now.

This guide will be updated frequently to reflect the community's thoughts and opinions, as well as additional tips for etiquette sections.


Image credit goes to @Lawlsomedude from DeviantArt


Many of the tips and tricks I mention are in paragraphs, detailed out.
This is a fair warning to those who detest walls of text.

This not only covers etiquette, but other aspects of the game, such as Zeds, Perks and Bosses as well.

This guide is intended for all players, regardless of skill level.

I have a bit too much time on my hands so I thought making a guide for players who want to go into the ethics of mannerisms in a survival horror co-op game would be a good idea.

Bad mannerisms and etiquette run rampant across all walks of life, but when it comes to games, it can fly over one's head because you are a virtual character and forget that you are playing with other, real people. Sounds stupid, but this is the case for many, many players out there.


This guide is focused on a better multiplayer experience for those that read it, and to provide tips and tricks for those who were previously unaware.


That being said, this is a long guide, and is divided into several sections from Basic to Advanced Etiquette. All of this is from my subjective opinion, but have seen witnessed in good (and bad) intentions throughout multiplayer gameplay.

This guide will be edited to reflect updates and comments from those who feel that new ideas should be added.

I welcome any and all criticism and feedback for this guide.

Here I will list any updates I've made to the guide.

I will also take any suggestions made in the comments, depending on whether the information is beneficial for the majority that happen to read this guide.

Just post a comment if you have any suggestions for anything I should add.

UPDATE 1/3:

• Added "Raging Fleshpounds / King FP" under Intermediate Etiquette

UPDATE 12/27:

• Removed "Kill-stealing" section
  
• Updated "Playing Survivalist" under Intermediate Etiquette
  
• Added "Playing Demo" under Intermediate Etiquette, added screenshot
  
• Added screenshots

UPDATE 12/26:

• Added "Playing Zerker" under Intermediate Etiquette, added screenshot
  
• Updated "Playing Firebug" under Intermediate Etiquette
  
• Updated "Playing Survivalist" under Intermediate Etiquette

UPDATE 12/22:

• Added "Returning teammates weapons" under Basic Etiquette

UPDATE 12/19:

• Planning to add pictures/screenshots for all Etiquette tips as to provide more clarity and insight

UPDATE 12/19:

• Added "SYG (Stand Your Ground) Objectives" under Advanced Etiquette

Take note of the most important hotkeys in-game.
This info is intended for new players, but applies for everyone.


Key inputs may be different depending on if you re-assigned them on your keyboard.

• TAB - Displays a current view of all teammates' health, status, perk, level, top kills, etc.
  
  
• F - Flashlight. Rarely needed unless playing an insanely dark map like Farmhouse. Hold F to activate night goggles for Berserker and Commando.
  
  
• V - Melee/gun bash attack. Extremely useful and often underused when it comes to escaping zeds. Can also interrupt basic attacks. Think of it as a panic button. I would suggest re-assigning this key because the V button is quite an awkward spot to reach on the keyboard and most players, including myself, don't think to use it when the situation gets dire.
  
  
• C - Crouch. Good for avoiding King Fleshpound's laser beam attack and for better accuracy. Crucial if playing Sharpshooter with Stability skill.
  
  
• Z - Player commands, such as THANK YOU and REQUEST DOSH.
  
  
• Q - Heal syringe. Go near another player to heal them instead.
  
  
• BACKSPACE - Throws your current weapon on the ground. Useful for returning teammates weapons.

And that's all I can think of so far. Feel free to let me know if I need to add any.

Let's cover the perks first.

This is a LOOOOOONNGGGG section, as it goes IN-DEPTH on each perk. So fair warning to those in advance.

I'm not good with math and formulas for damage multipliers and whatnot, so I'm going to be strictly focusing on the assets each perk brings to the team in a straightforward manner.

Playstyle: CHAOTIC

The infamous melee kiting class of Killing Floor. Loved and hated by the community. Some say this perk is too OP. Whichever it is, keep in mind that Zerks are meat shields and create aggro for the team, which may result in adjusting your team composition or playstyle. Depending on the map and difficulty, having a Zerk on your team can be a double-edged sword.

If you plan as playing Zerk, take into consideration the map you're playing on and the difficulty it is set to. For example, choosing to play Zerk on a Hell on Earth game on Containment Station may not be ideal, since it is a tight map with narrow hallways. However, depending on playstyle/team composition, it is possible to play any map with Zerk if skilled enough.

Their playstyle is defined as CHAOTIC, which means that Zerkers generally tend to create and defuse chaotic situations, due to their high rate of aggro.




The Good:

• Zerkers are great at attracting aggro and getting zeds off your back
  
• Zerkers (usually) can carry the team
  
• Zerkers (amongst a few other perks) amass the most dosh due to mainly using melee weapons
  
• Zerkers can serve as a meat-shield for the team if necessary
  
• A skilled zerker may need little to no healing
  
• Zerkers can be insanely OP due to their running speed, resistance to clot grabs and overall survivability

The Bad:

• Zerkers are great at attracting aggro
  
• Zerkers can carry the team, but doesn't mean they should be
  
• Zerkers amass the most dosh and may not share with others
  
• A bad zerker will need a lot, if not, the most healing (unless you're zerkwalling or some sh*t)
  
• Zerkers can be insanely OP, but may not pull their weight for the rest of the team

• Zerkers are great at attracting aggro and getting zeds off your back
  They indeed are. They are good for aggro'ing zeds and keeping them at bay while the team can focus.
  
  
• Zerkers (usually) can carry the team
  If the team wipes, the player is a skilled zerker and need be, then yes.
  
  
• Zerkers (amongst a few other perks) amass the most dosh due to mainly using melee weapons
  Not just applicable to zerkers, but they do typically end up with the most amount of dosh due to their little to no reliance on ammo and armor.
  
  
• Zerkers can serve as a meat-shield for the team if necessary
  This is why Parry is crucial.
  
  
• A skilled zerker may need little to no healing
  Depending on the strategy and playstyle the zerker is employing, most zerks do not need to be spammed with darts if they are using the Skirmisher skill.
  
  
• Zerkers can be insanely OP due to their running speed, resistance to clot grabs and overall survivability
  This is true, and this is also the reason why many people asked for Zerker to be nerfed. At least IMO. Zerkers are usually one of the last, if not, the last teammate alive during major f*ck ups. But this is also a double edged sword, explained in the next paragraph.
  
  
  Why is the bad stuff BAD?
  
  
• Zerkers are great at attracting aggro
  Unfortunately, this can really lead to a lot of disarray within a team composition, especially for Sharpshooters, Gunslingers and virtually any class that needs to be able to see a zed properly to shoot it. Zerkers interrupt the flow of zed pathing and make it difficult for precision-based perks to aim accurately, they can also create a chaotic environment which can lead to dangerous situations for the team, while the Zerker is able to kite away due to their superior speed and survivability.
  
  
• Zerkers can carry the team, but doesn't mean they should be
  A far too common situation. The zerker will typically be the last one left alive on a team that has wiped. While this is due to many factors, TYPICALLY, it will be because the zerker was separated from the team, or the team itself did not have its sh*t together and wiped.
  
  
• Zerkers amass the most dosh and may not share with others
  This holds true for any teammate that refuses to share dosh, but Zerkers will typically amass the most amount of dosh and use it on useless weapons or upgrades, when the Medic is in dire need of a Medic Rifle or Demo with RPG.
  
  
• A bad zerker will need a lot, if not, the most healing (unless you're zerkwalling or some sh*t)
  I wish every Zerker who's played like this could see this. Unless you are Zerkwalling with your team or doing some other weird specific sh*t that flies by with your team, you should NOT be losing massive amounts of health in a short period of time. I'm not talking about losing 20 HP from a Stalker. I'm talking about going from 100 to 20 in less than 10 seconds. Learn to Parry, that skill is one of the reasons Zerker is OP, watch your surroundings, don't be oblivious, and don't run off to kill a couple more zeds when more could easily spawn behind your back.
  
  
• Zerkers can be insanely OP, but may not pull their weight for the rest of the team
  Said for above. Stick with your team, please. If you want to kill the most zeds or run around the map, play on Solo offline.
  
  
  Overview
  
  As you can see, the bad outweighs the good. That does NOT mean Zerker is a bad perk, only that there are specific circumstances and situations that the Zerker is useful and not useful for, just as all the other perks.
  
  However, despite the perk, it truly is the player that makes the perk viable. As mentioned earlier, skilled Zerkers will normally not need to be healed, unless they are playing off a specific playstyle.
  
  Based on personal experience, feedback from other players, and players thoughts about Zerkers in general, many Zerkers tend to have a selfish and narrow-minded mentality when playing this perk. Due to the high survivability and damage Zerker does, most Zerkers will not attend to the team and instead focus on their personal kills and taking ammo from others. This leads to the current amount of dislike that players have for Zerkers, which, IMO, is totally agreeable with. Zerkers who play like this typically do not care to stay with the team, nor do they realize they are jeopardizing the team by taking majority of the kills and dosh with them. The worst Zerkers are the ones that lead raging scrakes and fleshpounds straight back to the team with no warning whatsoever. This is why communication is incredibly important.
  
  
• Please stay with your team. This is especially true for Zerker, as it is easy for them to get separated from the team due to unexpected situations. It's tempting to run off and kill that clot 20 feet away, but in doing so you're jeopardizing another teammate by not watching their back.
  
  
• Parry for other teammates if you can. If you see someone being chased by a scrake or fleshpound, you can parry for them and potentially save their life. However, don't do this if they have the shot lined up (Sharpshooter, Gunslinger, etc.)

Playstyle: PRECISION

The team "leader" in Killing Floor 2. Not literally the leader of your team, just metaphorically. Since they can reveal stalkers and cloaked Patriarch. Commandos are great for clearing trash zeds like clots and crawlers, and can also, to a certain extent, deal with larger zeds like scrakes and fleshpounds. They can also act as an off-perk medic with the HM-401, and most importantly, extend Zed-time for crucial moments.

The Commando playstyle is listed as PRECISION, which means that Commando relies on killing several targets in succession to make the most of his abilities. This holds especially true for Commando's Zed Time extension ability.



The Good:

• Commandos can reveal stalkers and the Patriarch himself, making the fight easier
  
• Commandos can extend Zed Time, which can be crucial for certain circumstances
  
• Commandos have superior Health and Armor (if using the Tenacious skill)
  
• Commandos are great at clearing smaller/trash Zeds, such as Clots, Crawlers and Stalkers
  
• Commandos have strong grenades, save them for special situations
  
• Commandos can act as an off-perk medic with the HM-401
  
• Commandos have a fun variety of guns to use

The Bad:

• Commandos can eat through ammo early on, making it somewhat expensive to refill ammo, buy guns
  
• Multiple Commandos can interrupt or even cancel out Zed Time extensions

• Commandos can reveal stalkers and the Patriarch himself, making the fight easier
  Exactly as stated. Makes it easier for teammates to see where those pesky zeds are hiding. During Patriarch boss fight, having a Commando on the team is a godsend as it directly reveals the location of the Patriarch without having to guess where he is.
  
  
• Commandos can extend Zed Time, which can be crucial for certain circumstances
  One of the biggest advantages for Commando. His Zed Time extension may annoy some players, but sometimes it can be used to clear zeds in a matter of seconds, and even save teammates, all the while in slo-mo.
  
  
• Commandos have superior Health and Armor (if using the Tenacious skill)
  Higher survivability.
  
  
• Commandos are great at clearing smaller/trash Zeds, such as Clots, Crawlers and Stalkers
  One of the best trash cleaning perks.
  
  
• Commandos have strong grenades, save them for special situations
  I don't know the exact mechanics on the damage the Commando grenades do, and I'm not posting numbers, but it seems Commando grenades are slightly stronger than most perks grenades. This does not mean it is a good idea to immediately start chucking grenades at a Fleshpound when you see it; it is a good clutch weapon and should be used only when necessary, as with most grenades.
  
  
• Commandos can act as an off-perk medic with the HM-401
  Only if a medic is absent and the team isn't dying, then Commandos can act as off perk medic. Really more of a playstyle than etiquette.
  
  
• Commandos have a fun variety of guns to use
  Used to hate Commando, thought they were basic because they focused on all guns only. Boy was I wrong.
  
  
  Why is the bad stuff BAD?
  
  
• Commandos can eat through ammo early on, making it somewhat expensive to refill ammo, buy guns
  Depending on the difficulty, Commando can be a slightly expensive perk to fund if you're eating through your ammo early on. Otherwise, try to use your 9mm during early waves.
  
  
• Multiple Commandos can interrupt or even cancel out Zed Time extensions
  Multiple Commandos are never a good idea. Your team will typically only need one. Why? Because each Commando has their own pool of "Zed Time" extensions, and when one Commando activates Zed Time, another Commando can prematurely end it by resetting the counter for that Zed Time activation. So in other words, if you see someone already playing Commando, try to choose a different perk.
  
  
  Overview
  
  Commando is a great perk to use, a great asset to the team and usually excels at clearing trash zeds. Paired with the FN FAL, the Commando is also considered to be OP by many players and thus, is subjected to suggestions of nerfing and doubling down on its weapon damage.
  
  As mentioned before in the Zerker section, the player is what makes the perk viable. That being said, any perk that has high survivability and damage output attracts power-hungry players. Commando, in turn, is no exception. Less skilled Commandos will go for more kills and ignore Zed Time extension, use more ammo and overall more team resources.
  
  
• Utilize Zed Time extensions whenever possible. This can be crucial for other teammates to get rid of zeds on their backs or bigger zeds.
  
  
• Try to focus on mainly trash zeds. Commando excels at killing smaller zeds, thus, it would be recommended to focus on killing trash zeds like the Clot and Crawler. Bigger zeds should be left up to the appropriate perks (if available).

Playstyle: HEAVY

Support is the heavy man in Killing Floor 2. Also described as a "glass cannon," Support packs some serious punch when it comes to dealing damage. Support is all about damage, penetration, and lane-clearing. They are the best of the best when it comes to holding and clearing lanes, hallways and dealing large amounts of damage. However, they are easily susceptible to being caught by zeds and quickly surrounded due to slow speed and reload. Best used on tight or narrow hallway maps.

Support's playstyle is listed as HEAVY, which means that Support is a strong, but bulky perk. Most of his weapons are quite (literally) heavy, as they have high carry weight and are quite expensive, but do some serious damage that other perks don't have.




The Good:

• Support can one-man an entire lane by himself
  
• Support provides extra ammo and armor when interacted with
  
• Support can easily clear larger zeds with no issue
  
• Support has some of the highest damage in the game
  
• Support can easily clear trash and large zeds alike
  
• Support has the highest carry weight out of any perk
  
• Support is the only perk that can repair doors
  
• Support is the best perk at being able to penetrate bullets through multiple zeds

The Bad:

• Slow reload
  
• The Doomstick, one of Support's strongest weapons, has an abysmal reload time
  
• Support has a hard time kiting due to his reload time and speed
  
• Support is the best perk at welding doors, which is...quite useless
  
• Support has a high penetration rate, which may enrage larger zeds
  
• Support is a fairly expensive perk to fund due to the guns being mid to high tier
  
• Support is best used on lane maps; open maps are more challenging
  
  
  Why is the good stuff GOOD?
  
  
• Support can one-man an entire lane by himself
  Support can quite literally man an entire lane by himself, provided he has an optimal weapon loadout and is skilled enough. Obviously this only works in lane-styled maps.
  
  
• Support provides extra ammo and armor when interacted with
  The skill Resupply Pack allows for your teammates to gain 30% ammo and 20% armor just by interacting with you. On higher difficulties, this can be a lifesaver during later waves and boss fights.
  
  
• Support can easily clear larger zeds with no issue
  With an upgraded AA12, Boomstick or Doomstick, Support can easily clear Scrakes and Fleshpounds in no time. Of course, this requires communication to your team. Give them a heads up before attempting to take on one.
  
  
• Support has some of the highest damage in the game
  That does NOT mean it is okay to start spamming bullets everywhere. The damage output can be mitigated by Support's reload speed.
  
  
• Support can easily clear trash and large zeds alike
  Because of this, Support can easily clear any zed coming towards the team, and also take care of Scrakes and Fleshpounds, provided they aren't raged yet.
  
  
• Support has the highest carry weight out of any perk
  Because of this, Support can also pick up and carry extra weapons.
  
  
• Support is the only perk that can repair doors
  Broken doors can be repaired by Support and Support only.
  
