Killing Floor 2 Perk Guide – Sharpshooter

Accomplished marksmen can make all the difference on the battlefield. Although the battlefield has degenerated into more of a slaughterhouse, the change in scenario doesn't discourage these guys. Learn how to be the William Tell of the apocalypse with our Sharpshooter perk guide!

Killing Floor 2 Perk Guide - Sharpshooter

INTRODUCTION

"Size is everything, lads."

Killing Floor 2 is host to a menagerie of different play-styles and characters. While some of the options available might be oriented towards dishing out as much mayhem and damage as they can, others might be more keen on defending the team, focusing important targets, or maintaining the group's health.

Sharpshooters exchange fire rate for sheer stopping power with all items in their arsenal; quite literally in the case of their Freeze Grenades. Utilizing weapons as reliable as the crossbow, which has bolts that can be retrieved after firing, to the MAG Railgun, capable of locking on to the weak points of zeds.

If you love Killing Floor 2 and would like to buy it for yourself or your friends, you can get it in our KeenShop. The PC version only costs $13, but there's more! You can have 5% discount – use "I like KF2" voucher in the shopping cart.

PERK OVERVIEW

Dealing higher amounts of damage per shot than the Demolitionist, with more focus on taking out single targets rather than groups, the Sharpshooter is a perk meant to take out high-value targets with efficiency, preferably from long range.

While not as mobile as their counterpart, the Gunslinger, the Sharpshooter prefers to hold down an area and take out dangerous targets from a safe distance.

ABILITIES

Movement
Sniper 5 Marksman
Increase damage 25% while stationary and using perk weapons. Increase shooting speed by 25% and movement speed by 10% when using perk weapons.
Basic Technique
Stability 10 Ballistic Shock
Increase damage 30%, movement speed 50%, and reload speed 20% while crouching and using a perk weapon. Increase stun power of perk weapons 100%.
Skill
Rack 'em Up 15 Tactical Reload
Consecutive headshots with perk weapons
increases damage 10%, to a maximum of 50%.
Increase reload speed with perk weapons.
Equipment
Dead Eye 20 Always Prepared
Reduce recoil 10% and increase headshot damage 10% when using ironsights with a perk weapon. Carry up to 25% more ammo for perk weapons and grenades.
Master Techniques
ZED TIME – Assassin 25 ZED TIME – Ranger
Any head shots with perk weapons have a 5% chance to trigger Zed Time. During Zed Time, increase headshot damage with perk weapons 35%. Any head shots with perk weapons have a 5% chance to trigger Zed Time. During Zed Time, your head shots with perk weapons will stun any Zed.

MOVEMENT

These skills anchor the play-style of Sharpshooters as they level up. Being a perk that is not very fast overall, it is highly encouraged to take the Sniper skill to benefit from the squad's desire to hold up in a certain location throughout each wave. Just be sure to position yourself near the epicenter of the group's positions, and you will get a lot of mileage out of this skill.

If playing with a team that prefers to stay on the move, such as being paired with Firebugs, Berserkers, Gunslingers, and Field Medics; there is no reason to keep Sniper, use the Marksman skill to at least gain some benefits, even if they are less effective than the alternative when circumstances allow it.

BASIC TECHNIQUE

This choice can be a bit difficult, but the primary factor to consider when making this choice is whether or not you have multiple Sharpshooters in your squad.The 'primary' Sharpshooter should take Stability, since the perk is focused on damage output, not debilitating zeds. If you are an additional Sharpshooter, though, you are free to take either of these skills. The stunning power of your guns almost always guarantees large zeds to stumble, so long as you connect headshots. Extra damage is always welcome, though.

SKILL

Both of the skills here function exactly like the similarly named skills available to the Gunslinger; Rack 'em Up is great for Sharpshooters that build up their damage bonus with their Winchester against Clots and Crawlers. For those that find themselves reloading their guns at inconvenient times, the flashy (and faster) reload speed of Tactical Reload is helpful, but is not essential for optimizing your perk.

EQUIPMENT

This skill choice depends on how accurate the Sharpshooter is, as well as how many large zeds are going to appear in the upcoming wave. The additional 25% to ammunition with the Always Prepared skill is nice, but what''s even better is the additional grenade supplied by this perk. Freeze Grenades are underappreciated utilities that line up easy headshots for everyone in the squad; and having an extra one on hand mitigates the chances you will be out of escape plans by the end of the wave. However, for Sharpshooters that are on maps with long sight-lines, take the Dead Eye skill, since the long distance zeds have to travel to get to you might give you an extra one or two safe shots (which just might kill the zed) before you have to worry about tossing a Grenade to save yourself in the first place.

