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Introduction
Hey guys, just figured I'd share my personal tactic for flying through the levels of the Support perk.
To begin, I am a third of the way to level 4, and attained the first 3 levels in approximately 6 - 7 hours of casual playing. This guide is all about ease, and will quickly push you through the levels of the Support Perk without breaking a sweat.
Be forewarned, however, that Killing Floor's perk system relies heavily on endurance. It requires you to actually sit at your machine and play, I'm just here to show you the easiest way I've found to do this.
(Also, as a foreword, my screenshots were taken during offline play. That is why my Support perk displays as being Level 0. Online, it is indeed Level 3).
Support Specialist Information
The Support Specialist perk is heavily reliant upon welding and using both the Shotgun and Hunting Shotgun effectively. If you look at the level requirements for the Support Specialist, you will notice it relies on two standards:
1. Welding doors for "x" amount of hit-points
2. Dealing "x" amount of damage with shotguns
In order to maximize the gain in both of these fields, it was imperative for me to find a location that allowed me to continually weld doors, while blasting specimen with my trusty shotgun.
Setting Up The Game
To begin, go to Solo mode. Next, flip to the Mutator tab. Under the Mutators, select "Bloat-ed". This will force the game to spawn Bloats exclusively. Move back to the Select Map tab.
Set the Difficulty to "Beginner". Set Game Length to "Long". Finally, choose the map "KF-Offices". Then click "Play".
Basically, we are choosing "Beginner" mode because it is the easiest mode available. You can blast specimen all day without breaking a sweat. It also allows us to effectively camp, relying solely on our firepower to dispatch enemies.
We have Bloats only because they are slow, yet have a high hit-point percentage. This way, we can rack up a large amount of damage. Consequently, they are worth LOTS of money, and allow us to stockpile large amounts of cash to purchase weapons/armor.
Tactics For Support Specialist Levels 1 - 3
The first round is essentially the pistol round. What you will want to do is run inside the building, circle the reception desk for any available weapon drops, and then head down the long hallway to the back stairs.
The first thing you'll want to do is check your six. The Bloats spawn quickly and may already be pouring out of the spawn-point located on the side of the hallway. If the area is clear, you'll immediately want to begin welding the doors at the foot of the stairs.
Basically, we are welding these doors to keep out the few stray specimen that will come from behind us. The majority will flood from the front, and with these doors welded, we can focus on them without worrying about what's behind us.
For the very first round, use grenades and your pistol to dispatch all the Bloats. After the round comes to a close, run to the shop (you'll have plenty of time since it's Beginner mode) and grab a Shotgun, Ammo, and if you have the cash, some Armor.
Return to the hallway, weld up those doors again (if they need repairing) and camp. If you have extra time left after everything has been taken care of, I like to pass that time by un-welding the doors to about 85%, and then re-welding them to 100%. This contributes greatly to your welder rating.
For the remainder of the game, stick solely to the Shotgun and stay away from your grenades/pistol. If a swarm of Bloats appear, annihilate them with a few blasts of the Shotgun, then quickly reload for the next swarm. This is how you will play the remainder of waves 2 through 10.
It is important to know that, while the Mutator does force the game to spawn Bloats exclusively, the game does spawn several other random specimen, such as the Fleshpound. This occurs frequently during the later waves, in which approximately 2 or 3 Fleshpounds may appear. The Shotgun, however, is more than enough to properly dispatch them. Four quick Shotgun shots to the chest will easily fell a Fleshpound on Beginner.
Focus all your attention in front of you. If you hear the back door break, turn around and deal with that situation before focusing your attention to the front again (the back doors rarely break, as there are usually only 1 or 2 specimen that come that way).
Before each new wave, make sure that you keep those back doors welded. Only un-weld them when necessary (one of the shop locations is directly above the rear staircase, so it is convenient to un-weld the door and run up).
You probably have a good idea about what's going on here. By welding the back doors consistently, you are boosting your welding rating. By dispatching all the Bloats with the Shotgun, you are boosting your Shotgun damage. Both of these contribute to your Support Specialist perk.
Each successive wave should generate between 5,000 and 7,000 damage with the Shotgun. This equates to nearly 70,000 damage by the time you are finished with the Patriarch (and we are only on Beginner mode at the moment).