  
• Support is the best perk at being able to penetrate bullets through multiple zeds
  Which explains why Support is able to easily hold lanes and corridors. With this ability, Support can easily clear Zeds lined up for them to shoot.
  
  
  Why is the bad stuff BAD?
  
  
• Slow reload
  The skill Tactical Reload increases the reload speed for Support, but it's still a little...slow. Because of this, Support is vulnerable to any zeds and other dangers that may be facing him. The most optimal time to reload would be BEFORE emptying out your entire magazine; never reload on a empty magazine. That way, you can reload cancel and shoot if you need time to spare.
  
  
• The Doomstick, one of Support's strongest weapons, has an abysmal reload time
  Yes. If the reload speed were any faster, it might be considered OP. Be aware of your surroundings when reloading.
  
  
• Support has a hard time kiting due to his reload time and speed
  Which is why Support tends to excel more on lane-styled and holdout maps, such as Containment Station and Biotics Lab. Thanks to Support's sh*tty slow reload, it makes you more open and vulnerable to zeds. It's totally possible to kite with a Support, just slightly more difficult.
  
  
• Support is the best perk at welding doors, which is...quite useless
  Quite ironic. There really is no need to weld doors in Killing Floor 2, unlike in the first game where the gameplay was much more slow and camp-based.
  
  
• Support has a high penetration rate, which may enrage larger zeds
  A double edged sword when it comes to Support's skills. You do have to be careful where your bullets are penetrating. Obviously, you shouldn't shoot through a crowd of zeds when there are Scrakes in the mix. It would be ideal to thin out a line or crowd of Zeds before attempting to shoot at the larger zeds.
  
  
• Support is a fairly expensive perk to fund due to the guns being mid to high tier
  Unfortunately, many of Support's strongest guns may not be obtained until mid or even late game, due to the amount of dosh it counts. Depending on the difficulty, it could take even longer. Consider this if you're going to play Support on higher difficulties.
  
  
• Support is best used on lane maps; open maps are more challenging
  As mentioned earlier several times, Support is good for manning lanes, solo or with teammates. Due to their high penetration ability, clearing lanes of zeds is a walk in the park for a high level Support. When it comes to open maps, Support will have a much more difficult time aiming at zeds because zeds can spawn from anywhere. The vulnerability of Support being out in the open, combined with slow reload times, can spell a death sentence for even a skilled Support if they are not being aware and attentive to their situation.
  
  
  Overview
  
  Support, like Commando, is a great asset to the team and can clear trash AND large zeds, thus making them an optimal perk to play and play alongside with. However, they can be quite expensive to fund during the earlier waves due to them not having access to the AA-12, Boomstick or Doomstick. The HZ12 is a viable option, however, the aforementioned guns are preferrable for more optimal teamplay.
  
  Most Support players stay with the team, watch their teammates backs, and almost always offer free ammo and armor, making them a great teammate to play with. They can also save your a*s in a pinch, easily clearing away crowds of trash and larger zeds with the optimal loadout.
  
  
• Stay with your team. Out of all perks, Support needs to stay with the team. Why? Because they offer some of the most valuable team resources: FREE armor and ammo. They also aid in clearing trash and larger zeds. You will inevitably save someone without knowing it.
  
  
• If joining as Support, try using your 9mm during the earlier waves. This will save you some dosh on buying ammo and you'll get good practice for popping headshots.
  
  
• Unless you're playing with friends, don't weld doors. Just don't. Seriously, don't weld doors in this game. Don't. Why? Because the zeds move a lot faster, the gameplay is a lot more chaotic, and everything is just generally a lot more quicker in this game. If you weld a door, zeds will either break it down over time, or you will need to run back through that door to kite from zeds. So just don't do it. You will be screwing yourself AND the team up the a*s.

Playstyle: HEALER

Ahhh the medic. So much controversy around this perk. Or should I say, the players using this perk. An essential asset to the team. Or dentrimental. As part of the "high survivability perk" family, Medic is also widely abused due to the fact that most players will tend to focus on keeping their selves alive without realizing that they are on a team, and that they are a medic.

Medic specializes in one thing, and ONE ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ thing only - HEALING. That's it. Nothing else. No sh*tty poison rounds, no combat medic, no other bullsh*t. Just be the guardian angel for your teammates and heal them when needed.




The Good:

• Medic is the best and the ONLY healer in the game. Note ONLY.
  
• Medic has high speed and survivability
  
• Medic gives speed bonus, damage bonus and damage resistance buffs
  
• Medic has grenades that heal AND provide buffs (nah, Survivalist don't count)
  
• Medic's syringe recharges twice as fast
  
• Medic can somewhat tank due to their superior armor

The Bad:

• Medic must rely on the team for damage output
  
• Medic is not for combat - it is a perk for healing
  
• Medic guns have terrible damage and recoil
  
• Medics may have to use off-perk weapons to defend them selves (Hans or a sh*tty team)
  
• Medics can easily be blamed for teammates deaths and team wipes
  
• Medics must maintain constant vigilance on their teammates health
  
• Medics can't heal players halfway across the map

• Medic is the best and the ONLY healer in the game. Note ONLY.
  As stated. If there is a medic on the team, no other perk should be attempting to "play" medic (looking at you, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Survivalists) and trying to actively heal other teammates as often as Medic is. If this is you, then don't.
  
  
• Medic has high speed and survivability
  Focusing on the good, Medic is able to keep up with kiting teams and can take most heavy hits. Unfortunately, this is also the reason why Zerkers and Medics are usually the last ones left alive during a team wipe. Both have high speed and survivability, Medic's fart gas at lv 25 during Zed Time can also save you in certain situations akin to Zerker's Skirmisher skill. Because of this, it induces more selfish and narrow minded playstyles that cater more to the player than the team, resulting in teammates not being healed or outright dying while spamming "REQUEST TO BE HEALED" after being chased by 2 raging Fleshpounds halfway across the map. Too specific? This is a far more common situation than you think.
  
  
• Medic gives speed bonus, damage bonus and damage resistance buffs
  THIS. THIS RIGHT HERE, is why Medic is superior to that ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Survivalist with a medic grenade launcher gun. You can trust your local neighborhood friendly Medic with the drugs. Medics provide these boosts that are INCREDIBLY helpful, sometimes life-saving during very chaotic and critical situations throughout a match. That slight speed boost might just actually save you when you're running from a Fleshpound.
  
  
• Medic has grenades that heal AND provide buffs (nah, Survivalist don't count)
  Said as above. The grenades provide the same effect that the darts do. And they apply to yourself as Medic too!
  
  
• Medic's syringe recharges twice as fast
  Just a nice quirk that Medic has. Can also save yours or a teammates life. Recharges even faster if you heal other teammates with it, but you shouldn't be getting that close to heal teammates in the first place. That's what medic guns are for.
  
  
• Medic can somewhat tank due to their superior armor
  The same as the first game, except a little more nerfed; Medic can still tank due to their superior armor, but don't be tanking 3 Fleshpounds at the same time. Take a hit for a teammate if they're about to get their a*s handed to them and you have a good amount of armor to spare.
  
  
  Why is the bad stuff BAD?
  
  
• Medic must rely on the team for damage output
  As stated. Medic is not made for damage output. Other perks are. Don't focus on zeds, focus on healing.
  
  
• Medic is not for combat - it is a perk for healing
  This is where, I believe all the controversy for Medic comes into play. "Combat medics" and Medic having a "Combat Skill Tree" does not excuse the fact that you will be a terrible medic and shouldn't be playing a combat medic in the first place. It's understandable that after a while, healing teammates tends to get boring and you're tired of babysitting your team. Want to focus on killing zeds? SWITCH YOUR PERK. Don't keep playing as a damn Medic.
  
  
• Medic guns have terrible damage and recoil
  Yup. So try not to shoot larger zeds with it. Just don't. This automatically puts you in the category of "Combat Medic".
  
  
• Medics may have to use off-perk weapons to defend them selves (Hans or a sh*tty team)
  This is a tricky one. For Hans, it would be optimal to carry a Boomstick for knockbacks. Since Medic has a hard time defending themselves, having a Boomstick is useful as it gives the Medic SOME leeway to escaping zeds and defending themselves.
  
  
• Medics can easily be blamed for teammates deaths and team wipes
  By teammates who were most likely responsible for their own death. Or maybe the medic really was sh*tty. Either way, it doesn't matter. If you play Medic, don't expect everyone to be thanking you and sending you flowers for healing them. Some people take it really hard when their virtual character dies in an online video game and it clearly wasn't their fault because they were playing exactly how they wanted to. /s Don't take it too personally if this kind of sh*t is said to you. Like I said earlier, Medic is expected to babysit their teammates, and when said teammate dies because they're not paying attention to their own health, then who's to blame? The Medic, of course!
  
  
• Medics must maintain constant vigilance on their teammates health
  Yes. This requires constantly pressing TAB to look at your teammates health and statuses. This also requires frequently looking around to keep watch on teammates and healing them.
  
  
• Medics can't heal players halfway across the map
  It would be nice if they could, right? Just kidding, those type of players who ARE halfway across the map don't deserve to be healed regardless. If you do this, quit the match, exit the menu and uninstall the game.
  
  
  Overview
  
  Medic is a perk that has potential to be utilized properly if in the hands of an attentive and CALM player. Notice I said CALM. It is easy to freak out when you see a few Fleshpounds stomping over to your team, but when you are the first to turn tail and run before healing any of your teammates, that not only makes you a bad Medic, but a bad teammate. This situation happens far too often to count and seems to be representative of most pub Medics. Note I am saying most, not all.
  
  Teammates should not have to ask to be healed. If they do, either the Medic was distracted or isn't healing well enough. Teammates should also be the only priority during late game and boss waves. You can focus on killing zeds early on, but when the larger zeds start to come out, the teammates health should be top priority.
  
  
• Do not focus on kills as a medic. This makes you a Combat Medic, which, in Killing Floor 2, does not exist. Your teammates will look to you for HEALS, not helping them kill zeds. You have a CROSS for your perk symbol, that means it is for HEALTH, not killing zeds, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.
  
  
• Shoot teammates with darts when the situation calls for it. If you are at least Level 10, regardless of how much HP they have, shooting your teammates with darts will give them a speed buff, which, in some cases, can save their life.

Playstyle: HEAVY / CHAOTIC

Demo is the team's explosives expert. Excels at killing Fleshpounds and one-shotting Scrakes, but somewhat mediocre at everything else. Because of this, Demo is extremely vulnerable to zeds and will need to rely on the protection of the team.

Demo, like Medic, is one of the few rare perks that are typically not used for Solo runs. They are best played with in a team.

Their playstyle is identified as Heavy AND Chaotic, which means that this perk uses heavy-damage weapons, but also creates a sh*t ton of chaos in the process if done incorrectly (which is most of the time).




The Good:

• Demo has some of the highest damage in the game, thanks to RPG
  
• Demo is most effective against Fleshpounds, who are vulnerable to explosive damage
  
• Demo can one-shot Scrake with the RPG method, but it can be risky
  
• Demo can clear large amounts of zeds in a short amount of time
  
• Demo has Reactive Armor
  
• Demo is best played in the middle or back of a team

The Bad:

• Demo has slow reload
  
• Demo can create chaos due to the smoke the explosives create
  
• Demo is expensive
  
• Demo needs protection from smaller zeds when focusing on larger ones
  
• Demo cannot kite as easily

• Demo has some of the highest damage in the game, thanks to RPG
  Yup, they have high damage output.
  
  
• Demo is most effective against Fleshpounds, who are vulnerable to explosive damage
  Demos and Sharpshooters are preferred when it comes to taking down the big boys. Demos with C4 can take care of a Fleshpound pretty damn fast.
  
  
• Demo can one-shot Scrake with the RPG method, but it can be risky
  By running up to a Scrake and quickly shooting it in the head with an RPG, it will kill the Scrake in one shot. Depends on difficulty and number of teammates, but to be safe, you should not shoot the Scrake and leave it to a better suited perk, such as Sharpshooter, to take care of it.
  
  
• Demo can clear large amounts of zeds in a short amount of time
  Demos can blow away zeds in a matter of seconds. However, this should really be left to the trash cleaning perks. Demo ammo is expensive and wasting it on trash zeds isn't optimal.
  
  
• Demo has Reactive Armor
  The Demo is the only perk who has a "Escape Death by 1 HP" ability, and that is Reactive Armor. When enough damage is taken, the Demo will emit a self-explosion, but be left with little health. This can save you in a pinch and is one of the countermeasures to Demo being so vulnerable to smaller zeds and slow speed.
  
  
• Demo is best played in the middle or back of a team
  Not only will you be protected on most sides, you will also have majority or full view of what's about to come your way.
  
  
  Why is the bad stuff BAD?
  
  
• Demo has slow reload
  Like Support, Demo's reload sucks, and is actually the worst in terms of reloading weapons. This is the Demo's greatest weakness, and also what balances Demo out. Hits hard, reloads slow. Watch your surroundings before attempting to reload.
  
  
• Demo can create chaos due to the smoke the explosives create
  This is why Demo is listed as a CHAOTIC playstyle. Demo creates a lot of smoke with his explosives, which can annoy and put your other teammates in danger. Many players who tend to spam grenades or the new M32 do not realize just how much of an obstruction they are causing with all the smoke, and zeds can easily surprise and overwhelm the team due to little to no vision. Try to limit your explosives to the bigger zeds. Demo should never be spamming explosives unless it is an emergency.
  
  
• Demo is expensive
  Demo is quite pricey due to his big ol' RPG and C4. It is recommended to SWITCH to a Demo during the mid and later waves when there is more dosh saved up. No point in playing a Demo during the earlier waves of a match.
  
  
• Demo needs protection from smaller zeds when focusing on larger ones
  Just like Sharpshooter, Demo will need protection from Clots and other nasty zeds when trying to focus on the bigger targets. It is recommended to carry a sidearm (such as a Magnum) if you are playing Demo, to have something to protect yourself from smaller zeds.
  
  
• Demo cannot kite as easily
  Demo has trouble taking care of the smaller and faster zeds like crawlers and stalkers, during kiting this will seriously f*ck you up if you are not careful. Demo is also NOT meant to take on smaller zeds, so if the team ends up kiting, it is preferrable for Demo to be in the middle or near the back of the team.
  
  
  Overview
  
  Demo is a powerhouse, but a glass powerhouse at that. They will need some time to reload and aim focus on bigger zeds before taking a shot, which means that their surroundings have to be ABSOLUTELY clear. Therefore, the Demo MUST rely on their team for takedowns, as larger zeds are usually accompanied by smaller ones.
  
  It's not recommended to start a game or join a game early as a Demo; your ammo will be expensive, you won't get many kills and you won't be able to obtain your strongest weapons until mid to late game. If you want to get the most out of playing Demo, try to switch to it after you have saved up enough dosh later throughout the game.
  
  
• Do NOT spam grenades or explosives. I don't know why people do this. Actually, I do. It is easy to clear large crowds of zeds with 'nade launchers, but in doing so, you're just jeopardizing the team clarity and vision of zeds further down. Doing this is incredibly selfish. You need to take into account your other teammates who will need to see the other zeds coming towards your team. The only reason it should even be acceptable for Demo to spam sh*t is when it is an emergency, there is a break in the team hold or a teammate is being chased down by a Fleshpound and no other perk can take it down. Don't spam 2 Clots with a grenade. Shoot it with a 9mm.

Playstyle: CHAOTIC

Firebug, like the Zerker and Medic, has a good amount of controversy surrounding its perk due to the players that either abuse or fail to properly use its mechanics. Firebug was also infamously known to be quite OP in the first game, and nerfed to hell in Killing Floor 2.

That being said, many players may tell you not to play Firebug, or may even ask you to leave games if you play as one. As stated above, the reason for this is due to the fact that many Firebug players are incapable of properly playing the perk. When played correctly, however, Firebug CAN be a good perk to have on a team. Not essential, but good to have.




The Good:

• Firebug is fun to play
  
• Firebug has Heat Wave for zed control
  
• Firebug is one of the best perks against Hans
  
• Firebugs have good crowd control

The Bad:

• Firebug makes it hard for other teammates to see with their fire
  
• Firebug uses a DoT (Damage over Time) mechanic
  
• Most of Firebug's weapons are weak or have been nerfed
  
• Firebugs are poor at handling Scrake and Fleshpound takedowns
  
• Firebugs will inevitably screw up aiming for any gun-based class
  
• Firebug is the black sheep of Killing Floor 2

• Firebug is fun to play
  Not going to lie, Firebug is fun as hell to play. Burning zeds to a crisp and generally just setting everything on fire is FUN.
  