MASTER TECHNIQUES

Either of these perks are pretty amazing, in that they are the only other option for a perk other than the Commando to trigger ZED Time with their efforts. Unfortunately, though; there is an easier choice to make between these two skills. Assassin might give Sharpshooters a good bonus to damage, but the ability to stun any zed so long as they're shot in the head via the Ranger skill allows Sharpshooters to get one or two additional hits in, easily outdoing the damage bonus of Assassin.

WEAPONS

The Sharpshooter starts out with two unique items. The perk-specific weapon of the Sharpshooter is the Winchester Lever-action Carbine, one of the most useful starting weapons in the game; and two Freeze Grenades, dealing almost no damage, but freezes zeds solid, making them easy targets for everyone in the squad.

WINCHESTER 1894

Killing Floor 2's Winchester 1894
The starting weapon for the Sharpshooter, and one of the best weapons overall for any player. Being highly accurate and able to kill Crawlers with a single shot to any point on their body, the Winchester is an amazing weapon for those than can make consistent headshots.

CROSSBOW

Killing Floor 2's Crossbow
The Crossbow is unique in a similar way to the Berserker's Eviscerator: arrows fired from the Crossbow can be retrieved later (if they failed to hit a target). Although the damage dealt by the Crossbow isn't massive, it is easily able to stun large zeds (especially Scrakes), allowing the team to get even more damage on dangerous threats before being put at risk.

M14 EBR

Killing Floor 2's M14 EBR
Although this weapon has a red-dot sight; be sure to get more accustomed to aiming down the scope of this weapon. For some reason, the gun is inconsistent with where the dot appears and where the bullets actually go. If you are a Shaprshooter focused on headshots, this weapon is much more effective at a distance. Use this weapon in long corridors and hallways for maximum efficiency.

HORZINE RAILGUN

Killing Floor 2's Horzine Railgun
Horzine gave the Sharpshooter an advanced toy as well. The Railgun fires bits of metal at a high velocity, meaning the 'ammunition' for this weapon is surprisingly cheap, although you cannot carry much of this ammunition at once (about as much as the Demoliitonist's RPG).
An additional benefit with this weapon is the ability for the gun to target and lock on to weak points on zeds, so long as you're scoped in. This weapon is capable of stumbling Scrakes and Fleshpounds with successful headshots, just be sure to let the gun properly charge (indicated by whether or not the gun is blue or red) before firing!

FREEZE GRENADE

Although it barely does any damage, the freezing effect of this grenade makes it one of the most useful utilities in Killing Floor 2. Just throw it towards a large zed and keep it stuck in its frozen prison while your team lays into into the immobile target. While it takes two grenades to stop a raging Scrake or a rampaging Fleshpound, well-tossed grenades can save the squad in a pinch.

TARGETS

There are a number of enemies that you will stand against as you massacre your way through central Europe on a mission to exterminate the specimen outbreak. The Commando functions as a party's tactician, picking their battles with at least some level of awareness. This portion of the guide will cover each of the specimens in the typical order that they arrive.

THE CLOT (CYST/ALPHA/SLASHER)

Killing Floor 2's CystKilling Floor 2's Alpha ClotKilling Floor 2's SlasherThese three variants make up the basic enemy of Killing Floor 2, with each of the three having a unique behavior associated with them.

The Cyst is like a child, if the child were still dangerous and thirsty for blood. This enemy moves lethargically, and does not have much agility; only a desire to kill the mercenaries.

The Alpha Clot is pretty much the same clot we all remember from the original Killing Floor. While they don't do much aside from walk (or run) towards the player and seem upset about something, there is not much to worry about from this variant.

The Slasher is the most dangerous of the three, behaving like a mix between the Alpha Clot and the Crawler (shown below). This enemy can come from locations players might not expect, such as vents and sewer holes, much like Crawlers. These enemies will move the fastest of the three, and will begin rolling under gunfire on higher difficulties.

The most important thing to note about these enemies is that all of them can grab the player; holding them in place while their friends surround you and tear you apart.

Sharpshooters should only attack these guys while they have the Winchester on hand. These enemies are only good for easy headshot kills if you are utilizing the Rack 'em Up skill, otherwise bash these enemies or let your squad-mates kill them for you (you are staying close to your squad, right?).

