Dead By Daylight: Beginner's Guide - Killer

A guide on how to play both the Survivor and Killer roles.

Killer

While the Killer may have the advantage in Dead by Daylight, be wary of growing too cocky. There are four different types of Killer to choose from (Trapper, Wraith, Hillbilly, Nurse), all of whom have different tools at their disposal. It’s somewhat more difficult to hide as the Killer as opposed to the Survivors. However, you’re going to want to keep your location hidden for the most part as being spotted will send the Survivors scurrying for cover.

Choosing Your Killer

Each of the four options are equally viable, but which one is the easiest to play for beginners? Personally, I find the Wraith to be a solid pick as their ability to become invisible can help you get the drop on Survivors (especially ones focusing on a generator). If you grow bored with the Wraith, you can switch things up and try out either the Hillbilly or the Trapper depending on how you prefer to play.

I really enjoy the Hillbilly’s chainsaw, despite the fact that sneaking up on people with the chainsaw can be difficult. The Trapper is definitely the way to go if you prefer crowd control and scoring multiple kills. However, if you’re not adept at placing traps efficiently, the Trapper will only succeed in frustrating you as you scramble around trying to snatch Survivors.

Everyone’s Hiding, Including You

Do remember playing Hide-and-Seek as a kid? Being the Seeker could easily become frustrating if your friends enjoyed switching hiding places like mine did. To combat this, you may have employed the art of what I call “stealth seeking.” Essentially, you want to find where everyone is hiding before they even realize you’ve caught on to their hiding spot. Don’t be afraid to check the same hiding spots more than once, especially around each generator. 

Just because a Survivor isn’t there at that moment, doesn’t mean they can’t creep up and hide there later on. In the beginning, the first spots to check are usually around the outskirts of the map as each Survivor tries to close in on a generator without giving away their position. Furthermore, Survivors will likely be expecting you to break off and hide near a generator. Keep in mind, if they spot you near that generator they will simply move on to another one.

Leave Your Victims

Hook your victims, but don’t wait around for them to die. Unfortunately for Survivors, the likelihood of a teammate coming to their rescue is extremely slim. Well, it should hopefully be slim as moving from cover to rescue a teammate is a great way for you as the Killer to bag two kills in one.

If you’re a Trapper, you can catch any Survivors who don’t understand this by setting up a trap near the victim. Keep in mind, the more you play, the more Survivors will learn to make use of your distraction by heading to a generator. Because of this, you’re going to want to hook your victims (set up a trap if you’re a Trapper), and quickly rush off to the generator to catch unwary Survivors by surprise.

Patient Planning

The urge to race off and grab your Survivors as quickly as possible can be hard to ignore. I’m here to tell you that patience reaps the greatest spoils. You can mask your location and carefully plot where (and whom) you choose to strike first. In addition, knowing how to use your chosen Killer to their unique advantage will help you prepare your attack.

As the Hillbilly, your chainsaw is loud and an easy way to give away your location. To combat this, wait to rev up your chainsaw until just before you strike.

As the Trapper, plant your traps carefully as they’re only effective when in an area where they’ll be activated, and when they’re hidden from view (otherwise they’ll simply be avoided). Don’t set them right next to generators, and don’t forget where you’ve set your traps.

As the Wraith, use your bell as a trick. It’s hard to explain this method of play, but essentially you want to work your Survivors up to the point where they never know if your bell means you’re close by or you’re simply using it to scare them out of hiding.

As the Nurse, injure (or “tag”) your opponents and then wait before finishing them off. The Nurse can detect whenever a Survivor attempts to heal themselves, in addition to their labored breathing. The advantage of the Nurse is being able to track each survivor, so play the long game and wait to strike as the Nurse’s lunge is the shortest.

If you’ve followed these tips, you should be well on your way to mastering the art of playing both the Survivor and the Killer in Dead by Daylight! Let us know in the comments below which Survivor and which Killer you prefer playing the most, and stay tuned for more Dead by Daylight guides!

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For more guides here at Indie Obscura, be sure to check out our walkthrough of the Outlast 2 demo, learn how to tame your first dinosaur in our ARK guide, and avoid losing your mind by following our RunGunJumpGun guide!   

Morgan is a writer, indie game lover, and socially awkward coffee addict. Need something? Morgan can be reached at morgan.shaver@allgamers.com or if you like, you can say hello using GIFs on Twitter.

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