  
• Firebug has Heat Wave for zed control
  The best skill that Firebug has to offer. Heat Wave stumbles and forces zeds to take a step back. This is incredibly useful in crowd control. Combined with Ground Fire, Firebugs can manage crowds of zeds quite well.
  
  
• Firebug is one of the best perks against Hans
  Hans has a weakness to fire. Firebug also has Heat Wave and Ground Fire, and with those two skills combined, make it slightly easier for boss fights against Hans.
  
  
• Firebugs have good crowd control
  Thanks to the 2 skills mentioned above.
  
  
  
  Why is the bad stuff BAD?
  
  
• Firebug makes it hard for other teammates to see with their fire
  Just like Demo, Firebug tends to create more chaos than order with their obstructing flames.
  
  
• Firebug uses a DoT (Damage over Time) mechanic
  Which is absolutely useless in this game. It's either kill it or don't. Firebug doesn't do enough DoT to affect larger zeds or bosses.
  
  
• Most of Firebug's weapons are weak or have been nerfed
  The Husk Cannon is the most infamous example. OP as f*ck in the first Killing Floor, now just a fancy hunk of metal in Killing Floor 2. The Flamethrower is the Firebug's main punch, and even then it doesn't exactly compare up to some of the better perks' main weapons.
  
  
• Firebugs are poor at handling Scrake and Fleshpound takedowns
  Firebugs should never be handling these takedowns in the first place. They should be focusing on trash zeds and keeping them off the rest of the team.
  
  
• Firebugs will inevitably screw up aiming for any gun-based class
  Thanks to their fire, it makes zeds do a "panic dance" which completely screws over Sharpshooters and Gunslingers.
  
  
• Firebug is the black sheep of Killing Floor 2
  They are, and it's a known fact at this point.
  
  
  Overview
  
  Firebug is NOT a difficult class to play, it simply requires consideration and awareness. The reason why Firebug gets so much sh*t is because of all the nerfs to the perk, and more importantly, the Firebug players. Many Firebug players don't seem to realize that the perk is NOT meant to take on all zeds or bosses, and therefore do not understand or realize that they almost always put the team in jeopardy due to their ignorance.
  
  For those that defend Firebug to the death and claim that it is a viable perk, something that needs to be understood is that Firebug is CURRENTLY useless. What may work for YOU on Firebug may not work for the TEAM. On higher difficulties, Firebug is not recommended for mid to late waves. Why? Because their chaotic nature and lack of damage can quickly lead to team wipes and lots of frustrated players.
  
  Firebug is indeed a fun perk to play, but that does not mean it is the RIGHT perk to play. Unfortunately, this does not stop players from joining higher difficulty games and ruining them as Firebug, spamming their sh*t everywhere, then wondering why the team wipes. If you want to play Firebug optimally, try following the tips below:
  
  
• Focus on crowd control and smaller zeds. Leave the bigger zeds alone. Seriously. Don't spray fire at a Scrake that you have no plan to kill later. Warn your team of a Scrake, and watch their backs.
  
  
• Do not spam fire in a panic. Try to stay calm. This is one of the biggest reasons why I see Firebugs running away from Fleshpounds. They see the big guy, panic, spray fire like an idiot, then run away. That's not the way to go. Warm your team of a Fleshpound, and watch their backs.
  
  
• Try to conserve ammo by tapping, not by holding down the fire button. Not only does this save you more ammo in the long run, but you'll also be obstructing less of your teammates vision.

Playstyle: PRECISION / ACCURACY

Gunslinger is one of the OP perks, with high damage, speed and overall survivability. Like a Zerker, but with dual guns. Similar to Zerker, most Gunslingers may end up being separated from their team due to unexpected situations. Gunslinger has a higher learning curve than most, with reload cancelling and headshot successions being some of the main skills to learn.

Gunslinger, while no doubt a fun perk to play, is also loved and hated by the community due to the very same reasons Berserker, Medic and Firebug all suffer from - the "I want to have fun and don't care about the team" syndrome that many players seem to suffer from. This is more applicable towards higher difficulties in KF2, and this type of mentality ultimately leads to team wipes.

As a precision AND accuracy based playstyle, Gunslinger relies heavily on headshots and damage multipliers to make the most of the perk. This means popping as many headshots as possible.




The Good:

• Gunslinger has the fastest and highest DPS
  
• Gunslinger has Rack 'Em Up, which increases damage by 10% with every consecutive headshot, up to 50% damage. Pretty OP
  
• Gunslinger has Fan Fire, which allows for real-time shooting in Zed Time and twice as fast
  
• Gunslinger is one of the best perks to kite with
  
• Gunslinger is one of the fastest perks in the game

The Bad:

• Gunslinger's damage is maximized only by headshots (Rack 'Em Up)
  
• Gunslinger is based on accuracy
  
• Gunslinger can run out of ammo quickly

• Gunslinger has the fastest and highest DPS
  Thanks to the dual-wielding ability that Gunslinger has, they can dish out some serious damage in a short matter of seconds.
  
  
• Gunslinger has Rack 'Em Up, which increases damage by 10% with every consecutive headshot, up to 50% damage. Pretty OP
  Part of the reason why Gunslinger is so OP. 5 consecutive headshots will give you 50% more damage to ALL shots, not just headshots. This is why headshots for Gunslingers are crucial.
  
  
• Gunslinger has Fan Fire, which allows for real-time shooting in Zed Time and twice as fast
  Another reason why Gunslinger is OP. This allows for you to take out Scrakes and Fleshpounds, during Zed Time, in a matter of seconds. However, this is a lv. 25 skill, and may not be available to all Gunslingers.
  
  
• Gunslinger is one of the best perks to kite with
  Thanks to their fast movement speed and high survivability.
  
  
• Gunslinger is one of the fastest perks in the game
  - Said as above. Gunslinger is also more likely to get separated from the team in certain situations as well.
  
  
  Why is the bad stuff BAD?
  
  
• Gunslinger's damage is maximized only by headshots (Rack 'Em Up)
  Gunslinger relies heavily on headshots to make the most of his damage. You should be aiming for heads, never do body shots intentionally unless you need to. You only need 5 consecutive headshots to gain 50% damage. However, it must be consistent as the damage multiplier does go down over time.
  
  
• Gunslinger is based on accuracy
  Just like Sharpshooter, Gunslinger is all about accuracy. This takes time and practice to get headshots right. Gunslinger is the LAST class you want to be spamming ammo with, as they have a small ammo pool AND their ammo is fairly expensive early on. Conserve ammo by using the 9mm in early waves.
  
  
• Gunslinger can run out of ammo quickly
  As said in the above point, Gunslinger has a small ammo pool and can run out of ammo fairly quickly. It is recommended to use the 9mm during earlier waves to save yourself some ammo and dosh. Aim for headshots. Gunslingers are also the perk most likely to take ammo crates around the map.
  
  
  Overview
  
  Gunslingers are, without a doubt, one of the most OP perks in the game. They are fun to play on low and high difficulties, with or without much knowledge of the perk itself. To fully utilize Gunslinger's abilities, headshot accuracy and awareness of the situation is a must. Reload cancelling is a much more advanced skill but with some practice, can lead to better playouts for the Gunslinger.
  
  
• Stay with your team. Just like Zerker, it is easy to get separated from your team due to negligence and selfishness for wanting to kill more zeds than your teammates. Stick with your team, watch their backs, and utilize Fan Fire if necessary.
  
  
• Conserve ammo whenever possible. Gunslinger is the most likely to run out of ammo (if you're spamming it like crazy) and therefore, will be the most likely to use ammo crates, which is a team resource. Try to use the 9mm to kill smaller zeds, like Clots and Crawlers. Save the bigger guns for the bigger zeds. The 9mm also helps with headshot practice.

Playstyle: ACCURACY

The Sharpshooter is a highly underrated and underrvalued perk. Sharpshooter and Gunslinger are similar in the fact that both use some of the same weapons, both rely on accuracy and both deal high outputs of damage. The only catch is that Sharpshooter must CROUCH to obtain maximum damage. While shooting and crouching may be awkward for some, it adds a 30% damage bonus to Sharpshooter. The Stability skill is a MUST, otherwise you are severely gimping yourself when it comes to damage.

Sharpshooter, in my opinion, is the perk that is played the least often. It is usually split between players who know exactly what they are doing (you can tell by them crouching) or by players who have no idea what they're doing and die fairly quickly. From my experiences, I have played with a fair amount of skilled Sharpshooters, and these were all in public matches, which was a pleasant surprise. However, I realize this is not representative of the majority, and so while I HOPE most other Sharpshooters are skilled (based on what I've seen), I will say that Sharpshooter, like Gunslinger, has a slightly higher learning curve and thus tends to attract more skilled players.




The Good:

• Sharpshooter has a high burst rate of DPS (with Rail Gun)
  
• Sharpshooter has the most useful grenades in the game
  
• Sharpshooter can quickly deal high damage thanks to Rack 'Em Up
  
• Sharpshooter is fun to play if you like to focus on single targets
  
• Sharpshooter can take out raging zeds before they even reach the team

The Bad:

• Sharpshooter, like Demo, needs to be protected when focusing on larger zeds
  
• Sharpshooter has a low rate of fire
  
• Sharpshooter is not a trash killer
  
• Sharpshooter NEEDS pinpoint accuracy for large zed takedowns
  
• Sharpshooter has trouble playing with other Chaotic perks
  
• Sharpshooter has to crouch to maximize full damage

• Sharpshooter has a high burst rate of DPS (with Rail Gun)
  With Reload Cancelling, Sharpshooter dishes out some of the fastest and highest burst damage with a Rail Gun. If you are able to master Reload Cancelling, using a Rail Gun with Sharpshooter should not be a problem for you. This is often used for boss waves and for taking zeds down quickly.
  
  
• Sharpshooter has the most useful grenades in the game
  Sharpshooter has FREEZE grenades, which as implied, automatically freeze any zed in the vicinity. Especially useful for taking down Scrakes and Fleshpounds. Can also freeze the Patriarch for a short amount of time.
  
  
• Sharpshooter can quickly deal high damage thanks to Rack 'Em Up
  While not as optimal as Gunslinger, Sharpshooter also gains a 50% damage bonus thanks to 5 consecutive headshots. Useful for taking down larger zeds.
  
  
• Sharpshooter is fun to play if you like to focus on single targets
  Pretty much the sniper of Killing Floor 2. If that's your playstyle, you'll more than likely excel at using Sharpshooter.
  
  
• Sharpshooter can take out raging zeds before they even reach the team
  Thanks to Sharpshooter's long range weapons, Sharpshooter can easily take down Scrakes and Fleshpounds halfway across the map.
  
  
  Why is the bad stuff BAD?
  
  
• Sharpshooter, like Demo, needs to be protected when focusing on larger zeds
  Just like Demo, Sharpshooter is vulnerable to smaller zeds and will need protection from the team when attempting to take down the big guys. It is recommended to carry a sidearm, such as a Magnum, to defend yourself against trash zeds.
  
  
• Sharpshooter has a low rate of fire
  Sharpshooter's high burst damage is mitigated by the low rate of fire he has. Not fast enough to kill trash zeds, but just enough to focus on the big, slow ones.
  
  
• Sharpshooter is not a trash killer
  Said as above, Sharpshooter does not focus on trash zeds. He focuses on the biggest threats to the team. Sharpshooter's loadout primarily does not focus on killing the most zeds, but killing the biggest ones.
  
  
• Sharpshooter NEEDS pinpoint accuracy for large zed takedowns
  Yes. This is why you want a skilled Sharpshooter on your team, or if you are playing one, be proficient at headshots. One wrong shot can lead to a raged Fleshpound chasing you all over the map.
  
  
• Sharpshooter has trouble playing with other Chaotic perks
  Zerker, Demo and Firebug all make it incredibly difficult for Sharpshooter to properly take down Scrakes and Fleshpounds. Their obscuring smoke, fire and aggro not only make it infuriating for the Sharpshooter and other teammates, but also put everyone in danger as it is difficult to see what is coming next around the corner. These Chaotic perks also tend to make zed patterns unpredictable, thus forcing the Sharpshooter to readjust his aim and potentially bringing the zeds closer to the team.
  
  
• Sharpshooter has to crouch to maximize full damage
  The only drawback of Sharpshooter. It's awkwardly implemented and sometimes you'll forget you're even crouching. Be aware of when you need to run or kite as crouching puts you into a more vulnerable position.
  
  
  Overview
  
  Sharpshooter is a great perk if utilized properly. He also is the backbone of the team, tasked with responsibility for taking down larger zeds and keeping a watchful eye out for any dangers. Headshot accuracy is a MUST for this perk as it is all that Sharpshooter relies on for maximum damage output.
  
  
• Save freeze grenades for larger zeds ONLY. You only have 5 of them, save them for the bigger zeds or for emergencies. They are also useful for the boss wave if you happen to get Patriarch, it can freeze him in place for a quick takedown.
  
  
• Don't forget to crouch to maximize full damage. Sharpshooter is weird in the sense that crouching is a skill, but don't forget to do so to get that 30% damage bonus. You also gain 20% reload speed while crouching, utilize this with the Rail Gun to maximize as much burst DPS as possible.

Playstyle: PRECISION

SWAT is the trigger-happy teammate of Killing Floor 2. For those that enjoy watching bullets spray everywhere, this is the perk for you.

SWAT isn't a bad perk, but it's not a good one, either and is played in various ways depending on the player. Just kidding, you only play it one way. Shoot everything.

SWAT doesn't have any major specialties like the other perks, but is really just another perk that Tripwire decided would be viable to the game.




The Good:

• SWAT has the highest fire rate in the game
  
• SWAT has the Rapid Assault skill
  
• SWAT has the Battering Ram skill
  
• SWAT can spawn with armor
  
• SWAT has stun grenades

The Bad:

• SWAT is an expensive perk
  
• SWAT is trigger happy
  
• SWAT doesn't offer any other specialties to taking down larger zeds

• SWAT has the highest fire rate in the game
  SWAT has the highest fire rate out of all the perks. But not the highest DPS.
  
  
• SWAT has the Rapid Assault skill
  The Rapid Assault skill allows for the SWAT to shoot in real time, increase stumble by 100% and shoot with unlimited ammo, all while in Zed Time. Which can be quite handy when surrounded or attempting to take down multiple zeds.
  
  
• SWAT has the Battering Ram skill
  The Battering Ram skill allows for the SWAT to move around in Zed Time, similar to the Zerker, and ram into zeds. Helpful when in a critical situation and you need to run away.
  
  
• SWAT can spawn with armor
  Helpful on higher difficulties.
  
  
• SWAT has stun grenades
  SWAT has the Flashbang grenade, which can stun zeds for a short amount of time. This is used often to kill Scrakes, in which a SWAT will stun a Scrake with a grenade, then empty an entire clip into its head. While effective, definitely not recommended on higher difficulties.
  
  
  What makes the bad stuff BAD?
  
  
• SWAT is an expensive perk
  SWAT is essentially a money sink. All his guns, ammo and armor all cost dosh, and a lot at that. SWAT uses the most amount of ammo as he is the only perk to use exclusively SMG's. It would be recommended to use the 9mm, or switch to SWAT once enough dosh is saved up.
  
  
• SWAT is trigger happy
  Unfortunately, this really refers more to the players than the actual perk. Yes, the perk is designed to use SMG's, but what I'm really talking about are SWAT players who get more than twitchy and start spraying Scrakes with bullets, then running away once they realize their damage output isn't high enough to kill it.
  
  
• SWAT doesn't offer any other specialties to taking down larger zeds
  No, they really don't.
  
  
  Overview
  
  This may get some hate, but SWAT is a basic perk. In terms of personal gameplay, SWAT indeed is a fun perk to play, spraying everything with bullets never gets old. However, in terms of TEAM gameplay, SWAT can be a nuisance, as they tend to top out with more kills than their teammates and require more dosh for ammo and guns overall. SWAT is a good trash cleaner, but that's where his limit lies. He offers no advantages to killing larger zeds (minus the Scrake method) and can prove to be more of a dentriment than an asset to a team.
  
  
• Conserve ammo and try to go for headshots. I really shouldn't have to be saying this, but for some reason SWAT players always go for body shots and never the head. You'll save a lot more ammo and dosh in the long run if you simply aim for headshots.
  