THE CRAWLER

Killing Floor 2's Crawler
Arachnid and man, merged into one. What seemed like the everyday Spiderman turned into a nightmare for Horzine with these small, skittering specimens. These enemies can appear in unusual locations like the Slashers, but they do not stand on two legs and walk towards their targets, instead preferring to stay close to the ground before pouncing at their enemies from a close distance. These enemies are not much of a problem alone, but a swarm, if left unchecked, can quickly take down a mercenary before they have a chance to escape. Being one of the fastest common enemies in the game, the only saving grace for players is that they are very frail, only needing a couple shots to take down.

Much like Clots, only shoot to kill these things if you are carrying the Winchester. The one-shot kill potential against these enemies makes you great at clearing out swarms before they can get close to the group, but it will come at the cost of losing your racked up headshot damage.

As soon as you upgrade your equipment, trust your team to kill these things, or bash them if they get too close.

Be sure to aim low every so often, and ensure that Crawlers are prevented from harassing your squad.

THE STALKER

Killing Floor 2's Stalker
Invisible women out to get you; it is not as nice as it sounds. The Stalker is about as agile as the Slasher, but comes equipped with a cloaking field which allows them to get close to a team before striking. While the cloaking field does not make the Stalker completely invisible, it does obscure their form enough to make it difficult for players to spot either how far away or how many are in a group. Moving just a bit faster than the Slasher, and doing a fair amount of damage with their acrobatic kicks and swipes; a small group of these enemies can overrun a lone mercenary very quickly if allowed to get too close.

Stalkers are nothing more than a convenient collateral kill when you are trying to shoot down lines of zeds. Once again, don't shoot these enemies unless you have the Winchester as your main or backup weapon. You will inevitably have to deal with these enemies, so be sure to bash them you weapon long enough for your squad to finish them for you.

THE BLOAT

Killing Floor 2's Bloat
The Bloat is a bullet sponge in every sense of the term. The high resistance to nearly all types of damage make it essential to headshot this enemy before he gets close enough to vomit on anyone. Mercenaries who get covered in a Bloat's bile will take damage over time, as well as have their vision blurred by the effects of the bile itself. On higher difficulties, Bloats will run towards players and raise their cleavers in front of their face to defend themselves from incoming fire, as well as occasionally leaving bile-mines for players to unwittingly step upon.

The head-popping problem for Bloats is finally solved by the Sharpshooter. Only taking a couple shots from the Winchester or EBR, and losing their head with a single shot from the Crossbow and Railgun, Sharpshooters eliminate the threat Bloats pose for the squad.

This probably goes without saying, but don't bother shooting Bloats with the Railgun, even if it can kill a Bloat in one headshot. The low ammo capacity is not worth risking being caught without the ability to fight back against a Scrake or Fleshpound later in the game.

THE GOREFAST

Killing Floor 2's Gorefast
Lacking skin, a lower jaw, and any form of human sympathy, the psychopathic Gorefasts will rush down their enemies, waving their tied-on machetes and swinging wildly with bloodlust. These enemies are the fastest of the common enemies, and one of the toughest as well, taking a handful of headshots just to pop the skull off. On higher difficulties, this enemy will hold their machete in front of their head to try and deflect bullets.

Gorefasts can be taken out rather easily with the Winchester, but the EBR makes for an effective tool against this zed more often than the Winchester. Pop the heads off of these guys to prevent them from running, and then change your attention to the large zeds once you're done.

Again, don't use the Railgun or Crossbow to take these guys out often, it is a waste of precious ammunition.

THE SIREN

Killing Floor 2's Siren
The Siren is a specimen that does not charge down players in the same way that all other zeds do. Instead, these enemies move at about the same rate as Cysts, using their literally lethal scream to damage players (ignoring body armor and going straight against health). Not only that, but the radial scream that Sirens produce will destroy grenades and rockets mid-flight, making them a considerable threat with their ability to disable a team's utility.

Shoot Sirens if they are getting dangerously close to your squad and you don't have a Berserker to take care of it instead. Even if you have the Railgun, the one-hit kills with the weapon are useful if it is a matter between wasting a shot or losing one or more squad-mates.

THE HUSK

Killing Floor 2's Husk
The zeds' attempt at a Firebug, the Husk is a specimen that utilizes attacks from a distance through the use of a Fireball launcher which can light a team of mercenaries on fire. This enemy is tough, but can still be taken out through focused fire or a lot of damage from a single attack. Essentially immune to fire, it is not recommended that mercenaries use fire-based attacks against this specimen. To make matters worse, Husks at low health will charge at the group before attempting to self-detonate themselves in a flaming kamikaze. At higher difficulties, the Husk will use their Fireball launcher like a flamethrower, doing massive amounts of damage and setting players on fire.