This brings us to Wave 11. The Patriarch.
At the shop, make sure to ammo up, and refill your Armor if necessary. Also, purchase either a Bullpup or Dual Handcannons to use alongside your Shotgun.
After visiting the shop, forget about the back doors/long hall area, and instead head to the staircase, just to the left of the main entrance to the building. You'll want to camp midway up the flight of stairs here.
I have found that the Patriarch's spawn, while indeed random, is usually directly above, or directly below this position. This gives you ample opportunity to either rush up or down the stairs and quickly dispatch him.
As soon as he spawns, run towards him. Pummel him with your Shotgun until empty (at this point he will fall to his knees). Now whip out your secondary and annihilate him. If you kill him, great job! If he escapes, simply reload your guns and do it again, making sure to dispatch the random specimen he spawns as backup.
If you failed to get him the first time, the second time is more than enough to take him out.
Rinse and repeat this gameplay for maximum effect.
Tactics For Support Specialist Level 4 - 5
This section assumes that you are Level 3, and are attempting to reach Level 4, or even Level 5. Before we begin, I would like to say that I am currently at this stage of gameplay. However, I will share with you what I am currently experimenting with in terms of leveling.
To begin, we must set up the game differently from before.
Go to Solo mode. Next, flip to the Mutator tab. Under the Mutators, select "Clot Buster". This will force the game to spawn Clots exclusively. Move back to the Select Map tab.
Set the Difficulty to "Normal". Set Game Length to "Long". Finally, choose the map "KF-Offices". Then click "Play".
Again, we are setting the game to be as relaxing as possible. We don't want the gameplay to be too intense, or else it will feel like work instead of play. Just relax, shoot some specimen, and enjoy the ZED Time cuts when they occur.
Tactics will remain essentially the same.
Weld the doors, camp the hall, survive the pistol round, and run to the shop.
However, things start to change slightly when you notice that cash is on the low side. This is because of the low cash reward for killing Clots. Don't let this bother you. Ration your money as follows:
Immediately following the pistol round, purchase a Shotgun and ammo. Nothing else (you should be broke after that anyway). After Wave 2, simply ammo up. Wave 3, just get ammo again.
On Wave 4, if you have not found any Armor lying around (during your runs to the shop) purchase that. If you do have armor, get ready for some fun.
Because of the Support Specialist's perk of having more slots for weapons, you now can carry BOTH the Shotgun AND the Hunting Shotgun. If you already have armor, purchase the Hunting Shotgun and ammo up. Return to the camping spot and get ready to rock.
Stick mainly to your Shotgun to dispatch the Clots. As the waves go on, however, be prepared to deal with Fleshpounds.
To deal with Fleshpounds, you can go about it two ways:
1. Throw three grenades at their feet (there is no perk reward for this and should be only for emergency). This should blow them sky-high. If they fail to die after that, a single Shotgun shot should finish the job.
2. Whip out the Hunting Shotgun. At close range, use secondary fire to dump both barrels into the Fleshpound at once. This should cause him to go into the rage animation. During this animation, just reload the Hunting Shotgun while backpedaling. After it's reloaded, secondary fire him once more. This should finish the job.
The most difficult task during this gameplay is to avoid being killed by the Fleshpounds. If you remain vigilant, they will not have the chance to get close enough to you. Always keep your focus down that main hallway or else they will sneak up on you, corner you, and kill you. STAY VIGILANT!
This should get you through Waves 2 - 10.
The Patriarch should be handled just like before, however you now have the advantage of two shotguns.
Camp the same location as earlier. When he spawns in, rush towards him with the Shotgun.
Empty your Shotgun into him. When he takes a knee, pull out your Hunting Shotgun and secondary fire him, point blank. Whip out your 9mm and go nuts. If that fails to kill him, simply reload, rinse and repeat. Be wary of the spawned specimen, however.
Ironically, this tactic seems to only gain ~10,000 to 15,000 more damage than the tactics explained for Levels 1 to 3. It all comes down to preference at that point, as to which one you prefer to play.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. My all-encompassing guide to quick leveling with the Support Specialist perk. Hope you enjoyed it!
If you have any suggestions, or know of other handy locations/tactics involving fast leveling of Support Specialist, let me know here!