  
• Don't try to take on a Scrake unless you know what you're doing. Stunning a Scrake with a grenade and then emptying an entire clip into its head is the way to go. Unfortunately, this is risky and requires constant vigilance around your environment. One miss and you'll be f*cked.

Playstyle: VARIED

One of the best, if not, the best perk in the game.

Kidding. Uninstall the game if you believed that.

The most hated perk in Killing Floor 2, and with good reason. Also seems to be one of the most commonly played, unfortunately. I am going to go in-depth on this perk because it is a clouded topic and can be confusing for some.

Survivalist is a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. For those that don't know the meaning, Survivalist can use as many weapon combos as they want, as many playstyles and strategies as they like, but that doesn't and won't ever make them an optimal perk.

The Tripwire wiki for Killing Floor 2 states, "It should be noted that while trying to be good at everything the Survivalists will never actually be better in any given role than a dedicated perk."

Why? Because for each weapon they use, they

A) do not have that perk's abilities and skills

and

B) substantially minimize the chances of survival for the team due to their lack of optimal perk skills.



The Good:

• Survivalist can use unlimited weapon combos, resulting in some interesting outcomes

The Bad:

• Survivalist will never truly fill in a dedicated perk role, despite the perk being able to use any weapon combination of their choice
  
• Survivalist does not get the perk bonus applied when using a perk weapon

• Survivalist can use unlimited weapon combos, resulting in some interesting outcomes

Survivalist can use different weapon combinations and while they may not all be effective, skills such as Tactical Reload and Ammo Vest can increase reload speed and ammo capacity.

• Survivalist will never truly fill in a dedicated perk role, despite the perk being able to use any weapon combination of their choice

Unfortunately, this is the case. We will go into this with specifics:

- Berserker: Survivalist only gets a 10% damage bonus, coupled with the max 15% damage boost, for using melee weapons. Compare this to the 50% damage bonus, plus Parry's additional 35% damage boost when using Berserker. Berserker also has Skirmisher (self-heal skill) and is unable to be grabbed by clots.

- Commando: Commandos are the only perk that can extend Zed Time, and have Hollow Point, which increases damage by 25% AND reduces recoil by 50%, which is crucial for using Commando weapons.

- Support: Support is essential for their Resupply Pack, which restores up to 30% ammo and 20% for EACH teammate. They also have a max 500% shotgun penetration bonus, which can be incredibly crucial for clearing out hallways and corridors. They also have the highest carry weight.

- Medic: While Survivalist gets a 20% healing bonus and 25% cooldown on syringes, compare this to Medic's max 200% syringe recharge rate and 50% healing bonus, also with their speed, damage and damage resistance buffs. Survivalist do not get these buffs.

- Demolitionist: Survivalist gets no damage bonus for using Demo weapons, and while Demo weapons are already quite strong, the damage bonus is needed when taking down larger zeds on higher difficulties. Demo gets a 50% max damage bonus, along with another 50% damage bonus for critical areas. This allows for Demos to do the one-shot Scrake takedown.

- Firebug: Survivalist gets no damage bonus for using Firebug weapons, and are missing two of Firebug's most essential skills: Heat Wave and Ground Fire, which are absolutely crucial for a specific boss and to keep zeds at bay. Without these skills, it seems almost moot to use fire-based weapons as a Survivalist.

- Gunslinger: Survivalist gets no damage bonus for using Gunslinger weapons, and is missing one of Gunslinger's most essential skills: Rack 'Em Up. This relies on headshot accuracy to gain a damage bonus of 50%, which is incredibly powerful for taking down Scrakes and Fleshpounds in a mere matter of seconds. Survivalist also does not receive the recoil reduction bonus that Gunslinger does, which makes it more difficult to aim with dual guns.

- Sharpshooter: Similar to Gunslinger, Sharpshooter also has Rack 'Em Up which increases damage to a max of 50%. Sharpshooter also receives a 65% damage bonus simply by crouching and aiming through the iron sights. Sharpshooter also has one of the best grenades in the game, which is the freeze grenade. Survivalist does not receive this bonus.

- SWAT: Similar to Sharpshooter, SWAT has the flashbang grenade which is helpful for stunning zeds or taking down Scrakes in a mere matter of seconds. They also have unlimited ammo during zed time as a skill at Lv 25, which Survivalist does not have.

• Survivalist does not get the perk bonus applied when using a perk weapon

Survivalist does receive some bonuses, such as melee attack speed, a 20% healing bonus and 15% more ammo capacity, but these are small boosts compared to playing the dedicated perk made for the weapons used.

TL DR; Survivalist is useless.

Those, like Firebug, who defend Survivalist to the death and claim that it IS an optimal perk, are either wildly oblivious and completely impervious to the fact that Survivalist cannot fill any role that the team needs. Survivalist is not an "off-perk medic," it is not a "SWAT with RPG," nor is it anything at all. It is simply a botched perk that Tripwire, unfortunately, had the audacity to introduce as one of the new perks into the main game.

It does not matter if you find Survivalist fun, if you like trying new and different weapon combos, or if you claim that you know how to use Survivalist. What matters, is what the TEAM needs. Don't bring that sh*t to higher difficulties.


Like most, I have played alongside and seen many amateur Survivalist players fight and die trying, in an unsurprisingly short amount of time. The very few times I have seen skilled Survivalists on higher difficulties were most likely due to one reason: they were skilled. I have played with Survivalists that were incredibly skilled and were great teammates. I have also played with Survivalists that don't have any f*cking idea what they're doing, and typically jeopardize the team instead. Those that were skilled, are few and far between. I assume those are players that truly want a challenge because they are so skilled at the game already that Survivalist is easily optimizable by these players. On the other hand, there are those who try their hand at Survivalist and believe they're playing absolutely fine, when in reality they're just a dentriment to the team by not filling a more dedicated perk role. These players are becoming more of a sight on higher difficulties and really puts a dampening experience on pub matches for Killing Floor 2.

I would not like to discourage anyone from playing and enjoying the Survivalist perk. You bought this game, you paid for it, so of course you have every right to play whatever the f*ck you want. However, that will not translate when you want to play on higher difficulties with a team. Doing this is a selfish mentality because it is not about you anymore, it is about the team and what the team needs to survive.

• If you are not filling another perk role or your playstyle is not viable to the team, consider switching to another perk. That's it.

This guide is already long enough, but we'll do a quick overview on zeds.

All images are taken from the Tripwire Wiki.




Also called cysts, but no one calls them Cysts.
Weakest zed in the game.
Can easily surround you if you're not paying attention.




Faster and slightly stronger versions of Clots.




Rioters have armor, can rally other zeds and can pose a huge threat when there is a large crowd of zeds.




Creepy zeds that scratch themselves while they run towards you. Similar to Clots.




Annoying little spiders that can do breakdance moves when they get close.
Elite Crawlers (not shown here) are the white version of Crawlers and can explode with poison.




Invisible women that do their b*llshit breakdance kick cycle attack.
They can seriously f*ck you up if you don't have a Commando on your team.




Big boys that vomit all over you if you get too close.




Screaming lady that can drain health.
A death sentence if you're too close on higher difficulties.




Armless zed that attacks with one arm.
Is capable of doing some high damage. Watch out.




Gorefast's stronger brother.
Capable of doing high damage.
Quite dangerous on higher difficulties thanks to their spinning attack.




The ranged countermeasure to Zerker.
Shoots and sprays fire.
Can suicide and cause insta-death to players on higher difficulties.
Whatever you do, do NOT get close.




The robot version of Husk, but no suicide skill.
The EDAR Trappers will immobilize you and can get you surrounded by zeds fairly quickly.
Aim for the chest, they will keep attacking even after decapitated.




The Fleshpound's little brother.
Appears during later waves and will always spawn during King Fleshpound boss wave.
These guys might seem small but pack a punch.
They aren't as fast, but can rage like normal Fleshpounds and can knock a good chunk off your health.




The scary butcher with a chainsaw.
High resistance to explosives.
Protip, LEAVE THE SCRAKE FOR LAST.
Unless it is blocking a doorway or may potentially hamper the team soon, then leave the scrake alone.
It is harmless unless someone decides to rage it.




The big bad zed of Killing Floor 2.
The Fleshpound tests your team's skill and mettle.
The Fleshpound is vulnerable to explosives.
He covers his chest while raging to protect his weak spot.
Quarter Pounds can spawn alongside a Fleshpound, so be careful.
On higher difficulties, it is common for 3 Fleshpounds to spawn during later waves.

Almost there...

Quick overview of the bosses in game.

• One of the easiest bosses if killed quickly enough.
  
• Has a mini-gun and rocket launcher. Insta-death if hit on higher difficulties.
  
• Goes through 3 phases of healing.
  
• Zeds will spawn while he runs off to heal, so take care of them quickly.
  
• Gives audio cues as to where he is when he goes invisible.
  
• Boss fight is laughable if you have a Commando.
  
• Try to aim for the left side of his body as he is more vulnerable there.
  
  
  Abomination
  
  
  
  
• As of recently, has been BUFFED to become more challenging and more dangerous on higher difficulties.
  
• Farts out sh*t spawns that can self-explode and easily surround you and your team.
  
• Has 3 layers of armor.
  
• Once enough armor is broken, will rage and chase the nearest player until they vomit all over them or give them the suc.
  
• A Medic is almost absolutely necessary for this boss fight.
  
• Run, shoot and repeat.
  
• Try to aim for the head and legs.
  
• The body armor usually takes too long to break, so try to focus on the head.
  
  
  King Fleshpound
  
  
  
  
• The Granddaddy of Fleshpounds.
  
• The most predictable boss fight; shoot, run, repeat.
  
• Shoots a laser beam out of his chest, simply crouch to dodge.
  
• Will summon Quarter Pounds each time his health gets low.
  
• Take care of the Quarter Pounds first before attempting to take on the King Fleshpound.
  
• Dangerous in close-quarter and holdout maps.
  
• Highly vulnerable to explosives.
  
  
  Hans Volter
  
  
  
  
• One of the most dangerous bosses due to how fast and strong he is.
  
• A Zerker is recommended to tank and parry his fast melee attacks.
  
• Run like hell once you hear him say "Grenades".
  
• Hans goes through 3 phases, similar to The Patriarch.
  
• Hans is the most dangerous during his final (red) phase.
  
• Near the end of his health, Hans will throw out multiple grenades in an attempt to stop you.
  
• This will usually lead to team wipes if everyone is too close and clustered.
  
• A Medic is MANDATORY for this boss fight.
  
• During his shield mode, Hans will chase down the closest player in an attempt to regain health.
  
• Either the team must break the shield before that happens, or the Medic must be constantly healing the grabbed player
  
• Focus all team fire, vigilance and attention on Hans; he is one of the toughest bosses
  

Finally, we have arrived at what this guide is supposed to be written for. Unless you skipped directly to here, then we shall finally begin the basics of good etiquette in Killing Floor 2.


Image credit goes to @Lawlsomedude from deviantart


What is good etiquette?

• Etiquette is a certain code of behavior that is customary or expected within a certain group or society.
  
  
• GOOD etiquette is showing these mannerisms in a polite and respectful way to other members of said group or society.
  
  Within Killing Floor 2, you are playing with a group, which is your team. Whether you are playing amongst friends or strangers, showing good etiquette demonstrates not only your consideration and respect for other teammates, but makes you a better person and player overall.
  
  This is divided into several sections, any of which you can skip ahead to and read.
  
  Feel free to let me know in the comments your opinions and thoughts.
  
  
  Sections:
  
  
  • Joining as a low level
  • Sharing dosh
  • Using off-perk weapons
  • Stealing/selling teammates weapons
  • Returning teammates weapons
  • Welding doors intentionally
  • Blaming medics
  • Calling people names/calling people out
  • Blocking players
  • Intentional kickvotes
  • Player commands
  • Voice chat

Joining as a low level on higher difficulties can be a serious detriment to the team.


Low levels are missing serious skills that are needed for most teams to survive and prosper. For example, a lv 5 Zerker provides little to no help to a team playing on the Suicidal difficulty. Why? Because the Zerker is missing some of its most crucial skills, such as Butcher and Parry. Without these skills, the Zerker is gimped and more likely to rely on the team, which in turn, jeopardizes the team in lack of a damage role.

Low levels will also require more dosh to fund their playstyle, since they will be using more ammo and taking more hits due to certain skills they are missing.

It is possible to win a Hell on Earth match as a lv 5 Zerker, but it is not recommended to do so when playing with a team. As stated above, you are severely gimping your team in lack of damage.

Consequently, low levels may also be new players who are not aware they have joined a high difficulty match and may continue to play without realizing the situation they are putting their team in.


Normal and Hard are recommended for any level.

It is recommended to play Suicidal at Level 15 or higher, and Hell on Earth at Level 20 or higher. Anything less may prove to be more difficult for not only the player, but for the team in the long run.

If the low level is a new player, kindly inform them that they are playing on a difficulty too high for their perk level, and suggest they play on a lower difficulty. If they are uncooperative, then use the kick vote.

If the low level is a prestiged player, kindly inform them that they are playing on a difficulty too high for their perk level. Unfortunately, prestige does not equate to skill level, and just because someone is low level, but prestiged, does not mean they should be playing on higher difficulties with a team. As before, if they are uncooperative, then use the kick vote.


There may be rare situations where low level players can hold their own and are skilled enough to keep up with the higher level perks. However, this is a rare situation within itself and hence, all low level players that join a higher difficulty game should be taken with caution. If you are one of these players, what are you doing?

Don't jeopardize the team, please. Stick to the appropriate difficulty level.

Players that do not share dosh with their teammates.


As mentioned in the Perks section, certain perks will tend to amass more dosh than others, thus leading to those players holding on to dosh that their teammates may need.

On higher difficulties, this is an issue because some perks simply NEED the dosh to be a more effective player for the team. For example, Medic will most likely need the dosh early to mid game so the team has more room to make mistakes, and thus, lose less armor and ammo.

When teammates don't share dosh, several things can happen.

Let's play out a quick hypothetical scenario.

• A Zerker has 3K dosh and it's Wave 8, on Suicidal difficulty. Everyone else has about 500-800 dosh. There is a Medic, a Support, a Demolitionist, and a Survivalist. All players besides the Zerker don't have their optimal weapon loadouts, and also don't have enough dosh to buy full ammo and armor. Trader time is now over, and the Zerker has not shared any of his dosh.
  
  Wave 8 starts, and 3 Fleshpounds and a sh*t ton of zeds spawn alongside them. The Demo hasn't obtained his RPG or C4 yet, and as such, is unable to take care of the raging Fleshpounds.
  
  Demo dies.
  
  The Support attempts to take down the Fleshpounds, but is using a HZ12, a slightly weaker shotgun than the more powerful AA-12. The Medic attempts to heal the Support, but is using the Medic SMG because they did not have enough to buy a Medic Shotgun or Rifle, which is more optimal for healing.
  
  Support dies.
  
  The Survivalist, who is using god knows what, also attempts to take down the raging Fleshpounds. At this point, the Zerker has been kiting and the Medic is now struggling to heal both the kiting Zerker and the dying Survivalist.
  
  Survivalist dies.
  
  Now the Medic and Zerker are both left, and there are still 3 raging Fleshpounds after the both of them. The Medic heals the Zerker for Symbiotic Healing, but because all the trash cleaning perks are dead, the trash zeds are now rampaging around the map.
  
  The Medic gets surrounded by crawlers and dies.
  
  The Zerker is unable to properly kill the 3 raging Fleshpounds along with EDARS, Husks, Crawlers, and all the other zeds coming up behind him as he is kiting.
  
  Zerker finally dies.

Now what went wrong?

While this is a hypothetical situation, this happens far too often on higher difficulty games, and is an indicator of many factors.

1) Zerker did not share his dosh with the team. Had he did, he could have donated most or even all of it, as Zerker is the least likely to use ammo.

2) Demo should already have their RPG before Wave 8, especially on Suicidal. Fleshpounds will start spawning earlier before that and it is optimal for Demo to have the RPG by then.

3) Medic should have been using the HM-401 rifle, but they were not able to afford it because Medic has the least amount of kills, focusing on healing teammates instead.

4) Had Support carried the AA-12, Boomstick or Doomstick, they would've been able to take down a Fleshpound or two, severely reducing the chances of a team wipe. But because they were unable to afford it, this did not happen.

5) Survivalist most likely required more dosh for his loadout, just because.

6) Teammates could have also donated dosh to the Medic and Demo because they are more likely to save the team from bigger threats.


