Rating specimen threat levels:
Since people's play styles differentiate, people will be victim to different specimens for different reasons. Thus making a comprehensive list would be fairly redundant. However, the one i note to be the most dangerous is the crawler. Here's my combat experience:
A) Generally you cannot kite crawlers, particularly when they've engaged you in close combat. the majority of the time i see someone die is because they've tried to kite a bunch of specimens and ignored the crawlers or got swamped by some crawlers when ignorantly retreating past a crawler spawn point. The majority of my early deaths were also as a result of the same mistake. It is especially important to note when retreating, as you will usually be low on health and it does not take long for them to nip away at your HP when they get in range.
It is my personal experience that prioritising killing crawlers (opportunisticaly) when retreating, or crawlers following other retreating allies, can dramaticly increase yours and your allies survival chances (exponentially so when **** really hits the fan).
B) Whilst sirens are slow, their AoE attack is very dangerous for the whole team and when 3 or 4 group up and are not focused down, they can wipe a team in moments. It is often my protocal to focus fire sirens if there are several in line of sight and then immediately heal up team mates.
C) Scrakes will not charge unless they've taken significant damage and can easily be walked past. All too frequently i see players panic at the combat ability of the scrake, unleash a salvo of ammunition into them when retreating only for it to then charge, kill them, and then charge into another player. It is more opportunistic to leave a scrake until last unless you are clear of other specimens.
Melee:
A) Whilst kiting speicimens is the obvious tactic, simply walking backwards constantly is not the most efficient method of controlling the horde. Walking backwards and then forwards into the horde (works well with FP's and gorefast's) causes them to stop to attack you. This allows you a greater chance to avoid damage as it prevents specimens from "following through" with their charge and dealing damage; it also allows you to step back after your own melee attack, reducing the time "in contact" with the specimens (so if your attack misses, you can still dodge the specimens).
B) The knife is an essential part of retreating, the speed bonus allows you to put some distance between you and the specimens, heavy strikes can decap stalkers, GF's and clots and regular strikes can stun clots from grabbing you. Utilising the knife is of more use than going straight to your syringe. Which is better used once you've put some distance between you and the specimends.
Reloading:
WAIT!!! Did you just decap a clot and are (out of habit) reloading after firing a few bullets. STOP. Check your corners. I all too frequently see players (and i make this mistake also) reload after firing a single shot only to turn into a horde of clots and take severe damage. This is completely avoidable.
Your retreat:
A) controlling the horde via kiting is all very well, but specimens continue to spawn throughout the wave, and to assume the threat lay only infront of you is an assumption you'll take to the next map when you die (or at least to spectator until the next round). after firing off half your clip, check your back. Specimins will flank you if you give them the opportunity. Keeping half your clip allows you to effectively clear your exit before you get swamped.
B) Always have an escape route. Welding a door does provide some protection but often it's far more useful to have the route open. Since specimens walk directly towards you they cannot intercept your escape (unless they flanked your directly because of where they spawned), making it very easy to walk past them. It is often far better to sacrifice a little health walking directly past some GF's/crawlers in order to avoid getting swamped. But a lot of the time you wont even get damaged if you whip out your knife and make a swift exit. As a medic it is very useful for your team (as you do have a limited combat capability) if you watch over a route and keep it clear.
The Patriarch:
This is basically a list of the greatest KF crimes you can commit.
A) Do not weld a door if someone has pipe trapped it. The rocket he uses to destroy the door will destroy the pipes.
B) Do not stand on your own pipes. Whilst standing on them on regular waves and allowing them to cover your eventual retreat is a sound tactic. Your own pipe will often be the death of you where you may have otherwise avoided death from an indirect rocket.
C) A level 5+ medic can out run the Patriarch if you utilise corners; as the patriarchs corners are wider than a players you gain ground by kiting him around an object like the red London buses.
D) Only weld doors a small amount, if you weld them at all. The patriarch will use a rocket to destroy a door whether it's 2% or 100%. Only welding it 2% means you can make a swift escape if you need to but are still alerted if the patriarch attacks from another flank.
E) You will often find yourself the "last one standing" against the patty. I previously mentioned the patty will use his rocket launcher on a welded door no matter what the progresson on it is. Scrolling through your weapon list in order to quickly equip the welder, turn around and weld a door with a single burst can earn you additional ground between you and the boss; and even cancel his previous charge.