Hey guys, just figured I'd share my personal tactic for flying through the levels of the Support perk.
To begin, I am a third of the way to level 4, and attained the first 3 levels in approximately 6 - 7 hours of casual playing. This guide is all about ease, and will quickly push you through the levels of the Support Perk without breaking a sweat.
Be forewarned, however, that Killing Floor's perk system relies heavily on endurance. It requires you to actually sit at your machine and play, I'm just here to show you the easiest way I've found to do this.
(Also, as a foreword, my screenshots were taken during offline play. That is why my Support perk displays as being Level 0. Online, it is indeed Level 3).
Support Specialist Information
The Support Specialist perk is heavily reliant upon welding and using both the Shotgun and Hunting Shotgun effectively. If you look at the level requirements for the Support Specialist, you will notice it relies on two standards:
1. Welding doors for "x" amount of hit-points
2. Dealing "x" amount of damage with shotguns
In order to maximize the gain in both of these fields, it was imperative for me to find a location that allowed me to continually weld doors, while blasting specimen with my trusty shotgun.
Setting Up The Game
To begin, go to Solo mode. Next, flip to the Mutator tab. Under the Mutators, select "Bloat-ed". This will force the game to spawn Bloats exclusively. Move back to the Select Map tab.
Set the Difficulty to "Beginner". Set Game Length to "Long". Finally, choose the map "KF-Offices". Then click "Play".
Basically, we are choosing "Beginner" mode because it is the easiest mode available. You can blast specimen all day without breaking a sweat. It also allows us to effectively camp, relying solely on our firepower to dispatch enemies.
We have Bloats only because they are slow, yet have a high hit-point percentage. This way, we can rack up a large amount of damage. Consequently, they are worth LOTS of money, and allow us to stockpile large amounts of cash to purchase weapons/armor.
Tactics For Support Specialist Levels 1 - 3
The first round is essentially the pistol round. What you will want to do is run inside the building, circle the reception desk for any available weapon drops, and then head down the long hallway to the back stairs.
The first thing you'll want to do is check your six. The Bloats spawn quickly and may already be pouring out of the spawn-point located on the side of the hallway. If the area is clear, you'll immediately want to begin welding the doors at the foot of the stairs.
Basically, we are welding these doors to keep out the few stray specimen that will come from behind us. The majority will flood from the front, and with these doors welded, we can focus on them without worrying about what's behind us.
For the very first round, use grenades and your pistol to dispatch all the Bloats. After the round comes to a close, run to the shop (you'll have plenty of time since it's Beginner mode) and grab a Shotgun, Ammo, and if you have the cash, some Armor.
Return to the hallway, weld up those doors again (if they need repairing) and camp. If you have extra time left after everything has been taken care of, I like to pass that time by un-welding the doors to about 85%, and then re-welding them to 100%. This contributes greatly to your welder rating.
For the remainder of the game, stick solely to the Shotgun and stay away from your grenades/pistol. If a swarm of Bloats appear, annihilate them with a few blasts of the Shotgun, then quickly reload for the next swarm. This is how you will play the remainder of waves 2 through 10.
It is important to know that, while the Mutator does force the game to spawn Bloats exclusively, the game does spawn several other random specimen, such as the Fleshpound. This occurs frequently during the later waves, in which approximately 2 or 3 Fleshpounds may appear. The Shotgun, however, is more than enough to properly dispatch them. Four quick Shotgun shots to the chest will easily fell a Fleshpound on Beginner.
Focus all your attention in front of you. If you hear the back door break, turn around and deal with that situation before focusing your attention to the front again (the back doors rarely break, as there are usually only 1 or 2 specimen that come that way).
Before each new wave, make sure that you keep those back doors welded. Only un-weld them when necessary (one of the shop locations is directly above the rear staircase, so it is convenient to un-weld the door and run up).
You probably have a good idea about what's going on here. By welding the back doors consistently, you are boosting your welding rating. By dispatching all the Bloats with the Shotgun, you are boosting your Shotgun damage. Both of these contribute to your Support Specialist perk.
Each successive wave should generate between 5,000 and 7,000 damage with the Shotgun. This equates to nearly 70,000 damage by the time you are finished with the Patriarch (and we are only on Beginner mode at the moment).