In other cases, teammates may attempt to save up dosh for the purpose of upgrading their weapons. Now, depending on the weapon, it can make or break certain scenarios based on the player skill and damage of the weapon. But in most cases, weapon upgrades are usually not needed.


The higher the difficulty you play, the less dosh you will earn per wave. As such, Hell on Earth gives very little dosh per wave and requires the player to manage ammo in a much more conservative manner.

The next issue are perks that do require more dosh funding than others.

The number one priority perk that ALL perks should donate dosh to, is Medic.

Medic will need their Medic Rifle (HM-401) as soon as possible, as it provides maximized healing and leaves room for more mistakes earlier on. Preferrably, they should have this weapon BEFORE any waves that Scrakes or Fleshpounds start spawning on, so the team doesn't get caught by surprise and end in a team wipe.

You do not need to give all your dosh to Medic, but try to give as much as you can in the earlier waves, so Medic can start working towards buying the HM-401. If all teammates contribute a reasonable amount of dosh to the Medic, then the Medic will be able to easily obtain the 401 before reaching mid-game.

Once the Medic has their main weapon, or if you do not have a Medic, contribute dosh to the next perk you believe holds more significance to the team. For example, it would be best to contribute more dosh to the Demo rather than the Commando if you are on Wave 7, so the Demo is able to obtain his RPG / C4 and quickly take care of Fleshpounds.

Otherwise, simply ask who needs dosh, and donate it to them. It is also your judgment as to who you believe will need the extra dosh more than others, but try not to let personal bias come into play.


Spare extra dosh ASAP to your Medic on your team if you have one. They will keep you alive and will save you when you least expect it.

If there is no Medic, donate dosh to the perk you believe will contribute the most to the team. This does not mean to give your dosh to the teammate with the top kills or keep it all for yourself, but SHARE your dosh if you are set with your weapon loadout, and ask if anyone needs it.

Using off perk weapons because they are "fun" to use or because you want to switch up loadouts.

This is a tricky topic, since some perks do benefit from using off perk weapons.

The issue is using off perk weapons when they are of NO benefit to yourself and the team.


Using an off perk weapon that does not heal, deal severe damage or does not benefit the team is a waste of dosh and resources.

There are many arguments to this case, but it can be said that a Demo using a Katana would be an example of using a off perk weapon, and is not an optimal way to play.

Survivalist is the most infamous example of this. The perk itself is an example of using off perk weapons, but we're going to skip this before I get into another rant.


Consider if the off perk weapon is APPROPRIATE and USEFUL before attempting to buy it.

• Does it heal?
  
  
• Does it deal severe damage and doesn't hamper reload speed?
  
  
• Does it benefit the team directly?

If it DOES NOT fall under one of those three categories, then it would NOT be a good idea to buy the weapon. For example, a Gunslinger with a Medic Pistol is a great combination, because it heals teammates, benefitting the team. It can also be used as a backup weapon and is incredibly cheap.
A Medic with a Boomstick is also optimal, mainly for the Medic to defend themselves against Zeds, when they are so lacking in firepower.


Off perk weapons can be used, depending on their usefulness to the player and their team. Just like the examples mentioned above, consider the appropriateness and usefulness of the weapon before even thinking about buying it. Survivalists don't count because every weapon they use is an off-perk weapon, technically.

Stealing or selling your teammates' (dead or alive) weapons.


Ok, let's consider that there's a dead teammate and they dropped a weapon where they died.

Stealing their weapons is just straight up theft. This means NOT returning their weapons and using it for your own personal enjoyment. That is not good etiquette. That is being an a*shole.

Selling their weapons to the trader without returning it to them is also being an a*shole. Not only is this a selfish mentality, but as I will say many times throughout this guide, it is a reflection of you and your character too. Says a lot about the type of person you are.

Unless the dead player has left the game, or says it is OKAY to sell their weapon, there is absolutely no reason to sell your teammate's weapon without their permission.

Now let's consider that the teammate is alive, but they have dropped a weapon at their feet.

In this case, some players may buy extra weapons to substitute for switching out when they run low on ammo. This is common in Endless and CD (Controlled Difficulty) matches. This is also typically only done in private matches, as so to prevent pub idiots from picking them up and selling them.

Again, this is the same as theft. Taking anything that isn't yours, and is NOT a spawned gun, is not good etiquette.

Some players may not realize that a Rail Gun is not a normal gun spawn on the map, and may take it without realizing that it is another teammate's weapon. This is just plain ignorance.

Other times, during team wipes, the last player alive may take dead teammates' weapons if they are left with no ammo for their own weapons, or if the taken weapon is more optimal to use for the current situation. If this is the case, then try to ask first before taking the weapon. However, dropped weapons from dead players can de-spawn after a certain amount of time.


It is simple. Don't steal. Unless you have permission to take the weapon, then don't.

If you do this, then you shouldn't be playing online in the first place.


Depending on the situation, it may be okay to take teammates' weapons if it is a critical situation and you are one of the last players left alive. Otherwise, there is no reason to take another teammate's weapon for your own use.

When teammates die and their weapons need to be returned to them.


Sometimes, not everything goes according to plan and that Fleshpound smacks your teammate a little too hard, which sends them to the afterlife.

Upon death, the current weapon will be dropped (or it will be the next main weapon, if one was using a 9mm♥♥♥♥♥♥♥syringe/etc).

Weapons dropped from a teammate's death have a timer of approximately 5 minutes before they de-spawn.

General courtesy would be to pick up that teammate's weapon and returning it to them at the end of the wave, near the Trader.

It is common for dead teammates to ask for someone to pick up their weapon or ask where it was last seen, as to grab it before it de-spawns to save dosh on buying a new weapon.

Why do weapons despawn? As quoted from one of the Tripwire devs from the KF2 forums:

Originally posted by TWMolly:

It's part of game balance as one of the challenges teams and players face when deaths occur. The best way to help each other out with this if the weapon cant be held to return to the player during trader time, is to refresh it for them. Pick it up and putting it back down resets the timer.

One thing to note is that weapon de-spawning was implemented to also curb the endless amount of weapons players would buy and toss on the ground, basically never running out of ammo or options.


The first option would be to simply return the dead teammate's weapon back to them at the Trader once the wave is over. To return weapons, simply hit BACKSPACE. Of course, extra weapons can only be picked up if there is enough carrying weight.

If you do not have enough carry weight and are unable to pick up the weapon, then simply reset the timer by dropping one of your own weapons, then picking up said teammate's weapon, then dropping it again, thus resetting the 5 minute timer.

Obviously, this should only be done if your surroundings are clear, little to no zeds are after you and you are near the end of a wave.


If a teammate dies, pick up their weapon and leave it for them at the Trader.

If you have no space, drop one of your own weapons, pick up their weapon, then drop it to reset the de-spawn timer. Only do this if the coast is clear and there aren't many zeds in the wave left.

Welding doors.


Welding doors serves no purpose in this game. Yes, it doesn't serve ANY purpose whatsoever.

Welding doors not only cuts off an escape route, but can potentially f*ck your team over if everyone needs to start kiting. Welding doors is possibly the most dangerous and idiotic thing that could be done to your team. It's even worse if this is done on smaller holdout maps like Containment Station or Power Core.

Usually only trolls will weld doors to f*ck around, but sometimes the naive beginner player will intentionally weld doors, believing they are keeping the zeds out, when they are actually trapping the team IN.

Again, there is no reason to weld doors. Unfortunately, this is a gimped mechanic in Killing Floor 2, as in Killing Floor 1, welding doors was used to properly funnel zeds into hallways and corridors. This is not possible in Killing Floor 2 due to the teleportation mechanic implemented to curb camping.


Very simple. Do not weld doors if possible.

Don't do it for Support XP either. It's laughable at how little amount of XP you get, and you're obviously better off killing zeds and completing the match, not wasting time welding doors.


Welding doors is a gimped mechanic in this game. However, the ONLY instance I can think of where welding a door MIGHT save your life is if you are being chased by zeds, a raging zed, etc, and you are low on health. Quickly welding a door behind you may give you enough time to heal and get away, but it will not hold the zeds, and is not meant to.

Other than that specific situation, there is no other reason to weld a door.

Blaming a Medic for your death.


Blaming a Medic is actually pretty common in public games, and has become such a problem that people take it to various forums to vent and rant online.

To begin with, Medics are responsible for healing you.
They are NOT responsible for keeping you alive.

There is a difference, and I'll do my best to explain why.

Medics have a duty to heal you when you most need it, their buffs provide clutch life savers in many situations and are essential to any team composition. So why are they not responsible for keeping you alive?

You, the player, are responsible for your own playstyle and what you are doing during a match.
It is NOT the Medic's fault if you attempt to take on 2 Scrakes and a raging Fleshpound.
It is NOT the Medic's fault if you decide to leave the team and go to the other side of the map.
It is YOUR fault if you decide to put yourself in a dangerous situation that not even the Medic can save you from.

The Medic is not your babysitter, is not your mom and not your right-hand healer. They are tasked with looking after the ENTIRE team, which is already a stressful and vigilant feat in itself.

Unfortunately, so many players seem to believe that because there is a Medic, they are free to do more stupid sh*t than usual, make riskier decisions, and overall play like an idiot. This leads to the Medic having to heal more often than not because of this "safety net" that players inevitably fall into once there is a Medic.

The types of players that blame Medics are also the same ones to blame external factors for everything, when it really is their own fault. I'll keep saying this again and again throughout this guide, but your actions are a strong indicator of the type of person you are.


Unless the team really does have a sh*tty Medic (which happens often as well), then the player shouldn't be pointing fingers at anyone. You can win matches without Medics, so why blame one? It is all dependent on player skill and teamwork that keeps you alive. Medics are just a bonus.

If you are playing a Medic and a teammate is blaming you for their death, don't get aggressive and start an argument. First, stop and consider whether you were healing enough. YES, it is good to criticize your own playstyle as a Medic and see if you can improve, we all can. Were you focusing more on shooting Zeds than healing? If so, focus explicitly on healing next time, that is what a Medic is for. If you truly believe you were doing what a Medic should be doing, then there is no need to argue back and make the situation worse.

Typically, players who blame a Medic are entitled and fail to do the one thing that everyone should do: asking nicely. Suggesting the Medic should heal more or keep a better eye on everyone is fine, albeit slightly offensive to the Medic, but at least it is a more considerate way of asking than outright blaming them.


Players that blame Medics are just projecting onto them, because they're sh*tty players themselves. Unless you have a sh*t Medic, then blaming ANYONE is just an indicator of the type of person you are. Try to hold yourself accountable for your actions. Don't leave the game right away when you die, try to take a step back and reflect on HOW you died. Improvement is always a necessity. Your playstyle reflects your character as well.

Intentionally calling other players names, or calling players out.


This is not new to Killing Floor 2, and is not new to games in general. Name calling has been around since humans first learned how to insult each other.

This is generally just bad etiquette. This shows immaturity, lack of patience and most importantly, lack of respect.

It is easy to call a Medic out for not healing frequently. But it can be done in a polite and calm manner, instead of being brash and aggressive.


It is understandable that not all players are pleasant to play with, and you may be tempted to call them a name or two, or even just call them out for being a sh*tty player. That's fine.

But the WAY you call them out can be done in a much more mature and less demeaning manner.

For example, if you see a Firebug join your game, and your current game is not optimized for a Firebug, you can simply ask the Firebug to change to a different perk. If they are uncooperative, then simply start a kickvote or leave to another server. It is always better to ask than to confront.

If YOU are the one being called names, or being called out, consider your playstyle and if it has been affecting the team. Typically, most players are not called out for no reason. There is usually a reason as to why someone is being called out, and it has to do with their playstyle. Or sometimes their name, if it is offensive enough.


Calling people names will never change, and will never end. But you'd be surprised, asking people nicely can sometimes lead to nice things. Confronting every single person about something you don't like will never end well. It is always best to be the bigger person and approach with consideration in mind.

Blocking players in front of or behind you.


This is one of the most common, if not the MOST common situation in Killing Floor 2.

This can happen intentionally and unintentionally.

Blocking another player happens when one is trying to aim for a zed and another is blocking their line of sight. Blocking another player can happen when Team Collision is enabled in the server, meaning that players cannot walk through each other, but are treated as physical objects that can collide within the game.

Another common situation is when a team is kiting and one teammate will stand near or in front of the only exit, too busy shooting at whatever it is, while the rest of the team needs to exit to continue kiting. This can lead to team wipes or several teammates dying, simply because one person did not move out of the way. Don't be this oblivious.


To be quite honest, this happens so often, that it's really just part of the game.

However, in being more considerate, you can crouch or slightly move aside if you notice other teammates shooting in the same line of your direction, to give them more line of sight and better aim.

Take note if you have a Sharpshooter or Demo on your team, as they will definitely need the line of sight to be able to see larger zeds coming towards the team.


Be aware if you are standing in front of or behind other players, especially Sharpshooters. They will need as much line of sight as possible. Be aware of your surroundings and other teammates in general. And don't stand in doorways.

Kick voting someone for a personal reason.


Kickvotes are widely abused in every game they are implemented in. Killing Floor 2 is no different.

When voting to kick someone, there should be a legitimate reason. If they have been uncooperative, abusive, or trolling, then by all means, vote to kick.

If, however, you are voting to kick for a personal reason, then this, again, reflects on your character and the type of person you are. Consider reasons for why you may be kicking someone:

• They're playing a perk I don't like
  
  
• They have the most kills/being an a*s
  
  
• They're playing the same perk as me
  
  
• They stole my weapon and sold it
  
  
• I died because of them
  
  
• My friend needs to join and needs a spot

All of these are incredibly selfish and ridiculous reasons to kick someone. And any player should be kicked if they start a kick vote for any of these reasons.

To be fair, when a kick vote is started, most players don't know the context of the situation unless they are informed. Even then, that means they have to take sides, and people don't like taking sides if they feel forced. In the worst case situations, YOU may be the one that ends up getting kicked.


Try not to start kick votes for any reason whatsoever. Instead, simply inform the player with the issue you have in a mature manner. If they are taking too many ammo crates, ask the player if they could leave some for the rest of the team. And of course, if they are uncooperative, then feel free to start a kick vote. It NEVER hurts to ask. Most players are cooperative if asked nicely.


Just a subjective opinion, but I rarely, if ever, see kickvotes on higher difficulties. I believe this is due to the fact that players tend to be more cooperative and more skilled, thus leading to less animosity and distrust between teammates.

Kickvotes should be used as an ultimatum, not as a personal kick button that you use when you get butthurt.

Players that don't utiliize the in-game player commands, or ignore them.


Some players, especially new players, are unaware that there is a radial menu designed exclusively for your player to immediately convey commands, such as GET TO THE TRADER, REQUEST DOSH and REQUEST HELP. All chat, including player commands, are seen in the bottom-left corner of your screen in the chat box.

The main button for the player commands is to hold the Z button.

Other times, players may choose to ignore other player's commands, depending on the context and situation. If a SWAT is spamming REQUEST DOSH on Wave 2, then it makes sense for players to ignore the SWAT's request. However, if a player is asking REQUEST HELP, it may serve some good to be a good teammate and help them out.


Player commands are in the game for a reason. They are used to immediately convey requests to the rest of your team, who can then choose to act upon it. The most common player commands are THANK YOU, REQUEST DOSH and REQUEST HELP. These are self-explanatory.

It is simple. Use player commands to convey your current situation, that is what they are for. It is faster than attempting to type out a sentence during the middle of a wave.

Also, be attentive to other teammates' and their requests as well.


Use player commands frequently to convey the current situation to your teammates. Be attentive of your teammates requests also.

Players that intentionally use voice chat.


For the most part, there is nothing wrong with voice chat. While it is easier to convey things simply by talking, there are cases where voice chat can become an issue. Not using it, but with the PEOPLE using it. This isn't Discord, and not everyone wants to hear you talk about how much you hate the new guns in a whiny voice.

Most players will have a mic, but tend not to use it. Why? There is no need to. Occasionally, players using voice chat will point out ammo, Scrakes and Fleshpounds, but this is acceptable for the most part as they are simply pointing out important things to notice within the map. Decent players will use the in-game player commands and type things out if truly necessary.No one wants to hear your voice anyway.

The button for voice chat is CAPS LOCK. This can get confused with the TAB button which is used to show the team's overall health and score, and so sometimes the voice chat button may be pressed instead. The LEFT SHIFT button is also used for running and in some situations, the voice chat button will be pressed instead. It might be advisable to re-assign the voice chat to another key, if it helps you.