Being a team player:
A) The berserker may not have guns but he will easily handle a large group of specimins, often isnta-killing anything besides a scrake or FP. It is best not to "steal" his kills, doing so will only leave your team at a loss when you get flanked for not paying attention to your own targets and die. Berserkers will often drop most of their money to those who need it, being selfish helps noone and hurts everyone, including yourself.
B) The berserker can melee stun Scrakes. There is nothing more annoying for a berserker than engaging a scrake, only for a low level player to shoot the stunned scrake and un-stun it. The damage done to the berserker is completely avoidable. You're far more useful keeping GF's and crawlers off his sides whilst he deals with the scrake
C) Whilst berserkers are tough with damage reduction buffs and high damage out put, crawlers can be problematic. If a berserker engages a group of specimens, whilst "stealing" kills is frowned upon it is very useful to reduce the damage given to the berserker by focus firing crawlers for him.
D) Most people will think they are being tactically clever, but if you're lightly damaged and running for the trader, do not worry about healing up until after the grace period. It is far more useful to your allies to allow them the benefit of leveling their medic perk and earning a couple extra squid in the process; it's amazing how many times i've managed to afford important ammunition off the back of healing people a couple times during the grace period.
E) In order to acquire tier 3 weapons ASAP it is often useful to give your money to higher level player of the same perk in order for them to purchase discounted weaponry on your behalf.
decapitation:
A) Heavy strike a couple paces away, walking into a specimen, to time a decap proficiently.
B) Heavy strike at a pace's distance low on a stalker (chin) for successful decaps.
C) Heavy strikes will often kill a specimen on the spot, light strikes will leave the body. The overall threat is reduced, but still poses an obstacle.
D) Aim for a crawlers chin down iron-sights for successful decaps.
General defence:
A) striking multiple clots whilst not aiming for kills will allow you to escape with your life.
B) welding doors that don't necasserily aid in funneling specimins can still help to confuse the AI, reducing the overall horde at times making it easier to deal with. A welded door to one side can distract up to 5 specimens and clog a narrow flank to your benefit.
Since people's play styles differentiate, people will be victim to different specimens for different reasons. Thus making a comprehensive list would be fairly redundant. However, the one i note to be the most dangerous is the crawler. Here's my combat experience:
A) Generally you cannot kite crawlers, particularly when they've engaged you in close combat. the majority of the time i see someone die is because they've tried to kite a bunch of specimens and ignored the crawlers or got swamped by some crawlers when ignorantly retreating past a crawler spawn point. The majority of my early deaths were also as a result of the same mistake. It is especially important to note when retreating, as you will usually be low on health and it does not take long for them to nip away at your HP when they get in range.
It is my personal experience that prioritising killing crawlers (opportunisticaly) when retreating, or crawlers following other retreating allies, can dramaticly increase yours and your allies survival chances (exponentially so when **** really hits the fan).
B) Whilst sirens are slow, their AoE attack is very dangerous for the whole team and when 3 or 4 group up and are not focused down, they can wipe a team in moments. It is often my protocal to focus fire sirens if there are several in line of sight and then immediately heal up team mates.
C) Scrakes will not charge unless they've taken significant damage and can easily be walked past. All too frequently i see players panic at the combat ability of the scrake, unleash a salvo of ammunition into them when retreating only for it to then charge, kill them, and then charge into another player. It is more opportunistic to leave a scrake until last unless you are clear of other specimens.
Melee:
A) Whilst kiting speicimens is the obvious tactic, simply walking backwards constantly is not the most efficient method of controlling the horde. Walking backwards and then forwards into the horde (works well with FP's and gorefast's) causes them to stop to attack you. This allows you a greater chance to avoid damage as it prevents specimens from "following through" with their charge and dealing damage; it also allows you to step back after your own melee attack, reducing the time "in contact" with the specimens (so if your attack misses, you can still dodge the specimens).
B) The knife is an essential part of retreating, the speed bonus allows you to put some distance between you and the specimens, heavy strikes can decap stalkers, GF's and clots and regular strikes can stun clots from grabbing you. Utilising the knife is of more use than going straight to your syringe. Which is better used once you've put some distance between you and the specimends.