The most a Sharpshooter should do against these guys is shoot their tank, not their head. The explosion will damage nearby zeds, and makes better use of single-shot weapons in their arsenal if they can take out multiple opponents much like the Demolitionist, just with a few extra steps.

THE SCRAKE

Killing Floor 2's Scrake
This chainsaw-for-an-arm maniac is a considerable threat to any squad. Their arrival is made known by a noticeable sound cue of a chainsaw being revved up, followed by the roaring laughter of the Scrake. This enemy will walk towards their target, pointing in their direction, and pantomiming threats. When brought to half their max health, a Scrake will go into a frenzy; running at the mercenaries and swinging their chainsaw in combos and wide arcs. On higher difficulties, a Scrake will raise their chainsaw in front of their face in an attempt to block incoming fire.

This is one of two focused targets for the Sharpshooter. If you think you will be the only one attacking a Scrake at first, throw a Freeze Grenade to stop the zed from raging after your first headshot with the Railgun, and try to get another headshot off before he closes the distance between you. If ZED Time activates during a fight with a Scrake, don't bother to wait for the Railgun to lock onto his head, just take the shot once you line it up, and you'll kill this guy quickly enough.

THE FLESHPOUND

Killing Floor 2's Fleshpound
The distinct, guttural roar of pure hatred that announces the arrival of a Fleshpound is a noise that makes the hearts of entire squads drop into their stomachs. Nothing about this zed is subtle, from the giant frame the specimen boasts, to the glowing adrenaline monitor that functions as life support, or the meat-grinding devices attached to his arms, which glow red-hot from the friction caused by their spinning; the Fleshpound is a harbinger of death.

Fleshpounds will be a problem because they have two targets for your Railgun to lock on to when facing towards you; the head and their glowing chest core.

Once these guys begin raging, you're best oppotunity for a shot is when they are entering their rampage, not once they start running. Hope that you can activate ZED Time if a Fleshpound is getting close to your squad, making headshots much easier. Overall, you should try to get three headshots on a Fleshpound during the fight, which should sufficiently weaken the zed to be finished off by the rest of the squad.

TACTICS

4-ROUND GAMES

Sharpshooters must make due with the Winchester throughout short games, with their best weapon being the Crossbow by the time Scrakes and Fleshpounds arrive. The stunning power is more useful than the massive damage of the Railgun, and with any missed bolts able to be retrieved afterward, you can stay in the fight longer.

7-ROUND GAMES

The medium-length games are an exact middle-ground between short games and long games for a Sharpshooter. Those that save their money and make the most out of their Winchester might be able to afford the Railgun by the last wave; but you might have to settle for carrying the Crossbow once again.

10-ROUND GAMES

For all intents and purposes, consider the long-games as the standard length for Killing Floor titles. The balance of time and a team's upgrade rate is the most consistent in 10-round games. Sharpshooters can get by just fine with the Winchester for the first five waves. Kill Clots, Crawlers, Bloats, and Stalkers for easy money to be saved for your Railgun before the main targets begin appearing.

Once  Scrakes and Fleshpounds show up, change your tactics; focus these zeds down before others. Let your squad know when you spot a large zed, and whether or not you want to fight it right away or just kite it while the squad focuses on killing the weaker zeds first. Whatever you decide on, initiate these fights with a Freeze Grenade to make for easy headshots by everyone in the squad without much risk of missing or being attacked by the zed yet.

BOSSES

Currently, there are two bosses in the game, Dr. Hans Volter, an old German scientist who worked with Horzine before taking part in creating the specimens; and the Patriarch, the head scientist for the entire research project, and self-proclaimed 'father' to all of the zeds. The chance for either of these bosses spawning is random, and teams will not have a chance to change their perks or equipment once the wave has begun and the boss has arrived.

DR. HANS VOLTER

Killing Floor 2's Nazi scientist, Hans Volter
The Nazi scientist who still believes in the Reich, Hans Volter was one of the leading scientists for Horzine's specimen project before being convinced with what the team's head scientist had in mind. Keeping himself alive with an integrated life-support system outfitted with an exosuit to augment his physical capabilities, Hans attacks the squad with Freddy Kruger-inspired syringe gauntlets and a pair of StG-44 assault rifles, referred to as "Twin Fangs" by the doctor.