While voice chat is an intended feature in the game, it can also distance players from the one speaking, especially if they are talking so much, as this takes away from the immersion of the game and makes it harder to focus. However, this is a completely subjective opinion and some people may find it more fun to hear someone talk over the mic while playing the game. This is aimed at public games, obviously not with friends.


If someone is using voice chat and they are being obnoxious, you can simply mute the player by hitting ESC and going to their player icon, then selecting "Mute Player".

If you are using voice chat in a public game, be considerate of how loud you are speaking, what you are speaking about, and how much you are speaking. Not all players may respond by voice or by chat, and voice chat typically overlaps with the game's music and sounds, which may be interfering for them.

However, voice chat itself is quite rare in public games, so this isn't really an issue.


Voice chat is for people who like to talk. Literally.

Now we are on to Intermediate Etiquette.

Really though, this could also be considered tips and tricks, but with a hint of respect dabbled into it.


Credit goes to @LawlsomeDude from DeviantArt


Now that we have covered basic etiquette, we're going to take a look at some intermediate mechanics in the game, and also the manner in which we, the player, handle them.


Sections:

• Playing with friends in pub games
• Stealing ammo crates
• Playing Firebug
• Playing Survivalist
• Playing Zerker
• Playing Demo
• Attempting to kill Scrakes / Fleshpounds
• Leading raged Scrakes / Fleshpounds to team
• Raging Fleshpounds / King FP
• Team Separation
• Combat Medics
• Med Pistol
• Kiting

Playing with friends in pub games and being SEPARATED from the rest of the team.


This is not good etiquette. If anything, these are players who are usually ignorant and selfish enough to ditch the team to stick with their friends instead. Not only does this make other players feel left out, but it also jeopardizes the rest of the players.

I am not saying that it is bad for you to join a pub game with a friend or two.

I am saying that it is bad for you to join a pub game with a friend or two, then run off like idiots while ignoring the rest of the team, and only watching your friends' backs.

This is not a common occurrence in Killing Floor 2, at least in my experience. But when it does happen, it can make other players feel left out and confused, mainly because they will see 2 or more players sticking together and following each other around the map, but not with the rest of the team.


Call them out. These types of players typically know what they are doing and are aware that they are ditching the team to play with their friend instead. If they are uncooperative, then simply leave the server and find another game to play. Kickvotes are useless as you'll most likely be kicked from the game instead. Unless you get the rest of the team to turn on these types of players, then it is not worth trying to get them to join the team or kick them.

It is understandable that people want to play with their friends, and Killing Floor 2 does not allow for private servers unless they are hosted or rented. In turn, this can lead to random players getting kicked from games, or for players to play only with their friends in public games. However, I find the latter option far worse. It is optimal to grow and improve as a player by playing with a team, not with one person. Sticking with your friends only is incredibly selfish, immature and demonstrates a lack of respect for the other players in the game. You are basically saying, "I don't acknowledge your presence in this game" and by doing so, are also jeopardizing yourself and your friend with a "We have each other's backs" mentality. That's not how it works.

Stick with the rest of the team.


Good etiquette: Doesn't matter if you're playing with a friend or not, always watch your teammates' backs. They can't help you if you and your friend are halfway across the map, and they most certainly won't if you intentionally separate yourself from the team.

Taking ammo crates when they're not really needed, or when other teammates are in dire need of them.


Every perk needs ammo. So, at some point, every perk will have to grab an ammo crate. Some perks more than others, due to the amount of ammo they go through in a short period of time.

Zerker, out of all perks, should be the least likely to take ammo as he is reliant on melee. It doesn't matter if Zerker is using an Eviscerator or Nailgun, ammo should be left to perks that actually need it.

This does not apply to Endless games, where ammo is immediately plentiful after Wave 5, the first boss.

Gunslingers, Commandos, and SWAT's are the perks most likely to run to ammo crates as they go through the most ammo.


Don't call players out (unless one player really is taking all the ammo crates). Instead, memorize the location of ammo crates within the map. Not saying YOU should be the one to steal ammo crates, but in case other teammates have been taking majority of them, you should know other locations on the map where they will definitely spawn.

If you are the one taking majority of the ammo crates, consider how much ammo you are using and the type of gun you have, and if it is optimal for the situation you are currently in. Otherwise, free up some ammo crates for the rest of your teammates.


Leave some ammo crates for teammates, but also try to memorize ammo spawns on the map.

Playing Firebug.


Look at the Firebug perk section in this guide for more detail.

Firebug is a CHAOTIC perk. And as such, literally creates chaos. Burning zeds, raging zeds, fire everywhere...Not very ideal.

As mentioned in the Firebug section of this guide, the problem with Firebug is not the perk, but those who command it - the players.

Firebug players are typically clueless, oblivious and ignorant to what their perk is incapable of doing and what they are doing to their team. If anything, by the time they start spraying fire at everything, it already shows their incapability as playing as an optimal perk.

Not once have I seen a single Firebug that knew what they were doing. Ever.

Firebug is a low skill floor, low skill ceiling perk.

• A low skill floor means that a beginner can hop right into the game, play as Firebug, burn the sh*t out of zeds and still be playing their perk as intended - not CORRECTLY, but as the perk was meant to be played. It does not take a lot of skill to play a Firebug, as they have a low learning curve and is more of a "accessory" perk than an actual asset to the team.
  
  
• A low skill ceiling means that Firebug is as good as it gets. In short, Firebug does not have any skills that make it a difficult perk to play, and it does not take much skill to master. Because of this, their perk isn't as effective as other perks when playing on higher difficulties, and due to the perk having a low skill floor AND ceiling, means that it will attract players who are less likely to utilize the perk correctly.

Firebug players are the ones that want to have "fun" with their perk and thus play it for the enjoyment and excitement of using flame-based weapons. Which is great. Just not great for the team.

Firebug, along with Survivalist, is a major contributor to the ever-growing mentality that it is okay to act like an idiot and suffer little to no consequences for their actions.


If you are playing alongside Firebug, it is advisable to watch their playstyle before making any comments. Inform them not to set Scrakes or Fleshpounds on fire (if they DO).

If you play as Firebug, just follow the tips above. It's really that simple. Using the Husk Cannon isn't recommended as it's one of the worst weapons Firebug has, and severely nerfed to the point that it does to little to no good in taking down larger zeds.

Or switch to another perk.


If you're adamant on playing Firebug, then try and play it when you don't have a Sharpshooter or Gunslinger on your team. At the very least, try and be considerate of your team.

Playing a Survivalist.


Look at the Survivalist perk section in this guide for more detail.

While somewhat similar to Firebug, Survivalist is a jack of all trades and does not specialize in a dedicated perk role. Thus, it can be difficult for Survivalists to contribute to the team as a whole.

Survivalist is a high skill floor, high skill ceiling perk.

• With a high skill floor, this means that a player with more extensive knowledge on how guns, zeds, and perks work is more likely to play a skilled Survivalist. Because the weapon combinations are endless, it truly takes a fair amount of knowledge about the game in general to understand which weapon combinations are effective and which aren't, especially for higher difficulties.
  
  I'm gonna use this example and it's not even the same game, but it's incredibly relevant.
  
  An example would be choosing the infamous "Deprived" character as your starting character for Dark Souls - the "Deprived" character has the lowest stats, is completely naked and is typically chosen by veterans of the game for an actual challenge. Most players who choose the "Deprived" have already beaten the game several times, have extensive knowledge on almost all weapons, bosses, items, etc, in game and generally know exactly what they're doing. A new player choosing "Deprived" is just asking for a death sentence, and possibly leading to them restarting the game, only to choose a new character instead.
  
  
  
  Why is this relevant to Survivalist in Killing Floor 2? It's the same concept. A Survivalist, like "Deprived" from Dark Souls, is basically a "wild card" perk, meaning that there is an endless amount of combinations and playstyles you can achieve on that character, but it REQUIRES knowledge of the game's mechanics, weapons, bosses, etc, to truly be an effective and skilled player. In other words, it's really a perk made for those more experienced with the game.

• With a high skill ceiling, Survivalist is not necessarily difficult to play, but rather that it requires more knowledge of weapons, game mechanics and better understanding of the game in general. In other words, a player that has virtually mastered all other perks, has a good understanding of the game mechanics and is overall a good player and moves on to Survivalist will be more likely to utilize the perk correctly, rather than a player who jumps into playing Survivalist who has little to no understanding of the game mechanics or perks.

TL DR; People who have more experience with the mechanics, perks, and the game in general are FAR more likely to utilize the Survivalist perk correctly.

In reality, Survivalist is a perk made more for the veterans of this game, aka those who have more experience and knowledge. It is not an entry perk, and is easily and widely abused and mis-utilized due to the fact that most players have no idea what they're doing and have little to no understanding of the mechanics of this game.


I'm not asking you to not play Survivalist. But I also ask that if you do, consider if your playstyle and weapon load out is viable to the team.

Firstly, consider if the "role" you are going to be filling, is already filled by another dedicated perk role in the team. While it doesn't hurt for one to carry a Medic weapon, filling in as a Medic when there already is a Medic on the team is redundant and doesn't contribute to the team when you could be substituting for damage instead.

Secondly, it does not matter if you are able to hold your own, or if you believe you do more damage than your teammate counterparts. This is a selfish mentality and only puts your safety in perspective when you should be looking out for your teammates as well. What truly matters is if you're viable to your team and can PROPERLY fill in a dedicated perk role.


The reason why this is considered an issue, and why it is even in a "Good Etiquette" guide, is because the Survivalist perk itself is gimped in such a way that it hard for it to properly fill a dedicated perk role. Those who typically play a Survivalist will try to either fill in a role for the team that is already taken or have their own "playstyle" where it does not contribute to the team whatsoever. This is really geared more towards those who play on higher difficulties, as this isn't so much of an issue on Hard difficulty and below.

It doesn't matter if you main as a Survivalist, or if you can take down Fleshpounds by yourself on HoE while playing Survivalist, or if you take top kills as Survivalist in every match. None of this matters. While it may demonstrate the amount of skill you have, it only matters if you are a being a viable TEAM mate and if you are contributing to the TEAM.

Consider if your weapon loadout and playstyle will make a difference in helping the team suceed. Any perk can be played properly as long as the player itself is cooperative and is willing to watch their teammates backs.

Playing Zerker and abandoning, or intentionally separating yourself from the team.


Berserker, like Gunslinger and Medic, are one of the faster moving perks in the game. They also have higher survivability and therefore, are more likely to survive situations that other perks may not.

Zerker, in itself, is considered an OP perk. High speed, high damage, high attack speed, self-heal, and overall higher survivability make Zerker one of the top perks for SOLO gameplay. When playing with TEAMS, however, Zerker can actually be more of a dentriment than an asset if played incorrectly (which is more often than not). For more detail, look at Zerker in the Perks section.

Now going on to the main issue, Zerker, unfortunately, seems to encourage a more selfish playstyle due to its high survivability, and thus attract players of that mindset. What this means, is that players who are less attentive to their team, care more about their kills, and having fun while giving no sh*ts about their teammates are MORE likely to play a Zerker perk.

Zerker is a low skill floor, high skill ceiling perk.

• With a low skill floor, Zerker is an easy perk to jump into. All you have to do is slash zeds with a melee weapon and there isn't much to it. However, Zerker has a lot of quirks and tricks that make it one of the more OP perks in the game, and thus requires more practice to use. This is why Zerker is just atrociously terrible when put in the hands of bad players. A player who does the bare minimum playing Zerker will more likely than not be a detriment to the team and probably get another teammate killed.
  
  
• With a high skill ceiling, Zerker CAN be one of the most beneficial and essential perks to the team, in the hands of a skilled player. This would mean utilizing Zerker to their full potential, such as good knowledge of how and when to use Parry, bodyblocking for other teammates, and watching their team's backs without running off.

The addressed issue is when Zerkers either abandon or separate themselves from the team.

Now, let's look at some reasons as to WHY Zerkers would separate themselves from or abandon their teammates.

• They may not be getting enough kills, which is true, since Zerker is the only perk that is close combat and needs to get closer to zeds, whereas other perks can safely shoot from afar
  
• They may want more "action" and "fun" on their end, and other teammates killing their zeds doesn't warrant for that
  
• They are attempting to funnel out or hold a chokepoint for the team, in which case may actually be a viable method, depending on the team's camping spot
  
• They were separated from the team because a door broke, raging Fleshpounds, or the team got overrun by zeds

Now that they're on their own, Zerkers can cause several things to happen:

• Most Zerkers kite, and if they are separated from the team, can unintentionally lead a crowd of zeds back to the unsuspecting team
  
• Bad Zerkers may need more healing than often not, and if they're halfway across the map, they will not only have no one watching their back, but no Medic to heal them, either
  
• Rogue Zerkers can potentially f*ck up a team's composition if they are killing zeds far away from the team - zeds can teleport closer to the team, throwing them off balance
  
• Zerkers who are kiting raged Fleshpounds might lead them back to the team (if they don't warn them ahead of time, which almost never happens), potentially leading to a team wipe

Zerkers who go rogue, or separate themselves from the team, do not care about the team in general and are typically only looking out for themselves. Obviously this does not apply to teams where they use the Zerkwalling method or specifically ask the Zerker to hold a chokepoint.


If you see a rogue Zerker, simply ask if they can stick with the team. No being a d*ck, no insults on why Zerker is bad, etc, just ask the Zerker player if they can stay with team.

If you play Zerker, STICK WITH YOUR TEAM. It is SO easy to get separated from the team because Zerker, in general, is a hit-and-run playstyle. However, this doesn't mean that you can branch off and start killing zeds a couple feet away just because you can. I cannot recount the number of times I have seen prestiged high level Zerkers on Suicidal and Hell on Earth to join a game, then die on Wave 2 because they ran off somewhere and expected the team to watch their back.

It's embarassing and just puts the team in jeopardy when they die, 'cus now that means all the zeds they were dealing with will now make their way over to the team.


This flies over so many players' heads, but even though Zerker is designed as a solo perk, sticking with the team is a must. This goes for ALL perks, really.

Here are some other players' thoughts on rogue Zerkers as a viable playstyle, and how it can potentially affect the team. Linked from Reddit.

-------------------> Zerker running off on his own, is it a legit strat? <-------------------

Joining as or playing a Demo in earlier waves of the match.

Playing Demo and spamming grenades that obstruct teammates vision with smoke.


Demos are one of the most expensive perks to fund. They deal some of the highest damage in the game, but it literally comes at a price, and a steep one at that.

Demo's main focus is on crowd control and most importantly, Fleshpounds. Their explosive damage and AoE are effective enough for them to be able to hold back zeds at bay.

Demo is a low skill floor, high skill ceiling perk.

• With a low skill floor, Demo is playable by anyone, from beginners to veterans. They do not require accuracy to shoot zeds and most of their weapons are AoE (Area of Effect) based anyway, so the barrier to entry is low.
  
  
• With a high skill ceiling, Demo has many quirks that, if placed in the right hands, can be utilized effectively and well enough by skilled players. Because Demo is a heavy perk, it takes a much more attentive and skilled player to watch their surroundings and also be an asset to their team. This also includes using C4 efficiently, being considerate of grenade smoke, and overall playing Demo to its full potential.

The problem is that Demos are almost near useless in the earlier waves of a match. Their starting weapon is the HX25 Grenade Pistol, which isn't exactly a good weapon for taking out zeds, let alone anything, really. Without their trusty RPG, or any other viable weapon for that matter, Demo is forced to rely on the team for protection from anything since they won't be able to defend themselves.

Having a Demo earlier in the waves means they will be doing less damage, losing more health and jeopardizing the team in lack of damage and survivability that could be substituted by another perk.

Not only will you need more dosh for ammo (because you will be using more than other perks just to stay alive), you will also be jeopardizing the team because Demos will need more protection from teammates because they won't be able to defend themselves due to lack of an effective weapon.

Demos also create a huge obstruction of their teammates vision with smoke. While it's fine for taking down bigger zeds, spamming grenades should never be done for regular zeds and especially not for Scrakes, who are much more resistant to explosives than other zeds.


It's not recommended to play as a Demo early in a match.

Switch to a Demo once you have the appropriate funds to do so; namely, when you're able to afford the RPG AND a side weapon to defend yourself with. If you are planning on playing Demo, make sure you have these weapons mid-game, preferably before Fleshpounds start spawning. It is recommended to ask your team for dosh, so long as it is not too early in the match and you know you can rely on them to watch your back.