Reloading:
WAIT!!! Did you just decap a clot and are (out of habit) reloading after firing a few bullets. STOP. Check your corners. I all too frequently see players (and i make this mistake also) reload after firing a single shot only to turn into a horde of clots and take severe damage. This is completely avoidable.
Your retreat:
A) controlling the horde via kiting is all very well, but specimens continue to spawn throughout the wave, and to assume the threat lay only infront of you is an assumption you'll take to the next map when you die (or at least to spectator until the next round). after firing off half your clip, check your back. Specimins will flank you if you give them the opportunity. Keeping half your clip allows you to effectively clear your exit before you get swamped.
B) Always have an escape route. Welding a door does provide some protection but often it's far more useful to have the route open. Since specimens walk directly towards you they cannot intercept your escape (unless they flanked your directly because of where they spawned), making it very easy to walk past them. It is often far better to sacrifice a little health walking directly past some GF's/crawlers in order to avoid getting swamped. But a lot of the time you wont even get damaged if you whip out your knife and make a swift exit. As a medic it is very useful for your team (as you do have a limited combat capability) if you watch over a route and keep it clear.
The Patriarch:
This is basically a list of the greatest KF crimes you can commit.
A) Do not weld a door if someone has pipe trapped it. The rocket he uses to destroy the door will destroy the pipes.
B) Do not stand on your own pipes. Whilst standing on them on regular waves and allowing them to cover your eventual retreat is a sound tactic. Your own pipe will often be the death of you where you may have otherwise avoided death from an indirect rocket.
C) A level 5+ medic can out run the Patriarch if you utilise corners; as the patriarchs corners are wider than a players you gain ground by kiting him around an object like the red London buses.
D) Only weld doors a small amount, if you weld them at all. The patriarch will use a rocket to destroy a door whether it's 2% or 100%. Only welding it 2% means you can make a swift escape if you need to but are still alerted if the patriarch attacks from another flank.
E) You will often find yourself the "last one standing" against the patty. I previously mentioned the patty will use his rocket launcher on a welded door no matter what the progresson on it is. Scrolling through your weapon list in order to quickly equip the welder, turn around and weld a door with a single burst can earn you additional ground between you and the boss; and even cancel his previous charge.
Being a team player:
A) The berserker may not have guns but he will easily handle a large group of specimins, often isnta-killing anything besides a scrake or FP. It is best not to "steal" his kills, doing so will only leave your team at a loss when you get flanked for not paying attention to your own targets and die. Berserkers will often drop most of their money to those who need it, being selfish helps noone and hurts everyone, including yourself.
B) The berserker can melee stun Scrakes. There is nothing more annoying for a berserker than engaging a scrake, only for a low level player to shoot the stunned scrake and un-stun it. The damage done to the berserker is completely avoidable. You're far more useful keeping GF's and crawlers off his sides whilst he deals with the scrake
C) Whilst berserkers are tough with damage reduction buffs and high damage out put, crawlers can be problematic. If a berserker engages a group of specimens, whilst "stealing" kills is frowned upon it is very useful to reduce the damage given to the berserker by focus firing crawlers for him.
D) Most people will think they are being tactically clever, but if you're lightly damaged and running for the trader, do not worry about healing up until after the grace period. It is far more useful to your allies to allow them the benefit of leveling their medic perk and earning a couple extra squid in the process; it's amazing how many times i've managed to afford important ammunition off the back of healing people a couple times during the grace period.
E) In order to acquire tier 3 weapons ASAP it is often useful to give your money to higher level player of the same perk in order for them to purchase discounted weaponry on your behalf.
decapitation:
A) Heavy strike a couple paces away, walking into a specimen, to time a decap proficiently.
B) Heavy strike at a pace's distance low on a stalker (chin) for successful decaps.
C) Heavy strikes will often kill a specimen on the spot, light strikes will leave the body. The overall threat is reduced, but still poses an obstacle.
D) Aim for a crawlers chin down iron-sights for successful decaps.
General defence:
A) striking multiple clots whilst not aiming for kills will allow you to escape with your life.
B) welding doors that don't necasserily aid in funneling specimins can still help to confuse the AI, reducing the overall horde at times making it easier to deal with. A welded door to one side can distract up to 5 specimens and clog a narrow flank to your benefit.