This brings us to Wave 11. The Patriarch.
At the shop, make sure to ammo up, and refill your Armor if necessary. Also, purchase either a Bullpup or Dual Handcannons to use alongside your Shotgun.
After visiting the shop, forget about the back doors/long hall area, and instead head to the staircase, just to the left of the main entrance to the building. You'll want to camp midway up the flight of stairs here.
I have found that the Patriarch's spawn, while indeed random, is usually directly above, or directly below this position. This gives you ample opportunity to either rush up or down the stairs and quickly dispatch him.
As soon as he spawns, run towards him. Pummel him with your Shotgun until empty (at this point he will fall to his knees). Now whip out your secondary and annihilate him. If you kill him, great job! If he escapes, simply reload your guns and do it again, making sure to dispatch the random specimen he spawns as backup.
If you failed to get him the first time, the second time is more than enough to take him out.
Rinse and repeat this gameplay for maximum effect.
Tactics For Support Specialist Level 4 - 5
This section assumes that you are Level 3, and are attempting to reach Level 4, or even Level 5. Before we begin, I would like to say that I am currently at this stage of gameplay. However, I will share with you what I am currently experimenting with in terms of leveling.
To begin, we must set up the game differently from before.
Go to Solo mode. Next, flip to the Mutator tab. Under the Mutators, select "Clot Buster". This will force the game to spawn Clots exclusively. Move back to the Select Map tab.
Set the Difficulty to "Normal". Set Game Length to "Long". Finally, choose the map "KF-Offices". Then click "Play".
Again, we are setting the game to be as relaxing as possible. We don't want the gameplay to be too intense, or else it will feel like work instead of play. Just relax, shoot some specimen, and enjoy the ZED Time cuts when they occur.
Tactics will remain essentially the same.
Weld the doors, camp the hall, survive the pistol round, and run to the shop.
However, things start to change slightly when you notice that cash is on the low side. This is because of the low cash reward for killing Clots. Don't let this bother you. Ration your money as follows:
Immediately following the pistol round, purchase a Shotgun and ammo. Nothing else (you should be broke after that anyway). After Wave 2, simply ammo up. Wave 3, just get ammo again.
On Wave 4, if you have not found any Armor lying around (during your runs to the shop) purchase that. If you do have armor, get ready for some fun.
Because of the Support Specialist's perk of having more slots for weapons, you now can carry BOTH the Shotgun AND the Hunting Shotgun. If you already have armor, purchase the Hunting Shotgun and ammo up. Return to the camping spot and get ready to rock.
Stick mainly to your Shotgun to dispatch the Clots. As the waves go on, however, be prepared to deal with Fleshpounds.
To deal with Fleshpounds, you can go about it two ways:
1. Throw three grenades at their feet (there is no perk reward for this and should be only for emergency). This should blow them sky-high. If they fail to die after that, a single Shotgun shot should finish the job.
2. Whip out the Hunting Shotgun. At close range, use secondary fire to dump both barrels into the Fleshpound at once. This should cause him to go into the rage animation. During this animation, just reload the Hunting Shotgun while backpedaling. After it's reloaded, secondary fire him once more. This should finish the job.
The most difficult task during this gameplay is to avoid being killed by the Fleshpounds. If you remain vigilant, they will not have the chance to get close enough to you. Always keep your focus down that main hallway or else they will sneak up on you, corner you, and kill you. STAY VIGILANT!
This should get you through Waves 2 - 10.
The Patriarch should be handled just like before, however you now have the advantage of two shotguns.
Camp the same location as earlier. When he spawns in, rush towards him with the Shotgun.
Empty your Shotgun into him. When he takes a knee, pull out your Hunting Shotgun and secondary fire him, point blank. Whip out your 9mm and go nuts. If that fails to kill him, simply reload, rinse and repeat. Be wary of the spawned specimen, however.
Ironically, this tactic seems to only gain ~10,000 to 15,000 more damage than the tactics explained for Levels 1 to 3. It all comes down to preference at that point, as to which one you prefer to play.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. My all-encompassing guide to quick leveling with the Support Specialist perk. Hope you enjoyed it!
If you have any suggestions, or know of other handy locations/tactics involving fast leveling of Support Specialist, let me know here!