If someone joins as a Demo in the early waves of a match, there's no need to ask them to switch perks, but rather try to donate dosh to them when it comes closer to the fleshpound waves, so they're able to afford the RPG and armor ASAP.

Also, spamming grenades can be a death sentence for the team because it can create a lot of smoke, and thus, lack of vision for the team. You really don't want a raging Fleshpound to rush right out of that giant smoke cloud you just made, when the team could've seen it coming.

Spam grenades IN EMERGENCIES or if needed for a Fleshpound.


Demo can be expensive to fund early on, and consider this when planning to join a match beforehand.

Don't spam grenades for regular zeds; it only makes the situation more chaotic and can be incredibly frustrating for many players. Limit spamming grenades to emergencies or for taking down Fleshpounds.

When one attempts to take on the big zeds.


Most players either don't know what they're doing or freak out. And in doing so, do two things: shoot it in panic, or run away. Most players don't think to call out the big zed.

Scrakes usually spawn mid to late wave.

Fleshpounds usually spawn near the end of a wave.

These are both apparent by the incredibly loud noise they make when spawning.

Read the Perks section to determine which perks are appropriate for taking down Scrakes and Fleshpounds.

Typically, a perk appropriately suited for taking down Scrakes and Fleshpounds should be focusing on them. However, not all situations go well and it may come down to you having to take care of that Scrake right in front of your face.


CALL OUT SCRAKES AND FLESHPOUNDS IF YOU SEE THEM. Bind sayings such as "Fleshpound!" and "Scrake" to hotkeys if you need to. Many have I seen in a situation where players will see 2 Scrakes shuffling over towards the team, and they will either turn around and ignore them, hoping that another player will take care of the situation, OR attempt to take them on when they are not suited for doing so.

If you, yourself are playing a perk that is not suited for large zed takedowns, such as a Medic, quickly inform the team that there IS one, by saying "SC" or "FP" in chat. Most players know what those are abbreviated for, and also the player command "REQUEST HELP" will convey your situation to the rest of the team.

If, in certain situations, you are playing a perk unsuitable for large zed takedowns and the team is unable to assist immediately, it will be up to you to take down the Scrake or Fleshpound yourself.

Scrakes can be left alone until the end of the wave. They are the least dangerous zed in the game when unraged.

Fleshpounds are the immediate threat. If possible, clear as many zeds as you can AROUND the Fleshpound before attempting to take it on. The reason for doing so is that you do NOT want to fight a raging Fleshpound and a crowd of zeds coming after you. So, scan your situation and ideally, try to minimize the amount of smaller threats before taking on the bigger one.


Use player commands and the acronyms "fp" and "sc" in chat to convey to your team that there is an incoming Scrake or Fleshpound. Sometimes, Sirens should be called out too if the team is low on health and the situation is critical.

Leading a raged Scrake or Fleshpound back to the team, intentionally or unintentionally.


This typically happens with faster moving perks, such as Zerker, Medic and Gunslinger. These perks are more likely to deviate from the team, and in doing so, may encounter larger zeds on their own.

When this is intentional, it depends on if the team is aware that there is an incoming raged zed headed towards the team. Players that do this also lead them back to the team in hopes that the team will take care of the raged zed.

Majority of the time, the team isn't aware.

When this is unintentional, it is the same as follows. Players that rage a Scrake / Fleshpound and are unable to kill it right away may lead it back to the team if they are kiting or running from other zeds on the map.

It doesn't matter if this is intentional or unintentional, doing this can put the team in major jeopardy and can possibly lead to a team wipe. Unless the team is aware that there is a raged zed incoming and a suitable perk is prepared to take it down, then it makes absolutely no sense to lead a raged zed back to your team.

Not only will this disrupt the composition of your team, it can put them into critical and dire situations, with some perks being left vulnerable to zeds, such as Demo and Sharpshooter. It can throw off your Medic, who will now need to focus not only on the player who led the raged zed back to the team, but also on healing everyone else ASAP. In the worst case scenarios, this leads to a team wipe. All because someone didn't give a heads up to the team.


Unless you are a perk that is suited to take them down, you probably shouldn't be raging Scrakes and Fleshpounds on your own in the first place, let alone be separated from your team.

If, in rare situations, you ARE separated from your team and have raged a Scrake or Fleshpound, you can do one of two things:

A) Give your team a heads up if you're going to lead it back to them. Use the REQUEST HELP player command to convey your immediate situation to the team. Or, if you're fast enough at typing, to say "sc / fp inc" to convey that there is a raged zed on its way to the team.

B) Take care of the zed yourself. You raged it, you should kill it. For Scrakes, they are the most dangerous zed once raged, because they will not stop until you or the Scrake is dead. Scrakes will basically require you to backpedal, and in doing so, require more attentiveness to your environment. Be careful when attempting to take down a raged Scrake, and periodically check behind you while backpedaling so you don't get blocked by other zeds.

For Fleshpounds, once raged, they will ram at you and they are FAST. A good trick is to pull out your knife and parry the Fleshpound when it hits you. It will mitigate some of the damage you take and potentially save your life on higher difficulties. For Zerker, this should be a no-brainer, but this is meant for non-melee perks. Parry, heal, focus fire, run then repeat.


Inform your team if there is an incoming Scrake or Fleshpound on its way to the team with the REQUEST HELP command. Alternatively, take care of the raged zed yourself, with the methods used above.

Of course, everyone has their own way of taking down Scrakes and Fleshpounds, and I am not here to dictate how you should. This is meant for those that do this and have no idea how to take one down.

Raging Fleshpounds right after they have just de-raged.


After a Fleshpound or King Fleshpound de-rages, you or a teammate may shoot it, causing it to rage again and wreck havoc on the team.

This might seem like common sense, but it happens quite often, especially with players who don't understand the Fleshpound rage mechanic.

Shooting a Fleshpound after it JUST DE-RAGED will not only rage the Fleshpound again, but more likely than not kill the player it was raging after. Which, in some unfortunate cases, may be you.

Not only will the player be unable to escape and heal in time, but they are basically sentencing themselves a death that could've been unavoidable in the first place.

Players do this because they believe it will take down the Fleshpound / King FP faster, when in reality they are just jeopardizing their teammate(s) and not taking their situation into consideration at all.


Do not shoot a Fleshpound after it has de-raged.

Give yourself, or the teammate that was being chased, time to heal and gain some space between the Fleshpound.

This is more common on King FP waves because he is normally chasing after one player, so the team will continue shooting at him regardless of whether he is raging or not. This is a no-no.

If you are being chased by a raging FP, take out your knife and parry when the FP hits you; it mitigates some of the damage AND de-rages the FP as well, giving you time and some space to back off and heal.

If you see another teammate constantly raging Fleshpounds without realizing they can rage again instantly, inform them of what they are doing and how that can leave little to no breathing space for teammates that get chased by the FP.


Don't shoot at Fleshpounds that have just de-raged, especially when they were chasing after a particular player.

When a player is separated from the team, intentionally or unintentionally.


When this happens intentionally, it means that a player either doesn't want to be with the team, or is focusing on gaining more kills than the rest of the team.

This makes no sense and just amounts to pure selfishness.

When this happens unintentionally, it can happen for a variety of reasons, not always bad.

More often than not, players will become separated due to kiting, teleporting zeds, and on boss waves. This is a normal part of the game. Faster moving perks (Zerker, Medic, Gunslinger) are more likely to escape situations from certain death, and thus are more likely to become separated from the team.


For those that intentionally separate their selves from the rest of the team, politely ask if they can join the rest of the team. Usually, it will be a Zerker that is doing this, mainly because they are either completely ignorant to the fact that they are alone, or that they intentionally separate themselves from the team for sh*ts and giggles.

If you do this, why? Just play offline. If you don't like your team, then leave and find another game. No one is forcing you to stay.

For those that unintentionally get separated from their team, attempt to re-group as soon as possible. A very common occurrence in Killing Floor 2 is when a team of 6 splits up into 3, with half the team being on the other side of the map. This could be due to kiting or a certain boss. Either way, it is always recommended for the team to stay together for maximum chances of survival.


Please re-group with your team ASAP if you happen to find yourself separated from them.

If you are INTENTIONALLY separating yourself from the team, why? You're just being selfish. Leave the game.

You or another teammate playing as a Combat Medic.


Some players truly believe this is a viable playstyle and that a Combat Medic is effective.

It is not.

Why?

Because Medics are the worst perk for combat. Their weapons have sh*tty damage, high recoil, useless upgrades and overall are better at something else far more important: HEALING.

The right side skill tree for Medic is terribly optimized and many of the skills are useless, if not, dentrimental to your team. For example, the skill Resilience increases damage resistance, 1% per Health point lost, up to 50%. This is a terrible mechanic because in order for this to work, you need to be LOSING health to be gaining damage resistance. This would be better suited for Zerker, who is constantly getting hit. Acidic Rounds is arguably one of the worst skills in the game, and rightly so. Not only does it make zeds do the panic dance, the poison DoT it inflicts is laughable and has little to no effect on larger zeds.

That being said, the Medic has the best buffs in the game and should really only stick to healing, because that is what the perk is made for.

Another thing to mention is that when players see there is a Medic on their team, they expect to be HEALED. Not to have a Medic fighting a Scrake alongside them. The Medic has a cross for their perk symbol. That is for HEALTH, not combat, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.

A Combat Medic is just about equivalent to a Survivalist. They gimp the team, the heals provide no buffs and they are attempting to fill a role that the team is severely lacking in.


Please do not play a Combat Medic.

NONE of the skills should be selected on the right hand side of the Medic skill tree if you plan to play as a Medic.

All skills on the left side of the Medic skill tree should be chosen. The most effective way to play Medic.

Medics provide damage resistance, damage boost and speed boost buffs. More often than not, these buffs have probably saved your life and your teammates.


It can be tempting to try and play a Combat Medic. Feel free to do so, just don't play with a team.

Choose all left side skills in the Medic skill tree for the most optimal Medic playstyle.

Players that have extra space can carry a med pistol.


For those that are unaware, a Med pistol is cheap, easily obtainable in earlier waves, and can potentially save a teammate's life.

Med pistols are vastly underrvalued on higher difficulties, and when there is no Medic, several players carrying a Med pistol can easily support each other through healing.

This may seem as more of a personal preference, but sometimes, the Medic may be distracted or backed up, and one player carrying a Med pistol can make all the difference. This becomes more apparent on higher difficulties, where the Medic can be too preoccupied with other teammates. Buying a Med pistol will help the team and costs 200 dosh, which can be spared.

Med pistols also spawn around the map occasionally, so sometimes there is no need for buying one.

Non-Medic players that carry a Med pistol are more likely to be attentive of their teammates and their health; they are also more likely to be attentive to the situation around them.


This isn't really a problem, just more of a suggestion to players out there who have the extra space during games. Buy a Med pistol if you can, you will inevitably save a teammate's life with it.


Med pistols are underrated. Go buy one today!

When a team or player starts kiting.


What is kiting?

Kiting (in game terms) is the act of one player or several players running around a map to safely eliminate the threats coming after them.

Kiting is done for several reasons in Killing Floor 2.

1. When the holdout area is being overrun

2. When players need to take down a boss

3. When players are running from zeds / raged Scrakes or Fleshpounds

4. When the map is too small / big to camp in (The Descent, for example)

Typically, kiting is a team effort and requires that players backpedal while shooting at what's in front of them. Kiting can also have certain formations, such as a Zerker leading the team kiting, with a Commando in the middle and Demo in the back.

Sometimes, there is no indicator of when a team will start kiting. If anything, it can happen spontaneously, especially when a team is camping and raged zeds come towards the team. In cases like this, the team will need an escape route to kite to.



In the picture above, a Sharpshooter that was leading the kiting team took too long to focus on what was in front of them, and not what could spawn behind them. This is a common factor of team wipes and needs someone actively looking out in the front of the team at almost all times, to prevent the team from being sandwiched in.


Be attentive to your teammates, situation and surroundings. If you have a gut feeling that you will need to kite, you're probably right. Follow your instinct and inform the team to start kiting. Make sure you or someone else is in front leading the team kiting to insure that zeds do not spawn ahead, and if they do, to get rid of them quickly.

If you are with your team and turn around, and notice they are gone, you need to pay more attention to your surroundings. Most teams will kite spontaneously in an attempt to circumvent the amount of zeds chasing after them. This requires absolute attentiveness to the situation.


Pay attention to how many zeds there are, and if if you and your team are camping and may need to kite. Always make sure you and the team have an escape route; this is why you never weld doors in this game.

You've made it. Welcome to Advanced Etiquette.


Credit goes to @zimsd619 from DeviantArt

Once again, these are tips for better etiquette to other players during your multiplayer experience. They do not in any way dictate how you SHOULD be playing, but to be CONSIDERATE of how your playstyle affects others during multiplayer.

Sections:

• High level / Prestiged Perks
• Commando Zed Time
• SYG (Stand Your Ground) Objectives
• Intentionally solo’ing boss
• Healing needed for Abomination
• Healing players grabbed by Hans
• Shooting players with darts for buffs
• Blocking hits for players as Medic / Berserker
• Blocking players as they’re backpedaling (if team collision is on)
• Demo / Support and Trader Time

The expectation that high level or prestiged players will play well or properly.


Typically, when you see a high level player in any game, you will assume they are stronger, faster, better, and overall more experienced than a lower level player. This is not the case for Killing Floor 2.

Indeed, a Lv 25 Zerker will be much more stronger, faster and better than a Lv 10 Zerker.

However, the issue is when these high level players will come onto higher difficulties, but it is clear that they have very little experience or skill playing their perk.

Why is this the case? This is due to mainly 2 reasons:

1. The player does not play on higher difficulties very often, or at all
   
   
2. The player used a perk levelling map to reach a high level

Why are these issues?

1. When players do not move up in difficulty as a high level player, it means they are not challenging their skill level and are too comfortable playing at where they are at. The same playstyle a player uses on Hard difficulty, cannot be used on Suicidal. Why? Because there is quite a jump in difficulty, and new strategies, mechanics and overall playstyle now has to be adjusted. In other words, if a Lv 25 Zerker has been playing on Hard difficulty for majority of his hours in KF2, and now jumps to Hell on Earth, not only will his playstyle be completely useless, but it will require the player to now truly learn the mechanics of the Zerker perk and how to apply them, thus requiring them to adjust their playstyle.
   
   Hard difficulty is bad in the sense that it allows for much more mistakes and breeds playstyles that are not suitable for Suicidal and Hell on Earth.
   
   Because of this, it is recommended to move on to Suicidal once the player feels Hard difficulty is becoming too easy or if they feel that they have the mechanics of the game down.
   
   
2. When players use perk levelling maps, there is usually little to no skill used for levelling the perk. This robs the player of an experience that is crucial to learning the mechanics of said perk. Many players that use perk levelling maps tend to be lazy and do not want to go through the long process of levelling their perks, but do not realize that by doing so, they will have the skill level of a new player, regardless of their perk level. These are the types of players that believe by perk levelling straight to 25, they will be able to take on the hardest difficulty without any problems. Obviously, this is not the case.

This is really more of a mixed bag of opinions, since of course, not every single Lv 25 perk you see has always played on Hard or has used a perk levelling map, but they're not all going to be experts at playing their perk either.

On Suicidal and Hell on Earth difficulties, this can be a hindrance to teams that do want to play properly, and expect a high level player to play properly, but instead get a Lv 25 perk acting like a Lv 5. In this case, calling out the player or even asking them to play a different perk does nothing, because the player in particular does not know how to play their perk regardless.

While it might sound ridiculous, try suggesting to said player that they should use a perk that they are either more skilled with, or to practice more with their perk before attempting to play on higher difficulties. I will note that suggesting this may receive some nasty responses and feedback from some players, as they may feel they have deserved the "hard earned" level they worked for. Also, be aware that these types of players tend to get offended more easily, due to the fact that they are aware they have no skill whatsoever in using their perk. So as always, it never hurts to ask.

If you, yourself are a high level player, it is quite simple. You know where your skill level and limit lies, and what difficulty you should be playing on. Never get comfortable with the difficulty you play on. In order to become a better player, you have to challenge yourself and learn new mechanics, try new and different things to expand your mind to playstyles that you would normally not use. Some of the best players in KF2 have all gone through trial-and-error with various playstyles, weapons, maps, and overall challenging themselves to never be comfortable with where they're at. Make growth a mindset, not a goal.