For Sharpshooters hoping to cheese this boss, Hans does not have head health; so you might be able to do more damage when striking his head, but it will not pop off with enough damage. In either case, the core on his back is more vulnerable to damage than his head, but if only one is available, don't hold off on firing if you have multiple weapons going into this fight.

Hans will occasionally throw out gas grenades and fragmentation grenades in bundles to try and disrupt the squad. Commandos have nothing to mitigate this damage, or help their allies. Dodge the grenades as best as you can, and hope the rest of your squad does the same.

Once Hans has lost most of his health, he will activate a shield (shown as a narrow blue bar above his health) and toss a handful of smoke grenades at the squad before trying to rush down an ally, claws extended. If you coordinate an attack with the rest of your squad, keep at a distance and keep firing at Hans' shield to try and resolve the fight quickly, otherwise run away and try to avoid being the one caught and sapped. Regardless of what happens, Hans will move very quickly, making him a harder target to hit; and his shield is resistant to all types of damage.

If your squad is able to destroy Hans' shield before he can heal, he will no longer attempt to heal himself, making for an easier fight to finish. If allowed to heal, though, he will regain up to 80% of his max health, doing this up to three times before going into his final phase.

Hans will become more aggressive as he gets to later stages of his life (indicated by the lights in his suit). His attacks will change up to include attacking with the bayonets of his Twing Fangs (eventually becoming unblockable attacks in the final two stages), making large, leaping attacks with his claws (once again, unblockable), and throwing out more grenades more often, causing a lot of confusion and having the possibility to deal a lot of damage near the end.

The increasingly spastic movements of Hans will make this fight difficult, especially once he begins throwing grenades towards you. Being forced to move is something every Sharpshooter will have to accept going into this fight. If at all possible, get Hans to run down long corridors to increase the likelihood of getting easy headshots.

All of the stationary-focused Sharpshooter skills are more-or-less countered by the behavior of Hans, and his large health pool and defenses allow him to get into a squad's group and break up coordination. Be prepared to stay on the move and run… a lot. You will not be able to take many shots, so ensure the ones you do​ take are going to hit weak points.​​​

THE PATRIARCH

Killing Floor 2's main antagonist, The Patriarch
This is a mean individual who has decided that genetic engineering is the key to a successful, elevated human future. Unfortunately for humanity, this involves cloning a bunch of mutants with no interest in anything other than the elimination of all humans. The Patriarch, is the head of this entire problem, and he exemplifies this logic to a terrifyingly simple solution; a rocket launcher/mini-gun combo for and arm.

The Patriarch utilizes a cloaking system much like the Stalker; which makes hitting the Patriarch's weak points difficult, especially since his cloak negates the targeting system of the Railgun. His only major weak point is his head, which can only be targeted from his front; so take care when going for headshots against this boss. Always be aware of nearby cover you can use to avoid his minigun or rocket launcher if you become his next target.

Try to have your Winchester on hand to kill any zeds that come running onto the field when the Patriarch runs away to heal.

Throughout most of the fight, you will be a vital damage-dealing perk, making their shots count (by getting every bullet to make its mark with the Patriarch's face). Throughout the entire fight, the Patriarch will try to run away and heal up to three times when his health is low. Do not follow the Patriarch at this time; if you are caught by yourself, your best bet is to get one more good shot off before the Patriarch finishes you off in close combat.

This boss forces Sharpshooters to take a risk when fighting the Patriarch. When he is cloaked, the Railgun cannot target his weak points; meaning that Sharpshooters are firing with what they can make out with their naked eye.

CONCLUSION

Exchanging quantity for quality, Sharpshooters make every shot count, especially when aiming above the shoulders.

Having the most accurate weapons at a distance, the Sharpshooter is most effective when able to see down multiple routes for a long distance, with their squad standing in front of them to help ward off threats to the Sharpshooter while they, in turn, take out the distant, lumbering giants of the zed forces.

There's not many things more satisfying than making heads explode with a well-placed bullet, and the Sharpshooter excels in this skill more than any other perk; even it's more mobile counterpart, the Gunslinger.

If you are a player that wants to challenge themselves with the destructive power comparable to Demolitionists, yet carry the squad-reliance of Field Medics, try your hand at being the legendary marksman of your team, and bag the big ones before they bag you.


Guides will be made available regularly for each of the perks in sequential order, if you would like to check out our other perk guides, click on any that interest you below:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

×