If all else fails, and the player is being uncooperative or unhelpful to the team, then tell your team, and start a kick vote. Or leave the server and find another game.

Players that are unaware of Commando's Zed Time extension ability.


Commando has one of the best abilities in the game, and that is to extend the slo-mo Zed Time that activates randomly when a Zed is killed.

In order to extend Zed Time, Commando must continue killing zeds. The Zed Time will be extended up to a certain amount of time, depending on the level of the Commando.

Many players, as witnessed in online matches, are either unaware or ignorant to the fact that Commando NEEDS kills to continue extending Zed Time. This means, that they will need the trash kills for the Zed Time extension.

By taking their kills, you are prematurely ending Zed Time.

In higher difficulties, Zed Time extensions are crucial as they could allow for Gunslingers to quickly take care of Scrakes and Fleshpounds, for Zerkers to clear zeds at lv 25, and for other perks to take care of dangerous zeds before even reaching the team.

Having multiple Commandos on a team is not recommended as each Commando has their own "pool" of Zed Time extension; with more than 1 Commando, Zed Time will be interrupted and extensions will not work.


First, be aware if you have a Commando on the team. Keep in mind that they will need trash kills during Zed Time to extend it.

During Zed Time, try to refrain from shooting any trash zeds if you are near a Commando.

During Zed Time extensions (when Zed Time goes longer than 3 seconds), and you are a perk suited for large zed takedowns, feel free to do so.


Be mindful of Commandos during Zed Time, they will need the cheap trash kills to extend Zed Time.

Also, try to play a different perk if there already is a Commando on the team.

Doing SYG (Stand Your Ground) Objectives on higher difficulties, or abandoning the team while they are holding an SYG area.


Throughout the match, a SYG objective may randomly pop up somewhere on the map. SYG Objectives will always offer dosh as an incentive to keep the highlighted area safe from zeds.

The longer you are able to keep zeds out of the area, the more dosh you will earn.

SYG Objectives can appear on any map (depends on custom maps). The dosh reward will depend on the difficulty and wave.

SYG Objectives will usually only need half the amount of players to protect its area. For example, if is a 4-player game, then the SYG Objective will require 2 players to protect the area.

On difficulties below Suicidal, SYG Objectives are do-able, although it will depend on the map and team composition.

On higher difficulties, SYG Objectives can spell a death sentence for the team because it requires camping in an area, which, if overrun, can allow the zeds to break through and block off exits that the team will need to kite through.

In other cases, when the team has successfully held an area for a SYG Objective, other teammates may leave the area to kill the remaining zeds. This poses a problem because 1) the SYG Objective requires a certain number of players in its area to earn the dosh reward and 2) if too many players leave the SYG area, then the dosh reward will dwindle down over time, thus making all the hard effort for protecting the SYG area pointless.


It is not recommended to hold an SYG area on higher difficulties depending on the wave, the holdout area and number of players.

Any SYG Objective that requires you to:

• Be indoors (if playing on a map that goes outside)
  
• Hold a lane or corner and you can't see what's around it
  
• Hold an area with only one exit
  
• Hold a cramped area with your team

...is probably not worth holding the area.

Also, consider what WAVE and DIFFICULTY you are playing on. If it is a Suicidal game on Wave 9, then it's not worth holding the SYG area as the team will most likely be overrun.

As for the issue of players leaving the SYG area, either use the REQUEST HELP command or ask them if they can come back to the SYG area. Players who do this may not be aware of the fact that a required amount of players are needed in the SYG area to earn the dosh reward.


If doing SYG Objectives on higher difficulties, try to do them earlier in the match, but not after Scrakes and Fleshpounds have already started spawning. This is so you and the team will only be dealing with trash zeds, and not any larger ones.

If you are holding an SYG area with your team, try not to leave the area until the last zed is killed, or unless hell breaks loose and the team needs to start kiting. It is up to your judgment on whether an SYG area is a good or bad idea to hold, and most players will use the player command NEGATIVE to indicate that it would not be a good idea to hold the area.

Players that intentionally try and solo the boss.


Can't believe that there are players who do this? There are, unfortunately.

During boss waves, it is common for the team to get separated. For example, The Patriarch makes it easier for teams to split up, due to him usually chasing after 1 player.

Sometimes, the stranded player will attempt to take on the boss themselves. This, in itself, is complete and utter foolishness. No boss in this game is meant to be killed by a single player, when playing with a team.


Real simple. Don't try and take on a boss alone unless the rest of the team has wiped.

Fight it together, as a team.

There may be some situations where you will have to fend off the boss until you are able to regroup with your team, but you shouldn't be fighting it head-on.


Don't go Rambo and attempt to take on a boss alone. Especially on higher difficulties.

The game is team-oriented, so cooperate with the team and fight the boss together.

Selfish medics that turn tail and run before healing, or players that need to be healed during the Abomination boss fight.


As of recently (Halloween update), the Abomination has been BUFFED to be more faster, stronger and overall more dangerous. Before, he was the laughing stock of bosses in KF2. Now, he is the king of farts.

This is one of the boss fights that players tend to lose the most health on. Thanks to the Abomination's sh*t spawns running around everywhere, it can get a little stressful to focus on the boss AND avoid his fart spawns at the same time. So naturally, you will take some damage due to all the bile and sh*t spawns everywhere.

This is the one time where other players carrying a Med Pistol comes in handy. Why? Because sometimes the Medic can't heal everyone, and if some players end up getting separated from the team, it never hurts to be carrying a healing pistol.

Medics in public game in general are already bad enough, but when it comes to Abomination, they typically don't think to heal their teammates BEFORE running. This is an issue because 1) Medics can tank slightly more damage and can heal themselves faster and 2) Medics should not be watching for themselves, they should be focusing on healing other teammates FIRST.

Medics have buffs that can easily save teammates' lives by giving them speed and damage resistance boosts. This can give them enough resistance to take on a fatal blow or give them enough speed to get away.

I have seen this happen a countless number of times to the point where the Medic becomes absolutely useless during the Abomination boss fight. When teammates start dying left and right because the Medic is too busy running away trying to save their own a*s, then you have to wonder why they're playing Medic in the first place.


If you are not playing Medic, it is highly recommended to buy a Med Pistol. Not only will you now have the ability to heal teammates from afar, but you will also potentially save a teammate's life when the Medic is not available.

If you are playing Commando, consider carrying a Medic Rifle (HM-401). While you won't be able to apply the same buffs as a real Medic, at least you will be able to heal and use the rifle as an optimal weapon. I would recommend only doing this if you have an inept Medic or if there is no Medic on the team.

If you are playing Medic, pay extra attention to your teammates as you will be doing more healing than usual for the Abomination boss fight. Your job is not to inflict damage on the boss (or any boss, for that matter), but to HEAL the players who are doing so. Why this flies over so many Medics' heads is beyond me. Use the TAB button to check your team's status. Don't heal them when they are at 50% or less health, heal them WHENEVER possible. Don't forget that Medic buffs can stack as well.


Not playing Medic? Carry a Med Pistol.

Playing Medic? Heal your teammates.

Players that need to be healed when they are grabbed by Hans.


Hans, one of the fastest boss units in the game, will attempt to "suck" the life out of a player after he has lost enough health. During this phase, he will put up a shield and chase down the nearest player to take their health.

Unfortunately, some players aren't aware that the grabbed player should be healed. Of course, it makes sense that no one wants to get that close to Hans, but unfortunately, someone was unlucky enough to be in that position.

Most players will attempt to keep shooting at Hans while he is taking health from the grabbed player. This isn't very helpful as not only does it do little damage, but the grabbed player will be in a dangerous position once Hans lets go of them.

While most Medics will heal whoever gets grabbed, I have seen Medics that have continued shooting at Hans, only for it to be moot.


If you are not a Medic, and there is no other immediate danger besides Hans, you can attempt to heal the grabbed player with your syringe. While this is generally not recommended, it may be necessary if there is no Medic and the rest of the team is focused on fending off zeds. After healing the said player, immediately back away and regroup with your team. You do not want to be in melee range of Hans.

If you are a Medic, heal the grabbed player right away. All your attention should be focused on them as they are the biggest target priority. The grabbed player, thanks to your heals, will be able to dash away as soon as Hans lets them go (assuming you are at least Lv 10 Medic).


Heal the players Hans grabs, if there is no Medic on your team and if the coast is clear. Do not linger around once you're done healing.

Medics who are unaware that their healing darts apply buffs, and that those buffs can be stacked and applied anywhere, anytime


Medics will typically only shoot healing darts to heal. What many Medics seem to be unaware of is that their healing darts also apply buffs, which has more than likely saved their teammates' lives more than once. Buffs can be applied even if the teammate is at full health, so good Medics can shoot their teammates with darts to help them get to and leave the Trader faster, give them a speed boost, etc.

The trick is that these buffs stack, so up to 3-5 darts will do the trick. The maximum is 30% for speed and damage resistance buffs, and 20% for damage increase buffs. When throwing Medic grenades, the buffs effect will persist so long as the player stays within range of the grenade gas.

This is a mechanic that a lot of Medics tend to overlook, and hence also why it is important to be attentive to your teammates.


As a Medic, be aware that your healing darts can also be stacked to increase the effect of the buffs you apply. This means shooting a teammate with a dart more than once. They can also be applied even if teammates have full health.

Darts, grenades, and the healing gas at lv 25 all apply buffs to yourself and teammates; don't forget to utilize them.


Medic buffs can be stacked, and applied even at full health.

Zerkers and Medics can act as an emergency tank for teammates.


Zerkers, contrary to popular belief, are not always going to be meat shields for the team. They are there to attract most of the aggro and keep the zeds at bay while the team can focus on the rest.

However, Zerkers are superior in the sense that they are able to take more hits than most other perks, and can Parry, which gives them a temporary 40% damage resistance buff, along with attack speed and damage buffs. This allows for them to tank even MORE hits in the next frame, thus making them one of the more OP perks in the game. This, along with the Skirmisher skill, allows for them to self-heal at a moderate rate.

By doing so, Zerker is able to tank for other teammates if necessary. However, Zerker is not meant to be assaulted by large crowds of zeds at once as the term "meat shield" implies, but rather funnel them down into a more manageable group where the team can take care of them.

Most Zerkers do not tend to think of defending their teammates with their superior survivability and skill, and it is actually more common for Zerkers to lose health faster than their team counterparts. The Zerkers who do this typically aren't paying attention to their surroundings and aren't using Parry in general.

Medic has superior armor and overall survivability. In the first Killing Floor game, it was common for high level Medics to take hits or even tank Scrakes and Fleshpounds for the rest of the team.

While Medics generally should not be tanking in general, it can be used in emergencies when a teammate or several teammates are low on health and it is faster to take a hit then heal them at the time.


As a Zerker, tanking hits for the team is part of your job. However, tanking hits for other teammates should only be used in emergencies. An example of this would be a player running from a raged Fleshpound; tank or parry the hit for them so that the Fleshpound de-rages, then focus on helping the player or team take down the Fleshpound.

As a Medic, tanking hits should be priority ONLY if there is no Zerker, you are out of healing grenades, and you are unable to heal them in time. Tank or parry the hit for said teammate, and focus on helping them take the zed down. It would be best to make sure you are at enough health to tank a hit before attempting to do so.

If you are not a Zerker or Medic, it would not be advisable to tank a hit for another player as most other perks do not have a self-healing skill and are generally too slow to outrun raging Scrakes and Fleshpounds.


Tank hits as Zerker or Medic for other teammates if necessary.

Blocking players as they're backpedaling, intentionally or unintentionally.


During panic or kiting situations, most players will backpedal in an attempt to shoot while also running away. This will happen in every online match you will play in, to every player, all the time.

Intentionally blocking players as they're backpedaling just means that you're being an a*shole. Why do this?

Unintentionally blocking players as they're backpedaling happens quite frequently, and almost always during boss waves. During panic situations, players will freak out and backpedal, sometimes unaware that there is another player backpedaling behind them, which can lead to players blocking each other and losing lots of health. During kiting situations, blocking players happens more often than not and requires more vigilance on the player's part. Since everyone is constantly backpedaling, it is common for players to run into each other, especially on smaller maps.


Just have common sense and look behind you periodically while backpedaling. This is more crucial for kiting situations, because zeds can immediately spawn out of sight when there is no line of sight ahead of you. You really don't want to be backpedaling then turn around and run into a Fleshpound at the next corner.


Backpedaling can lead to blocking other players. Be aware of your surroundings, and periodically check behind you if you and a team will be kiting.

Demos and Supports who stand too close to the Trader when they need ammo or grenades.


Demos give out 1 free grenade, while Support gives out 30% ammo and 20% armor simply by interacting with them.

The issue is that sometimes Demos and Supports may stand too close to the Trader, and this overlaps with the interaction button, thus forcing you to open Trader instead.


If you are playing Demo or Support, then try to stand a little farther away from the Trader. Or, if you are done using the Trader, stand farther away so teammates can interact with you and receive free ammo and grenades.


Be considerate and stand slightly farther than usual from the Trader to allow teammates to interact with you.

This is the end of the guide.

Although if I get feedback for new ideas to be added into the guide, I will gladly so do.

I wrote this guide as a means for players, new and old, to take a look at what I believe is generally considered good etiquette in Killing Floor 2.

Like others, I have been playing since KF1 and only want to see this game's player base grow with the hopes that players can treat each other in a more respectful and considerate manner.

If there is any wrong information in this guide, feel free to point it out and let me know, I will gladly fix it. However, if there is something you disagree with based on personal opinion and ask me to change/remove it, it will depend on whether it is beneficial for the majority that happen to read this guide.

Here are some of my thoughts and opinions on certain topics I have brought up repeatedly through this guide:

• Survivalist is useless.
  Unfortunately, while this is an incredibly subjective opinion, it is without a doubt that majority of the KF2 community also seems to agree with this. I am not saying this from assumption, I am saying it from factual proof. Simply look at the forums, Reddit and even in game. Many players believe that Survivalist is not an optimal perk to play and severely hampers the team in lack of a dedicated perk. Tripwire seems to have no plans to replace, or improve on the capabilities of the Survivalist perk, which is a shame.
  
  
• Your playstyle reflects the type of person you are.
  This, of course, is another incredibly subjective opinion. Just because you like to weld doors on your teammates and steal ammo crates does not mean you are a terrible person in real life, but it does somewhat reflect on your amount of respect and consideration you have for others. This also does not mean considerate players are good players, but at least they are being considerate. Typically though, GOOD players tend to be MORE considerate than the average player, which is saying something (and what this entire guide is about). Of course, this might not matter to some people as it is just a game. You leave no mark on those you play with, since you will never meet these people and some of them are halfway across the world. However, you can certainly leave a bad taste of your playstyle on them instead. When games get criticized for having a bad community or nasty players, it is not the game that encourages it, but rather those players who brush off the fact or are even unaware that they themselves are contributing to the very nature of those remarks, and thus, the game's reputation of its community. Killing Floor is no different. Playing like an a*shole or as an inconsiderate teammate will not have other players remember you, but will contribute to their overall image of Killing Floor's community as a bad one, and you should be aware that this also falls under ignorance. Your actions really do speak for who you are, even if they are in an online video game.
  
  
• Medics get a lot of sh*t.
  They really do. In case you don't play Medic and aren't aware, Medics, IMO, are one of the most difficult perks to play on higher difficulties. Why? Because most teams on public games don't know what they're doing, which really does lead to needing an attentive and capable Medic to be able to heal everyone. "But it's just healing, Medic isn't hard to play. All you do is heal." Yes, all you do is heal. If you have a competent team that knows what they're doing, then yes, all you do is heal. When you're unlucky enough to have a team that has NO idea what they're doing, then it gets substantially more difficult for Medic to keep an eye on everyone. And surprise surprise, most Medics don't know what they're doing either. Which is the very reason for players complaining about Combat Medics and Medics not healing in the first place.
  
  
• Higher difficulty this, higher difficulty that....
  Most of the tips, tricks and etiquette advice I offer in this guide is generally geared for higher difficulties, mainly for Suicidal and Hell on Earth games. However, it can be and should be applied for any game no matter the difficulty you're playing. If you're reading something in this guide and think, "Yeah but you don't have to do this on Hard difficulty", well guess what buddy, no one is telling you to. Like I said earlier, most of this is geared towards players coming into higher difficulties and were previously unaware.
  
  Thanks for reading, and as always, let me know your own thoughts and opinions on anything in this guide. Leave comments if you'd like.